Ovidrel + IUI #1

Last night I took my Ovidrel trigger shot. That sucker hurt much more than the Gonal-F shots! I'm thinking maybe the needle was a bit thicker:

                                                 More needles! Oh boy!

I also really appreciated the verbiage in the package insert, referring repeatedly to Ovidrel users as "infertile women." Thanks for the hope, Ovidrel Makers. Real helpful.

                                  Ovidrel knows how to charm the ladies


Today started with a lovely phone call from a dear friend who moved away last year. She is expecting her 2nd little one this January, and is one of those lucky ladies who got pregnant pretty much instantly with both kiddos. It's been a treat seeing her and her husband become such conscious & amazing parents. I have a lot to learn from them!

After we got off the phone, I called my fertility clinic to see if exercise on the day of one's IUI was OK. Specifically I was debating whether or not to attend my noon Pilates class, and secretly hoping they'd tell me I shouldn't go. Alas, they were all for me continuing with my regular routine, so without any further excuses, off to Pilates I went.

Pilates was followed by acupuncture and then my afternoon IUI. Dr. V commented that I "have this IUI routine down." Not sure that is a good thing, but it sure ain't my first time at the Rodeo. BC's noontime donation looked good- not the highest counts we've had (81.7 million motile), but definitely great numbers to work with! He got a 4/4 rating. I actually compared the last 3 IUI donation sheets we've gotten (yes, I'm a freak), and realized that his insanely AMAZING donation back in September (250.4 million motile!) was the cycle following our drink-fest in NYC. Go figure. Just another way the Universe is telling me we are totally not in control (as I advise him to cut back on drinking and take his daily vitamins).

Tomorrow morning is my 2nd IUI, and should be ovulation day. Dr. V warned me I may have cramping with this month's ovulation, due to all the partying follicles making a run for it. I will hopefully also get a sonogram to see how many eggs actually released- which I am super curious about.

In closing, a picture of my kitties. Because they are cuter and more entertaining than Ovidrel needles & instructions:

                                         This fertility stuff is for the birds!

Trigger Time

Now I have MC Hammer's "You Can't Touch This" in my head..... "Stop- Hammer trigger time!"

I had my appointment with Dr. Vaughn today, and after 10 days of injectables, here's today's roll call:

Right ovary: 20, 16, 15, 13, 12
Left ovary: 17.5, 17, 13, 9. 7

Dr. V was happy to see we had our 20mm babe ready to roll! He wants me to do my Ovidrel trigger tonight, with an estimated ovulation date likely Thursday (those follicles will continue to grow about 2mm/day). He feels good that the 3 biggest follicles will release, and *possibly* the next 2 largest as well- and just in case that happened he gave me another talk on how we'd then need to selectively reduce *if* all took (which is pretty unlikely, but he still has to say his peace).

We will have our IUI procedures tomorrow and Thursday. And as timing would have it, tomorrow is REALLY difficult with BC's schedule- he is going to have to leave work to do a noon drop off, and will likely have to use the lab's "special room" to aid his sample. Cha-cha-cha! So romantic. Both IUI appointment times also directly conflict with my 2 acupuncture appointments this week (what are the odds of that?!). Happily the acupuncture clinic was able to adjust my times slightly to accommodate- those appointments are HARD to come by and always booked weeks in advance.

I had about 2 hours to pass between my morning closing (hooray for a closing!) and my afternoon doctor appointment, so I thought I'd check in with a psychic friend of mine, Cristy, who had donated a 15 minute session for my birthday. She was home and available! I was so excited, thinking that it would be perfect timing to check in psychically on the little ones.

Cristy checked my chakras/energy centers and said I was all clear (yay!). She felt there might be a small block still with BC- and was getting that he was holding back his hope/excitement somewhat as a protective mechanism for me. She said we should make sure to be united/connected in the next couple of days through all these procedures.

Cristy has always seen and heard a strong little girl coming through, and about 6 months ago that little one started talking to her about wanting to bring in a "sister-friend" twin with her. When we checked in today, this little one (let's call her "A") was anxious and really ready to come. She was pulling the other little one, "B," behind her (Cristy sensed B wasn't sure if she was ready to come yet). A was feeling frustrated and wanting B to come with her now. She said B was stubborn (hmmm- maybe like her father?), and if she wouldn't come with her now, then she wanted a little brother! (said with the effusiveness only a little one could have).

