Weekly video 10/30/09 - Updated!

Happy Halloween!

I can't believe in two days time, we'll officially be in November. Where the heck has this year gone????? Anyways, onto the video at hand.

I've always been a fan of this song/video since it was part of our Homecoming skit in my Junior year of high school. I know I originally posted "This is Halloween" from Nightmare Before Christmas again, but I remembered this video and wanted to post it instead.

Enjoy!

Teeter-tottering

Jake and I have reached a crossroads in this journey to baby. Well, it's more like a freeway onramp.

Today is day 34 of my cycle and I've detected no ovulation. I know. It's sad. I'm sad. I've shed some tears today. For real.

I decided to email my doctor this morning to let him know of our predicament. I quickly got a phone call from him telling me that I need to take a test at home and if it's negative and I have been taking my medication as prescribed (which I have), that I will need to be referred to an RE (Reproductive Endocrinologist) in San Francisco. This isn't necessarily bad news, but it's news I didn't want to necessarily deal with.

I told myself in the beginning that we wouldn't get this far. We wouldn't get to the RE stage. From what I've heard from our OB, it's pretty...intense, for lack of a better word. When the OB basically says "I can't help you", then they bring in the big guns. This is where I will be closely monitored with medication (possibly injectables), tests, and a different doctor I've never met.

Deep in my heart, I know this is the right path. I know this will give us even more options and opportunities to have a child vs. before when we were being dicked around (pardon my french) by our former OBGYN. For some odd reason, I don't really know how to react or feel about it. I know it's not like EVERYONE is throwing in the towel, but it's still kind of bittersweet.

And yes, I still wear my ring (every day) that says "Everything is Possible When You Have Faith"

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

Jake and I are big fish people. We looooooove us some good fish. For this my mom thinks I'm some sort of alien, my Dad thinks it's my Portuguese side peeking out a little. Regardless, I love fish. Yum.

This is a recipe that I've been wanting to try for a while, but just had the inspiration to try. Usually Jake and I grilled fish instead of baking it, but the baking turned out pretty tasty.

Enjoy!

Balsamic-Glazed Salmon

6 servings

Total prep & cook time: 30 minutes

Recipe and picture from allrecipes.com

6 (5 oz) salmon fillets

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp white wine

1 tbsp honey

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

4 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Coast a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook and stir garlic until soft, about 3 mins. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 mins or until slightly thickened.

3. Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet. Brush fillets with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with oregano.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving skin behind on foil.

Weekly video 10/23/09

I'm sure everyone who reads my blog has had an idiot cross their path on the freeway. In my experience, it's usually someone who has purchased an "upscale" vehicle, and therefore all driving sense goes out the window, so-to-speak. Well, here is some justice.

I first saw this video on Facebook, so those who I keep in touch with probably saw this already. For those that I don't keep in touch with via Facebook, here is a somewhat funny, ironic, and predictable video.

Enjoy! (hint: watch the red Dodge Viper)

One month later

I can't believe it's been a full month since I had my wisdom teeth pulled. Wow. Time has flown. I also can't believe we have 2 weeks until we're officially done with Halloween and into November. Where the heck is this year going?

In the month since my wisdom teeth extraction, I have healed nicely. Yes, I had a dry socket, and it was painful, but it's pretty much healed. I have one more month until my lower jaw sockets are completely healed as if I never had teeth there in the first place.

Last weekend I saw my dentist out of the office and I said "Hey! I got my wisdom teeth pulled finally." He said "Oh cool! Can I see them?" Of course, he meant the actually teeth themselves, which I didn't have with me because let's face it, those aren't really staples in a lady's purse. Hahahaha.

Anyways, I just wanted to give a small update and say hello! :)

Instead of weekly video - 10/16/09

Every morning, the first thing I do is look out the window to see the weather. It helps me to figure out if I'm to bring a jacket that day, or no. Today, I was met with foggy and wet weather, and something more.

Confession: I hate spiders. OK, so that's not really a confession. But I shouldn't say I hate them, I hate that I'm afraid of them. They are the ultimate creepy crawly to me and I hate that something 1/1000th the size of me scares me so much. The other night Jake and I went out (I forget what we went out for) and on the way up the steps to our house is our mailbox. I opened the mailbox, got the mail and closed the door. All of a sudden, a blackish shadow moved up the mailbox right where my hand was. A spider. A BIG spider. I literally screamed like a little girl and ran up the steps to the front door. I immediately felt like a fool. And yes, I know you're probably laughing at me right now.

Now back to this morning. I looked out the window that our front door has to see what kind of weather was happening this morning. I saw fog and freshly-rained-on street. In one corner of our porch, this is what I was met with as well:

A beautiful spider web, wet with rain and dew

And may I present, the artiste:

A common garden spider. This was the culprit who scared me from my mailbox. After seeing this artwork/house for him/her, I couldn't be upset with it.

Rain, Rain...Welcome back!

Wow. It's actually really nice to see rain falling again. I know I'll be eating my words in a few weeks, or months. Until then, I'm loving the rain.

How about you?

Garlicky Tortellini, Spinach & Tomato Soup

With the stormy weather headed our way in the Bay Area, I decided to try a soup recipe last night. It wasn't heavy, but it was filling. Jake and I had garlic bread with it. Can you tell with both looooooove garlic? :) Enjoy!


