The Difference Betweeen Moms and Dads

I've been fortunate enough to have generally good health since my children were born. Sure, there were some days during my pregnancy with Stella that I was so sick and nauseous that we didn't do much, but I always felt physically able to care for my children when needed. 

On Wednesday we met a friend and her kids at the playground. Since Lucy had some weird rash on her chest for weeks without going away, I also made a drs appointment for after. We had fun playing and I had packed lunches for the girls that they ate while we waited to see the Dr. I started to feel a little jittery and off while we sat and waited so I quick ate a larabar.

As more time went on I started to feel worse and worse. My stomach started getting cramps and I felt super nauseous. At one point I pictured myself puking in the parking lot with my three kids. I felt awful.

I somehow got everyone in the car and forced myself to eat a big portion of my lunch as I drove home. I figured that would help me feel better. I really didn't feel much better the rest of the night. When W came home I was able to lie down some, but I couldn't figure out why I felt so terrible all of a sudden. I still helped with baths and bedtime. 

On Thursday morning I woke up feeling even worse. I was still super nauseous and still had the stomach cramps. By 9 am I was greeted by my period. I have to believe the Whole 30 had a lot to do with me getting my cycle back, but holy moly it was bad! Pop-Pop came with us rasberry picking and I felt ok. I napped with Stella that afternoon and that helped a little. By that evening the flow had gotten really heavy and things took a turn for the worse. I had a horrible headache, awful cramps, still felt nauseous, had the stomach cramps, and now was bleeding really heavy!

Friday morning I woke up feeling so awful. Like, I've never felt so awful and had to take care of my kids. W ran to the pharmacy and got me Midol while I sat on the floor curled in a ball and watched the girls to the best of my ability. I reached out for help from my in laws and mom and no one was available. My MiL was willing to meet me at a book sale so I decided I would go. Not sure how I got everyone dressed and out the door, but I did. I cried a lot of the way to meet my MiL. I felt awful and had to take care of my three kids regardless. It was a horrible feeling.

My MiL really wasn't all the helpful, even when I told her I felt awful. She just said, "Well that's unexpected." I basically had to beg her to come along for the other errand I had to do (buying a bday present for a party we had on Sunday).

I dropped her off after and had to pick up lunch for everyone because there was no way I was going to be able to make it with the way I felt. As I brought my kids into a restaurant and waited for our food I wanted to cry again. I felt seriously terrible, yet had no choice but to carry on. I felt like I could hardly stand up my cramps were so bad. 

I got the girls down for a nap and again laid down with Stella. We had a birthday dinner for my SiL that night so I was hoping it would help me feel better. When W got home we got ready and headed over to my in laws. I still felt awful, but didn't feel like we could cancel. 

Dinner was fine and that night I fell asleep early on the couch. The following morning when I got up W didn't budge when the girls were crying. I asked him what was going on and he said he had been up at 3 am vomiting. Having no other choice, I dragged myself out of bed and brought the girls downstairs for breakfast. I would be lying if I said I wasn't super disappointed and a little pissed that not only was I not getting a badly needed break, I wasn't even getting any help. I texted my mom and she was willing to come with us to the lavender festival as I had planned later. 

The day didn't go as I had hoped and I was honestly so upset with the sequence of events. I felt so incredibly horrible on Friday, yet had little help taking care of our three kids. I really had three days where I felt pretty awful, yet still got up and did what I had to. It felt so unfair that W spent the entire next day in bed. I would have given anything to curl up in a ball and sleep by myself on Friday. Of course I didn't want everyone to get sick so I gave him space, but it was just incredibly frustrating and unfair. I guess that's the difference between being a mom and dad. Moms don't get sick days. 

Whose Baby?

As I said in my last post, Lucy hasn't been feeling well this week. As a result, we've seen a lot of testing boundaries and not listening. The other night she was hovering over Stella's face and not listening about giving Stella some space. I gave her a warning and started to count. I told her if she didn't give Stella space she was headed to time out. After all, we don't want Stella to get sick too. 

