Monday, July 30, 2007

No period!

Well, I've been having cramps for days now but no period. I'm quite shocked about it because I thought that as soon as I stopped my meds the old wench would be knocking at my door.

Now, I just wait and more than likely we'll do the embryo transfer on cycle day 12 or so.

Of course, we're somewhat under the gun because the family reunion starts August 16th and so I have to get it done before then!

Stupid Pennysaver.

I can't tell you how many times I have walked outside to find that the darn Pennysaver newspaper is spread throughout our yard.

Our mailbox has an opening that they put the free newspaper in weekly and half of the time it falls out of the opening and blows through our yard.

I have called up the newspaper on more than one occassion and had someone come out and clean the paper out of my yard but I think I should probably start looking at new Mailboxes!

Our kitchen remodel?

We keep talking more and more about how we'd like to go ahead and build a deck on our kitchen and update the sink and counters.

We have been looking at kitchen sinks for some time now and I think we'd go with one of the single, deep sinks. I like the ones that are one with the Corian countertops. I think it'd be nice when it comes to clean up and you wouldn't get junk stuck in the cracks!

We are also planning on putting in a sliding French door that would lead out to our new deck.

Of course, all of this just takes time and money!

San Francisco?

We talked this weekend about going to Margot's ASLA conference in San Francisco. She's going to check with her boss to see what expenses are covered.

If they will pay for the conference and Margot's airfare and part of the hotel...we're going!

I think it's important for Margot to stay current with her CEU credits in order for to stay registered. Plus, we love traveling and San Fran is a great place to visit!

Now of course, we'll need to pick up some new luggage since our old luggage is getting pretty ratty and I don't know if it's going to make another cross country trip!

Furniture Store

When I lived in Houston there were these great commercials on the television of Mack. Mack was the owner of a furniture store called Gallery Furniture.

Mack's famous line was "Gallery Furniture really will save you money!" As mack said "money" he would pull out a wad of cash from his pocket and jump up in the air.

The commercials were hilarious and we constantly laughed. Mack was an advertising icon!

Not to mention, Gallery Furniture had some great furniture and I remember my parents going to the big tents and finding a nice couch for our living room at a really good price.



I actually like this nice set that Gallery Furniture offers. The couch looks nice, I like the color and of course, I'm sure it's priced right!

The owner of Gallery Furniture, Mack actually does a lot for the Houston community. When I was in elementary school Mack came to our school dressed up like a chicken. This was part of our no-to-drugs campaign.

Mack also gives furniture to families in need and is big in the racing community! When we went to the horse races in Houston we discovered that Mack owned many of the horses. Had we done our homework we would have known that his horses were the best and almost every one of them won the races for the night!

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Negative.

I knew it was coming because I really was feeling some major cramps in days prior. Dr. G called with the news yesterday morning and he really is super cool. He's so empathetic and really has such a perfect bedside manner.

We have one more embryo left that is on ice now. More than likely we'll go ahead and do the transfer of that in the upcoming two weeks.

Of course, I can just hope that my ovaries are back to normal and I don't have any cysts growing.

I'm just going to take it easy. I'm not going to do acupuncture and I'm going to live life as usual.

Statistical Literacy at your fingertips!

With things changing so much with universities and colleges it is always interesting to see new research being done. Most recently, capella university is offering a course on Statistical Literacy. The whole idea is to see the implications and results of online education.

Twenty years ago there was no such thing as online education and it’s really changing the way that we get degrees and advanced degrees. My father actually ended up going to a weekend college to obtain his degree. When he was in his 20’s he had a wife and a kid at home and so he had to work full-time to support his family.

Which only left the weekends for him to attend classes.

Now, there are options for full-time working people - online education!

Need help?

When we bought our house we were working on our second real estate broker and really were looking for the perfect first time house.

The first broker we went through kept showing us houses that were absolutely horrible. In fact, despite us telling home that we didn't want a trailer...he kept showing us DOUBLE WIDEs!

After breaking up with him we moved directly to Susan and the second house she showed us was the one! I guess you just know when it's the perfect house and our house was not even on the public market.

Everything happens for a reason!

Should we start looking?

Our friend told us the other day that it's a buyer's market when it comes to looking for a new house. Of course that doesn't help the fact that we also have to find a buyer for our house too and would typically get less than it's worth in a strong seller's market!

Of course we would love to have a luxury home. However, the reality is we'd probably want to move into a house that was around 3,000 square feet and have at least two bathrooms and 4 bedrooms.

That's not asking for too much is it?

It's amazing how much room a family of three takes up! Not to mention, one bathroom isn't cutting it!

Are you one in a million?

I just read an article that over 70 million adults would like to return to school!

If thought about getting some continuing education credits just so I can stay up with the latest and greatest management information.

That way when I return to the workforce in the next few years I won't have outdated and old information and styles.

capella university makes going back for education easy! They offer online and evening classes that work around your schedule!

Specifically, I'd probably have to do my classes at night or on Wednesdays and Fridays when Graem is in school!

That way I could be uninterrupted and able to focus on my education. Capella even offers an MBA program!

Friday, July 27, 2007

Simply Belisi, baby.

Boy, I'm sure if you have read my blog you know what a fan of Peter Belisi I am. I even realized the last time I was at my dad's house that he owns a Belisi tie! I'm not sure where he got it but it was one of his nicer clothing items in his whole closet!

