Which one could it be?

Well, I went back for a repeat beta and overnight the number went from 21 to 38 today! WOO WOO!

I'm so psyched! Of course, now I'm wondering which one of the seven dwarves decided to hang on for dear life!



Last night I actually had a case of nausea and also I was so exhausted. By trip number five to the bathroom I had to grab half a banana in order to settle my sickness.

Won't hear me complaining though.

ED?

I'm not talking about just any ED. I'm talking about Erectile Dysfunction. Many men suffer from not being able to get it up when the time "arises". (No pun intended.)

We have a friend who is all about talking about his Erectile Dysfunction. At one point he even showed us his pump. It was disturbing.

Now there's a place where men can go and find answers to their questions about ED. The website is geared at directing men to the resources that will be helpful to them along their journeys.

They offer suggestions on pharmacies and even medication advise for men with ED.

This might be good news for my 65 year old friend, Ray Baker and his pump!

This post sponsored by: ManOfPeople.com

Today I'm pregnant.

Well, yesterday I took a test and after 45 minutes I had the faintest faintest line. You could barely even see it. So I obsessed about it til about 12:30 last night.

Then at 3:00am I woke up and peed on another stick. I counted it out on the clock upstairs and waited 10 minutes. The damn test was white as snow. I went back to sleep.

When I woke up at 9:30 I dug the damn thing out of the trash and low and behold...another evaporation line. This one was darker (see picture above).

When we went to pick up some groceries I sneaked to the cashier and purchased some First Response tests. After we got home from apple picking I peed on one and within 180 seconds - TWO LINES!




I would have sworn this whole thing was a bust. Just hours before I found out I was pregnant I wrote a post about how this cycle was negative and I had lost hope.

I've been having some cramping that feels exactly like my period is around the corner. Plus, I've been having some ovary pain too. Other than that...no sign that this worked!

So for the time being...I'm pregnant.

You're getting a Dell?

We've had Dell laptops and computers for the past five years or so. We've really tried every brand including Gateway and Compaq and found that Dell offers the best product, price and customer service.

Years ago we started out with a desktop. You never realize how much you love your laptop until you get one!

When we got a laptop when the baby was born we had so much freedom plus it was nice to travel and also to be able to go to the local coffee house and work!

Of course, some people are still looking for a bureau pc! If that's you and you live in France you might want to check out Ordinateur.dell.fr.

This post sponsored by: Ordinateur.dell.fr

Busted bubble.

Yesterday afternoon I peed on a stick. I went upstairs and 30 minutes later I came back down. It appeared to actually have a line on it.

Of course, you had to put it at an angle and it was hardly there. But a line, nonethless.

So of course, I had a glimmer of hope.

This morning I ended up peeing on a stick and I actually checked the timelimit and after 10 minutes the test is invalid and your answer doesn't matter.

So even though there looks to be another very very very light line....I'm out of the timelimit and presumeably not pregnant.

Gotta love finding out that your cycle is a bust from a dollar store pregnancy test.

New computer?

We have two computers in the house. However, we still tend to fight over the laptop. Margot has all of the finances on it and it's nice to be able to compute and also sit in front of the television!

At some point I hope we can find cheap laptops so that we can get another one.

We were also talking about how we should start looking for a used or refurbished computer for Graem to use. She already knows how to use our computer and she's pretty darn good at it!

Maybe if we can get our hands on a cheap computer that can be one of her Christmas gifts!

Of course, I'm being selfish and one reason why I want to get her the computer is so she doesn't hog ours as much with videos and Noggin.com!

This post sponsored by: Computers.Dell.co.uk

Fuck. 7dp3dt.

Well, I think it's over. I know for all of you IVF professionals that say hang in there. But I've been through this way to long to know that it's all over. I'm having period cramping and of course I took a HPT today.

Negative.

My cramps started hurting this afternoon and I just knew it was over.

I've felt the past few days like something was actually going on and that I was pregnant. I was almost sure that this was the cycle.

I feel like my body is just killing everything that dare enters.

I'm upset and bitter at this whole process. I got the book "The Infertility Cure" and plan on reading it over the weekend and maybe even starting the diet listed inside.

Of course, all deals are off when we go to San Francisco.

Chairs and stools!

When we get a bigger house I'd like to have a breakfast bar. Of course I'd need to fully equip it with a good set of modern bar stools.

FurnitureFromHome.com offers a great website that's easy to use and has some of the most hip and great looking furniture available. Not to mention, the prices are pretty hot too.

Take a look at the following: Leather club chairs, brown leather chairs, and recliner leather chairs.

Of course, we just need a house big enough to accomodate more furniture!

This post sponsored by: FurnitureFromHome.com

Either way...it's over.

At least for a while.

I figure Tuesday is going to be healthy for me. Whether I find out I'm pregnant and can move out of this infertile slump that I've been in for what seems like forever.

Even if I'm not pregnant I'm pretty excited about getting away from all of this and just taking a much needed break to free my mind, get drunk a few times, and forget about project baby.

It's all gone on for way too long and I'm tired of the ups and downs. (Mostly downs). I don't even want to think about the next step if this doesn't work.

Got widgets?

Did you know that you can post Quibblo quizzes in your MySpace profile?

	Heck Yah! I have done it
	I know, but haven't done it
	Yes, but it didn't work
	Really? Cool, I will try it
	Didn't know, don't care

skip to results

Survey by Quibblo

I'm not a big MySpacer...but if I were I'd want to hook up my profile with MySpace quizzes!



This post sponsored by: Quibblo.com

6dp3dt

Pulling, tugging, twinges, cramping, sickness, fatigue...all of the symptoms that I've been having. I actually went ahead and tested today and absolutely nothing. No two lines. I was sure that it would be a positive.

I guess I'm just going to wait it out. I don't have any more pregnancy tests and I'm not sure I want to take any more anyway.

I'm exhausted.

My poor old skin.

What can I say...I was raised in Houston, Texas with parents that were not educated about the dangers of direct sunlight to skin!

When I was a kid I remember spending all day at the neighborhood swimming pool only to come home looking like a lobster. I thought it was the coolest thing to wake up the next day and pop the "sun blisters" that were obviously caused by a 2nd degree burn!

Now I'm a bit more aware of the dangers and I make sure to put sunscreen on my child every time we leave the house. Even if it's only sunny for a few minutes I know that her skin can burn easily and I want to make sure she's protected.

Since my skin is already damaged and I'm getting older I know how important it is to consider using R.G. Skin Revitalizer. I have a really weird skin type. It's dry in the morning and as the day progresses it becomes oily.

R.G. Skin has designed a product with all different kinds of skin types in mind. In fact, their product is sold directly on their website and you can read all about it.

Maybe there is hope for me yet?

Who knows...maybe I can even stop going to the Dermotologist annually!

This post sponsored by: R.G. Skin Revitalizer

3dp3dt

I called the fertility center and since my progesterone level was over 40 they said that I don't have to go in today to get bloodwork. YAH!