When Cristy told her that she should still come- and that BC and I would definitely welcome little B at a later time- A expressed a lot of sorrow (Cristy said the emotion was as if a pet had died). I felt that sorrow- I actually was overcome with a feeling of grief and got tears in my eyes, sensing her sadness. We worked to communicate to A that BC and I loved her and wanted her to come, and that she needed to release B and allow little B to decide for herself if she was ready now or not (maybe this was part of the hold up?).

Cristy actually said to me not to be surprised if I got pregnant with twins, but had one leave early in the pregnancy (so little B could keep that window open and fully decide- if she stayed we'd have twins, if she ultimately wasn't ready, that 2nd fetus would not stay viable). If little B is like her father, she would decide to still come now (since people have backed off the pressure and are allowing her to decide for herself!) According to what Cristy was hearing, we'd either have twin girls now, or one girl now followed by a little brother soon thereafter.

All this psychic stuff is totally fascinating to me (obviously- since I've devoted several posts to it!). It is the ONE THING that has continued to give me hope through this whole crazy fertility process. And it will be incredibly interesting to see what predictions come to fruition! Time will tell- but the psychic consensus is that I am open & clear, and that the little one is ready.

My fingers and toes are crossed!

Not the Only Family Blogger....

I wanted to give a shout out to my sweet Babycakes, who also keeps a blog. It contains some awesome recipes, poems, trip photos, and most recently, the re-creations of our Match.com profiles (yup- that's how we met!) No fertility rants on his posts- he leaves that fun to me. : )

http://lancelambert.blogspot.com/

Blue

Today was one of those days. Where it seems like everything is going against you. Blue. Blah.

It started at the crack of dawn with this morning's blood draw. Deciding to try a new lab, I was pleased when, upon arrival, a very CA-ute nurse-man greeted me. With longish curly dark hair & two earrings, he was a far cry from Snake Eyes!

He ushered me into the blood draw station, where I felt obliged to tell him (as I always do) that I am a total wimp with needles, have a low pain tolerance, and have a history of fainting. He assured me he was really good with the needle.

Game on, cute nurse-man, game ON!

I asked if he had different types of needles- specifically smaller needles, and realize in retrospect my key mistake here was not saying the words BUTTERFLY NEEDLE. He did choose the smaller of what he had (NOT a butterfly)- and went in.

Owww-OUCH!

He said something long the lines of "there's not much coming out" and moved the needle around while pushing on my vein. F***!! I was in so much agony he stopped. And instantly the flashing lights of an ocular migraine began.

He said he thought he might have just enough blood for the test sample (please oh PLEASE)- and asked if I could wait while they spun it. My arm was still throbbing in pain.

I waited 20 minutes. To have another substitute nurse come out and tell me they had to re-draw.

F'in awesome.

Happily, it was love at first poke with the substitute nurse. She immediately got out the BUTTERFLY NEEDLE and was so fast, it hardly hurt at all. Why oh why can't they ALL do it like that? Cute nurse-man was never seen again- I'm assuming his ego was as bruised as my right vein.

Exhausted, I headed home to pass the time until my appointment with Dr. Vaughn. Babycakes, fresh from a full nights' sleep/sleeping in, found me and said he'd had a really weird morning as well. He'd just received news from a friend that his ex (whom he had been with for 12 years prior to our getting together) had recently had twins. And there was a picture on Facebook to boot (yes, I had to see it). And they had names that easily could have been ones we'd choose: Lukas and Lilly. BC worried that maybe he shouldn't have told me, but I would never want there to be secrets between us.

I was now left feeling bruised AND battered. Totally blue. It's interesting how some pregnancies totally don't affect me (like my friend who is now preggers through IVF- whom I was genuinely THRILLED for) while others completely demolish me. And the fact that she had twins. At 38 some years old. My BC's ex, Ms. Fertile Myrtle.

