A Saner TTC-The Snow Moon - Page 2

[SparkleMaman]

Prescott I'm curious too!! Is that still zen? And thank you for the new thread!!

Lilykay OMG, I totally hear you on small space and decluttering. When DD was very small, our entire space was less than 500 sq. ft. It seemed like every nook, cranny and surface was filled with her things. I had to get very creative with storage and rotating toys. We expanded, nearly doubling the living space, with an addition (including her own bedroom) when she was almost 5 and decided she wanted her own big girl bed. It has made life much calmer, especially in the winter months when we spend so much more time indoors. We've used the shaving cream fiesta idea too, love it and DD adores anything messy. We also like to make blue goo http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/littlekids/science-experiments/blue-goo/ We tried this first during the winter, using a garbage bag on the kitchen floor to contain the mess. It was worth the clean up (which wasn't really bad) and DD had such a great time. We now do this in the summer when we have friends over, using big bowls outside in the grass. Cheap good messy fun!! And the remnants fade away with a good rain. Yeah for the sort of positive OPK! Is your DP back soon? Sort of positive makes me think you've got a few days yet. Fx!!

Mamacatsbaby!!

Eunoia!!

AFM 5 DPO and trying (not especially successfully) to remain calm and not get sucked into symptom spotting Trying!!

Wishing you all a fabulous day!!

[mamacatsbaby]

LilyKay: I came across this link in the home management section here. I love it! Can't wait to implement some of these ideas in our home. I look around our place and go just a bit more everyday b/c if I had my way just about everything would be gone . I've definitely become a minimalist. I used to have those "But I might need this!" moments all the time too. IDK, something happened one day where I just let go. I know my holding on to things had a lot to do with where I was emotionally and spiritually. Once I started really digging in with my work there the progress I was making began manifesting in my physical surroundings as well. I love watching how everything is connected like that .

Ahh, ok, I get the varied schedule then prescott. I've had to really work around DS2 who likes to wake up at the butt-crack of dawn a lot of times.

Hey Sparkle! You can do it, keep your mellow going lady! My DS and the book club he goes to made the blue goo. They loved it! I think I will use that recipe you linked to do it here too, thanks!

*yawn* So tired! My boys are really taking it out of me! lol Plus, the gray and cold and rain are driving me over the edge, bah!

[prescottchels]

LilyKay-Oh yes! Snipping, snipping, snipping! Is so fun  I remember a fascination w/hole punching colored construction paper too at a young age. All those colorful dots! Glorious!

A couple days ago I needed a mortar & pestle, which I had previously owned and then given away cuz I never used it and lo & behold 10 yrs later (or more...) I needed it lol so I went out and bought one. Thankfully it was only $6. So it was probably good and fine that I didn't schlepp it around with me all the times I've moved. And I could have just taken what I needed to grind w/me to work and done it there, but for $6 I was willing to spend that to have it at home...

Hi Sparkle! Yeah I don't think zen and curiosity have to be mutually exclusive 

Hang in there!!

Mamacat-I feel ya on the blah weather... It's been fantastically springy here-60 sunny blue skies for several days and tomorrow the high is slated to be 30 and we're supposed to get several inches of snow . Not really looking forward to more snow. I've been really enjoying the warm temps. We hiked to the waterfall yesterday and got some great pics and scouted swimming holes for this summer, and I've been feeling really motivated to work on outside projects. sigh. Silly cold front. Hopefully our cold front will bring you a warm front? 

Soooo...I tested this morning...it was negative...I wasn't surprised, but there are still several days to go, yet...so, ya never know with these things. I could have a super stealth baby in there. DP laughed when I said that last night. We're kinda not talking about whether or not there's a baby happening in there, which is completely different from the past 2 months. It's interesting to just kinda be playing it cool...  

[LilyKay]

Sparklemaman  Nice to see you again! And cool link about the blue goo. Too bad I can't pin from the website but I just sent the link to myself to try this afternoon. We're getting a bit fidgety staying indoors all afternoon... 

i have no good advice about staying sane but at least some empathy, waiting sucks!

mamascat - I've been craving lately a simpler life and reading up on minimalism and families who shed a lot of belongings. And you're right, it really has to do with where one is emotionally.  When I sit down and think about it, right now I'm drawn to a simpler life and I just want our space to reflect that. The hardest part is enjoying what we have and not be so focused on the "next thing". Something much easier said than done (hello sane TTC ).