Of course, I was curious to see if it's spiked. I think sometimes that can be an indicator to see if something is trying to implant.

So, I've been having some major twinges, cramping, and pulling in my uterus. My ovaries do seem a bit sore and I can't tell if the swelling is going up or down.

I had the biggest poop of my life yesterday and today I've had two good ones. Thank you, Colace!

I'm doing pretty good on bedrest and our friend, Jen, is going to be here in a few minutes to help with Grammy.

Margot has meetings this evening so Jen's going to stay til she gets home.

Just a few weeks away?

I can't believe that San Francisco is just a few weeks away! It's really crept up on us and it's just around the corner. I think the whole infertility and IVF cycle have taken up most of our time.

I want to get a nice Samsonite piece of luggage for the trip. I saw one at the store the other day and it was really marked at a good price. I should have just bit the bullet and got it.

However, $100 is $100 and it's hard to justify luggage which we only use once every few months!

Get away.

We've been trying to go on "date night" at least once a week. We figure we really need to spend time with no kid and "keep it real."

Of course, we did it for one week and that's been that.

I think we should probably try to work on taking off a weekend to Mendocino lodging! Margot loves being outdoors with wilderness and I love the luxuries of the indoors...so I think this might be the perfect compromise.

Of course, I just have to pray that they have internet, phone lines, and television.

Then again, maybe we should just stay at home.

My dream..

set of golf clubs has always been Ping Golf clubs.

Of course, I don't golf enough to justify the amount of money that I would spend on a nice pair of clubs. Plus, if Margot sees this post she might shoot me since I got a new pair a few years ago and have only used them a few times!

I wish I had more time and money for golf because it's such a nice game. Plus, I really love driving the golf cart around.

Too bad, I have to lose a case of balls for each game I play. I guess I really "leave my mark" on the game.

I need to stop looking on the computer...

cause it's just downright bad for me. I swear I've been on here since 10am this morning and it's nearly 4. I've read about all of the symptoms and how people that had cramps like me were both pregnant and not pregnant.

I think I might pee on a stick Sunday, too.

That'd be good if I can wait til then!

Dance the night away!

I am constantly impressed at how much Margot's aunt and uncle dance. They are very involved in the community and even have a private dance instructor and a dance studio above their garage.

In fact, they'd love to have bachata videos! Maybe we'll have to start looking into purchasing them as Christmas gifts!

BachataCrazy.com is a great website that talks about Bachata dancing and also gives you information on how to purchase their great videos!

This post sponsored by: Bachatacrazy.com

2dp3dt

Well, here I am with my fat ass glued to the couch. Yesterday I had some twinges and cramping. I would put my hand on the area and instantly things would calm down.

Today I feel a bit twingy but it's also feeling like that right ovary is going a little crazy.

I'm going to do the bedrest thing til Tuesday and then it's life as usual without doing the lifting or anything overly active.

I've looked at every single website with the words 2dp3dt and it looks like I'm right on course.

Of course, the next few days are actually when the embryos would start implanting.

The seven dwarfs.

Well, we thought we were only going to have five embryos and that's if all of them made it.

Thursday I got a call that we might have a few more that caught up.

Low and behold I go in Friday for the transfer and the doctor walks in and says "Seven perfect embryos."

I got pictures of the gang and they all do look pretty damn good. So we transferred them all back in.

Of course, I've been on bedrest and doing pretty good despite the fact that I'm bored silly and obsessing about every twinge and cramp.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

In just a few months (December) Grammy will be celebrating her third birthday. Last year's birthday was a doozie since I had the miscarriage the morning of her birthday party.

This year I want to make up for it and have an extra special birthday. I should probably start looking for birthday invitations now and get the ones that she likes before it gets too close to the date.

More than likely we'll invite a few of her friends from school and L&L. This might be the first birthday that we actually have school friends at her party!

Our girl is getting so big.

Dirty people.

Before we had a kid we used to be so much cleanier! At one point we had candles on the table and even a tablecloth!

Now of course, the candles would fall down and break and the tablecloth would be dirty first meal of the day.

I think we've just tried to make life a little simplier. I mean having a kid changes everything -- for the better of course. But you realize that you do give up some of the nicer things in order to stay sane!

Too girly?

I've always been one to appreciate jewelry. I used to wear our commitment bands, earrings, and a necklace.

Now, I've pretty much downgraded and don't wear anything! The rings we purchased 9 years ago are now falling off of our fingers since we've lost so much weight. Plus, the earrings hurt my ears when I put them on!

If I wear jewelry it's my Skagen watch that Margot got me one year for Valentine's Day!

The good news...

is that if this infertility treatment doesn't work then I'm going to start dieting again and I hope to lose the 25 pounds or so that I have gained from all of these treatments.

I already have a plan of attack including a gym membership that I've had for two months and only gone once and my good ole' fat pills.

I just came across the Cheat to Lose Diet too that I'm taking under consideration!

The whole idea is to kick-start your metabolism. The whole idea is that you follow their diets and within weeks the pounds stop dropping.

I like the fact that it's precise and guides you a long the way so that you can have a "lifestyle change".

This post sponsored by:

Fuck.

Well, I'm pretty upset at this mornings report. Out of 21 eggs only 5 fertilized.

That's absolutely horrible.

I also found out that our sperm vial only had 9 million motile sperm and it was guaranteed to have 10 million.

It's been a pretty shitty day to say the least and I feel absolutely crushed and defeated in ever sense of the word.

Twenty one big ones!

Well, I posted on the main board but thought that I'd get more specific here. We went in for egg retrieval this morning and I was a bit nervous because we were the second group to go and they started 30 minutes late!

Of course, every minute I'm getting nervous that I ovulate.

Finally, anethesiologist walks in and starts up the meds. For some reason as the nurse is getting my downstairs ready for the operation I start talking about shaving?!?!

For lack of a better explaination -- I've decided not to shave this cycle. I figure every other cycle I've shaved legs, armpits, and downstairs and I'm going commando this time. Maybe those embryos are geting cold without hair...who knows.

I think not taking this cycle so literally has really helped. Icecream, coffee, and overeating has also helped.

Tonight I'm going to eat a meal high in carbs and for snack today I had half a jar of peanut butter - straight up.

I took a two hour nap and I'm still feeling pretty crappy. My tummy feels pretty yucky and let me tell you....I feel like I've overeaten and need to throw up.

Mmm...bulemia.

Trigger in a few minutes.

Well, I almost can't believe that it's that time of the cycle again and I'll be doing my shot of HCG. HCG is given in the belly using a relatively small needle. You take it 36 hours prior to the egg retrieval.

It sends the eggs down and causes you to ovulate. Of course, the whole idea is that the the doctor will go in right at 36 hours past the shot and get the eggs out before you ovulate them.

Today I've had a small headache, pretty bloated and still really tired.

I know I'm probably going to feel like doo doo over the next few days so we were able to get the house really clean so that I can just kick back and relax.