So I proceeded to Dr. Vaughn's office snotty and red-faced. Not sure if this explains my crazy emotions, but I do have some teenage follicles partying in there:

Right ovary: (sweet)16, 14, 14, 14, 8, 7, 6
Left ovary: 12,11,10, 8, 7

                                          Fab Four Teenage Follicles

When I asked why the number of follicles changed visit to visit, Dr. V said the total number of follicles doesn't matter, and that he only measures the largest ones. The 4 teens on my right side are making a run for the lead! He again said that ideally we want 3 mature follicles to release; if 4 released, and *if* 4 took (which would be highly unlikely... and... HELL NO!) we'd need to be prepared for serious talks about selective reduction.

The BEST news of the visit was that Dr. V wants to see me again Tuesday- and ISN'T GOING TO MAKE ME DO A BLOOD DRAW THAT MORNING! I guess my sob story about this morning's experience got through to him. He said my estradiol (estrogen) levels are progressing such that we won't need to draw that day (142 day 3, to 290 day 6, to 582 today- day 8). I seriously wanted to kiss him!

Phew. What a day. There was more crap that ensued with grocery stores not having ingredients I needed, a real estate contract falling off, etc. etc., but I think I've vented enough for one post. May tomorrow be a sunnier one!

Injectables Day 6: Follicle Roll Call

I had my 2nd check-in for the Lucky 13 this morning. I wasn't thrilled to have to get up at 6:45 on the day after Thanksgiving for a blood draw, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do (boys truly do have it MUCH easier when it comes to fertility- Babycakes was slumbering soundly away as I departed at the crack of dawn).

I've come to call the main lady who does blood draws Snake Eyes. She wears green contacts over what I assume are brown eyes, giving her a serpent like quality. Old Snake Eyes was the one who couldn't find my vein last month (referenced in this post), and she's also the one who drew me last Tuesday and sparked a migraine (apparently the clinic was out of butterfly needles that day, so she had to use a torturous regular one on me).

This morning I said a little prayer before arriving to the clinic: Please let it be quick and as painless as possible. And please let Snake Eyes be off for the Holiday.

Well, one out of two ain't bad. Old Snake Eyes was there behind the glass partition, gossiping and complaining away about having to work (per her norm). Awesome. Please Snake Eyes, don't take it out on me! 

She also asks me EVERY TIME I go to the clinic if I've been there before. Apparently those Snake Eyes don't see so well (as evidenced in her vein finding abilities).

Thankfully she had a butterfly needle (she seemed annoyed when I asked), found my vein, and got to business quickly. No migraine! Much smoother this morning, but I am still seriously considering going to a different clinic for my next draw. With people who have normal eyes and might actually remember me.

I also noticed last night & this morning an early abundance of EWCM. I hardly ever get much naturally, much less on Day 9 of my cycle! It is an indication that those elevated estrogen levels are definitely cranking (and making me cranky).

So without further adieu, here is today's follicle role call (in millimeters), brought to you by the offices of Dr. Vaughn:

Right ovary: 7, 8, 11, 11, 12
Left ovary: 6, 6, 7, 7, 9, 10, 12, 12

Hmmm- I just noticed we had a couple side jumpers- still 13 follies, but the left ovary is taking the lead with an 8/5 split (8 total over there- my lucky number!) Hopefully there weren't an additional 2 missed on the right side....there were 7 there last Tuesday (where did they go?)

My follicles are distinguishing themselves into two groups- we have the three front-running 12mm babes, with the two 11mm close at their heels. Ideally, we want *only* the top 3 to release, hoping that 1, maybe 2, take.

                                                         Go top 3!!

The plan right now is to keep me on very low nightly Gonal-F doses (75ml/night), since I am having a good response. Dr. V says- and I quote- that he "doesn't want me to make National News." So slow and steady we go, with an estimated trigger date for mid/late next week. The office wants me back again Sunday for my next follow up (there go my brunch plans! Oh boy- early morning blood draws & doc visits, now spaced every TWO days. BC will surely sleep through them all).

At our Thanksgiving gathering yesterday, I treated all those who were interested to a Gonal-F administration viewing (my mom, aunt, and cousin partook- we squeezed it in between dinner and dessert). And at the end of the night, everyone sweetly said farewell to me and to my 13 eggs.

Little ones, we have a lot of folks rooting for you! Let's do this.

Clearing the Block

I had an energy clearing/Akashic record reading session scheduled with a practitioner (K) last week. Unfortunately K fell ill and had to re-schedule all of her clients. Feeling badly about the shuffle, she offered up a donated 30 minute session with another clairvoyant friend of hers, LD, in addition to the original sessions planned with her (yay for me! One psychic's sickness is another woman's gain).