Lately, I've been trying to keep up on News about Belisi Fashions. Belisi.typepad.com offers some great information and upcoming news on Peter and his fall fashions.

Just take a look at some of the coolest things out: Pocket Squares.

I also like to frequent www.sharpbydesignblog.com a blog designed to give people like me fashion information to stay with the "in crowd".

Live in upstate New York it's pretty easy to not get into some of the newest trends. That's why I have the Belisi websites book marked so that I can be part of the ravest fashion trends!



This post sponsored by: Belisi

6dp5dt

Well, I can pretty much say..."Put a fork in me, I'm done."

I have been feeling menstral cramps for the past few days and I'm pretty damn sure that if I weren't on all of these bad drugs to help me not get my period that I'd be bleeding as we speak.

Another fucking negative.

I really don't get why after having beautiful embryos and everything going absolutely perfect I can still not be pregnant.

It seems like everything always goes right down the shitter and this is no different. No matter how hard I try to get pregnant nothing seems to work and I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't just say "fuck this" and move on with my life.

The only good part of this is that at least I didn't lose $5,500 by it not working! Shit, we've already spent $20,000 and the reality is ... if I go another 5 procedures without it working I'll get all that money right back in my hot little hands.

Sorry for being a bitch...but I'm not feeling the love today.

Plus, BIL will be here this weekend and I'm not overly excited to see him. Especially since I'll be getting my negative blood test results tomorrow.

Ugh.

Addicted?

We have had the distinct misfortune of having a loved one who had a prescription drug addiction. We found out by visiting and realizing something was not right. This person was acting very strange and also there seemed to be a disconnect between reality.

After confronting this person he denied the useage and at that point we had no where to turn but to the professionals and the social workers. They suggested a few drug treatment centers. But we still had no idea which one to go with.

When you're given a list of a hundred centers and phone numbers it is really hard to get an idea of which one is going to be perfect for your loved one's needs and addictions.

Finally, with the help of the social worker the family was able to narrow it down to the few that might be the perfect match. Addiction treatment is one of the biggest and hardest struggles that any person and family may ever have to go through.

Even as we were driving to the rehab and after we had dropped him off our loved one was still denying useage and saying that he was clean.

Of course, a few days later we discovered that he had been lying and in fact had been using pharmaceutical medications.

I wish there had been a website like 1800nodrugs.com for when we needed help and guidance. The website is a non-for-profit that is in the business of helping families like ours with placement into a drug treatment center. They also offer a 1800 number twenty four hours a day and seven days a week.

I'm glad that there are places like this that people can turn to. They obviously realize that addiction is a problem that doesn't just happen nine to five and people and their families need solutions around the clock!

Take me away.

Right now I'm sitting in my recliner looking out the window at a horrible thunderstorm starting up. This summer has been anything but beautiful. First of all it started way too late and now it seems to rain way too much!

That's why I think that we should head somewhere sunny and fun like Orlando! We could even check out Disney and Universal Studios and I'm sure there'd be some great things for the kids to do too!

While staying in Orlando I would really want to take advantage of Orlando vacation rental villas. I love having space to spread out. It really makes the difference when you have kids or if you go with a group of people.

OrlandoVacation.com is a great website for people looking to take a vacation to Orlando. They offer places to stay and even information on some of the tourist attractions!

Payday!

When I was a corporate girl we used to have a corporation do our payroll. They used to charge our business an arm and a leg and it was still a pain in order to get things in on time.

There are other payroll software out there that seem to be more flexible and get the job done.

PerfectPayroll.com offers a great website and a very easy to use software that just about anyone can use online.

Anything to make life a little easier and to have happy employees --- is worth it!

I need to be skinny.

Yesterday!

Margot's family reunion is coming up in a few weeks and I can't wait to hear all of the fat people jokes and names that her family is going to call me this year. The family is more than overly conscious about weight and I figure if I start now I might be able to drop a few pounds.

Maybe I should actually try the newest way to lose weight - the hoodia patch. With hoodia you tend to have less of an appetite and it's an all natural way to lose those unwanted pounds.

Then again...I probably can't get off all of the weight that I would need to in order to not get ridiculed. Maybe I should just surrender now and go for that second helping of ice cream.

We are private people!

With that I'm always paranoid that we don't have enough security with our website and also with our personal computers. I'm not all that computer savvy and I'm guessing that Margot has some sort of firewall protection on our personal files...but I just don't know.

When she gets home I figure I can talk to her about computer security and even bring up packetshaper. PacketShaper is the newest in network security. They offer a software program that provides all of the security that a business or home could need.

In fact, right now they are offering a free 30 day trial so that we can check out the software and make sure it's right for us and our networking needs!

Thursday, July 26, 2007

A new look.

Okay...I know it's a little subtle...but I'm testing out the water to see if I like any other templates out there. I'm thinking that the black one might be better for me.

What do you think?

friggin' negative.

Well, I was having some major symptoms last night and it felt like my ovaries were starting to swell up. Even last night I had a hard time going to bed because they were achy.

This morning I realized that they were the beginning of possible menstral cramps.

So I went ahead and peed on a stick. It was negative.

I'm actually glad I peed on the stick because I was almost getting excited that this damn thing might have worked. God forbid I get too excited that I might be pregnant.