Of course, I have about 10 loads of laundry that I still have to take care of. It's been a battle because I'm not suppose to lift anything heavy. So I do the laundry and Margot transfers it up and down the stairs.

I'm a liberal.

That's a given. I don't understand how there can really be gay republicans out there. That's just an oxymoron!

Lately, I've been pretty interested in politics. With the elections coming up I really hope and pray that a democrat gets elected to office!

I've found a pretty good political forum that is unmoderated and has some great ongoing debates.

ArgueWithEveryone.com offers an easy to use website where you can see others views and display your own.

This post sponsored by: ArgueWithEveryone.com

I feel yuck.

I have been feeling pretty shitty and my e2 has been rising slowly, but steadily. My e2 results today were 1193. That's up 393 from yesterday.

I get home and I'm so damn exhausted I can barely stay awake and when 10:00pm comes around I feel like I'm going to just pass right out.

This weekend I have a feeling we're probably not going to do much of anything. I go in tomorrow for my last u/s and b/w.

Then it looks like I'm going to trigger Sunday night and have a Tuesday retrieval.

Here's my updated IVF chart:

Date Day E2
12/08/03 5 100
12/10/03 7 133
12/12/03 9 336

10/27/06 5 358
10/30/06 8 1966
10/31/06 9 2905

11/25/06 5 481
11/27/06 7 1518

02/14/07 5 443
02/16/07 7 868
02/19/07 10 3965

07/09/07 5 152
07/11/07 7 650
07/12/07 8 1036
07/13/07 9 1400
07/14/07 10 2575

09/04/07 5 418
09/06/07 7 800
09/07/07 8 1193

I feel yuck.

We've got a smart one...

on our hands! Let me just start by saying that I think we have to constantly challenge our children.

We recently applied to put Grammy in Montessori but since there's a two year wait list more than likely she'll enter Kindergarten before she gets accepted!

I think at some point we should probably look into getting her Math Tutors to help her stay ahead in class.

Score Learning Centers offer educational support for kids aged 4-14! Now I just have to find where the closest center is located!

This post sponsored by: Score Learning Centers

Poor Grammy.

Today I took G to the dentist to have her cavity taken care of. The dentist was this really nice old man who walked in and gave me a big hug. He couldn't hear a thing and after looking in Grammy's mouth determined that she had two cavities.

He then showed me how he wanted to put this gold tooth wrap around thing around her tooth. I just about fainted and could jsut think that my kid isn't going to have silver teeth. I begged him to see if there's anything he could do.

He gave her laughing gas and then injected the lidocaine with the needle. After scraping for some time he showed me the hole that the cavity made.

HOLY SHIT! It was deep and almost down to the gumline. Of course, I felt like a horrible parent and I should have insisted more often and for longer that Grammy brush her teeth.

He ended up filling the two cavities with the porcelin filling so you can't see it. But we are due back in six months for cleanings.

When we got home G was so tired and she was crying because her mouth hurt. I felt so sorry for her that it was traumatic and hope that she lets us take better care of her teeth.

Tom Landry!

Growing up in Texas football is pretty much life. I learned at a very young age after my father dressed me in red and blue and painted my face that The Houston Oilers are the best.

However, my uncle always disagreed and every Thanksgiving they would get into it on who was going to win the superbowl.

Of course, both teams were pretty bad and neither one would ever make it to the Super Bowl after years of bickering!

I'm sure my uncle who now lives in Dallas probably still subscribes to Dallas Cowboys tickets. He's a big shot at GM and probably has some great seats.

However, if we ever visit him and we need to get some good seats we'll probably end up going through PremiumSeatsUSA.com. The website is easy to use and they have some really great seats at reasonable prices.

GO COWBOYS!

What a great idea!

When I was in high school I really didn't have any idea what college I would go to. I knew of all of the schools in Texas but hadn't heard of any of the ones outside of my area.

I remember my friend Shannon went with her parents cross country and they visited all of the great schools. Of course, she picked up shirts from each. I had never heard of Cornell, Bryn Mawr, or Wellsley!

I think most kids probably learn about these schools from their guidance counselors or perhaps their parents or friends were alumnis.

One thing that would have helped me to see what was out there would have been to go with other people and made a trip to the different colleges. It would have been nice to go on a tour of the schools and really get a feel for the spirit of the university or college.

The reality is that the first time I went to my college was during orientation and I had no idea what it would be like because I don't even remember visiting before enrolling! Now, that's pretty sad.

CE Tours offers a great service to students and parents. They specialize in making sure that kids know their college and university options. They offer tours of universities and colleges and really make sure that you get a first rate experience while checking different places out.



Had I known about CE Tours I would have probably been one of the first people to enroll! God knows that my parents were always too busy to take me to different colleges. Plus, I'm not sure that they knew of the many different options that might have been a better fit for me.

This post sponsored by: CE Tours

Today's appointment - 6 days of stims.

So I've felt pretty nauseaus lately and last night I thought I was going to barf as I was lying in bed. Of course, I'm extremely sleep deprived since Graem slept in her bed last night none of us slept all that great!

Plus, this morning I had to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to make my 7:30 appointment.

Ovaries look good and I think my biggest follicle is at 16 and the others aren't too far behind it.

I still have to be on stims for three more days though so tonight I was told to keep my meds the same. My e2 went from 418 to 800 today.

I go back in tomorrow upon my request and they are going to do another ultrasound and bloodwork.

The fun never stops!

Get me out of here!

Of course I'm not saying those words quite yet because winter isn't here but I know it's just a matter of days before the trees start changing colors and we see our first snow flake!

That's why I'm already thinking ahead to our upcoming vacation! We've talked about going to Orlando when Graem was bigger but I think she might actually enjoy it now! She's just started to get into the Disney characters and we actually have a lot of the DVDs!

At some point I should start looking for discounts on Disney World Tickets. I know they cost an arm and a leg and if we can go to Disney when kids are still in school then it might not be as crowded and we can have the whole park to ourselves.

Of course, OrlandoFunTickets.com offers a great website and will help us out in setting up entertainment when we're in Orlando!

Need a pick me up?

I'm constantly looking for ways to help me think positively. These past few months have been really hard and each day I feel gets harder than the next.

That's why I was happy to run into the uplifting and inspirational writings of Karl's blog.

Karl Moore offers some great insight and really helps readers see things a little bit differently than they might have before reading his site.

In fact, he gives meaning to "the grass isn't always greener on the other side".



With so much hatred and bad press out there it's easy to chalk up all websites and television to being a negative source of energy. But I'm glad that Karl Moore was able to bring enjoyment and leisure back into blogging.

Job well done, Karl!

3 days of stims.

Well, this morning I woke up and felt pretty full of follicles. I called into the RE's office and got my favorite LPN. She called the head RN and I was told to reduce meds to 225 Gonal-F and 75 Repronex. She also made the comment that the doctor might have started me too high and I might need to coast.

Shit.

Of course, that's not quite the news I wanted to hear.