Well, she didn't listen or back up so headed right to time out. As she was sitting there, she cried out "My baby too!" I guess Lucy thought I should do a better job sharing Stella. I love how much she loves her baby. 

Mama's Milk

I've been pumping every morning for the past few months to have a little frozen stash. I know I really won't need that milk, but it's nice to know I have it and can rely on it. It also means I rarely have to pump if I miss a feeding here or there. L&C see me pump and help bring me the pieces in the morning. We often talk about "mama's milk". Most nights with dinner the girls get milk to drink. We often offer them the choice of mama's milk or cow's milk. Although Lucy has tried my milk a few times, she never seemed to like it. Clara, on the other hand, loves it. 

Most days I'll only let Clara drink a few ounces since I only pump about 5-7 ounces after feeding Stella in the morning. I want to freeze some of it after all. 

Last week W brought home a low grade cold. As a result, I started pushing the beast milk for Clara. Saturday night Lucy woke up feeling awful. She coughed so hard it made her vomit, her nose was running like a fountain, and she was running a fever. 

Since then I've pretty much been giving Clara all the milk I pump in the morning. And? She still not sick...yet. Haha. 

It is interesting that Clara generally gets sick first between my girls. After all, she was my sicker preemie. She's always sick for a few days before passing it on to Lucy. 

 I'm not saying my milk will keep her from getting sick completely, but I definitely can see a difference. She has a bit of a cough, but no runny nose, fever, or misery like Lucy. 

It's amazing to me that when I've told a few people that Clara likes my milk they think it's weird or gross. Drinking the milk of another species is much weirder if you ask me! She's not nursing, but getting all the benefits. The best part? When Stella doesn't finish a bottle we know it won't go to waste. Instead, Clara happily finishes it. 

Milk with lunch for L &C. Can you tell the difference?

Overwhelmed

Last weekend we traveled to Albany to see my sister, dad, and other family. We left Saturday morning and stayed until after dinner on Sunday night. To say the trip was stressful is an understatement. The girls were great in the car, but Clara woke up with a fever and runny nose on Sunday morning. She was super cranky and the pacis made more of an appearance than normal. 

We stayed with my sister. While the sleeping arrangements were better this time, it was still extremely difficult to stay there. My sister and BiL heat their house with a wood stove. They keep it at least 85 degrees all the time. The space is small and cluttered and they don't pick up after themselves. The TV is constantly on (in fact 2 TV's are constantly on right next to each other). My nephew who is 2 years old isn't on any kind of schedule or routine and it was hard to watch. I didn't see them sit down with him for any meals minus the one we went out for. He really only sat for a minute or two and then ran around the restaurant the rest of the time. Otherwise, he grazed on candy and junk food, didn't take any naps, and went to bed around 10 pm. 

Traveling alone is stressful, but having to stay at my sister's house and Clara getting sick made it really tough. We went to dinner on Sunday night and there were about 25 people there. These people are practically strangers to the girls and they were definitely a little overwhelmed. There were dogs in the house wresting and it was really loud. We went from one chaotic environment to another. 

We were so grateful to be home but anticipated a bad night with Clara since she hadn't been feeling well. When we were at dinner she felt so warm despite being dosed with Tylenol.

Well, it's now Wednesday and Clara seems to be feeling much better. Unfortunately, Lucy now has the same thing. Monday and Tuesday were really tough with the girls and they were so cranky and both wanted me. There was so much whining and I thought I was going to lose it. At one point yesterday I had to put them both in their cribs and let them cry while I took a break. I finally got a little break today as my mom watched the girls while I left for a few hours. I came home to a hysterical, snotty, drooly Lucy and felt a little guilty. Luckily she snuggled into me and calmed right down. 

On days like this I think about how things are going to be with a baby added to the mix. I can't help but feel extremely overwhelmed and scared. I joked we will all have to live in a bubble because I won't be able to to handle sick toddlers and a baby. I'm not sure how I'm going to handle healthy toddlers and a baby, haha. 

