Goodbye Lupron!

It's been a while since I've blogged...I need to do this more often. I def NEED the support. So, I've been on Lupron for 3 months. Last shot was last month. It is supposed to help reduce the endometrial "ducts" or something like that. It was nice not having a period, but the hot flashes sucked & the joint pain was the worse! I guess I was kind of on auto pilot through it all. Now, I'm finally done with all that and SOOOO ready to start trying again! I met with Dr. A on Feb. 21st. He said for me to give my period a month or so to come back. When it does, we'll probably go back to the Clomid & IUIs. **sigh** So far Aunt Flow is a no show. (I've never wanted to see that old witch so bad! If she doesn't come soon, Dr. A might have to give me Provera or something.) However, I do feel like my hormones are back! All I wanna do is cry and sleep! I've had some cramps and some CM. I CAN'T SAY HOW SICK I AM OF WAITING!!! AHHHH!! It seems like that's all I've done the past 3 years through all this!! I am getting so exhausted! Anyway, I am needing lots of prayers. Trying not to get down in the dumps & trying to just keep on pushing forward!

People with infertility are some if the bravest, most PATIENT people there are! Don't forget that!

Rain, rain go away

There's been SO much going on lately that I find myself wishing all this "rain" would go away. My endometriosis surgery went well. My doctor found that I had "Stage 1" endometriosis on my left ovary and some on my uterus and "anterior culdasac." He also drained some cysts I had on my right ovary and also "flooded my tubes" again to make sure they were working. I guess you could say I got a real tune up! LOL. WELL, the doc had good news afterwards. He said that this would be a great month for us to try since everything is "cleaned out". THEN, a couple of days later my nurse called and said he wanted me to quit trying for SIX months and get on Lupron (endometriosis meds). I was like ok...wait wait wait a minute...he said this looked like a good month to try! She talked with him again and he basically said I could try this month and if it didn't happen then he might want me to go on Lupron for 6 months! I'm praying that this is our cycle! If its not, then I will have a lot of praying to do about Lupron. I really would rather not do it.

There has been A LOT more going on. Mainly just everything needing our money right now that we do not have. You know, I find myself wishing the rain away but God may be using this "rain" for His glory. So instead of wishing it away, I'm trying to learn to "dance in it" and grow from it. Its hard and it hurts, but through it all God is sovereign and HIS will is perfect. ONLY HE knows our future and our sweet baby's future. I CANNOT express how HARD and GRUELING this journey has been. Meds, ultrasounds, bloodwork, surgery, the list goes on and on. BUT although this journey is difficult, apparently this is our journey. God wants us on this path so therefore we must grab His hand and keep going.

My pastor preached an AMAZING sermon about our "Legacy" and living for the Lord with every breath. It REALLY made me think about my true purpose in life and how these everyday "earthly" things can just infest our every thought and action. I pray that God shows us how to be "kindgdom-minded" people and therefore parents. Please continue to pray for us on this crazy journey that is ours!

The amazing sermon can be found here: http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/treasures-in-heaven1

WARNING: It may CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

This rings SOOOO true right now!

God is always good. He has proven that to us over and over again. A WEEK before school started...Wes was hired at a school in Montgomery (BMS)!!!! Whoo Hooo! I can't TELL you what a relief that was! Also, his dad helped us get a new AC unit (You have no idea how much that means until you loose it!). It's been a CRAZY, insane, HARD year, but God continues to show us that He is in control and loves us and will take care of us.

We are STILL on this long, hard journey to have a baby. I had a great cycle this past time on the Follistim...I had 18 Follicles! But...unfortunately...ONE week after the IUI, the evil Aunt Flow arrived...now we're having to wait another month so my ovaries can calm down. This morning I got a call from my nurse saying that they want to do the endometriosis laparoscopic surgery...they want to make sure that I don't have it and if I do, they can remove it. I AM FREAKED OUT to say the least! The ONLY surgery I have had was my wisdom teeth and I had a crazy reaction to the anesthesia or the high strength Loratab...not sure which one it was...BUT...I trust in the LORD and HIS plans. He WILL carry me through this time as he has carried me SOOO much this year. Just PLEASE pray for us as we continue to travel this hard road.

Thanks & GOD bless! :)

WHAT a Year!!

I haven't written in a while...so here it goes...So far our year has been INSANE! Here is a list of all of the craziness so far...

1. We both lost our jobs.

2. My Mammaw (like a mother to me) passed away

3. After 2 1/2 years of trying, we got pregnant, but lost the baby at 5 weeks.

4. My brother had his first baby, Angel Celice (Praise)

5. Our AC broke in our house.

6. So far we have not gotten hired at a school.

7. I've decided to go BACK to school to get a Radiology degree.

Whew! Can you believe this year so far?! And, its not over yet! I can't express how hard this year has been so far. We are trusting the Lord through everything! He ALWAYS takes care of us! We KNOW that, and that is such a blessing to have that faith and trust in our Lord and Savior. Please just pray that our year looks up very soon! 

