REALLY bad at this...ugh!

Okay, I admit I'm really bad at updating the blog. But ever since I got a "smart phone" I hardly ever use the home computer! Anyway, here's the latest...

We went to find out what we were having, and boy was it a fun day! I took the day off of work and relaxed and caught up on some cleaning. I met Brandon, my mom and his mom (who drove up from Charleston) and we headed up to the doctors office! We took last minute bets on what the baby was going to be, and it was pretty evenly split! We waited about 15 minutes, then when back into the ultrasound room. The tech was super nice and fun, and she began to do all the measurements. Everything measured out perfectly (a week ahead, at that...so my due date is changing!). Then she asked us if we wanted to know what the baby was....well DUH! So we told her that we did....and then the baby would NOT move. Seriously, the baby would flip over, but not the right way for us to see what it was!

After about 18 minutes, she was finally able to tell us the wonderful news...IT'S A GIRL! So our little Ansley Taylor is already stubborn just like her momma...:) My tummy was really bruised and sore after the ultrasound, but it was alllll worth it! We had so much fun telling everyone the exciting news! The best was my niece Eliza...she's been predicting "girl" since I was six weeks along! How's that for good guessing!

A lot of people have been asking us where we got the name Ansley Taylor from....as some of you may know, in 2002, my older cousin Allison was killed in a car accident. She was two years older than me, and we were incredibly close...it's still SO hard for me to go through all of life's fun experiences without her around. Not a day goes by when I don't think about her, and not a moment goes by with out me seeing her presence in everyday miracles! In fact, I SWEAR she has something to do with this miracle baby! At any rate, I decided a long time ago that if I were to ever be blessed enough to have a little girl, I wanted to honor Allison's memory by using her first initial and middle name. As I was thinking of "A" names, it occurred to me that Brandon would probably like a say-so in the naming process! :) So we began brainstorming family names from both sides...I then remembered that his mom's middle name was Ann! How perfect! An "A" name...but I wanted it to have a little more "spunk" so we combined it with Brandon's middle name...Lee...and there you have it, Ansley Taylor!

We are so blessed by this little girl, and simply can NOT wait for her to be here. So far we have purchased and put together the crib, and we are using Brandon's cradle from when he was a baby. We have purchased 2 big boxes of diapers from Sams Club and we have painted the nursery. My Aunt Terri made a beautiful picture board for us, and I can't wait to hang it! Also, our friend Bre made us a gorgeous quilt with lambs and stars on it...it's seriously amazing! The nursery should be done in the next two weeks, and I PROMISE I will post pictures as soon as I can!

Morning sickness is still around, though not as much...still can't handle pork or a lot of meat...but I force it down for the protein factor. Ansley loves to play trampoline on my bladder, and also loves to STOP moving as soon as Brandon enters the room! She's already such a ham! My next appointment is in a week and a half, then the appointment after that I get to experience the joys of the glucose test. woooo-hooooo!!! :)

Whoops!

Okay, so I apparently suck at updating my blog. No new news in the pregnancy department, except that I had to make the switch to maternity pants this past week. My old pants were just really uncomfortable. The new pants are a little too big, but at least they are stretchy and comfy! :) Morning sickness is still there, but it's still A LOT better than it was. I'm noticing that small tasks like walking up and down the stairs is winding me a lot faster than I would like! My students are being super sweet to me and keep asking me how their "nephew or neice" is doing...really cute! :) My former students were SO excited to find out and they keep visiting me and bringing me Jolly Ranchers!

Right now, Brandon and I are focusing on getting the whole house situated. We're touching up paint, putting up chair rail, hanging pictures, having a garage sale...all sorts of stuff we have neglected to do the past two and a half years! Now that we have a deadline, it's sort of do or die time! :) We're planning a trip to Clinton this coming weekend to see my brother's girlfriend's new house, and the weekend after that is our garage sale/IKEA/Darius Rucker weekend! After that it's Halloween, then hopefully we can make it down to Charleston to visit my mom-in-law! We're super busy around here!

We find out what we are having on November 15th, and we plan on getting the nursery situated when I'm off for two weeks in December. We have already decided on names, so when we find out, we will post it all up! We also picked out the furniture that we like, as well as the bedding. The furniture is from JC Penny, oddly enough, but of course the bedding is from Pottery Barn...I just can't help it, their stuff is so DANG cute!!!

