Cole is TWO!

Okay, so I haven't blogged in approximately forever:) I pretty much don't go on my computer at home any more since I got $1400 stolen from my bank account through Ebay. It was a lame fiasco and I finally ended up getting my money back, disconnecting my wireless router and buying a new home computer. It is decked out with security from head to toe, so let's hope that nothing like that ever happens again:) Anyway...almost a month ago, my boy turned TWO!! I cannot believe how fast time has gone by. Cole is amazing! He is putting together three & four word sentences and is such a great little helper. He loves to take out the trash and he helps me change loads of laundry from the washer to the dryer. He also likes to help sweep the wood floors and put towels away in the cupboard. I know that when I have this baby, he will be such a good helper with him as well. I'll definitely be putting him to work and I'm pretty sure he'll love it:) Anyway, for his birthday we had the whole family come over (minus my mom and sister Sarah) and celebrate with pizza and, of course, a bundt cake! We had a Mickey Mouse candle for him to blow out and he blew it out all by himself. He LOVED when everyone sang Happy Birthday to him:) He has gotten pretty used to going to birthday parties because we have about 10 a month with the Stanleys;) So, he was extra excited that HE got to open the presents at this one. He loves to play with his cousins (oddly enough, he loves to play with his oldest cousin, Jaden, the most). I think she is just more interactive with him because she is older and besides, she is cute as a button, and Cole has always had a thing for the ladies;) Cole got some pretty cool stuff for his birthday that he just LOVES to play with. He got a lawn mower, a fishing pole, a cool tow truck magnet puzzle, a fire truck, some jets, balloons, a walking dinosaur and some other fun stuff I can't remember right now:) Travis and I got him a horse that he can ride (you know the kind with springs that has been around since forever)! He loves it! It makes trotting and neighing noises and he's gotten used to riding it pretty hard. He is honestly just too cute for words sometimes. He has also been throwing some legendary tantrums! Talk about the terrible twos! I feel so bad for him sometimes because I can tell that he has no idea why he is so upset or what he even wants, so it is impossible for me to help him. We have implemented short bursts of time out on the couch or on the kitchen chair. He only sits there for about 20 or 30 seconds but it definitely gets the point across. I explain to him what he did and that he shouldn't do it again and he usually responds with an "okay" and then he can get down. He usually gets time outs because he is being too rough with the dogs or just plain not listening. But usually after his time out, he changes his behavior (at least for a little while) so I think that time outs work pretty well for him:) My mom came to visit over the Halloween weekend and they had a great time together. I love that even though he doesn't get to see my mom or Sarah very often, he still just loves them to pieces:) I'll try to get some pictures up in a few days of his birthday and Halloween but right now I have to go play ;)

Blogging again...

It's funny that I read other blogs and get annoyed when they aren't updated at least weekly:) I'm a hypocrite. Not too much has been going on with me and I guess my only excuse for not blogging is that I have been extremely sick, extremely tired and my brain is mostly mush. This pregnancy is seriously kicking my butt. I'm starting to think it might be a girl, not only because she's already giving me grief but I don't crave junk food like I did when I was pregnant with Cole (maybe she's trying to watch her figure, lol). I actually haven't gained a pound since I became pregnant. I gained 80 pounds with Cole, so it's kind of nice to think I might not become a whale:) If it is a girl, Travis and I are definitely in trouble because we cannot agree on a name to save our lives. We have a few boy names that are in the running, so we'd be set if it's a boy. Oh well, I guess we'll find out in approximately 9 weeks:)
Cole got a big boy short haircut last weekend and it made me sad. He is , of course, adorable as ever but it makes him look so much older and so much like other little boys. I loved his curly hair and nothing about him looked like a girl to me, so it annoyed me that people gave me such a hard time about cutting his hair. That kid is ALL boy:) I'll get around to putting pictures up sometime soon...I hope, if I have the energy, lol. Cole has one of his two year molars in and a second one is on its way. He was a big ol' crank when the one came in but this one doesn't seem to be too bad. Except he hates having his teeth brushed on the bottom. He is such a spunky kid!! His vocabulary is growing and he has conversations with me all of the time about random things:) He saw a small part of the movie Evolution two weeks ago and he is still talking to me about the dinosaur flying through the mall and it getting shot down. There is also a big nasty blue money thing that gets shot too. Here is what he says to me on pretty much a daily basis, "Mom, mom, mom...dinosaur, bird, gun, BOOM, monkey, monkey, gun, BOOM!" He repeats this a few hundred times and I agree with him and tell him, yes yes they shot the dinosaur with the gun, it went boom and yes they shot the monkey with the gun and it went boom. Probably not the ideal movie I would choose for my kiddo to watch or hold in his little brain bucket but Travis is an avid hunter and I know that he will be exposed to guns eventually, so who cares if mythical creatures are being blown away:) I wouldn't want him to see people being shot with guns, not yet anyway. I'm sure cowboy movies are right around the corner. Cole is still potty training himself quite successfully. I let him run around naked and he hasn't had a single accident in forever. The only problem is that when he he is dressed, he doesn't usually tell me that he has to go. If he is in a diaper, he'll take it off to go on his potty. I'm sure he'll grasp the concept eventually and I am already so proud that he pretty much potty trained himself and he's not even two yet! Such a smart boy:) He also definitely loves his mama:) He is so loving and cuddly. I'm soaking up as much as I can and I don't try to think about the day when he won't want to snuggle with me any more. I love my boy so much, sometimes I just sit and watch him while he is playing and I can't believe that he is all mine, forever:) I think he is going to make a wonderful big brother! He LOVES babies! In fact, he calls everyone that isn't an adult, a baby. He saw a little girl in Home Depot that had to have been at least 7 or 8 and he walked up to her with his arms out stretched and his little head cocked to one side and said, "baaaby". He's too sweet. Well, my brain is officially mush again and I can't think of anything else to write:) So, to sum up: Cole is awesome, I'm sick as a dog and dog tired (I'm a dog) and I can't wait to find out what sex this baby is:) Nigh night peeps!

