BFP Chasers...........Feel free to join....

[TTC74]

Wow! I hadn’t realized how long I’d disappeared for! Congrats Mum and Miki!

AFM - picked up some tests today and took one out of sheer excitement to test. Got this . . . Which disappeared after a bit. Got to be a weird Evap, right?

 

[Wish2BMom]

Oh TTC - did you see a line today? are you feeling anything? what made you test? I see it but I've seen time and time again not to trust the blue ones. I'm excited for you though!

miki - ugh another bleed!! I'm so sorry!!! Dang, Kai and Malcolm were on the same schedule this weekend. M woke up in the middle of the night with the barking croup cough again and DH took him to the hospital. He was so upset and gasping for air but then calmed down back to sleep on me but still sounded like a little harmonica so we brought him in. That was around 1:45am, they didn't get back to the motel until 5am. How are you feeling now? Better I hope!!

So Sunday was a little rough until nap time for all of us. The rest of the weekend was WONDERFUL!! The boys had an absolute ball and it all turned out to be less stressful than DH had anticipated - whew!! I knew they'd love it. Carousel rides, playing at the beach in the waves, running around without a care in the world, stroller rides up and down the road to the pier area. T would get so mad when we'd stop walking, he was LOVING the stroller rides. They stuck to their same schedule so no one was a bear, which was good. They napped for a couple hours each day and were in bed by 8pm each night, if not a little earlier. Then we were in bed by 10, so we got a little hang out time with the family. T was up by 5:45 each morning and I'd get out of bed with him around 6:15 b/c...it doesn't matter what time you get up at the beach b/c it's beautiful! So I'd take him either to the beach, or we'd hang out with my BIL and his daughter/the boys' cousin (she's 2.5) for a bit in the morning while everyone else woke up. We went to see the morning sun the last morning there, missed the actual sunrise by a few mins but it was so clear and beautiful. We walked so much all weekend, we definitely got our steps in!

 

[mikihope]

TTC- I see the line, have you tested again? Thanks for the well wishes, I'm glad to see you back here!

Wish- Yeah, it does suck that I keep having these bleeding/spotting episodes. The next scan can't come soon enough! My cold is getting better, thanks. Unfortunately I can't say the same for my pregnancy symptoms. I'm super dizzy now, and the nausea hasn't gone away. But I'm glad that Kai's cold got a whole lot better really fast. Is Malcolm completely well now? Must have been so stressful, with him having croup in the middle of the night during your vacation. Thank goodness it went so well despite that big hiccup!
I'm envious of your wonderful weekend, it really sounded like so much fun! I knew that it would turn out less stressful than your DH thought; I have the same experience with mine. He's so negative and stressed out about things, nagging and grumbling at me, and it's only after we go through it that he realizes that it was a good thing and everyone had fun. Sigh.

Mum- That's too bad about your sciatica, you must be so sick of that pain. Isn't your appointment sometime soon? I hope that you manage to reach your goal of quitting smoking, I'm glad that you have some support to help you. How are you feeling, is your body shape changing by now? I've been battling severe bloat and a big spare tire around my middle. I think I look much more far along than I really am!

 

[mumof1+1]

Thank you TTC, have you retested?

Miki yes I’m absolutely exhausted with trying to cope with the pain. Some days it’s just terrible and my sofa really isn’t helping either

My appointment is in 8 days and bloody counting... can’t come soon enough.

I think I’m still more bloat than anything at the moment. How far are you now again? Xx

 

[Rainshiny]

Well my goodness! Hello folks. Miki- holy cow this pregnancy is seriously taking over. Sounds miserable, even while it’s such a blessing. I hope the nausea gives you a break, but without making you nervous. Kai was so sweet and laid back as a baby— I bet he will balance out the laid back and rambunctious sides of his personality in a few years!!

Mum- I’m glad your PT appt. is coming up soon... it’s so hard to be in pain even if it’s a happy cause. So glad to hear you’re having good scans.

