Lupron Blues

So I don't know if I've mentioned this or not (and I'm too lazy to go back and check) but I am preparing for another embryo transfer.  This will be my second attempt with this new couple and for various reasons I'm feeling a lot more optimistic than I was the last time around.  As it stands right now it looks like I should be transferring sometime right around, or even on, Thanksgiving Day.

In preparation for the IVF cycle I have been on a drug called Lupron.  I have to give myself an injection of it in my belly every day.  Luckily there is plenty of padding and the shots really don't even hurt that much.  Usually Elle picks out the spot where I should do the injection then the counts down for me to jab myself. It's a family affair.

Lupron is a hell of a drug.  Here's me normally - "Hello!  I enjoy things that are pleasant!  Chocolate is good!"  Here's me on Lupron - "I have had a headache since last Tuesday.  I swear to god that whatever it is you're doing right now you're only doing to piss me off.  If you don't stop breathing so loud I am going to rip your face off.  WHY DON'T WE HAVE ANY CHOCOLATE IN THIS HOUSE!??!?!?!"

The kids call Lupron my "crabby shots" and it's a pretty well deserved nickname.  I try really hard not to take it out on them and most of the time I'm pretty successful (poor Jesse gets the worst of it) but I guess sometimes I fail.  We were in Goodwill the other day looking for some finishing touches for Halloween costumes and Elle was just not listening at all.  When we were standing in line she kept whining and begging for me to please buy her some chocolate eyeballs that looked like they were about 47 years old, please buy the eyeballs, why won't you buy the eyeballs, I NEED the eyeballs, I never get any eyeballs, these are the best eyeballs ever, I will cry if I don't get these eyeballs.  Joseph started shoving himself between me and Elle and trying to whisper something to her.  She couldn't hear over the sound of her own whining so finally he yelled "Watch out Elle!  Don't make Mommy mad!  You know she's crabby when she's on her Lupron!"  We got some looks.

But in spite of having had a constant throbbing headache for the past week and having my asshole dial turned up to 11 things are pretty good. Halloween was fun.  The kids were adorable.  Please stand by for photographic proof in 3 .... 2.... 1....

In case you can't tell they went as Doctor Elle and Plants vs Zombie zombie Joseph.  And didn't they do a nice job when I said "Look at me you guys!"?

Oh yeah!  I also became famous on facebook for like three seconds when I posted a picture from the Anoka Halloween parade.  But that's a story for another day.  For now I have to go eat my weight in Nutella.

On the lighter side

Ok, nothing political this time. Just a little something to make you laugh.

Happy Halloween!

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for she

Guess what Elle's going to be for Halloween this year.

This was taken at an early trick or treating event. Because when you look this cute you don't go out just once. You make the most of it.

Halloween overload

Let me just say that Joseph can throw one hell of a Halloween party.

Yes, the party was a big success. To wrangle eight kids we had six adults (me, Jesse, my parents and two moms who stayed during the party) and I don't think we could have managed with even one less adult. My parents did a lot of the "behind the scenes" stuff like getting games ready and cleaning up after each activity. Jesse and I ran the games and activities and the two moms jumped in whenever needed. It all went really, really well.

The kids really seemed to like the cookie decorating and the pumpkin decorating. I'm sure their parents loved having them come home with their Halloween costumes covered in glitter glue and frosting too. We got very lukcy with the weather because it ended up being such a nice day that we were able to do a lot of the games outside.

The most important thing was that Joseph seemed to really enjoy himself. I think he really got a big kick out of playing host for his very first party. He's already talking about doing it again next year. We'll see what my parents think about that idea. (Thank you again mom and dad for all that you did for the party. The food, the decorating, the dressing up, the fact that you allowed eight 7 year olds loose in your house - it all meant a lot to all of us.)

Other Halloween activites so far have included:
My dad and I taking the kids to a Halloween carnival where they ended up with (and I am not exaggertaing here) a grocery bag full of prizes.

My dad and I taking the kids Trick or Treating at the college where he works. Kids get to walk through the dorms and students pass out candy and ohhhh and ahhh over the costumes. Joseph's Harry Potter costume was a huge hit. Everyone thought Elle was Eeyore. Not a single person knew that she was Stitch. Also, she refused to say "Trick or treat" and instead opted for "I want some!". But both kids always remembered to say thank you.

Upcoming Halloween events include:
My parents taking the kids to a local grocery story that puts on a big Halloween party. There's trick or treating, a cookie walk (whatever the hell that is) and more.

Actual trick or treating on Halloween. My mom and I will be taking the kids to my grandmother's apartment complex. We figure it's better than wandering around our increasingly yucky neighborhood and praying that we don't stumble across a meth lab. Plus, we already have 8 million pounds of candy and at this point trick or treating on Halloween is more of a formality than anything else.

Man, when did Halloween become a two week event? I'm beat already. I better go have some candy.

The event of the season

Joseph will be hosting his very first party on Saturday. He's never had a birthday party with friends before partly because his birthday is during the summer and it's harder to get ahold of the kids he would like to invite and partly because the whole idea of a party makes him kind of anxious. So now we're taking away the pressure of it being a birthday party and we're throwing a Halloween party instead. Joseph is very excited.