Oooh and I already pinned a few ideas from that link. I love the one for the cutting boards ... they always topple over when I reach for one!

prescott - Yup you're right about warm front, we're actually having "relatively" warm weather here (as in not freezing temps) though it's going downhill again at the end of this week.  Sorry about the negative but it is still too early. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

AFM - I'm a bit confused. I had a negative OPK yesterday and today a slight temp rise (not enough to indicate ovulation). I'm guessing I ovulated yesterday late or today. In anyway all I can hope for is that those little swimmers stuck it out for two days..  DP comes back home today at midnight. He actually asked me to SMS him if he should wake me up to BD in case I didn't O yet ... to which I responded "how romantic! ".

One thing I've been wondering about is before the pregnancy I used to have a lot of CM, especially EWCM. Now not so much. I breastfed for 2 years and weaned last October. Since I've had a regular period since DD was 6 months old, I thought everything was back to normal, but perhaps I'm mistaken. I'll probably call the doctor today and make an appointment for four weeks from now, if I'm pregnant then it's good timing anyway @6 weeks. If I'm not, then it's probably good to get checked up during the fertile time..

[SparkleMaman]

Lilykay Ah, living in the moment is so much harder than it sounds, right? We too strive for a simple life. We built our home entirely ourselves, literally everything, and also built the addition I mentioned. It is simple and lovely, currently about 1100 sq. ft., nothing at all extravagant. We own 17 acres of wooded area around us as well. Our little homestead has offered us so many fantastic opportunities and DD has always enjoyed frolicking outdoors doing things I thought were typical (playing in the mud, catching tadpoles, caring for our chickens, snow shoeing, observing caterpillars and butterflies, etc) but that I now realize most children no longer experience. And that is such a gift. But at times it is hard to reconcile how many of my students are driving vehicles (their own, not the family car) that cost more than twice my annual salary and we're struggling to get by. I remind myself that it is these experiences that make make us rich. The time we spend together is a blessing. As you said, at times easier said than done though!! My DD and I really liked that childrens magazine where the blue goo recipe came from. It always had great pictures, stories and science experiments. We also liked Ladybug and Ask Magazine. All of them were Ad free and educational.

As for your OPK dilemma, from what I understand, BD 2 days before O is actually more likely to result in conception than day of O. In terms of best day or day, -2 and -1 offer the best chance, with -2 odds slightly higher. I was also wondering about my own CM. I had a recent workup to assess hormone levels and everything checked out fine. But this past cycle I decided to try out Guafenesin (the active ingredient in some cold congestion medicines). I was stunned by how much in increased my CM! I thought I usually had a good amount of EWCM but with the Guafenesin, it was nearly pouring out (apologies for the TMI). I'm thinking that will increase our chances of having been successful. I took a 12 hour extended release formula of only Guafenesin, not a multi-drug medicine, beginning 3 days before O, when I saw an almost + OPK, through a temp rise confirming O. I am usually anti meds but my research indicated it is very safe and many women here on the Mothering boards have had success with it. GL!!

AFM I have mostly maintained a calm. I'm still counting down but not yet getting consumed and wacky. Stay warm mamas!!

[prescottchels]

Sparkle-Thanks for mentioning the guaifenesin. I've heard lots of mamas talk about using it too. I may give that a whirl next cycle if this one isn't successful. I've been taking Maca capsules so hopefully we'll land on the perfect combo of things soon!

Have you all heard about this site "My Fertility Awareness"? http://www.amandabears.com/index.html#.UST9eKU4uyc  They have some great articles on herbs and supplements to help increase fertility. I've only just started perusing, and I was searching for info about Red Raspberry Leaf Tea cuz I've heard so many different things about it...apparently it's great for every phase of pre-preg, during preg, post-preg lol 

Happy Snowy Day from Northern Arizona! 

[SparkleMaman]

Prescott I'll certainly keep you in the loop and let you all know if it worked! As I said, feeling pretty optimistic but after 10 months at this TTC business, I've learned not get get too invested in the outcome. Just trying to focus on taking good care of myself and becoming more flexible. That said, I am sure next week I will be far less calm and zen - and much more consumed with, OMG I think I am, maybe I am, am I? and symptom spotting.

Ugh. I really should know better But it is one of those instances where intellectual awareness is overwhelmed by feelings/emotions that cannot be quelled. I am who I am and that's that. Respecting that is just as important as trying to be more mellow. I'm just going to roll with it!

Happy Day Mamas!!