Anyway...it was clearly negative. Sure it could come positive over the next few days. I'm not giving up...but I'm also not getting my hopes up that it worked.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

4dp5dt

Okay, so I've promised to update the website daily to what's going on and thus far (the past two days) I've been doing one hell of a job.

So last night I actually had some "nice" cramps and the felt more like ovary cramps. Then this morning I was a bit concerned and I almost "missed" having the cramps!

Good thing after walking around for a few minutes they ended up coming back. I don't know if these are good or bad...but I figure since I've never had them before they must be good!

Plus, I literally am starting to feel full again. I'm thinking that maybe my ovaries are starting to get bigger due to the OHSS and that's why I'm having cramps on my ovaries?

Of course, this could be crazy ass me just thinking that this time it might have worked and making up false symptoms as I go!

After I picked Graem up from daycare I was so exhausted. We came home and instantly I planted my ass on the couch for a nap. I dozed off for a few minutes and woke up to Grammy yelling at me to turn the tv on "Blue's Clues."

I was quite tempted to pee on a stick today with all of these results but I'm very glad I was able to resist! I'd hate to have all of these wonderful symptoms just to find out I'm going mentally insane and not pregnant!

Of course, if the symptoms get worst tomorrow I might have to give the fertility clinic a call to see what they thing!

I read on one website how a girl woke up the next day and looked three months pregnant because she had OHSS and was pregnant!

As much as I don't want to be sick... I would love to start feeling a little pregnant about NOW!

We are here to stay!

Years ago we had this wild idea that we were going to move to San Francisco, California! I had always been raised in a big city and so had Margot. We were used to the go and blow and also used to more entertainment and arts surrounding us.

We went out to San Francisco and both of us got jobs instantly. Margot got one with SWA, a Landscape Architecture firm, located all over. Her office was going to be in the city.

I had a few offers. One was from a credit union making A LOT of money and they other was working for the newspaper selling advertising. Both jobs were pretty decent and the pay seemed reasonable.

After interviewing we came back to Ithaca and starting sorting out the logistics of moving cross country.

I really wish we would have known about relocation.com! They have information on apartments and career and jobs in any given area.

Not only did we have ourselves to move, but we also had animals, and we had to worry about auto shipping one of our cars to California!

After all was said and done we decided to skip moving to California, stay in Ithaca, and start having babies.

I know it wouldn't have been too big of a deal considering that there are people that move internationally! I can't even imagine having to look for international movers!

Looking for a franchise?

I've been looking for something to do while I stay at home with the kids. I spend quite a bit of time on the computer and sometimes that can become a little tedious.

That's why I'm thinking about getting into vending machines! With multivend you can own and operate vending machines in your local area.

You can work however much or little you choose to work. The machines require pretty minimal oversight and the only maintenance is to fill the machines and get the coins.

BizBuySell.com is a great websitet hat offers information on franchises for sell. They work with average Joes like you and me who are just looking to make a buck or two!

This is the perfect job/hobbie for someone who has a flexible schedule and is looking to bring in a little bit of extra spending cash.

The pacer.

Ever since I got my pacemaker in November of 2004 I have made sure to take better care of my body and be more aware. Lately, I've been monitoring the bloodpressure readings at the doctor's office just to make sure that they are nice and steady.

It might not be a bad idea to invest in a pulse oximeter for when I'm doing sporting events or exercize. That way I can have an idea if my vitals are staying up with my activity and als it'd be nice to give the information to my doctor so that he can see the results too.

I've always believed in being proactive when it comes to my health and this is no different!

Eyes are open!

We constantly have our eyes open to good ideas when it comes to investments. With the stock marketing going up and down daily we've thought about investing in real estate.

One area that seems to be doing really good is - Wilmington NC real estate. They have some beautiful properties available and for a fraction of the costs of New York Real Estate! In fact, I had a friend move to North Carolina and they were able to get a brand new three bedroom, 2 bathroom house, nearly 3,000 square feet for only $125,000!

You would never find such a deal in upstate New York!

Plus, you don't have to pay New York State property tax, which could make anyone go broke!

Sit back, relax, and VEND!

One way that many people make money these days is by providing vending machines to merchants, restaurants, and businesses. The reality is that the machines are what makes the money and there's really not much maintenance other than filling the machines and getting the money!

Now there's a company that specializes in helping every day Joe's like you and me get into the vending business. When using vendstar it makes it easy and fun. Their machines are easy to operate and you can actually choose from many different selections.

This is one great way to sit back and let your money collect with very minimal work! I remember the person that used to own the coke machines and vending machines at my old job. He used to walk out of the building with bags full of quarters!

To say the least I think he probably did pretty darn good!

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

I smell so good!

I love taking good care of myself and putting on a new fragrance each day! In fact, when we go out I'm constantly complemented. I love it when someone says "Someone smells so good".

Most of the time I raise my hand and take claim to it!

Some of my favorites are Hugo Boss Perfume and Calvin Klein Perfume. The fragrance for both is light and airy and I love the smell because it isn't too powerful.



Just the other day I was trying to get the fingernail polish off of my fingers and realized that I really should be using non toxic nail polish. Especially, since I'm trying to get pregnant.

SkinAct.com offers just about everything and anything for your beauty needs. They also offer a great line of products for your skin and face. Their perfumes are priced so low and you can find just about anything!

This post sponsored by: SkinAct.com

3dp5dt - symptoms

Well, I've had really sore boobs the past few days and I know that's totally the progesterone in oil doing its thing. I've also had some cramping towards the bottom of my uterus. Sometimes it feels like ovary twinges.

