TTC #1 AL Buddies 2016 Newcomers Welcome

[lesondemavie]

Bronte - Our garden is mostly California drought-tolerant type plants. So nothing too exotic . The previous owners paid to have it landscaped, but we're hoping to make it a bit more wild. We really wanted to use California native sage bc we love the smell but apparently it's protected, so we had to ditch that idea. The lavender is great. It smells so nice as you walk by our fence, and it doesn't need much water at all. The towns around here started out as orange groves and the like so citrus grows wonderfully, but they are big water suckers :/. So cool that your DH does research with plants by day. I understand not wanting to bring work home though.

 

[Aayla]

Bronte: they do have loans and my clinic has a few companies on their website but unfortunately our credit sucks because of mistakes we made in our 20's and early 30's. I don't even own a credit card.

We were thinking that when I got close to my goal weight that we would do a Go fund Me account. My mom says that they will likely help but i don't want to have to rely on that.

 

[lesondemavie]

It sounds like you have a great plan in place Aayla, and that's awesome that you can hit both goals at the same time! I definitely see sunshine and rainbows ahead for you ☀️😊🌈

 

[BronteForever]

That's a great idea Aayla. Good luck on reaching your goals. You can do it!!

Les - that sounds beautiful again. My husband is more of an ecologist and does more field research. But it's still plant related. All of it confuses me.

 

[Aayla]

So I think I may have found a way to help fund IVF. No idea how much money I will make but I have decided to start selling my cross stitch stuff. Just small and medium things. I've created a FB page to get out there at first but I think i am going to start making a bunch of small ornaments and medium pictures for Christmas and sell them at the craft fairs. Maybe throw in some other themed ones and some bookmarks.

I have so much fabric and floss right now that there will be no outward cost to start.

 

[BronteForever]

Cool Aayla. Hope it turns out well. Great way to make some extra money. Can you sell on Etsy from Canada?

 

[Aayla]

Yes. The only issue with etsy is most cross stitch stuff sold is patterns and not finished products. The people who buy from etsy tend to want to do it themselves. I don't create patterns other then some sayings from movies. But I can't draw so coming up with anything other than words is near impossible for me.

 

[lesondemavie]

Great idea with the cross stitch Aayla!

So I think it's time for a roll call in here, where is everyone at and how are you doing?

 

[BronteForever]

Love the idea of a roll call.

AFM - I'm on Day 11 of stims for my IVF and to be honest, I'm not doing great mentally this week and am a nervous wreck. My retrieval has been pushed back two days. I had already scheduled people for my classes at work and was planning to take off tomorrow through Friday, so I'm going to stick with that. Sitting isn't the easiest, so getting to lay at home should be helpful. However, I'm afraid not having the distraction of work will make my mind wander a bit more and get more stressed out.

I'm making it through. I'm just ready for some relief on the ovaries and to see what's going to happen to the embryos. I'm also slightly worried about overstimulating them now.

So really, a lot of emotions going on.

 

[lesondemavie]

Bronte - All of those emotions make sense considering. Hoping for a wonderful, easy retrieval at just the right time to ease your mind. Nearly there!

AFM: 5 DPO, so solidly in the TWW wait and taking it easy. Focusing on pies, and meringues, and the garden, and the house, and work of course. So much work to get done this week! I have to develop and lead a new training bt Monday and it is crunch time report-wise for me 😅. I feel like I've finally faced some really tough emotions that I was stuffing down, and I'm better for it. I honestly feel better this TWW than I have in a long time. I feel like if it doesn't happen, I'll be ok. We'll see if that sticks for the next 7-9 days, but for now it is really refreshing to take the pressure off.

 

[beccabonny]

Les, good luck in your distractions! Fx this is your month! Sounds like the garden is going well! I have trouble not overwatering, so I try to wait until things are dry to water again. I know that’s probably not a problem out there in SoCal. As far as a second blueberry species, good question, since they are so strict on plants out there, but maybe vendors at a local farmer’s market might be able to point you in the right direction. It sounds like you guys are really making progress and planning to the fullest! You’ve got a great vision Just do one thing at a time and you’ll get there.