I'm hoping Lucy starts to feel better soon so that we are all healthy for vacation next week. 

Puke

Isn't this such a lovely topic and title for my post? 

Well, up until about a week ago I hadn't dealt with any puke from either of the girls. That has all quickly changed. 

About 2 weeks ago I tried giving Clara the multivitamin the pediatrician prescribed. The girls were slightly low in their iron at their 1 year checkup and we also don't have fluoride in our water. The vitamin contains iron and fluoride in addition to other things. I didn't give it to Lucy because she had been constipated and I knew iron wouldn't help the situation. I gave Clara the full dose after breakfast. 

When she woke up from her nap she started really crying which is unusual because they usually wake up happy from their morning nap. When I went in I found her covered in vomit and about 2/3rds of her crib also soaked. I brought her to the tub and cleaned her up. The rest of the day she seemed fine. Later that day I realized it was likely the vitamin that made her sick. 

Unfortunately that's not the only puke story I have. Christmas Eve brought a whole new round. The girls were dressed in their Christmas dresses and knitted bunting suits my MiL made them. About 5 minutes into our drive I decided I wanted some coffee. As we pulled into the Dunkin Donuts we heard gagging and puking in the backseat. Clara had puked all over herself. We tag teamed it, cleaned her up, and headed back on our way. I told W if she got sick again on the way we were turning around. 

We made it to my in laws fine. As I was in the kitchen doing something about an hour after we got there W came in and told me Clara had gotten sick in the living room. We cleaned her and the living room up. At this point she was down to her onesie. She seemed fine though. We sat down for dinner and didn't really offer her much. 

Before leaving I nursed both girls since we intended them to fall asleep on the ride home. Clara made me nervous as she chugged and chugged, but I figured she was hungry and maybe the milk would help her feel better. Boy was I wrong! She was gagging and coughing pretty soon after getting in the car. I hopped in the backseat to try to comfort her. About 3 minutes after getting on the highway she got so sick. She was completely covered in a pool of puke (poor girl). I told W to pull over immediately even though we were on the highway. We pulled her onesie off and I warped her in a blanket and held her. We drove the rest of the way home like that. I knew she felt awful and she was so limp and passed out on me that I didn't want to move her. She woke up as we were pulling down our road and got sick once more. 

When we got home we put her to bed. Lucy hadn't really slept for much of the ride so I nursed her again and put her down. The rest of the night was pretty quiet. 

Clara woke up with a bit of a fever on Christmas morning. We gave her Tylenol and it came down. We hosted both of our families and the girls got so spoiled with all of their gift. Both girls seemed a bit lethargic all day but we attributed it to a busy day. 

On Saturday I texted my SiL to see if they wanted to go to a movie. She responded with telling me that she, her husband, and my FiL had all been hit with a stomach bug on Friday night. When I called my parents I found out my brother and mom had also gotten sick. 

W and I feel pretty bad that so many people got sick from our house on Christmas. 

It was just about a month ago that I was bragging to my friend (who has twin girls that get carsick regularly) that I hadn't yet dealt with any puke. Shows me to open my big mouth!! 

#MicroblogMondays: 5 years

Friday was our 5th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately it didn't go exactly as planned as W woke up with a stomach bug. He ended up taking 1 of his 2 remaining paid days off for the year. He was so sick during the day but started to feel better by the afternoon. I gave him his gift (a pen made out of wood), a card, and some homemade applesauce to try to help him feel better. 

Unfortunately it hit me that night a little too. I didn't feel anywhere near as bad as him, but I sure didn't feel great either. Luckily we hadn't cemented any plans prior to the day. 

Saturday was spend lounging around on the couch and doing nothing. On Sunday we got together with friends and enjoyed a beautiful fall day. 

I'm sure when we stood on the altar 5 years ago we had no idea what was to come; infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and then twins! It's been a wild ride to say the least! I'm sure it's not quite what we pictured, but I also can't picture my life any different. 

