Friday, December 21, 2007
Pictures are Up
No time to post right now, but I did add a set in Flickr of the pictures from Grace's Birthday party. Also, Grace has been stealing the camera lately and taking pictures, so I added a set of her compositions.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Surprise!
I know I still owe a 3-year update on Grace, but I thought this was more important.
Today, I had a 8:45 a.m. appointment to get my breast ultrasound done. I have an appointment with Dr. L next week, so this was in preparation. To start with due to a staffing issue and an emergency case, I didn't get seen until 10:30 a.m. The staff was incredibly apologetic for my wait. They kept coming to check on me and telling me they were sorry and when they took me back, they gave me a $10 gift card to Meijer as an apologize. Since when does the health care profession care about your wait?
When I fianally went back, I tried to be a joker. In all the dressing rooms and bathrooms, they have signs saying to inform your technologist if you think you may be pregnant. So, when I walked in, I told them I think I may be pregnant. They said, "I think we have a funny one." I got on the table to start the scan. I told the technologist that if she got bored, she could tell me what kind of baby I was having. She didn't seem overly friendly, so I quickly followed with, "I'm sure you aren't allowed to do that." She said, "Yeah, we really aren't supposed to." She then scanned both breasts. When she was done, she said, "I could take a look at the baby, if you want." I eagerly agreed. Who would turn down a free ultrasound a couple weeks early? She told me I wouldn't get any pictures, because "this never happened." I said, "I won't tell if you won't."
She took a look and it looked like the baby was laying sideways. I immediately saw the head and the spine. We located the heartbeat and then saw an arm move. When we started to scan to the lower half, it quickly decided to cross it's legs. We tried a couple other angles, and the tech said, "That might be a penis." I said, "Do you think so?" She wasn't sure. She handed me a towel and said that she'd go get the doctor to review the breast films and then we'd take another peek before I left. Maybe the baby would move.
When she left, I poked my belly to see if I could get it to change position. She came back with the doctor. Again they apologized for the wait. The doctor said that everything looked good and nothing to be suspicious of on the ultrasounds. Then the tech got the gel back out to take a second look. It looked like the baby turned about 90 degrees. I saw the feet and the legs started kicking. This time we got a better look and there did appear to be boy parts. She said it looked pretty consistent, so I think we're having a boy!
It's not my official ultrasound, but I definately saw what she was pointing out, so I think there's a really good chance, it is a boy.
The only downside was that Eric wasn't at my appointment. It wasn't supposed to be a baby appointment, so I went by myself. I called him as soon as I got to the garage and I asked if he would be mad, if we looked at the baby during my breast ultrasound. I offered to keep our suspicions to myself until the official ultrasound, so he could be there. He wanted to know what we saw, so I told him. He's prety excited, because he wanted a boy.
I don't think it's completely sunk in yet, but I think we can start making plans for a son. Wow. Now, do I tell my doctor at my OB appointment next week?
Today, I had a 8:45 a.m. appointment to get my breast ultrasound done. I have an appointment with Dr. L next week, so this was in preparation. To start with due to a staffing issue and an emergency case, I didn't get seen until 10:30 a.m. The staff was incredibly apologetic for my wait. They kept coming to check on me and telling me they were sorry and when they took me back, they gave me a $10 gift card to Meijer as an apologize. Since when does the health care profession care about your wait?
When I fianally went back, I tried to be a joker. In all the dressing rooms and bathrooms, they have signs saying to inform your technologist if you think you may be pregnant. So, when I walked in, I told them I think I may be pregnant. They said, "I think we have a funny one." I got on the table to start the scan. I told the technologist that if she got bored, she could tell me what kind of baby I was having. She didn't seem overly friendly, so I quickly followed with, "I'm sure you aren't allowed to do that." She said, "Yeah, we really aren't supposed to." She then scanned both breasts. When she was done, she said, "I could take a look at the baby, if you want." I eagerly agreed. Who would turn down a free ultrasound a couple weeks early? She told me I wouldn't get any pictures, because "this never happened." I said, "I won't tell if you won't."
She took a look and it looked like the baby was laying sideways. I immediately saw the head and the spine. We located the heartbeat and then saw an arm move. When we started to scan to the lower half, it quickly decided to cross it's legs. We tried a couple other angles, and the tech said, "That might be a penis." I said, "Do you think so?" She wasn't sure. She handed me a towel and said that she'd go get the doctor to review the breast films and then we'd take another peek before I left. Maybe the baby would move.
When she left, I poked my belly to see if I could get it to change position. She came back with the doctor. Again they apologized for the wait. The doctor said that everything looked good and nothing to be suspicious of on the ultrasounds. Then the tech got the gel back out to take a second look. It looked like the baby turned about 90 degrees. I saw the feet and the legs started kicking. This time we got a better look and there did appear to be boy parts. She said it looked pretty consistent, so I think we're having a boy!
It's not my official ultrasound, but I definately saw what she was pointing out, so I think there's a really good chance, it is a boy.
The only downside was that Eric wasn't at my appointment. It wasn't supposed to be a baby appointment, so I went by myself. I called him as soon as I got to the garage and I asked if he would be mad, if we looked at the baby during my breast ultrasound. I offered to keep our suspicions to myself until the official ultrasound, so he could be there. He wanted to know what we saw, so I told him. He's prety excited, because he wanted a boy.
I don't think it's completely sunk in yet, but I think we can start making plans for a son. Wow. Now, do I tell my doctor at my OB appointment next week?
Monday, December 10, 2007
16 Weeks, 2 days
Yes, I still owe an updated belly picture. And yes, I have a belly to update about.
I also need to update on Grace's birthday party, but I only have a minute.
So, for 16 weeks. Biggest news is that the movement thing is a definate and getting stronger all the time. It's different than with Grace though. Not sure exactly how. With Grace at this point it felt like little bumps and nudges, this time it's more like the baby is moving and flipping over. It's not kicks or punches, but movement. I know that doesn't make sense, but I can't describe it. I also feel it alot. I wonder if this baby will be more active than Grace, at least in utero. Or maybe I am just more in tune this time. I'm looking forward to the other kinds of movement, because honestly this just feels weird.
The morning sickness thing still throws me for a loop. I've been trying to do better about eating soon after getting up in the morning, but if I don't, I will get sick. I threw up last Tuesday as a matter of fact. At least if I eat, I don't get nauseous and it only seems to be a problem first thing in the morning. I guess the rest of the day I eat before I get to that point.
With Grace I'd gained 2.5 pounds at 16 weeks. This time I'm still holding steady between 5 and 5.5 depending on the day. I gained it quicker, but I haven't really gained much this month. I wonder if I am eating healthier? I do love a good salad and I'm not all that interested in sweets, so maybe this is good?
Ok, I've got lots to do tonight. I'll try to make taking a picture one of them and I'll update on Grace's party soon. I've got some good pictures with her cousins from this weekend.
I also need to update on Grace's birthday party, but I only have a minute.
So, for 16 weeks. Biggest news is that the movement thing is a definate and getting stronger all the time. It's different than with Grace though. Not sure exactly how. With Grace at this point it felt like little bumps and nudges, this time it's more like the baby is moving and flipping over. It's not kicks or punches, but movement. I know that doesn't make sense, but I can't describe it. I also feel it alot. I wonder if this baby will be more active than Grace, at least in utero. Or maybe I am just more in tune this time. I'm looking forward to the other kinds of movement, because honestly this just feels weird.
The morning sickness thing still throws me for a loop. I've been trying to do better about eating soon after getting up in the morning, but if I don't, I will get sick. I threw up last Tuesday as a matter of fact. At least if I eat, I don't get nauseous and it only seems to be a problem first thing in the morning. I guess the rest of the day I eat before I get to that point.
With Grace I'd gained 2.5 pounds at 16 weeks. This time I'm still holding steady between 5 and 5.5 depending on the day. I gained it quicker, but I haven't really gained much this month. I wonder if I am eating healthier? I do love a good salad and I'm not all that interested in sweets, so maybe this is good?
Ok, I've got lots to do tonight. I'll try to make taking a picture one of them and I'll update on Grace's party soon. I've got some good pictures with her cousins from this weekend.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Turkey, Stiches, Shopping, Potty Training, and Baby Update
I hate when I don't update for a while and then I feel like there's a ton to catch up on. Guess I better start now.
First of all, a Thanksgiving recap. We continued our 4 year tradition of having Thanksgiving with Will & Samara and family. I spent most of Wednesday evening cooking and then Thursday we got there around 10 a.m. Samara and I did a little more prep work while the turkey was cooking. We expected to eat around 1 p.m.
However, we had to take a detour to the emergency room right before we were ready to mash the potatoes. The girls have been going potty like champs and during one of Grace's visits, she decided to be a daredevil and jump from the stool in front of the toliet to the stool in front of the sink. She missed. Her head hit the vanity resulting in a "gaping" gash right between the eyebrows. There was blood and tears, and when I looked closer at the source of the blood, I just saw that there appeared to be a hole in the middle of Grace's head. Stiches were needed. We drove to the ER and luckily got in and out in under 2 hours complete with 3 stitches to the head. Good thing it didn't take much longer, cause I was getting hungry! Grace was very brave. She stopped crying before we got into the car and only cried at the hospital when we had to hold her down to let the doctor stick a needle into her head. Yeah, I might want to cry too.
After our dinner, Eric went home, because he works the Friday after T-Day. Grace and I spent the night. Samara, Clara and I got up at 4:00 a.m. to pick up Danialle (she drove over and stayed at my house late on Thursday) for some shopping. Will was off work so he watched Grace and Ava all day. Samara, Danialle and I shopped until about 4 p.m. I was very proud of myself for my first Christmas shopping experience without a credit card. Except for food, I only spent $5 on an item that was not a Christmas present.
Saturday, we put up the tree and then dropped Grace off with a sitter while we went to Ginji's (a Japanese Steakhouse) to celebrate Eric's birthday. Will and Samara's babysitter fell through, so they brought both girls, but they were perfect angels. I love Ginji's. That was about it for Thanksgiving weekend.
I did want to give a potty training update. Grace is doing awesome. She pretty much only wears underwear now. Occassionally, daycare will send home clothes because of an accident, but she's very good at telling us when she needs to go and doesn't even have any issues with going #2. She'll tell us she needs to go and then sit there and push it out. I'm so proud. At school they don't even use a diaper at naptime (I haven't been that brave at home yet). I'm still putting her in pull-ups overnight because she never wakes up dry. I also sometimes will use a pull-up on the weekend if we're going to be in the car alot or when I take her to the nursery at church. That may change this weekend though. Last week she told me she had to go while we were grocery shopping (she was in a pull-up) and I got her to the bathroom in time. I think she kept her pull-up dry all day.
Lastly, a baby update. I know I haven't been updating alot. A couple key highlights:
- I think I'm past the icky feelings, but only if I don't get hungry. Mornings can still be tough, so if I feel bad when I wake up, I try to go eat something right away and I'll feel better. Also, if I'm late for lunch, I start feeling sick. Food helps though and I can still eat anything I want and have no weird cravings. If anything I have anti-cravings. I don't ever crave sweets and my old favorite Chipotle hardly ever enters my mind. However, I can eat those things with no problem, just not craving them.
- I'm showing. Still no strangers have commented, but people I know and haven't seen for a while, or people I know and haven't told I'm pregnant have commented. For example, 2 weeks ago my pastor asked me if I was pregnant. I ran into one of Grace's old daycare teachers (haven't seen her in at least a year) and she asked me, plus someone at work that I don't really ever work with asked. I can't fit in any of my non-maternity pants and I mostly am wearing maternity shirts too. I don't mind, it's looking more pregnant belly and less fat.
- I rented a doppler. Can't remember if I mentioned that. I rented it about 2 weeks ago, just before my last doctor's appointment. I'm sending it back after a month. It was cheap and I like to listen, so I thought I'd do it again. Different thing this time is that I hear alot more movement than when I listened to Grace. Maybe this baby is more active?
- My doctor's appointment was fine. All normal stuff. I have gained about 5 pounds. Baby's heart rate was 151. She told me I could get a prescription for my headaches' if needed (and it has been since then). Next appointment is December 19th. At that appointment she'll write me a prescription for an ultrasound. They are sending me for a level 2 ultrasound so they can take a closer look to see if this baby has a cleft. We should also be able to find out the sex. Not sure I can get it scheduled before Christmas, but hopefully we'll have it done before my trip to Iowa in January.
- Lastly, I'm pretty sure I feel movement already. I kind of thought I was feeling "flutters" a couple weeks ago, but it just seemed to early. Then at my doctor's appointment, Dr. B asked me if I was feeling anything yet. I asked if it was too early and she said not necessarily. So I've been paying attention and I think it is. I wasn't sure with Grace until it was definate poking or kicking. I kind of missed the "flutter" stage. This time I think I am more in tune with my body. With Grace I felt something for sure by 16 weeks. I'll be 15 weeks tomorrow and today I've been feeling all kinds of weird flip and rolling movements down there. I don't think I have that much gas. Makes me wonder if I'm right about this baby being more active. Guess that'll be fun in about 4 months.
Ok, I've got other stuff to do. I think I'll do my next belly picture at 16 weeks and try to update again then. Hopefully, we'll figure out the daycare situation soon. I'm just praying for the right in home care situation to drop in our laps, because I don't know how we can afford 2 at the daycare center. Sigh.
First of all, a Thanksgiving recap. We continued our 4 year tradition of having Thanksgiving with Will & Samara and family. I spent most of Wednesday evening cooking and then Thursday we got there around 10 a.m. Samara and I did a little more prep work while the turkey was cooking. We expected to eat around 1 p.m.
However, we had to take a detour to the emergency room right before we were ready to mash the potatoes. The girls have been going potty like champs and during one of Grace's visits, she decided to be a daredevil and jump from the stool in front of the toliet to the stool in front of the sink. She missed. Her head hit the vanity resulting in a "gaping" gash right between the eyebrows. There was blood and tears, and when I looked closer at the source of the blood, I just saw that there appeared to be a hole in the middle of Grace's head. Stiches were needed. We drove to the ER and luckily got in and out in under 2 hours complete with 3 stitches to the head. Good thing it didn't take much longer, cause I was getting hungry! Grace was very brave. She stopped crying before we got into the car and only cried at the hospital when we had to hold her down to let the doctor stick a needle into her head. Yeah, I might want to cry too.
After our dinner, Eric went home, because he works the Friday after T-Day. Grace and I spent the night. Samara, Clara and I got up at 4:00 a.m. to pick up Danialle (she drove over and stayed at my house late on Thursday) for some shopping. Will was off work so he watched Grace and Ava all day. Samara, Danialle and I shopped until about 4 p.m. I was very proud of myself for my first Christmas shopping experience without a credit card. Except for food, I only spent $5 on an item that was not a Christmas present.
Saturday, we put up the tree and then dropped Grace off with a sitter while we went to Ginji's (a Japanese Steakhouse) to celebrate Eric's birthday. Will and Samara's babysitter fell through, so they brought both girls, but they were perfect angels. I love Ginji's. That was about it for Thanksgiving weekend.
I did want to give a potty training update. Grace is doing awesome. She pretty much only wears underwear now. Occassionally, daycare will send home clothes because of an accident, but she's very good at telling us when she needs to go and doesn't even have any issues with going #2. She'll tell us she needs to go and then sit there and push it out. I'm so proud. At school they don't even use a diaper at naptime (I haven't been that brave at home yet). I'm still putting her in pull-ups overnight because she never wakes up dry. I also sometimes will use a pull-up on the weekend if we're going to be in the car alot or when I take her to the nursery at church. That may change this weekend though. Last week she told me she had to go while we were grocery shopping (she was in a pull-up) and I got her to the bathroom in time. I think she kept her pull-up dry all day.
Lastly, a baby update. I know I haven't been updating alot. A couple key highlights:
- I think I'm past the icky feelings, but only if I don't get hungry. Mornings can still be tough, so if I feel bad when I wake up, I try to go eat something right away and I'll feel better. Also, if I'm late for lunch, I start feeling sick. Food helps though and I can still eat anything I want and have no weird cravings. If anything I have anti-cravings. I don't ever crave sweets and my old favorite Chipotle hardly ever enters my mind. However, I can eat those things with no problem, just not craving them.
- I'm showing. Still no strangers have commented, but people I know and haven't seen for a while, or people I know and haven't told I'm pregnant have commented. For example, 2 weeks ago my pastor asked me if I was pregnant. I ran into one of Grace's old daycare teachers (haven't seen her in at least a year) and she asked me, plus someone at work that I don't really ever work with asked. I can't fit in any of my non-maternity pants and I mostly am wearing maternity shirts too. I don't mind, it's looking more pregnant belly and less fat.
- I rented a doppler. Can't remember if I mentioned that. I rented it about 2 weeks ago, just before my last doctor's appointment. I'm sending it back after a month. It was cheap and I like to listen, so I thought I'd do it again. Different thing this time is that I hear alot more movement than when I listened to Grace. Maybe this baby is more active?
- My doctor's appointment was fine. All normal stuff. I have gained about 5 pounds. Baby's heart rate was 151. She told me I could get a prescription for my headaches' if needed (and it has been since then). Next appointment is December 19th. At that appointment she'll write me a prescription for an ultrasound. They are sending me for a level 2 ultrasound so they can take a closer look to see if this baby has a cleft. We should also be able to find out the sex. Not sure I can get it scheduled before Christmas, but hopefully we'll have it done before my trip to Iowa in January.
- Lastly, I'm pretty sure I feel movement already. I kind of thought I was feeling "flutters" a couple weeks ago, but it just seemed to early. Then at my doctor's appointment, Dr. B asked me if I was feeling anything yet. I asked if it was too early and she said not necessarily. So I've been paying attention and I think it is. I wasn't sure with Grace until it was definate poking or kicking. I kind of missed the "flutter" stage. This time I think I am more in tune with my body. With Grace I felt something for sure by 16 weeks. I'll be 15 weeks tomorrow and today I've been feeling all kinds of weird flip and rolling movements down there. I don't think I have that much gas. Makes me wonder if I'm right about this baby being more active. Guess that'll be fun in about 4 months.
