[From the Trying to Conceive page: I did not expect to get pregnant on the first month I wrote this so I am moving it out to the main page.]

A little history, I am not new to infertility. I had Christopher in 1997 after being on birth control for a number of years, he was not an accident, but at the same time not planned. He was welcomed into our lives with much joy. When he was about 9 months old we decided we would have another baby, but I was lacking periods from 9 months on Depo Provera. In 1999 we sought out professional help at the military base who tried numerous methods to help my husband and myself. I was eventually referred to an RE (What is an RE?) who diagnosed me with PCOS, or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCO-whaaa?) We tried clomid without success, and eventually took a break, because the Army sent my husband overseas for two years. (Conspiracy to lower our medical bills? I say yes!!) I should also mention at the end of 1999 we were trying to conceive number 3, not number 2 because Austin had just joined our family permanently.

While he was gone, from 2002-2004 my GYN put me on birth control pills, a common “treatment” for PCOS. I say it that way because birth control pills do not treat the syndrome itself, but it does lesson the side effects. Needless to say we got quite a bit of razzing for him being thousands of miles away and me being on the pill, but whatever. In May 2004, three months after he returned home from Iraq, we decided we would stop using the pill and see what happens. In July 2004 we bought our first home and in the moving process we threw out all my old maternity clothes… I figure I was about 5 days past conception at that time, and a blood test probably would not have even showed my new little belly bean. Matthew was born in March of 2005, into the arms of my OB nurse.

As soon as my periods resumed from childbirth we decided we would try to have another… let me back up by saying as soon as I confirmed I was pregnant with Matthew I decided we would have more, but Bobby was not fully on board. Men are funny creatures, they don’t see a positive pregnancy test with #3 and think, wow, time to start planning for a fourth. This month marks the second year I have been seriously trying to get pregnant, though we only recently sought out medical assistance because I am still breastfeeding Matthew and I refuse to make Matthew go without so I can give him a sibling. We are seeing a practical nurse in an OB/GYN office for our treatments, because face it, specialists are expensive and I won’t take away from money for my other three children to fund a fourth. So now you are pretty much caught up, if you are familiar with basal body temperatures of natural family planning you can click here to visit my WebChart.

Notice over to the right there is a new page called “Trying to Conceive”, I added this to keep everyone who wants to know about our TTC journey informed without having updates on my main page. The updates, when I add them, will be on the bottom of the page. I will probably only have updates once a week or less, unless something big happens.

Due to lack of posting, I am deleting the Trying to Conceive page and putting all the posts on the main page.

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Now playing: David Bowie - The Jean Genie
via FoxyTunes

The other day I was grocery shopping and I overheard a middle age woman comment to a young mother with a large family “you know what causes that, right?” I should have said something, I felt bad for the mom who seemed taken aback by the comment. I did not understand why the older woman felt like sticking her nose into the mother’s business.

All 5 of the young children were healthy, clean, well mannered and the mom, though still being frugal about it, made her purchases with cash, not WIC or a state issued food assistance card. I don’t think the mom had these children because she was too stupid for birth control, they seemed naturally spaced, the youngest child contently nursed from his mother’s breast while being worn in the sling… Oh my, nursing in PUBLIC?? What would the older woman say if she noticed that??

This got me thinking to inappropriate comments I have received, specifically referring to my three sons. I can’t tell you how many times I am asked if I plan on trying for a girl… when did boys become the consultation prize? Did G-d put a child into my womb and say “Sorry, you did not win the prize this time, but take what is behind door number two so you won’t be sent home empty handed”. My usual response is that if we decide to have another it will be to have another baby, not play Russian roulette and only want one specific gender. The most offensive was when I was pregnant, the cashier asked if I knew the gender of the baby (as she is scanning 100% blue clothes, blankets, etc) and when she heard it was another boy she looked at my other two sons and said “Are you guys sad you are having a brother? I mean sisters are so much better, wouldn’t you rather have a sister?” Yeah, because *I* was the one who chose their genders, but come on! My oldest son was hoping for a brother, but my middle son was licking his wounds from being wrong on his guess and at the time was hoping for a sister. Anyways, I digress.

When did society think that the store was an appropriate place to lecture someone about reproduction? Obviously the young mom had read page one of a parenting book if she knew her kids needed to eat. I know people who are not that sophisticated. Also, it is not like this mom was at the drive through window with grubby kids screaming for a soda pop and fried chicken nuggets. If the store was the place to lecture parents on birth control, wouldn’t you think Planned Parenthood would have rented a pagoda at the front of the store? Maybe the wife could look over to her husband and say “honey, can you go pick up paper towels, and while you are on isle 7 get that vasectomy we have been wanting?”

