Fruit Looped

I have been thinking a little about this recently and I think that I want to start making quilts for the babies of the IVP league.  Hmmm, we will see.  Any thoughts on how I would go about doing this?  Or do you think anyone would even want them?

My CBEFM is still showing low or only one bar on CD 12.  I am not temping but I have not noticed a change in my CM yet so I am thinking that this is right.   I have never used this machine so I am hoping that it is working right – I have no choice but to believe that it is.  I know because my cycles are a little irregular that it could have some trouble or I will use a lot more sticks that normal people do.  I have been taking my honey and cinnamon each night before bed at it is pretty good in a glass of warm milk…better than just eating it off the spoon…I almost gagged when I did that LOL! 

In other non-ttc news, I am working out again…after work…at home.  Now that Biggest Loser is back on I have new motivation!  On the nights I don’t work out and am trying to quilt – I say trying because I usually don’t…I’m so sore from the workout the previous day I just want to lay down and sleep.  Ah, sleep.  Something I am not getting enough of these days.  I have always been somewhat attuned to the things around me.  When Jo’s grandmother died I was 3 states away and I had a dream about her in a dress with polka dots sitting at a table with two friends.  Jo and her mother were going through some pictures and the night she died…they found the picture from my dream…  It friked me out…seriously.  Since then though I have embraced my gift – like anything else it comes and goes and I’m not psychic or anything I just can sense things/spirits…when they are around me – sort of like their energy good or bad.  Thankfully, I never see them.  I am sure you are wondering how this ties in with sleep.  Well, since Jo has been gone on 3rd shift and I am left home alone – like any other person my senses have become heightened because no one is here to distract me.  I have been feeling some energies which I feel are not nice = no sleep.  I have been sleeping with my bible…it’s the only time I feel peace.  I know this might sound hokey to some of you.  Hell it’s sounds ridiculous to me but I think everyone has at one time or another experience something similar.  Question is…would you admit it?

This is one of my favs so far…hope you like it

and of course the up close…

This is called a disappearing nine patch pattern.

This is an up close :O)  I used the Figgy Pudding charm pack (from Moda) for this table topper.  I am thinking about selling this one or maybe raffling it off for our United W.ay basket raffle.  I can’t decide :O)  Would you buy it?

So today is CD 6.  I have been taking my honey and milk with a little cinnamon sugar to help the flavor.  The CBEFM has not asked me to POAS yet but I did find some new ones to replace the expired ones I had on the first try.  I walked in, there they were, exchanged and bam…no fuss.  I started the Biggest Loser Cardio blast on Monday and I am sore as shit!  Still.  I workout M,W,F nights and take the weekends off :O)  Nothing really exciting except I am starting a couple of new quilt projects.  A new baby quilt called pinwheels, another table runner for christmas, pot holders, and last a full size throw for Jo for christmas.  I haven’t even been able to play FARM TOWN on my facebook and I LOVE that game…don’t ask why…cause I don’t know LOL!  If you have a facebook though you need to try it – and it’s not the same as “farmville” – they are different and are not to be confused LOL!

Here is my first Christmas project this year – Only 95 days left to get them all done!  Hope you like it

So this morning I took the FR Fertility test.  The goal of this test is to only get one line or if there is a line it should be more faint than the test line.  I took it and here is what I got…

The first line is my line – the second is the test line.  So for me this test says that yes I can “continue trying to conceive”.  When this test was processing I kept thinking “when will I get a pregnancy test that looks like this?”   Anyway, two come in a box and I will take the other one next month to make sure my levels are ok and then I probably won’t buy anymore after that.  The test measures your FSH levels and can only be taken on CD 3.

“FSH is an acronym for follicle stimulating hormone. FSH is one of several reproductive hormones that our bodies should be producing at certain ranges during certain times in each ovulatory cycle, in order for optimal ovulation to occur. FSH, which is produced by our pituitary gland, does what its name implies — it stimulates follicles to grow. Within our ovaries, follicles are the structures that contain the egg cells.” – excerpt from a fertility website.

Hope this info was helpful :O)

so after reading some more on the red leaf raspberry tea – I have decided not to continue drinking it.  While it does help to increase lining and tone the uterine muscles (which helps prevent miscarriage), some midwives are now saying that it can also cause contractions in some women and that may not be safe in the early stages of pregnancy.  It is safest around 36 weeks.  So, now I have to find something else to drink with my honey.  I found this searching around for herbal remedies:

Ayurveda has long identified honey as a fertility medicine for both men and women. Honey improves the quality of semen. Honey strengthens ovaries and uterus. Men can take two tablespoon of honey every night. Women can take half a tsp honey with a pinch of cinnamon powder.

There was a whole lot more but the jist of it is – honey is an awesome addition to your TTC arsenal and it’s cheap so why not try it.  I read that drinking honey with milk and cinnamon taste good so maybe I will try that instead of the tea. 

On a side note today is CD 2 – my monitor is set.  I went and bought sticks today just to get them home and find out that they expired last month so now I have to go back and get them replaced   I also bought (out of sheer curiosity) the new First Response Fertility Test.  I am supposed to use it on day 3 with FMU and I am apparently hoping for only 1 line and not two.  What a cruel little game they play…giving women two lines on a test that says you can’t get pregnant.  I will post the results (which can’t be read for 30 min.) tomorrow morning.  I start herbal treatment tonight, no temps this cycle, cervical monitoring (fluid and position) and exercise.  In between doing all this I am working on a couple more quilt projects that I want to have finished by Halloween so I will be busy this month.   I wish everyone trying this month the best of luck and we will be back soon to join you – of course by that time you will all be preggo and I hope to be playing catch up! 

(((hugs)))

Af showed today.  Even though I knew the test was -tive I was holding out hope until this afternoon when I started.  We both talked about it and this cycle was hard for us so we are taking this month off from insems…but not everything else.  We bough a CBEFM about a year ago and Jo used it when she was trying but I never have – so…I will start using it this month.  I am also going to be exercising to help shorten my cycles again, drinking my tea with honey to help thicken my uterin lining, start taking prenatal vitamins, and maybe resume the metformin.  Still on the fence about that last one not sure if it really helped since I have been off of it about 2 months now.  Doc seems to think it did help so maybe I will.  So hopefully taking this month off will help me focus on getting my cycle straight again and will give my body a chance to fix whatever went wrong this time so the next one sticks!  I am so bummed about those +tives that I couldn’t enjoy…but everything happens for a reason…I have to believe that.

The beginning – the very first quilt square at this point I haven’t even cut all the strips yet.

The halfway point – the pattern is done but the borders have not yet been added.

The end – I had this quilt custom quilted and it turned out even more beautiful that I imagined it would – I so didn’t want to give it away! 

here is one of the back so you can see what it looks like on the other side – I chose a King Tut thread that was tricolored – pink, green and white for the border and another green and brown thread for the middle butterfly squares.

last one i promise! It’s an up-close of the border so you can see the contrast of the thread on the brown

Hope you like what I did – I sure loved doing it