Ok, I've got other stuff to do. I think I'll do my next belly picture at 16 weeks and try to update again then. Hopefully, we'll figure out the daycare situation soon. I'm just praying for the right in home care situation to drop in our laps, because I don't know how we can afford 2 at the daycare center. Sigh.
Monday, November 12, 2007
12 weeks, 2 days
It's been a fairly eventful 2 weeks in pregnancy land. I did add a belly picture taken last Thursday (11 weeks, 5 days) in Flickr. I think my expanding waistline is becoming more "bump-like" and in clothes I look pregnant rather than just fat now. I'm pretty much in maternity clothes full time. Even starting to wear the shirts. I have wore some of my non-maternity pants with a rubber-band over the button or a safety pin, but then I have zipper issues, so I think I need to stop wearing them. Unfortuntately, I don't have a nice pair of cream or tan (not khaki) dress maternity pants. Maybe I should request a Motherhood Maternity gift card for Christmas.
Last Monday I got my first real migraine of this pregnancy. It started in the afternoon as a fairly normal headache. I took Tylenol and remained at work and did pretty normal stuff in the evening. Typically a good night's sleep will take away my headaches, so I was very disappointed to find it still going strong on Wednesday morning. I called in sick to work and went back to bed until about 10:30 a.m. My head hurt so bad that I kind of wandered around aimlessly at home. TV kind of hurt my head and the computer was intolerable. I took a shower and a hot bath and another 20 minute nap before 2 p.m. I attempted to eat lunch around noon, but could only stomach a couple bites. My headaches make me nauseous and unable to eat. Around two I was starving though, so I was able to make myself finish my lunch. Around 3 p.m. it started letting up a bit, so I did some cleaning around the house. Still didn't feel great though, so I only had a bowl of cereal for dinner.
Wednesday morning I still had a headache, but thankfully my morning dose of Tylenol kicked it and by 9 a.m. I felt much better. However, I think my light dinner made my stomach completely empty and when I was getting Grace's stuff together for daycare, I suddenly got extremely nauseous and had to be sick in the kitchen sink. Nothing actually made it out of my stomach, but if it was there, it would have.
Funny about that morning sickness thing. That was the first time, I actually vomited this pregnancy and I was just past 11 weeks. On Monday, last week though, I did get a wave of pretty strong nausea in the car while driving Grace to daycare. I actually removed the lid of my McDonald's cup just in case, but managed to hold off on the puking. Today, I was not so lucky. Last night we made pancakes for dinner and I didn't have any late evening snacks, so maybe my tummy was too empty again? When I was getting ready for work I was thinking I was a little nauseous and I should go get something to eat, but I was busy, so I didn't. When Grace and I went to the kitchen, I grabbed a muffin (I made them last night) and I drank a glass of apple juice, hoping that would help. Then I grabbed a sleeve of saltines and a plastic bowl and got Grace into the car. While driving in my subdivision, before making it to the main road, I had grabbed the bowl and started pulling over to the side of the road. Good think I had my bowl! I got out of the car to dump my bowl and finish. I felt much better after being sick though. So weird. I thought the puking last week was a fluke thing. I hope this ends soon though. I don't know anyone who's morning sickness started at 3 months!
Looking back at my pregnancy last time by 12 weeks:
- Last time I ordered a doppler. I've been considering it again. I actually ordered one on Friday (although from a different company) that was about 1/2 the price of one I got last time. I thought this time I'd only keep it for a month. I'm hoping in about a month, I should be feeling the baby. Problem was after I completed the order I read the part saying I need my doctor to sign off before they'll ship it. I e-mailed and requested that they cancel the order, but I don't know if they have yet. Grrr. I don't want to have to get my doctor involved.
- Last time, I hadn't gained any weight at 11 weeks. This time I've gained 4 pounds at 12 weeks. I still don't think that's too bad.
- My only other big milestone was wearing maternity clothes, which I've been doing for a while now.
Last Monday I got my first real migraine of this pregnancy. It started in the afternoon as a fairly normal headache. I took Tylenol and remained at work and did pretty normal stuff in the evening. Typically a good night's sleep will take away my headaches, so I was very disappointed to find it still going strong on Wednesday morning. I called in sick to work and went back to bed until about 10:30 a.m. My head hurt so bad that I kind of wandered around aimlessly at home. TV kind of hurt my head and the computer was intolerable. I took a shower and a hot bath and another 20 minute nap before 2 p.m. I attempted to eat lunch around noon, but could only stomach a couple bites. My headaches make me nauseous and unable to eat. Around two I was starving though, so I was able to make myself finish my lunch. Around 3 p.m. it started letting up a bit, so I did some cleaning around the house. Still didn't feel great though, so I only had a bowl of cereal for dinner.
Wednesday morning I still had a headache, but thankfully my morning dose of Tylenol kicked it and by 9 a.m. I felt much better. However, I think my light dinner made my stomach completely empty and when I was getting Grace's stuff together for daycare, I suddenly got extremely nauseous and had to be sick in the kitchen sink. Nothing actually made it out of my stomach, but if it was there, it would have.
Funny about that morning sickness thing. That was the first time, I actually vomited this pregnancy and I was just past 11 weeks. On Monday, last week though, I did get a wave of pretty strong nausea in the car while driving Grace to daycare. I actually removed the lid of my McDonald's cup just in case, but managed to hold off on the puking. Today, I was not so lucky. Last night we made pancakes for dinner and I didn't have any late evening snacks, so maybe my tummy was too empty again? When I was getting ready for work I was thinking I was a little nauseous and I should go get something to eat, but I was busy, so I didn't. When Grace and I went to the kitchen, I grabbed a muffin (I made them last night) and I drank a glass of apple juice, hoping that would help. Then I grabbed a sleeve of saltines and a plastic bowl and got Grace into the car. While driving in my subdivision, before making it to the main road, I had grabbed the bowl and started pulling over to the side of the road. Good think I had my bowl! I got out of the car to dump my bowl and finish. I felt much better after being sick though. So weird. I thought the puking last week was a fluke thing. I hope this ends soon though. I don't know anyone who's morning sickness started at 3 months!
Looking back at my pregnancy last time by 12 weeks:
- Last time I ordered a doppler. I've been considering it again. I actually ordered one on Friday (although from a different company) that was about 1/2 the price of one I got last time. I thought this time I'd only keep it for a month. I'm hoping in about a month, I should be feeling the baby. Problem was after I completed the order I read the part saying I need my doctor to sign off before they'll ship it. I e-mailed and requested that they cancel the order, but I don't know if they have yet. Grrr. I don't want to have to get my doctor involved.
- Last time, I hadn't gained any weight at 11 weeks. This time I've gained 4 pounds at 12 weeks. I still don't think that's too bad.
- My only other big milestone was wearing maternity clothes, which I've been doing for a while now.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Budget Update
In October, we paid off Eric's student loan (which we only had to buy my engagement ring and pay for our honeymoon...). We have now since we started really budgeting and working on our debt in mid-February, we have eliminated payments on 5 loans/credit cards. This has resulted in a reduction of our debt of $15,237. Considering that in 2005 and 2006 our balances on debt increased $5,000 per year, I think this is a great improvement. Unfortunately, we still have a ways to go, but everytime I add up those numbers, it makes me happy that they are getting smaller. We now have left the big ticket items. Two credit cards with high balances, Eric's car, and our 2nd mortgage which is currently on an interest only loan. Moving would certainly get rid of a big chunk with the 2nd mortgage. I now get to start working on the smaller of the credit cards by paying an extra $550 per month. It will still take us another two and a half years to get these three big items paid off (minus the 2nd mortgage). I just hope we can figure a way in our budget to afford two in daycare and continue paying extra on our debt. I would love to be debt free before applying for my loans for med school.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
10 Weeks
I'm now counting my weeks changing on Saturday, to go with my new due date of May 24th, but I've been too lazy to change my ticker at the top of the page, so it's 2 days ahead.
I think I've turned a corner this week. I'm still really tired, but have days with no icky feelings. Now I feel sick mostly if I let myself get too hungry. My mood has also improved (thank goodness). I've actually been in a good mood the past couple of evenings versus before when anyone who spoke to me was at risk of having their heads ripped off. This has certainly improved conversation between Eric and I. I think he's glad it's getting better too.
My next belly picture isn't due until next week, but I certainly think I'm "showing" now. If I tell someone I'm pregnant, they notice my little bulge. I also am wearing maternity pants the majority of the time. Haven't felt the need to switch shirts yet, but probably will need to in the next few weeks.
Timing of the "feeling better" part seems to closely coincide with Grace's pregnancy, although I hadn't switched to maternity clothes yet that time.
In other news, Grace has been making progress on the potty front. She's very good at daycare. She wears underwear all day except for naptimes and her only accidents are usually poopy accidents or if she's playing outside and they don't make it inside fast enough (although she's telling them she has to go). At home she sometimes goes when waking up (although many mornings her pull-up is wet, so she doesn't have anymore to go. She also will go before or after her bath on most nights. They usually send her home in underwear only, so we've been going without pull-ups until bedtime. I haven't tried her for a whole weekend yet. I was going to this weekend, but we have a pampered chef party to go to and I'm nervous about accidents when we aren't at home. I still ask her about going even when she's in a pull-up, but she doesn't always say yes and rarely tells me she has to go if she's not in underwear.
Ok, gotta get dressed for the party.
I think I've turned a corner this week. I'm still really tired, but have days with no icky feelings. Now I feel sick mostly if I let myself get too hungry. My mood has also improved (thank goodness). I've actually been in a good mood the past couple of evenings versus before when anyone who spoke to me was at risk of having their heads ripped off. This has certainly improved conversation between Eric and I. I think he's glad it's getting better too.
My next belly picture isn't due until next week, but I certainly think I'm "showing" now. If I tell someone I'm pregnant, they notice my little bulge. I also am wearing maternity pants the majority of the time. Haven't felt the need to switch shirts yet, but probably will need to in the next few weeks.
Timing of the "feeling better" part seems to closely coincide with Grace's pregnancy, although I hadn't switched to maternity clothes yet that time.
In other news, Grace has been making progress on the potty front. She's very good at daycare. She wears underwear all day except for naptimes and her only accidents are usually poopy accidents or if she's playing outside and they don't make it inside fast enough (although she's telling them she has to go). At home she sometimes goes when waking up (although many mornings her pull-up is wet, so she doesn't have anymore to go. She also will go before or after her bath on most nights. They usually send her home in underwear only, so we've been going without pull-ups until bedtime. I haven't tried her for a whole weekend yet. I was going to this weekend, but we have a pampered chef party to go to and I'm nervous about accidents when we aren't at home. I still ask her about going even when she's in a pull-up, but she doesn't always say yes and rarely tells me she has to go if she's not in underwear.
Ok, gotta get dressed for the party.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Painting in the Sun
Because pictures of Grace were requested. Here are pictures from our visit to the pumpkin farm a couple of weeks ago. Click the picture to visit the set in Flickr.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
8 week 5 day ultrasound
I had my first official doctor's appointment today, thus the photos...Here's the play-by-play.
My nurse appointment was at 10:00 a.m. They took me back and had me give a urine sample. Eric hadn't arrived yet, but he came in right after I was done. Then they weighed me. I'd gain one pound since my appointment a couple weeks ago. Then we went to an office to sit with the nurse. She took my blood pressure 114/71. Then she asked some questions relating to my medical history/previous birth etc. Then she went over some information they gave me in a packet. A pregnancy book, some flyers on the hospital, pain management, drugs I'm allowed or not while pregnant, etc. Then she did a TB test. After that, they sent me to the lab (still in the doctor's office) to take some blood. I didn't really pay attention to what they are testing for. We finished all that by 10:30, so we went back to the waiting room to wait until Dr. B was ready to see me at 11:00.
Once we went back to that appointment, I had to undress and get under the gown. Dr. B asked me a couple more questions about Grace's birth. We told her about her size (8lb, 11 oz, 6 days early) and the shoulder dystocia). We confirmed no other pregnancy complications last time. Spontaneous labor with my water breaking and contractions starting afterwards. She went over the schedule of visist and ultrasounds. I'll have appts. every 4 weeks until 28 weeks, at that point they'll go to every 2 weeks, and then at 36 weeks, I'll start going weekly. She'll do another ultrasound between 17-19 weeks to look for any abnormalities (and the sex if we want), then because Eric and I were both large babies and we had a large baby, she'll likely do an ultrasound at 32-34 weeks to see what she estimates the size of this one to be. If it looks to be on track to be about the same as Grace, she'll let nature take it's course (at least until my due date). However, if this one looks much bigger, she may suggest an amnio to check for lung maturity and an early induction.
We discussed a couple more important questions including what types of cheese I need to avoid and exactly how dangerous they are. Bad news, I need to completely avoid soft cheeses including blue, feta, gorganzola, goat, and brie unless I can be sure they are pasturized (like my Feta from the grocery store that says it's pasturized on the package). The risk is from Listeria which if you get can make you very sick (pregnant or not), but if you get it while pregnant, you can miscarry or lose the baby, even into the 2nd trimester. The good news is that heating or other processing kills Listeria, so it's ok to have melted blue cheese on a steak or blue cheese dressing that has been processed.
She told me not to worry about my Mammogram and X-Ray. She said that radiation in early pregnancy can cause miscarriage, but since I didn't, nothing to worry about now. It's an "all or nothing" type of risk. She said MRI's are fine and if I need a breast MRI during pregnancy, it would be perfectly safe.
Finally we had the ultrasound. The baby did look much larger than last time. It measured just a hair over 2 cm and appears to have a head area and a body (approximately equal sizes). Upon closer examination, the heart was still happily beating away. My placenta is high up (good) and probably posterior (back of the uterus). We got to see the cord also. As we were looking the baby twitched, so it's beginning to have movement. At this stage it's mostly trunk and torso movements because the arms and legs aren't fully extended yet. Although at the very end we saw a tiny arm fly up like it was waving to us. I think it looks mostly like an alien pinto bean, but I'm sure it will get cuter.
My nurse appointment was at 10:00 a.m. They took me back and had me give a urine sample. Eric hadn't arrived yet, but he came in right after I was done. Then they weighed me. I'd gain one pound since my appointment a couple weeks ago. Then we went to an office to sit with the nurse. She took my blood pressure 114/71. Then she asked some questions relating to my medical history/previous birth etc. Then she went over some information they gave me in a packet. A pregnancy book, some flyers on the hospital, pain management, drugs I'm allowed or not while pregnant, etc. Then she did a TB test. After that, they sent me to the lab (still in the doctor's office) to take some blood. I didn't really pay attention to what they are testing for. We finished all that by 10:30, so we went back to the waiting room to wait until Dr. B was ready to see me at 11:00.
Once we went back to that appointment, I had to undress and get under the gown. Dr. B asked me a couple more questions about Grace's birth. We told her about her size (8lb, 11 oz, 6 days early) and the shoulder dystocia). We confirmed no other pregnancy complications last time. Spontaneous labor with my water breaking and contractions starting afterwards. She went over the schedule of visist and ultrasounds. I'll have appts. every 4 weeks until 28 weeks, at that point they'll go to every 2 weeks, and then at 36 weeks, I'll start going weekly. She'll do another ultrasound between 17-19 weeks to look for any abnormalities (and the sex if we want), then because Eric and I were both large babies and we had a large baby, she'll likely do an ultrasound at 32-34 weeks to see what she estimates the size of this one to be. If it looks to be on track to be about the same as Grace, she'll let nature take it's course (at least until my due date). However, if this one looks much bigger, she may suggest an amnio to check for lung maturity and an early induction.
We discussed a couple more important questions including what types of cheese I need to avoid and exactly how dangerous they are. Bad news, I need to completely avoid soft cheeses including blue, feta, gorganzola, goat, and brie unless I can be sure they are pasturized (like my Feta from the grocery store that says it's pasturized on the package). The risk is from Listeria which if you get can make you very sick (pregnant or not), but if you get it while pregnant, you can miscarry or lose the baby, even into the 2nd trimester. The good news is that heating or other processing kills Listeria, so it's ok to have melted blue cheese on a steak or blue cheese dressing that has been processed.
She told me not to worry about my Mammogram and X-Ray. She said that radiation in early pregnancy can cause miscarriage, but since I didn't, nothing to worry about now. It's an "all or nothing" type of risk. She said MRI's are fine and if I need a breast MRI during pregnancy, it would be perfectly safe.
Finally we had the ultrasound. The baby did look much larger than last time. It measured just a hair over 2 cm and appears to have a head area and a body (approximately equal sizes). Upon closer examination, the heart was still happily beating away. My placenta is high up (good) and probably posterior (back of the uterus). We got to see the cord also. As we were looking the baby twitched, so it's beginning to have movement. At this stage it's mostly trunk and torso movements because the arms and legs aren't fully extended yet. Although at the very end we saw a tiny arm fly up like it was waving to us. I think it looks mostly like an alien pinto bean, but I'm sure it will get cuter.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
8 Weeks, 1 Day (4 days later)
I wrote this last Friday (8 weeks, 1 day), but never got around to posting. So here’s how I felt at 8 weeks. I also took a belly picture that day and uploaded it finally last night.
Here is the comparison between my 8 week symptoms with Grace and 8 week symptoms with #2 (I need a better name.)
Last time my symptoms included:
• Nausea (worst between 8 and11 a.m.) – This time I am generally more queasy than nauseous, but mostly an overwhelming “blah” sensation. It does seem to get worse if I’m hungry, but then I feel less like eating. I feel the best right after lunch, but then I get extremely tired. UPDATED: Now closer to 9 weeks, we’ve moved from queasy to nauseous. Uggh.
• I had lost 2 to 3 pounds. – No losing weight. I’ve gained about 3 pounds. Not an obscene amount, but still going the opposite direction.
• Bra size increased by 1 cup size. – This time it doesn’t seem as noticeable, although Eric’s made some comments. I haven’t switched to a bigger size or anything. UPDATED: Had some growth since last Friday. I think I wore my favorite black push-up bra for the last time this week.