Here's a pic of my beautiful goddaughter/niece. She is the BEST part of this year so far!

Our New Fur Baby

Name:

Abbie Lou Dunsieth

Breed: Morkie

Birthday: October,

9th 2011

Tricks: Sit, shake, up, and almost potty-trained!

Abbie is our new fur baby! She is 5 months old and VERY sweet! She is a Morkie which is a mix between a Maltese and a Yorkie. My step-sister, Tanya, gave her to us and we are so glad! She's been a great

addition to our little family! She and Pete are warming up to each other and Pete is even playing with her some (she's played with him from day 1). Abbie has never seen a cat before, so she has barked at Sadie quite a bit, but they had a sweet moment yesterday getting to know each other. Hopefully they will all be great friends soon! :)

This is her Before she was groomed.

This pic and the one up top is her after she was groomed! Her cheeks are a little too short, but they will grow out soon. The groomer had to fix my efforts to groom her...lol.

LOVE my Family

Mammaw (my grandma) and Charlie (my niece)

My beautiful niece, Charlie

To My Sweet Baby, Ellie Kate

I dreamed about you last night. You were beautiful. You had baby blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. I held you and you were so soft. You were such a sweet baby. You started to cry and I spoke to you and you looked at me and stopped. My heart aches for you. I wake up. You are no longer in my arms. I look for you and realize it was just another dream. I go to the bathroom and know that you are not coming this month. My heart sinks. Another month, no baby. I TRUST the Lord. He is my all in all. He is my Father and your Father. He knows when you need to come to me. He knows when your brother should come to me. He has our plans written in His Book of Life. I know you are waiting in Heaven for me. Either you or another sweet baby. I am praying for you. I am waiting for you. I am hoping with all my heart that the Lord will send you to me soon. I already love you so much. I can't wait to look in your baby blue eyes and just hold you and talk to you. I know the Lord is loving you and holding you until I am able to. That gives me GREAT comfort. I just want you to know that I love you with all my heart and can't wait for you to come to me.

Mommy

One Stinkin' Pound

So...after a month of Weight Watchers and exercising, I have lost one stinking pound. A little ridiculous. Wes says I should just keep going and hopefully it will start all coming off now. I sure hope so! This is crazy! I fear to be stuck above 180 forever! Please no! Also, its a little confusing when you're wanting to loose weight and get pregnant...those two don't really go together.... Just be praying, people. Thanks.

My Niece

Finally a pic of my beautiful niece, Charlie Annabelle. :)

Rough Day

Been very down today. I feel defeated by my weight, my struggles with becoming pregnant, my need of a summer job, etc. This was a wonderful message to listen to today.

http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/drink-again#

Weighing Me Down

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've said I was going to loose weight in the past 3 years. I have said it over and over again and yet, I sit here still 185lbs rolling all over. According to my BMI, I am....OBESE! Can you believe that word? I never thought I would associate that word with me. I am to my limit and have finally taken a good step forward. I have joined Weight Watchers. So far, I have not lost anything, but yet again, I have not gained anything either. This is my 2nd week on the program. The HARDEST part for me is getting on that scale after a week of hard work and seeing nothing has changed. Apparently that is called impatience. That is definitely me--impatient. I want things NOW, I don't want to wait a year or two. This will be my biggest challenge in my weight loss journey. I MUST stay focused, MUST not give up, and MUST be determined. I KNOW I can do it! I am starting out a little slow because I have basically been sedentary since I've been married. It amazes me how hard it is to walk a mile now! I know it will not be 1 month, 2 months, or even 7 months. I've just got to stick in there and know that my efforts will eventually pay off. Please join me in prayer about this and I can take all the encouragement that I can get!

Is there anyone out there?

Just curious who actually reads my blog. Sometimes I wonder if its just me writing to the computer. If you read my blog, just comment on this post so I know you're out there! :)

Team Baby Nate

On May 7th, I am walking along with many others for the March of Babies. The girl I am walking for is a dear, sweet, Godly girl who lost her sweet baby Nate due to complications. You can read about her story HERE. If you find it in your heart to donate or join in this cause, the team page is here: TEAM BABY NATE.

Our Church!