Wish- you’ve hit a stage when they get so active but don’t really listen at all. Ours would dump their plates in the floor too. Drives you nuts and so hard to be nonchalant. Little rascals! Hopefully they pick up on the consequences soon...in a few months your limits will start to sink in. Glad you had a great time at the beach! You are so brave to go that first time without your husband. I’m sure you got your exercise !!! It’s funny DH thought they would be bored- our kids would still play in the sand/dirt/water for hours when given a chance. Remind me- do you have a nanny or are they in daycare?

Lee and Wicky and TTC- so neat to hear updates from you!!!

Is Bella going to preschool this year?

Lee- I’m sorry for your loss. Thanks for your thoughtful reminder to keep up with screenings.

Rachel— you’re so intrepid to have been through so much. Have you considered getting some tests run? I guess it’s still early. I hope you get your rainbow 2 soon.

Wanting—keep the faith!! Four healthy kids is a great track record. How are you feeling?

My news is that I’m newly job- free!! It was scary at first but it’s fantastic to be outta there. The idea was that by quitting I’d have more time to find better opportunities. The funny thing is, with all the paperwork, daycare being closed three days, a camping trip, Drs appts, school appts, etc, I’ve barely had a chance to apply for jobs. I kinda could use some time off and with free PreK in DC, we have no financial worries. So I’m not in a rush, LOL!!! Hopefully I find something by the first of the year I have a feeling I’ll find something before long. I have a huge network.

Camping was really fun! Tiring, but the kids at 3.5 have turned a corner where they are more self sufficient and could be trusted to run around and not do stupid stuff (like eating dirt or whathaveyou) and not wander into the wilderness, and the second night they slept super well. We need to get them trained to hike farther though!! Mammas need a break!

We r starting preK3 in a couple weeks, and the lottery system is fairly insane- they are currently enrolled at different schools while we wait for a second spot to open up at our preferred location. Hopefully the waitlist moves before start date Sept 9!! At least I have some free time so I can take them to separate schools for a week or two if needed. I’m pretty sure we will get in but is a nail biter!

I was saying the kids are getting easier, but phew, if you thought 18 mo is cheeky... wait till 40 months!! Yikes. Master negotiators, learning all the buttons to push, fighting, ugh. That’s why we seek out dirt piles and spray parks to keep them busy!! The language mistakes and their funny imaginations are quite entertaining though. They’re cute as punch (half the time anyway) and I’m taking full advantage of the little kid snuggles!

 

[Rainshiny]

I had about 10 cry-laugh emojis in there- guess they didn’t pull up from my phone, so add in a bunch mentally, please! LOL

 

[Wish2BMom]

RAINY! I love when you pop in!! Life is a crazy whirlwind, huh? Will you be looking for a job in the same space or try something new? that's wonderful you don't have to worry about much while you're out. We couldn't not make it without my paycheck. Even the last couple job changes I've made, I couldn't take any time off in between. Oh well. I love that you all hike and get outdoors as much as you do. If this summer has taught me anything, it's that OUTSIDE is my happy place. It's the boys' happy place too - they just love to be out there, running around, being crazy. Hiking should be on our list. We've never been much of hikers but the couple times we have, we say how much we love it and want to do it more. Now we just need to DO it.
Your kiddles sound adorable and I'm sure they are cheeky to no end! Yes, you nailed our stage. Just this morning I had to remove both boys from the couch b/c they were not sitting on their bums properly and standing instead. Nope - I've seen too many of my friends' kids come over and start standing (and JUMPING) on our furniture. I won't have it. You can argue that they are 19 months, what else do 19-month olds do but jump and climb but it's high time we instill some manners in that arena. So I had to remove them and stop them from climbing back on. I think Timothy tried 50x while screaming mad. Persistence for him AND me. Any tips or tricks you have, send them my way!
The boys are in daycare - they love it. We love it. I was talking with my cousin about it a little yesterday (she has a 3 and 1 yr old) and she was starting off with 'as sad as it is to leave them...' and I can't really concur with that. I feel bad when I walk out the door and they are clinging to my neck, but I don't really do the dropoffs - DH does them all b/c he goes into the office. But I truly feel like they have gotten a hugely important foundation from going - the relationships they've made/are making, what they are learning, the energy they burn off. They sing, they dance, they get special 'outings' or visitors that come in (like a Reptile guy came in last week, the other day a karate instructor came in). It's all so positive.