I've also had tons of clear discharge and even had some brown twinged discharged with like brown specs. I'm thinking it's just dried blood from when they did the embryo transfer.

However, my mind likes to go crazy and think that it's the embryos digging in deep and causing some blood to break loose!

My appetite hasn't been too bad lately and I don't seem all that hungry in the morning but starving in the afternoon.

My ovaries still feel a little bit big but nothing really painful or uncomfortable.

Our kitchen remake.

In my dreams of course!

But I do have an idea of what I'd like. I keep going back and forth to a nice wood shaker but I've also seen some really cool aluminum cabinets that I think would add to our kitchen retro flair.

Not to mention they are easy to take care of and especially easy to clean when spaghetti sauce splatters!

CarGuyGarage.com offers some really cool aluminum cabinets at amazing prices!

This post sponsored by: CarGuyGarage.com

3dp5dt

That means three days past a five day transfer. I of course am probably one of the only people out there stupid enough to try to pee on a home pregnancy stick this morning at 3 in the morning!

That's right...call me crazy.

As if you didn't already realize ... I'm hooked on those damn sticks. Just like crack cocaine.

So, I've decided that instead of feeling like shit since I didn't see two blinking and beautiful likes SIX DAYS EARLY --- I'm going to stop being a dumbass and stop peeing on sticks!

That's right, I'm not going to pee on another stick til Sunday afternoon when Margot's brother leaves.

I keep reading on other's blogs about how when they were pregnant they had OHSS hit again and woke up looking 10 months pregnant.

So although, I don't want to be sick...I do want to be pregnant and if that means waking up feel like living hell...bring it on.

While you're at it throw in a side dish of morning sickness too!

Your store!

I remember when I first started coming online when I was in high school and college. There was never advertisements that would pop up and this was before the time of having all of your local stores online! You couldn't give your credit card to a website and all of a sudden get a new pair of shoes the next day either!

Now companies like OblinQ have made it easy to be an online store and to provide options for your customers. You can use their software on your computer and have just about anything and everything you want to sell outlined on your website!

All you have to do is create categories, decide which clientele you are going to cater too, add your products, and your store is ready!

The best part of this is that the program does it all for you. With the exception of some advertising and page rank! Of course that is one of the most important parts to getting your business up and running - getting the word out and making sure that your name is credible to those that might be buying your product.

Being a store has many facets that you have to know about. The most important being the marketing and sales aspect. The website has to look professional, credible, and I really like to see customer comments, a 1-800 number, and even that the business is a member of the Better Business Bureau.

Monday, July 23, 2007

2dp5dt

AUGH.

This morning I woke up and had the worst headache. It still hasn't gone away. I'm hoping and praying that it's from really high estrogen levels caused by me being pregnant!

I got the call from my fertility center and my progesterone is 30.6! That's great news and I just have to keep on the same meds.

I think I'm going to take a pregnancy test Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday I go in for bloodwork.

I'm not going to jinx myself this time by making any guesses ;c )

Friday, July 20, 2007

Help me find a job!

When I resigned from corporate America a few years ago I really thought that it might be for a year and then I'd hop back into the fire.

Well, two and a half years later and I am still staying home with the baby and we're trying to add on to our family.

Every once in a while the Executive Recruitment firm that deals with healthcare gives me a call and I do the dance with them. I like to make sure that I'm still marketable and they interview me. I'm glad to say ... I still have the charm!

At one point I was even interested in an Interim Manager position because I wouldn't have to stay committed to the company and could fix the problems and then move on. That seemed to be my speciality before and the money is really great for being able to do that.

Boyden Interim Management in the United Kingdom specializes in finding the perfect person for the perfect job. They have years in the business and a proven track record. Their website offers information on current availabilities and workshops.

This post sponsoed by: BoydenInterim.co.uk

The car ride up to Albany.

For an instant in the car while Graem was having one of her fits I thought "What in the hell are we doing....do I really want more kids??"

She was absolutely horrible tonight and I'm not sure if it's because she didn't take a nap for the 3 1/2 hour car ride just got too much...but I was about to kill her.

We pulled the car over a few times and threatened no pool time tonight. (Margot's swimming with her as we speak!!)

I just hope that she is a good girl tomorrow before and after the procedure.

Want to feel my muscle?

I think at one point the health clubs used to be a place where single people would meet other singles. Last week when I went to the club I was surprised to see the different people that were there.

Most of them were older or the mother with kids type and noone at all looked single. Nor did it look like there was anyone looking to meet anyone else!

Fitness dating occurs all of the time and maybe it was just me missing the moments!

But now there's a new fitness personals for people who like to take care of their bodies and work out!

FitnessDates.com is an awesome website that lets you submit your profile and pictures, and view other people's profiles and pictures.

You can search in your area and see if anyone has signed up and the best part.... It's free!

Picking the kids up tomorrow.

I ended up calling the doctor Thursday because I was feeling pretty full. I was told to go to Syracuse to get an ultrasound and bloodwork. I was also told that we have the following report for our little embryos:

5 - good
4 - fair
2 - poor

YES! Of course, I was ecstatic and that's the best report we've ever received.

I ended up going to Syracuse where they did an u/s and b/w and confirmed that I had hyperstimulation again this cycle. My ovaries were 75mm and 65mm's. YIKES. That's big.

