A real Christmas baby?

Just a quick update. Jen and I are thinking about switching donors. Some people swear that switching to a new donor can do the trick to get pregnant, and in fact, we happened to do that the last time we were trying to get pregnant quite by accident. We had done 3 IUI cycles and then the donor we'd used was out! So we chose a new one and lo and behold, got pregnant on the first try. That was Jonathan (our miscarriage) but even the 2nd time around, it was the 2nd IUI cycle when we got pregnant with Nate (with that same donor, who unfortunately really is all out).

So, we've done 3 IUI cycles and are thinking about a new dude. Haven't made the decision yet. We may end up skipping this cycle since we need to wait for some more funds before we can purchase some more spermies, but that's fine. We'll try at the end of October/beginning of November or we'll try at the end of November. I looked ahead and I think if we're still trying in December, we'll probably have to skip that month because I think I'll be ovulating on Christmas Day. And as convenient as it would be to be able to drive right into the city and park right by the doctor, I'm not sure that's something I want to do on Christmas Day with my mom and brother in town. :)

On the other hand, I get so superstitious about these IUIs that maybe it would be good luck to do it on Christmas! Hehehe. As it stands, if we skip this month, I'm pretty sure the next time I ovulate would be the Sunday after Thanksgiving, so maybe my mom will get a chance to come to an IUI after all. (Weekend IUIs require a "buddy" because the office is not open for regular appointments).

Where's Nate?

There he is!

Another one bites the dust.

Still not pregnant. I guess getting inseminated the same day the cat got spayed wasn't good luck after all.

Sorry, Penny.

Tomorrow I'm going in for an IUI, and Penny the kitten is getting spayed. Hmm.

The recipe that made Nate say "cookie".

So, Nate's a little slow to be a chatterbox. We're doing an early intervention evaluation with him but I don't think he's going to be speaking at 7 months below his age (the requirement to be eligible for the early intervention therapy). He's been saying many new words lately and today he said cookie because he wanted his fourth one after dinner.

I made a really tasty oatmeal cookie. I didn't have enough raisins, but I had currants, so I used those and I had some chopped pecans, so I used those. I don't have a picture because I'm too lazy at the moment to go get one, but they are very yummy. :) I used McCann's quick cooking Irish oatmeal but it looked like a regular quick cooking oatmeal, so probably any instant or quick cooking oatmeal would work fine.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups softened butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups quick cooking Irish oatmeal

3/4 cups currants (or raisins)

1/2 cups chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla extract.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture. Mix well.
4. Stir in oatmeal, currants and pecans.
5. Drop rounded teaspoons of batter on an ungreased (or parchment-lined) cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wine cooling rack.

Makes approximately 36 cookies.

It's a little too soon for that!

I'm sitting next to Nate on the couch. He is watching an episode of Thomas the Tank Engine on our iPad. It is pretty funny that for months (basically since we got it), Nate has known how to open and turn on the iPad and to select the Apps that he wants to play with (mostly the "This is the sound a ---- makes"-type apps). I didn't even have a cell phone until I was 23.

Nate also sits next to me when I'm on my computer and makes me look up pictures on Google Image Search. He likes trains best, though it started with butterflies because I have a butterfly theme on my instance of Chrome. He's used to playing with my touchscreen phone and the iPad though and tries to touch the monitor to get the pictures to become larger. Doesn't quite work the way he expects. :)

We got a package of clothes in the mail today from my mom. They are hand-me-downs from her neighbor. Mostly they were perfect 2T or 24-month size which fit him right now. There were a lot of pairs of sweatpants and some plaid pajama bottoms. There was also a pair of slippers which he is wearing tonight and he seems to like them. And there was a long-sleeved t-shirt that said "Big Brother." Well, that one can go into his closet for a little while still.

We did take this month off from inseminations. It's been very nice not obsessing over whether I'm pregnant or not. I'm tempted to take another month off. It's also been nice to remember what the normal PMS symptoms that I have are ... I just reached over to help Nate with the iPad and he had managed to get to the CBS sports website ... already obsessed with his sports scores?

So, I'm tempted to take another month off, but we'll see. :)

Here's Nate next to me right now.

I jinxed it!

No, I didn't really jinx anything. :) There was nothing I could have done today to make myself pregnant or not; that would have happened weeks ago.

Not pregnant!

I think we'll take a month off from trying.

This is the hardest part

Today is the day I am supposed to get my period. It hasn't come yet. I feel all jumbled. I don't want to get too excited because I could still not be pregnant, but I don't want to get disappointed yet because I could still be pregnant. I keep thinking it's coming, but then it's not here. I've gone to the bathroom 20 times this morning (well, that's an exaggeration ... maybe just 15). I don't feel crampy but I don't always feel crampy before it comes, just after. I also don't want to jinx anything. I'm not even sure I should post this! I'm afraid that the second I click "publish post" I'll go to the bathroom and have my period.

I did have a dream that I was pregnant last night.

I love this picture. He looks a lot like my brother but with lighter hair.