D-Files

Ok, don't feel obligated to read this... this is just a short (short?  I read this through after I was done, and it is anything but short! sorry!) little update for those who are interested, or are just trying to figure out just how successful certain fertility treatments are.  Sorry in advance if I bore you =) So about 2 1/2 months ago, Rob and I got the go ahead that we could start trying again, and I got the prescription for Clomid  (or in my case, the generic Clomiphene).  I was told to take it on day 3-7 of my cycle (5 days) and then do my thing, and do a blood test on day 21 (or 22 if needed, but it is a very time sensitive test) to see if I ovulated correctly.  That test apparently is very important because if it turns out that I did NOT, then my dose needs to go up the next month.  If the dose is not increased, the whole next month is a waste, and that is no bueno considering you can only take this med for up to 6 months at a time, and there is a ...

So yesterday Rob and I were in the car heading to a wedding reception/open house celebration.  I leaned over while he was driving and told him to smell my face cause I wanted to see if it smelled sweet.  LOL  So many things he could have said in response to that, but instead all he did was take a big whiff and tell me I smelled like cinnamon and he liked it!  Yes!  Thats what I was hoping for!  I found this diy face mask that was supposed to be amazing, so I tried it! This mask is supposed to soothe swelling and redness in skin, along with helping to ease acne scars and prevent infection!  So easy to make and I had everything on hand too! 2 Tbsp honey 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon Mix it all together, apply to skin (I did it in little circular motions to exfoliate at the same time) and let it sit for 30 minutes.  That seems like a long time, but I just watched a show, tried not to scratch when it started itching a little bit, and then washed it al...

Today, Rob and I have been married for 2 years!  Here we are then: Awww.... we look so...um...the same-ish?  Who am I kidding, it's only been two years.  We're still relative newbies at this!  We celebrated first on Saturday night.  I have this awesome massage client that gave us a gift certificate to a restaurant in town called La Chene.  The service there was AMAZING!  Such a sweet server, host, busboys, everyone was great!  The food was great too! Today we both got the day off, and started it right by sleeping in! <3  Then we got up and I got my anniversary present!!!  He got us tickets to go see the play Wicked next month!  I'm so excited!  I have been wanting to see that play for forever, and I just keep hearing everyone rave about it!  I love that Rob knows me!  I would prefer experiences for gifts, especially experiences we can both have.  Those memories will last far longer than any ...

Sad day!  We woke up and got ready for church this morning.  As we were leaving and locking up, we noticed something different about our wreath! Someone stole the "W" last night!  How rude!  I guess thats what I get for putting up something nice.  Seriously though... who does that?!?

Ok, so I jumped on the wreath-making bandwagon...  lol.  Actually I jumped on it a few weeks ago, made everything, and then it just sat there at the mercy of my cats (I had to remake the flowers a few times cause they unrolled them) cause I didn't have a hot glue gun.  Today I took care of that problem and actually finished everything!  I'm pretty fond of how it turned out!  And I love that it's not seasonal, so I can keep it up for however long! For the flowers, I used this link  as a reference, except I used felt instead of paper! Voila! It's not perfect, but I love it!  And I don't really know how to tie pretty bows (I'm sure theres a million tutorials out there...) but oh well.  The wooden "W" was $2.99, the twig wreath was $4.99, and I got 4 sheets of felt all together at $0 . 29 each!  All at Michaels.  Who knows how much it would have cost to have a personalized wreath with all the colors I wanted on it!

So there's this picture that I just love... taken by a very talented photographer I know, Bradley Smith .  I just thought I'd share the beauty =)

So that website Pinterest.com is totally a time sucker, but is also inspiring me!  I saw this post for an up cycled picture frame: I thought that was totally adorable and such a great idea.  I was dreaming of different thrift stores or other types of stores that might have old windows that people didn't want anymore, and what I could do with them... then I got a stroke of genius!  We have this bookcase that my uncle gave us.  It used to have these glass paned front panels that could slide down and sit in front of the shelves protecting everything, or you could slide them up and out of the way.  Well the bookcase only had one of these panes left, so we just kept it up all the time.  I decided to take this pane off, paint it, decorate it, and somehow find a way to put pictures in it just like the idea from Pinterest.  Here is the result!  I LOVE it!!! I super glued painted clothespins (surprisingly hard to find) onto the glass to make for easy s...

I found these sweet stories that I loved and wanted to share.  Theres three of them: Abbey the Dog: Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey.  She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her.  I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words: Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her. Love, Meredith We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps ...

