A Picture Says...

...1,000 words? Maybe. But it our case, it at least says Merry Christmas.

I am now completely sold on doing photo cards for Christmas. I always thought they were too impersonal. But you know what is too impersonal? Not getting a freaking card at all. That's what. And last year, WAY too many people got the impersonal touch from me. I was still exhausted from having a baby in the house and being back to work. Writing out all of those cards was a nightmare.

And printing address labels? Why did I not do this in the past? Can someone tell me please? Oh, right, because I am a moron.

I have a hectic, way-too-busy type of last week here before the holidays. The saving factor is that I work for a university, so I get the week between Christmas and New Years as a paid holiday. Yeah, I'll take that. But in the meantime, I wanted to wish you all a Merry Happy Kwanchristmakkaheid. Did I get them all?

Sick

Gah! I am fighting off the cold of the century right now. So, I'm not actually dead, I just look dead.

I came back from an errand to find a cough drop on my desk. Think maybe my neighbors at work are tired of hearing me cough up one lung at a time? Yeah, I'm tired of it too. Hubby is out getting cough meds right now. Yay!

Will recover and write again soon...

Long overdue update

Thank you to Tinker for reminding me that I did not include a promised update following my trip to the RE. Bad, bad dish.

The trip was wholly uneventful, to be honest. The RE asked a bunch of stuff about my last pregnancy, which was, overall, very smooth. I really only had problems at delivery and those have healed plague my nightmares make life a living hell become tolerable to a degree. The only real change he anticipates from the last round (and this conclusion is, of course, pending test results that don't reveal that I am even more broken) is that he will double my stim meds because I was a poor responder the last time (only 6 follicles, 5 eggs retrieved, 4 mature) and I have reached the dreaded "35 years of age and you are an old bag" landmark.

The timeline becomes somewhat tricky as I must juggle between trying to make it work regardless of what the world is throwing at me and planning around major work events. The compromise is that if the stars align and we find that something like sex can get your pregnant (I know, laughable) then so be it. In the meantime, we will also start updating our test results in January and plan for an April or May round of IVF. Basically, if I push it off until then I get two bonuses of the winter break from the University. I get to first, be paid for the time off (a good thing because the maternity leave is not paid) and if we go with the latter month, I get a long week off right before the end of the pregnancy. I'll take that.

Of course, when I got home from the appointment that day there was a letter in the mail from our adoption agency asking for additional paperwork. I can either assume that they are updating their files or that a match is pending. I am guessing the former. But, who knows, life can be kooky.

That's my story, what's up with you?

Giblets and gravy

Lots of random thoughts on the brain today, so this will be a scattered post. In no particular order, I present you with turkey and all the fixins:

• Before I can forget, please send many prayers, fertile thoughts, and or shaken chicken bones to my friend J who is in the process of her third IVF. She's with the big guns up at Cornell, so she's done as much as she can on the medical end of things. And our good wishes surely can't hurt.
• The kid loves him his PBS in the morning. By 5am he is yelling out "Elmo! Rogers! Puppy!" in the hopes that I can magically make Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, or Clifford appear out of thin air. I tell him that they are all sleeping (and convince him to do the same), but we hear it all again by 6:00. Luckily, that's when they are aired.
• Project "pillow in the crib" is working well (with the exception of sleeping in each morning- see above).
• I finished another Christmas gift (scarf) and have started another. I'm a knitting machine! If I do the same stitch repeatedly. No really.
• I know you don't give a crap what I had for lunch today, but I had a gyro. And it was wonderful. Even more wonderful because it was not turkey.
• I was "yelled at" (wild gestures) by another driver this morning for NOT pulling out in front of her. Huh?
• I will begin my first foray into scrapbooking this weekend. I decided that the grandmas are getting smaller (8x8) books for Christmas and then I can provide updated pages as things happen. Seemed like a good idea. I have paper and letters and stickers and stuff. And the books will be identical to the degree that I am able (they live in different states). Now if I can just get past the creative roadblocks that keep me from starting many a project...(sigh)
• And last, but not least, have a lovely holiday.

Awake and sing

The sleeping situation in the house is getting a little bit better. I decided that perhaps the factor making Gabe sleep a little better in the big bed was the comfy pillows and blankets. So, in an act of maternal rebellion, I gave him a pillow and bigger (but not overwhelming) blanket in his crib*. I also drew the shades and wore ninja garb in the process, knowing that the crib police were bound to find out about the safety violation.

Night one: Gabe still woke up four times, but he was easier to settle and seemed to wake more from trying to turn sideways than from other discomfort.

Night two: Gabe only woke up twice (progress) and, again, was easy to soothe.

Night three: By now, we have put modified “bumpers” in the crib so that when he tries to turn sideways he doesn’t crack his head on the rails. Result? Only one waking. (Yay!)

To date: Gabe is far more restful now and generally sleeps until 5 or 6am. If he does wake sooner, he is soothed back to sleep without the need for holding and rocking.

And mommy is a much less cranky gal.

*Anyone reading this for sleep solutions, please note that my son is now 18-months old and is capable of not suffocating under a blanket. Please do not put all of the cushy stuff in the crib with a wee one. Please.