miki - dizzy too now??? yuck!! I'd be vomiting everywhere. I had to tap out of the carousel at the beach and send Grampa in my stead b/c I got dizzy the first time. Yes, our DHs sound SO similar - he realizes now that it was a great experience for them. I just sit back and sigh, exactly. But hopefully now the proof is in the pudding and he'll be less anxious next time and maybe we can do more. There is a wonderful town out on the coast that I'd love to go to more and now that we know the boys love their strollers, maybe he'll be more open to it. The problem is getting there - the boys don't like being in the car for too long. On the way to the beach (about a 2 hr trip up), we timed it for naptime so there were no explosions until 5 mins before we got to our destination.

mum - I hope things shift again soon and you get some relief. We ended up purchasing a comfy recliner later in my pregnancy b/c I was not comfortable anywhere, but it wasn't sciatica. I hope your scan gets here quickly!!

rachel - any updates?

ttc - any updates on more lines???

nothing new here - going to be a nice weekend so hopefully a lot of fun time outside!

 

[TTC74]

I retested. Nothing. It was an Evap which isn’t that much of a surprise.

At 2.5 Bella is still in daycare. She’s ready for the college football Gator vs Hurricane kickoff game!

 

[Wish2BMom]

omigosh, that little cheer outfit is ADORABLE! college football is your thing right? enjoy the season! I'm excited for NFL but cannot believe that summer is already almost over. I LOVE the fall, though, so I'm also pretty psyched. It's also the season where we don't have to stay indoors b/c of the extreme humidity and stupid bugs. I feel freer in the fall. I might start running again too. Maybe... I need to move my body a little more than I do right now, for sure!

How was everyone's weekend? ours was good - did what I mentioned - My Gym and then the playground for a bit yesterday. I feel like the boys are already outgrowing the class they are in. It goes up to 22 months and they are almost 20 months so I guess it's to be expected. But they RUN - mostly Timothy - around from station to station and want to be crazy men. But then there are babies there and little ones just learning to walk. T plows by them and b/c he doesn't have the best sense of space yet, he runs into them sometimes. The parents are all very nice but we have to watch them like hawks now and weave ourselves around everyone to catch them when they take off. It's nuts.

We switched out T's carseat finally to a bigger one and not the infant one. He's needed it for awhile but DH swore it was for up to 30 lbs. He found a label on it the other day and it's only up to like 22 lbs. Sigh. I've been saying this - you can SEE he's outgrown it. Whatever. DH has been worried about how it'll be in the parking lot when he's taking the boys into daycare by himself. It's easier to carry them both in in the buckets! No one is running off! I get it, but the boy is uncomfortable. Anyway - the BOX to the carseat is probably the best toy we've given to them! it's now in the middle of the kitchen and they used it all weekend. So funny - like a cat!

 

[mikihope]

Mum- Poor you, I can’t believe how long you’ve had to wait for your sciatica appointment! I have battled sciatica pain due to degenerate discs in my back. I used to find no relief from lying down, and sitting was really bad. Add to that the bloating, and you must be in so much pain. I hope you can take it easy until your sciatica is fixed. I’m 11 weeks and 1 day, I think I’m 2 days behind you!

Rain- I love your updates! I feel like such a slug, though, I need to get back to walking on trails again. I’m glad that you’re enjoying your newly job-free status, and I hope that a job pops up for you when you’re ready! And I hope that the twins school situation gets sorted really quick, these waitlist school things are so stressful.
Thanks so much for your support, you’re right about the nausea, I hate it but I’m sure I’d be very worried without it. Oh that’s true, Kai was laid back as an infant. But I remember that he had a loud voice. And he’s loud now! He’s such a character, full of joy and so cheeky, a born clown. I think he feels emotions strongly, so most of the time he’s laughing heartily and so joyful, but when he feels bad, there comes the loud crying and flailing!

Wish- Oh yes, the dizziness is so unpleasant. It makes the nausea so much worse! DH does stress me out with his negativity and anxiety about things we do and the trips with Kai, but same as yours, he seems to realize after the fact that it was actually fun and a good thing. I hope you get to go to that town on the coast more now! Your life with your boys sounds like so much fun, I love reading your updates! I feel too awful to write much that makes sense these days. Oh, I have issues with getting Kai to not stand on the sofa too. He knows it’s not acceptable, but he likes to tease me by standing up and even walking around. I think I’ve made strides in getting him to stop the behavior, but it’s still a work in progress.