• Fast growing fingernails. – This time I haven’t really noticed any abnormal growth.
• Wanted more carbs and milk, but less protein. – This time I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary, except I want my food to be very flavorful. Sodium sounds good. I had to get Chinese the other day and alfredo sauce sounds wonderful. No problems eating any kind of meat. I haven’t really been drinking milk either, although I had cereal a couple days this week and did have some milk and graham crackers for a snack one night.
• Slight constipation – This time I have no noticeable constipation. If anything I’ve been incredibly regular
• Fatigue – worse after lunch and right at 5 pm. – This time it’s getting bad. I would die for a nap everyday, but life doesn’t really allow for that. I am barely on time for work in the mornings (can’t get out of bed). I also catch myself drifting off while watching TV which I never used to do.
• Increased emotionalism. This time nothing really obvious. Although, the dog has been incredibly annoying lately. I find myself snapping at Grace when she’s whiney, and I think I’m complaining a lot at work about feeling icky. UPDATED – I’m more cranky with Eric too. He’s kind of walking on egg shells.
• Acne (a couple of blemishes) – This time, thankfully, no problems.
• Felt like waistline was expanding – This time I have pulled out my “fat pants” from after I had Grace. I also made a purchase and pulled all my maternity clothes out. I’m going to put it off until my regular pants don’t fit, but expect I only have 2 more weeks or so. Although, last night I think I felt my uterus. It was a hard roundish surface just at my bikini line. Funny, that isn’t where my pants are getting tight… UPDATED – I’m on my last days of non-maternity wear.
Also, a new symptom this time is that I’ve been having sexual dreams. I’m not overly interested when I’m awake, but I dream a lot at night. Good dreams.
I have my first OB appointment on Wednesday. I’m really excited about this pregnancy with Dr. B. I’ll update with the details hopefully before the end of the weekend.
Here is the comparison between my 8 week symptoms with Grace and 8 week symptoms with #2 (I need a better name.)
Last time my symptoms included:
• Nausea (worst between 8 and11 a.m.) – This time I am generally more queasy than nauseous, but mostly an overwhelming “blah” sensation. It does seem to get worse if I’m hungry, but then I feel less like eating. I feel the best right after lunch, but then I get extremely tired. UPDATED: Now closer to 9 weeks, we’ve moved from queasy to nauseous. Uggh.
• I had lost 2 to 3 pounds. – No losing weight. I’ve gained about 3 pounds. Not an obscene amount, but still going the opposite direction.
• Bra size increased by 1 cup size. – This time it doesn’t seem as noticeable, although Eric’s made some comments. I haven’t switched to a bigger size or anything. UPDATED: Had some growth since last Friday. I think I wore my favorite black push-up bra for the last time this week.
• Fast growing fingernails. – This time I haven’t really noticed any abnormal growth.
• Wanted more carbs and milk, but less protein. – This time I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary, except I want my food to be very flavorful. Sodium sounds good. I had to get Chinese the other day and alfredo sauce sounds wonderful. No problems eating any kind of meat. I haven’t really been drinking milk either, although I had cereal a couple days this week and did have some milk and graham crackers for a snack one night.
• Slight constipation – This time I have no noticeable constipation. If anything I’ve been incredibly regular
• Fatigue – worse after lunch and right at 5 pm. – This time it’s getting bad. I would die for a nap everyday, but life doesn’t really allow for that. I am barely on time for work in the mornings (can’t get out of bed). I also catch myself drifting off while watching TV which I never used to do.
• Increased emotionalism. This time nothing really obvious. Although, the dog has been incredibly annoying lately. I find myself snapping at Grace when she’s whiney, and I think I’m complaining a lot at work about feeling icky. UPDATED – I’m more cranky with Eric too. He’s kind of walking on egg shells.
• Acne (a couple of blemishes) – This time, thankfully, no problems.
• Felt like waistline was expanding – This time I have pulled out my “fat pants” from after I had Grace. I also made a purchase and pulled all my maternity clothes out. I’m going to put it off until my regular pants don’t fit, but expect I only have 2 more weeks or so. Although, last night I think I felt my uterus. It was a hard roundish surface just at my bikini line. Funny, that isn’t where my pants are getting tight… UPDATED – I’m on my last days of non-maternity wear.
Also, a new symptom this time is that I’ve been having sexual dreams. I’m not overly interested when I’m awake, but I dream a lot at night. Good dreams.
I have my first OB appointment on Wednesday. I’m really excited about this pregnancy with Dr. B. I’ll update with the details hopefully before the end of the weekend.
Friday, September 28, 2007
6 Weeks, 1 Day
I'm going to attempt weekly updates. Mostly because I love how well documented my first pregnancy was and I don't want Baby #2 to feel jipped that he/she didn't get enough press. However, you know how sporadic my posting has been since I started school, so don't expect too much.
Also, last time I gave all kinds of information from the internet and other sources about where we were in development. If that's what you want, you can look at other informational sites. This time, I'm going to tell you how I feel each week and then compare what I feel this time to how I felt last time.
First story. On Wednesday evening I started noticing random pains on my left side (near where I would expect my ovary to be). I wouldn't describe it as cramping, it was sharper. It wasn't take your breath away pain, but I noticed it, so I told Eric if it continued I would call the doctor in the morning. I was slightly concerned about the possibility of an eptopic pregnancy and since I'm already down an ovary, I didn't want to take the chance of losing a tube too. Next morning pains were continuing, so I called. After speaking with the nurse who relayed my concerns to my doctor, they called me back. Dr. B was not very concerned, especially because I have had no bleeding or spotting, but they did have an 11:15 a.m. cancellation, so they could fit me in for a scan if I wanted to. I did. So Eric and I trekked to the doctor. I joked that they were going to think of me as "that patient" you know the one who imagines up a new ailment every week. I'm just a lot more cautious than I used to be. So, Dr. B came in and was extremely nice and not at all judgemental about my call. She told us that all we were looking for in the ultrasound was a gestational sac, maybe a yolk sac, and that it was in the uterus. I had already warned Eric that 6 weeks is borderline about being able to see a heartbeat on ultrasound. She started the scan and immediately located my sac safe in the uterus. Then she scanned over to my ovary and I have a 2 cm corpus luteum cyst. She didn't seem concerned and after further research I have found that these can range from less than 2 cm to 6 cm and aren't technically classified as an ovarian cyst unless they are over 3 cm. She said it was probably making my ovary heavy and as things push on it or it twists, I feel the pain. I'm just supposed to limit my "bouncy" exercise or contact sports. Then we scanned back over to the sac. It measured about right for my estimated gestation, but she said things are too small to get a very accurate dating measurement (we'll do that at my normal first appointment), then as we looked closer we saw the flicker of a tiny heartbeat. It was cool to see we've reached that milestone. Dr. B then went on to say seeing the heartbeat this early is great news and that it further lowers our risk of first trimester miscarriage to about 5% (versus 25%). Yay! So, not planned, but a good appointment.
I've started a flicker set (album) for this pregnancy. All that's in there so far is a picture of the pregnancy test and my 5 week belly picture. Click here. I'll work on setting something up in the sidebar.
Ok, so how I'm feeling. It's crazy, but I swear my pants are already getting tighter. I've only gained 1 pound though, so it can't be overeating. Maybe things really do happen faster the second time? The tiredness is just starting to set in. It actually is worse in the morning, it takes me an hour or two to start feeling normal. I'm also really tired after eating. I can't say if I'm nauseous yet. It's weird, I don't feel good, but not like I want to puke either. Just very "blah". At least I'm not puking yet. Hopefully not at all. Also, my breasts are extremely tender, although I don't feel like they have grown much.
Compared to Grace's pregnacy at 6 weeks?
- I mentioned losing my appetite and turning down ice cream. I have been eating, but sometimes nothing sounds good (even if I'm hungry), so I don't eat. I did turn down fudge today, sweets just didn't sound appealing.
- I mention a strong sense of smell. This is definately true too. I had to make Eric move to the other end of the couch earlier this week when he was eating a brat that was just too stinky.
- I talk about total exhaustion. I didn't think this was as bad this time, but today especially is bad. I went to be before 11 last night and still couldn't drag myself out until 7. I was dying for a nap after lunch and tonight I did doze during an episode of Dora the Explorer (Grace was laying with me on the couch).
- I mentioned being cranky. I haven't really noticed this one yet. Except that I have been a bit more short-tempered with Grace in the evenings when she starts getting whiny because she's tired.
- I had my first wave of nausea send me to the bathroom, just in case, at 5w4days. Not yet.
That's all for now!
Also, last time I gave all kinds of information from the internet and other sources about where we were in development. If that's what you want, you can look at other informational sites. This time, I'm going to tell you how I feel each week and then compare what I feel this time to how I felt last time.
First story. On Wednesday evening I started noticing random pains on my left side (near where I would expect my ovary to be). I wouldn't describe it as cramping, it was sharper. It wasn't take your breath away pain, but I noticed it, so I told Eric if it continued I would call the doctor in the morning. I was slightly concerned about the possibility of an eptopic pregnancy and since I'm already down an ovary, I didn't want to take the chance of losing a tube too. Next morning pains were continuing, so I called. After speaking with the nurse who relayed my concerns to my doctor, they called me back. Dr. B was not very concerned, especially because I have had no bleeding or spotting, but they did have an 11:15 a.m. cancellation, so they could fit me in for a scan if I wanted to. I did. So Eric and I trekked to the doctor. I joked that they were going to think of me as "that patient" you know the one who imagines up a new ailment every week. I'm just a lot more cautious than I used to be. So, Dr. B came in and was extremely nice and not at all judgemental about my call. She told us that all we were looking for in the ultrasound was a gestational sac, maybe a yolk sac, and that it was in the uterus. I had already warned Eric that 6 weeks is borderline about being able to see a heartbeat on ultrasound. She started the scan and immediately located my sac safe in the uterus. Then she scanned over to my ovary and I have a 2 cm corpus luteum cyst. She didn't seem concerned and after further research I have found that these can range from less than 2 cm to 6 cm and aren't technically classified as an ovarian cyst unless they are over 3 cm. She said it was probably making my ovary heavy and as things push on it or it twists, I feel the pain. I'm just supposed to limit my "bouncy" exercise or contact sports. Then we scanned back over to the sac. It measured about right for my estimated gestation, but she said things are too small to get a very accurate dating measurement (we'll do that at my normal first appointment), then as we looked closer we saw the flicker of a tiny heartbeat. It was cool to see we've reached that milestone. Dr. B then went on to say seeing the heartbeat this early is great news and that it further lowers our risk of first trimester miscarriage to about 5% (versus 25%). Yay! So, not planned, but a good appointment.
I've started a flicker set (album) for this pregnancy. All that's in there so far is a picture of the pregnancy test and my 5 week belly picture. Click here. I'll work on setting something up in the sidebar.
Ok, so how I'm feeling. It's crazy, but I swear my pants are already getting tighter. I've only gained 1 pound though, so it can't be overeating. Maybe things really do happen faster the second time? The tiredness is just starting to set in. It actually is worse in the morning, it takes me an hour or two to start feeling normal. I'm also really tired after eating. I can't say if I'm nauseous yet. It's weird, I don't feel good, but not like I want to puke either. Just very "blah". At least I'm not puking yet. Hopefully not at all. Also, my breasts are extremely tender, although I don't feel like they have grown much.
Compared to Grace's pregnacy at 6 weeks?
- I mentioned losing my appetite and turning down ice cream. I have been eating, but sometimes nothing sounds good (even if I'm hungry), so I don't eat. I did turn down fudge today, sweets just didn't sound appealing.
- I mention a strong sense of smell. This is definately true too. I had to make Eric move to the other end of the couch earlier this week when he was eating a brat that was just too stinky.
- I talk about total exhaustion. I didn't think this was as bad this time, but today especially is bad. I went to be before 11 last night and still couldn't drag myself out until 7. I was dying for a nap after lunch and tonight I did doze during an episode of Dora the Explorer (Grace was laying with me on the couch).
- I mentioned being cranky. I haven't really noticed this one yet. Except that I have been a bit more short-tempered with Grace in the evenings when she starts getting whiny because she's tired.
- I had my first wave of nausea send me to the bathroom, just in case, at 5w4days. Not yet.
That's all for now!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Hawaii Trip - September 7 through 15th
Ok, so it's been a week, but at least with this recap also comes 149 photos. Check it out in the Hawaii Vacation set in Flickr (click on photo)
Thursday is really when everything got started, because Wednesday was my last day in the office. I took Grace to her Speech Therapy appointment at 7:30 a.m. and then dropped her off at the daycare. That gave me about an hour until my 9:30 a.m. MRI. I grabbed a breakfast sandwhich and headed to the hospital. I was there by 9 a.m., so I headed up to the lab to get my bloodwork done. That went quickly and I was in the Radiology department by 9:15 a.m. We did all the paperwork, changed clothes and they told me the MRI would last 30-45 minutes. Sure enough, I finished up there at about 10:45 a.m. Then I had to drive to another building on the hospital campus for my mammogram scheduled at 11:00 a.m. I got there in time, but realized I left my previous films in the car, so had to go back to the garage, so I was running a little late from that appointment. Got through that one, dressed again and had to go downstairs to register for my Chest X-Ray (11:30). Didn't get done with that one until about 12:15 p.m. Next I had to go to the airport to pick up my Mom. Her plane landed while I was waiting to get my x-ray. I got her, we grabbed lunch on the go, and then swung by the daycare to get Grace. I dropped them off at home and then had to drive 45 minutes to a client appointment at 2:30 p.m. It finished at a reasonable time and I was home by 5:30 p.m. The evening was spent getting ready to go. I didn't get to the suitcases until 10:00 p.m. I had to give my Mom all the instructions about Grace's schedule and important info. I had 5 e-bay auctions end that I had to figure out how to get there stuff shipped (thank's Mom), and I had to pay the bills that would be due while we were gone. Whew!
After my hectic day on Thursday, I was glad for vacation to officially start on Friday. Our plane left at 9 a.m. Eastern time. We had about 90 minutes layover in Minneapolis and had a nice lunch with my coworker and her husband (also on the trip). Then we had an 8 hour flight to Honolulu. I didn't sleep much on the plane, but it was nice. We brought headphones and the seats all had there own TV's and a good selection of movies. I read a book, watched Pirates of the Carribean 3 and In Her Shoes. Our flight landed about 3 p.m. Hawaii time (6 hours behind us). It took a while to get off the plane (we had some hydrolic issues in flight and had to be towed to the gate after landing). Then getting our bags took forever (huge plane!) and we rented a car (Mustang hardtop), so the car rental place takes a while too. By the time we got to the hotel and checked in it was 6:45 p.m. We asked about food and the front desk clerk made us a 7:00 reservation. Just enough time to drop our bags and head down. Charity and Jeff joined us and we ate at The Golden Dragon (chinese). The food was so expensive! It was just normal Chinese food, but it cost about $80 for Eric and I and we weren't even drinking alcohol. Good thing work was paying! After a relaxed dinner, we went back upstairs and unpacked, got settled. Didn't go to bed until 9:45 p.m (3:45 a.m. our time!).
Turns out staying up late the first night is the best thing you can do. Saturday we managed to sleep until 5:30 a.m.! We got dressed and went down for the breakfast buffet in the hotel restaurant ($52!). Then we headed to the Convention Center to register for the conference. We must have arrived around 7:30 a.m., but it still took us about an hour and a half to stand in line and get registered. Eric wasn't feeling well, he thought he might be getting another kidney stone, so after registration we went back to the hotel. Our original plan was to go to Pearl Harbor, but we didn't think it was wise to stray far from the hotel. He toughed it out for a few hours and then started feeling better. We just hung out on Waikiki Beach at the hotel and relaxed for the day. The CPCU Conferment Ceremony was at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, so we got dressed up and went back to the convention center. It was a nice ceremony. There was good entertainment (little girls hula dancing, a Hawaiian female vocalist group, the King's Guard rifle troup). Then the keynote speaker was Erik Weihenmayer who was the blind man that climbed Mount Everest. Really good speaker and very funny. After the ceremony, Charity and Jeff had dinner with one of her clients that was there. Eric and I went to the Congratulatory reception for a little while, but with 3,900 new designees, there were too many people for me, so we left shortly after and went to dinner at the Kobe Japanese steakhouse across from the hotel.
Sunday we just grabbed some muffins and drinks from the convenience store for breakfast, then headed back to the convention center for the Keynote speaker and Opening session. It wasn't quite as exciting as the conferment ceremony, but the keynote speaker was James Bradley (author of Flags of Our Fathers). I'm not overly intersted in history, so I probably didn't get as much out of it as the history buffs would have. After the opening we headed back and got into our beach wear. Then we drove to Hanuama Bay. It's this really beautiful nature preserve with an amazing reef and snorkeling. We rented snorkeling gear and spent a couple hours floating around the reef and looking at the fish. There were so many and such gorgeous colors all very close to shore and in very shallow water. It was the best snorkeling I'd ever done! There wasn't food on the beach though, so around 1:30, I was starving and ready to leave and get some food. We did and just went back to the hotel to hang out until our evening event. There was a reception for my company in one of the suites in our building. We had 29 designees from all over the company, so they had snacks and drinks for us all. We also received a signed book from the new CPCU president who happens to work at my company. After the reception we went down for dinner with Jeff and Charity. We went to the Villiage Steak and Seafood restaurant. I had a nice steak and Eric had lobster. Yum! Then we met up with one of Charity's other friends at an outdoor bar for some more conversation and drinks (funny after my glass of wine, I didn't feel right, so I just drank water, maybe I knew I was pregnant?). I was so tired by the time they closed at 11 p.m., so we headed to bed.