[LilyKay]

Sparklemaman, thank you for all the great tips! The magazines are a great idea, I was just checking the digital versions since I don't want to have them shipped to Germany. And it'll give me a chance to expose DD to more English.  She only speaks German but understands a bit of English seeing DP and I speak only English with each other (he's German but I'm originally from the Middle-east and grew up with English).

YAY for small places! We decided to get a place that will fit our needs with no excess, it's 950 square meters with a huge roof top terrace. We're staying in the city to keep commute costs down (we don't own a car and walk everywhere).  I sometimes wonder how much DD is missing out on nature but we try to go often to the woods, parks and the petting zoo nearby.

Thanks a lot also for the tip about Guafenesin.. I'll try it next month because I really feel the CM is too scant.

Prescott - Interesting site, I've been going through it for the last 10 minutes... particularly the gluten-infertility article. I've been Gluten-free for the last 10 days and it's been great for my skin/energy levels. I've known for ages that my skin is sensitive towards gluten but always seem to slip back into eating bread and pasta.

AFM - So I ovulated but with a weak temp rise. When I'm not sure. I know this is not zen but if you guys care to venture a guess here's my chart (http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/40b3fd) I think it's CD 14 only because of hopeful thinking (then we have a good shot this month).

Yesterday I found out a friend of mine is pregnant and I feel so conflicted. On the one hand I'm truly happy for her because she went through IVF for her first and now it just happened naturally. On the other hand all my "Mommy" friends are pregnant with their second babies and I just feel left out. Now I feel bad about feeling bad . Thank God I have you guys! I have no where else to talk about this..

[SparkleMaman]

Lilykay I'm so glad you liked the magazines!! My DD and I loved anticipating the issues and something new to check out. We have the bigger kid versions (Spider and Appleseeds) now in digital versions. We always spent a lot of time reading (we routinely checked out 50 books per week from the library) and doing science experiments. It kept us both busy, learning and having fun.

I'd say assuming your temp remains up tomorrow, you O'd on CD 14 and have a great chance at conceiving this month!! I know it is always hard for me when friends and family members announce a pregnancy. One of my DDs teachers announced she's 12 weeks pregnant on Valentine's Day. She's 36, like me, and has little boy who will turn 2 when she's due. And a cousin just delivered her second baby, her daughter is almost 5. This cousin actually contacted me just before the birth to share that she was panicked about having 2 kiddos and feeling awful that while this pregnancy had been well thought out and planned, she thought she'd made a huge mistake and wondered how she was going to do it with 2. I listened and comforted her all the while feeling like the Universe was once again showing me what a sense of humor he/she/it has!! While I always feel happy for whoever is announcing their pregnancy, I also feel conflicted as I usually feel sad that I am not pregnant and then a bit jealous. I think that's normal and pretending you don't feel that way is certainly not healthy. I can relate to what you describe in feeling left out. I often get comments along the lines of, "Oh, you only have 1?" As though that's not mom-enough I guess? Really?! I think I am also just feeling emotional about the subject which clouds my interpretation.  and Fx that you caught that egg.

Prescott Thanks for the link! I will check that out. Sounds very cool!

JustJenny Any news from your RE appointment? It was last Thursday, right? Thinking of you and sending you lots of

Wishing you all a peaceful day.

[prescottchels]

LilyKay-I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I'm gluten free  Have been for almost 6 years and I coach others how to make that transition more smoothly. So if I can support you, offer substitutions or recipes please let me know! There are great GF bread & Pasta subs here in the US, which I'm sure you can get online if none are available in stores nearby. From what I've heard though Europe is way ahead of the curve w/the whole GF thing compared to the US...

I hear ya'll about feeling conflicted about other mamas being pregnant and having babies... I feel that way too. There are 3 new babies in my circle of friends and one of them was not planned or really  wanted and his mama loves him to death, but still feels ambivalent about having him and it just kills me that I've wanted a baby for so long and would have gladly adopted him from her, and still would if she would commit to it (she talked about offering him to me when she was pregnant and to another couple that we're friends with and then her family kind of talked her into keeping him). His dad is out of the picture and she really struggles with the concept of being a single mama, and has no prior infant experience so is lacking confidence in her ability to parent him well.  

And here I am bumming out that it looks like AF is on her way. It's CD 27 and I'm having my typical pre-period spotting for the past couple days, and my HPTs have been clearly negative. Booo.