Week 1

It's been a week since the slip on the stairs that led to Lucy's broken femur. To say it's been a rough week is an understatement. On top of having one child in a half-body cast, her sister came down with a cold and started teething on Wednesday. At first I though it was just teething as she had a low-grade fever and runny nose, but I feared a cold as my MiL was sick with one the previous week.

Originally our plans had been to leave the girls with my in-laws on my birthday so W and I could go out for a birthday lunch at the Melting Pot. As it got closer and I learned my MiL had been sick, I decided against bringing the girls to her. The girls have gotten colds 2 other times. Both times it was when I left them with someone who had been sick. I didn't get exposed to it so didn't produce the antibodies in my breast milk. So, instead I decided to keep them with me that day.

Then on Monday we had to spend the night at the hospital. We needed help with Clara. So, she spent the time with my in-laws. Am I surprised she got sick? Not really, but I also can't help but be angry about it. I know my MiL didn't mean it, I just didn't need that on my plate too. Big surprise, Lucy got it too. She started feeling crummy on Saturday and her sleep has really suffered too.

Generally I can count on Clara for 11 hours of solid sleep. Starting Wednesday night she was up multiple times. I hit rock bottom on Saturday night when I'm pretty sure I didn't sleep more than 45 minutes straight. Lucy has been waking a lot too. She's stuffy, she uncomfortable, she's in pain, she's hot, who the heck knows. I do know it breaks my heart to hear her crying so much at night. She's usually very easily comforted at night but that has not been the case this week. She's pretty much sleeping in our bed minus the first part of the night when we put her down in her crib.

Clara has also developed quite a bit of jealousy. In all fairness, I wasn't really thinking much of her those first few days. I was meeting her basic needs but relying on others to do a lot of the playing, snuggling, and loving her. I feel horrible admitting it, but I was just spread too thinly for it all. As a result, she's been very unhappy. When she seemed to be feeling worse on Friday and started really screaming multiple times I brought her to the ped to be sure she didn't have an ear infection. Her ears looked find and the ped pointed out how much her life had changed too. Since then W and I have been much more conscious to give her special attention too. 

I had lots of help last week because I didn't think I could take care of both girls by myself. As beggers can't be choosers, I was stuck with my MiL a few days. I know she means well, but she's just too intense. She can't do anything without asking a million questions. It would be helpful if she just did things to help with the girls or around the house. Instead, it's a thousand questions just to know what to give them for a snack, to know which clothes to put back into the wash (if it's dirty it's a safe assumption it needs to go through again, please don't ask me!) She also lingered far too long. When the girls finally went down for their afternoon naps she would show zero signs of leaving. I felt like I had to be there to entertain her and talk with her when all I wanted was some alone time or a chance to lay down myself. By the end of the week I told W I just couldn't have her help. I was more stressed out and struggling with her around. 

This week I am planning to do more without help, try to plan some kind of small outing every day,and try to get our lives back to as normal as possible. 

Today was a great start. W left for work around 8:30 and my SiL came over around 11:30. I showered and packed some snacks for the girls while they were napping and we went for a walk and picnic in the park. 

Stuffy

We are still fighting the war on sleep. We seem to be winning the war on night time feedings for now. 

Our biggest problem is the lack of crib sleeping. 

The past 2 nights we've put the girls down much earlier. Rather than doing a dream feed we are keeping them up after their 4:30ish feeding and then I'm nursing them right before bed around 7:30. They are going down like champs and W and I are really enjoying having more time to ourselves at night. 

The past 2 nights both babies have woken up about 3 hours after we put the down with super stuffy noses. I think if they didn't have stuffy noses that they might continue sleeping without interruption. We are running the humidifier in their room and using suction as needed, but I don't think there's much else we can do. 

They've had the stuffy noses for almost 2 weeks now. When I brought Lucy to the ped he prescribed amoxicillin and said he didn't want us to give it to her unless her fever spiked or she didn't improve within a week. She's definitely improved, but the stuffiness remains. I really would rather not give them antibiotics, but the ped had said it could be a sinus infection.