Monday, we did breakfast at the buffett again, and then spent the morning wondering around all the hotel shops looking at some souveniers. We found a couple of good things. Then we went back to the convention center for the seminar, "Aligning your Passions with Your Career." There were some interesting tips and a workbook, so maybe Eric will do it soon. I feel like I'm already working towards my ideal career. That seminar was over at noon, so we went back, changed and then left for the North Shore. We stopped at several beaches. The first one was my favorite. The water was warm and gentle. You could just bob in place for hours, but it was the first one, so we moved on. We got in the water at Bonzai and were quickly knocked down and realized we aren't cut out to be body surfers. We went up and spent a little time at sunset beach, but decided we didn't want to wait around until sunset, so we started heading back to towards the town of Haleiwa to look for a beach with a shower to change for dinner. We ended up finding one and after we cleaned up as best we could and put on real clothes, we watched a beautiful sunset (pictures included). Then we went into town and ate at a local place, Pizza Bob's although we both got burgers. Then we headed home.
Tuesday was the last day of the conference, but we didn't have anything until the evening. We walked to a local McDonald's for breakfast (I started feeling guilty about the $52 buffet). Then we drove to Diamond Head and hiked to the top for a spectacular view. Then we drove over to the East side of the island which is more rainforest like. We went to Pali Lookout which had some gorgeous views and then to Kailua Beach which was another fun one to hang out in. That evening, we had the "Final Night Celebration." Again, there were 7,000 people at this conference, so once we got there there were lines everywhere and it was just so crowded. The food was set up in stations with a different food (small serving) at each station. We went through one food line and walked around a bit before deciding to leave. Then for our last night in Honolulu we went back to the Kobe Steakhouse (I love Hibatchi).
Wednesday we were up bright and early to check out, return the rental car and head to the airport. Our flight to Maui left at 9:35 a.m. Once we got there and picked up our new rental car (this time a Sebring convertible) and got to the hotel, it was close to noon, but they had our room ready and let us check in early. This hotel, was not nearly as nice as the Hilton, but it was a place to leave our stuff and sleep (although we did sleep in separate beds since the room was equiped with 2 full size beds). After checking in we drove down the south shore line and checked out several beaches. They were nice, but for some reason, I like the Oahu beaches better. We came back to the hotel, showered, and then drove 30 minutes to the town of Lahaina which was a very cute historic town. They had lots of shops and restaurants. We ate at Moose McGuillicuddy's which was a funky place that again had great burgers.
Thursday we did the drive to Hana. We started around 9 a.m. and hit the town of hana around 1 p.m. The drive is only 45 miles, but with all the twists and turns, one-lane bridges, and waterfalls and scenic lookouts to stop out, it takes 3 to 4 hours. It was so fun. That part of the island is like a rainforest. In fact in rained 4 times on the way down. Once we got to Hana we found a sandwich place for lunch, checked out Hamoa Beach and then continued the drive to see the best waterfalls of all. I drove back and it didn't take nearly as long because we didn't stop on the way back, but boy are those curves scary! On the way back we saw another cool beach with tons of surfers. We got some pictures of them. Wow, they must be brave. Once we got back and showered, we set out in search of a Mexican restaurant (I think I was in Chipotle withdrawl). We found a decent place that was a mix between fast food and set down. You ordered at the counter, but they had a full menu. I wasn't feeling too great, so afterwards we just went back to sleep.
Friday morning we got up at 2:00 a.m. and checked out of the hotel. We drove to Haleakala Crater to watch the sunrise. We were the second car in the parking lot at 3:30 a.m. It was so cold up there (30 degrees), so we stayed in the car until about 4:15 a.m. when lots of others started showing up, so we thought we should go get a good spot. Luckily we packed for the cold. I was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, long-sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, gloves, and stocking hat, plus I brought a small blanket. It was still cold. It started getting light around 5 a.m., but sunrise officially was around 6:10 a.m. The pictures are gorgeous, however, at the time, I was just cold and tired, so don't think I enjoyed it as much as I should have. After sunrise, we walked around a bit and stopped a few scenic spots on the way down the mountain. We got back to town around 8 a.m. so went to Denny's for breakfast. After breakfast we didn't know what to do, so we decided to turn in the car and see if we couldn't get an earlier flight back to Honolulu (we were scheduled for 2:45 p.m.). We got to the airport at around 10:00 and were able to get on a 10:30 a.m. flight. We thought we were running late (got our boarding passes at 10:15), so we ran like idiots and ended up embarrassing ourselves by running down the jetbridge to try to catch the plane (no one was at the gate), only to find out the plane at the end had just landed and was ready to deplane, ours hadn't started boarding yet. Once we got to Honolulu we had another problem in that one of our bags didn't make the flight. That was resolved however, when it arrived on the 12:30 p.m. flight. Whew. We got dinner at the airport, read some books, sat around, and finally left at 5:20 p.m. We attempted sleep on the plane.
Saturday morning we arrived in Minneapolis at 5:46 a.m. Central time. We got breakfast and settled in at the next gate to wait on our flight. Flight left at 9:01 a.m. and we finally landed at home around noon.
So that's the end. Lot's of good food, I read 5 books! and we visited lots of beaches. Just what a Hawaiian vacation should be.
Thursday is really when everything got started, because Wednesday was my last day in the office. I took Grace to her Speech Therapy appointment at 7:30 a.m. and then dropped her off at the daycare. That gave me about an hour until my 9:30 a.m. MRI. I grabbed a breakfast sandwhich and headed to the hospital. I was there by 9 a.m., so I headed up to the lab to get my bloodwork done. That went quickly and I was in the Radiology department by 9:15 a.m. We did all the paperwork, changed clothes and they told me the MRI would last 30-45 minutes. Sure enough, I finished up there at about 10:45 a.m. Then I had to drive to another building on the hospital campus for my mammogram scheduled at 11:00 a.m. I got there in time, but realized I left my previous films in the car, so had to go back to the garage, so I was running a little late from that appointment. Got through that one, dressed again and had to go downstairs to register for my Chest X-Ray (11:30). Didn't get done with that one until about 12:15 p.m. Next I had to go to the airport to pick up my Mom. Her plane landed while I was waiting to get my x-ray. I got her, we grabbed lunch on the go, and then swung by the daycare to get Grace. I dropped them off at home and then had to drive 45 minutes to a client appointment at 2:30 p.m. It finished at a reasonable time and I was home by 5:30 p.m. The evening was spent getting ready to go. I didn't get to the suitcases until 10:00 p.m. I had to give my Mom all the instructions about Grace's schedule and important info. I had 5 e-bay auctions end that I had to figure out how to get there stuff shipped (thank's Mom), and I had to pay the bills that would be due while we were gone. Whew!
After my hectic day on Thursday, I was glad for vacation to officially start on Friday. Our plane left at 9 a.m. Eastern time. We had about 90 minutes layover in Minneapolis and had a nice lunch with my coworker and her husband (also on the trip). Then we had an 8 hour flight to Honolulu. I didn't sleep much on the plane, but it was nice. We brought headphones and the seats all had there own TV's and a good selection of movies. I read a book, watched Pirates of the Carribean 3 and In Her Shoes. Our flight landed about 3 p.m. Hawaii time (6 hours behind us). It took a while to get off the plane (we had some hydrolic issues in flight and had to be towed to the gate after landing). Then getting our bags took forever (huge plane!) and we rented a car (Mustang hardtop), so the car rental place takes a while too. By the time we got to the hotel and checked in it was 6:45 p.m. We asked about food and the front desk clerk made us a 7:00 reservation. Just enough time to drop our bags and head down. Charity and Jeff joined us and we ate at The Golden Dragon (chinese). The food was so expensive! It was just normal Chinese food, but it cost about $80 for Eric and I and we weren't even drinking alcohol. Good thing work was paying! After a relaxed dinner, we went back upstairs and unpacked, got settled. Didn't go to bed until 9:45 p.m (3:45 a.m. our time!).
Turns out staying up late the first night is the best thing you can do. Saturday we managed to sleep until 5:30 a.m.! We got dressed and went down for the breakfast buffet in the hotel restaurant ($52!). Then we headed to the Convention Center to register for the conference. We must have arrived around 7:30 a.m., but it still took us about an hour and a half to stand in line and get registered. Eric wasn't feeling well, he thought he might be getting another kidney stone, so after registration we went back to the hotel. Our original plan was to go to Pearl Harbor, but we didn't think it was wise to stray far from the hotel. He toughed it out for a few hours and then started feeling better. We just hung out on Waikiki Beach at the hotel and relaxed for the day. The CPCU Conferment Ceremony was at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, so we got dressed up and went back to the convention center. It was a nice ceremony. There was good entertainment (little girls hula dancing, a Hawaiian female vocalist group, the King's Guard rifle troup). Then the keynote speaker was Erik Weihenmayer who was the blind man that climbed Mount Everest. Really good speaker and very funny. After the ceremony, Charity and Jeff had dinner with one of her clients that was there. Eric and I went to the Congratulatory reception for a little while, but with 3,900 new designees, there were too many people for me, so we left shortly after and went to dinner at the Kobe Japanese steakhouse across from the hotel.
Sunday we just grabbed some muffins and drinks from the convenience store for breakfast, then headed back to the convention center for the Keynote speaker and Opening session. It wasn't quite as exciting as the conferment ceremony, but the keynote speaker was James Bradley (author of Flags of Our Fathers). I'm not overly intersted in history, so I probably didn't get as much out of it as the history buffs would have. After the opening we headed back and got into our beach wear. Then we drove to Hanuama Bay. It's this really beautiful nature preserve with an amazing reef and snorkeling. We rented snorkeling gear and spent a couple hours floating around the reef and looking at the fish. There were so many and such gorgeous colors all very close to shore and in very shallow water. It was the best snorkeling I'd ever done! There wasn't food on the beach though, so around 1:30, I was starving and ready to leave and get some food. We did and just went back to the hotel to hang out until our evening event. There was a reception for my company in one of the suites in our building. We had 29 designees from all over the company, so they had snacks and drinks for us all. We also received a signed book from the new CPCU president who happens to work at my company. After the reception we went down for dinner with Jeff and Charity. We went to the Villiage Steak and Seafood restaurant. I had a nice steak and Eric had lobster. Yum! Then we met up with one of Charity's other friends at an outdoor bar for some more conversation and drinks (funny after my glass of wine, I didn't feel right, so I just drank water, maybe I knew I was pregnant?). I was so tired by the time they closed at 11 p.m., so we headed to bed.
Monday, we did breakfast at the buffett again, and then spent the morning wondering around all the hotel shops looking at some souveniers. We found a couple of good things. Then we went back to the convention center for the seminar, "Aligning your Passions with Your Career." There were some interesting tips and a workbook, so maybe Eric will do it soon. I feel like I'm already working towards my ideal career. That seminar was over at noon, so we went back, changed and then left for the North Shore. We stopped at several beaches. The first one was my favorite. The water was warm and gentle. You could just bob in place for hours, but it was the first one, so we moved on. We got in the water at Bonzai and were quickly knocked down and realized we aren't cut out to be body surfers. We went up and spent a little time at sunset beach, but decided we didn't want to wait around until sunset, so we started heading back to towards the town of Haleiwa to look for a beach with a shower to change for dinner. We ended up finding one and after we cleaned up as best we could and put on real clothes, we watched a beautiful sunset (pictures included). Then we went into town and ate at a local place, Pizza Bob's although we both got burgers. Then we headed home.
Tuesday was the last day of the conference, but we didn't have anything until the evening. We walked to a local McDonald's for breakfast (I started feeling guilty about the $52 buffet). Then we drove to Diamond Head and hiked to the top for a spectacular view. Then we drove over to the East side of the island which is more rainforest like. We went to Pali Lookout which had some gorgeous views and then to Kailua Beach which was another fun one to hang out in. That evening, we had the "Final Night Celebration." Again, there were 7,000 people at this conference, so once we got there there were lines everywhere and it was just so crowded. The food was set up in stations with a different food (small serving) at each station. We went through one food line and walked around a bit before deciding to leave. Then for our last night in Honolulu we went back to the Kobe Steakhouse (I love Hibatchi).
Wednesday we were up bright and early to check out, return the rental car and head to the airport. Our flight to Maui left at 9:35 a.m. Once we got there and picked up our new rental car (this time a Sebring convertible) and got to the hotel, it was close to noon, but they had our room ready and let us check in early. This hotel, was not nearly as nice as the Hilton, but it was a place to leave our stuff and sleep (although we did sleep in separate beds since the room was equiped with 2 full size beds). After checking in we drove down the south shore line and checked out several beaches. They were nice, but for some reason, I like the Oahu beaches better. We came back to the hotel, showered, and then drove 30 minutes to the town of Lahaina which was a very cute historic town. They had lots of shops and restaurants. We ate at Moose McGuillicuddy's which was a funky place that again had great burgers.
Thursday we did the drive to Hana. We started around 9 a.m. and hit the town of hana around 1 p.m. The drive is only 45 miles, but with all the twists and turns, one-lane bridges, and waterfalls and scenic lookouts to stop out, it takes 3 to 4 hours. It was so fun. That part of the island is like a rainforest. In fact in rained 4 times on the way down. Once we got to Hana we found a sandwich place for lunch, checked out Hamoa Beach and then continued the drive to see the best waterfalls of all. I drove back and it didn't take nearly as long because we didn't stop on the way back, but boy are those curves scary! On the way back we saw another cool beach with tons of surfers. We got some pictures of them. Wow, they must be brave. Once we got back and showered, we set out in search of a Mexican restaurant (I think I was in Chipotle withdrawl). We found a decent place that was a mix between fast food and set down. You ordered at the counter, but they had a full menu. I wasn't feeling too great, so afterwards we just went back to sleep.
Friday morning we got up at 2:00 a.m. and checked out of the hotel. We drove to Haleakala Crater to watch the sunrise. We were the second car in the parking lot at 3:30 a.m. It was so cold up there (30 degrees), so we stayed in the car until about 4:15 a.m. when lots of others started showing up, so we thought we should go get a good spot. Luckily we packed for the cold. I was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, long-sleeve t-shirt, sweatshirt, gloves, and stocking hat, plus I brought a small blanket. It was still cold. It started getting light around 5 a.m., but sunrise officially was around 6:10 a.m. The pictures are gorgeous, however, at the time, I was just cold and tired, so don't think I enjoyed it as much as I should have. After sunrise, we walked around a bit and stopped a few scenic spots on the way down the mountain. We got back to town around 8 a.m. so went to Denny's for breakfast. After breakfast we didn't know what to do, so we decided to turn in the car and see if we couldn't get an earlier flight back to Honolulu (we were scheduled for 2:45 p.m.). We got to the airport at around 10:00 and were able to get on a 10:30 a.m. flight. We thought we were running late (got our boarding passes at 10:15), so we ran like idiots and ended up embarrassing ourselves by running down the jetbridge to try to catch the plane (no one was at the gate), only to find out the plane at the end had just landed and was ready to deplane, ours hadn't started boarding yet. Once we got to Honolulu we had another problem in that one of our bags didn't make the flight. That was resolved however, when it arrived on the 12:30 p.m. flight. Whew. We got dinner at the airport, read some books, sat around, and finally left at 5:20 p.m. We attempted sleep on the plane.
Saturday morning we arrived in Minneapolis at 5:46 a.m. Central time. We got breakfast and settled in at the next gate to wait on our flight. Flight left at 9:01 a.m. and we finally landed at home around noon.
So that's the end. Lot's of good food, I read 5 books! and we visited lots of beaches. Just what a Hawaiian vacation should be.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Three Happy Results
I promise to update on vacation to Hawaii as soon as I get pictures downloaded, in the mean time...
1. When I got home, I checked my grade in Organic Chemistry 2 and manged to get an "A". Yay!
2. I checked the mail when I got home and had my mammogram results. "Normal." This is good because...
3. I'm pregnant.
Yes, that's right, I'm a bit shocked, so let me give you the back story. As I previously mentioned, I got my IUD removed on August 1st. When I started my cycle on August 18th, Eric and I discussed going ahead and starting to try this month. We had been shooting for starting during our Hawaii trip, but we knew that I'd already be past the prime time by the time we left. So we discussed trying before Hawaii. The only downside was the fact that I was going to be getting the MRI, Mammogram, and Chest X-Ray right before leaving. So I did some research about the effects during early pregnancy (just in case). What I found was that MRI's have not been found to have any negative effects on pregnancy (they don't use radiation). The amount of radiation from a chest x-ray and mammogram is approximately .21 mGy. The amount of radiation shown to cause effects in a pregnancy is 50 mGy (my procedure times 250). Also, radiation is most harmful between 8 and 25 weeks gestation. At most when I had the tests done, I was 3 weeks pregnant, so we took the chance, assuming it would take a couple months anyway.
Fast forward to our Hawaii trip. I knew to expect my period on Friday. I had charted this cycle and knew when I ovulated and even took my thermometer with me. On Friday morning my temperature was still up, but we got up really early that day and then began our trip home. We flew overnight, so Saturday morning I awoke on the plane and didn't get to temp. After coming home and taking a nap, I started obsessing about taking a test on Sunday morning. I knew I would think about it until morning, so I decided to go ahead and test that afternoon, and when it was negative would be able to stop thinking about it for a few days. Imagine my shock as I watched the color move across the test window and the plus sign immediately appear.
I got Grace up from her nap and found my Mom had went to the grocery store. Eric was napping on the couch and I was going to wake him up, but then I heard the garage door, so I waited. He slept for 2 more hours! Finally after he woke up and Mom was in the kitchen, I told him I had a surpise. "I'm pregnant." He was very surprised but very happy. He then told me I had to go tell my Mom. I told her and she was very excited too. We called my Dad in China and told him and I called my girlfriends and told them (except for Samara, I made plans to see her today, so I could tell her in person.)
Wow! I'm still a little shocked. I never expected it to happen this fast, but I thank God for allowing this to happen. We didn't know if I would be able to have babies after chemo and then there's the fact that I lost an ovary a couple months ago. We truely are blessed.
I'll try to update a bit more frequently now, but for now, that's the news!