So, I haven't heard a report about our embryos from Thursday but tomorrow morning at 10:00am we go in to have the "kids" put back in!

I think we've decided on putting back three...but of course it will be at the discretion of our doctor too.

When we get back to Ithaca I'll pop on and let you know how it goes!

How goth of you.

When I was in high school goth was quite the rage. In fact, we had quite a few gothies and although most people thought they were total freaks...I thought they were some really cool people.

I think it's funny how you can get labeled and even funnier that people that might look pretty scary seem to be just the opposite.

I never actually got into goth dating but I did have friends that were really into the scene. When we were teenagers they used to hang out at the not so pleasant clubs in the not-so-pleasant parts of town.

Thank God there's a place where goth singles can meet each other without leaving their dark apartments!

GothScene.com is an awesome website that unites like minded goths to one another! The website is easy to use and it's free!

I'm bad...spank me.

Okay...I've done such a shitty job at updating the website and I apologize. I've totally felt like crap the past few days due to the hyperstimulation. Plus, I've been on bedrest trying to get my ovaries back to their normal size before the transfer.

Today was the first day that I actually started feeling better and I'm able to walk without feeling my ovaries knock around.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

In desperate need of...

new home furniture for our living room!

At some point very soon we should really replace what has been named as "The Dog Chair". Bailey has sat on the top of it ever since she was little. When she was a puppy she chewed a hole in the $1,000 chair and actually got down to the wood!

Our brown couch is also in desperate need of being replaced! The cushions aren't very fluffy and when you're laying on it you can actually feel the metal bars starting to poke through.

I guess we might be wise just to hold onto this furniture until Graem grows up!

But I can't stop drooling over all of the great furniture at HomeAndLiving.com!

Stop ranting and raving!

Those are the words that I tell Graem all of the time. Boy, that kid can complain and talk til the cows come home!

Of course, I'm always up for hearing a good celebrity rant and gossip!

Since our new movie theatre opened up Monday I'm pretty excited to be one of the first to attend the new stadium seating! In fact, they have all movies for $1 for the next few days!

I should probably check out the movie reviews so that we don't waste this great offer on a doozy of a movie!

I'm always curious to see the movie discussions and see what people are saying about specific movies before I spend $9 per ticket and two hours of my life!

The good thing is that I have endless tv shows that I have to catch up on including Big Brother and Hell's Kitchen!

CriticsRant.com offers a one stop shop for entertainment gossip and rants! You can get the lowdown on movies and television shows.

A new computer?

We just recently got a "new to us" computer for our upstairs. It has been nice and able to give us a little flexibility on where and when we use the computer in our house!

Of course, I always have my eye on a new lcd monitor! The clarity that these new monitors have is unsurpassed by the older, bigger, monitors out there!

I guess I really shouldn't complain about our new computer because it does the job and it keeps Margot from using "my" laptop all of the time to work on our finances!

Plus...who can complain with a free computer?

I'll trade you...

Over the past few years we've purchased stocks and sold stocks. Margot tends to do most of our trading and finances. She tells me almost daily how much we made and lost in the stock market.

At times it can be exciting and frustrating!

Now there is a new Options Trading Software that makes trading stocks a piece of cake.

PowerOpt.com offers a one stop shop when it comes to trading stocks. You can compare and analyze stocks in order to find the best ones for your financial needs.

They are currently offering a free 14 day trial period so that you can check out the software. There is no credit card needed and you can have full access to this great resource.

They even have easy-to-use tutorials for the novice traders!

Don't get in over your head and make sure that you are educated before putting money into the stock market.

Finances made easier!

Margot is the financial guru in our house. Every day she spends time looking at our finances through a pretty complex program that I've tried to learn on occassion without success!

At one point it would have really helped to have a financial consolidation software.

There are many times when we have a bill due and it has somehow gone forgotten. Even with Margot's high tech software it didn't register that it needed to be paid.

That of course means that I have to call the credit card company and beg for forgiveness and also ask that they take the late fee off.

Prophix.com offers a great website that will help people with financial stability!

Can't make it?

I am talking about can't make it until payday?

When we first started out we had the hardest time juggling our finances. When Margot was in school and I was working it seemed like my paychecks would fall a few days later than the time when all of our bills were due.

A few times we would go to the local grocery store, write a check for extra cash, just to turn around and put it in our checking account. This worked many times for us ... but we did get busted on occassion and had to pay bounce check fees from both the grocery store and the bank. Yikes!!

Now there is a solution for people who need to buy just a few days before they receive their paycheck.

Pay day loans are a short term solution to get you through a rough time. Even though the interest rates are high many times it can be worth it if you are able to avoid late fees.

Cashadvance-fast.com offers a great website that will help you apply for a cash advance and receive the money directly into your checking account!

If you are looking for a short-term cash advance in a hurry -- look no further!

She's stopped!

I'm talking about Grammy's constant need to have dog food in her mouth! The dog seems a bit happier and I've even noticed that Bailey is gaining some weight!

We have always purchased the best dog food for Bailey because we read very early on that doing so would make her life a long and healthy life.

Since our house has gone primarily organic and become health conscious it would only make sense to switch to an Organic dog food!

K9Cuisine.com offers an organic dog food that seems to offer the same nutrients as her current dog food, about the same price -- but it's organic!

I've got your number!

