OUT....again!

Where do I even begin? Once again the shock and disappointment of good ole AF showed up!! Right on time, right on schedule. UnBeLiEvAbLe! I was so sure this time. Things were different. Not just "symptoms", but just that "I know I'm pregnant" feeling. Wrong.

Still some weirdness going on. First, I had bad AF cramps for DAYS before she showed...that has never happened before! Second, I always have a 5 day cycle and this time it was only 3 days! That's it. 3 days! That's never happened. I've taken 5 HPT's and their all BFN's. ??? Throw into the mix that I came down with Strep and ended up at the ER yesterday! I'm feeling better today, but that's all I needed on top of AF showing up Saturday!!!!!

And then, as if that wasn't enough, I find out Sunday that my one cousin who has a one year old is pregant again!!! This is the one that said over and over again that she does NOT want another baby that she cannot afford!! Guess she didn't realize what caused the first one!!

In case you haven't noticed, it's been a rough week. So I'll stop now before this gets any uglier. As for TTC, guess it's off for now. Until we can get our finances in order, at least.

BEAUTIFUL Fall weekend in Ohio!

OMG, what can I say?? The weekend here in North Central Ohio was just amazing!! It was around 70-73*, a cool breeze blowing constantly, and sunny, sunny, sunny!!! Yesterday Jay, Liam and I took a ride to this state park called Mohican. I took the tripod this time and we got some totally amazing pictures! If I had a clue how to put a slideshow on here, I'd go for it...if anyone can tell me how, I'll do it. ???? I have a couple places where I make the slideshow, but where do I input the code??? I soooooo want to share these pics! YIKES...there are so many though!! I only took about 160! I promise I won't put them ALL in the slideshow!! lol

On another note, thank you all sooooo much for the prayers and well wishes while we're trying to get through the ever-so-fun 2ww!! I've had some good signs, at least I think...from heartburn (that I never have), AF type cramps for 4 days straight now, acne on my face (never usually get that either) and my temp has been up for days...like 99.3 to 99.8 consistantly. That's with a digital ear therm though. ?? I don't temp and chart. Too much work and frustration!! lol Today is 8 dpo and counting... just keep the prayers coming! THANK YOU!

Now, let me know about this slide show thing and I'll try to do it. Ho hum!!!

I may have figured it out, let's see.... (DUH!!)

Our 7th *and hopefully final* TWW!!

3 DPO already?! Wow! Seems like it was just last night that we made a baby!! :) God, I pray...

Yes, we are officially in our 7th TWW!! What a weekend it's been!! First and foremost, my best friend in the whole wide world was here visiting from Alabama!! Her and her hubby and 3 beautiful daughters came up Friday and left yesterday. Just to set the tone, Jennifer and I have been BEST friends for 10 years! Ours is a very special friendship, in that our entire relationship has been built long distance. We met through a mutual friend (thank you, Kelly!), but didn't really "click" until she moved from Ohio to Alabama. We haven't seen each other in 7 long years!! The last time she saw me, Liam was in my belly and her little Heather was in her belly!! Our kids are exactly one week apart! :) Well, as if that wasn't fantastic enough, I had sort of calculated that we "might" be doing A.I. yesterday or today, which today happens to be Jennifer's birthday. **Happy Birthday, my BESTEST ESTEST friend!** Anyway, as cool as that would have been, it worked out differently. We ended up doing AI on Saturday while they were here!!!!! :) It couldn't have been more perfect!!

I know God is the one who makes all this happen...I have NO doubts...but there's just so many reasons I have to believe THIS is the cycle for us!!!! First of all, Liam was concieved on lucky cycle #7...this was #7 for us. Next, we used donor #514...5 represents May (Jay's bday) and 14 represents Valentines Day (Liam's bday)! And then there's number that crosses my path on a regular basis...1013. It represents a lot of things, including the time that my husband died (10:13 a.m.). I come across this number so many times...and it wasn't until Saturday evening just before we did AI that I realized it was 10/13/07!! Not only that, but we ended up doing AI at 13 hours post +opk!!! I know it all sounds so silly and juvenile, but I really believe things all fell into place the way they did for a reason. And that reason is the creation of our baby!!!! Nothing could have made it more perfect than my Fer-Fer being here!!!! :)

So everyone, if you would, please say an extra little prayer for us when you read this, and throw in a little jar of baby dust if you wouldn't mind also!!

I'm adding some pics taken this weekend, but there are TONS more on www.myspace.com/chicagirl70 for anyone that wants to look!! Thanks in advance for the prayers and FX! We appreciate it soooooo much!!! I'm so ready for our little bean!! :)

Blah, blah, blah Tuesday

Ok Aradia, thanks...I love these things!