[JustJenny]

  Another small space over here! We just upgraded to a 35 ft travel trailer with slide outs. We've been renting a beautiful acre of land in the Sonoran Desert. We are surrounded by the magnificent Saguaro Cacti and Mountains. Lots of critters and hiking trails all around us. I'd love to hear how you guys created a more organized space. Any ideas on how to organize vertical without taking up floor space? The thing about living in a RV is even the organizers have to be small.

Lilykay said "AFM - So I ovulated but with a weak temp rise. When I'm not sure. I know this is not zen but if you guys care to venture a guess here's my chart (http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/40b3fd) I think it's CD 14 only because of hopeful thinking (then we have a good shot this month).

Yesterday I found out a friend of mine is pregnant and I feel so conflicted. On the one hand I'm truly happy for her because she went through IVF for her first and now it just happened naturally. On the other hand all my "Mommy" friends are pregnant with their second babies and I just feel left out. Now I feel bad about feeling bad . Thank God I have you guys! I have no where else to talk about this."

  I think it was cd14 also. Hope you caught the egg! I also think its completely normal to feel conflicted.  When every bone in your body is screaming for a baby its just so difficult. No one else understands until it happens to them.  The yearning at times is unbearable.

Sparkle - don't you hate those comments? OMG - I get the Suprised "you mean you don't have any kids?"  No I don't and I'm not about to relay my whole reproductive story just so you can get an answer why. I don't owe you Sh*t. And while I'm at it - stop asking women who are of obvious "advanced" age why they don't have kids. Its a good chance your feeble attempt at conversation will end in tears. Mine or yours depending on the day! Ok off the ranting box now   Back to zen thoughts, lol. Btw Sparkle wishing you a bfp very soon!

Prescott- Awwww, crap. Sorry your not getting your bfp....

AFM- Trigger shot was Monday so I'm 3 dpo. Ultrasound looked pretty good so now I'm off in the tww. I have to admit my expectations are really high. I'm trying to temper them but its hard. I want this to work so badly!

[mamacatsbaby]

Hi ladies! Been reading along with you, just haven't been able to get in and post and now I'm overwhelmed . I'm thinking of you all though .

More baby coming your way in the TWW JustJenny .

LilyKay I absolutely understand what you mean about being genuinely happy for other women but having your own conflicting emotions. I think we all get like that as what I like to call The Fever is really quite an intense place to be in. Such an emotional storm of pure madness!

prescott: No such luck with the weather. We're getting flood warnings for today (it's past midnight now) and are being warned about an imminent cold front .

*yawn* I'm tired but not lol. I should go to bed though. 'Night all!

[LilyKay]

JustJenny, according to FF and the lovely ladies here, I'm also 3 DPO so here's to a sane TWW . About small spaces, you mostly like know of it but I'm going to recommend it anyway: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/. They have many good ideas on how to organize small spaces. I do love their Small Cool competitions where people send in pictures of their tiny places. You can just google for Small Cool 2012 (or the previous years).  Some people are seriously creative when it comes to small spaces.

BTW, I used to judge a lot and now I shake my head at my former naive uninformed self. Thankfully I kept my unkind opinions to myself but yes, I also thought "What? They have no kids?" and "Why did they have kids so far apart?". The best was "How could anyone get pregnant by accident?". Needless to say, nature/God has a good sense of humor, I got pregnant at a very inconvenient time and now if I get pregnant again, my kids will be a bit too further apart than I would've liked. HA!

Thankfully people in Germany are quite reserved when it comes to asking personal questions. Mostly they don't which can also be annoying (sometime you do want people to inquire). If I were back in my home country, we'd be hounded by too personal questions.

prescott - sorry about the spotting! I did notice in your sig. that you're gluten-free... so far so good (although eating perhaps too much Rice-Krispies ).

AFM - Just got a phone call that DD got into the Kindergarten of our choice! . And I finally located a source for Guafenesin here. I wrote it on a post-it and it's sitting on my computer at work. If AF comes around this month, I'm definitely trying that. I also just realized that if this is the month, DP will be away AGAIN when it is time to test. Last time he was working/living in a whole different country and I was hoping this time we would get the BFP together. Ah well, can't be too choosy.

[prescottchels]

I have a small space too, though JustJenny you probably win the prize! My place is 400-500 sq ft so staying organized is crucial and tricky cuz it doesn't have much closet space to speak of. I'm gonna check out that link too, LilyKay. I love getting inspired by other people's creative ideas for organizing. In fact I just installed a shelf in my kitchen over the toaster oven so I can pull my spice baskets out of the cupboard and put food in the cupboard instead of having to leave non-perishables out on the counter, which is super limited. I feel like I'm always shuffling things around to make space for what I need to do.

