November 30 Somethings TTC #1/Bajingo Juice Rules - Page 3

[Taxlady]

TickleToes - your temps are still so much higher than last month! I'm really starting to think that forgot where you live!!

[bootsvalentine]

ValH, I think you might be right! I got some EWCM today! So we'll keep bd'ing until I feel more like I've O'd. I temp in the morning at 6:30 orally. I've been pretty good about doing it the same time, but what does vary is my bedtime. Anyone else want to weigh in on my crazypants chart?



Today I was driving home from work thinking about how I think my one coworker doesn't like me as much as he likes the other teachers on the team. Then I found my mind wandering back to Club Bajingo Juice and our healthy boundaries motto. My goal in life right now is to do my job well, stay healthy, and get preggo. Who the heck cares if a 23 year old kid likes me or not?

Taxlady, I think it's so funny that you have so many people around you who have so many things in common with me! It's funny to me that an accountant would be a child of a spinner and marry a teacher! However, I never thought an accountant would be so fun to pal around with online Congrats on your job interview!
Oh yeah, one thing we do have in common is anemia, although I think yours is worse than mine was/is? I just got done eating some shelled pumpkin seeds which I am NOT fond of (like them in the shell way better) but are super high in iron, as are edamame. I do not like what iron pills do to my digestion, so I try to take them every other day and be more conscious of my iron intake. I have not convinced myself to eat liver or chicken livers, however, which are super high in iron. I know the animal source absorbs way better. Also, don't forget to take your vitamin C with your iron pills.

I think EWBJ varies by person, ValH. What i assume is the most fertile mucous is totally clear stretchy, and not too watery. But then I've read that some women never really get anything that looks like EW, but their fertile CM is just watery. I also think it's so awesome that thinking about healthy boundaries got you to figure out a new direction in your career. That totally rules.

Tickletoes, so glad your temps are still up!

Okay, what I really want to see is Tickletoes's pumpkin carved to depict Hykue milking a squirrel.

[Calycanth]

Hi ladies! Can I join this thread? I'll be 30 in a few months. I feel too old to hang with the 20-somethings.

[Blanca78]

Hey all,
Just wanted to say I noticed that our graduate, Monarchgrrrl, had her baby! Link to the thread is here: http://www.mothering.com/discussions....php?t=1276664

Hykue--I am in awe of your squirrel milking and wish I could say I had such a skill.

Tickletoes, FX!

to all

[amyfemme]

Thanks, everyone for your positive vibes... I'm really trying to not freak out...I did 7 OPKs this cycle and NONE of them were positive. Is it possible that because I only did one a day at noon, I missed it from one test to another? Hmmmm... Weird, since I have a clear and obvious thermal shift in my chart. Or, maybe it's the Walgreens brand of OPKs??? Hey...we're on a budget over here! FF also revised their opinion of my ovulation date...thank goodness we inseminated the day before and the day of. I'm also trying to not read too much into signs and feelings. I really want to think preggers, but I also don't want to get my hopes up too high and have a huge letdown if AF comes. Also, I started progesterone cream yesterday to non-medically treat my short LP (9 days)...although if you look at my chart for November, FF thinks I'll hold out for 10 days this month. We shall see. At any rate, I know that 10 is on the borderline, so I'm hoping the P cream will do the trick.

As for my talent...I'm pretty darn good at wrangling a rambunctious pack of 3rd graders! Other than that, I'm pretty wicked on the djembe drum for a beginner!

[ValH]

Taxlady - That's great that you've gotten some answers and can now work on correcting it! Yay!

AFM - CD14, still waiting for O. Negative OPK this morning.

[birdie.lee]

Ok, so where do you all get your OPKs? I totally thought I ovulated, was absolutely expecting my temp to be up this morning, and nothing, nada, zilch, the temp was still low. I am supremely frustrated. My DH is frustrated. We already decided that if I am not pregnant by Jan 1, 2011 then we are going to see a doctor about this. Oh, and I had to google to get the proper spelling of mittelschmerz (thanks Val for explaining it!). Sometimes I have it and sometimes I don't but apparently it was a false mittelschermz this last time!

Welcome Calycanth! Hope your stay is short and sweet in the Bajingo Juice Club

Boots, that's awesome you are using healthy boundaries in your every day life. Loved your story about it and it is definitely something I am going to try to do more often.