Last Sunday morning I had my donated 30 minute session with LD. Pretty quickly into our session, she noted she was getting an energetic 'block' in my 2nd chakra- the fertility area. She said she saw that there had been a trauma there when I was young, and asked if I had ever been abused. I haven't experienced (in my conscious memory) anything like that, so she sensed it may have happened in a very recent past life. (side note: she also said she heard 4 little ones who'd like to come to me. She indicated not all may come this lifetime, but also noted that with fertility meds they could all decide to come at once. To which I proclaimed "HELL NO!" Yes, I want children. But HELL NO to 4 at once! Universe, do you hear me?).

 You may remember the frustration I felt in October, when I was first told about being blocked. So here I had another psychic picking up on the same thing. Yes, skeptics out there may say that this is an easy cop-out when someone knows there are fertility concerns. But ebbing on the side of "what if they are right," I went into my problem solving mode. LD said she knew an incredible energy worker she thought could help clear the block (D), and felt it could be cleared pretty quickly- within weeks (cut to my mental math- if we want to be players this cycle and give those 13 follies a chance, I needed to get that stuff moving- and fast!) She called D the "Deep Cleaner," and I was all for it.

So this past Tuesday night I had my energy session with D scheduled. I had NO idea what to expect, or exactly what this woman did. She was first and foremost a voice & piano teacher, and her website made no note of her healing business.

And everything about the evening was completely and utterly bizarre- like nothing I have ever experienced.

D's home was located in a large apartment complex off the freeway in North Austin. When I got to her door, a yappy little dog named Todo greeted me. D was a large Mexican girl wearing a bedazzled sweatshirt with musical notes on it. I could definitely tell this wasn't her main profession- nothing about the environment was professional, and I wondered what I had gotten myself into.

D had me sit on her couch to begin, and indicated that sometimes loved ones came in during her sessions. I asked if she could see/feel/hear any little ones. She paused, listened, and said she heard 4 voices (HELL NO!), and was getting possible "twins." She also said a grandmother was coming in who told her this conception difficulty ran in the family and was "no big deal." I don't really know my dad's sides' history with fertility, so couldn't confirm or deny this (never knew my paternal grandmother, but my dad and his sister are 8 years apart, so maybe there is something to that?)

Then she said it was time to begin the session. I thought we had begun, but oh was I wrong.

D explained that the energy work she did was called Pranic Healing- basically like Reiki on steroids. She moved her coffee table out from the middle of the room, laid down a blanket, and set a bowl of saltwater in the middle of the blanket. She explained that she would be putting all negative/removed energy into that bowl. Her work was to identify my energy cords and CUT all of those cords that were blocking or inhibiting me. She would also work to scan & clear my chakras.

She told me to stand on one side of the bowl, and that she would stand on the other. As she began, I kept my eyes open, and she started making motions like she was pulling ropes from my body. She stopped a couple minutes in and said I was too much in my head (hard not to be with Todo yipping back and forth!) and that I should close my eyes.

And then the absolutely bizarre part began.

I couldn't see what she was doing, but boy could I FEEL it. I started to get incredibly hot and sweaty, and had to shed 2 layers of clothing. My body began gently swaying side to side, and I could feel a swirling motion moving within me. The strangest was the energy that moved in a corkscrew fashion- starting at the bottom of my leg, up, up, into my hip, into my stomach, across to my shoulder... almost like I was being uncoiled. My body would spontaneously twist to one side and then the other, before settling again in a balanced center gait. When it would pause at the center, I had the sensation of being firmly rooted to the ground- my feet were hot and I experienced energy in my legs I haven't ever had. I also felt like my hips were actually expanding and thus allowing/opening to all sorts of energy between them. D later said that one of her gifts was being able to go inside ones' chakras and work from the inside up through the body to clear. Whoa.

She said my crown chakra had been a bit blocked, and that I definitely had a big energetic block in that 2nd fertility chakra. She scanned my body and felt she had moved much- if not all - of that energy out!

