Cleaning off the dust and clearing the cobwebs

Wow, it's been forever and a day since I've last blogged. I guess I'll blame the fact it's been hard to sit down for a few minutes and concentrate on writing what's been going on. Anyway, huge news in the S household...I'm currently 15.5 weeks pregnant (insert cheering and clapping here...HAHA). It took Jess and I exactly six months to conceive, and I honestly thought I was out that cycle due to the stress of Jess being admitted to the hospital for four days (long story). We will found out in a few weeks as to what we're having. W keeps saying there's a "baby sister in mommy's tummy", and I have a feeling it's a girl, but who knows?!?! We are 90% sure of the names, if it's a boy he will be Jackson, and if it's a girl, Ava Marie. It's not set in stone yet, especially since we still have about 5 months until gummy bear arrives.

15 Weeks:


Baby Gummy Bear at 13 weeks:


Everything has been good here. We went back to Nebraska for 4 weeks while Jess had training to attend to in Colorado Springs. It was great being back home, and it was DEFINITELY hard to leave. However, I was ready to be in my own house, bed, and W really wanted his train table. I really need to finish getting my Halloween decorations up, which I'm thinking I'll do tomorrow. I'm hoping we can stop by a Halloween store today just to look around and see if I can add anything to our decor. Oh, last night I got the opportunity to meet other Air Force wives in the community I live in, and it was a blast. My neighbor who is due with her 1st a few weeks before me included me in the girls night out. It was a lot of fun. I'm definitely looking forward to more nights like last night.

Well, this blog isn't completely dusted off yet, but I got a dent in it. We have to get the boys haircuts today, because W's hair is seriously out of control.

Why I hate my body...

Okay, some of you already know that Jesse and I have started to try for our 2nd child. We thought it was time to make W a big brother, because he was showing signs that he was ready to handle the responsibility of a big brother. For example, some friends of ours have a 5-month-old baby girl. She was over here one evening...started crying....W walked over to her carseat, grabbed her binkie, and put it in her mouth. It was the cutest thing ever, just melted all of our hearts. Anywho, some of you don't know that we've actually been trying for four cycles now. We tried once in Sept. of 2008 while Jess was home on his mid-tour, and picked up again in Feb. when he returned home from Korea.

I honestly didn't think it was going to be this difficult to get pregnant, knowing how easy it was to conceive W. I am almost a year (July of 2008) post-IUD removal, so I know my body has adjusted to live outside birth control. I normally have 31-32 day cycles, with ovulation occurring between cycle days 16-18. I've been charting on this website: www.fertilityfriend.com. It's definitely been an amazing tool to use, plus it gives me the insight on how my body works month after month. Besides charting, I also use ovulation predictor kits. I start taking them right around CD 10 and continue until I get a positive reading. Here is an example from this cycle:


There was only one cycle I didn't use the ovulation predictor kit nor did I temp, ya know going the whole "not trying, not preventing" thing (it worked great w/W). Well, that didn't work, so now I'm back to 100% of charting and taking OPK's (ovulation predictor kits). I'm currently 12 days past ovulation, and here is my current situation:



I did take a pregnancy test this morning, and it was a BFN (big fat negative to those who aren't in the trying to conceive world). Looks like we're onto cycle #5. I know it usually takes the average couple (with no history of infertility problems) six months to conceive. However, Jesse and I are doing everything in our power to hit the dot on the nose. We try to conceive during my fertile window, I'm taking a B-complex vitamin, multi-vitamin filled with folic acid, and 3 fish oil, omega 3 vitamins a day. I just hate my body right now. I'm trying my very best to eat healthy, and I do work out around 7 hours a week, so I'm even in better shape than I was when I got pregnant with W. I'm seriously starting to think my body is plotting against me...okay not really, but in hindsight I really wish I didn't have the IUD inserted. I really think that's the corporate to the reason why I'm not getting pregnant. Even though I was quite disappointed in my test result this morning, I'm starting to be accepting of the fact that God has a plan for Jesse and I. Maybe us going on vacation today for 13 days to Jesse's home state of Virginia is the reason why God decided getting pregnant right now wasn't in good timing.... I don't know...I just want this to happen sooner than later. I want more than anything to see two lines, heck I would take seeing two lines over winning the lottery at this point.

I will definitely keep you all updated if anything changes. I did toss the subject of this blog around a few times. I was a little nervous about opening up a part of my life that is a little private. However, knowing that I'm here in Ohio with no real friends yet, it's only best for me to get what I'm feeling off my chest. Thanks everyone for listening.