Blessings to you both for a sane TWW!

Hi Sparkle & Mamacat  

AF showed up today. sigh. On the bright side I could get a BFP for my b-day next month, which would be the best birthday present ever  

My friend lent me her microscope so we'll be doing a lil spermy viewing experiment here in the next few days 

[SparkleMaman]

So I am 9 DPO today. Yesterday morning I woke up from a particularly vivid dream where I tested and got a BFP. I thought hmmmm, that's interesting, perhaps a sign?

So I POAS and OMG IT WAS POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!! It is still faint this morning but so there. I am in utter shock and disbelief. Apparently the Guafenesin worked quite well After trying for 10 cycles, I really was thinking this just wouldn't happen for me, not meant to be. I am so, so, so excited!! I want to shout it everywhere, though I am obviously not. Flying high for the weekend.

Wishing you all much love and

[mamacatsbaby]

LilyKay: That's wonderful news about your DD! How exciting for you guys! I like your apartmenttherapy link, thanks. I'll have to look through it some more, see if I can get any ideas . I think we all judge, it's in our nature! The thing with me is that I know how to be rational about it though - "Good gawd! WTH is going on, why are those kids running amok?! Damn, bet that mama needs a glass of merlot right...about...now!" I know and understand that we only see surface and no one knows what really goes on in people's lives; where they've been, what they've seen. I do so love to wonder what's behind those masks. I know people judge me and meh, they can have at it, as long as they're not doing something vile like calling me names in front of my kids or something. I think this side of the human personality helps us to look at ourselves even more, if we know how to work it right . It can be annoying judging and/or being judged but as long as we keep it in perspective, roll on I say!

prescott. Suck, sorry AF came for you, the witch! But yes, a birthday BFP would be fabulous .

Congrats again Sparkle! I love those amazingly high, dizzying feelings that go along with finding out you're pg . Sounds like you're glowing doll. Very happy for you .

[mamacatsbaby]

C/p from a post I did just a minute ago in The One thread as I started to sort out some of my feelings from the last few days:

Originally Posted by mamacatsbaby 
Me, not much going on here. Feeling fairly "Meh" about this cycle. I'd love it and am hopeful that this is my cycle but I don't think it is. I felt the presence of another child next to me last night though so somebody wants to be here. I mean I physically felt them standing there. No, it wasn't either of my other kids . I looked and there was no one I could see. DS2 was asleep and DS1 was in his room reading. I haven't had a very strong temp shift so , who knows WTH's going on. I'm not as upset as I was this time the way I was with the disappointment of the last two cycles, I'm just ready to be done with the TWW (which I think I'm in but we'll see), get RoseRed, have an ice-cold artisan brew, and get going with a fresh cycle. Watching my kids with my DH this morning made me swell with love and sadness. I think we BD'd and everything at great times but I think the m/c, nursing, and whatever else is screwing with my hormones. Blah, whatever. Getting ready to dive into a new book, very excited about that (yes, I'm a nerd, what?! )

Hope your weekends are starting off right ladies!

[prescottchels]

OMG Sparkle that is so awesome!!  Congratulations!!

Mamacat-my future babes have been a strong presence in my life off and on over the years so I don't doubt that you felt your next one hanging out with you   I love it when mine come for a visit. It's been a while, but for a long time it seemed like they were always right there-so much so that I got a feel for their personalities, genders and even names. 

Seems like my lighter than usual flow last month is getting made up for this month and that paired with the major meltdown I had last night has me feeling like I've been through the wringer and could sleep for days, but alas there are things to be done today, which don't include this... 

And I can now report officially that trying to play it cool and not talking about whether or not there's a baby happening or not does not lessen the disappointment one.single.bit. 

[JustJenny]

mamcatsbaby- I think that is so awesome that your spirit baby made a visit. Maybe she/he was letting you know it won't be long now mommy! If not this cycle I bet its soon 

Congrats Sparkle!  

LilyKay- Thanks for the link! Gonna go check it out now....

[mamacatsbaby]

prescott: Sorry AF is being rougher this time around. Nope, trying to be cool about the baby nay or yay doesn't do a darn thing to decrease the disappointment I've found.

I'm so glad you guys got what I was talking about! I swear, I thought my DS2 had woken up b/c he wanted me to come lay down with him and had come to tell me so. Great stuff .