   In unrelated news, Rob and I went to Vegas this weekend.  He had an orientation with the Vegas Metro Police! All I had to do was drop him off at some ungodly hour in the morning, but he was put through the Physical Fitness ringer!  I guess the Metro Academy there is one of the toughest in the country, so they want to make sure recruits know what they're getting into before they proceed with the hiring process.  If you cant get through that first PT during orientation, you're automatically out!  Luckily Rob is in great shape and had no problem.  Apparently around 1900 people sent in applications for the 30 positions that are going to be opened in the Academy.  Of those, only 600 and some change actually signed up for the first orientation.  So far over 100 have not passed the orientation.  Of the 55 that were scheduled in Robs particular orientation, only 26 showed up.  If that's the general trend here, I am REALLY liking these od...

So I love that Pin on Pinterest that says "Thank you Pinterest for making me feel creative even though all I've done is spent the last 3 hours on the computer" or something to that nature... But in all reality, it is inspiring me to be a little creative!  I decided to personalize this dayplanner I had.  I bought it cause I loved the colors and designs of the pages inside, but I was slightly dissapointed by the plain black cover.  So after seeing all the craftyness on Pinterest with mod podge and scrappy paper, I decided I was going to personalize my planner!  I took pictures to show how, but please excuse how terrible the pictures are! We'll go from this: to this: It was super easy and only took me a couple of hours (including drying time)!  All you need is: Plain day planner Some sort of graphic you want for the front Scrapbook paper (if I could do it over, I'd choose a thin paper.  Loved my vintage choice though) Scissors Mod Podge Spongy ap...

Arg.  Another example of why I changed Dr's. Today I had a follow up for my last hospital visit a month ago.  I had to see my old Dr. instead of my new one cause he was the first available.  I know, right?  Appearantly they are pretty busy over there.  Good thing it wasn't all that important.  Anyway, I went in today.  I was the first appointment of the day.  I still had to wait 30 minutes before the Dr came in!!!  How do you figure???  Then he finally comes in and just starts talking at me.   *Backstory- Last month I went to the urgent care cause I was bleeding heavily.  Like, extremely heavily, and it wouldnt stop.  They sent me to the emergency room cause they wanted to do an ultrasound, but didnt have the tech there that day.  I went to the emergency room where they did a pregnancy test first, it was negative, so they said there was no need for an ultrasound.  It was just a hormone imbalance.  Cue med...

So tonight I had no clue what to make for dinner.  I had no motivation to find and follow a recipe, and I wanted something that would fill my hubby and cook fast and easy.  Hmmmm.  What did I have in my fridge that would add the meat (since no meal is complete without meat according to the hubby)?  One portion of frozen ground beef.  (I buy the big ground beef from Costco, then put it into smaller frozen portions)  And that was it.  So I decided to try to recreate the yummy yummy stew that my sister and I put together when we were tent camping in Australia.  It turned out SO YUMMY again that I have to share! Yummy Ground Beef Stew Makes approximately 4 servings (or feeds one hungry husband and one wife with enough leftovers for one lunch) 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey) 1 can beef broth (I used low sodium) 3/4 cup water (I just used 3/4 of the empty can of broth) 1 6oz can basil, garlic, and oregano tomato paste (plain will work too) 1 can ...

Bigger is Better Wha-What?  Didn't the last Romance challenge  just say the little things mean a lot???  And now we're saying "bigger is better?"  I think its more to mean, if you're gonna go big, go bigger!   If you want to do something really special (even if its randomly and for no reason...no, especially if its random and for no reason), do it spectacularly!  Every once in a while, do something sweet, something normal, and do it REALLY BIG!  Make a gesture that's big.  As big as your heart . ("awwwww") TODAY'S IDEAS 1. Go for it in a BIG way.  Pull out ALL the stops.  Don't tip-toe into being more romantic.  Be outrageously romantic. 2. GIANT BANNERS are available from supergram.  The banners are printed on white or colored paper, and lamination is optional.  The banners are about a foot tall, and tend to run from twelve feet long to thirty feet long, or more, depending on your message.  Call 800-3-BAN...

*Mr. Rob cuddling away from me with his pillow* Me :  Rob, Why do you always cuddle the pillow and not me before bed??? Rob :  I don't know... cause the pillow is comfortable and I can put it between my legs... Me :  You can put me between your legs....Rrrrraarrrrrrr! *suggestively raising eyebrows* Rob :  Nope...not as comfy. Something tells me that we are not now, nor have we been for some time now, newlyweds.  The honeymoon is officially over.  LOL

My husband is constantly using the sugar spoon to eat his cereal with.  I. Am. Going. Insane.  When I need to dispense sugar, then what am I stuck with?!? A regular spoon?!? Sugar Spoon: ... Regular Spoon: ... And again, just to make sure we have it...  Sugar Spoon: ... Regular Spoon: ...