Both nights we tried to soothe and rock them around 11 pm, but it just didn't seem to be working. After repeated attempts to put them down and them waking up 2 minutes later, we brought them in the bed with us. 

I've been feeding Lucy once around 1 am and one night I fed Clara around 5 am as she was crying like she was hungry and W couldn't get her to calm down. 

All in all, the night time feeding frenzy has improved. Now we need to figure out how to get them to either not wake up around 11 or to go back down in their cribs.

We are taking baby steps here...

First Fevers

The girls had their first fevers this week. It was a miserable day for everyone and, unfortunately, we are still seeing glimpses of the misery. 

On Tuesday we went it the pediatrician. Lucy had gained a little bit better than last time and the dr was happier. We also had the results from the blood work he ordered that showed everything was find. He still wants me to supplement her a little by adding some Neosure to 2 ounces of breast milk and giving that to her once a day. I went out and bought it but haven't opened it yet. It breaks my heart to have to give her anything but my breast milk unless absolutely necessary. The dr thinks she needs more calories than her sister. I've been trying to just feed her more to get more calories into her that way. I'm back to waking up at 3 am with her in order to feed her. It's not fun but it's good to know she's getting a few extra ounces a day. I used to give her the paci and she would go back to sleep but I figured feeding her was probably best to help her gain weight. 

Getting up with her isn't as bad as in the beginning, but gone are my 5-6 hour stretches of uninterrupted sleep.  My body is a bit confused as well. Most nights I'm able to nurse her in a side-lying position so I get to stay lying down in bed. For the first few nights I soaked the sheets and bed as I leaked from the other side. 

Tuesday afternoon the girls were knocked out from their shots. They had to be woken up for most of their feelings. I thought they felt a little warm before bed but we didn't take their temperatures. 

On Wednesday morning I got up around 7 to feed them. Lucy definitely wasn't herself and was very upset. Clara was her usual smiley self. They ate and went back to sleep until around 10. 

Every morning we have the same routine. I feed them in bed and then we go in their room. I change diapers and put a blanket on the floor. They play on the floor and I pump, read them books, sing songs, talk to then, etc. Well, as soon as I put them down on the blanket they both started wailing. They both felt hot so I ran downstairs to get thermometers. I checked Clara first. She had a temperature of 103. Lucy's was 102.8. I called the pediatrician and waited to her back about the dosage of Tylenol to give them. 

I found that out, gave them Tylenol, and hoped for the best. Luckily my mom and FiL were over to help. 

The girls napped in people's arms (something we usually try to avoid) and by the time W came home their fevers were lower. 

You would think since their fevers were lower they'd be feeling better. Not so much. They took turns screaming and also screamed some in unison. By 9:00 I had a migraine and needed W to take over. Unfortunately, Lucy cried for the next 2 hours. I felt horrible that I couldn't help, by my head was pounding and I felt super nauseous.

W survived his time with Lucy. She eventually crashed and fell asleep. 

I was hoping Thursday would bring me babies who felt 100% better. Not so much. They took turns being grumpy and refused to nap in their crib. 

I guess what they say is true. As soon as you think you have a handle on things and feel like you know what you're doing, things change. If anyone knows where my happy and napping babies are, please send them back to me.  

It's the Little Things in Life

I've feeling much better than I did Friday night. I slept for almost 12 hours on Friday night and took a nap Saturday during the day. That definitely helped. 

On Sunday W came with me to yoga. It was a hot vinyasa class and it kicked my butt! At first I was directly under the heat vent and was sweating so much I couldn't hold any pose long for fear of slipping off my mat. I eventually moved a little further away and that helped, but I just didn't feel strong during the class. I think fighting off the cold and having my period took it's toll on my body. Last week I felt really great during the same class but this week it was super challenging for me. 

I still enjoyed going and especially enjoyed the hot tub, sauna, and steam shower after. 

