Ok Its time for me to be back at it

Life has been blissfully hectic! I don't even know where to start. All I know is my husband has encouraged me to get my blog up and running and to make it where it is worthwhile. My creative outlet. So I have decided to try and come up with a schedule, and theme, and just be, well productive with it. So besides that. I think I owe a HUGE update. Let's see. where to begin. I think last time we talked. I told you we got orders to Hawaii. Well scratch that. We are now going to Colorado Springs, unless James makes the E-9 school list. Then it is to Ft. Bliss. I am praying he makes the list. But overall James is doing great!

Noah... He is wonderful. We finally got his diagnosis of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). We are excited because we hope now we will see progress. He is in the 4th grade and he absolutely loves his teacher. He played Pop Warner football this season and loved it. His last game is this Sunday. Bittersweet. But there is always next season. He is also working on his own 5 episode semi-animated shorts about a ghost family trying to make it in the human world. It is totally cute, and as mom, camera woman, editor, supply manager, and snack provider, I am bias to the project. Once that is finished he wants to do another one called the Chubbs. He is so creative. hahaha.

Ok now onto the BIG HUGE NEWS!!! We are expecting. February 9th. We are so excited. Our first round of IUI at this clinic worked. We are expecting a baby boy named Ethan. We are all so excited. I have a ton of baby products to review and so many things I need to blog on. I am currently 25w3d pregnant. I will do a separate  pregnancy update probably starting next week. But it is awesome. Such a different pregnancy than with Noah. I am also healthier. Overall, we are all good.

Ok... the future of this blog. I really need to get readership. So I am going to try and set up where I work on it a least every other day until the baby comes, then try and work once a week and set entries up for publishing throughout the week. I will go back to recipes, product reviews, book reviews, random facts, personal things, and just overall stuff. So we will see how it goes. I would start with my journey of this round of IUI that help achieve our blessing from God, but. I feel I am too far from everything to write down every detail. So its just easier for me to start with the here and now. I pray each and everyone has a blessed day that reads this. I will get back to writing.

Take me out to the Ball Game!

Hello Lovelies,

I do have a TTC update. But it will have to wait until I can mentally write down all my thoughts. Ok. So with that... Yesterday we took in a Red Sox game which is on our Massachusetts bucket list before we leave the New England area when the Army sends us on another adventure. So Noah's school had tickets at a great price. Well not only did we get tickets, our family along with another was invited to be recognized on the field for Month of the military child! So exciting! James had to be in uniform, but he got to paint home plate and touch the sacred ground! So awesome! We ate Fenway franks, cheered, and just enjoyed the blessing that is our life. Below, I'll leave pictures! Woot woot! It was fun!

On our way!

While waiting for the staging area!

Noah with his Teachers and Principal 

Painting home plate and other field and bleacher pictures!

And after a hard day cheering....

Have a blessed day, 

Carlise 

Daily Tidbits

* We are moving uber slow today

* I have several Beauty Holy Grails I need   to write about

* I'm not as hungry these day with the gazillion vitamins I take

* As much as we need to clean the garage and spare bedroom to make room for visitors, I'm not eager and want to stay indoors and read. 

* I need to start reviewing books

Be in shock...its another post!

Well I meant to do an update as soon as I got back from the RE. But you know time flies..yada yada yada. So before I get to that update. I should write on my dear beautiful 8 year old son.

Noah is doing good. I know last time I wrote, I said he was struggling. Well he is still struggling, but I think there may be a slight processing issues on his part. But he is making slow and gradual improvements, per his IEP goals. But overall he is good. He will be playing football this fall, and his 9^th Birthday is coming up in less than a month! My baby boy is going to be 9. I am not ready for that. Hahaha. I am so glad he loves to cuddle and snuggle with me. I will take it as long as I can.

Ok. Let me tell you, I am horrible at implementing my new semi-clean eating. I mean we eat healthy all the time. But I am a sucker for Mexican food. Hahaha. So my leafy green, granola, eating plans have been moved to this next major grocery shopping round. I did however eliminate all alcohol, have not had soda, and changed prenatal vitamins.