He invited nine kids and eight (including three girls!) are coming. Thank goodness we're doing this at my parents house. I think that many kids at one time in our place would probably give me a nervous breakdown. We're going to be decorating pumpkins, playing games, decorating giant sugar cookies and giving out prizes for costumes. I think it will be a lot of fun. I know Joseph's looking forward to it.

The only dilemma I have is what in the heck kind of costume I can wear to this thing. Somehow I don't think the kids will appreciate what I had originally been planning to be - The Woman With the Every-Expanding Ass. Help me out here people. What can I dress up as for this party? Keep in mind that it has to be relatively inexpensive and must accommodate my glorious midsection.

Happy Halloween!

This year I'm going as a woman who's two kids both have colds. It's an awesome costume. It's pretty much made up of looking like hell and having dried snot all over my shirt. Good times.

Still missing Joseph

I am amazed at how much I miss Joseph. Everything makes me think about him. We went out to eat tonight with Judy and her parents and I got crackers with my soup. I found myself thinking "Joseph always wants to eat the crackers that come with soup. I should save these for him." I guess in case he's not getting enough stuff in Disney World I should have saved those two saltines that came free with my dinner.

He called tonight while he was watching the Halloween parade in the Magic Kingdom. He was enjoying it too much to say a whole lot but he did tell me that he got a lot of candy and saw the Headless Horseman. I talked to Dad for a second too and he said the Halloween party was "a ball". Then he had to get off the phone to take pictures.

Judy and her parents came for a visit today. It was nice to see them. We went out for dinner and then for ice cream and I don't think I will ever eat again. Judy brought a bunch of stuff she made for the baby. It's all so cute! There were blankets and changing pads and changing pad covers and burb clothes and crib sheets. She used a bunch of different prints and it's all very cute. Good to have that stuff ready to go.

I have to go sit on the exercise ball now, my back is killing me and that's one of the only things that seems to help. More Joseph stuff tomorrow.

Baby class

So we had our dreaded birthing class this weekend. Much to my suprise it was not so bad. There was no one in the class who was really loud and obnoxious and no one wasted time by asking a bunch of stupid questions. The instructor was really good. She's a labor and delivery nurse at the hospital so she had lots of first hand experiance. She was really informative and had lot of funny stories to help the time pass relativly quickly. I'm not sure I feel like I couldn't have gotten by witout taking the class but it did answer a few questions I had about pain relief options and a few other minor details.

We also went to Mom and Dad's Halloween Planning Party. Good times as always. Joseph was excited to "help" with greeting guests and passing out some gummy candy that he had picked out. He also had a lot of ideas for the haunted house. I had no idea my happy little boy could be dark! "Maybe we could have a head roasting in the fire! Maybe we could have two arms chopping up a head! Maybe I could put my spooky Halloween catalog in the haunted house!" Ok, so the last one was less dark and more cute but you get the picture. As always there was way too much good food and I've been munching on left over cookies all morning.

Starting at the class yesterday my back really started to hurt. By the time we got to Mom and Dad's house I was having moments when I was almost in tears. By the time we left I was feeling sick from the pain. I was also having a few contractions here and there. Jesse was convinced I was in labor and that I would have to go to the hospital. I was certain I wasn't. My logic? I couldn't be in labor because I didn't have my bag packed and I hadn't pre-registered on-line yet. Both will be done today by the way. Makes sense right? Anyway, I laid down on the couch when I got home, drank a bunch of water and took a sleeping pill. I still slept pretty restlessly but as the night went on my back slowly started feeling better.

So no labor for me today and now we're off to buy the last couple things I need to have my bag packed. Then no one will have any reason to give me a hard time anymore.

Halloween costume

My parents fook Joseph shopping for a Halloween costume for his night of Trick or Treating in Disney World. He got what I think might be the cutest costume I have ever seen. It's a pirate from the Pirates of the Carribean ride. It is so flippin' cute I can hardly even stand it. He told me that he wanted to be Woody again this year but I guess my parents bribed him into getting the pirate costume by buying him Scooby Doo books. There is nothing that kid won't do for a Scooby book.

We didn't do much this weekend. Got a couple things done around the house, including getting the bassinette ready. I didn't get my hospital bag packed like I had planned to do but I'll do that while Joseph is at school today. I really need to get on the ball since I'm convinced that this baby is going to be born early.

My torn muscle has been hurting so much lately that I have a hard time sleeping at night. If I lay one way too long it hurts but then when I try to turn it hurts so badly that it can bring tears to my eyes. Having to hobble into the bathroom 3 or 4 times a night to pee is just torture. (I think I'm going to take Beany's advice and try sleeping on the toilet.) I'm wondering if all this could be caused by the baby's head dropping down. I've read that can happen up to 4 weeks before you give birth. Hey! Maybe I'll give birth early and I won't have to go to that birthing class that I've been dreading. Then I would have a good excuse for not knowing how to breath right and the doctor would feel sorry for me and just knock me out until the baby is born. Or potty trained. Ok, she probably won't come that early. Anyone care to make a bet on when the baby will be born?