Anyway, I'm going to try and update more frequently as the weather cools down...more inside time and yummy soups! yay!

Last Check-up

We went to our last ultrasound on Thursday Sept. 23. As of now, everything looks perfect. I'm down a couple of pounds, but Doc says that's okay. I'm still experiencing morning/afternoon/night sickness a couple of times a week, but again, it's nothing so bad that I want a prescription or anything. At my appointment, the babies heart rate was perfect, and all the small things they look for (fluid, fluid thickness, etc) was perfect for where I am right now. My BP was good, so everything is going great!

I have had some really bad pains though. My sciatic nerve in my left leg is pinched, and it keeps shooting sharp pains down my leg. I've felt like my leg has been asleep for three days and it's really tingly all the time, causing me to limp slightly. When I was teaching yesterday, it hurt so bad I started crying in the middle of teaching! My poor students didn't know what to do! I have also had some ligament pains on my sides, but I know that it is normal, so I'm not too concerned. The good news out of all of this is that I am finally getting my energy back, so I've been able to do more!

I went to Amy's shower this past weekend, and we had so much fun! We then went over to her house to watch the Carolina game with Amy and Brandon. We sorted through all of her presents and diapers (she got over 1,000 diapers...wow!) The game was disappointing, but it was nice hanging out with a couple who we are in the same boat with! However, at this point, Amy isn't feeling well and has been checked into L&D. This is really scary because her little man isn't technically due until the end of November, but he may be coming as early as the second week of October. Please keep Amy in your prayers as her family goes through this difficult time.

On a much, MUCH happier note, Congrats to my cousin for finding out that they will have a little boy in February! How exciting! :) Now Eliza will have another cousin she can play with...and all her cousins so far are boys!!! (All 4 of them! Crazy!)

My next check up is sometime in October, and we are finding out what we are having on November 15...a little later than we would have liked, but necessary due to scheduling purposes!

Until Next Time. . .

Update!

Our last appointment was on August 26, and we go back for another ultrasound on Sept. 23. I honestly can NOT wait for ultrasound trips! They are sooooo cool!

Here's the story on how we told the family:
My birthday is August 28, so my mom invited everyone over for a birthday celebration. Sort of weird, considering we NEVER do big birthdays anymore! But at any rate, the whole family (minus cousin and cousin's wife) showed up to celebrate 25 years of me! :) When we were about to eat dinner, my mom started singing happy birthday and everyone joined in. Afterwards, my mom started to chant "Speech, speech"...so I told the family "Thanks for coming out to celebrate my birthday, but that's not the only reason we are celebrating tonight....We also wanted to tell everyone that Brandon and I are having a baby!"....And then my aunt almost tackled me. :) Seriously, the whole family screamed and was so excited because they KNOW everything that we've gone through this past year. We have it tape recorded, and I'm trying to figure out how to upload the video to this site so everyone can see it!

I'm on week 13(ish)...we're still trying to determine how far along I am exactly. They'll be able to tell us more exact on Thursday.

Here's a little survey that I have "borrowed" from some other blogs that I follow:...



How far along? 13ish weeks

Total weight gain/loss: I have lost 8 pounds since August 9th. Lot's of "morning" sickness...which is really all day sickness. Not to gross you out, but did you know that projectile vomit is a real thing??? :)

Maternity clothes? I have bought some shirts on sale at various places (Target, Kohls, etc) and I've already started wearing them just because they're new clothes. My old clothes are still fitting okay.

Stretch marks? not yet!

Sleep: I've been having really strange dreams about random stuff and people. I had a dream that my old dance teacher sent me a check for 8,000 dollars! haha! I've had a hard time sleeping because I have to use the restroom several times a night, and I'm having a tough time not sleeping on my back. Brandon keeps waking me up to move me because I'm not sleeping the "right way".

Best moment this week: It will be when we have our next appointment on Thursday! But besides that, it was getting our garage and closets cleaned out over the weekend...and Clemson losing, of course. :)

Movement: None yet...though I told Brandon that the baby IS moving at this point if you poke me stomach, I just can't feel it yet...so he keeps poking me! haha

Cravings: No cravings, tons of aversions....No beef or Italian dressing for sure. Everything else sort of comes and goes depending....

Gender: Not sure yet...people keep asking me if it "Feels" like one or the other. And the answer is "nope!"