Now on to our RE appointment, it was what a first time appointment to be expected. What I did like was she was understanding and willing to work with us. She also is more proactive. I am in my diagnostic cycle. Next cycle will most likely and hopefully first and last successful IUI with donor sperm and medications. I keep praying it will work. That is the door the Lord has told us to walk through this whole time. I also had my first blood work. My TSH was normal for someone not trying to conceive but high for someone who is. So she immediately put me on a thyroid medication. I am going on week 3 of thyroid medication. I am also on Cycle Day 1 of this cycle. I call tomorrow for my baseline blood work and ultrasound. This will give a better picture. I am in hopes that they also got my past RE records. My last AMH was. 0.49. But now it has gone up to 0.87. This is a good thing. And I am happy to see that. I think my follicles/eggs need a little push.

We did decide on a donor profile. I do have to call this week to see if it is available, and ensure the military discount. I giggle at the thought of using a military discount on donor sperm. We are going to talk to our RE about the possibility of doing a double insemination this round to increase our chances. When do have our IUI round, I will be earing pineapple, drinking POM juice, and take baby asprin. In hopes we have a sticky implanted little bean. We still are anxious to see the RE’s recommendations. Since we are using donor sperm, we hope we will be more successful. But with this, I will not be shocked if she recommends IVF. If she does, we have to take a long hard look at what we want to do. We might be able to afford it. And may have high success rates, but I really hope we will be successful with a double medicated Donor sperm IUI! WOW! That’s a mouthful. Hahaha. So we will see what happens after this weeks blood works. James and I continue to be positive, ask for prayers and believe God has brought us to this option because this is where we are supposed to be.

With that….. I am off to relax and endure what will be hopefully my second to last AF for 9 months. Hahaha

Daily Tidbits

·      * My best friend got me hooked on the show Empire. I watched the whole season on Demand in like 3 days

·     *  James is in the field this weekend…Boo! He comes home tonight….YAY!

·      * I’m making red chile sauce here in a minute for red chile enchiladas. Trying to decide if I want them to be just cheese or chicken and cheese.

·      * I think I need a pintrest intervention

·      * Game of Thrones premires tonight!! Woot Woot!

·      * I need more spring color nail polishes

back to TTC...

Oh How I have so much to really catch up on. But I am going to just start here where I am and jump in like y’all are up to date. So we are getting ready to TTC through medicated IUI and donor sperm. This is big for us.  And we are paying out of pocket except for the blood work and monitoring. That will be on Tricare! So with that. We have our first appointment on Monday. We will go over our medical histories and previous labs and work I have done with our last RE. Which was less that 2 years ago. So hopefully going off of that, it will make it easier.

We feel different this time about all of the TTC and ART treatments. We feel more confident. I just really hope the doctor doesn’t dampen our confidence and hope. We are definitely in prayer and the bible and just leaning on God. We are also looking up things that aid in the IUI process as well as just getting back into baby healthy. We eat pretty good, and I also work out. But this next grocery trip will contain a lot of fruit, leafy green veggies, and good protein. I already drink a lot of water. But I need to cut our some refined sugars (who am I kidding I love my white chocolate reesees cups). So I will be going to whole foods or trader joes to get the “healthy”? chocolate cups. Anywho. I’m just trying to add more to my diet and less of the crap. But because I am the one who cooks, looks like the whole family will be on board. I also have cut out my wine. For a month now already. Yep, this is a hard on. I do enjoy my once a week glass of wine. So James is going along with me…for right now. Hahaha. I am sure he will want a bottle of scotch pending a how the IUI goes. Hahaha. So that is whats going on. I will definitely be writing blogs on this whole process. Tips and tricks. Things I am doing. Standing on my head and eating pineapple core. And of course our prayers and journey.

I also will be writing about how Noah and his struggles in school this year. But I am not calm enough to do so yet.

That is all today. Man.. it feels good to blog! I am glad I am back!