Hmm, my talent is...I'm a really good baker. A vegan baker in fact. I make such delicious vegan baked goods that even omnivores with tofu fears will eat them.

[ValH]

bootsvalentine - I don't think going to bed a different times should effect your chart too much, as long as you're getting about three good hours of sleep before temping. I did notice this month how much getting up for the bathroom around 3am effects my chart. 97.2 when I don't get up... 97.5-97.6 if I do get up (which more times than not lately, I do). Remember our motto, though - Bajingo Juice Rules... if you've got the EWBJ, no need to waste it!

Calycanth - I will get you added to the list later today. Welcome! Do you have a chart I can link to? Would you like to share when you started TTC? Just let me know what you want included, and I'll get you up there. I hope your stay is short!!

Blanca78 - Thanks for the update and link to the thread! I do love success stories, it gives me the hope I need to keep trying.

ammyfemme - I've heard that you can miss O with OPKs if it happens at a different time of day than you are testing. And, if your urine is diluted at the time of test, etc. I try to test twice a day (sometimes three if I'm being crazy).

birdie.lee - I get my OPKs at the local drug store, but some women use either dollar store brands, or internet cheapies. I've switched to the more expensive digital smilies for this cycle, just to see if they work better (I get a lot of positives on the Answer Brand... or what I think is positive). OPKs can be frustrating, but I feel like it's just another tool in my TTC toolbox.
And I would love to try some vegan baked goods! I'm vegetarian, but haven't made the move to vegan yet.

[Calycanth]

Thanks, ValH! We've been TTC since March 2010, with a break from May-August while DH was doing fieldwork in the arctic. Here's my chart: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/30ca16.

I'm very excited to be joining Club Bajingo Juice!

[Taxlady]

Welcome Calycanth! So glad to have a new member of the BJC! We're pretty awesome over here, if I do say so myself. 30 is AWESOME! I loved turning 30 - I felt like I had finally arrived. Over night people started taking me seriously at work - maybe it was just some confidence I gained by reaching the milestone.

Boots - so I think your post to me was so funny. Yeah, who would guess that such a black/white (debit and credits) person would be from such crafty parents? I totally have these visions of all of you in my imagination. I have made up faces for everyone. Like I am shocked to find out that ValH is really tall.. my imagination pictures a little bitty person at about 5 feet (maybe because the only Val I know is like 4 feet). Now she tells us she's a vegetarian (sorry to speak of you like you are not here ValH)...
So I can only imagine what the " Anemic Taxlady" looks like on the internet.. singing Vanilla Ice and using my ten-key calculator.
Thanks for your input on the iron. I cannot bring myself to eating liver :Puke, but I do take this great supplement called "gentle iron".. it's made more gentle to the digestive system because they add Folic Acid and Vitamin C - that can't hurt my TTC! I love pumpkin seeds, but why do they have to be shelled?? Does anyone know how long it will take to build back up the reserves? I was thinking this morning, how is it possible that was coming with levels like that? I've been searching iron on the internet.. but any advice from you ladies is sooo appreciated.

P.S. Boots what a punk that 23 yo co-worker of yours is.. you know what I think? I think he purposely acts friendlier to the other teachers to make you pay attention to him. Umm.. that sounds so high school. What's even better is that by you not paying attention to him is only going to make him crazier - now that's what I call fun.

Birdie.lee - I have tried some great vegan desserts because they are usually gluten and milk free.. and they are GOOD! Care to share any good recipes?

Amyfemme -

And c'mon ValH - time to Ovulate!

[ValH]

Calycanth - You are officially on the list! We're glad you decided to join us - the more, the merrier!!

Taxlady - Your use of icons and faces in your last post had me laughing! Kudos to you for the creativity in that post! I'm sure we all have misguided mental images of each other... for example, I base my image of bootsvalentine on a girl I knew that dated a guy called Boots. Just like you pictured me as short because you knew a short Val. (I'm a little over 6foot, so pretty much a polar opposite!) One day we'll all have to post pics so we can put faces with the names! I bet we'd all be surprised by how far off we are in our mental images!

AFM - Still having negative OPKs. The line this afternoon was a little darker, so I'm guessing ovulation will be around Saturday or Sunday. I'm ready to O already!!! I've gotten some great BD sessions in, and I'd hate for them to go to waste. Okay, that doesn't sound quite right... BDing is never a "waste"... but you know what I mean!

