April BD's BRING May BFPs!!

[SmallTownGal]

Ah, well at least the temp is nice in South Cali, even if it's dry and dusty (which would prob still be a step up for me since I'm allergic to mold and ragweed and that would cut out the mold). Sorry to hear that allergies are plaguing the rest of you, too! Darn allergies, they're everywhere.

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Disney, big hugs to you Grief counseling sounds like a good idea and I'm glad you were able to get some closure at your reading. My prayers are with you and your family. And I'd be one of those people wanting testing on the tissue, because I'd want to know for help with closure, so I'm glad that option is available.

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Nikki, I'm glad your DH agreed to try anyway in the hopes of avoiding IUI cost.

I get acne breakouts around O time, sometimes, too. Darn acne.

 

[SmallTownGal]

I need some advice: My best friend is throwing a baby shower this Saturday for her sister. I am also friends with her sister because we were all college roommates. The shower is a 2.5 hour drive from my house. My best friend offered for me to sleep over Saturday night. Id have to leave in the morning Sunday because I have a lacrosse game at noon that is near my house. However, I don't know if I want to go for a few reasons, 1. a baby shower is hard in general to go to when I want to be prego so bad! 2. with DH laid off (most likely) it will be a lot with money for gas, gifts (it is also my best friends bday Monday so gift for that too), out to eat... 3. I would be going for my best friend (and I could celebrate her bday), not really the sister. {side note,isn't really fare for me to bring up, but: sister invited me to her wedding 2 years ago and we couldn't go, but I sent a nice gift. I invited sister to my wedding and she couldn't go... NEVER got a gift...}.... anyways should I just suck it up and go?

Nah... just tell them about your DH's job situation and they shouldn't hassle you about it. Just send a giftcard if you want to contribute. *Side note: I know lots of people think gift cards are shoddy gifts, but I love receiving giftcards! They are practical, especially for baby and bridal showers! Sometimes you just don't know what you are going to need!

I second Nikki's suggestion.

(And I love gift cards, too! I like to shop, so a gift card is like two presents in one for me - I get the gift of my choosing and I get to shop for it, whee!).

 

[HWPG]

i dont go to baby showers, and it's been hard for people to understand, but at some point you have to protect your heart. i would be a miserable mess and it would not honor the guest of honor for me to attend. i think you provide many valid reasons for gracefully declining.
along the same lines, i'd like some feedback as well: i have a friend from college getting married in august. i would put her as a level 3 friend (1=family and besties, 2= people you're close with but dont tell everythign, 3=someoen you've known a long time and are comfortable with, but dont pick up the phone to call). the bridesmaids have planned a weekend in Marths vineyard camping. the drive will be 4+ hours for me, so at least a tank of gas ($70). plus parking for 3 days ($30), round trip ferry ride ($20), and dinner saturday night ($40?). the bridesmaids are asking for $200 per person to pay for lodging and alcohol and food (not sat night dinner out, though). this weekend is going to cost me like $350..... is that normal? am i being unreasonable/stingy to think that is a lot? also, i will have to attend the bridal shower (travel + gift, $100) and the wedding (travel + gift + hotel, $200). as a guest, this wedding is going to cost me about $700.
keep in mind (im sure you are) that we're ttc: so yesterday i dropped $100 on clomid, softcups, opks, and preseed. who knows, hopefully i wont be drinking that weekend!?!?! also, i have a vacation to virginia planned for june (family reunion) so that $350 is my plane ticket down. i'm sorry, i know this rant is long, but i'm trying to back out of the party without being a complete b*tch about money. ugh. what do you gals think?

 

[BubsMom17]

Mirolee - Ummmm.... $700 to attend a wedding festivities??? How about... NO!!! I think it is really unreasonable for the bridesmaids to be asking for $200 a person for a pre-wedding trip, not including personal expenses. Sorry, but I wouldn't have that kind of money! I would just say, sorry, it's not personal, I just can't afford it. It's no one else's business about your financial situation. I would tell them I am happy to attend the wedding a provide a gift, but it would be a frivolous expense at this point.