I have a feeling that tomorrow's ultrasound and bloodwork will be very telling and probably give me a clue as to where we go next.

Of course, there's nothing really I can do except hope that all of this works. Just like the other 13 times.

First night of stims down!

Well, I was shocked to feel that after one night of stims I was already feeling some major activity with my ovaries!

Most of the time I don't start feeling activity til day four or five of stims. I'm wondering if maybe I'm noticing it more or even the 75ius extra of meds are making a difference.

Again, as I've mentioned before...this cycle it's different. Not feeling much of anything emotionally.

Where to put all of the chitlins?

Hopefully, once we get pregnant again we will be faced with where to put all of the kids. We have a pretty small house and so it's going to be a matter of packing everyone in like sardines!

I think the perfect solution is probably going to be bunk beds!

When I was a kid I always wanted bunk beds and thought that they'd be cool to have even when my friends came over.

Now we just have to find a cool, affordable, and safe set!

I'm getting older...

and I realized that my face is starting to look older. It could be the fact that as a kid I never wore sunscreen but I think at some point I should consider skin care products.

I wash my face every day with Dove and sometimes Clearasil. Of course, my complexion is the combination of oily and dry depending on the time of day and season!

I should look for an all around cleanser, moisturizer, and anti-wrinkle cream!

The perils of getting old.

A simple "thank you".

When I was a director overseeing a staff of about sixty I constantly believed in letting the staff know how much I appreciated their hard work. Whether it was ordering pizza for all of the shifts, a simple thank you, or ordering them gifts every few months.

One month I ordered everyone personalized pens with their names engraved and the company logo. They were perfect wooden pens and pencils sets and everyone really liked them.

That's also a great gift to give for recent graduates or someone receiving a promotion or new job.

Shopping done right.

I could not believe all of the shopping that we did when we were in Las Vegas! We hit the outlet malls and even went to the hotels and casinos where they had huge boutique shopping.

In fact, we went to Caesars Palace and Margot and Graem shopped while I played a little black jack!

Of course, I'd rather not talk about my winnings... but focus on some of the great pieces of clothing that Margot and Graem were able to find!

Eyes and ears open.

Since the stock market hasn't been doing so hot the past few months and still seems to be unstable we've been looking for another way to invest our money. What's been pretty consistent is real estate.

I was just reading that Arizona luxury real estate is pretty hot! It seems like a lot of young couples are relocating to Arizona and the area is growing like no other.

Who knows...maybe what we should do in the future is start buying real estate and managing it from New York!

Yesterday's appt.

Well, I got there and instantly was seen. Then the doctor stepped in. I was somewhat suspicious since I had complained to the nurse a few days before about being part of the IVF program and them having to fit me into the upcoming cycle!

So, he did the ultrasound and the NP was with him. We talked about different things we could try and he suggested IviG and acupuncture. I told him I was game for acupuncture but we couldn't afford the $2,500 that IviG costs.

Then he asked if there's anything better they can be doing. I know that was probably my time to say "Yeah, I got pissed at the fact that you guys didn't have a spot for me to cycle on the protocol that worked so well for me in the past."

Instead, I just said "I just want a baby and after 13 negatives, one positive and a miscarriage....I just want a baby."

I think either way...he can tell at this point that I'm desperate and despite what happened days before it seems like he's really going to try to make it happen.

The U/S and B/W went fine and I didn't have any cysts. So I start up my meds Friday. Of course, I got the med sheet and instead of doing 75ius of Repronex .. he's increased it to 150ius. Which meant that I had to bust my ass to get some Repronex on one of the websites that allows people to (illegally) sell their IVF meds.

I was able to get 11 vials for $250+ shipping. That would have cost me almost $800 at our local pharmacy.

It's weird cause this cycle seems like no other. I'm not overly excited to begin and I'm not anxious either. I can honestly say...I feel so neutral about it...it's like it's not even happening.

Take me shopping!

Just the other day I looked online for Grammy a new carseat. You figure if you shop online, darnit, you've got to find good savings!

I was able to find a few coupons for Target that offered 10% off and also free shipping. Go figure, half of them didn't work!

I wish I would have known about Rather-Be-Shopping.com Blog. The blog is run by someone who is serious about their coupons.



Plus, if you're looking for a specific coupon and can't seem to find it just email the writer and he/she will go out of their way to pop you an email back with a response!

Now that's getting the hook up!

Over the past month we've spent approx. $700 online shopping and each time we've had a coupon. (With the exception of the grill and ebay purchases). Now I can really appreciate having a "go to" person when it comes to getting a good deal!

This post sponsored by: Rather-Be-Shopping.com

I love my new sling!

When we were pregnant with Graem we went out and bought every baby back pack and sling available. We have the Active Baby Bjorn, a handmade sling, and even had the ergo carrier.

Graem grew out of the Baby Bjorn in a matter of months and then when I read about how it grabbed too much and put too much pressure on the crotch I decided not to use it anymore!

The handmade sling that we had made seems too big and long and many times makes me think like the baby is going to fall out. Plus, we never felt comfortable taking it out of the house cause we were sure that at some point we'd drop the baby!

The Ergo Carrier seemed the most promising but I think we got it too late. We got it when she was 18 months old and I couldn't get Graem situated in it right.

Just recently I was asked to try out a new baby sling by SlingLings. I was so impressed with this sling that I've worn it out the past few days! Graem loves hanging out in it and even though she's a big kid...she's comfortable.



PLUS...it doesn't kill my back and feels really natural! I love the fact that it is padded and also curved around where the baby is. Not to mention, it's not just for newborns or just for older kids. It seems like you could use it for just about any kid - newborn to toddler.

ANOTHER PLUS...the patterns are awesome! We got this cool paisley print. It's a thicker fabric and wears nicely. They have some new patterns that are contemporary and trendy too!



Watch out BabyBjorn, ErgoCarrier, and Snugli...there's a new sling on the block!

Here we go...again.

Well, I got my good ole' period yesterday. But officially today is CD 1. I must say with my cold... I've been in rare form!

I called the fertility center with the great news and got one of the girls that I'm not so fond of. She said "well, you might have to get on LUpron until we can fit you into the calendar."

WTF? Do you really think that I spend $20,000 to be fit into a calendar? I gave her an earful without being a total bitch and she said they were going over the calendar and to call back in the afternoon.

So I called right at 1:45pm after I got out of my doctor's appointment for my cold. Good ole' Dr. V hooked me up with Zithromax.

They said that they were able to put me into the schedule for a flare protocol and to come in tomorrow for an u/s.

I think I'm too tired and sick to care.

Getting hitched?

It's been a few years since we've been to any weddings. In fact, we're pretty convinced that most of our friends like to shack up and then realize that they aren't compatiable before they walk down the aisle.

Putting together a wedding is a lot of hard work and also coordination! When L&L were doing their wedding they spent a lot of time and money making sure that everything went off perfect.

I bet a good Wedding Website would have helped with the organization! WeddingChannel.com has everything that you will need to plan the perfect wedding.