Bronte, sounds like your hubby is a man of many talents! First the charting, now woodworking? Sounds like it will turn out beautifully. Sorry you’re feeling stressed about everything going on

Aayla, a Christmas baby, that would be wonderful! 2.5 lbs/wk is a great goal. I think your cross-stitching idea is fab. It seems like there’s a big market for that, especially geared toward the pop-culture market!

As for me, it’s CD 16 and I’m not sure if O has come and gone yet, since I have not had a positive OPK (but it WAS a bit darker today, so maybe tomorrow I’ll get a full positive), but lots of EWCM and BD every other day. Temp has stayed fairly low, which is another factor pointing to O not having come yet. It was late last cycle, so we shall see. We had an insanely busy weekend so I haven’t had a chance to get online until today.

 

[BronteForever]

Les - so happy to hear that you are handling this TWW so much better than the past few months and that you have put some pressure off yourself. Yay! Your distraction ideas sound wonderful as always. Can't wait to catch the photos of the goodies you make with all your left over egg whites. I'll just drool at them from afar.

Becca - he is pretty talented. I think he's trying to stay distracted as well, even if he won't admit it And there was no doubt in my mind he'd start graphing stuff if we had data on anything. It's been interesting to follow to see if the timeline fits what his regression test predicts. Anything we can do to keep this process less stressful and entertaining to ourselves

If it was a bit darker today, it does sound like you might get a positive tomorrow. Good luck. Seems like you are covering all your days regardless. Keeping my fingers crossed this is your cycle!

 

[Starlight288]

I'm around!! We're on vacation so not around as much. I'm 6dpo and just waiting it out. Trying hard not to symptom spot!

 

[kmpreston]

Despite a stressful three days trying to get Dh to BD during my fertile window we have managed 4/5 days and I have definitely Ovulated (I think cd 16). This cycle has been stressful so far - last cycle on clomid giving added pressure, minor breakdown whilst taking clomid, trouble with BD etc, but I hope it will have paid off. Going to try to relax now for the next 13 days

 

[BronteForever]

Starlight - hope you are enjoying your vacation. The struggle not to symptom spot is a real one. Hope you can focus on the vacation instead. And fingers crossed this is your month. Should know pretty soon!

KM - I'm sure the added stress on the last Clomid Cycle did not help matters at all. So glad you got it worked out. Enjoy your 13 days of relaxation! And really hope this last cycle on the med is the lucky one!

 

[Aayla]

Went to see the fertility doc today. He wants to do letrozole and IUI. I'm only allowed 3 more cycles of letrozole and because of my weight IVF is a way off and he doesn't want me losing drastically which can do more harm than good in the neonatal sense. So while I lose weight and save what we can we will do three rounds of IUI. (assuming we need 3). He says it will double our chances.

Since I am cd 6 today this cycle is out. so I just have to wait for the next af. The IUI should happen around Aug 24 depending on when af comes. Without being on letrozole af doesn't like to behave normally so she may have to be induced.

DH and i have to get new blood panels done of all the std's and stuff as it has been a few years so having to wait makes sure we can get them done and they get the results in time.

The doc was really excited he was like "yeah..let's do this..Let's just do it." This is why I chose this doc. he is so passionate about it.

 

[kmpreston]

That's great news Aayla, what an exciting path

I was supposed to have an appointment with my fertility specialist tomorrow but he has cancelled all appointments due to a bereavement

Bearing in mind this appointment was meant to be the first week in June I wasn't pleased but I understood

Imagine how upset I was to then get a call to say that my new appointment was 2nd September...that would mean no more drugs and no IVF referral for another two months, thus delaying IVF til at least December.

So I was absolutely distraught and rang the secretary in floods of tears and begged for a new appointment. I'm going on the 22nd July now. So feeling slightly better, although that will probably be CD 4 so too late to start any drugs he may give me :/

 

[Aayla]

That sucks about your appt. Are you able to take anything to delay af? Or will that mess up things hormonaly?

 

[kmpreston]

That sucks about your appt. Are you able to take anything to delay af? Or will that mess up things hormonaly?

I could be pregnant so definitely can't take anything just in case

 

[Aayla]

ah yeah. Definitely not then. Sometimes it sucks when cycles don't match up. I'm on cd 6 but if I had been able to see the doctor last week we may have been able to do the IUI this cycle. Now I am just hoping that af comes on her own and I don't have to induce.