To the woman at the grocery store.. please save your breath, find another medium for your cause. Volunteer at the woman’s shelter, help families in crisis, send an article into the newspaper about the importance of reducing your carbon footprint, or help raise money for a family who has an ailing family member and needs money to pay for cancer treatment. I don’t believe you said what you did out of malice, but it was in bad taste and only served to annoy the mother and other patrons in the store. Cut the mother some slack, her 5 kids were so much better than a lot of families I see with only one child. If you want to see some bad kids, go shop at Walmart, you will be running for the pharmacy section and popping headache medicine faster than you can say “wear a condom”.

To everyone else, think twice before you make “harmless” comments to mothers, our hearts are fragile from countless sleepless nights, an infinite number of kissed boo-boos and “I love you’s”. We have to deal with our children’s tears of disappointment when they don’t get what they want, lose their best friend, break up with their first crush, and get teased by the neighborhood bully.

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Now playing: John Mayer - Dreaming with a Broken Heart
via FoxyTunes

Getting up early in the morning to get the kids up and out the door totally contradicts my belief that mornings are for sleeping. Well the newest issue is that when I am ready to get out the door, no one else is. Despite having 75-90 minutes in the morning to get up, get showered, get chores done, get your stuff and go I feel like I am nagging more than normal.

I am thinking maybe the kids need to be getting up earlier and that it is time for them to try their own alarm clock again. I also think maybe they need more visual reminders of when things need to get done….feeding the dogs at 7:15 when we need to leave at 7:20 and the dogs need to be outside when we leave for instance, just does not seem to be working well.

I have visions of my home looking similar to a home for someone with mild memory loss… notes on the inside of the door saying: Did you brush your teeth? and on the outside a reminder to lock the door on your way out. Oooh, I think it’s time to break in the new label maker!!

On the toilet I will put a label that says Flush me! and on the bathroom door reminders to pick their underwear off the floor, wipe the puddle off the floor and hang up their towels. I can label their cereal container To be eaten by 7:10. Oh, and across my forehead I can put one that says Does not sign Friday folders on Monday morning! Ok, so maybe not that far, but I think some labels are in order.

Speaking of signs… I deal with a lot of solicitors and I just don’t like answering the door when I have not had 10 minutes to myself to shower, am on the phone with the bank with a crying 2 yr old hanging on my leg, and oatmeal in my hair. Especially when it is to tell someone that I do NOT have time to read the paper, don’t believe in paying $200 to get my carpets cleaned when they will look just as dirty in 2 days, and that there is no cleaner in the world designed to clean after 3 boys. So I put a big old sign on my screen door that reads:

NO SOLICITING

NO TRESPASSING

NO SOLICITING MEANS:
• We DO NOT want what you have to sell, give, or offer (no matter how good of a deal you say it is).
• We DO NOT want a newspaper, magazines, or our carpet cleaned.
• We DO NOT want your fliers, ads, coupons, or literature on God.
• We will NOT buy your products; if we need a service, we will come to you (if it is not sold in any store, I don’t need it).

Leaving your ad, or trying to sell me your product, GUARENTEES we will NOT do business with your company, as we DO NOT deal with solicitors.

I don’t care how much you think I need it, how sad your story is, or if my neighbor loved it. You are wasting your time on this house, MOVE ON!!

Unless you are invited, or an officer of the law, a mail carrier, a friend, a neighbor, or family; DO NOT LEAVE YOUR FLIER, DO NOT RING OUR BELL, AND DO NOT BOTHER US!!!

There are GUARD DOGS in this house.

There is a PISSED OFF mother in this house who is tired of the doorbell or door waking the napping baby!!

IS THIS CLEAR ENOUGH FOR YOU????

Ok, Elmo is on the TV so I may have 5 minutes to sneak off and shower sometime before the noon nap! YAY!

So, I have been casually mentioning to my husband that the lawn needs mowed. If you saw the pictures of my crappy yard, you would see that it is a 10 minute project that I just HATE doing and hubby said he would do since the end of August. I keep reminding him it needs to happen and it does not happen. I just about gave up and planned on doing it Monday afternoon when Bobby FINALLY went out tonight and did it, in literally 10 minutes! Of course this if after he told me Friday night he would do it; all day yesterday, and then last night he said he would do it early this morning.