1. When I got home, I checked my grade in Organic Chemistry 2 and manged to get an "A". Yay!
2. I checked the mail when I got home and had my mammogram results. "Normal." This is good because...
3. I'm pregnant.
Yes, that's right, I'm a bit shocked, so let me give you the back story. As I previously mentioned, I got my IUD removed on August 1st. When I started my cycle on August 18th, Eric and I discussed going ahead and starting to try this month. We had been shooting for starting during our Hawaii trip, but we knew that I'd already be past the prime time by the time we left. So we discussed trying before Hawaii. The only downside was the fact that I was going to be getting the MRI, Mammogram, and Chest X-Ray right before leaving. So I did some research about the effects during early pregnancy (just in case). What I found was that MRI's have not been found to have any negative effects on pregnancy (they don't use radiation). The amount of radiation from a chest x-ray and mammogram is approximately .21 mGy. The amount of radiation shown to cause effects in a pregnancy is 50 mGy (my procedure times 250). Also, radiation is most harmful between 8 and 25 weeks gestation. At most when I had the tests done, I was 3 weeks pregnant, so we took the chance, assuming it would take a couple months anyway.
Fast forward to our Hawaii trip. I knew to expect my period on Friday. I had charted this cycle and knew when I ovulated and even took my thermometer with me. On Friday morning my temperature was still up, but we got up really early that day and then began our trip home. We flew overnight, so Saturday morning I awoke on the plane and didn't get to temp. After coming home and taking a nap, I started obsessing about taking a test on Sunday morning. I knew I would think about it until morning, so I decided to go ahead and test that afternoon, and when it was negative would be able to stop thinking about it for a few days. Imagine my shock as I watched the color move across the test window and the plus sign immediately appear.
I got Grace up from her nap and found my Mom had went to the grocery store. Eric was napping on the couch and I was going to wake him up, but then I heard the garage door, so I waited. He slept for 2 more hours! Finally after he woke up and Mom was in the kitchen, I told him I had a surpise. "I'm pregnant." He was very surprised but very happy. He then told me I had to go tell my Mom. I told her and she was very excited too. We called my Dad in China and told him and I called my girlfriends and told them (except for Samara, I made plans to see her today, so I could tell her in person.)
Wow! I'm still a little shocked. I never expected it to happen this fast, but I thank God for allowing this to happen. We didn't know if I would be able to have babies after chemo and then there's the fact that I lost an ovary a couple months ago. We truely are blessed.
I'll try to update a bit more frequently now, but for now, that's the news!
Monday, September 03, 2007
Once Again, I Apologize
I promise my intention has never been to let posting get sporadic, but it seems these days I have so much going on in my daily life, that I never feel I have enough free time to blog. Makes me a little sad though because I love the idea of a journal that I can look back at what's been happening in my life.
So, again, here are some highlights from the last 6 weeks.
School
As I mentioned in my last post, my teacher is not the greatest. I did manage to get a 90% (after the curve) on that first test. However, tests #2 & 3 were only 88 & 83%. Luckily after test 3, the prof decided he will drop our lowest test score, so if I get a 92% on my final (this Wednesday) I could still pull off an A. Otherwise, I'll be looking at my first B. I should be studying now. That's next on the list after this entry. Next quarter I'll be taking my first Organic Chemistry lab. That starts on T&Th starting September 20th. Good news, after Wednesday, I will have completed 7 of the 13 prerequisite classes for med-school. Over 1/2 way!
GWO's
The weekend of July 19-22 I had a GWO. This one was in Lafayette. I have been budgeting for these, but need to get better at sticking to the budget. This time everything I purchased was less than $10, but I guess multiple items, even if inexpensive add up. It was as always a needed good time. Next one is scheduled in October. It will be interesting. Samara gets to go this time and we're bringing all the kids! Jamie's son (Danialle's nephew) Coen is having his 1st birthday party and I think there will be costumes and a big Halloween themed party. Also, very exciting it will be held in Erica's new home (she closes end of September).
House Sale
Speaking of new living arrangements. We have decided on the apartment/townhome we will be living in when the time comes. We decided on the one with the attached garage and no basement. I just liked the living space better and the community and overall think it will be a better fit for our family. I had hoped we'd be there before the pool closes for the season, but seeing how it's now September, we may have to wait until next summer for that feature. I am still optimistic about the sale of our house. We have now been on the market for just over 11 weeks. In that time we have had 16 showings and 1 open house. Three of the 16 showings were 2nd showings. We have also had 1 offer. We made a couple of counters, but I don't think the buyers could really afford the house, so that didn't work out. The offer was 3 weeks ago (4 showings since then), so I'm hoping for another one soon.
Softball
Our softball season ended on 7/29 with us winning the tournament for the 2nd year in a row. We only lost one regular season game, so it was fun. It makes me feel active, so I really enjoy playing. Grace behaves herself too playing with her friend Evan.
Medical
On August 1st, I had my IUD removed. I got a little freaked out for a moment, because I had recently started tracking my cycles again to be sure I am ovulating now that I'm off Tamoxifen and with only one ovary. Eric and I had only considered using alternative protection after the IUD was out, so when I realized I was going to be getting the IUD out on day 14 of my cycle I wondered if our actions prior to that date could have resulted in a "whoops." I did discuss with the doctor though and she seemed pretty confident that the IUD also works as a spermicide, so while there was a slim chance, it was very slim indeed. And sure enough, a couple weeks later it was confirmed that no accidents happened.
Garage Sale
I organized a community garage sale for the weekend of August 10&11. We ended up with about 8 families on the culdesac participating. Traffic wasn't as high as I would have liked, but I did sell alot of stuff. I had a ton to sell. Once we move, I will have one less living room, no basement, and one less bedroom, so downsizing is key. I made just over $1,000 during those two days and sold a couple of big items (2 leather recliners, tall bookshelf, small entertainment center, 32" TV, barstools, living room tables, and lamps). However, I still had lots of big stuff left (couch, chair, loveseat, oak entertainment center, futon, desk, 2 short bookshelves, 2 media shelves, treadmill, weight bench). I put the big stuff on Craigslist and have since gotten rid of the futon, desk, and all shelves. I've had a couple of leads on the living room furiniture, but right now it looks like my mother-in-law may buy it from us. I also am hoping a lead at work might help me unload the treadmill. It feels good to watch stuff leave and watch the money go in the bank.
Financials
We didn't do a great job in August at sticking to the budget when it comes to food. We're going to try much harder in September. But because of the Garage Sale, I didn't have to dig into the emergency fund and kept paying extra on the snowball. I'm pleased to say that in October we will make the final payment on Eric's student loan and will have paid off the fifth credit card or installment loan since February. We've reduced the debt by just over $12,000 now, so I can't complain. If we can be in the new apartment by February, we could be completly debt free by December 2009.
Grace
Wow. I don't have a baby anymore. Grace is definately growing up and she's hilarious. We're starting to be a bit more lenient on her bedtime, now it's sometimes after 8 p.m. before we get her to bed, but she's just so fun, I don't want to quit playing either. Over the last week or so, we've tried to put a focus on potty training, but she's so stubborn. She never wants to sit on the potty for me. I started giving her M&M's for just sitting on the potty and a hershey's kiss or similar type candy if she goes on the potty. I put her in underwear for a weekend and she would cry if she had an accident, but she never asked to go (I had to beg her to sit and then she would only sit for as long as I made her before she could qualify for an M&M). Then as the day went on, even the promise of an M&M wasn't enough to get her to sit. She would just say no and cry if I tried to make her. Maybe she's not ready? They say don't force it, so I guess I won't. It would be nice to stop buying diapers though.
Also, on August 16th Grace started speech therapy. She goes for 30 minutes every Thursday. The first week was mostly playing, but the last week she really started making progress. One of the key things we are trying to do is get her to keep the air out of her nose when she talks. We've been practicing directing the air through her mouth by blowing on things. She's not very good yet, but if you hold her nose, she can do a good job. We try to blow kleenex across the table, we have a pinwheel, whistles/horns, and just last night found a toy harmonica you have to blow to play. Last week we also started trying to work on the "k" and "g" sounds. She uses her tounge on the front of mouth for these, not the back, so they more like "n" or "m" sounds. This one's harder for me to work on at home, but I feel like Alicia (the therapist) knows what she's doing.
COMING UP
We've still got alot going on in the next two weeks. This weekend we're enjoing the rest. Then our schedule goes a little something like this:
Tuesday
Work & Study for Final
Wednesday
Work
Final Exam
Laundry and Start Packing
Thursday
7:30 - 8:00 Grace's Speech Therapy
9:30 Breast MRI
11:15 Bilateral Mammogram
11:45 Chest X-Ray
(sometime at the hospital, I need to go get some bloodwork done too)
11:58 - Mom's flight arrives
Take Mom by the house
2:30 - 5? Client Meeting (45 minutes away from home)
Finish packing and go over all instructions with Mom
Friday
9:05 a.m. Depart for Hawaii!
I will be in Hawaii from the 7th to the 15th. Mom is staying at our house with Grace. I can't wait. Wednesday, September 19th, I have my 2 year appointment with Dr. L. Hopefully, after that, I can start filling my blog with TTC posts. Hopefully, the lab won't be as study intensive as regular class (yeah right!).
Later!
So, again, here are some highlights from the last 6 weeks.
School
As I mentioned in my last post, my teacher is not the greatest. I did manage to get a 90% (after the curve) on that first test. However, tests #2 & 3 were only 88 & 83%. Luckily after test 3, the prof decided he will drop our lowest test score, so if I get a 92% on my final (this Wednesday) I could still pull off an A. Otherwise, I'll be looking at my first B. I should be studying now. That's next on the list after this entry. Next quarter I'll be taking my first Organic Chemistry lab. That starts on T&Th starting September 20th. Good news, after Wednesday, I will have completed 7 of the 13 prerequisite classes for med-school. Over 1/2 way!
GWO's
The weekend of July 19-22 I had a GWO. This one was in Lafayette. I have been budgeting for these, but need to get better at sticking to the budget. This time everything I purchased was less than $10, but I guess multiple items, even if inexpensive add up. It was as always a needed good time. Next one is scheduled in October. It will be interesting. Samara gets to go this time and we're bringing all the kids! Jamie's son (Danialle's nephew) Coen is having his 1st birthday party and I think there will be costumes and a big Halloween themed party. Also, very exciting it will be held in Erica's new home (she closes end of September).
House Sale
Speaking of new living arrangements. We have decided on the apartment/townhome we will be living in when the time comes. We decided on the one with the attached garage and no basement. I just liked the living space better and the community and overall think it will be a better fit for our family. I had hoped we'd be there before the pool closes for the season, but seeing how it's now September, we may have to wait until next summer for that feature. I am still optimistic about the sale of our house. We have now been on the market for just over 11 weeks. In that time we have had 16 showings and 1 open house. Three of the 16 showings were 2nd showings. We have also had 1 offer. We made a couple of counters, but I don't think the buyers could really afford the house, so that didn't work out. The offer was 3 weeks ago (4 showings since then), so I'm hoping for another one soon.
Softball
Our softball season ended on 7/29 with us winning the tournament for the 2nd year in a row. We only lost one regular season game, so it was fun. It makes me feel active, so I really enjoy playing. Grace behaves herself too playing with her friend Evan.
Medical
On August 1st, I had my IUD removed. I got a little freaked out for a moment, because I had recently started tracking my cycles again to be sure I am ovulating now that I'm off Tamoxifen and with only one ovary. Eric and I had only considered using alternative protection after the IUD was out, so when I realized I was going to be getting the IUD out on day 14 of my cycle I wondered if our actions prior to that date could have resulted in a "whoops." I did discuss with the doctor though and she seemed pretty confident that the IUD also works as a spermicide, so while there was a slim chance, it was very slim indeed. And sure enough, a couple weeks later it was confirmed that no accidents happened.
Garage Sale
I organized a community garage sale for the weekend of August 10&11. We ended up with about 8 families on the culdesac participating. Traffic wasn't as high as I would have liked, but I did sell alot of stuff. I had a ton to sell. Once we move, I will have one less living room, no basement, and one less bedroom, so downsizing is key. I made just over $1,000 during those two days and sold a couple of big items (2 leather recliners, tall bookshelf, small entertainment center, 32" TV, barstools, living room tables, and lamps). However, I still had lots of big stuff left (couch, chair, loveseat, oak entertainment center, futon, desk, 2 short bookshelves, 2 media shelves, treadmill, weight bench). I put the big stuff on Craigslist and have since gotten rid of the futon, desk, and all shelves. I've had a couple of leads on the living room furiniture, but right now it looks like my mother-in-law may buy it from us. I also am hoping a lead at work might help me unload the treadmill. It feels good to watch stuff leave and watch the money go in the bank.
Financials
We didn't do a great job in August at sticking to the budget when it comes to food. We're going to try much harder in September. But because of the Garage Sale, I didn't have to dig into the emergency fund and kept paying extra on the snowball. I'm pleased to say that in October we will make the final payment on Eric's student loan and will have paid off the fifth credit card or installment loan since February. We've reduced the debt by just over $12,000 now, so I can't complain. If we can be in the new apartment by February, we could be completly debt free by December 2009.
Grace
Wow. I don't have a baby anymore. Grace is definately growing up and she's hilarious. We're starting to be a bit more lenient on her bedtime, now it's sometimes after 8 p.m. before we get her to bed, but she's just so fun, I don't want to quit playing either. Over the last week or so, we've tried to put a focus on potty training, but she's so stubborn. She never wants to sit on the potty for me. I started giving her M&M's for just sitting on the potty and a hershey's kiss or similar type candy if she goes on the potty. I put her in underwear for a weekend and she would cry if she had an accident, but she never asked to go (I had to beg her to sit and then she would only sit for as long as I made her before she could qualify for an M&M). Then as the day went on, even the promise of an M&M wasn't enough to get her to sit. She would just say no and cry if I tried to make her. Maybe she's not ready? They say don't force it, so I guess I won't. It would be nice to stop buying diapers though.
Also, on August 16th Grace started speech therapy. She goes for 30 minutes every Thursday. The first week was mostly playing, but the last week she really started making progress. One of the key things we are trying to do is get her to keep the air out of her nose when she talks. We've been practicing directing the air through her mouth by blowing on things. She's not very good yet, but if you hold her nose, she can do a good job. We try to blow kleenex across the table, we have a pinwheel, whistles/horns, and just last night found a toy harmonica you have to blow to play. Last week we also started trying to work on the "k" and "g" sounds. She uses her tounge on the front of mouth for these, not the back, so they more like "n" or "m" sounds. This one's harder for me to work on at home, but I feel like Alicia (the therapist) knows what she's doing.
COMING UP
We've still got alot going on in the next two weeks. This weekend we're enjoing the rest. Then our schedule goes a little something like this:
Tuesday
Work & Study for Final
Wednesday
Work
Final Exam
Laundry and Start Packing
Thursday
7:30 - 8:00 Grace's Speech Therapy
9:30 Breast MRI
11:15 Bilateral Mammogram
11:45 Chest X-Ray
(sometime at the hospital, I need to go get some bloodwork done too)
11:58 - Mom's flight arrives
Take Mom by the house
2:30 - 5? Client Meeting (45 minutes away from home)
Finish packing and go over all instructions with Mom
Friday
9:05 a.m. Depart for Hawaii!
I will be in Hawaii from the 7th to the 15th. Mom is staying at our house with Grace. I can't wait. Wednesday, September 19th, I have my 2 year appointment with Dr. L. Hopefully, after that, I can start filling my blog with TTC posts. Hopefully, the lab won't be as study intensive as regular class (yeah right!).
Later!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Why I Need a Sick Day to Study for Organic Chemistry
Excerpt from tonight's review class:
"Well, those aromatic spices were worth more than gold. That is if you talk about price per pound. So you could fill a boat with spices or gold, but you need a big boat for spices, because they are more bulky. You could probably fit the gold in a rowboat. But then how do you get a rowboat back from Borneo? The pirates would kill you. So, you need a bigger boat."
I think self-study may be the way to go this quarter.
"Well, those aromatic spices were worth more than gold. That is if you talk about price per pound. So you could fill a boat with spices or gold, but you need a big boat for spices, because they are more bulky. You could probably fit the gold in a rowboat. But then how do you get a rowboat back from Borneo? The pirates would kill you. So, you need a bigger boat."
I think self-study may be the way to go this quarter.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Last Day
I just wanted to share that today was my last day taking Tamoxifen. So, I may have moved up the quitting a little, but I have good reasoning. I assume that I will get the "all-clear" to resume family planning in early September. Being a planner, I have an appointment to have my IUD removed on August 1st. Now, we certainly do not intend to get pregnant in August, I'm fully supportive of doing one final round of exams before that, but without pretty much guaranteed birth control, we decided that I would stop taking the tamoxifen when I got the IUD out. That way, if there is an accident, the worst that happens is that I don't get to have another mammogram, MRI, and Chest X-ray before we start. I won't have to worry about birth defects or worse because of my medication. So, that was the plan, but today I ran out of pills and just decided I didn't want to get my Rx filled again for these last 2 1/2 weeks.
Before anyone says I should have taken it longer, remember my doctors were on the fence about if I needed it anyway. I have faith that we've been very proactive in fighting off my cancer. I know it could come back, but if it does, I won't beat myself up about quitting the tamoxifen 6 weeks early than my doctor said I could. I'm ready for cancer to be a closed chapter in my life. I'm ready to get back to the fun stuff!
Speaking of fun stuff, I have some really adorable pictures of Grace, including one of her holding a kitten, riding on a kiddie 4-wheeler with her cousin Logan, and wearing silk pajamas that Grandpa sent her from China. However, my camera program just locked up and will require me to reboot the computer, so those will have to wait for another night.
Oh one more note. Our house is still on the market. No offers yet, but we have had 5 showings in the past 3 1/2 weeks. We have faith that when the time is right it will sell and while we sacrifice some space, we'll be able to focus on our debt-free goal and help secure our family's future.
Before anyone says I should have taken it longer, remember my doctors were on the fence about if I needed it anyway. I have faith that we've been very proactive in fighting off my cancer. I know it could come back, but if it does, I won't beat myself up about quitting the tamoxifen 6 weeks early than my doctor said I could. I'm ready for cancer to be a closed chapter in my life. I'm ready to get back to the fun stuff!