I recently found out all yoga classes are free there for us because we are patients at the fertility center. They buildings are connected and there also have massage and acupuncture available there. They offer one free acupuncture session with a transfer, so I usually take them up on that offer. I haven't been going to acupuncture regularly because it didn't seem to make a huge difference for me. Sure, I enjoyed it, but it didn't seem worth all the money. 

The headaches are getting a bit better but I am bruising so badly with my shots. I started Lovenox and baby aspirin last week and I don't think that is helping the cause. Any tips to reduce bruising? At this rate my entire stomach will be covered. I've been avoiding the right side of my stomach completely because I can't seem to find a single spot that doesn't bruise. It's not the best look. 

My next appointment is Wednesday morning. Our tentative transfer day is exactly two weeks from today! 

I bought something this week I'm super excited about it. It's really shows how it's the little things in life that make me happy.

 Last year we hosted Thanksgiving and our local supermarket had turkey butter sculptures for sale (it would fit in your hand if you wanted to hold a buttery little turkey). I missed my chance to get one as they sold out quickly. Well, this past week I saw them and snatched one up. I was so excited I even had to tell the cashier. 

Isn't he cute?

The New York State Fair is nearby and one of the main attractions is the giant butter sculpture. Maybe it's an upstate NY thing, but it's something we always have to check out when we go.

The sculpture from 2 years ago at the fair.

While you're in the dairy building, you better get some 25 cent chocolate milk.  Can't you tell I'm excited about it?

 I can't wait for that little buttery turkey to grace the Thanksgiving table with its presence. That is, until someone chops off his little head for their mashed potatoes. 

Relying on Vitamin C and Neupogen

All week I've been getting headaches from the Lupron. This morning I woke up with a stuffed up nose and sore throat. I thought getting through a work day with a headache was rough. Today I realized it's much better than trying to work with a headache and sore throat. 

I started Neupogen today which helps boost white blood cells. I'm hoping those white blood cells can kick this cold's ass. Come on Neupogen!

I also started Lovenox and baby aspirin this morning. I've been bruising really bad on my right side so might have to just stick to the left side of my stomach. I also start Delestrogen tonight. 

Unfortunately, my insurance didn't cover the Delestrogen. When I called the insurance to find out why they cover Estradiol but not Delestrogen they gave me a very strange reply. They told me it's something that is typically administered by the doctor in their office and then the doctor bills the insurance. It's not something that is covered if just dispensed. I don't get it. On the plus side, my insurance covered the Neupogen and I only paid 50 bucks. You win some you lose some. 

I just hope I can start feeling better soon. I don't plan to do much this weekend except lay low and try to feel better. We are having dinner at my in-law's tomorrow and hopefully will go to yoga on Sunday. 

The side effects have been rough this time around. It's so strange how each cycle the meds affect me differently. I've taken Lupron and had no issues and taken it other cycles and gotten daily headaches. 

Happy Friday!! I hope everyone has a good weekend. 

Sickness

I work with little kids that are walking cesspools for germs. I have 19 children on my caseload right now and I think about 80-85% of them have some kind of cold or another. 

I douse myself in hand sanitizer each time I get back in my car. Heck, I should buy stock in Purell I use it so much. 

Today I start dexamethasone. Each time I've taken it I've noticed I either get sick or get something else. I think it was last time that a giant wart popped up on one of my toes within the first week of taking it. Another time I got a really bad stomach bug. 

So, wish me luck in not getting sick. If it's only a cold I guess it's not that bad. I better start bulking up on my Vitamin C and make sure I get enough sleep. That one is a big tougher with early morning appointments. 

AF showed up this morning and tonight is my first night of stims. I always laugh in the beginning when I am looking forward to starting something that I know in the end isn't that much fun. Oh well, it's good to be back up and going. 