[birdie.lee]

Taxlady ~ Have you thought of cooking in cast iron? It is great way to get iron w/out having to change your diet a ton and eat nasty stuff like liver. Ewwww. And be sure to have some vitamin C w/ your iron too, it helps absorption. I am particular to orange juice but lots of fruits and veggies have vitamin C if you like something different. Yes, as a vegan I don't get tons of iron in my diet, but I have never been anemic when using cast iron.

So awesome you ladies paper chart too I was looking at my charts for this month and the previous two months and it looks like I am thinking my Oing happens 3 or 4 days after I actually think it is going to occur. Told this to DH and he says that we just need to BD more (okay, so he didn't actually use the term "BD" but you know what I mean). So at least we are on the same page

Thanks Val, I think I will just head to my local drug store and see about these OPKs. Can't really get DH on board w/ using them but he's not the one whose going to be peeing on a stick. Ha ha.

Ok, dessert. I am totally partial to cupcakes but I've been on a bit of a bundt cake kick lately. The Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake from Veganomicon is super yummy. I hope I don't get in trouble for posting a link http://hibbardkitchen.blogspot.com/2...undt-cake.html but it's so good I want you all to eat it!

Val, what are some of your favorite vegetarian recipes? I'm always looking to try new things, and cooking is quite the stress reliever for me.

Good luck Amy, I hope you caught that eggie!

Also, in terms of special talents, I'm a fairy decent dog groomer. I cut my own dog's hair

[meander]

I disappear for a couple days and come back to squirrel milking?
What is the world coming to?!? I can't believe how hard that made me laugh. And now I can't remember anything else I read, because honestly, how does squirrel milking not remove everything else from one's head?

On that vein: My least useful talent: I can drink shots while doing a headstand. Or a backbend, but sometimes there's spillage in the backbend. (This hasn't come up much since my wild college days, though, honestly...I am tempted to try it later, just to make sure I still can do it! But maybe with cranberry juice this time..)

My laptop is dead, dead, dead. There's some hope of recovering data from it eventually, but no hope of a resurrection, I am afraid. So I'm slowly working on putting stuff onto a computer I've never used much, and trying to configure this one to my exacting standards... because I am ridiculously picky about my internet experience, oh yes I am. Anyway...Until I have a computer to use that behaves as I like, I'll be a bit scarce.

On the TTC front: I have NO idea if I O'ed a few days ago or am just running a mild fever. I hate not being able to tell. The signs seem off to me a bit, but they might just be weird this cycle...but then, I've been feeling a bit rundown, needing naps, and just generally feel like I might be coming down with something...so I guess we'll just wait and see? Nothing else to do about it, either way.

Seekrit message to Taxlady: Could you write me again? I think I'll get my addresses back eventually, but in the meantime I cannot for the life of me remember yours...

[Calycanth]

Birdie, that looks delicious! Why isn't there a "drool" emoticon? Oh, wait, I found one!



I'm an omnivore, but I lived in a vegan housing cooperative for three years and had some amazing vegan baked goods during that time.

Taxlady - I've got mixed feelings about turning 30. I'm finally starting to feel like a grown up (I somehow managed to avoid that until now - maybe because I spent most of my 20s in graduate school?), but I'm not where I thought I'd be professionally at this age (also probably because I spent most of my 20s in graduate school). But, I'm hoping this year will be a turning point - I start a new job next week, I'm happily married, and hopefully I'll be a mama this year!

I can rotate my hand 360 degrees if I place it against a flat surface. It's not really a talent or hobby, but it is freaky (in a different way than squirrel milking ).

[ValH]

birdie.lee - As for cooking, a lot of time I'll cook something that can be made with meat and adjust it to be vegetarian, because DH likes his meat! Like last night, I made two pots of chili - one with meat, one with lots of beans. I'm also a huge fan of soups this time of year (split pea, potato, black bean, three bean, etc). I use a lot of the MorningStar Farm products when cooking - not sure if they are vegan, but the burger crumbles sure do make cooking a lot easier. Cooking is stress relief for me, too, I love it. My DH is from Egypt, so one of my favorite things to do is try to cook traditional Egyptian food for him. I've picked up a few recipes from his mom, and a few from online. It's still a work in progress!

meander - Now that's an impressive talent - shots upside down! Wow. I used to think the amount of shots I could take was a talent... not anymore! Now just the thought of shots (unless contained in jello or very girly) repulses me. I'm sorry to hear about your computer! that you'll get everything in working order on the other computer soon, because we miss you!