Speaking of fun stuff, I have some really adorable pictures of Grace, including one of her holding a kitten, riding on a kiddie 4-wheeler with her cousin Logan, and wearing silk pajamas that Grandpa sent her from China. However, my camera program just locked up and will require me to reboot the computer, so those will have to wait for another night.
Oh one more note. Our house is still on the market. No offers yet, but we have had 5 showings in the past 3 1/2 weeks. We have faith that when the time is right it will sell and while we sacrifice some space, we'll be able to focus on our debt-free goal and help secure our family's future.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
For Sale
Things have been very busy around our household. Eric and I had been discussing for a while and have decided to put our house on the market. It's a scary step but we believe it is a commitment to what we are working for in our future.
We've decided that we will go back to apartment living for the foreseable future (think until I've completed my residency after med school). For the next 2-3 years, the advantage will be that we can hopefully save between $300-$400 more a month by renting. We'll use that extra money to work on our debt. Right now we expect to be completely debt free by May 2010 and I expect to start med school in August 2010. However, hopefully we can move the debt free date up a bit if we free up some money in the budget. However, there are a couple other factors that may effect that. First of all, I may have mentioned that I got a promotion at work, however, last week I finally discussed the details and was told that even though they moved me up a level in title, my company doesn't do salary increases mid-term. I don't agree, but what can I do? And no, I can't turn down the promotion. It's already been processed. As a result, I no longer receive overtime and my first check on straight pay only was $120 less than what I usually budget. Meaning I have to find an extra $240 per month in my budget. Add to this that hopefully in about a year, I'll have 2 kids in daycare. Not sure what that does to the budget, so basically we're looking for any opportunity now to work on paying off the bills. So far since, February we've decreased the debt by just over $10,000 so we are on the right track!
Anyway, we put the house up for sale 2 weeks ago. We met with the realtor on a Thursday night, had a sign in the yard on Friday and on Saturdy got a call for a showing on Sunday. I spent all evening Saturday and morning Sunday until the showing cleaning! Since then, we've had 3 more showings, so 4 in 2 weeks seems pretty good. No offers yet, but I'm hoping traffic will eventually mean an offer. My house is cleaner than it's ever been as I've been obsessively cleaning. We've also been spending alot of time the last two weeks looking for apartments and I've started making lists of stuff to sell. I'm organizing a multi-family/community yard sale to help us downsize.
We're not sure where we're going to live yet. Right now we're between 2 townhomes. One has an attached garage, pool, and fitness center. The other has a partially finished basement with large utility room. We are having trouble deciding if the extra room is more important than the community amenities and an apartment that we just like better.
I also started school again last week. I'd like to say I've been studying, but not so much. I promise next week, I'll buckle down!
Can't think of much else going on. GWO was great as always and I'll see them again in later July. The family is good. Grace is still adorable and growing up so quickly. Eric is doing good too. In just 2 months we get to go to Hawaii and I can't wait.
Ok, stuff to do. More later!
We've decided that we will go back to apartment living for the foreseable future (think until I've completed my residency after med school). For the next 2-3 years, the advantage will be that we can hopefully save between $300-$400 more a month by renting. We'll use that extra money to work on our debt. Right now we expect to be completely debt free by May 2010 and I expect to start med school in August 2010. However, hopefully we can move the debt free date up a bit if we free up some money in the budget. However, there are a couple other factors that may effect that. First of all, I may have mentioned that I got a promotion at work, however, last week I finally discussed the details and was told that even though they moved me up a level in title, my company doesn't do salary increases mid-term. I don't agree, but what can I do? And no, I can't turn down the promotion. It's already been processed. As a result, I no longer receive overtime and my first check on straight pay only was $120 less than what I usually budget. Meaning I have to find an extra $240 per month in my budget. Add to this that hopefully in about a year, I'll have 2 kids in daycare. Not sure what that does to the budget, so basically we're looking for any opportunity now to work on paying off the bills. So far since, February we've decreased the debt by just over $10,000 so we are on the right track!
Anyway, we put the house up for sale 2 weeks ago. We met with the realtor on a Thursday night, had a sign in the yard on Friday and on Saturdy got a call for a showing on Sunday. I spent all evening Saturday and morning Sunday until the showing cleaning! Since then, we've had 3 more showings, so 4 in 2 weeks seems pretty good. No offers yet, but I'm hoping traffic will eventually mean an offer. My house is cleaner than it's ever been as I've been obsessively cleaning. We've also been spending alot of time the last two weeks looking for apartments and I've started making lists of stuff to sell. I'm organizing a multi-family/community yard sale to help us downsize.
We're not sure where we're going to live yet. Right now we're between 2 townhomes. One has an attached garage, pool, and fitness center. The other has a partially finished basement with large utility room. We are having trouble deciding if the extra room is more important than the community amenities and an apartment that we just like better.
I also started school again last week. I'd like to say I've been studying, but not so much. I promise next week, I'll buckle down!
Can't think of much else going on. GWO was great as always and I'll see them again in later July. The family is good. Grace is still adorable and growing up so quickly. Eric is doing good too. In just 2 months we get to go to Hawaii and I can't wait.
Ok, stuff to do. More later!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Catching Up
I know it's been awhile and alot has happened in the last 2 months. I'm going to try to update as much as possible. Also, if you didn't scroll down, I posted some pictures in Flickr (links below).
First of all, work is going really well. I finally got my promotion and am officially an Assistant Vice President. I think I may soon be getting a functional promotion too. My office head has sat down with me and talked about restructuring our department and I will be one of the senior people in our department and will have some management responsibility. I haven't got the nerve up to ask what kind of raise comes with this promotion, but I plan on it.
In my last post, I mentioned that I was having a follow-up ultrasound of my cyst. The ultrasound was on Friday, March 30th and I didn't think anything of it. However, on Tuesday afternoon I got a call from Dr. B's office telling me that the cyst hadn't really changed in size, but now had "septations" and they wanted me to come in the following morning to do some blood work for "tumor markers" and to talk to Dr. B about removal. So, the next morning Eric and I went to visit Dr. B and she told me that basically they would expect a cyst to change over the course of a month if it were cyclical. She said that mine hadn't really gotten larger or smaller, but now was building walls inside itself and compartmentalizing. That gave them cause for concern, so they took some blood to look for elevated tumor markers and then Dr. B said they wanted to remove the cyst. If my levels were ok, Dr. B would do the surgery and try to remove the cyst, but if necessary she might have to remove my ovary also. She told me that they would schedule the surgery for after my vacation. However, if my levels were elevated, we would have to consult with a Gynecological Oncologist and they would do the surgery. A few days later, my blood test results came in and thankfully, my levels were normal, so we had a good feeling that this cyst wasn't cancer.
Friday April 13th we left for our vacation in the Dominican Republic. The whole family drove over to Bloomington, IN to drop Grace off. Eric's mom stayed at Kyle's with Ashton, Logan, and Grace for the whole week. After Donna arrived and Kyle and Leslie finished their packing, we rode with them up to Chicago to Leslie's mom's house (Sue and Rick). We ordered the biggest pizza I'd ever seen and tried to head to bed early. Saturday morning a limo picked us up at the house at 4 a.m. We had a 6 a.m. flight to Punta Cana. The travel agency had booked direct charter flights from O'Hare. We arrived in Punta Cana just before noon and then had to take an hour bus-ride to our resort. We checked in and the place was awesome. However, when we first arrived at the hotel and started unpacking we could hear the family next door. They had a 20 month old little girl with them and she was crying. The walls were thin and we decided we didn't travel that far to listen to a crying 2 year old, so we asked for a room change. Since I didn't write out all the details a month ago, I'll just sum it up to say that it was the most awesome vacation. I got a free pool-side massage, we took a free scuba lesson in the pool, participated in water arobics, and generally just hung out in the pool. We had a spa credit, so I used it to get a real massage one day and I also got my hair braided (which believe it or not, I really liked). We played in the waves in the ocean and did an excursion where we took a catamaran out in the ocean and snorkeled both in the open ocean and then in a corral with nurse sharks and sting rays. I missed Grace, but by the end of the week, I was truely relaxed and hadn't been that relaxed in a really long time.
Once we got back from the Dominican, I had a flurry of doctor's appointments. Dr. B ordered another repeat ultrasound to be sure my cyst was still there, I had to do pre-admission testing, and then finally my surgery was on Friday, April 27. While I was under, they biopsied my cysts and thankfully, we found out that they were benign. However, it wasn't clear before the biopsy if they were benign, so Dr. B removed my right ovary. She thought it was too big a risk to try to remove the cysts without spilling any fluid. My fallopian tube was in great shape, so they left it (apparently even with one ovary, you can get pregnant in either tube!). I was told that my fertility shouldn't be effected by only having one ovary, so I basically just lost my spare.
I've also got to see my parents a couple of times. My Mom came and stayed for a long weekend after my surgery. Then the weekend of May 18th, I took Grace and went to Grandma's house to deliver on her Christmas present. My parents, brother, and I did an "Extreme Makeover" to Grandma's sewing room. Dad and Jeremy tore out the carpet and put down a wood floor, replaced the ceiling fan with a huge light, build a counter extension to the sewing machine table, assembled 2 shelving units, and a bookcase. Mom and I with Grandma's assistance went through everything in the room and organized it. Grandma did part with some items, but everything that she kept is labled and organized, so she can now use her space and hopefully find everything. Unless you'd seen the room before and after, you can't begin to comprehend what a huge project this was. I think she was really happy with the finished project.
After that weekend, Mom and Dad drove on over to Columbus to stay with us for the week. Grace got to stay home all week and Grandpa gave her lots of presents from his recent trip to China. Grace loves presents! Grace also got one of her Christmas presents of a swingset and sandbox. She loves swinging especially.
Last weekend we just chilled at home, with the only excitement being Ava's 2nd Birthday party. I just love that our little girls are friends. Grace loves going to see Ava and they are so cute together.
I promise to try to do better at updating (as always!). It takes too long to do these super long updates! My next big event is GWO in Chicago next weekend. Also, I have my quarterly appointment with Dr. Y on 6/11, so I should have an update about that. Hopefully, this is my last Dr.'s appointment before the September appointments where I should get the go ahead to continue our family!
First of all, work is going really well. I finally got my promotion and am officially an Assistant Vice President. I think I may soon be getting a functional promotion too. My office head has sat down with me and talked about restructuring our department and I will be one of the senior people in our department and will have some management responsibility. I haven't got the nerve up to ask what kind of raise comes with this promotion, but I plan on it.
In my last post, I mentioned that I was having a follow-up ultrasound of my cyst. The ultrasound was on Friday, March 30th and I didn't think anything of it. However, on Tuesday afternoon I got a call from Dr. B's office telling me that the cyst hadn't really changed in size, but now had "septations" and they wanted me to come in the following morning to do some blood work for "tumor markers" and to talk to Dr. B about removal. So, the next morning Eric and I went to visit Dr. B and she told me that basically they would expect a cyst to change over the course of a month if it were cyclical. She said that mine hadn't really gotten larger or smaller, but now was building walls inside itself and compartmentalizing. That gave them cause for concern, so they took some blood to look for elevated tumor markers and then Dr. B said they wanted to remove the cyst. If my levels were ok, Dr. B would do the surgery and try to remove the cyst, but if necessary she might have to remove my ovary also. She told me that they would schedule the surgery for after my vacation. However, if my levels were elevated, we would have to consult with a Gynecological Oncologist and they would do the surgery. A few days later, my blood test results came in and thankfully, my levels were normal, so we had a good feeling that this cyst wasn't cancer.
Friday April 13th we left for our vacation in the Dominican Republic. The whole family drove over to Bloomington, IN to drop Grace off. Eric's mom stayed at Kyle's with Ashton, Logan, and Grace for the whole week. After Donna arrived and Kyle and Leslie finished their packing, we rode with them up to Chicago to Leslie's mom's house (Sue and Rick). We ordered the biggest pizza I'd ever seen and tried to head to bed early. Saturday morning a limo picked us up at the house at 4 a.m. We had a 6 a.m. flight to Punta Cana. The travel agency had booked direct charter flights from O'Hare. We arrived in Punta Cana just before noon and then had to take an hour bus-ride to our resort. We checked in and the place was awesome. However, when we first arrived at the hotel and started unpacking we could hear the family next door. They had a 20 month old little girl with them and she was crying. The walls were thin and we decided we didn't travel that far to listen to a crying 2 year old, so we asked for a room change. Since I didn't write out all the details a month ago, I'll just sum it up to say that it was the most awesome vacation. I got a free pool-side massage, we took a free scuba lesson in the pool, participated in water arobics, and generally just hung out in the pool. We had a spa credit, so I used it to get a real massage one day and I also got my hair braided (which believe it or not, I really liked). We played in the waves in the ocean and did an excursion where we took a catamaran out in the ocean and snorkeled both in the open ocean and then in a corral with nurse sharks and sting rays. I missed Grace, but by the end of the week, I was truely relaxed and hadn't been that relaxed in a really long time.
Once we got back from the Dominican, I had a flurry of doctor's appointments. Dr. B ordered another repeat ultrasound to be sure my cyst was still there, I had to do pre-admission testing, and then finally my surgery was on Friday, April 27. While I was under, they biopsied my cysts and thankfully, we found out that they were benign. However, it wasn't clear before the biopsy if they were benign, so Dr. B removed my right ovary. She thought it was too big a risk to try to remove the cysts without spilling any fluid. My fallopian tube was in great shape, so they left it (apparently even with one ovary, you can get pregnant in either tube!). I was told that my fertility shouldn't be effected by only having one ovary, so I basically just lost my spare.
I've also got to see my parents a couple of times. My Mom came and stayed for a long weekend after my surgery. Then the weekend of May 18th, I took Grace and went to Grandma's house to deliver on her Christmas present. My parents, brother, and I did an "Extreme Makeover" to Grandma's sewing room. Dad and Jeremy tore out the carpet and put down a wood floor, replaced the ceiling fan with a huge light, build a counter extension to the sewing machine table, assembled 2 shelving units, and a bookcase. Mom and I with Grandma's assistance went through everything in the room and organized it. Grandma did part with some items, but everything that she kept is labled and organized, so she can now use her space and hopefully find everything. Unless you'd seen the room before and after, you can't begin to comprehend what a huge project this was. I think she was really happy with the finished project.
After that weekend, Mom and Dad drove on over to Columbus to stay with us for the week. Grace got to stay home all week and Grandpa gave her lots of presents from his recent trip to China. Grace loves presents! Grace also got one of her Christmas presents of a swingset and sandbox. She loves swinging especially.
Last weekend we just chilled at home, with the only excitement being Ava's 2nd Birthday party. I just love that our little girls are friends. Grace loves going to see Ava and they are so cute together.
I promise to try to do better at updating (as always!). It takes too long to do these super long updates! My next big event is GWO in Chicago next weekend. Also, I have my quarterly appointment with Dr. Y on 6/11, so I should have an update about that. Hopefully, this is my last Dr.'s appointment before the September appointments where I should get the go ahead to continue our family!
And Because I know You want Pictures of Grace
My Mom bought this cute get-up for Grace. I also added some pics of her first fishing trip with Daddy.
Monday, April 09, 2007
The Loves of My Life
Just a quick post to let you know I have finally uploaded some pictures. They include Easter and some cute pics I had of Grace from the last month or two. Enjoy! (Click picture to get into my Flickr slideshow).
Sunday, March 25, 2007
March Recap
So maybe, I decided to post once a month...
So, I thought I'd give you an update on most of the events I mentioned last time.
First of all, health updates.
When I saw Dr. Y my last appointment, all went well. He did have me restart the tamoxifen as expected, but we did discuss the timeline and he has now agreed that I will only be taking it until September, so only a few more months until treatment is over and I can move on with my life. He also discussed my CT and while all looked clear he did spot a fluid-density mass measuring 8 cm near my right ovary. He referred me to my GYN for follow-up. She scheduled me for a pelvic ultrasound, and while I was very worried, the results were a cyst measuring about 3 cm, so I think the CT caught me at just the right time in my cycle for a large cyst. 3cm is still on the larger size, so I am having a follow-up ultrasound next week, but I don't have any pain or other side effects, so probably not going to do anything about it.
My port removal went well. No problems at all and I was back at work the next day.
Other events:
1. Samara had her baby! It was another beautiful girl named Clara. Samara came down with a nasty cold/sinus infection, so she post-poned her induction until she felt a little better. The birthdate was 2/28. Samara handles pain like a pro. I got to the hospital about an hour after they started her pitocin and she made it until about noon before she requested her epidural. Clara was born just after 2 p.m. Could have been sooner, but her Dr. was in surgery and had her wait a while on pushing. This birth was so amazing. It was different to experience during the day when everyone is well rested and alert. Also, Samara seemed so different and calm and peaceful compared to Ava's birth. It was like she was made to have beautiful babies. Clara looks just like Ava and seemed to come out so laid back and quiet. Nothing seemed to get her too upset. I've only seen her once since then, but hopefully, Samara will get back into a routine soon and we can try to get together with all the girls. I don't want to stress her out this early.
2. On March 9th, I met my Mom in Minneapolis for a weekend of shopping at the Mall of America. We spent 2 full days at the mall, but planned our shopping to be sure we got the best deals. Friday we hit all the stores except the anchors and Saturday hit the anchors and actually purchased items. We had decided not to buy anything the first day, we just wrote down the stores and the cost of the item if we saw something before then. I got a lot of good deals. I came home with 3 pair of shoes (Black Peep Toe Heels, Red Strappy Heels, and Black Strappy Heels), 1 vacation purse, a bathing suit, black capris, t-shirt, 2 pair denim shorts, and khaki shorts. I came home with $20 in cash, so I stayed completely within my budget. Although Mom bought my dinner on Saturday, so that helped a bit.
3. I finished my Winter Quarter Organic Chemistry course. I'm not sure how close it was, but I managed an A. Now I'm taking off until June to get a little break in the classes. I still have 8 classes to take plus the M-CAT (O-Chem 2 & 3, plus 2 labs, 2 more Bio classes and 2 Physics classes.)
Budgeting is still going well. It takes alot of my free time as I review everything each week to be sure we are doing what we said we would, but I just keep thinking that we'll be out of debt in less than 3 years just in time for us to move to one income.