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: sleeping on my back and stomach, tailgating, not being tired after I do stuff...and feta cheese. Gosh I miss feta cheese!

What I am looking forward to: More ultrasounds! And my BFF's baby shower this weekend! :)

Weekly Wisdom: Don't sweat the small stuff!

Milestones: Puking has gone from 5 times a day to once every 4 days...totally better!

Yeah Baby!

Okay, so strangest month of my life! There's a reason why I haven't been updating after the doctors appointment, and here is why...

I'M PREGNANT!!!!


So here's the crazy story...

We went to the doctor on Monday, August 9 to talk about starting the clomid medication. Before going back to speak with my doctor, the nurse (who again, I ADORE) weighed me and asked if there was any reason to do a pregnancy test. I had convinced myself that there was NO reason to do one, so I told her no. However, Brandon was standing right there and told her that we needed to do one just to be safe. So anyway, after I glared at Brandon and the nurse decided he was right, I peed in a cup (always a challenge) and went on our happy way. When we got into the room to "wait for the doctor" my nurse turned around and looked at me really funny. I got really nervous because of how she was acting. Finally she looked at us and said "Well, Lauren, I'm really glad that I came into work today. And Brandon, I'm really glad that YOU are here today...because holy sh*t, you're pregnant!!!" (yes, she literally cussed like that, hahah). I looked at her and said "huh?" like any smart person would, so she repeated herself. Of course, I burst into tears.

So anyway, after many hugs and "are you serious" comments from me and Brandon, Dr. Gee came in and gave me a huge hug and we "celebrated". They scheduled me for an ultrasound, and we did that 10 minutes later. Turns out I was right at about 6 weeks pregnant! I had NO CLUE! I was convinced that only fertility treatments were going to work! They drew a bunch of blood, gave me vitamins and sent me and the most shocked husband in the world home....of course we went straight to my parents house and told them!

As far as symptoms at that point, I was just really tired and NOT HUNGRY at all! I couldn't eat anything...I just didn't want it. About a week later the nausea kicked in and I was puking up to 12 times a day...awesome when you teach high school kids, right?! haha!

Anyway, I went back for my last appointment on August 26 (two days before my birthday) and we heard the heartbeat. The babies heart rate is the perfect number, my blood pressure was perfect, and blood work was perfect! I haven't had any bleeding of any sort, so we're good to go! :) Symptoms have subsided a bit. I don't puke as much, but certain scents make me gag. My appetite has picked back up, and I'm trying to eat all the fresh fruits and veggies I can! My clothes still fit okay (not great, but good enough for now), but I have already started stocking up on maternity clothes if I see a good deal.

I will update later this weekend about how we told our families...it was awesome! Also, I will tell y'all how my students reacted...My next appointment is the last Thursday of this month! yay!

Crazy!

Life has been so crazy the past couple of weeks, I really think this is the first time I have used the computer in probably....14ish days! That has to be some kind of record for me. Anyway, updates:

1. Brandon sold his car. YES! That's going to save us about 300 bucks a month. He's getting another car that's a lot cheaper, and when he sells it we can make some money too!

2. My niece spent the night with me for the first time. She did remarkably well, and Brandon and I survived as too. She slept the WHOLE night by herself in the pack n' play, so things were good! We did watch "Elmo in Grouchland" twice, but oh well! Brandon changed his first diaper AND gave her a bubble bath! I think he enjoyed playing "daddy" for a night! And Eliza ADORES him...he had her dancing and clapping and running around. They had a blast together! :)

3. We conducted an experiment and found it was cheaper for us to pick up dinner every night and bring it home than it is to grocery shop. However, you add in eating lunch out every day...and it gets pricey. :)

4. It's amazing how a new shower curtain can make you love your bathroom again.

5. Roxy has gotten sick three times. Which means three different bath experiences. She hates baths. She escaped once and made it all the way downstairs leaving a trail of puppy shampoo following. ugh.

6. I'm super nervous about my doctors appointment on Monday. After my blood work, they determined that it's time for me to start Clomid...so here goes nothing! I have a feeling it's going to work...and somehow when I picture myself with children, I have always seen myself with twin boys. Let's see if this premonition is as accurate as the one about it being difficult to have children in the first place!