When I started my business I made sure to get the essentials to get it up and running. I ordered brochures, business cards, envelopes, and even developed a website.

I was shocked how much business cards cost! I got mine through a local office supply store and they were almost as expensive as the brochures.

I think a business card is one of the first impressions of your business and so you need to make them very professional and put some money into them.

I made sure to get the white linen cards, with raised lettering, with my business logo.

I've since gotten many comments about the cards and the store I ordered them from even kept a few to show other potential people that might be ordering cards!

Got skins?

When I first got my iPod I loved it dearly! In fact, within a few days it had played over a thousand songs and I was so excited to get all of my CDs uploaded to it.

I learned early in the game from my brother in law that my iPod needed to be protected from scratches and other outside sources such as water!

He had a really cool skin for his iPod and so I decided to look for one too. I found one online, however, it didn't last too long before it tore.

SkinIt.com offers some great iPod skins at really great prices! In fact, if you use the code at the top of the website you can even get 20% off of your favorite iPod skin!

Going natural and organic?

When I was a little girl I started going into early puberty. By the time I was six I had breasts and was going through full puberty. After months and months of going back and forth it was discovered that the hormones in meat had caused me to start puberty at an early age.

With that in mind over the past few years we have really tried to go the much healthier and natural route. We buy organic milk and our daughter has been raised drinking it.

There's really a lot to be said for natural health. In fact OasisAdvancedWellness.com offers a whole website that is geared to living a healthy life with natural health products.

Through healthy living, exercize, and occassional natural health supplements I hope to add a few more years to my life!

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

One thing I don't have to worry about...

is getting prostate cancer. I worry constantly about getting sick and needing medical care and eventually dying. It seems like things have changed a lot since Graem came along. Before I used to live my life day to day and never really thought about death for a minute.

Now I just want to make sure that I know her and Margot and that financially everything is taken care of before I die.

It's also been an eyeopener to see Margot's family and see the cancer that her father and relatives have.

Her father has prostate and colon cancer and right now he's being treated with chemo before going into surgery for removal.

BPH otherwise known as benign prostate hyperplasia is now being treated differently that it has been in the past.

InternationalHIFU.com offers a great website with information about albatherm and HIFU.

It's nice to know if you have prostate cancer that there are treatments out there that can help you gain your independence without being really invasive.

Hopefully, we are not too far from learning cures to other cancers without losing people around the world to death.

For the time being we just need to remain proactive and do our monthly checks and also our annual checks at the doctor's office. Plus, we need to be aware of our family history and really follow our guts when we think that there's something wrong with our bodies.

Tomorrow...

I'm back to the grind! Which of course means that I'm going to be writing tons of posts in order to keep up with my blogging demand.

I'm going to drop Grammy off in the morning and then meet my friend Kathy for lunch. Kathy is one of those great people who is so caring and has always been such a great friend to Margot and me.

In fact, we babysat her kids years ago when they first came home from the hospital.

Now they're going to be in first grade!

Softball!

Tonight I coached our softball team to another miserable loss. What can we say...we suck?

Margot played outfield and batted and did a pretty good job for not playing for two years!

We only got beat 17 to 4 this game and next week I think we're suppose to play some easy teams so we're hoping for a win!

A day of rest.

Today we did absolutely NOTHING. I caught up on bad television and planted Graem right next to me. I was totally constipated this morning and then had a major blow out.

I thought it was because I had hyperstimulated and that's actually a symptom.

Then Graem gets the scoots too so I'm guessing we might have eaten something bad!

Do you take plastic?

We have had credit card debt for over 10 years! Ever since Shawna and me have been together we have had collective debt - then married debt, then college debt, then infertility debt!

It was not until recently that we were able to get all of our debt paid for. At one point we had accumulated more than $30,000 of debt.

While it's been challenging with Shawna staying home with Graem we've been able to better balance our money and direct my salary towards getting our debt down. Also, a two year break from infertility has helped too!

One thing that we've always relied on was the idea of being able to use our credit cards for purchases. It has helped that our fertility center is able to accept credit cards.

When we were in the process of paying them the $20,000 for the upcoming IVF refund program she mentioned that she'd prefer me pay by check so that they didn't have to pay the fees... It just couldn't work out that way so I ended up using my credit card since the check we were expecting hadn't arrived in the mail!

In the end we had to do what we had to do... so we put it on a credit card, got the reward miles, and a nice little cash back rebate that went towards payment of our credit card!

For people like us making big purchases in many instances it just pays for us to use our credit cards. We all all of the rewards that we can get and we have two airline tickets that are just waiting to be used!

Another thing that any smart and educated consumer will make sure to do is compare credit cards, credit card comparison .

CardServicesales.com is a great website that allows merchants to accept credit cards. They provide the machines and software and it looks pretty easy to get started!

We have embryos!

I've been bad and didn't post over the past few days. Yesterday we went in for the egg retrieval and everything went perfect.

They were able to get 18 eggs!! Holy shit!

Out of the 18 we got the report this morning that 14 were mature and 11 fertilized.

So we have 11 embryos that will be growing in the petri dish over the next few days!!!

The nurse was really nice and it looks like we're going to have a 5 day transfer this Saturday morning!

That's the best news -- now we just hope and pray that the embryos keep dividing to become blastocysts.

Friday, July 13, 2007

U/S and B/W 8 days of stims.