Baby A

Now, I'm not having twins. In fact, according to my ultrasound tech this morning it was never confirmed that I was having twins, even though they told me I was. I'm sad a little but mostly just annoyed that I wasn't told that there was a chance that I wasn't having twins. I went to my regular office today and saw my regular ultrasound tech (she was on vacation when I had my first ultrasound). She came in to the room and gave me a hug, told me congratulations and said, "so, were looking for twins maybe?". I said, "maybe?" and she just asked me to lie down and said she would take a look. Baby A came up on the ultrasound and I saw its heart flickering away and she said it was a good size. Then she moved over to "Baby B" and said that there was nothing inside the gestational sac. She asked me if I was okay and I said I was. She said there is a possibility that she can't see an yolk sac inside the gestational sac because it could be pressed up against the wall but she's pretty sure that there is nothing inside of the sac. She asked the girl that was taking down the measurements what the measurements were for the yolk sac for Baby B the last time. She said that there were no measurements for either yolk sac from the last time and that it said they were not visible and could not be determined. So, she told me that there was probably never really anything in Baby B's gestational sac. I'm angry that no one bothered to tell me this the last time. Don't I have a right to know what is going on inside my own body?! Even if it is a little disheartening to tell me that they don't see anything, isn't that better than telling me I'm having twins when I'm not. I'm a little saddened but also a bit relieved. One is definitely easier than two. And I think Cole will have an easier time with only one baby taking over the spotlight for a bit:) I'm am thrilled that the baby is doing well and I guess that's all I can really ask for.

That explains it!

I'm having TWINS!!!!!!!!! I don't even think it has truly hit me yet and I don't know when it will:) But I think it explains why I'm so wiped out SO early in this pregnancy! I went in for my appointment this morning, full on expecting one baby. I honestly didn't even prepare myself for the possibility of two. I mean, I knew it was a possibility, as with any pregnancy, but did not think I would ever be pregnant with twins. I laid down for the ultrasound and the screen was turned toward the technician. She was quiet for a while and then gave some measurements to the other girl in the room. When I was pregnant with Cole, the second he showed up on the monitor, she told me, "there it is!". This time it was quiet for far too long, so I asked if everything was okay and she turned the monitor around and said with a smile, "You've got two." I honestly gasped and said, "Ohhhhhhhhhhh". So, Travis was right again!! I really have to document that because it happens so rarely, lol. Anyway, I keep having flashes of all the stuff I did with Cole when he was first born and now I'm going to do it all over again, only this time with TWO babies. I'm kind of freaking out actually, which is probably a pretty healthy response:) Man, that's gonna be a lot of diapers! And a lot of feedings!! And a lot of clothes!! And a TON of POO!! Let's face it, it will be a lot of EVERYTHING. I'm really not worried though, I have a great support system. Between mine and Travis' families, I've got a TON of people to help me out. I'm mostly just worried for Cole. Even though I know he'll be fine, I think I'll miss it just being me and him. He is my little buddy, my little shadow. I don't ever want to be too busy to be with him and give him the attention that he needs. Man, I love that little dude:) Anyway, I'm super excited and freaked out! I get to go in in two weeks for an ultrasound and we get to see the heartbeatsssssss!! I'm going to have to get used to pluralizing this pregnancy...babies, heartbeats, them, etc. It's INSANE! Some of the best news is that I'm done having kids:) I only wanted three (Travis only wanted two, haha) so I'm tapping out after these little buggers come along. No more shots or procedures for me! Woohoo! With my luck, I'll get pregnant on my own when these two are only a year old or something...I shouldn't even say that out loud ;) Anywho...bring it on babies! Let's get to growing!! My due date is March first but since twins usually come early, I'm shooting for mid-end of February!! I've got to keep them cooking for as long as possible!