Then she said she was going to do "toning" on my chakras. I closed my eyes again, and she started vocalizing as she scanned/moved through my energy centers. She had an amazingly beautiful and powerful voice (that bedazzled top wasn't for nothing!), and would at times emit a higher pitched tone, other times lower, sometimes starting just off tune and moving the sound into full, beautiful harmony. My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest, and I could "feel" which chakra she was at as she moved through my system. She explained that she could visualize energy particles inside ones' body- and that she saw them as either black, gray, or full color spectrums. The vocalizations actually moved and adjusted these energetic particles back into colorful harmony.

My body felt so light and free and open, and my hips wouldn't stop gently swaying side to side. Absolutely insane.

Then D said we should ask my subconscious some questions, and that my body would move forward for "yes" and backwards for "no."

"Will Jules be pregnant in a month?" Forward lurch (oh I hope so! Go follies go!)
"Will Jules need another energy session?" Twist forward/right (a maybe)
"Will the baby be a boy?" Lurch to the right (we discovered my body said "no" by going to the side).
"Will it be twins?" Forward lurch (we'll take them- but HELL NO to quints! Universe, are you getting me?!)

Then D said she was going to cut the energetic cord between us, and I kid you not, my middle section pushed back in a concave fashion, and I could feel that cord being severed.

I was in a blissful, light, airy space, and was ready to leave. But D had other plans. See, if D's gift is being able to move & affect energy, my gift is that people sense I would be a great counselor/psychologist and want to open up to me. Don't know how D read this, but she proceeded to spend 30 more minutes talking to me about how she didn't know if her current boyfriend was "the one" etc.  I just wanted to get out of there and stay in my bliss. I almost asked her to RE-CUT the cord that she had just attached to me! Geez. I will be very conscious of that if I do subsequent energy work with her.

Regardless, it was an incredibly powerful session- and I am grateful for the crazy play of events that led me to D. I am so hopeful that everything is now aligned and in harmony toward our little ones joining us.

Friday I have another blood draw &  appointment with Dr. Vaughn to see how my posse of follicles are progressing... stay tuned!

Injectables Day 3: Follicle Roll Call

Today I had my first day of Injectables appointments, starting with my favorite part- the blood draw (why oh why does this always hurt so much?).  For an extra special touch, I got a migraine immediately following the draw, likely b/c I didn't have much food in me. Hunger + pain proved to be a perfect festering ground.

Later in the afternoon I went for my sonogram with Dr. Vaughn. I was hoping to see 2-3 follicles developing nicely after 3 days of injections. As he moved the wand around, he started calling out follicle sizes (in millimeters). It went something like this:

Right ovary: 4, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8, 9
Left ovary: 4, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8

Ummm.... yeah, so that is THIRTEEN FOLLICLES if you are counting. Can you say Octomom?  Well, technically it would be Trideca-mom (and yes, I did have to look that up). Dr. V didn't seem alarmed at all- I guess in reality it isn't likely all of them will reach the monumental 20mm point, where we want them to be prior to triggering a release. But man- there are a lot of them on the upper end of the scale- jockeying for first place in the Great Release of 2011!

                                       If my ovaries were a chipmunk......


Check in again soon for another post about the CRAZY energy clearing session I had later on this evening. Me and my 13 incubating follicles now need some rest.

Injectables Day 1

The monumental "Day 1 of Injectables!" kicked off with a bang yesterday. Babycakes and I headed out for our traditional Saturday morning breakfast, and then planned to head out on bikes to the East Austin Studio Tour.  Every year we like to find one piece of art from a local artist for our home.

This year was a bit different.

An occupational hazard of my gig in Real Estate is that I often see homes that look like amazing deals, resulting in a bit of house envy. I had seen a screaming deal of a house hit the market, and convinced BC to go look at it with me. Listed for just 99k, I *knew* from my knowledge of the market that with just some simple cosmetics, this house could sell for closer to 115-125 (and upwards from there- with a full overhaul it would sell closer to 175k!). I also knew that the difference between our mortgage payments and potential rents would net us $300-$500/month out of the gates.

So, for E.A.S.T. this year, in lieu of pottery or a painting, we made an offer on an investment property. Holy s***! Because we are dealing with a bank as the seller, it may be several days before we hear back. Fingers and toes are crossed that no other offers come in.... it truly is a great deal. A bit of a financial risk on the front end (goodbye savings!)- but what other investment immediately PAYS you a chunk of money monthly while also appreciating from 5-7%/year?

