"Goodness gracious great balls of fire"

Yesterday was the second beta...

530-ish (yeah I forgot to write the exact number down... )

He said that was right on track with a doubling time of like 1.75 days or something.


Hooray for the little guacamole (hereafter known as "the guac")


We surprised my mom with the news last weekend.  Good story!  Here's the email she sent out afterwards:

Great news family and friends,

 

Courtney and The wife are having a baby!!!!!!  Yay!

 

And here's how they told me.....

 

Last night I was out with my sisters, cousin and aunt to see "Eat, Pray, Love" and then have dinner at the diner. 

After finishing my rather mediocre quesadillas the waitress came up to our table with this gi-normous napoleon pastry and asked if one of us was Vicki Brooks.  When I said it was me she plopped the giant pastry down in front of me and said, "Congratulations, Grandma, from your soon to be first grandchild!"

 

After I stopped screaming, crying and shaking I lunged at the waitress with the biggest hug and thank you.  The whole place started clapping.  It was all very exciting.  But the fun was not over.  I ran out to call Scott to congratulate him only to find out Scott had know since Tuesday.  I also found out I'm to refer to him as "Pappy" from now on!!

 

So then it was time to call Courtney and Wife.  I was barely making sense while I blubbered out the story of how the waitress told me.  They were laughing and let me know they had called all the diners in a 20 mile radius from the movie theater because I wasn't at the Mohegan Diner where I said I would be.  We decided on a different one closer to our cousin and aunts home.  The girls told me there were waiters walking around all these diners with napoleons in their hands asking everyone if they were Vicki Brooks.  The funniest thing was that in one of the diners (the one we were originally supposed to go to) there was a group of 6 women talking about the movie.  Imagine the shocked look on their faces when their waiter came over to announce congratulations for you first grandchild!!!???

 

Well, we had a good laugh over that and I hung up to head home and hug "Pappy" over our good news.

 

When we got home Scott met us down in the basement to help us carry stuff up (in case we had done any shopping, which, oddly enough for us, we hadn't).  I did have some trays that my sister had given me and when I got in the house I went into my "brand new Butler's pantry in my brand new craft room" (thanks Steven, for moving out) and who was sitting there but Courtney and Wife.  Another scream and before I knew it we were hugging and jumping for joy (and a little crying on my part).  What a wonderful way to find out such terrific news.  I'm so honored they went to all the trouble to make this such a joyous time for me.

 

So now we enter a new chapter in our lives....the love 'em and then send 'em home chapter!  Please say a prayer for a strong, happy pregnancy followed by a healthy little bundle (or bundles....we don't know yet, could be twins) of joy!

 

Love, Vicki

 

P.S.  Both of them are already glowing!

How awesome are we?

This baby is going to be a rock star!
 

"When I was younger, so much younger than today..."

One score and 7 years ago:

I was ripped from my 27 year old mother's womb a full month after my due date.  I was bone dry, having outlasted my amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord was wrapped snugly around my neck.  Also, I was 9lbs and jaundiced as hell.  As Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" played in the operating room, my mother laid on the gurney smiling the sweet smile of new motherhood and epidurals while the doctor stitched her guts back in from the c-section.  A day later, she developed a staph infection.

But, we all survived and now 27 years later, I find myself going through my own struggle to reach motherhood the only difference being whereas my mother couldn't get the baby out, I can't seem to get the baby in.

Today is like, I dunno, a buncha DPO.  More than 4, less than 8.  I tested today because I knew I would get a strong positive due to the HCG trigger and I wanted to see two pink lines on my birthday... even if they are fake.

"Sittin on the dock of the bay watchin' the tides roll away..."

And so it ends.  The spotting has begun, the BFN, confirmed.  Tomorrow we begin cycle #9.  Yee-ha!

Could somebody stop the infertility?  I'd like to get off now.



The upswing is that, we will be under the care of Dr. Karpenko at American Fertility.  During my first consultation, she basically satisfied my suspicions that Dr. David B. Seifer is a complete moron and should not be trusted.  She wants to do one more Clomid IUI (this time with the proper progesterone support and estrogen if necessary) before we bring out the big guns.  I'm not sure what the big guns involve but, I believe that they involve suitcases full of money.  I think we may switch back to Monty because he had a better sperm count.