TTC- Bella looks so cute in her little outfit! Does she know the cheers? I love college basketball and I’ve been dying to take Kai to watch a Cal game, but (as usual) DH was filled with anxiety at the thought. Sigh.

AFM- The usual these days, feeling really bleah physically and unfortunately it’s taking a toll on me mentally. And I keep seeing brown spotting. The next scan is on Wednesday, I’m so anxious about it!

I met a woman at the playground whose son had the exact same birthday as Kai! She lives on the street behind mine, 2 blocks away. While chatting more, it turned out that she gave birth at the same hospital, and had the same delivery doc. And she was a year older than I was when I gave birth (she was 47). I was so amazed at the coincidence!

 

[TTC74]

I need to respond to everyone. I am keeping up with each of you!

I’m kind of in shock. DH started testosterone replacement therapy. From everything I’ve read, it causes infertility but I decided to keep trying because why the heck not. I thought I had IB yesterday. So, today I tested.

 

[Wish2BMom]

miki - oh i hope you get to go to a bball game soon! that would be so fun! Yes, maybe Kai won't last the whole game but that's the stuff you have to be ready for (and I assume you are) - go with full understanding that there could be a meltdown or just loss of interest after a little bit but MAYBE JUST MAYBE he might enjoy all of the energy too! Yeah, the sofa-standing will be an ongoing battle for a little bit I'm sure. Though they were alone in the living room the other day and had both crawled up on to the couch and when I popped my head in, M was sitting and T was standing but knew he'd been caught and sat down right away. So I guess something is sinking in.
You know - the beach trip worked! We accepted free tickets to a kid's amusement park we have here up in the mountains called 'Storyland' from my aunt and uncle b/c the kids enjoyed themselves so much at the pier rides at the beach! DH accepted with no hesitation!! So we have that to look forward to as well - the tickets expire in Oct so sometime next month we'll go. Mayyyybe I can get him to do an overnight somewhere, though hotel prices will be at a premium b/c of all of the 'Leaf Peepers' (foliage fans).

TTC - I see a super light squinter - is that what you're showing us? or have I finally achieved 'line eye'? EEEK! exciting!

soooo we're potentially dealing with a double dose of Hand, Foot & Mouth! Timothy came home with a low-grade fever the other day but enough to keep him out of daycare for the 24 hrs yesterday. But Malcolm went to school. Daycare called at 4:15 and said he had a fever of 102...so he's home with us today but T is back in school. M's fever is sticking around, T woke up fine yesterday. But T has the blister bumps - in odd spots like his thigh and chest, but also on the back of his hands/ankles and one on his chin. When DH brought him in today, they said yep, that's it. And I guess there were a few other kids just COVERED with bumps (guess it's only contagious when the fever is around). So now, just watching M for the bumps. I guess it's something we can get too and it's passed by saliva so I'm boiling my water bottle they both drink out of!!
So DH and I are both home, working from home and splitting the work between our meetings and tasks. Unfortunately we're both pretty busy so it's tough, but we figure it out. I had Timothy in the office with me during a couple calls yesterday, he was a good boy. My project manager was very understanding, thankfully. She's a mom, so she gets it!

 

[mikihope]

TTC- I can see the line clearly! Did you do another test? I'm excited for you!

Wish- So true, we can just leave the game if it gets too much for Kai. But I don’t think DH will be happy with that. Somehow he seems to need reassurance that everything will proceed exactly as planned, and he expects things to go the same as if we didn’t have a toddler with us. He was upset at our friend’s gathering when Kai was constantly on the move. He said that we should be able to sit down and socialize like we used to. I was fine with it as this is what I think life with a toddler is like. Anyway, DH somehow is more rigid in his thinking, whereas I tend to look at life as a bunch of experiences and adapt as we go along. You’re so lucky that your DH is now on board with the fun trips, the amusement park sounds like so much fun!
Wow, your boys are already listening to you! Sounds like M is more “obedient” than T? Kai likes to stand on the couch on purpose, looking at me with a really cheeky smile. If I pretend to be disinterested, he will plop his little butt down and sit nicely. He knows what’s expected of him, but he likes to do the opposite to check for my reaction!
My goodness, I can’t imagine a double dose of HFM! Are you all doing ok? I hope the boys got a relatively mild case. My sister got it from her kids when they had it, but it’s usually mild in adults, I think. I hope that you and DH don’t get it, and the boys get well real fast!