Also, you know that friend of mine I referenced who was going through her first IVF cycle? PREGNANT!!! I am beyond excited for her and her husband!! I actually have had so many friends and clients getting pregnant lately. Just yesterday another client emailed me that she is expecting- and upon going to their first ultrasound, discovered it is with TWINS! Babies everywhere!

Last night BC and I met friends out for some post E.A.S.T. snacks. As 8pm neared, we had to excuse ourselves ('Sorry everyone! I have to go give myself a fertility injection now. Have a great night!') I was pretty nervous, and re-watched the injectables video on this website to make sure I didn't mess anything up. And you know what? It really wasn't that bad. The needle didn't hurt going in (maybe I can thank the margarita I'd had for that)- it stung a little once in during the 'wait 5 seconds' part, but I think I am going to be able to handle it. And I can tell that stuff is STRONG b/c I was already feeling tugs and pulls and action in my left ovary last night. Those follicles are in for a RIDE this month!

My instinct is that it may take a couple months/rounds of this before we get pregnant, but I am all for keeping the gates wide open!

Like a Prayer

Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone.
I hear you call my name and it feels like
Home.

When you call my name, it's like a little
Prayer. I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you
there. In the midnight hour, I can feel your
Power. Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there


(Madonna's "Like a Prayer")


-----------------------


This month I was hopeful. 


I keep a "DPO Symptoms List" that was added to daily.


I spent evenings perusing websites such as this, looking for encouragement. ('I had spotting on CD's 8 and 10 too! Oooo, I also had AF like cramping! This might be it!')


I even looked up what our child's estimated due date would be. July 27th, 2012. A Leo baby, which seemed oh so fitting for how this little one's feisty personality has been described by the clairvoyant folk I've talked to.


I communed with a friend of mine who is going through an IVF cycle and on the exact same cycle, timing wise, as me (shout out to Ms. 32 eggs, 26 of which fertilized, 2 of which were implanted! Here's hoping you get to carry the torch for us this month).


So last night before bed I said a little prayer. "Please give me a sign that our little one is coming. Something. A dream, a message, anything to re-assure me."


And you know what I got? 


Blinding cramps at 12am (in the midnight hour, I could feel it's power), followed by bleeding this morning. How's THAT for a sign?! There's nothing clearer than one's monthly cycle  to send the message "IT AIN'T YOUR MONTH." Noted, Universe. Noted.


Going in for my baseline with Dr. Vaughn this afternoon, where I"ll be whistling away:


Hi ho, Hi ho
It's on to Injectables I go
(whistles)

Hi ho, Hi ho
Hi ho, Hi ho
Hi ho, Hi ho

Birthday Bliss and a Princess Dress

What a lovely birthday I had yesterday. A run down of my day went like this (thankfully I had NO set appointments with work, so got to play for most of my day!):

*Rise & shine! Read through Facebook birthday messages (so much love!)
*9:45: breakfast date with my best friend at my favorite coffee shop
*11:30-1: cashed in on several of my birthday gift cards (thanks Mom & Dad!) First stop was Nordstrom Rack for a couple of cute sweaters (I can't believe I just discovered that store in the last year. AMAZING). Then off to Anthropologie where I fell in LOVE with this:

That tutu-esque bottom was pure magic and reminded me of Carrie Bradshaw's dress in the season finale of Sex and the City, which BC and I just happened to be watching the evening prior to my birthday:

And because I got 15% off for my birthday AND had 2 gift certificates to cash in, this dreamy princess dress was actually affordable. Score!

*1:30-2:30: used a LivingSocial coupon I'd gotten months back for a massage
*2:30-5:30: caught up on Facebook work emails
*6:30-8:30: a.ma.zing dinner with BC at Wink restaurant, 5 course chef's dinner- such a treat!

                                                         Happy, happy girl at dinner

I was even gifted with a cool experience in dreamland to top off the day.  I had an out of body experience, where in my 'dream' I drifted through the walls of our bedroom out into the night sky. Above me I saw a beautiful angel outlined. She turned and handed a baby wrapped in a pink blanket to another woman next to her (sort of a caricature in the dream). It was my understanding that I was at once this angel AND this woman, and that the journey of this little one coming had begun.