IVF #2 CD 15 Fertilization Report and Sick as a Dog

I worked on Tuesday. One little guy I see for therapy had a mom with the stomach bug. Instead of canceling, I saw him at his grandma's house instead since he was feeling fine. That night I saw on Facebook that he came down with it as did his Dad. I was a bit fearful but figured I had washed my hands and hadn't been too hands-on with him during our session. Well, no such luck. Last night around 1:30 I woke up extremely nauseous. I had weighed myself before bed like the instructions from my clinic said to do. 

From 1:30 until at least 4:30 I was up every half hour vomiting. The diarrhea joined in about mid-way through the night (sorry if TMI). I was a wreck. I couldn't keep down a sip of water. This morning I weighed myself and I was down 6 pounds! Since I wasn't having any symptoms of OHSS I contribute it to the stomach bug. So far today I haven't thrown up at all, but all I've managed to consume is half a bottle of Gatorade. Not really the hydration I was hoping for. 

We got the call this morning about fertilization. Of the 28 eggs retrieved they were able to ISCI 21 of them. Of those 21, 17 fertilized. We are scheduled for a 5 day transfer on Monday morning at 9:15. 

Other than feeling like death from the stomach bug, I've been OK. Maybe the sickness masked any of feelings of discomfort from the retrieval. W stayed home and took care of me today and I really hope he doesn't come down with the same thing. Seriously horrible!

I'm not sure if it's the Dexamethasone or what, but since starting it I came down with a cold and a stomach bug. Usually I'm able to fight off the germs I am exposed to at work. I'm just hoping I start to feel better soon and actually want to eat. 

I don't think we will hear anything else about our embryos until Saturday so until then I am just focusing on feeling better and maybe even getting out of bed some time today. It has not been the most fun 24 hours!

IUI #2 CD 6 (sick)

Yup, I have an ear infection. I was resisting going to the doctor all week, but decided this afternoon my ear wasn't going to clear out the fluid on its own. It was a little difficult disclosing all of my current meds to an unknown nurse, and she didn't know what Gonal-F was so I had to explain. She also asked me if I was diabetic due to the Metformin and when I told her I wasn't she asked me why I was taking it. All in all, no biggie. I left with some antibiotics and filled it this afternoon.

I am hoping this will help me feel better since I have been off all week. Hoping the amoxicillin doesn't interfere with the Gonal-F, but my nurse said I was fine to take anything at this point. My main concern is that it runs 10 days and I might be PUPO at that point. Any input?

Yay, more meds!!

IUI #2 CD 4

Injection this evening - check

Feeling like crap - check

doggie diarrhea on our upstairs carpet - check

I woke up around midnight to my hubby coughing and the light on in the other room. I asked what was going on and he said our dog came upstairs and had diarrhea all over our carpet. He was scrubbing away in the other room, and when I woke up this morning it didn't look too hot in there. Thankfully, he was able to go and rent a steam cleaner this afternoon and the rug is in much better shape now. It's not even noticable anymore. I was getting worried we would have to replace the carpet, but I don't think that will be necessary.

I hadn't been feeling great this past weekend, but this morning I felt the worst. My throat has been bothering me, but I woke up around 6 with intense ear pain. I got the heating pad and that helped some, but my ear is still plugged now. I ended up staying home and resting. I had cancelled my first few kids of the day and then got up to shower and make breakfast and realized how awful I was feeling. I am hoping today was the worst and that I will start to feel better and be up for a full day of work tomorrow. I don't usually get sick despite being around lots of kids and sickness. In the past 3 weeks I have come down with 2 separate colds. I'm not exactly sure why but it could be that W is currently working with kids as well. I think my immune system can only handle so many germs. I didn't go to the doctor and am hoping the fluid drains from my ear without antibiotics. I hate to take more drugs right now. 

While looking at the calendar today I was amazed to write in W's graduation. It almost doesn't seem real since we have been waiting on this for so long (a 3 year doctorate program plus 2 years of prerequisite classes.) We will know by the time he is done with this clinical whether this round worked. I am hopeful and can't wait to clap the loudest when he walks across the stage! Now we just need to get our evites out for the party.

Appointment and ultrasound tomorrow.