Now all you have to find are the perfect two people. That's the hard part these days!

Real Estate.

Since the stock market is in the toilet we have been looking for different ways to invest our money. Margot's dad owns a condo in Miami and that seems to be a pretty happening spot.



I've always heard that Tampa real estate is a great investment and a great place to visit and vacation too!

Of course, I'd love anywhere that's sunny right now as I sit inside watching the thunderstorm out the window.

So excited.

We were able to get some of the coolest books the other day at the outlet mall.

Grammy loves the "David" books and we were able to get "David Goes to School" and also two Graeme Base books that are totally cool. The greatest part about the books is that we got them for $4.99! The cover price is over $15.00 per book.

I've also heard that Buy.com has some great books and the prices are a steal!

We were just talking the other day...

about how not all drug rehab centers are the same. When our loved one needed rehab we had no idea where to turn.

In fact, we knew he needed help and thanks to the social workers were able to find a place that worked with people that had dual diagnosis such as drug addiction and bi-polar or depression.

What's most important is making sure that the person who has a problem with addiction is getting help...

It could be a matter of life and death.

I'm so not cool.

Good thing I don't pretend to be cool because that could be tragic.

In order to get my daily dose of fashion sense I read my magazines and I also check out online websites such as Tobi.com. They have all the latest and greatest fashion advise. Plus, they even have columns that talk about the upcoming fashion trends. You can even ask their fashion expert questions.

This could be a life saver for my father who still doesn't realize that navy socks do not go well with black pants and that he really should get rid of that orange belt from the 1970's!

Of course, it's easier said than done. I've always craved to have a pair of Cole Haan loafers and to this day I look at them and my mouth waters. Of course, I know if I were to purchase them I'd end up single again and live a very long life by myself.

I was glad to see and hear that velvet clothing is making a comeback! I remember wearing velvet clothes as a kid and it always felt so nice.

Velvet apparel isn't just for women either --- I read just the other day that Brad Pitt was wearing this nice velvet shirt too!

It's a good thing I get those trashy celeb mags and check out Tobi.com! God knows, living in Upstate New York I'd never know about the fashion trends until years later!

Negative.

Nothing more to really say than I'm not pregnant and it friggin' sucks.

I went to my shrink today and we had some words. It was good to talk to a trained professional who I have to pay. I'm pretty sure that my friends get pretty tired of hearing the same ole' shit.

I got a call from the doctor today too. Basically, he said I just have to keep on trying and didn't have much advise other than that.

He also suggested putting many more embryos back in and maybe putting them back at three days instead of five.

Who the hell knows.

I wish I could give up.

God Bless this Shed!

I couldn't believe that Margot's dad had spray painted in the garage "GOD BLESS THIS SHED." Of course, we're talking about the two million dollar hours that is shades of pink and totally blinged out.

He's got some major garage organization going on too! I was so impressed that everything was put nicely on the wall and he even had it tiled and it was in tip top shape!

I'm sure he's probably checked out CarGuyGarage.com before because he's got just about everything that any garage could ever want.

GOD BLESS THIS SHED!

This post sponsored by: CarGuyGarage.com

So much to write...so little time.

Well, we just got back from New York and I have so much to write about ... but I'm tired and really am craving some "Big Love". The television show of course.

So, I'm going to make this short and sweet...I'm more than likely not pregnant, pretty bummed that today is my due date for the baby that I miscarried and I'm sick and tired of fighting with Margot.

Good damn thing I have a shrink appointment tomorrow.

Now I just have to call shrink and see what time the appt is.

*clunk*clunk*clunk*

We used to have a Chevy Corsica and that was one of those cars that started out already in the relationship. Margot was given the car by her dad's girlfriend who had wrecked it a couple of times. Then Margot's ex-boyfriend did some damage.

Before too long, we had paid a mechanic to jack up the car just enough to pass inspection and to get us through the school year.

At one point we were looking at car donation, however, every place that I tried to call wouldn't return my call and the places that did return my calls said that they weren't interested in the car!

Margot - being Margot - didn't want to have anything to do with the sell of the car so I put it on the Cornell Marketplace and within a day I had sold the car for $400 to a local mechanic.

CarAngel.com allows you to donate your car, house, and even boat to their non-for profit organization. In fact, they will even pick the item up and give you a tax deductible receipt!

If you want to know how to Donate My Car - check out Car Angel!

Car donations are the easiest way to not only get a great tax deduction but also help organizations raise the money they need in order to fund worthwhile projects.

Disclosure Policy

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me without bias or influence from others. While this blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation, it does not publish in a way that is contrary to my personal integrity. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. I am free to reject posts that I do not agree with or approve. My writing represents the truth and I do not write about items that I do not personally support. This blog does not contain any content that might present a conflict of interest but it does follow international ethical guidelines and best practices for the internet and online advertising.

This policy is valid from August 16 2007

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact smblack @ twcny.rr.com. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.
To get your own policy, go to the disclosure policy generator at :http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Looking for fun?

I'm always looking for a good parenting debate. Of course, I always think that I have the best parenting skills and love to hear other parents who think they know what's best!

There's a great website that helps parents teach their kids the value of a dollar and also the whole meaning of savings, etc.

ChoresAndAllowances.Blogspot.com is a great website that talks about how to raise a kid who really gets what it means to work hard for a dollar.

Something I can certainly appreciate!

This post sponsored by: ChoresandAllowances.blogspot.com

Mission to Mars.

I got Grammy the Backyardigans Mission to Mars DVD - she loves it! She won't stop singing the songs and it also has a nice little dance-a-long part of it too.

Good thing she'll be able to get her fill of tv time tomorrow as we're driving to Syracuse and New York City!

This time tomorrow...

hopefully, I'll be growing our son or daughter! I called the sperm bank and Graem's donor has 17 live births!! He's up to 7 boys and 10 girls.

Can we say stallion?

Damn.

*sigh*

Our family has been through a lot over the past few years. When Margot and I got together her family became mine and vice-versa. Of course, that comes with all of the goods and bads.

About five years ago we realized that one of our family members wasn't acting like himself when we were visiting. It was during the holidays and I assume the stress along with a past addiction is what set off a relapse.

All of a sudden we woke up one morning and found our loved one on the floor, passed out from drugs. We didn't know what to do other than to call the ambulance and have him taken to the hospital.

There he stayed for a few days and really didn't get much care at all. We didn't know what to think what going on from a medical standpoint. We also didn't know what type of help to seek.

At that point we didn't know if our loved one needed addiction treatment because this was one of the first times we had see this occur.

So, we got him out of the hospital, he promised to seek treatment and we all went back to "life as usual."

Well, that was fine for a year until we received a call that our loved one had been discovered and that he was entering into rehab. We didn't know what to do and felt quite betrayed about the whole situation.

Of course, the only thing we could do was pray for his recovery and also hope that he was at the right place.

I wish we would have known about 1800nodrugs.com. The website is a non-for-profit that is geared towards helping people find the right rehab for their needs. They offer a useful website and also a 1-800 for families and addicts to contact.