Who dat, who dere?

How is it possible to be this tired already?! I seriously want to sleep all of the time. I'm usually okay for a few hours in the morning but by 11am, I am seriously dragging booty. I don't remember being this tired until I was at least a few months pregnant with Cole. Ugh! I'm getting my cot back at work, so that I can take a nap when Cole takes a nap. Nice. I'm so excited I have an appointment to go in on Tuesday for my first ultra sound. They'll be telling me my due date and seeing how many kids I have developing in there. I'm pretty sure it's only one but Travis is convinced that it's two. I think it's just wishful thinking on both our parts. It would be easier for me with only one and it will be the same amount of ease either way for Travis:) I think he just wants to be done with having kids and if we have two now, he knows we're done. And there won't be any more money to spend on trying to get me pregnant:) I worry a little about Cole if we have more than one. I'm sure it will be hard enough to adjust with only one but with two, I won't have an extra arm for him:( I'm pretty sur eit's only one though. Only Tuesday will tell! Man I need a nap:)

Good News!!

Yesterday at 2:30 pm, my doctor called me and told me the good news! We're pregnant!! Of course it is very early and I would prefer to wait until I'm in the clear (through my first trimester) but the way that I have to get pregnant doesn't leave much to the imagination. Everyone in my family knew when I was inseminated and everyone in my family knew when the blood test would be to determine if I was pregnant or not, so I figured I might as well share with everyone:) I was totally preparing myself for bad news, just so I wouldn't be too devastated if it didn't work. Travis kept telling me I was pregnant but when I told him that I was, he sounded pretty surprised. We hoped that we would be pregnant, not only because we want another kid but also because we knew we would have to wait quite a while to do it again, since it was so expensive. So, I can proudly say that I already have a thrifty baby!! Only one shot and we got him/her. The funny thing is that we had to try three times for Cole and that was still heaper than this one time! Ooh, more exciting news, I have to go in in about a week for an ultrasound to find out how many kids I have in me! Holy crap, right?! I had two mature eggs, which I think I included in my previous blog, so we have to check and see if one or both took. I'm hoping for one, just because it would be easier (as easy as having a newborn can be) but twins would be...interesting:) I have been put on a crazy regimen of progesterone and estrogen pills and creams. It is seriously insane how many pills I have to take during the day. But I, of course, am very diligent because I want to keep this little sucker in me and growing! I have to take TWO progesterone pills FOUR times a day, TWO estrogen pills THREE times a day and I have to insert a progesterone cream in my hoohaa (lol) TWO times a day!! Seriously, are my hormones out of whack or what?! Oh well, I'm just thrilled that it worked!! I can' believe I'm pregnant!!!! I'm SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!! I already have a boy name picked out (no idea what the middle name will be) but if it is a girl I don't know what we'll name her. Travis is stuck on the name Janet, after his mom. He honestly won't budge:) He hates every other girl name I have suggested:) I told him I would consider it as a middle name. Janet just seems like such a grown up name. It's hard for me to picture a baby named Janet. Maybe it's just me:) Anyway, we are super and yeasterday I made my million phone calls to Travis' family and a few to mine:) I appreciate so much how happy everyone is for us and how supportive they are with all of the crazy crap we have to go through to get pregnant. I think I want one more after this but Travis says if we have a girl, we're done. He's funny to think he has a say in the matter:) lol I think we'll see how this baby turns out and then we'll decide if we'll have one more. Now ou all get to look forward to pregnancy blogs for the next 10 months!! Woohoo! I know you're all excited!!

Trying for baby #2!