 

[goldstns]

Mirolee- I totally agree that is absurd! I got married 8 months ago and that was a big concern for me. I made sure to cut price down for my friends as much as I could because I know at our age and the economy that people being there was more important then them spending money! For my shower, we did it at my house, my mom and MIL made all the food! For the bachlorette party we did get a limo (for $30/person) and we pre and post gamed at my house all together with the boys (everyone brought something to contribute to the booze for the night and we ordered pizza for those that wanted to eat with us). Therefore when we went out you didn't have to spend any money if you didn't want to, we left booze in the limo so could go back and drink in the limo. Then we offered everyone to crash at our house if they wanted to, so no hotels or drinking/driving. As for the wedding, from Friday night - Sunday brunch we paid for almost all out of town meals. You have every right to not be apart of the bachlorette party and the shower! It is enough that you attend the wedding (attend, get an outfit, provide a gift)! I was also the maid of honor in a wedding last month and the bride kept coming up with pricy things for the bach party... she wanted a hotel room, dinner, and a limo. I told her to cut the price because then you will get more friends to join for the night. So she finally did a little. She took out the hotel room because I offered our house for people to sleep at. She still wanted dinner and limo. Well turned out me, her and her sister were the ONLY ones at dinner because no one could afford the WHOLE night of events. In the end, she should have just done a limo and go out.

 

[HWPG]

thanks gals, i feel less crazy and scroogey. it's nice to know that there are other money conscious peeps out there.

 

[RobertRedford]

I'm right there with you all. I planned my birthday party recently and was really conscious about how much people were going to be spending. I think it is rude if you don't consider how much it will cost. I really wanted to go to the drybar for my birthday party to get blowouts pre-dinner, but it was $40 each, and that seemed like too much money to ask people to spend, So I called ahead of time and arranged for a "party", so we got a huge discount ($20/person), and then I chose a wonderful but inexpensive dinner. It ended up being about $40/person night (plus more if you were drinking), as opposed to what could have been a $100/person night.

AFM, CD 9 and I think I am getting close to O. My boobs are sore, and I am breaking out on my chin (I always break out on my chin around O), as well as my CM is changing. I am having some slight cramping in my right ovary-- lets hope it is a good sign! Will take an OPK in a few to see.

 

[SmallTownGal]

Mirolee, I agree with the others, just say you can't afford it right now, and if she doesn't understand, then she's being unreasonable. There are loads of people who wouldn't be able to afford something like that, esp. right now.

 

[Disneybaby26]

Nikki - I would say skip it. With finances being tough, I think it's totally understandable! Funny, I love giftcards also! DH thinks they're thoughtless - I think they're a great way for me to get exactly what I want!

Mirolee - This ones totally up to you! It definitely sounds expensive, have you asked for the breakdown of why the lodging/food/booze costs that much? Anytime my friends and I have tried to "pre-buy" food/booze to share half of it ends up getting thrown away or divided awkwardly at the end of the trip. Maybe it would be cheaper to suggest a buy as needed type of sitch...Who wants a half eaten bag or doritos???...ok, well I do but that a whole other issue...

This is nothing at all against DH...he is wonderful. But personally, if a girls weekend comes around with a group of ladies that I truly enjoy spending time with and I can get a whole weekend, or dare I say long weekend away with them...it is priceless to me. With mostly everyone being married off now the times we get without the hubs around to joke and laugh and kinda "feel like the college days" are few and far between so it really just matters, not even who the trip it "for", but who will be there that you enjoy. It really just comes down to what its worth to you, obviously the TTC always messes with everything else in our lives but I say if you have the money and theres at least s couple girls there that sometimes you think to yourself "gee, I really wish I saw so-and-so more often..." then go for it!

AFM, I *think* I ovulated today. Like I said yesterday I was having some EWCM and had a faint positive OPK and then really sharp ovary area pain around 11am today and did OPK when I got home and there wasn't even a hint of a line...so maybe?! I caught the very end of my surge yesterday? Anywho, follow up with doctor on Friday. Sushi and wine with a friend who didn't know about the pregnancy tonight...I thought that would be a good "first real outing".

 

[goldstns]

Yay diseny...enjoy your night!!