Calycanth - Your wrist thing hurts me just thinking about it! Ouch!

AFM - CD15, and FINALLY got a positive OPK today! Yay!!!!

[LivingSky]

Well since we're using alcohol-related stuff as talents - I guess mine would be that I have never been beaten in a Dr. Pepper drining contest - the kind where you mix half Coke and half beer, and then drop in a shot of Amaretto? Unbeaten and I have defended that title many times! LOL Though it has been MANY years now!

Anyway, FF says I O'ed on Monday, I disagree and say it was Tuesday no matter what the stupid temps say. But either way, we should be covered. Now to wait it out! I'm planning to test on the 14th, not before, I WILL BE STRONG!

[Taxlady]

I know I say this A LOT - but you gals are great! SO TALENTED! I have never heard of "Dr. Pepper" but that sounds yum.

I'm going to have my DH dig out the cast iron from our camping equipment and I've been checking all the nutritional values on stuff to start really educating myself on iron. I am already feeling so much better - I can't wait to feel even better, I almost don't know what to expect. DYKWIM? ValH mentioned chick peas, and while I was reading that post the other night I was devouring a tin of vegan hummus.. it was like I had never eaten before the way my hand was going from tray to mouth. I really feel like the body knows what it wants, for instance, when the DH and I went to the mountains for the night I ordered a steak and I couldn't stop eating it. (I hope I didn't just gross out my veggie friends).

Calycanth, I'm sorry you have mixed feelings about turning 30. But the way I see it, you worked really hard in your 20's going to grad school and now it's time to reap those benefits! You know they say, "30 is the new 20" (well out here in LA LA land - it's totally the motto) Good Luck on your new job! This is also a great thread of ladies taking on new challenges - so welcome again!

Thank you Birdie.lee for the advice and the recipe! Desserts are tough when you're milk and g/f.. but it's easy to substitute g/f flours. I have the worst trouble with icing. I tried to make up my own tofu icing.. but it was disgusting. Can I use this smiley again? please? :Puke

Meander I'm so sorry about your computer. UGH UGH UGH! Setting up a new one is the sole reason I baby my desktop that I am using now. Going on 3 years old.. but I love it so much. (I got your seekrit message.. ) (and for the other ladies.. we've been emailing about our addiction to the steroids.. )

ValH and Livingsky

TickleToes - I saw that you had some weird stuff happen to you. I hope you are OK!

P.S. I hope I am not annoying with the smilies.. I just think they are so funny.

[Calycanth]

Vegan cream cheese frosting made with Tofutti "Better Than Cream Cheese" is DELICIOUS and milk/gluten-free. I personally don't like Tofutti cream cheese on its own, but add a little Earth Balance and powdered sugar and you get a mouthful of YUM.

[ValH]

LivingSky - Wow, I had completely forgotten about those "Dr. Pepper" drinks... oh the memories... I'm sad to say those are high school memories. I had a bit of a misguided youth.

Taxlady - I love all the emoticons you use, so keep at it! I equate it to facial experssions or gestures if we were talking IRL. I'm glad you're feeling better about the iron thing, and it seems like a lot of people have had some good suggestions. You've made me hungry for hummus now, I haven't had any of that in ages! It's going on the grocery list for sure.

AFM - I'll be offline much of the weekend, if not all of it. I try to avoid the computer on the weekends, since I see it so much during the week. Plus, I have a three day weekend, so I'm planning on relaxing, and getting in a lot of BDing (I did get that positive OPK, after all). So I hope all you ladies have a great weekend, and I'll "see" all y'all next week!

[TickleToes]

Originally Posted by Taxlady

TickleToes - I saw that you had some weird stuff happen to you. I hope you are OK!

P.S. I hope I am not annoying with the smilies.. I just think they are so funny.

I'm not crying anymore (well, mostly), but I'm pretty bummed and just plain exhausted. AF is much, much heavier than usual and I'm still passing some clots. The cramps and back pain are easing off now. Physically, I'll be more at peace once my boobs feel normal.

One the upside, I'm feeling more motivated to take care of myself better than I have been... although I'm too tired and mopey to do much about it at the moment. Planning to do some yoga when I feel better. And I'm drinking more water.

Thanks for the hug, I've been needing those. BTW... I like your smilies! They would only be annoying if you:nana used them every other word and out of context like this!