Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Oh my- really?

This week is getting better and better (personally- work is utter hell, but that's another story).  I've been given a blog award!  Thank you so, so much to Lauren at The Yoakum crew... and a foster dog or 2!  She's just started her first IVF cycle, so show her some bloggie love.

Liebster is a German word meaning dearest, and the award is given to up-and-coming bloggers
with less than 200 followers.

Here are the rules:
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Hope that the people you’ve sent the award to forward it to their five favorite bloggers and keep it going!

The five blogs I want to recognize for being nothing but awesome are:

1:  Angie at http://randomthoughtsfromangie.blogspot.com/ 
2:  Jennifer at http://doihavetobeadink.blogspot.com/
3:  Meredith at http://mereknits-mereknits.blogspot.com/
4:  Kristin at http://cozymadethings.blogspot.com/
5:  Danielle at http://danielle-memories.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

I'm a Winner!

Last month, the very talented Susan over at The Florida Crochet Garden announced a giveaway, because she reached 100 followers.  (Congratulations, Susan!!)  I was one of the three lucky winners, and sent her my info. Fast forward a few weeks, and a package arrived in my mailbox.

A present for me?  Yes, please!

Inside was a set of notecards, a journal, and the sweetest little mini notecards.   It's just perfect, and completely made my day.  A huge THANK YOU to Susan for hosting her 100-follower giveaway!

Check out her blog- she makes the cutest owl baby hats, blankets and amazing infinity scarves.  I'm using her Never-Ending Scarf pattern for a Christmas gift!


Thursday, November 24, 2011

Gobble Gobble, y'all!


 1 Chronicles 16:34
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.



Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who frequent my little corner.   I hope that today finds you in good health and great spirits, with much to be celebrate!


Today, I am counting my blessings- even those blessings wrapped up in clever disguises, so that at first glance they more resemble curses than gifts.  There are so many things for which I am thankful, but I won't bore you with them here.  Just know that I count you among them, and hope that your Thanksgiving holiday is absolutely perfect.  For those of you who are Black Friday shopping, please don't be the crazy lady on the news who runs over a fellow shopper with her cart in a rush to grab the last Lalaloopsy doll...  Those things are creepy anyway.

Monday, November 21, 2011

S'Mores Cookie Bars

S'mores Love!
One word.  Delicious.  I pinned this recipe a few days ago on Pinterest (love this!), and finally made them them last week.  I guilted Paul into helping, and he mentioned several times that they better be freaking amazing since he was missing the football game.  They are time-consuming, but even Paul agreed that they were well worth the effort.  I mean, they're S'mores!  How could they not be fabulous?

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Stuck in No-Man's Land

It just occurred to me (literally... I laid awake in bed for 2 hours thinking and it suddenly hit me) that I feel like I am treading water and going nowhere.  It sounds bad, but I don't mean it in a depressing, sad way at all.  For 9 days, I haven't posted here, and I couldn't figure out why.  This morning, I "got it".  At this time, my blog is primarily a place for me to document this crazy IVF journey and things are boring right now!  So boring in fact, that I often forget we're in the middle of an IVF cycle until my alarm goes off and tells me to stick a needle in my belly.  It's crazy!

I'm getting ready for my transfer, but the prep is such a long, drawn out process that it feels like each passing day brings me no closer to our baby.  During the stim phase, I felt like I was actively taking part in creating our family- I could picture each injection plumping up those follicles, and I physically felt the changes that were taking place.  Now, I can only imagine that these patches that I slap on every other day are doing some good.  There's very little monitoring during FET prep, so I have to believe that the Baby-Maker knows what he's doing, and that things are progressing as they should.  I feel good- there are no hormonal mood swings or crying jags that remind me that something is happening...  it's refreshing and scary at the same time.  

We have an appointment in Houston on Wednesday, so I'm sure that I will feel better then.  For now, I'll keep thinking happy thoughts about my uterine lining, and assume that all is well in there.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Oh Estrogen, How I've Missed You!


After a week on Lupron, I was a bitchy, crying, sweaty mess.  Self-induced menopause will do that to a girl, I suppose.  My hormone savior arrived today in the form of a patch.  This innocuous little sliver of sticky plastic is a Vivelle Dot, and it is amazing.  No more hot flashes or headaches!  Who knew that a little estrogen could be so fabulous?!

Friday, November 4, 2011

No Baby-talk Allowed

Yes, folks.  In this post, there will be no mention of my totsicles, my ovaries, my period, or anything else even remotely fertility related.  After that disclosure, of course.  I couldn't tell you that I wasn't going to discuss something without telling you what it was that I wasn't going to discuss!

Here goes:  I've been crafting!  Just a little tiny bit of crochet, but it's something. 

Last winter, a friend asked if I would make a hat for her daughter.  By the time the yarn was purchased and I got a head measurement, the colder months were long behind us.  It was decided that April was quite warm for a winter hat in Louisiana, and the project was put off until now.  After much fussing about, and me convincing the child's mother that this half-finished blob was not a boobie cover OR a yarmulke, a hat was born.  (That doesn't count as a baby reference.) So, without further ado:  Ta-Da!


There are so many little quirks about this hat... the seam where the rows are joined is visible (how the heck do you avoid this stinking seam?!):
Check out that twisty seam!
And...  I have no earthly idea if the hat will even fit this child.  I can say with certainty that it doesn't fit me, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it works. I'm probably overly critical of my own work, but it will do.  It's the first toddler hat that I have made, so it was a learning process.   Babies are so much easier to crochet for!

There are other crafty goings-on at my house, but I am too lazy haven't had time to take pictures.  So I suppose they'll have to wait!

For the curious: the hat was worked in joined rounds of single crochet on a 5mm hook without a pattern.  I used Caron Simply Soft yarn.  The smaller hook and short stitch made the fabric slightly more "rigid" than I'd have liked, but you live and learn.  It's still pretty soft and squishy.  I'm sizing up to a 6mm hook for the next one, though!

Update:  Its fits!  And she looks adorable in it.  Woohoo!