I went back to the fertility center this morning and everything's coming right along! There were some hidden follicles from yesterday and that made me happy. I got newbie nurse and I wasn't all that confident for her ability to access what's actually going on.

So I had to do my own assessment! She thinks that I'll get around 15 eggs or so. It looked like I had a lot more follicle than that! We counted 10 just on my right ovary!

I really will be happy if I get more than 10! I'm not going to hope for more than that because I don't want to feel stingy.

I'm starting to get pretty full and I'm peeing a few times during the night. I was also pretty constipated but now I have the scoots!

My headaches are pretty low key these days but they're still there. I'm feeling pretty full but not overly uncomfortable.

Today I'm going to Jin Fang to get acupuncture. It looks like egg retrieval will be either Monday or Tuesday!

Take good care of your colon.

We've learned over the past few months how important colon health is. Especially since Margot's family has a pretty big history of colon cancer. In fact, just a few weeks ago she went to get her colonoscopy and they found one very small polyp that they removed.

We might consider doing a good colon cleanse a few times a year. That way we can get any unwanted bacteria out of our colons and start fresh!

Bowltrol is a great way to cleanse your bowels and colon in a calm and sensitive way.

In order to hear more about Bowltrol and colon cleansing you can check out the forum on PublicHealthForums.com.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

U/S and B/W 7 days of stims

Today I went back to the fertility center and it looks like things are getting bigger and bigger! The nurse counted around 12 follicles today and they ranged in sizes from 13 to 18.

My E2 was 1036 and they want to see me back tomorrow morning and maybe even Saturday morning for b/w and u/s!

I'm so tired of driving to Syracuse I can't even begin to tell you!

I just hope that the follicles continue to grow and look good. I'm really not feeling too full quite yet and aside from the headaches and no appetite I feel fine!

I haven't had a thing to eat all day long except gatorade.

This is really not me!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Boys not allowed!

I can honestly say that I've never been to a bachlorette party. I guess when you're a lesbian all pre-wedding parties are bachelorette parties! Considering there aren't many men in our groups of friends there's not much of a distinction when you have two brides!

Before L&L got married they did spend the nights before their wedding in our company and we had a great time! We were able to watch television for hours, run around the house naked, and eat way too much.

I wish we would have known about Bachelorette Party Supplies and we would have made a big deal about the get together!

I think it's only fair if guys get to have their last hoorah before getting married...it's only fair that the ladies get the same fun. Plus, we should have the same motto of "What happens at the bachelor party...stays at the bachelor party."



Bachelorette.com offers a great website full of tons of great stuff for brides to be. They have great party gifts, favors, games, and ideas to keep the party rocking.

Maybe after the fact we should have a fun bachelorette party with the girls. Of course, now we're all old and fat and have kids.

What fun would that be anyway?!?!

I guess there's always the stripper service!

This post sponsored by: Bachelorette.com

U/S and B/W 6 days of stims

Today I went to the clinic and everything went as normal. They did the ultrasound and it showed that I had around 14 good looking follicles. That was a pretty rough count and my ovaries looked pretty ballooned out.

I got my blood test back and it was around 650. This of course was up from 152 a few days ago.

My head is still hurting and I was told that I can do Tylenol...but what's the point?

They called again this afternoon and want me to come in again tomorrow for u/s and b/w.

They also lowered my doseage of Gonal-F from 300 to 150 tonight.

We'll see what happens tomorrow!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Insurance.

What more can I say about insurance other than I absolutley hate having to pay the high premiums each month! Right now I'm paying COBRA from a past employer and it's costing us an arm and a leg.

I've tried to shop around for low cost health insurance and found a lot of good information out there.

I contacted 2insure4less.com to see if there are better programs out there for me. I also wanted to see if there is any health insurance out there that I could buy that would offer infertility benefits.

I mean it just makes sense that I could pay a monthly premium and it would pay for these $10,000 procedures, right?

Within minutes after contacting the website online I get a call from representative who was really knowledgeable and told me under the circumstances and with my heart condition that it'd be really tricky for me to switch insurance companies right now. Especially, if I was still eligible with COBRA.

I was very impressed by his knowledge and honesty because it would have been easy to sell me on an insurance --- even though it might not have been the right thing for me.

In the next few months as my COBRA runs out I'm going to check out the website again!

Monday, July 09, 2007

I like big butts...

What a classic song and quite true!

I have found by being a big and beautful woman...that we're a damn good catch! We've got junk in the trunk and we're not afraid to use it.

That's why I feel it my obligation to tell other BBW about bbw personals.

If you're big and beautiful and looking for that special someone then you've got to check out bbwromance.com. This site isn't just a website for big girls to sign up...but also for men and women who love big women to sign up!

The website is free of charge and on the front page you can get an idea of the quality people you're going to find while on the website. I like the fact that the profiles are clear and even come with a picture!

Head hurt.

I really do have one of the worst headaches in the world. Margot came home with three bottles of Gatorade and I've been drinking quite a bit every few minutes.

I hope this isn't a preview of what's to come. I don't remember feeling this crappy this early on in the game.

Most of the time I feel this crappy after being on the medication for a week or so.

Mi amore latinos!

My best friend, Alex is Latino and he's always talking about how dating other Latinos is so limited. Of course, he's now in a commited relationship and so he's off of the market...but when he was looking I remember the stories he would tell me!