It feels so good to finally call a church "ours". Wes and I have been visiting around from church to church really ever since we got married! We never felt like the places we visited were where God really wanted us. We've prayed and waited and talked about what kind of church we would like to be a part of. My good friend Kailey has been talking about Highlands--Auburn Campus for years. Her husband, Dru, is the worship leader there. She told me that they were a unique church that had "hub" churches all around and a main church in Birmingham which broadcasted messages every Sunday to all of the "hub" churches. This was so different from my traditional Southern Baptist raising and I was not so sure about it. Finally, this year we went to the "Ignite Marriage Conference" at the main Highlands in Birmingham and we LOVED it! We then started to go to the Highlands--Montgomery Campus. Within only about 1 month, we started the membership class. I didn't want to pressure Wes into anything so when it came time for us to fill our a membership, I just waited. Wes said "We don't have to turn them in today." I looked over and he had already filled his out! He was not wanting to pressure me. So apparently, we both felt like it was exactly where God wanted us to be. We joined the church and will attend the 3rd membership class this Sunday. This is a revolutionary, wonderful church! God's presence is definitely there and I believe he has great things in store for Highlands. We are just glad to call a church "home". So, if you are struggling to find a church that is right for you, just pray and God will show you where he wants you. Also, anyone out there who wants to visit Highlands or you are interested, check out the website: http://churchofthehighlands.com/

Charlie Annabelle-- My Niece!

Yesterday my sister, Cierra, had her BEAUTIFUL baby girl! She was born at 1:49pm. She was 7.7lbs and 18.3 in. My sister did SUCH a good job! Charlie is a very quiet, smart baby. She caught on to things very quickly! I am SO proud of my sister and such a proud Aunt to Charlie!! Picture to come soon!

AWESOME Marriage Conference

Wes and I had an AMAZING time at the Church of the Highlands Marriage conference in Birmingham. It was wonderful! We learned SO much about ourselves and each other. I HIGHLY recommend this conference to engaged couples and married couples of all ages. It was life changing! Also, I've been reading a book called "The Total Woman". It is from 1975, but its amazing how the truths in that book still stand today 36 years later. I encourage all women to read that book. It may have a few things that are outdated (such as most women didn't work back then), but overall, the principles are still the same. About 2,000 years ago God used people to write these same principles in the Bible. It's amazing that what worked 2,000 years ago still works today. That's because God made us and formed us to work that way. Anyway, I just feel so blessed! God is so awesome! :)

Coupon Trip 2/23/11

This was a pretty good coupon trip. My total before tax was $31. My total savings were $102! I was pretty pumped. My total would have been under $20 had I not bought a few items that were not on sale. Overall I got: 6 bags of Green Giant steamers, 2 bottles of Juicy Juice Apple Juice, 4 cans of beans, 4 cans of corn, 4 cans of tomatoes, 5 jars of spaghetti sauce, 2 Marie Callendar lasagnas, 4 cans of Skintimate shave gel (which actually had free disposable razors attached to them), 4 tubes of Colgate toothpaste, Glass Plus cleaner, Vitamins, nail files, DayQuil/NyQuil and the items that were not on sale: bath pouf, bread, Finish dish washing detergent, Ajax dish liquid, Neutrogena bodywash gel, and McCormick garlic salt. The Penny Item for this week was the Publix brand "oreo" cookies. Overall, I am quite proud. We are pretty stocked up on some items now. I'll tell ya what, though, it certainly is a process to coupon! I was in the store for almost 3 hours yesterday wheeling and dealing. I think in the end it is worth it. I mean, hey, I saved $102! Happy Couponing!

Little Project

My sister, Cierra, is expecting her little bundle of joy, Charlie, on March 9th (if not sooner). I decided to try my luck at making a diaper cake. As it turns out, it wasn't that hard. I actually had a lot of fun making this and I'm thinking about doing it on the side as a hobby. If you'd like me to make you one, let me know :)

January 31st Coupon Trip

I held off a while on this trip because I knew my total would not be NEAR what it was last week. I won't even post this pic this week! I just didn't have any good coupons for overage. Bummer. BUT I still did OK. I spent $31 and saved $65. I got: 2 packs of diapers (for a diaper cake I am making for my sister), 4 packs of 8 Juicy Juice, 4 V8 Splash, 4 cans of Campbells Chunky Soup, 2 14lb jugs of cat litter (I may go back for more today!), 2 Marie Callendar's meals, 2 tubes of toothpaste, and 2 bags of coffee. Not bad...but the total was not like last week! Better luck this week! It's all part of the learning process! Be sure to check iHeartPublix and AddictedToSavings for the new Publix ad this week! There are also new Adv. Buy Flyers with matchups on iHeartPublix. Don't forget to get your flyers!

My First Solo Coupon Trip!

I am so proud of my first solo couponing trip! All the hard work paid off! My total before tax was $7. 92 and after tax was $12.36! My total savings were $84.71 ! Mostly everything on here was B1G1. Iheartpublix.com is an awesome site that breaks the sales down every week and matches your coupons with the in-store sales. My moneymakers on this trip were the vitamins and the DayQuil packets. The trick to lowering your total is using high value coupons with existing sales to get overage that goes towards your total. AddictedToSaving.com is a good site that breaks the sales down and talks about overage. I am just so pumped about these savings and can't wait to beat them! :)