AFM- I got to see Beanie again on the scan yesterday! To our relief, he was moving around and had a heart rate of 160 bpm. Still can’t breathe easy because of the spotting, but at least it seems that the spotting is benign, even if it’s still unexplained. I’m constantly told that it’s really common for pregnant women to spot, which is a bit reassuring, but the issue for me is that I did have red blood and larger bleeds before all this spotting. No idea where those came from.

 

[Wish2BMom]

Yay for seeing a wriggly bean! That's a great HR too! I can't believe you're almost in the 2nd tri already!! I understand your concern about the bleeding. I'd be so concerned too but it makes perfect sense that there would be SOME level of bleeding for most women. You've got so much blood rushing to that area now and things are just moving and stretching for the near future - it's bound to happen!

ooooh no - Malcolm is NOT the obedient one!! Timothy probably is moreso, but they both test the boundaries constantly. They have these little 'bikes' or riding toys that we give them inside the house, they zoom around the dining room-foyer-kitchen circle on them and they've taken to trying to stand on the seats. We have to threaten to put them away, and then they listen. But that's one of those things we have to continue to be diligent on - 3 warnings to 'sit on your bum - do not stand', 'ok then it goes away', 'one more time', aaaaaaaaaaand DONE. So they have plenty of warning, plenty of explanation to understand what we're saying and if they still push - the toy goes away.

It's funny - I think I'm actually the one that thought we'd be able to socialize more than we can at outings, like your DH. But more like you, I'm completely adaptable to how it ends up going. Whereas DH is like 'it's not going to be relaxing, they have Death Traps 1, 2 & 3 at their house, so it's just going to be a disaster'. But I'm more about getting the kids exposure to different people and scenarios so they'll understand how to act in public so if we start small, we start small. We show up but if it gets too tiring for us, we leave. But keeping them home isn't going to teach them anything. They will just know how to act at home. I think DH thinks that when they get older, they'll just 'know' how to act. But I'm pretty sure they have to learn how to act. So exposure is the name of my game. It's really funny - kind of in a related way of what DH seems to think they'll just 'know' - he gives them snacks like Goldfish crackers and M will take a handful, shove them all in his mouth and then (shocker) gag. So DH will say 'take just one!' I'm like 'he doesn't know what ONE means!!! You have to GIVE him 1 cracker!' smh

 

[RosieS84]

Hi everyone.

I am Rosie, been married for five years and been trying to conceive those five years. I'm 35, husband is 45. We have been together 15 years this October. Last year we went to a fertility specialist and they said I needed to lose a bit of weight before they take on our case. I need to lose 33 lbs according to the specialist. After three visits, the specialist kept saying the same thing and I told my husband it was a waste of time for all involved to keep going to be told the same thing.

I am giving myself 12 months to get into shape and change my diet.

My close friend is currently pregnant with her first. I'm excited for her so much but there is that twinge of jealousy. Please tell me I'm not the only one that has that small bit of jealousy around other pregnant friends.

 

[wantingagirl]

Sorry ladies I’m ok I’m 11dpo my SS was visiting then my wee one has been sick the last 6 days I hope everyone is well!

 

[Wish2BMom]

welcome, Rosie! I'm sorry for your long-term TTC, it's so frustrating. Good luck with your weight loss! You can do it! I'm a consultant for a Health Living company and I've seen it work - you got this!!

wanting - welcome back! 11dpo - are you going to test at all? sorry for the sick kiddo!