In 3 weeks, Eric and I are leaving for the Dominican Republic. I can't wait as I need a vacation. Work is going well, but I've been putting in alot of time. I've got alot to get done in the next 3 weeks, but I should be in good shape to catch up this summer.
Ok, I'm supposed to be working tonight, so I better get to it!
So, I thought I'd give you an update on most of the events I mentioned last time.
First of all, health updates.
When I saw Dr. Y my last appointment, all went well. He did have me restart the tamoxifen as expected, but we did discuss the timeline and he has now agreed that I will only be taking it until September, so only a few more months until treatment is over and I can move on with my life. He also discussed my CT and while all looked clear he did spot a fluid-density mass measuring 8 cm near my right ovary. He referred me to my GYN for follow-up. She scheduled me for a pelvic ultrasound, and while I was very worried, the results were a cyst measuring about 3 cm, so I think the CT caught me at just the right time in my cycle for a large cyst. 3cm is still on the larger size, so I am having a follow-up ultrasound next week, but I don't have any pain or other side effects, so probably not going to do anything about it.
My port removal went well. No problems at all and I was back at work the next day.
Other events:
1. Samara had her baby! It was another beautiful girl named Clara. Samara came down with a nasty cold/sinus infection, so she post-poned her induction until she felt a little better. The birthdate was 2/28. Samara handles pain like a pro. I got to the hospital about an hour after they started her pitocin and she made it until about noon before she requested her epidural. Clara was born just after 2 p.m. Could have been sooner, but her Dr. was in surgery and had her wait a while on pushing. This birth was so amazing. It was different to experience during the day when everyone is well rested and alert. Also, Samara seemed so different and calm and peaceful compared to Ava's birth. It was like she was made to have beautiful babies. Clara looks just like Ava and seemed to come out so laid back and quiet. Nothing seemed to get her too upset. I've only seen her once since then, but hopefully, Samara will get back into a routine soon and we can try to get together with all the girls. I don't want to stress her out this early.
2. On March 9th, I met my Mom in Minneapolis for a weekend of shopping at the Mall of America. We spent 2 full days at the mall, but planned our shopping to be sure we got the best deals. Friday we hit all the stores except the anchors and Saturday hit the anchors and actually purchased items. We had decided not to buy anything the first day, we just wrote down the stores and the cost of the item if we saw something before then. I got a lot of good deals. I came home with 3 pair of shoes (Black Peep Toe Heels, Red Strappy Heels, and Black Strappy Heels), 1 vacation purse, a bathing suit, black capris, t-shirt, 2 pair denim shorts, and khaki shorts. I came home with $20 in cash, so I stayed completely within my budget. Although Mom bought my dinner on Saturday, so that helped a bit.
3. I finished my Winter Quarter Organic Chemistry course. I'm not sure how close it was, but I managed an A. Now I'm taking off until June to get a little break in the classes. I still have 8 classes to take plus the M-CAT (O-Chem 2 & 3, plus 2 labs, 2 more Bio classes and 2 Physics classes.)
Budgeting is still going well. It takes alot of my free time as I review everything each week to be sure we are doing what we said we would, but I just keep thinking that we'll be out of debt in less than 3 years just in time for us to move to one income.
In 3 weeks, Eric and I are leaving for the Dominican Republic. I can't wait as I need a vacation. Work is going well, but I've been putting in alot of time. I've got alot to get done in the next 3 weeks, but I should be in good shape to catch up this summer.
Ok, I'm supposed to be working tonight, so I better get to it!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
6 Weeks
So, I'd like to apologize for my lack of posting, but it seems that's how I start every post. I don't even think I'll promise to try to do better this time. My excuse will be that I'm living life and frankly sitting at the computer in my basement isn't as appealing to me as curling up on the couch to watch some TV with my hubby, but one day I may look back and wonder what was going on in my life in January 2007. So, here's a brief overview.
Family
Family is good. Grace is really getting into her 2's and acting terrible lots of the time. She follows it up with moments of cuteness though. We're trying really hard to be tough and consistent, but sometimes I wonder if we're screwing it all up. I guess that's how parenting goes, right? It looked so easy when you saw the toddler screaming at the top of his/her lungs at the grocery store before you had your own kids. This weekend she was sick and that was no fun, but tonight she was back to her old self, so I don't think we have to miss any work. Eric is good too. Especially since the Colts won the superbowl!
Trips/Visitors
January 12-16 - We took a trip to Iowa to visit my parents. Well, my Mom at least. The week before Dad found out he had to take a work trip to China, so he wasn't there. This was our first trip with Grace in her own plane seat and it was so much better than riding on my lap. Not sure it was $250 better, but since we didn't have a choice, we appreciated it. Iowa was very cold. We didn't go out except one excursion to the mall and to church, but it was a nice visit with the family.
We did host a superbowl party, since we are ultimate Colt's fans. It was really fun although I didn't spend much time watching the game, since we hosted and there were also several little ones in attendence. In total including our family, we had 18 in attendence. Plus, COLTS WIN!
Last weekend was GWO in Columbus. Samara hosted, so I still got some free time. Thursday night Danialle came in late, so I picked her up at the airport and we stayed at my house. Friday we drove over to Samara and brought Grace to play with Ava. Friday night Danialle took some awesome pregnancy pictures of Samara. Saturday we went to breakfast (I took Grace home) and then went to the mall for some shopping. I was very good and only bought one item. Afterwards we went home to get ready and then had dinner at the Melting Pot. Yum! We came back home and took some more pictures and then Sunday took Danialle back to the airport. Erica came back to my house and I hosted a jewelry party, now that Erica is an Independent Consultant for Premier Designs. I didn't have a huge turn-out, but I did end up with enough sales and bonuses to earn $280 in free jewelry. Awesome!
Work
Work has been better. Still extremely busy, but I'm keeping a positive outlook and trying to stay as organized as possible and communicate with everyone. In January we moved to a new office building which was challenging because our new layout gives everyone less space, but is also kind of fun because everything is new and the new layout is much more open.
On January 26th, I took and passed my final CPCU exam. I've since then got the letter giving me permission to use the designation. So now that that's official, I can begin planning our trip to Hawaii in September. I think we're leaving on a Friday, the conference lasts until Tuesday night and then Eric and I will pay for an extra 2 days and go to Maui. It's so exciting!
Same day as my CPCU exam, my boss told me that she had nominated me to become an AVP (Assistant Vice President). I've wanted this for at least the last 3 years. My nomination was approved by our office head and my department head on a regional level. Next the Zone/Region head has to approve and then it's official. Announcements aren't usually made until April, but it looks positive!
School
Organic Chemistry is going well. I have a good teacher and it's so much easier just doing one class at a time, plus I don't even have a lab this quarter. I've only had 1 test (#2 is on Tuesday), but I got an 87 percent plus he curved it to give me a 93%. I also think he might drop another test or curve the final scores. I think I should do fine.
Health
Dr. L left the surgery practice I had been going to to start her own practice. I followed and got to see her at the end of January. My mammograms looked good and she didn't have any concerns for me. We did decide it's time to get my port out and I have that scheduled for Wednesday, February 21st (yes, this week!). We also discussed my hopeful timeline to start trying to get pregnant this fall (did I mention a trip to Hawaii in September with my husband?). In short, she recommends waiting 2 to 5 years. And while she wasn't super enthusiastic about me pushing the 2 year mark, she said she doesn't have any reason to tell me no. So, the plan will be that the week before I go to Hawaii, she's running a full battery of tests including a breast MRI, Mammogram, and Chest X-Ray along with the normal blood work. I have my 2 year follow-up appointment with her the week after I get back. Assuming all test are clear, I will get the all clear. Yahoo!
I did have another small scare. My periods have been pretty normal over the last year, but this month, I continued spotting after the normal time (12 days total of bleeding). I called my GYN because I remember Dr. Y telling me that Tamoxifen can increase your risk of Endometrial cancer. Short story is that both Dr. Y and Dr. B agreed that "just in case" they should do a biopsy of my endometrium. It was not a comfortable procedure, but I have received results and all was fine. Dr. B assumes the irregular bleeding was a side-effect from my IUD.
Last week, I had my quarterly/semi-annual CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis and MUGA scan. Tomorrow, I see Dr. Y to review and have our quarterly review. I think I may bring up the Tamoxifen. I stopped it when we were doing the biopsy and I haven't restarted it. At most I will only take it for another 6 months, so I wonder if I really have to take it. I'm tired of being on medication. I'm guessing, he'll say yes, take it as long as I can.
Finances
This one I'm kind of excited about. Heather and Nick had read this book by John Ramsey and last year managed to get out of debt. She had talked about it and I kind of ignored it, but then Danialle and Erica started talking about it too and our church also started giving these classes called "Financial Peace." The church classes sounded great, but always conflicted with my class schedule. They just started a 2nd round of classes and this time I really felt like it was something I needed. So, I bought the book, read it in one day and Eric and are going full force in an effort to be debt free (except for the mortgages) by the time I quit my job and go to school. I wasn't sure how we were going to make it if I quit my job, but now the answer is becoming more clear. We are in the early stages (week 2), but so far, we have made up an unbendable budget. Meaning if something changes mid-month, we have to take the funds out of somewhere else. Also, we pay cash for things like groceries, lunches, eating out, gas for the cars, etc. At the beginning of the period (weekly/biweekly,etc) I get out the cash and put it in envelopes and that's how much we have to spend. When it's gone, it's gone. Next month, I'm paying off my car and then I will be applying my car payment every month to another debt. We've also decided to put every extra dollar into our debt. Meaning overtime, etc. Because it won't affect my plan on when I will start med school, we are also discussing that I take next quarter off of school and work tons of overtime to see if we can't get a few things paid off. Finally, we cut up every single credit card we have. They just aren't there to fall back on now. We have a small "emergency fund" if we have an emergency, but everything else must be budgeted. This year, we shouldn't treat Christmas as an emergency. We're only paying cash! I'll give you updates as we go, but I'm so excited to think we could be debt-free minus the house in less than 3 years. (This includes both of our cars, student loans, and credit cards!)
Upcoming Events
I've got a lot coming up:
1. In the next week or less, Samara is going to have her baby. I've been waiting on the call this weekend, but so far nothing. If she doesn't go on her own, she's being induced on the 26th. I've luckily been offered a spot in the delivery room again, and I can't wait to witness my second birth (not counting when I was doing the pushing!). I'm so lucky my best friend wants me there!
2. Tomorrow, I'm going to see Justin Timberlake in concert with some friends from work. (I already had bought my ticket - pre-budget)
3. March 9th, I'm heading to Minneapolis to meet my Mom for a weekend of shopping at the Mall of America! I'm so excited. I'm pre-planning what I want to buy. Mostly shopping for my upcoming vacation to the Dominican Republic. Again, I've made up my March budget and will be taking cash only to the mall, but enough that I can enjoy the shopping!
4. In mid-April, Eric and I will be going to the Dominican Republic for a full 7 nights with Eric's brother and wife and her Mother and Brother and spouses. It's an all inclusive, so should be very fun with very little to worry about. We're even budgeting for a spa package for me! Can't wait!
I hope I update again before all those upcoming events pass! Ok, I need to go study and see my hubby. Later!
Family
Family is good. Grace is really getting into her 2's and acting terrible lots of the time. She follows it up with moments of cuteness though. We're trying really hard to be tough and consistent, but sometimes I wonder if we're screwing it all up. I guess that's how parenting goes, right? It looked so easy when you saw the toddler screaming at the top of his/her lungs at the grocery store before you had your own kids. This weekend she was sick and that was no fun, but tonight she was back to her old self, so I don't think we have to miss any work. Eric is good too. Especially since the Colts won the superbowl!
Trips/Visitors
January 12-16 - We took a trip to Iowa to visit my parents. Well, my Mom at least. The week before Dad found out he had to take a work trip to China, so he wasn't there. This was our first trip with Grace in her own plane seat and it was so much better than riding on my lap. Not sure it was $250 better, but since we didn't have a choice, we appreciated it. Iowa was very cold. We didn't go out except one excursion to the mall and to church, but it was a nice visit with the family.
We did host a superbowl party, since we are ultimate Colt's fans. It was really fun although I didn't spend much time watching the game, since we hosted and there were also several little ones in attendence. In total including our family, we had 18 in attendence. Plus, COLTS WIN!
Last weekend was GWO in Columbus. Samara hosted, so I still got some free time. Thursday night Danialle came in late, so I picked her up at the airport and we stayed at my house. Friday we drove over to Samara and brought Grace to play with Ava. Friday night Danialle took some awesome pregnancy pictures of Samara. Saturday we went to breakfast (I took Grace home) and then went to the mall for some shopping. I was very good and only bought one item. Afterwards we went home to get ready and then had dinner at the Melting Pot. Yum! We came back home and took some more pictures and then Sunday took Danialle back to the airport. Erica came back to my house and I hosted a jewelry party, now that Erica is an Independent Consultant for Premier Designs. I didn't have a huge turn-out, but I did end up with enough sales and bonuses to earn $280 in free jewelry. Awesome!
Work
Work has been better. Still extremely busy, but I'm keeping a positive outlook and trying to stay as organized as possible and communicate with everyone. In January we moved to a new office building which was challenging because our new layout gives everyone less space, but is also kind of fun because everything is new and the new layout is much more open.
On January 26th, I took and passed my final CPCU exam. I've since then got the letter giving me permission to use the designation. So now that that's official, I can begin planning our trip to Hawaii in September. I think we're leaving on a Friday, the conference lasts until Tuesday night and then Eric and I will pay for an extra 2 days and go to Maui. It's so exciting!
Same day as my CPCU exam, my boss told me that she had nominated me to become an AVP (Assistant Vice President). I've wanted this for at least the last 3 years. My nomination was approved by our office head and my department head on a regional level. Next the Zone/Region head has to approve and then it's official. Announcements aren't usually made until April, but it looks positive!
School
Organic Chemistry is going well. I have a good teacher and it's so much easier just doing one class at a time, plus I don't even have a lab this quarter. I've only had 1 test (#2 is on Tuesday), but I got an 87 percent plus he curved it to give me a 93%. I also think he might drop another test or curve the final scores. I think I should do fine.
Health
Dr. L left the surgery practice I had been going to to start her own practice. I followed and got to see her at the end of January. My mammograms looked good and she didn't have any concerns for me. We did decide it's time to get my port out and I have that scheduled for Wednesday, February 21st (yes, this week!). We also discussed my hopeful timeline to start trying to get pregnant this fall (did I mention a trip to Hawaii in September with my husband?). In short, she recommends waiting 2 to 5 years. And while she wasn't super enthusiastic about me pushing the 2 year mark, she said she doesn't have any reason to tell me no. So, the plan will be that the week before I go to Hawaii, she's running a full battery of tests including a breast MRI, Mammogram, and Chest X-Ray along with the normal blood work. I have my 2 year follow-up appointment with her the week after I get back. Assuming all test are clear, I will get the all clear. Yahoo!
I did have another small scare. My periods have been pretty normal over the last year, but this month, I continued spotting after the normal time (12 days total of bleeding). I called my GYN because I remember Dr. Y telling me that Tamoxifen can increase your risk of Endometrial cancer. Short story is that both Dr. Y and Dr. B agreed that "just in case" they should do a biopsy of my endometrium. It was not a comfortable procedure, but I have received results and all was fine. Dr. B assumes the irregular bleeding was a side-effect from my IUD.
Last week, I had my quarterly/semi-annual CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis and MUGA scan. Tomorrow, I see Dr. Y to review and have our quarterly review. I think I may bring up the Tamoxifen. I stopped it when we were doing the biopsy and I haven't restarted it. At most I will only take it for another 6 months, so I wonder if I really have to take it. I'm tired of being on medication. I'm guessing, he'll say yes, take it as long as I can.
Finances
This one I'm kind of excited about. Heather and Nick had read this book by John Ramsey and last year managed to get out of debt. She had talked about it and I kind of ignored it, but then Danialle and Erica started talking about it too and our church also started giving these classes called "Financial Peace." The church classes sounded great, but always conflicted with my class schedule. They just started a 2nd round of classes and this time I really felt like it was something I needed. So, I bought the book, read it in one day and Eric and are going full force in an effort to be debt free (except for the mortgages) by the time I quit my job and go to school. I wasn't sure how we were going to make it if I quit my job, but now the answer is becoming more clear. We are in the early stages (week 2), but so far, we have made up an unbendable budget. Meaning if something changes mid-month, we have to take the funds out of somewhere else. Also, we pay cash for things like groceries, lunches, eating out, gas for the cars, etc. At the beginning of the period (weekly/biweekly,etc) I get out the cash and put it in envelopes and that's how much we have to spend. When it's gone, it's gone. Next month, I'm paying off my car and then I will be applying my car payment every month to another debt. We've also decided to put every extra dollar into our debt. Meaning overtime, etc. Because it won't affect my plan on when I will start med school, we are also discussing that I take next quarter off of school and work tons of overtime to see if we can't get a few things paid off. Finally, we cut up every single credit card we have. They just aren't there to fall back on now. We have a small "emergency fund" if we have an emergency, but everything else must be budgeted. This year, we shouldn't treat Christmas as an emergency. We're only paying cash! I'll give you updates as we go, but I'm so excited to think we could be debt-free minus the house in less than 3 years. (This includes both of our cars, student loans, and credit cards!)
Upcoming Events
I've got a lot coming up:
1. In the next week or less, Samara is going to have her baby. I've been waiting on the call this weekend, but so far nothing. If she doesn't go on her own, she's being induced on the 26th. I've luckily been offered a spot in the delivery room again, and I can't wait to witness my second birth (not counting when I was doing the pushing!). I'm so lucky my best friend wants me there!
2. Tomorrow, I'm going to see Justin Timberlake in concert with some friends from work. (I already had bought my ticket - pre-budget)
3. March 9th, I'm heading to Minneapolis to meet my Mom for a weekend of shopping at the Mall of America! I'm so excited. I'm pre-planning what I want to buy. Mostly shopping for my upcoming vacation to the Dominican Republic. Again, I've made up my March budget and will be taking cash only to the mall, but enough that I can enjoy the shopping!