7. I met about thirty of the kids I'll be teaching next year, and they aren't half bad! I think it's going to be a great year, and I'm excited. I feel like 2010-2011 is going to be AWESOME. :)

8. Once again, my mom is incredible. She came up to my classroom with no air conditioning and helped me unpack all of my boxes (since they love to make me change rooms every year). Now all that is left is to decorate my room, so hopefully that will be done by August 12!

9. Bank of America sucks. That's all I'm saying about that...they are incompetent and ridiculous. Can't stand them. After this "case" I filed is complete, different bank here we come!

10. Summer is almost over...In some ways I'm ready to go back to work, because I do better with routines. In other ways, I want just TWO MORE WEEKS to get stuff done!

I think that's it for now. I will be updating after the appointment on Monday, so please keep your fingers crossed that everything goes according to plan! xoxo

Life Lessons

I am pretty fourtunate to have the family I have. We all love each other and get along beautifully through thick and thin. In fact, when I was younger, I didn't realize that every family wasn't as close as mine. When I talk about family, I'm not only talking about my mom, dad and two brothers...I'm talking about my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. My mom and her sister are like the same person...I can go to either one of them with ANYTHING. My cousin Keri Lynn is like my sister...in fact, I used to call her my sister to save confusion. My other cousins are like my brothers, my other aunt and uncle are like parents, etc, etc.

We were aloways raised to honor and respect our family, and to value the time we have together. My family has been through some rough times, including two unexpected and one somewhat expected, though still difficult, deaths of family members. We were raised to share our emotions. When we were upset, we did not hide our feelings or talk about them behind each others backs. We straight up told each other what was going on, and we talked it out. I could only imagine how miserable it would be to not be able to share emotions.

When my brother got married 6 months before I did, we accepted his wife into our family with open arms. I was SO excited to finally have a sister-in-law. When my other brother brought his girlfriend over the first time, we accepted her into our family with open arms. I consider her to be my sister as well, though she isn't a "technical" member of the family at this point (she will be SOON!) When Brandon and I got married, my family adopted him in as another son, when my cousin got married, we adopted his wife in as another daughter...regardless of education level, looks, past experieinces, their family life, religion, what have you. We are accepting people.

I have come to realize over the past month that not everyone is so accepting. Not everyone likes mine and Brandon's relationship and how we have worked out our household. Not everyone thinks we should be having children. Not everyone likes me, my career choices, or my family ties. And on top of that, these "accusations" are based on NOTHING. Some people think they know everything. AND these are people I just can't be around. Some people think they know me, and they know nothing about me. I cant be around that either. And I have also learned that misery loves company. ANd I can't live my life so miserably. I am happy. Brandon is happy. Our dogs are happy. And our future babies will be VERY happy. And I don't need these people dragging me down.


*deep breath* And Scene.

Two Years ago TODAY

was the happiest day of my life. Literally, I have never felt so much emotion in one day. It was love, happiness, nervousness, and a ton of other emotions that I can't even explain. I just realized that at this time, I was standing in our church narthex about to make the biggest commitment of my life! Though I am in no means an expert, I did get some pretty good advice on wedding stuff, and here is what I learned...

1. No matter what happens, you are still married at the end of the day.
2. Spend money on what matters to you...if you are dying to have huge flower arrangements, then get them!
3. Plan a budget, and stick to it...don't be afraid to shop around and to let vendors know you ARE shopping around! They are more likely to give you a deal then!
4. At the reception, the party will go where you go...if you want people to dance, you need to dance! If you want people to sit and eat, that's what you should do too!
5. Do the "traditional" stuff right at the beginning of the reception, like the dances and cake cutting. Often times an older crowd really WANTS to see these moments, but they don't want to wait around for 2 hours for you to do it!
6. Get as many pictures done before the reception as you can...you don't want to miss two hours of your four hour reception taking pictures...you need to be there to enjoy your hard work!
7. GET A VIDEOGRAPHER...you will remember NOTHING about the night, it goes by TOO fast!
8. Don't sweat the small stuff...and don't be a bridezilla. No one wants to be around that!
9. Involve your significant other and his family as much as possible...especially his mom, and especially if he is an only child. Remember, the day is just as much about him as you, and he deserves a say-so in what happens!
10. Write your thank-you cards super fast, and start with the older population first. They EXPECT thank you cards, your friends may not care!

And while I'm at it, here are the reasons why Brandon is the most awesome person I could ever be married to...and this list was super hard to condense!