Welcome Home Jesse

Okay, so my new project is going to seriously maintain this blog. I know it's been a long time, but things have been so incredibly busy for me and my family. We recently moved to Ohio, welcomed Jesse home, and now we're currently in the process of adding another member to our family. I'm really hoping to use this blog as a form of family updates for our friends and family. Being this is my first time away from home, I'm going to need a way to let everyone know what's going on.

With all that said...W and I are so excited to have Jesse home. He arrived on Feb. 6, 2009. I thought this day would never come, and looking back...this year really didn't seem long. I know in the beginning it seemed like everyday just dragged and dragged. Anywho, Jesse was greeted at the terminal gate by W and I and his parents (who came in from Virginia). It was a very emotional homecoming, and I didn't want to let go of him. I knew this time it was okay to hold on, because I wouldn't have to let go again. W is also enjoying his Daddy being home. They are so precious together.

Okay, it's been a while....

I really need to get back to blogging, but it's been difficult to sit down and type. Jess came home on his mid tour, so I definitely didn't have time to get on. Then, not even a few days after Jess left, W came down with a bad cold, which turned into a bad sinus infection. The dog also had a bad case of diarrhea that needed to be treated with antibiotics.....this is like the third time of them both being on antibiotics at the same time..... I don't know how mom's of multiples does it. Anyway, I thought I'd break away from taking a nap and type a quick blog before W wakes up from his nap.

I'm slowly starting to get back into the working out scene again after taking a break while W and the dog got better. I was going five days a week for 1.5 hours +. I've been going back to the gym three days a week now for 1.5 hours. I'm hoping once W is 100%, I'll be able to go five days again. I'm trying to lose another 25-30 lbs before my brother-in-law's wedding/graduation in May. I really want to look good on my husband's arm, because this will only be my 3rd time back to Virginia, and my 1st time meeting many of my husband's family and friends. This will also be W's first time to his daddy's hometown, and we're so excited to show him many things about the great state of Virginia. We were hoping to bring along some good news with us, but God decided now wasn't the right time. Yep you guessed it, Jesse and I tried for baby #2 while he was home on leave. It would have been okay timing (I would've been 9 months preggo at the time of all these family festivities in Virginia), but I was really looking forward to not only a June baby, but a baby brother or sister for W. I've been a big believer in things happening for a reason, and I just think the good Lord upstairs wanted Jess to be here 100% for not only me, but for W during my pregnancy. We hope to continue trying when he comes home in Feb. hoping and praying for a November baby.

W's definitely getting bigger and smarter by the minute. I can't get over the new things he learns every day. We're still using baby signs, but his vocabulary is growing so much he doesn't seem to rely on the sign language to communicate with us. Here are the list of words W speaks to us daily:

• Mommy
• Papa
• Daddy
  Doggie
  Kitty
  "phutball" a.k.a Football
  "butch down" a.k.a Touchdown
  Car
  Truck
  "Ca Ca" a.k.a Tractor
  Ball
  "eese" a.k.a Reese
  Eat
  Bye
  Hi
  Juice
  Baby
  "ilk" a.k.a Milk
  "loon" a.k.a Balloon
  Nona
  Bear
• Katie
• Cracker

We have our 18 month appointment coming up, so we'll see how great he's doing learning and growing wise. Oh, yes, and I forgot to add I have a climber. Yep, W loves to climb on everything. The other day I was putting dishes in the dishwasher, and W pushed Reese's kennel to the table, crawled on top of that, and then onto the table. He about gave mommy a heart attack.

Moving day is coming up quickly, and it's starting to hit home a little bit for me. I'm so anxious to get my family of three back together, and explore a new city. However, my comfort zone is going to be so far away and in the hearts of my family back in Nebraska. I'm just so thankful I have such a wonderful family to help me not only move, but paint, unpack, help with W, and help adjust me to a new city. I decided to move with out Jesse, because I want to enjoy his homecoming, and make the transition from an international duty station to his new one an easy and comfortable one. The big "M" day is set for Jan. 20th. I have the government moving our things around the 16th of January, so not only are the holidays going to be busy with shopping and seeing family, but preparing for a huge move to the great state of Ohio. Oh, and no, we will not become Buckeye fans. LOL! Here are a few pictures of our new residence in Ohio:

I'm going to save our Halloween adventure for tomorrow's post. I really need to get off and get some stuff done around the house. We were stuck inside this past weekend due to the Stomach flu visiting our house, so I have a bunch of cleaning to do. You gotta love disinfecting a house. YAY! Could you feel the sarcasm. LOL!