They really get addiction -- they are open 24 hours a day - 7 days a week. The past few times that we have had to make decisions it has happened in the wee hours of the night and we really had limited resources.

In the next few days we will be going to our family reunion. We will see our loved one who has struggled in the past and every day of sobriety is a step forward.

I'm glad that our loved one is doing better and living a happy and drug free life.

This post sponsored by: 1800nodrugs.com

The new me!

Today I went to the hairstylist and got the works! Let me tell you, it was one hell of a workup for that poor little hairstylist! I thought she was going to start sweating when it came to my eyebrows!!!

She put the wax on and I almost started crying. That was some hot shit! Then she ripped it off. I thought that my whole eye lid was going to come off too!

I saw the tape and it looked like my whole damn eyebrow had come off with it! She was also pluckin' away and even used the shears to go at my eyebrows.

That's some serious browage, if I do say so myself!

Always something...

Well, it was really hard for us to decide the next big step when it comes to fertility treatments. We've already invested so much into this and it have it all lost and still not baby is just heartbreaking.

One day Margot mentioned that we should do the IVF refund program and I didn't think I heard her right. I mean $20,000 is a lot of money. Plus, with me staying home with the baby I just didn't realize it was an option.

The more I thought about it the more I realized that this is what I need to do in order to figure I've tried my hardest in order to have a biological child.

We've always been lucky enough to have good credit so we knew that we wouldn't need secured loans, however, we didn't know which loans would be the right solution for us.

We looked into the different homeowner loans and decided that taking out a home equity line of credit would be our best bet. Especially, since our bank was offering a really great deal.

However, I wish we would know known about BeatThatQuote.com. It's a great website where vendors work towards your business! What that means in the long run is that you get the best deal available!

This post sponsored by: BeatThatQuote.com

CD 15

The big day is tomorrow! I'm pretty excited about the whole process and I just hope and pray that our one little guy makes the thaw and we have something to transfer.

On a good note, if he doesn't make the thaw then we get to go to NYC a few hours earlier and don't have to go through Syracuse.

I guess that's the way to stay positive either way, right?

As far as side effects from the drugs. I think I had sore boobs last night and that white stuff that's like ricotta cheese is starting to come out of my downstairs.

I keep thinking that I'm going to switch from Crinone to Progesterone but figure I'll use it all up first.

We'll see how it all works out...

My honey do list.

Today I took Grammy to the dentist and to get a hair cut. It's amazing how all of this can take such a long time and consume much of the day! We went to Walmart to see if they had any portable DVD players and ended up buying a stash of toilet paper instead.

Another thing on Margot's to-do-list was work on a no fee balance transfer for some of our existing debt.

We play this game with our debt and it seems like we don't feel as bad about it if we aren't paying interest.

Of course, when I take a look at TheTruthAboutCreditCards.com I start to feel like a schmuck again!

Our favorite card is the Capital One card. It has been an amazing card and we have used the 0% balance transfers and we travel with the card since it doesn't have a foreign exchange charge.

TheTruthAboutCreditCards.com has a great article that makes me aware of what's going on. In fact, it's specifically about my Capital One card. Since the economy is going belly up a lot of the credit card companies are looking to raise their interest rates.

With news like this...I've got to hop on the phone TONIGHT in order to make sure that we get that good rate that was offered in the mail just a few weeks ago before the stock market crash.

This post sponsored by: TheTruthAboutCreditCards.com

CD 13

Well, I've been on the meds since Saturday and I seem to be doing alright. No side effects yet. I think typically, you start to get the effects of the meds like a week into it all.

They totally make you feel like you're pregnant!

Stupid friggin' meds.

The good thing is that I've been pretty good at taking the meds and I'm even making it a priority to take the estrace three times a day!

Hire me!

I've been somewhat looking for a job. However, I have an idea of the perfect job that I might be able to do without getting into an overly stressful situation!

I like to look at executive recruiting websites to see what they are looking for in potential employees and candidates.

One great resources is this Executive Recruiting Firm Blog.

AEFeldman.com is one of the leading executive recruiting firms in the United States. They work with all types of recruiting and their goal is to match perfect candidates to perfect jobs!

I think it'd be a fun job to do and I'm sure you get to meet a lot of great people in the process. Of course, it's always hard to find the perfect person because we all know that anyone can look "perfect" on paper!

Too much television.

We are trying to get out of the house and Margot's been helping me with all of the posts that I need to get done before we head out. Of course that means that Graem gets neglected for a few hours.

She's pretty happy in front of the television, however, it becomes a bit overwhelming!

I think the reason why she's so intrigued with it is because I never use it as a babysitter. For the most part she watches 1 hour of television of day. If we stay home I don't just plop her in front of the television and the tv is never on for "background" noise!

Dead trees.

Last fall we had someone come out and cut our trees. We spent close to $1,700 getting a few trees taken down and pruning of our other trees.

Of course, now I'm realizing that we have tons of dead limbs, another big dead tree, and I'm wishing that we would have had them come out in this summer time when you can see what is alive and dead!

Need help with that search?

I'm constantly looking for ways to search businesses. In fact, we haven't touched our yellow pages in months because they are all outdated and torn up!

If I'm looking for a business either locally or in another city I go straight to the internet. The hard part is if I do a search the places that show up are the places that have paid money to advertise or be listed up top.

Not always fair to the underdog that offers a good business but doesn't have the funds to advertise!

That's why I'm glad I came across Internet Yellow Pages .

Radiux.com offers an online yellow pages that has over 14 million listings! It's up to date information and easy to use!

August 23rd.

Was our due date. Of course, I still think of what could have been and that had I stayed pregnant I would be due any day now and we could have even had the baby by now.

It's hard to deal with all of this because I feel like at one point we had it all. Now of course, we start right back from scratch each time one of these infertility procedures doesn't work.

I don't think this will ever get any easier and I think even if I get pregnant I'm always going to be sad on August 23rd and even on the day that I miscarried December 28th.

Concert.

I think we're going to try to check out the concert at Taughannock tonight. Last week we were going to go. I had a really hard time though. I knew that L&L were going to meet with some of their friends who were in their birthing class.

I felt like the whole ngiht they'd be talking about the births of their new babies and I just figured I really couldn't handle it.

Sometimes those situations really make me sad because I really feel like I should be experiencing the same thing.

Plus...I'm not far from when I would be having our baby had I not had the miscarriage.

Credit help is on the way!

When I first moved to New York I had a handful of credit cards with balances and no income! Talk about a bad situation!!

Eventually, we were able to pay off the cards - only to add more when we went through infertility treatments!

Now there's help with credit cards for people with bad credit! Many times the Credit Card Applications can be stressful and take tons of time.

CreditCardSearchEngine.com is an easy to use website that allows you to search through creditors who are willing to offer credit to people who have bad credit.

There are such things as second chances!!