1. He is, and always will be my best friend.
2. We have an equal partnership in our marriage. We both work hard, play hard and have the same goals in our family and in our future.
3. He is nurturing and sweet
4. He is super funny, and always knows how to cheer me up...whether that be through a stupid pun or joke, letting me buy a new pair of shoes, or just telling me to snap out of it, he always says the right things!
5. He is horrible at keeping surprises...and I love surprises. This allows for some pretty hysterical moments in our household!
6. He LOVES my family. And my family LOVES him. He is awesome at fitting into my super close family. I'm pretty sure they would rather him be at events than me! :)
7. He can fix anything. Literally...like when the vacuum cleaner started to smoke, he took it apart, put it back together and it worked like brand new! That just blows my mind!
8. He is a hard worker. Lazy is NOT a word that anyone would use to describe that boy!
9. He doesn't let stuff bother him. And everything bothers me...so we balance each other out!
10. He wants to be a dad more than anything, and that is an awesome feeling!
11. He is the most caring, loving, honest, handsome, hard-working, snoring, secret-telling, loyal, friendly, handy, conservative, funny, money-conscious, laid-back husband I could ever ask for. And I love him more than anything!

I love you honey! :)

Buh-Bye Chicken Curse!

Wow, what a week! As many of you know, I am a very dedicated University of South Carolina Gamecock fan. I have been known to get into one too many heated arguments over how "next year" is always around the corner for my Gamecocks. I have a passionate love for sports...college sports mostly. I don't get professional sports really, especially the NFL and NBA...I just don't get how a person born and raised in South Carolina can all of a sudden love the Redskins or the Lakers. Just don't get it...but anyway, I LOVE SPORTS. I have a passion for College football...during the fall, I can rattle off the top 20 teams ranks, who is playing who in most major conferences, etc...I LOVE SOCCER...this comes from a life-time of watching my big brothers play the sport, and from going to Irmo High School who has the BEST soccer program out of any high school in the nation! And of course, I love America's past time, baseball. Something about baseball just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I really love how unpredictable the sport is...I also love the combination of individual achievements mixed with the spirit of a team.

When I was five years old, My daddy sat me down and told me what it was like to be a TRUE Gamecock fan. It's going to every home game when your record ends up being 0-11. It's supporting your team even when they have dumb plays and interceptions and fumbles. It's supporting the Coaching staff who has to deal with all of the crazy fans. Its WB stadium, it's the horseshoe, it's Thomas Cooper Library, it's the BA, the Greek Village, the Coliseum, it's 2001, the garnet and black, we hail thee Carolina, and a plain sense of PRIDE in being a Gamecock...and of course, so much more!

The past couple of weeks I spent with my family at a Lake house that my Uncle rented on Lake Murray. It was a wonderful place to be to watch the Carolina Gamecocks march through Omaha and take the Nation by surprise. We fought our way OUT of the losers bracket having to beat the number one team in the nation, Oklahoma state, CLEMSON TWICE...to move on and beat UCLA twice in a row to bring home the SECOND major TEAM NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in school history since people began competing for National titles(that's about 150 years for anyone who is counting). I cried. I literally CRIED. I had goosebumps, my cousin, her bff, my husband, my mom, dad, aunt, uncle and two dogs DOG PILED in the middle of the living room. My daddy who just turned SIXTY and has been a Gamecock his whole life had a sense of pride and accomplishment on his face...We popped champagne and celebrated the whole night. I didn't sleep...I didn't need it. The emotional high was extraordinary. The next day, my Bffer Amy and I went and stood in line for an hour at the Colonial Life Arena to welcome our boys home in true gamecock fashion, with about 14,000 other loyal fans...people took off work, probably got fired from their jobs to attend this monumental occasion. July 1st was named as South Carolina Baseball day in the State of South Carolina, and the Gamecock flag flew proudly over the state house. Friday was a classic ticker-tape parade to welcome our boys home down main street, and I had the pleasure of taking my adorable niece Eliza to it. I am truly a PROUD member of Gamecock nation. Here are some pictures from the events!

PS: My niece, who hardly talks, is now saying "GO COCKS" loud and clear...SHE IS AWESOME! :)



The state house, with the Gamecock flag flying proudly...with some creative editing of course. :)



More images to come soon, when my internet isn't taking 15 minutes per picture to upload! :)

FINALLY!

Okay, so I have FINALLY gotten the good news I wanted. No, I'm not pregnant yet, but we finally have ...THE PLAN...together! Back up a couple though....