The perfect ending to a perfect day. 

Fall Nesting

Two years ago this month, Babycakes and I were fortunate enough to purchase what we consider to be our dream home in East Austin.  Located just 1.5 miles from downtown and literally steps from the hike and bike trail (leading to the Colorado River- which is only a few blocks away!)- we feel lucky every single day we're here:

Being a Realtor definitely has its advantages. I had seen that this beautiful 2008 built 5-star green Craftsman style home had been sitting on the market for awhile, and brought BC kicking and screaming to see it (his response was 'WHY would he want to go see a house when we weren't looking to move and buy something?' I retorted 'for FUN!' And he bought it (pun intended)).

We immediately fell in love with the house, but thought it was a bit out of our budget.  We ended up meeting directly with the builder, who proved to be a kindred spirit (a fellow Ashtanga yogi!). We then went on about a 6 month tangent, deciding to design and build another house specifically for us (long story having to do with the fact that the builder would lose money selling the "dream house" to us, and we decided we'd be just as happy building something a bit smaller). 

As you know by now, I am a huge believer in things happening for a reason. The building process got shut down several months in (due to appraisal issues)- and the builder came back and re-offered us the home we had initially fallen in love with- to which we answered 'YES!' without hesitation (even BC!!). And from there things FLOWED amazingly smoothly, and we closed on our new home in November of 2009.  

                                 Even Sam and Mr. Otis love this house!

And nothing sings to my soul more than nesting in our beautiful home. We spent last weekend buying out shopping at World Market, finding many gorgeous furniture and light pieces to add to our home.

I am very passionate about Feng Shui, and am acutely aware of the Bagua Map's layout in our home. So much so that when we initially saw our current home, the first thing I exclaimed was that the Money/Prosperity corner was missing! And being the freak I am, it made me hesitate on wanting to move forward at all (the builder was already losing money on the house-- and upon realizing this I declared to BC 'It's already happening!') 

So immediately after moving into our home, the FIRST purchase we made was a water fountain to symbolically fill in the missing Money/Prosperity corner. A happy bonus surprise was seeing it double as a bird bath!

                                           Keeping the chi flowing

Our weekend treasures included this mosaic glass candle holder, which fit perfectly into an empty corner of our bedroom (the MONEY corner of the bedroom, no less- I fully expect a financial windfall in 2012! ; )  )

BC's favorite purchase was an array of white flowers, to supplement the willow lights we already had in this vase:

               Little did he know, this is the 'family' area of the Bagua- now in bloom!

I love this console table which fit perfectly against an empty living room wall:

I also went on a huge de-cluttering/cleaning binge yesterday. I organized my office closet (a HUGE task- it was so incredibly cluttered and unsightly, and also was the "Money" section of my office space. As I said- 2012 WINDFALL please!). I organized drawers, cabinets, & filled up a huge garbage bag with unneeded trash. It felt so good to be nurturing our home and clearing out the junk! 

I am definitely in nesting mode. We did have another IUI performed last Friday morning, so you never know! Maybe there is a reason I have been psychotically cleaning & organizing. 

I turn 36 tomorrow and would love nothing more for my birthday than getting some 'positive' news this cycle.  In the past year I have definitely learned to take life one day at a time,  better appreciating the 'now' and trusting that things unfold exactly how they should.  I'm ready to start another year of living & learning, and can't wait to see what my 36th year has in store (hint: babies please!)

NOLA Trip

Babycakes and I had a great trip to New Orleans- filled with Beignets, Hurricanes (the drinkable kind), gorgeous Victorian architecture, & 3 days of crazy Halloween festivities.

We caught plenty of music:

                                             Can you find us in this picture?

Saw many amazing costumes:

And had fun dressing up ourselves:

                                              Saturday night masquerade!

                           Halloween Night- seated at a 5 star restaurant 

                            (and the only ones there dressed up! Sweet.)

We both adore the energy of New Orleans- the people there are so incredibly friendly & energetic. Everywhere you turn there is a jazz band making amazing music, and the food in the city is unparalleled. It may be our last trip for awhile, as our upcoming fertility treatments will see us having to stick close to home for monitoring. It was a great trip, and I feel totally ready to now 'nest' for awhile in our beloved hometown.