The boys are over their HFM and now just have little scars/scabs. M's face is still a bit of a mess but it's healing. We had such a fun long weekend with them, it was sad to go back to work today. We did My Gym and the playground a couple of times, and near the playground there is the school's softball field and let them run free. It was so cute, they loved it! We needed to burn off some energy before the rain came in yesterday afternoon.
I managed to make a from-scratch marinara for dinner on Sat, chicken noodle soup with from-scratch broth that I had frozen yesterday - we ate well and saved money!
All in all - great weekend!

 

[mikihope]

Wish- Thanks, it’s definitely a wonderful thing to see a wriggly bean! Thanks for the comforting thoughts on the stretching and vascularity, the OB I saw said the same thing!
What a fun weekend you had! It’s so fun and adorable when the little ones are happy and enjoying themselves! You all deserved it, after going through HFM with both boys. Funny how our DH’s both think that somehow it’s “natural” for our kids to know how to behave in different situations and in public. I’m with you, they need exposure to all these situations in order to learn.
I don’t feel so alone with Kai’s cheekiness and constant boundary testing, now that I see that your boys are doing similar things And you have two to deal with! I never thought of doing “3 warnings”, I guess I figured Kai wouldn’t know what it meant. I should try it out, he does seem to understand a lot more than I think he does.

Wanting- Sorry your poor little one was sick. Are you planning to test? Any symptoms?

TTC- Did you do any further tests?

Mum- Did you get that sciatica seen to? Is it any better?

Hi Rosie! I’m sorry that you’ve had a tough time on your long TTC journey . I hope that you achieve your weight loss and finally get that sticky bean, and sooner than you planned! It’s understandable that you would feel a twinge or two at seeing your friends get pregnant, I know I would have. I remember feeling a twinge when I heard that my colleague's wife was pregnant!

AFM- Our fridge died on Thursday, and I had to stay home with Kai on Friday as daycare was closed for staff enrichment day. I was so stressed out beforehand, but it turned out that I was feeling less queasy that day and Kai was generally fun and tantrum free. So we spent our long weekend sourcing for repair people, then new fridges, and then we finally had one delivered. We were most worried about Kai’s food, but we somehow managed. And I went to do some blood and urine tests and the Glucose 1 hour test (ugh) on Saturday. Not a relaxing few days at all, but we had tons of fun with Kai. He’s started saying a whole lot more words, and imitating seemingly everything he hears. The other day he said “uh-wee-bane” (hurricane). I just love how his little voice is so sing-song and cartoony. So cute

Heard Beanie on my home Doppler on Sunday, so that was great too! I think I kind of feel little flutters every now and then, but that may be gas as it’s so early…

 

[Wish2BMom]

miki - glucose test so early?? how come? how did it go? Ugh the fridge dying - no!! glad you got it sorted, though, and had a good day regardless. So happy to hear the nausea stayed away for a little bit! Are things starting to go in that direction and wane a bit for you? Do you feel like you're showing yet? I've heard that the 2nd one shows a lot earlier. You could feel flutters, who knows! The placenta may be placed differently this time so maybe you'll feel them earlier. Or just know what they feel like now! I miss that!!

TTC - what's the status?

wanting - any updates from you?

rosie - you're totally not the only one who is jealous. I'd be green with envy when we were trying and my friends would basically say the word 'pregnant' and BOOM. It was annoying. I was happy FOR them but couldn't help but be envious. And it seemed so silly b/c why should I compare anyone's situation to my own. But they were my feelings so I let myself have them. Be kind to yourself. You'll get there.

nothing new here - work is getting NUTSO and will be for the next few months. I hope I don't have to work a lot of extra hours but it's looking like that might be the case. I'm starting a new cleanse this week and I swear I'm sticking to it. I need the clarity and energy! The last couple of times I've started one, I only lasted a few days. Mainly b/c I'll lose a couple of pounds in a few days (water weight, likely) and I'll feel so good that I'll just allow myself crap again b/c I KNOW I can lose the weight in a couple days. But that's not what this is about - it's about getting your body back in balance, like your blood sugar, your acidity, reducing inflammation, etc. So I'm determined to last at least 3 weeks! It's a 30 day program but I've only ever lasted 23 days, I think.

 

[wantingagirl]

Thanks ladies I had lots of symptoms what felt like implantation too and still got period.

I feel like on a couple of the pregnancies I feel like implantation is trying to happen and then happened so late so that’s concerning xx