In other news, my mother called me this morning.

Mom: Hi honey, what's going on?

Me: Not much, I'm still at work finishing up some stuff for my meeting tomorrow.

Mom: Oh.  You know, I just get chills every time I think of all the good you do for those people at that job of yours.

Me: What?

Mom: You know... How much joy and happiness you bring to these "handicapped" people's lives.

Me: It's "Disabled" or "physically/intellectually challenged."  Also, I dunno how much joy I bring them.  Today, I spent the afternoon telling them I would nail their tongues to my bulletin board if they made one more sound.

Mom: But I bet they laughed, didn't they?

Me: Yeah... I suppose they did... I'm going to have to work on scarier threats.

"I'm goin home, gonna load my shotgun, wait by the door and light a cigarette..."

Conversation with my Mother:

Me: Hey Mom.

Mom: Hi Honey.  How's it going?

Me: Pretty good.  I just got off the phone with the fertility clinic.  We are all set for the IUI next week.  I start the clomid tomorrow.

Mom: Good for you.  Now, don't forget, while you're inseminating, you need to really visualize the baby forming.  I mean, you really have to see it.  Cell by cell, implanting,  growing, developing.... I really think that it's your mind that's holding you back.

Me: Hmm... I dunno Mom.  I think it's the fact that my ovaries might not be producing good eggs that's holding me back.  Or the fact that our sperm is frozen.

Mom:  No.  Fertility is a state of mind.  It's in the bible.

Me: The bible says fertility is in my mind?

Mom: Yes, of course!  Why do you think that spot on your head is called your "temple?" Because that's where god is!  He's inside of you, not in some silly church!  He's in you... healing you...!  You probably wouldn't need clomid if you could just visualize god helping you conceive.

Me: Mom, I don't think my Dr. will appreciate it if I show up for my IUI and tell him that I skipped the clomid and licked some pages in my bible as an alternative.

Mom: Well, honey... it's up to you.

Me: Why don't you ask your toothpaste what it thinks?



Illnesses I May Have Contracted At Work Today:
Pink Eye
Hepatitis B
Tuberculosis
H1N1
Pneumonia

Names My Students Called Me:
The Mean Ms. Courtney
Magic Lady

Things I Should Try To Do This Cycle:
Less caffeine
More iron
Take vitamins every day
Go to bed before 11 PM

TTC When The World Is Out To Get Me Moments:
Pics of co-worker's brand new baby hanging in the hall outside my classroom
Working on the same floor as 3 pregnant women
Realizing that if it had worked the first time, I would be 5 months pregnant now

Reasons Why I Like My New Boss Way More Than The Last 3 Bosses That Have Worked Here:
She asked me "Will the clomid make you more wicked than usual?"
She told me I was likely to give birth to a mutant---awesome!

"Make a joyful noise, my soul"

Conversation with my Mom:

Mom: Hi Honey!  Hey, do you want Jacob's crib and changing table?  Cynthia is getting rid of them.

Me: Um... for my cats?

Mom: No, stupid.... for the baby!

Me: Mom, there is no baby yet.  Trust me, I will tell you as soon as there is even a hint of baby in me.

Mom: You don't have to tell me; I already know you're pregnant.  I had a vision this morning.

Me: Have you considered medication?

Mom: No really!! I was brushing my teeth and suddenly I just saw a vision.... felt a vibe.  Trust me.  Your pregnancy woes are a thing of the past.  You can cancel your IUI.

Me: You had a vision while brushing your teeth?

Mom: Yes, of course.  I usually pray while brushing my teeth so I was in there, brushing and praying and this feeling came upon me and I just knew.  You are totally pregnant.

Me: Well, I hope you don't take offense if I don't cancel my IUI because you share a spiritual bond with your colgate.

Mom: So do you want this crib and changing table?

Me: Sigh...

She's clearly ready for a room at bellevue but, wouldn't it be so funny to call up my RE and tell him I won't be needing an IUI because my mom's toothpaste told her I'm pregnant?

Weirdest Threat from a Student:
"I'm gonna put my cat on you like a dog."

Emotional Climate:
Bemused

Current Fears:
Rent increases
FMLA
The Prop. 8 Trial

Desert Wish:
Cookie from Zaros