Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Hunger Games - March 23rd!

Hi Everyone,

I know this is a ways away yet, but I am SOOOO excited that the Hunger Games Movie is coming out on March 23 - ALSO my birthday!  It looks really good and I hope it can live up to the books!


Anyone else REALLY excited for this?

Julie

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Things to Help Reduce STRESS this Week

#1 Rediscovering Blue Eyes - July for Kings this weekend


#2 Discovering the health benefits of drinking LEMON WATER the same week I recieved a tea kettle! 

#3 Planning a SPA themed Party in February


Homemade facial masks http://beauty.about.com/od/skinflaws/a/facemasks.htm
Candles

Bringing BACK OUT the Christmas lights
CRACKLE
#4 Finding new ways to eliminate caffeine and still be HAPPY!
Hope everyone has a great week and feel free to share the ways you have found to reduce stress this week.

Julie

Monday, January 23, 2012

What if...?

In my effort to stay positive and keep up with Goal 12 for 2012 I have started to think a lot about.."What if...?" in regards to our IUI treatment next month.  I have spent a lot of time and effort trying to NOT THINK about it because it only drives me crazy and makes me worry and sad, but lately I have been trying to focus on the possiblities of the treatment working.  (Not in the hyper-excited THIS WILL FOR SURE WORK, but more in the meditative, deep breathing positive thinking way.)

Over the weekend a dear friend reminded me that "God only gives us what we can handle."  I believe this whole heartedly, but I am really starting to wonder how much more of this I can really handle.  How much longer can I be strong?  It is just taking over so much of my life emotionally, physically and financially.  I know there are so many people out there that go through so much more and in the grand scheme of things I am so lucky to have my health and family, ect.  but on a personal level I feel like I am starting to burn out.

I feel so emotionally weak and wonder how much more of this I can continue to put myself through.  I've barely even gotten started with treatment possiblities and already I feel completely broken down.  The only thing getting me through right now is that little voice in the back of my head saying "what if...?"  What if this is the month that it happens.  What if this is the right treatment that will work.  What if I can one day look into the eyes of my beautiful baby as he/she smiles and get to say you were worth it.

What if...?

Julie

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Moving Right Along - IUI

I hope you are ready for an IF update, I know I sure am.  I had my first appointment with my new doctor (aka RE - Reproductive Endocrinologist).  After reviewing our charts she said there was no doubt in her mind that we are ready to step it up and move forward with IUI.  Just to review, we have been working on makin' babies for just over two years now (27 months). In June 2011-November 2011 I started taking Letrozole and still no babies.

The next plan of action is IUI in February (we are already too late for this month) on high dose Letrozole, 11 day ultrasound (here they will check how many follicles are growing and also get an estimated number of total eggs to determine my fertility lifespan), Trigger shot (Ovidrel) to force ovulation and then IUI.  When I say high dose I mean FIVE PILLS per day when I was only taking two before. Risk of twins is 8%, risk of triplets is >1%.  

We are in for a wild ride the next few months.  Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward in our IF treatment.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

2012 Goals - Part 2 - The List

Here they are - my list for 2012 - 12 personal goals to accomplish!  Links will provide more information on details and progress of goals!
  1.  Sew a piece of clothing from a pattern - I have just purchased material for Skirt C.
  2. Cook at least TWO meals per month from recipe or cookbook.
  3. Read at least 12 books in 2012.
  4. Host a theme party - I'm thinking 80's!
  5. Visit a new city in Wisconsin.
  6. Increase the size of my garden.
  7. Compost as much as possible.
  8. Buy something EXTRA special for myself. (A little selfish I know.) I may have gone out and bought myself a coach purse this weekend! :)
  9. Hit my sales budget for the year at work.
  10. Compliment others more often. - I find myself often admiring other people's outfits, shoes, ect. I want to actually go the extra step and make them feel good by letting them know!
  11. Try to put $x in savings.  (Sorry, don't want to share the details of this one.)
  12. Stay positive about our IF journey, and visualize a positive outcome, but also let myself be "sad" when needed.
Stay updated by checking out my other pages, including gardening, crafting and cooking to see if I am accomplishing my goals.  I will hopefully try to add more as I accomplish them.

Julie

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Goals 2012

In the spirit of the New Year I wanted to write a little bit about goals. 

Ever since I was young I have been taught to set goals.  Every sport season we were taught to set team goals and personal goals.  Some of them worked and some of them didn't.  As I got older I continued to set goals and many of them have come true and they continue to ... I almost always have written them down at some point in a list or journal and then I try to think about and look back at them often.  Here are some examples I wrote early in my college years:
  • I want to study abroad...studied in Australia in the second semester of my junior year (2005)
  • I want to fall in love by the time I am 23 and get married at 25 ... fell in love at age 21 and married at age 25 (still cracks me up that this was a goal of mine)
  • I want to have my first "real" job offer before I graduate... had job offer accepted before I graduated in May 2006
  • I want to go skydiving ... went skydiving in October 2006
  • I want to travel to Italy...traveled to Italy in the spring of 2008
  • I want to go deep sea fishing in Alaska ... went on a deep sea fishing on our honeymoon 2009
  • I want to run a 1/2 marathon... completed a 1/2 marathon in the spring of 2011
There are probably many more, but I think as we get older we forget to keep setting NEW goals for ourselves.  I have reached many of the life goals I had set for myself, but forgot that once I complete them I need to keep setting new goals.  I'm not saying I don't have goals for my life, but I don't always remember to write them down.  Things haven't changed much because I still need to keep personal goals and "team" goals with me and the hubby. 

That being said my New Year's (Resolution) Goal is to start setting goals for myself and with hubby on a regular basis.  Not just thinking: I want... but actually writing them down and then actually doing them.  I understand things like this often take time, but the mind is a powerful thing and I am pretty sure I have proved to myself in the past that I can do ANYTHING I put my mind to!

Thanks CherJoy for the inspiration for this post!

Julie

PS. Stay tuned as I come up with my list and review past goals that are waiting to be completed!

The Chickee La La's

It took us years of discussion to finally pull the trigger on being "Chicken People".  Let me tell you why, our dog Lady has Cock...