 

[goldstns]

We bd-ed an hour before o cramps.... Hope that brings me double lines! I think I will see temp increase soon.... And will test on mothers day.

 

[Disneybaby26]

Perfect!! Fx'd for you Nikki, that would certainly be quite the Mothers Day gift!! Xx

 

[wavescrash]

Took another test (cheap internet dip tests) tonight (& also this morning) and BFN again.

Still have that annoying, achy uterus going on. Dull lower backache. Had a headache last night & then a dull one most of today. Bloated as can be (but I'm sure it's mostly due to being constipated due to the iron supplement I started taking haha.) And within the last 10 minutes or so, my boobs have started to ache. It's more at the top of them & the upper outside part closest to my armpits. Who knows what it all means though lol.

The biggest frustration isn't really the BFNs because it could still be too early for me to test, but instead the fact that I have no idea when AF is supposed to show up since I haven't had her visit since 2011 basically. I have no way of knowing if I'm "late" or should still keep testing so I'm just going to test every day I guess lol.

 

[goldstns]

Ashlee- did u confirm with blood work? How are you feeling??

 

[TTCaWee1]

Hey ladies sorry I have been mia...I've been working a lot. Picking up OT! Gotta get it when I can. But I am off today! Glad to see that there are so many O-ing right now! I'm on CD11 so I should O sometime between now and Sunday. No opks or temping for me though. I've decided to convince myself that I won't be getting my bfp until July anyways so it relieves the stress. Whether its true or not, at least it leaves me a little less stressed about it.

Disney, glad you are getting out of the house!

Oh and I agree with everyone on the money thing. $700 for a wedding event is a little extreme.

 

[goldstns]

I am also off of work today! Rachel we can hang out.

As for my job, they said my contract should be signed today so I can go back to work tomorrow. I'll believe it when I see it! Apparently the contract division at work got yelled at yesterday by 3 high up people and they put a rush on dh's contract and they claim it will be signed Friday. Once again, I'll believe it when I see it. However, I can "work" (from home) Saturday to make up todays hours and then we shouldn't miss a beat in pay!!

I just did 30 min fast walk and up hill on the treadmill. I tried to run, but my back was bugging me .. So I stuck to walking.

Opk was def pos today...so its go time. We bd-ed the past two days. I want to bd today, but I also think giving dh time to increase his little men might be a better idea. So not sure what to do...any advice??

I have a blood draw today for my vit d levels. Its at my fertility office. So I am coming with a few questions.

Dh said next week, after "go time" he will give another sample to see if his morphology increased, which will help us determine our next step.

So exciting times coming for us!

 

[pdxmom]

HI everyone...sorry ive been MIA ... the damn allergies have got to me...theyre killing me

Disney ... its so nice to see tht uve found a path to help u with your mourning...ur a strong girl honey

700 to attend a wedding....ahheemm ahheemm i dont think so..

Ladies pls help me out here...im posting 2 pics of my opks from the past 7 days...pls have a look at them and my chart and let me know wat to think????? the top one being the first and the bottom most one being from today

 

[BubsMom17]

Nikki - I say for it! 24 hours should be enough time to increase his guys.
And you must be relieved about the job situation. I know it's hard to believe it until you see it, but there must be some part of you that is relieved!

Has DH been really good about taking his supplements and cutting back and tobacco and drinking, etc? I think it's awesome that you will be able to see if they made a difference really soon!

 

[BubsMom17]

Sonia - Yesterday's and today's look pos to me... Can you try with a digi? You may be really close but not there yet... I get so frustrated with OPKs...

 

[goldstns]

Sonia- I usually get two-three days that look like those opks. And I assume positive and bd until temp increases. I'd count those as pos.

Emily- his takes his supplements religiously. He gets mad at himself if he leaves the house and forgets to take it. But then will take it as soon as he gets home. As for tobacco, he said he's cut down, however not a ton because I can't really tell, but I'm not tracking. Same with alcohol, I mean some weeks are good and some aren't as good. I blame work stress as the reason for drinking.

However, his eating and supplements are much better!

Well ser with the Sa next week.