Garlicky Tortellini, Spinach & Tomato Soup
Courtesy of: Cooking New American


Ingredients:

2 tbsp unsalted butter
6 to 8 cloves garlic, chopped (I used 4 tbsp jarred minced garlic)
4 cups homemade, or low-salt chicken broth
6 oz fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
14 oz canned diced tomatoes, with liquid
10 oz spinach, washed and stemmed, coarsely chopped if large
8 to 10 leaves basil, coarsely chopped
Grated Parmesan cheese


1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

2. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook halfway, about 5 mins for frozen pasta, less if using fresh tortellini. Add tomatoes and their liquid, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook just until the pasta is tender.

3. Stir in spinach and basil and cook until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese on top.

(sorry for the blurry picture)

Weekly video 10/9/09

Happy Friday everyone!

Wow, this week has gone by pretty fast for me. I hope it's done the same for you.

This week's video is one that is hilarious, mindboggling and kind of sad. It took me about 2-3 watches before I got over the initial pity and tiny dose of horror to break into sheer hilarious-ness (is that a word?) Give it a couple of watches and I hope you'll be rolling over in laughter like I was. I mean, who really dances with a clown mask and expects to come out of that in one piece...especially with a TV 2 feet in front of you?

Enjoy!

Renewed Hope

I've been trying to post more about life in general rather than always about Jake and I trying to have a baby. Today I'll post an update.

I was upgraded to 150mg Clomid this cycle. I was taking 100mg before with no results. I took the progesterone my former ObGyn prescribed but AF never came. My now ObGyn prescribed a different form of progesterone and I got AF while at our niece's birthday party. I literally came running out of the bathroom and into Jake's arms to whisper the good news. This was on a Saturday and I needed the Clomid by Monday to take it on CD 3-7 as prescribed. When I went to email my doctor to tell him I was ready, I was met with a message "*Doctor's Name* will be out of the office until Monday October 5th. Please do not email." OK. So I called the office and left a message (this was on Sunday) with the ObGyn office with the info I had and what I needed. I got a call from a nurse who said she couldn't find the info to backup my need for the increased dosage of Clomid. After exchanging some words (not bad ones, but she was a grump) she said she would forward my request to the attending doctor taking over for my ObGyn while he was gone and he would call me later that day. That was at about 9am. At 3pm, I got a call from the attending doctor. He asked me some questions to confirm the info he had and he approved me for the increased dose of Clomid on my doctor's behalf (with all info to back up the approval).

So with the Metformin, and Clomid, I'm now on CD 12. We are instructed to try on our own this cycle and then if it doesn't work, try again next cycle with an IUI.

There's a girl who works for my mom who was also trying for a baby with her husband. Unlike Jake and I where our problems lie within my PCOS, they're IF lied with him. A few cycles ago, I guess they decided to stop trying for good. I guess she said to my mom that she doesn't understand how I can keep going with all the disappointment and frustrations. My reaction? The reason is because I've always known I wanted to be a mom. Of course, I've known for a long time that it will be difficult for me as well, so I went into this somewhat prepared for what was going to happen. I committed myself to this, knowing I would have to work and work hard. I've gone through a roller coaster. I've gone through the hopelessness and frustration, tears, tests, medicine, etc. Honestly I think my saving grace was the break Jake and I took over the holidays last year. It gave me a time to soul search and I knew what I wanted in the end. I accepted that it would be hard. I still accept that it will be hard. I have a lot of help in my corner through support from Jake, my family and other people. But I also know that the day I'm holding Jake's and my child in my arms is the day I'll look back on all the hardships in this journey and know that it was all worth it even though it doesn't feel like it at the time.

So thank you everyone for being the best cheerleaders ever. I love you all.

Pumpkins by Martha Stewart

I have a confession: I want to be Martha Stewart. I mean, can the woman ever mess up ANYTHING!? I know there are some who consider her to be...well...the Anti-Christ (seriously). I used to be one of them until I opened my mind up to her brilliance of creating really cool things for any house, party, etc. Saturday while at my parents' house, Jake and I watched her Halloween special. I love her holiday specials. I have to say that Christmas is my favorite. Halloween never ceases to amaze me though. Here are some pumpkins carvings from her website. I actually saw her make the pumpkin snake. It was SO COOL.

You can carve your pumpkins into a "Haunted Village"

You can go for the dark green pumpkin-like gourds for a more spooky look.

You can make lacey designs like cream glass patterns (all free handed by the way...how the heck does she do that!?)

And last but not least, the pumpkin snake (isn't that too cool?)

Weekly video 10/2/09

Happy October! Wow...only about 2 months left of 2009. Wasn't it just February or March two weeks ago? Seems like it...

This weeks video is funny, entertaining, and a bit strange. Being a cat owner, I know cats have their own personalities, likes, dislikes, and niches just like humans. Our three, who are ALL from the same litter, couldn't be more different. However, I have never seen this. It got me laughing.

Enjoy!

Post-op appointment

This morning I had my post-operative appointment with my oral surgeon. The appointment lasted all of 10 minutes. He came in, checked my sockets and I told him about the dry socket. He said I might have had one from my description, but all 4 sockets are healing nicely. He was most impressed with how clean I've been keeping the surgical areas, and my mouth in general. I told him I swish with Biotene after every meal because I didn't want food particals in the sockets.

He said the top two are pretty much healed and that tops heal WAY faster than bottoms. The two bottoms are also healing nicely and he said it usually takes about 2 months total for the bottom teeth to heal like I've never had teeth there to begin with. I'm two weeks in, so I think another 6 weeks to go. I can handle it.

One thing is I asked him about this pain I had in my lower left jaw where it felt like I had a golf ball in my mouth. He said I more-than-likely have a hematoma in my lip/jaw that will heal on it's own. It's like a really bad bruise that takes a while to heal.

All in all, I was a happy girl. No bad news is good news for me. :)