Jobs I've had
1) Babysitter (so overrated!)
2) H.R. Specialist for staffing company (also overrated!)
3) Dough-maker at pizza joint
4) Telemarketer

Places I've lived
1) Florida
2) Tennessee
3) hole-in-the-wall one room apartment with my ex-fiance!! (WHAT was I thinking??)
4) Next door (in a side-by-side duplex) to my mom and step-dad (highly un-recommendable)

Food I love
1) pizza
2) apples & caramel
3) chips & salsa
4) garlic cheese bread

Places I would rather be
1) Australia
2) Scotland
3) Living next door to Ellen D*generes
4) Anywhere near water!

Movies I love
1) Because I Said So
2) Meet the Parents/Fockers
3) Catch & Release
4) Anything of Liam when he was little! :)

TV shows I watch
1) Brothers & Sisters
2) Biggest Loser (I wanted to be on there!!)
3) Nanny 9-1-1
4) Private Practice

Books I love (this is a hard one ~ I don't like to read!)
1) Hugs~Daily Inspirationals for Moms
2) LTD Catalog :)
3)
4)

Bloggers I am tagging
1) Tracey of Baby Steps
2) Aradia of Milk-Induced Coma
3) Laine of Two Florida Mommies
4) Soooooo many more!! :p

C'mon...who's next???

A new look!

Finally...Saturday!! :)

I decided on a whim Thursday that I was sick of my dry-looking hair and that it was time for my yearly "Fall look" color change!! So I called my hairdresser, who happens to be my cousin, and she said she would LOVE to do it!! She LOVES coloring my hair, because she knows I'm pretty open to anything and I'll let her try new things! lol I usually have my hair a dark auburn in Fall and Winter, then lighter with hi-lights for Spring and Summer. I was looking online at celebrities and I really like the way Sharon Osbourne always had her hair when it was that deep dark red.

...Well, this is the result! Not exactly what I was going for, as it's a little dark for me, but she reassured me that it will fade out in a couple washings and be more like what I was going for. ??? Hmmmm.... She did offer to redo it on Tuesday if I want, but the more I look in the mirror, the more I'm getting used to it. As much as I wash my hair, I'm sure she's right. So be honest...what do you guys think??? I can take criticism ok. Especially when I'm not ooohing and aagghhing it myself! lol Against my better judgement, I'm posting before & after pics!

Every year, the last weekend of September we have this little festival in our small town called Octoberfest. Well, it's this weekend. So last night we walked uptown for a while and let Liam play a few games, ate some bad-for-you fair food (although it was soooo good!) and ran into tons of people we know! You can't fart in this town without everyone knowing it!! lol Especially when over half the town is somehow related to you!!! Then Jay, Liam and I came home and we decided to have a "slumber party" downstairs in our living room. We blew up the air mattress, watched "Night at the Museum" and curled up together with the cats! ....Well that lasted til about 2 a.m. when I woke up in excrutiating pain!!!! Apparently our air mattress has a small hole and had DEFLATED!! Since I'm a side-sleeper, I was laying hip-to-hard-floor!! Ugh...yea....nice! So I moved up the couch and it was all downhill from there!!! First I started hearing this cat outside our window (we live on an alley and there are tons of strays around here), so it meowed all freakin' night...then the trains started coming through, laying on their whistles allllll the way through town, then this big truck pulled into the alley and was revin' up his engine right outside our window!!!! AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!

...So...I'm thinking we will NOT be doing the "slumber party in the living room" again anytime soon!!!!

On that note...

I am so blessed!!

Well the BIG DAY came and went. As it started out, I was beginning to think "if this is how 37 is gonna be, then I'm skipping it!" I woke up with a splitting migraine that seemed to last through the day up until about 4:00. Turning 37 was literally a PAIN IN THE NECK! But finally it went away and turned out to be probably my BEST birthday yet!!! My Mom went with us out to dinner at Olive Garden, which is by far one of my favorite places to eat!! They did the whole singing thing, brought the cake, I got embarassed, and all that jazz! Liam, with a little help from Jay, got me the new Season One 6-disc set of Br*thers & S*sters. That happens to be my favorite show! As you'll notice in the picture above, my wonderful, romantic, ever-so-sweet Jay, got me a beautiful white gold diamond ring!! NO, not "THE RING" (note to self: YET!), but gorgeous none-the-less!!! She sure knows how make a girl happy and she also learned early on that diamonds ARE a girl's best friend!! ;) I just love her so much!!! No, not because she got me diamonds, although that helps (lol), but because she is the most caring, giving, loving person I've ever known. She goes out of her way, day in and day out, to make Liam & I happy. I just hope she knows the joy and love that I feel for her and hopefully I do as much for her as she does for us. I truly am blessed. :)

Today is MY day!!

And not afraid to say that I am the big 3-7 today!!!!!