4. In mid-April, Eric and I will be going to the Dominican Republic for a full 7 nights with Eric's brother and wife and her Mother and Brother and spouses. It's an all inclusive, so should be very fun with very little to worry about. We're even budgeting for a spa package for me! Can't wait!
I hope I update again before all those upcoming events pass! Ok, I need to go study and see my hubby. Later!
Friday, January 05, 2007
Smarts
I am such a proud mama. Tonight Grace counted to 10.
Well, sort of. She was looking at the books on her book shelf and I heard her counting. She got to 6 and then skipped 7 and 8 and said 9, 10. I then counted with her and said 7, she followed with 8. So she knows them all and mostly in the right order.
Wow. My baby's not really a baby anymore.
Well, sort of. She was looking at the books on her book shelf and I heard her counting. She got to 6 and then skipped 7 and 8 and said 9, 10. I then counted with her and said 7, she followed with 8. So she knows them all and mostly in the right order.
Wow. My baby's not really a baby anymore.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Fear
This morning when I came to work, I found out that Norma passed away on Saturday. She was one of our Insurance Assistants that was here before I started. I’m not sure when she was first diagnosed with kidney cancer, but I do know she had one kidney removed and seemed to be doing well for a while, before it came back. I watched her go to lots and lots of doctors appointments, we watched as she told us they found tumors in her bones, breasts, brain, spine, and eventually her lungs. She’s been off work since early summer. She always told us she’d come back. In July the doctors told her to contact hospice, but still she held on. She even drove herself downtown to come to our tailgate lunch for the OSU/Michigan game (11/17). She had such an inner beauty and strength. She had faith up until the very end that somehow God would heal her. And today she is gone.
Times like these remind me that cancer is real. It does kill people. People I know, people I like, people I care about. I feel selfish when I think, I just don’t want it to kill me.
Times like these make me sad and afraid. I’ll never be “over” my cancer. It’s not in my body now, but for the rest of my life I must be diligent to be sure it never comes back. The Young Survival Coilition sent me a letter. I don’t remember what it was about. I only remember this line. “The ten year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40, is 50%.” That number scares me. I need to live longer than 10 years. I have plans. I want another baby. I want to finish school. I want to be a doctor. I want to watch my daughter graduate high school, college, and get married. I want to be a grandma. I want to live.
Only 7 days until my next mammogram. I take comfort in the fact that I have doctors checking on me constantly. No more cancer for me.
Times like these remind me that cancer is real. It does kill people. People I know, people I like, people I care about. I feel selfish when I think, I just don’t want it to kill me.
Times like these make me sad and afraid. I’ll never be “over” my cancer. It’s not in my body now, but for the rest of my life I must be diligent to be sure it never comes back. The Young Survival Coilition sent me a letter. I don’t remember what it was about. I only remember this line. “The ten year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40, is 50%.” That number scares me. I need to live longer than 10 years. I have plans. I want another baby. I want to finish school. I want to be a doctor. I want to watch my daughter graduate high school, college, and get married. I want to be a grandma. I want to live.
Only 7 days until my next mammogram. I take comfort in the fact that I have doctors checking on me constantly. No more cancer for me.
Monday, January 01, 2007
And A Happy New Year!
Just returned from our New Year's travels. We drove to Danialle's on Saturday after Eric finished at work and then drove up on New Year's Eve to Erica's for a loy-key evening at home. Saturday Danialle made us meat-eaters some steaks along with mashed potatos and a big salad. After we put Grace to bed, we watched a movie and then hit the sack. Sunday morning we got up, Danialle made breakfast then I showered and dressed while one of Grace's moview was watched. Then we headed to Wal-Mart for a few items. By then it was about lunch time so we picked up lunch before heading home, packing up and heading up to E & E's. When we got there, the guys decided to go to BW3's for a bit and watch the first 1/2 of the Colt's game. Then they picked up some pizza for dinner on the way home. After dinner and putting Grace to bed, we played "Scene It", 3 games with Danialle and Chadd winning each time, followed by about 1/2 of a Trivial Pursuit game. By the time the clock struck midnight, we were all ready to head to bed.
This morning Grace slept until about 8:45 (heaven!), and then we got up packed the car and headed to IHOP for a group breakfast. Then we came home and have been hanging out ever since.
Now the real reason for the post. My 2007 Resolutions! I've included the resolutions from last year and how I did, and the new resolutions for 2007.
Health
1.) 2006: Lose 20 pounds
2007: Done! I actually lost closer to 30 if you count from my highest cancer weight. I'd like to lose another 10 this year.
2.) 2006: Plan meals weekly.
2007: Not so good at this last year. I'd like to give it a try again. It helps me eat better and save money!
3.) 2006: Exercise (by March 1, I'd like to be back up to the old BFL exercise plan)
2007: Not even close. Too busy with school. This year I'd like to try to do the Pilates DVD's 2 days per week.
4.) 2006: Drink 4 to 5 bottle of water daily - At first I'll still allow myself Coke as long as I get all my water in. Then we'll be phasing out those drinks.
2007: Not very good at this. Did switch from Coke to Diet Coke. New goal, only 1 Diet Coke per day until after I drink at least 4 bottles of water.
5.) 2006: Update Diet Blog weekly.
2007: Nope. Not going to continue this one. Too busy with school.
6.) 2006: Don't get any additional diseases or life-threatening illnesses.
2007: Done! More of the same.
7.) 2007: Cook a healthy meal at home on non-school week-nights (3 days per week).
8.) 2007: Get clearance from doctor to begin trying to get pregnant by end of the year.
Finances
1.) 2006: Stay within monthly budget
2007: Didn't even track it. I'd like to redo a 2007 budget and try again.
2.) 2006: Only eat lunch out once per week
2007: Nope. Have an agreement with the girls at work for 2 lunches out per week (client engagements don't count).
3.) 2006: Stop using credit cards
2007: No comment.
4. 2007: Reduce total debt (credit cards, student loans, etc.) by $10,000.
Intellectual
1.) 2006: Take 4 prerequisite courses for med school
2007: Done. Same for this year. Add, get A's in all!
2. 2006: Take 2 CPCU courses
2007: Done. This year, Take 1 CPCU course to complete requirement.
3. 2006: Read 4 books for fun.
2007: I can't remember, but probably not. Going to skip this one, school keeps me too busy.
4. 2007: Research various medical schools and requirements for admission.
5. 2007: Purchase study materials or sign up for a class to prepare to take the MCAT in April 2008.
Spirituality
1.) 2006: Do bible study daily
2007: Fell off after a couple of months. New goal, 3 days per week.
2.) 2006: Update and pray over prayer list daily
2007: Same as above, new goal 3 days per week.
3.) 2006: Memorize a verse each week
2007: Didn't do. Not going to keep as a 2007 goal.
4.) 2006: Tithe according to commitment made to church
2007: Done. Increased commitment for 2007.
5.) 2006: Get involved in some type of group study
2007: Not done. I'll keep my eyes open for a good time, but with school I have lots of conflicts.
Personal Development
1.) 2006: Get a new hair style (just joking!)
2007: Done! No need to renew.
2.) 2006: E-mail a friend each week that I don't already communicate with on a weekly basis
2007: Not done. Too hard to keep up at home with school commitments.
3.) 2006: Send birthday, anniversary and other cards
2007: Not as good as I hoped, so we'll try again.
4.) 2006: Join Young Survivor Coalition or other breast cancer group
2007: Officially yes, but I haven't attended any meetings.
5.) 2006: Review progress at 6 months
2007: Done, do it again.
6.) 2007: Be/feel more Sexy. Starting with shaving the legs twice a week and no cotton underwear except for 1 week per month.
7.) 2007: Update blog at least 1 time per week. I feel like I've been missing out lately, so I want to try harder to keep this updated.
I hope you all have a wonderful 2007 and try to make this year better than the last.
This morning Grace slept until about 8:45 (heaven!), and then we got up packed the car and headed to IHOP for a group breakfast. Then we came home and have been hanging out ever since.
Now the real reason for the post. My 2007 Resolutions! I've included the resolutions from last year and how I did, and the new resolutions for 2007.
Health
1.) 2006: Lose 20 pounds
2007: Done! I actually lost closer to 30 if you count from my highest cancer weight. I'd like to lose another 10 this year.
2.) 2006: Plan meals weekly.
2007: Not so good at this last year. I'd like to give it a try again. It helps me eat better and save money!
3.) 2006: Exercise (by March 1, I'd like to be back up to the old BFL exercise plan)
2007: Not even close. Too busy with school. This year I'd like to try to do the Pilates DVD's 2 days per week.
4.) 2006: Drink 4 to 5 bottle of water daily - At first I'll still allow myself Coke as long as I get all my water in. Then we'll be phasing out those drinks.
2007: Not very good at this. Did switch from Coke to Diet Coke. New goal, only 1 Diet Coke per day until after I drink at least 4 bottles of water.
5.) 2006: Update Diet Blog weekly.
2007: Nope. Not going to continue this one. Too busy with school.
6.) 2006: Don't get any additional diseases or life-threatening illnesses.
2007: Done! More of the same.
7.) 2007: Cook a healthy meal at home on non-school week-nights (3 days per week).
8.) 2007: Get clearance from doctor to begin trying to get pregnant by end of the year.
Finances
1.) 2006: Stay within monthly budget
2007: Didn't even track it. I'd like to redo a 2007 budget and try again.
2.) 2006: Only eat lunch out once per week
2007: Nope. Have an agreement with the girls at work for 2 lunches out per week (client engagements don't count).
3.) 2006: Stop using credit cards
2007: No comment.
4. 2007: Reduce total debt (credit cards, student loans, etc.) by $10,000.
Intellectual
1.) 2006: Take 4 prerequisite courses for med school
2007: Done. Same for this year. Add, get A's in all!
2. 2006: Take 2 CPCU courses
2007: Done. This year, Take 1 CPCU course to complete requirement.
3. 2006: Read 4 books for fun.
2007: I can't remember, but probably not. Going to skip this one, school keeps me too busy.
4. 2007: Research various medical schools and requirements for admission.
5. 2007: Purchase study materials or sign up for a class to prepare to take the MCAT in April 2008.
Spirituality
1.) 2006: Do bible study daily
2007: Fell off after a couple of months. New goal, 3 days per week.
2.) 2006: Update and pray over prayer list daily
2007: Same as above, new goal 3 days per week.
3.) 2006: Memorize a verse each week
2007: Didn't do. Not going to keep as a 2007 goal.
4.) 2006: Tithe according to commitment made to church
2007: Done. Increased commitment for 2007.
5.) 2006: Get involved in some type of group study
2007: Not done. I'll keep my eyes open for a good time, but with school I have lots of conflicts.
Personal Development
1.) 2006: Get a new hair style (just joking!)
2007: Done! No need to renew.
2.) 2006: E-mail a friend each week that I don't already communicate with on a weekly basis
2007: Not done. Too hard to keep up at home with school commitments.
3.) 2006: Send birthday, anniversary and other cards
2007: Not as good as I hoped, so we'll try again.
4.) 2006: Join Young Survivor Coalition or other breast cancer group
2007: Officially yes, but I haven't attended any meetings.
5.) 2006: Review progress at 6 months
2007: Done, do it again.
6.) 2007: Be/feel more Sexy. Starting with shaving the legs twice a week and no cotton underwear except for 1 week per month.
7.) 2007: Update blog at least 1 time per week. I feel like I've been missing out lately, so I want to try harder to keep this updated.
I hope you all have a wonderful 2007 and try to make this year better than the last.
Merry Christmas!
So, I'm a little tardy, but I wanted to do our Christmas post. More pictures in Flickr.
We had a very nice Christmas and we aren't quite done. We still have Christmas with my parents when we go to Iowa for a 5 day visit in just 2 weeks.
Last Friday, my office closed early (1 pm) and Eric called to say he could get off work by 3 p.m. I hurried home, finished the laundry, packed our bags, loaded the car so when Eric and Grace came home, we could hit the road. We drove to Terre Haute and stayed with Eric's Mom. We got in early enough to visit for a bit, and also hung out Saturday morning. Grace even helped with some holiday baking (picture in Flickr). Donna left with Larry (her boyfriend) around noon to head to his families and we put Grace down for a nap. After naptime we drove over to Eric's Dad's to visit and have Christmas. Visiting was very good. Kyle, Leslie, Ashton, Logan and David came too.
Just a side note, I don't want to get into all the details because it isn't our story, but David is my nephew. He's Kyle's son from a previous relationship, although Kyle just learned about him recently. He's 14 years old and seems to be a great kid, so we're embracing him as a new part of the family.
Lots of presents were exchange. Grace got some clothes, a Little People Preschool, and 2 new movies. Eric got some work clothes and a leather Colt's jacket. I got a jewelry box, picture frame clock, and a Bath & Body Works gift card. After eating and exchanging presents, we left to drive to Kyle and Leslies to spend the night.
Donna met us there and after putting the littlest girls to bed, we visited some more and watched some TV. Sunday morning (Christmas Eve), we got up relatively early and opened more presents mostly from Donna. Grace got an American Girl Itty Bitty Twin from Kyle, Leslie, and the girls. Donna got her the matching outfit. It's adorable, so I think next week I'm going to get her 2 year pictures taken with the doll and in the outfit. Grace got some other toys, some clothes, and more candy than we knew what to do with. I got some golf accessories, balls, a ball retreiver, and a practice putting green. Eric got a Colts rug/floor mat and cash. After gifts, we headed to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was extremely busy, so we were there for a long time. We came home visited a bit more, Eric watched the Colt's game and then we had a light dinner before hitting the road. We ended up getting home around 8:30 p.m.
Monday morning, Christmas Day we got up when Grace woke up around 7:30 a.m. I think Grace had enough presents because after opening 2 presents, she started asking for cereal and Nemo. We tried to get her to eat her cereal on the coffee table by the tree, but no luck. So, we let her watch Nemo in the front room and Eric and I opened our gifts. I got a couple of sweaters, a pair of dress pants, a new bra and some underwear from Victoria's Secret, a beautiful jewelry box, and a hybrid back-3 club, and sand wedge (golf clubs). Eric got an I-Pod Nano including the "survival kit" that had various chargers and car accessories, dress pants, 2 dress shirts and 2 ties. After we finished opening we took Grace's presents in the front room and opened them while she watched TV. Grace got a small kitchen, a tea party kit, dress up shoes and a purse, the Little People circus, and Elmo Goes Potty DVD. Also some PJs and a sweater. Her big gift from Daddy was a fish tank (pictures in Flickr). We just set up the tank before Christmas and got the fishies the day after. She loves them.
This last week was extremely productive at work. So many people (including my clients) were on vacation, my phone hardly rang and I got lots of work done. It was awesome. Next week back to reality, including school. Organic Chemistry starts on Tuesday.
We had a very nice Christmas and we aren't quite done. We still have Christmas with my parents when we go to Iowa for a 5 day visit in just 2 weeks.
Last Friday, my office closed early (1 pm) and Eric called to say he could get off work by 3 p.m. I hurried home, finished the laundry, packed our bags, loaded the car so when Eric and Grace came home, we could hit the road. We drove to Terre Haute and stayed with Eric's Mom. We got in early enough to visit for a bit, and also hung out Saturday morning. Grace even helped with some holiday baking (picture in Flickr). Donna left with Larry (her boyfriend) around noon to head to his families and we put Grace down for a nap. After naptime we drove over to Eric's Dad's to visit and have Christmas. Visiting was very good. Kyle, Leslie, Ashton, Logan and David came too.
Just a side note, I don't want to get into all the details because it isn't our story, but David is my nephew. He's Kyle's son from a previous relationship, although Kyle just learned about him recently. He's 14 years old and seems to be a great kid, so we're embracing him as a new part of the family.
Lots of presents were exchange. Grace got some clothes, a Little People Preschool, and 2 new movies. Eric got some work clothes and a leather Colt's jacket. I got a jewelry box, picture frame clock, and a Bath & Body Works gift card. After eating and exchanging presents, we left to drive to Kyle and Leslies to spend the night.
Donna met us there and after putting the littlest girls to bed, we visited some more and watched some TV. Sunday morning (Christmas Eve), we got up relatively early and opened more presents mostly from Donna. Grace got an American Girl Itty Bitty Twin from Kyle, Leslie, and the girls. Donna got her the matching outfit. It's adorable, so I think next week I'm going to get her 2 year pictures taken with the doll and in the outfit. Grace got some other toys, some clothes, and more candy than we knew what to do with. I got some golf accessories, balls, a ball retreiver, and a practice putting green. Eric got a Colts rug/floor mat and cash. After gifts, we headed to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was extremely busy, so we were there for a long time. We came home visited a bit more, Eric watched the Colt's game and then we had a light dinner before hitting the road. We ended up getting home around 8:30 p.m.
Monday morning, Christmas Day we got up when Grace woke up around 7:30 a.m. I think Grace had enough presents because after opening 2 presents, she started asking for cereal and Nemo. We tried to get her to eat her cereal on the coffee table by the tree, but no luck. So, we let her watch Nemo in the front room and Eric and I opened our gifts. I got a couple of sweaters, a pair of dress pants, a new bra and some underwear from Victoria's Secret, a beautiful jewelry box, and a hybrid back-3 club, and sand wedge (golf clubs). Eric got an I-Pod Nano including the "survival kit" that had various chargers and car accessories, dress pants, 2 dress shirts and 2 ties. After we finished opening we took Grace's presents in the front room and opened them while she watched TV. Grace got a small kitchen, a tea party kit, dress up shoes and a purse, the Little People circus, and Elmo Goes Potty DVD. Also some PJs and a sweater. Her big gift from Daddy was a fish tank (pictures in Flickr). We just set up the tank before Christmas and got the fishies the day after. She loves them.
This last week was extremely productive at work. So many people (including my clients) were on vacation, my phone hardly rang and I got lots of work done. It was awesome. Next week back to reality, including school. Organic Chemistry starts on Tuesday.
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