So, Travis & I decided around March to go ahead and go in to try for another baby. I went to my fertility specialist to check on my PCOS (hormone levels and such) and it was confirmed that I still have it and still need help getting pregnant. I had a consultation appointment with Dr. Shapiro and he said that we could get started immediately. First we had to do blood work on me and Travis and a sperm check on Travis (his favorite thing to do). We both showed up for our appointment and were promptly told that we had to do all of our stuff at Quest Diagnostics because my insurance didn't cover it being done in their office. We were a little annoyed that w weren't told to make the appointment at Quest in the beginning. We went to Quest on a Saturday morning (HUGE MISTAKE) and waited in line, with Cole, for over an hour. And when I got to the front of the line I was told that they had no record of my blood order that was supposedly sent from Dr. Shapiro's office, so they couldn't draw my blood. Also, Travis showed up with his sperm in a cup and was told that they only process sperm on weekdays. Ugh! So, we both had to go back on our own during the week to get our stuff done. Then, they put me on birth control pills to make sure I didn't ovulate while they were waiting for test results and approvals from my insurance company to go ahead. I had to go in for a test where they put a catheter through my cervix, fill my uterus with fluid and check out the lining. When Dr. Shapiro tried to thread the catheter through my cervix, he couldn't because he said there was an "obstruction". He tried THREE times to get the catheter to go in and every time I was ready to scream. It was probably one of the worst pains I have ever felt in my life. The cervix is technically only supposed to be open when you are ovulating or are in labor. Otherwise it is one tightly closed little mouth. So, to have someone trying to jam a good sized catheter through there was enough to pretty much make me want to kill him. He stopped after 3 tries because he saw (and heard) how much pain I was in and scheduled me to have a hysteroscopy. The good news was that the first procedure he was trying to do was not covered by insurance, so it would have cost me $900. Since he was unsuccessful I didn't have to pay a dime and the hysteroscopy was covered by insurance completely. I'm pretty sure I already blogged about the hysteroscopy but here a quick synopsis. I had to go under anesthesia and I was scared. I went in, went under and was on my way home in less than two hours. I had to go in about a week later to get the results of the hysterscopy and was told that I had polyps, he removed them and they weren't cancerous. He also told me that everything was a go to start my shots, so I needed to stop taking my birth control pills and call with the first day of my period (if this is grossing any boys out, suck it up). I stopped taking the pill and called 5 days later with my first day. They scheduled me an appointment to come in for blood work and to order my shots from the pharmacy. The night before my appointment, I was called and told that insurance had not approved my cycle yet and that it hadn't even been put in for approval until that day! I should have known better than to listen to the doctor and stop taking my pill. I should have asked the girls in the office, they are the ones that really know what's going on. Anyway, I was a little freaked because I had stopped taking the pill and already started my period, so I didn't want to wait another month before I could start my shot cycle. They told me to start taking the pill again and that when my period stopped and insurance had approved the cycle, to stop the pill again and call with the first day of my next period. It just so happens that insurance was approved the very next day but we had already passed the 3rd day of my period, which is the day they have to do blood work and get a base line ultrasound, so I was screwed. My period stopped about 4 days later and I stopped taking the pill and started my period 3 days later. I gotta tell you, the female body is whackadoo! The way we can be so easily manipulated by a dosage of hormones is crazy to me. Anyway, I went in for my base line ultra sound and everything looked good. So, I started my shots on May 27th. I was a little hesitant about giving myself the shots but after I did the first one, I remembered how easy it was and gave them to myself every night with no problems. My little sister Louisa even watched me do it one night and was quite impressed:) So I took a shot every night and had to go in every three days for an ultra sound. This time around, my insurance doesn't cover as much as it did last time, so EVERY time I had to have an ultrasound I had to pay $800!! Yeah, that sucked. I had an ultra sound on the 25th, 27th, 30th, 2nd, 5th and 6th. Yep, that's $4800 in ultrasounds alone :( While I was having the ultra sounds done, I had 4 eggs that were maturing and by the time I had to take my trigger shot on the 6th (the shot that makes me ovulate) I had two eggs that were fully mature (one on each side). Let me tell you that the trigger shot is no picnic. It is a needle that is about 2 inches long and I have to stick it in the muscle of my bum. I did that myself too:) It sucked:) Anyway, the hope is that both ovaries will ovulate, so both eggs come out and at least one is fertilized and implanted. There is a high chance that only one side ovulated and also a chance that if they both ovulated, only one egg will implant. But there is a chance that both ovulated, both were fertilized and both will implant. I just hope I'm pregnant, twins or not:) (although a single baby will be plenty for me!) I start my progesterone treatment on Friday and go in for a blood test, to see if I'm pregnant, on the 22nd. I hope, I hope, I hope!! Think good thoughts:) Bring on the freakin' joys of pregnancy!!