Many times after experiencing bad credit it is important to re-establish yourself and have a credit card or two. Over the years of paying the bills on time and being a loyal customer you will see your credit score increase!

Today's agenda.

We are going to try to head out soon to go to Trader K's. WE have tons of clothes that have been in the back of my car for about 2 months! Hopefully, we can get some cash for the clothes and we're hoping enough money to at least pay for lunch.

Boy we're friggin' ghetto shit.

We're booked!

Last night we were able to make reservations for our trip to San Fran for Margot's conference! I'm pretty excited to get away. Of course, it will be work for Margot but I figure for Graem and me it will be tons of fun! I want to get out and do the museums and taste the great food.

I'm sure that four days won't be enough to do San Fran justice but we sure are going to try!

I want to go to Orlando!

Right now I'm sitting in my recliner looking out the window at a reasonably nice day 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 a hotel orlando. 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.

Orlando.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!

What a nice shirt you have.

As many of you know...for some time now I've been trying to get pregnant. Unfortunately, in this post I don't have any great news to announce! However, I always have faith that it will happen when the time is right.

That doesn't stop me from stocking up on great maternity clothes when I see the chance. Plus, I end up resorting to those when I'm bloated from the darn fertility drugs!

Nothing like stretchy pants with side panels and shirts that balloon your gut!

KiKisFashions.com offers some great maternity shirts and dresses at fabulous prices! Most of the shirts are under $20 and right now she's even having sales on many of the items.

In fact, I was able to order a shirt to test it out and I was quite impressed.



The shirt is a really light material which is perfect for the summer and dressy enough to wear to a nice work or dinner event.

Of course, I purchased an XL and it seems to do the trick. I like the cut of the shirt because it really displays the belly without making it one of those obnxious "BABY 07" shirts!

Hopefully, I'll be wearing this shirt soon --- and not just because I'm bloated from the infertility drugs!

I see you!

Grammy has really gotten into the great stage of wanting to dress up! She loves being a pricess and we were just talking the other day about how we should get her some pirate costume because she loves pirates!

I think she would absolutely love having animal masks.

TheJungleStore.com offers everything from dinosaur masks to parrot masks! Plus, they offer some great costumes! You've got to remember that Halloween is the next big holiday and just around the corner.

Interesting.

I'm a person who's pretty up on different marketing methods and I've worked with newspaper and even radio. However, I haven't worked much with television and commercials.

Mostly, because in order to get any television here you have to subscribe to cable services and not many people in Tompkins county subscribe. Which of course, means that you only reach about 20% of the people at any given time.

When making a commercial many people resort to using hd stock footage. It's more or less like clip art and you buy the stock footage from a company so that you don't have to shoot every piece of your commercial.

AlwaysHD.com offers a great website with many great scenes and footage to choose from.

CD 11

Well, yesterday I went into the RE's office. It looks like my lining is nice and fluffly and I have a triple stripe! Which is what they want to see. The nurse said that they have been having a lot of luck with the frozen embryo transfers. Of course, I've heard that so many times with IVF, IUIs, and now FETs!

I was given a refill for the estradial and also a calendar to start meds! Today I start up my progesterone shots and Lovenox and the antibiotic.

Our embryo transfer is scheduled for Thursday.

I'm getting excited but not so excited that I'm nuts.

Yet.

Only 6 more months til my birthday!

I'm officially 30 1/2. That's depressing.

The best thing about having my birthday in January is that it's basically a constant party from Christmas through Valentine's Day! Margot always gets me perfume, or flowers--one year (the year we were most employed, of course) she got me a Skagen watch! But what I'd really like is one of those fruit baskets--you know how much I love food and since I'm trying to watch my waistline fruit would be perfect!

GourmetGiftBaskets.com has both custom and pre-designed gift baskets filled with gourmet chocolates, nuts, wines and fruit--you name it!

I'm getting hungry just looking at the website. Of course so much for my diet...hmm..where are those fat pills at when I need them?!

Did you get the listing?

We have a couple of friends who work their butts off as real estate agents. In fact, we hardly ever hang out anymore because they're constantly trying to close the deal or show houses!

I wish they'd purchase software for real estate agents!

AgentOrganizer.com offers a great software that will help them stay organized from finances to appointments.

Right now they are offering a 15 day trial period so they can even test it out before they purchase it!

This post sponsored by: AgentOrganizer.com

CD 9

Okay, so I've been a real asshole when it comes to updating this website and posting daily like I promised 2 weeks ago. Maybe what I need to do is just make it a priority to write the cycle day and then what's going on.

I'm on 12 pills daily! Isn't that bizarre? Of course, that's not even counting any back medication I might take for back pain either!

4 - Glumetza
2 - Colace
3 - Estrace
1 - Baby aspril
1 - Synthroid
1 - Prenatal

Of course, I feel that it's best to be manly about it so I try to take them all in one swallow which causes me to want to gag every night.

So far, I've just been acting crazy and I've had a little bit of CM. Other than that...I don't feel any different than not being on them.

Give it up for colace! This is the pooping meds from the gods. I'll leave it at that.

me wants.

I haven't been much into car pride lately considering that we have two substandard family cars. But I just came across these really cool Acrylic Number Plates that are screaming "BUY ME".

AcrylicPlates.co.uk has an easy to use website and they offer some great plates for your car! Plus, the price is right.

Of course, they would be so much cooler if I had a nice European car.



It just isn't as sexy with a Toyota and Honda. Maybe Margot will buy me a Bentley for our eleven year anniversary.

This post sponsored by: AcrylicPlates.co.uk

Insane in the membrane.

Okay, I feel like I'm seriously going insane. Like what in the hell...I'm nuts. Last night I was having some major anxiety and couldn't go to sleep. I thought about absolutely EVERYTHING!!!

Plus, I've been really anxious about the upcoming embryo transfer. I know I've just got to let whatever happen happen --- but I really do hope and wish it would work.

Maybe I can chalk it up to these damn estrogen pills that I have to take three times a day.

Who in the hell needs estrogen anyway?

They've got to be smart...

to keep up with our little, Grammy! Let me tell you...the kid is brilliant! I'm not just saying that because she's my kid either.

I can tell in the next few years we're going to have to find her an Innovative Tutor in order to keep her interests peaked!

Of course, we are going to have to located a Score Learning Center since they've been in business for years and specialize in hiring the best tutors and educational professionals.

This post sponsored by: Score Learning Centers

I'm in bad shape.

Okay...so I know that I should just be happy and accept good news for what it is. But being told by the doctor that our embryo was 2AA and that the embryologist that it was a 4AA last week...I figured I needed clarification.

So I called one last time today for the tie breaker and to get clarity as to how our little frozen friend was doing and what grade he/she was. The embryologist was really sweet and couldn't find the info at first.

So a few minutes later she called back and said that it's a 4AA.

I think in the back of my head I'm starting to play back all of the disappointments that could occur in the next week or so that might lead to my mental instability.

At least I can check this one off of my list.

Help me!