Now there's a better way for latin singles to meet each other. LatinaRomance.com allows you to view profiles other latinos in your area. You can see if you're attracted to them by their pictures and choose to pursue them via message or email.

Latina dating is ever so popular...but you've got to make sure to get in on the love.

Now through LatinaRomance.com you can meet the perfect person online and if you like them take them out! If the person isn't your type you don't even have to dish out $50 for a date.

Now that's a good deal!

U/S and B/W 4 days of stims.

So, I'm going to start blogging each day because I want to remember all of my numbers and symptoms of each day of the cycle.

Today I've had 4 doses of 300ius of Gonal-F and 75ius of Repronex. I take these every night at 9:30pm after I take a shower and before I go to bed. I'm also on .05 of Lupron.

I went in for my ultrasound and bloodwork and things are looking good.

I have 20 follicles that the NP was able to count and she said my lining was looking good. Since I'll be doing my embryo retrieval and transfer in Albany she said that Dr. G was doing great and had some "awesome" success rates.

I'm pretty excited about that!

I called today and got my estrodial level - 152.

Here are past cycle stats in estrodial levels:

IVF #1 - 100 (stimulated poorly and didn't get many mature eggs)

Medicated IUI #1 - 358
Medicated IUI #2 - 481 (mild hyperstimulated) (got pregnant)
Medicated IUI #3 - 443 (moderate hyperstimulated)

So, I think we're on track for having this thing go a lot smoother in the long run! I like going strong and steady and actually building up the follicles instead of rushing them to mature.

I've felt a little bit bloated and I've had a killer headache for a few days now. Hence the reason why I haven't been doing much blogging lately.

I am going to at least pop in once a day or so to update because I really want to make sure all of this!

(Hopefully, I won't need it for a next cycle!!) But I figure I've been hoping on women's boards to see their progress and it's been really helpful and my information might be helpful to someone else out there undergoing infertility treatments.

Friday, July 06, 2007

It's that time of year again!

I'm talking about our 11th anniversary! Who in the world would have ever thought that we would be celebrating ELEVEN great years?

Not me!

Of course, I go back and forth on what to get Margot as an anniversary gift. I want it to be something perfect for her but of course it can't be too expensive.

Just recently, I got a picture blown up and put on canvas through CanvasOnDemand.com. I received it in the mail the other day and you wouldn't believe how great it is!

Of course, I wish I would have picked a better picture where all three of us were smiling but Graem wouldn't budge!

Check it out:



I put it right on our entryway table and it looks perfect.

The picture is our most recent family vacation in Cancun, Mexico.

Here's a closer look at the photo:




I was quite impressed by the photo on canvas. The texture is crisp and clear and I was able to do it directly through CanvasOnDemand.com's website. I was shocked at how economical the price of the canvas was and it was delivered within just a few days of playing my order online.

Margot's father has a sixty year old birthday party coming up and this might be the perfect give for him. Maybe we can get a good picture of Graem and have it printed on canvas.

Do you have a taurus?

I'm talking about a Ford Taurus of course! We have a friend who owns a Taurus and it is constantly having to get repaired. Just recently they had to purchase a Taurus radiator because theirs had died.

Anyone that knows me knows that I hate spending money on cars. Just a few weeks ago we had to buy tires for Margot's car and it was to the cost of $500 after they were purchased and put on the car.

UGH. There are so many other things that I can think of that I would want to spend $500 on!

Good thing if I ever need a radiator for the Honda or Toyota I can always check out radiators.com. They offer great prices, an easy to shop website, and even a 1-800 for all of our radiator needs!

Workin' out.

Today I went to the gym for the first time to work out. I tried to do some pretty low key stuff since I'm not sure what I should be doing with my injured back.

Next week I have an appointment with one of the trainers so that they can go over the machines that I can use.

I think that's really nice that they offer a session to go over the machines and get me acquainted with everything!

I think I'm also going to sign up to do some yoga classes too.

First night of stims...

was last night! Sorry I didn't journal about it all but I've been pretty busy with Grammy and trying to keep everything in order.

Yesterday we went to Diane's and went swimming. We had a good time and Graem was really tired. She ended up fighting off a nap!

Then last night I did my first injection for this upcoming IVF! I'm pretty excited and can't believe we're actually going forward with this!

I also decided to change my sperm order. I was going to cheap out and buy the sperm that had somewhat low sperm count. Then of course, I read where someone else got an ART vial and they had really low fertilitzation...so after freaking out about that all night I decided to call the sperm bank back and ask them to actually change things around and give me two normal vials.

Here's hoping they just need one vial and this works the first time!

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Going back?

to school, of course!

If thought about getting some continuing education credits just so I can stay up with the latest and greatest management information.

That way when I return to the workforce in the next few years I won't have outdated and old information and styles.

Capella University makes going back for education easy! They offer online and evening classes that work around your schedule!

Specifically, I'd probably have to do my classes at night or on Wednesdays and Fridays when Graem is in school!

That way I could be uninterrupted and able to focus on my education. Capella even overs of a MBA program!

Monday, July 02, 2007

Little critters.

When I was a little kid we moved out of a house that had been infested with termites. My parents tried absolutely everything at the time to get rid of them and to no avail.

Killing termite swarms can be a very hard job! That's why I'm glad I came across the website killthetermites.com!

Hopefully, I'll never have to use the information I've acquired...but just in case!

This post sponsored by: KillTheTermites.com
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