So I was blog surfing, and I came across a blog where in her history, the author had told about her two miscarriages in the first trimester... she had named them.  Now, I completely understand naming your child once you know if its a girl or boy, and once you've developed that connection where they are not only aware of you, but you are aware of them (other than the "morning" sickness).  But naming a child that was miscarried before even the second trimester?  I think that sets yourself up for more heartache than necessary if youre naming the embryo.  Now in my case, I wouldn't do that because I now know that as of right now, I am at high risk for miscarriage.  Knowing that, if I were to know that I was pregnant *yay*, I would NOT do anything to get my hopes and dreams any higher than they would already be until I had some form of confirmation that the pregnancy was more stable and not in the danger zone.  Needless to say, I would not be naming my embryo....

     So, today I had a follow up with my Cardiologist.  "What in the world do you have a cardiologist for" is most peoples response to that.  On the 4th of July I ended up having emergency surgery for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.  I thought it was food poisoning, which is why we waited so long to go to the emergency room, which is why I came very close to not living through this seemingly trivial medical condition.  Anyway, at the cardiologist, they took my vitals, and everything looks good.  But I saw the nurse practitioner today who was not there for the surgery and had no clue what happened, so he asked me to explain what happened leading up to the surgery and my need for a cardiologist.       I explained: I thought I had food poisoning.  We realized it was probably something more serious when I was fainting every time I tried to stand up.  About at this point all my memories are fuzzy at best....

OK my friends... after a LONG hiatus, here we are again.  Hiatus partially because I went out of the country...more of that in another blog...and its so hard to get back going again once you've stopped...and partially because I got frustrated that I wasn't seeing immediate results.  I know...patience is a virtue, and I apparently was lacking in that particular virtue.  Well I will be pleased to update you with a pleasant update!  But to start us off today. . . Romance Challenge #3 !!! "Little Things Mean A Lot! Every once in a while, a scene like this will play out while watching a romantic chick-flick in our house.  Me : "awwww...that's so sweet/romantic/amazing... why don't you ever do anything special like that for me anymore?!?  That's so not fair.  You must not love me anymore." (something to that effect, knowing full well he does love me...don't worry...I'm little miss drama queen) Rob :"Sweetie, we're married.  I don'...

By popular request, here they are! 2 Cups biscuit mix 1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese 2/3 cup milk 4 Tbsp butter 1/4 tsp garlic powder parsley flakes for sprinkling 1. Preheat the oven to 450 F 2. Stir together the biscuit mix, cheddar and milk until a soft dough forms.  Beat with a  wooden spoon for about 30 seconds. 3. Spoon onto a greased  cookie sheet.  Smooth down the tops to preventhard points from forming. 4. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the tops are brown. 5. While the biscuits are baking, melt the butter in a pan and stir in the garlic powder. 6. Once the biscuits are done, brush the butter on the tops, sprinkle with  parsley flakes, and serve hot!

Ok, so I am having a moment of self-pity here.  I know everyone will probably be trying to offer words to uplift and give hope, but sometimes, that just makes things feel worse. Cause in the back of yorue head, youre thinking "I know there are miracle stories, and I know that in most cases, everything turns out just fine...but not always.  And what if I'm one of those 'not always'?"  Sometimes, theres just nothing anyone can say to help.  And I think these are one of those moments that I'm just going to have to ride out.  And I know, in the end, no matter what the result is, I will be fine.  But getting to that point isn't always fun. Here I am, turning 28 soon.  Everyone says, thats so young.  I have time.  But it doesn't always feel that way.  Everyone around me is having babies.  Not only that, but having their second, and third babies.  And some of these people are quite a bit younger than me.  I know I can't compare...

Romance Challenge #2 How would you grade your relationship right now? A = Passionate, exciting, loving, fulfilling; not perfect- but clearly excellent. B = Very good, solid, better-than-most, consistent, improving. C = Average, acceptable, status quo, okay- but static, ho-hum, sometimes boring. D = Below average, unhappy, dismal; bad not hopeless. F = Hopeless, depressing, dangerous; tried everything, it didn't work. Now, I'm no relationship expert, I've had my ups and downs, and I know what works for me. I won't say what I'm grading my own relationship as, but I am striving for an A, which is why I have taken on this challenge for myself. Hopefully no one reading this feels their own relationship is at an F, but there is always hope. So here's to baby-steps toward a grade A relationship! Today's ideas are: 1. Give your lover a dozen roses - and do it with a creative twist. Give eleven red roses and one white rose. Attach a note that reads: ...