Lately, I've tried to stay out of the stock market because in all honesty...I'm scared to lose money!

When I worked in corporate America and put a contribution into my 401K weekly it wasn't such a big deal to ride the wave of fluxuation during the stock market highs and lows.

Now since money is a little bit harder to come by I'm a bit more skeptical and I don't have thousands to spend or lose in a rocky stock market!

One place that really looks like a good and trustworthy website is - GStock stock picks.

They have a proven track record in helping people find stocks that are profitable.

In fact you can even take a look at their 1st half 2007 performance. It's quite amazing to see a stockfinder with positive gains during these rocky times and it makes me think that they're on to something!

Go with a supercomputer that will help you choose the right stocks and check out gstock.com.

Here are some of the great screenshots that GStock.com offers:



Their website is easy to navigate through and very easy for someone like me to pick the stocks that meet my financial requirements. Even the charts are easy to read and give you a clear picture of how the stocks are doing.

This post sponsored by: GStock.com

A real bitch.

That's exactly how I feel today. I have been miserable all day and I really don't know what's going on.

I feel like I'm pretty mentally exhausted and tired of being sad. But the reality is... I'm 17 days away from when I was suppose to be due.

So of course that means that any day now I should have been getting ready to have a baby.

I go Friday for my doctor's appointment to see if my lining is thick enough for the frozen embryo transfer.

I'm not sure I could get the news that this didn't work on top of the due date.

Then again...maybe I should just get both crappy times over in one day?

Starcraft!

A few years ago I became addicted to online spades. At one point Margot threatened me with my life and so I had to give up on my spades addiction.

We have a very good friend who is addicted to starcraft and she's turned into quite the introvert these days! I'm sure she's aware of the release of Starcraft 2 and is an avid viewer of CreepColony.com.

Just what I don't need...another addiction!

This post sponsored by: CreepColony.com

AF is outta here!

Well, my period started last Wednesday as I was bitching about her not coming!

Now it's gone and I'm assuming that I'm in the process of building up a nice thick lining. I've been on the estrace since Thursday. I'm suppose to take it three times a day and I must admit getting it in the extra time a day is killing me. I keep forgetting.

My next appointment is this coming Friday and I'm guessing we'll probably do the embryo transfer either Friday or Monday/Tuesday.

It's actually nice to not have to pump your body up with drugs!

Gold is a girl's bestfriend.

One thing that never loses it’s value is gold! Even when our stocks are floundering you can always look to silver, gold, and precious metals to maintain their value.

Monex Deposit Company offers silver, gold, and other precious metals for delivery or they will make arrangements to have your metals stored privately and securely at a bank or depository.

You can buy gold directly through Monex and they make it very easy through their website.

I didn’t realize this but Monex Deposit Company (MDC) is an industry leader. They sell gold in two forms: coin or ingot. The world demand now exceeds the supply demand for gold - which makes it a pretty smart investment.

Bad period.

I think this is perhaps one of the worst periods I have had in a long time. Of course my cramps are in full force and the bleeding hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Typically, you end up clotting and it's a real murder scene because they build up your lining enough to carry a rhino in there.

My back has also been hurting. For some reason my backache and also my period go hand in hand.

Great news!

I got the call from the embryologist and although Dr. G told us that our last frozen embryo was a 2AA which means that it either grew too fast or too slow. The embryologist said that the embryo that we have left is a 4AA!

It's a day 6 embryo and so it's ready to hatch any minute now and if it makes it through the thaw it could be a pretty good little embryo to put back in.

I'm really not getting my hopes up because they said that there's only a 10% chance that this could work.

But I feel better about it being a 4AA over a 2AA.

Those darn credit cards!

We have about 10 credit cards and lately since we've started paying off all of the balances we have considered closing the cards that had high interest rates and did not have incentives.

The way we see it...our credit is fabulous and there's no reason why the credit card companies shouldn't be giving us goodies!

Sometimes the best credit cards can offer a service that is perfect for your spending trends. You can actually view many different types of cards and see the features and benefits each offers and decides which one is going to be the "perfect card."

If you're looking for great credit cards out there -- check out CardFusion.com!

Now, if we could just find a card that you don't have to pay back?!?!

She's back. (TMI)

I swear I wrote a post about how the bitch hadn't showed up and low and behold I go to the bathroom, make a #2 and I realize that AF is here!

Of course, I also had a white clump of what looked like tissue too. That of course, made me sad and I wondered if my three perfect embryos were in that clump.

Sick, but true.

Right now I'm in the waiting room of the fertility center waiting to be seen for an u/s and b/w. More than likely I'll get to come back in 12 days or so and we'll get the embryo transfer done.

I'm glad that I don't have to wait weeks or months for my period to come.

Finally...my body cooperates.

After of course -- not cooperating and holding a baby.

Help for a loved one.

A few years back we had to deal with a loved one's addiction. We had visited him and realized that he really wasn't acting like himself. Plus, his moods weren't stable at all. One minute he would be extremely happy and then in the middle of the night he would start sobbing.

Since he has a prior history of drug addiction we figured, once again, he was struggling.

He had attended a drug rehab and followed it up by drug rehab at home.

However, we thought that he really needed to get pain pill addiction help at an inpatient rehab for an extended stay.

Meditox in Palm Beach offers Suboxone Treatment Programs that have proven success for the many people that have attended.

I wish we had known where to turn when we were faced with a loved one's addiction. I'm glad that we had the assistance of local social workers who knew all about addiction and the many programs available.

Help for a buddy!

Just the other day I was talking to my friend, Alex. Alex is an advertising manager and works with an agency that does advertising for airlines. They basically find clients and then represent them and buy space on airlines entertainment channels.

The main problem that he's having though is stirring up business and getting quality business sales leads. His market is really any organization that wants to get the word out to the middle and upper class who might be traveling on the airlines.

Alex should look to a company like MartinWorldwide.net. They offer lead databases and a Mailing List that will give him nice leads and a headstart to getting some quality customers.

The amount that his company would spend on these demographics would be paid for with one customer signing up with them.

Take my car!

A few years back we had a Chevy Corsica. The car had seen better days and at one point we had fixed it up and decided that since Margot was getting a new car that maybe we could donate it.

We were shocked to hear that our local charity would not take a local car -- especially one that was running at the time!

Now on the same lines of donating a car -- you can donate a boat to Boat Angel! With the donation proceeds go towards such a great cause - helping orphans in third world countries.

In fact, with funds received they were able to feed 2 million meals, medical operations, prison reforms, and school materials.

It's great to know that if you have a boat that's just sitting in your garage not being used or maybe you're even paying storage - that the money from it auctioned off can go to help children and countries that need funding.

BoatAngel offers fast and free nationwide pick up of boats and cars. They will also provide you with a tax deductible instant receipt so that you can use the amount to go towards your taxes.

What a great way to help out a great cause and also provide help to the boat angel outreach center!

If you're looking for a boat -- check out the available boats that have been donated! You could land yourself a beautiful boat for a great price --- and help a great cause!