So the day I made an appoitment with the new office is the day I called my old doctor to request my files be sent to the new doctor. And duh, of course they would make it difficult. I was told to wait until yesterday (Wed. June 23) to go pick up my charts from their satellite Irmo office. I show up at 9:00 yesterday to be told that I would have to go downtown. False. Anyway, after bickering back and forth, I finally tell the woman that I am switching doctors, and asked if she could just fax my info over. She proceeds to ask me why I'm switching...I ignored her. She then PROMISED me my records were being faxed yesterday afternoon and not to worry about it.

Thursday, June 24: I show up to my appointment this morning and the first thing I did was ask if they got my records. Of course they havent. I almost lost it. I called momma, she called the old doctor and THEY said that my old doctor had to "approve my records being sent" (what is there to approve...that shes a crappy doctor? UGH!) and that they needed the NEW office to call them to get it. I almost cried.

Anyway, the new nurse I have is WONDERFUL...I felt like I was hanging out with an old friend. Ashley is young and vibrant and full of energy and has some super cute tattoos also! My new doctor came in...and immediatly said we had a problem because she's a Clemson fan...but once we got past that, she was AWESOME! We actually have a plan in place now. I go back on July 6 (The same day my BFF finds out what she's having at the same office! How fun! :) for some blood work, then I go back on August 9. If I'm not pregnant by August 9, I start the Clomid. If that doesn't work after three months, she's referring me to a specialist...

Anyway, I feel MUCH better now that there is a definite plan in place to follow. I'm looking forward to the next three-four months and what they have to bring!

SIDE NOTE: How awesome was the USA soccer game? I freaking LOST IT I was so excited...I LOVE LOVE LOVE soccer...more about that later. :)

Pictures!

Some pictures of my furry babies for this lovely Tuesday! (Pictures taken with the new "professional" camera....)


This is my first child, Lacy. A five and a half pound Maltese/Poodle mix who is full of energy and loves to give kisses! She is the sweetest dog in the whole world who never meets a stranger and never misses out on a chance to cuddle. She loves to take walks and bark at cats. She will be two in August (we have the same birthday!)





This is my second child Roxy. She's a 9 pound Shih Tzu/Bichon Frise mix who is SUPER energetic and sweet. She is really scared of thunder and lound noises and will sit on your feet if you are standing and it's storming outside. She loves to climb up you when you are sitting down and sit on your shoulder like a bird. She loves her big sister and loves to chew on bones. She will be one in September.

A lot of people judge me because of my two little dogs who I DID buy from breeders. I understand there are a lot of dogs out there who need good rescue homes, and in fact I volunteer with an organization who places abandoned animals into homes. However, with my allergies and the prospect of having children, I wanted to have dogs who I knew did not shed! I NEVER want to have to give my puppies up for anything, especially allergies. So anyway, these are my two dog-children that I love more than anything!

and for good measure, here's my mom's dog, Chloe!

Not to be that person but...

Okay, time for me to vent. I went to my last DR appointment two and a half months ago. My OB was 8 1/2 months pregnant (again, of course, because when you can't conceive, everyone on the earth is pregnant) and told me she would be back in the office ONE day a week starting the third week of June and to call the second week of June to make my appointment. She assured me she would be back and that I would have first priority of appointments. She lied. I called today (June 7) to make my appointment. Not only is she still on maternity leave, but they told me that they couldn't get me in to see ANYONE until July 25. I call BS. In fact, I'm PISSED. I told the receptionist lady what my Doc said about coming in, so she went to speak with the nurse (and she has 3 nurses, so who knows who this one was) and told me that unless I was experiencing any problems, I could just wait.

WELL HELLO....HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW I'M NOT EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS IF I CAN'T COME IN TO THE DOCTORS OFFICE....IF MY DOCTOR TOLD ME I NEEDED TO BE SEEN, I WANT TO BE SEEN DANG IT. AND PS: I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS...I CAN'T FREAKIN' CONCEIVE A BABY!

This is what I wanted to say...but I didn't. I hung up on the rude receptionist woman and texted my bff to get her OB's number. I'm so over it and done...it took them long enough to diagnose the PCOS to begin with. So on to newer and brighter things! AUGH.

Oh, Summer!

So it has been a long time since I last posted, but I'm happy to say that should be changing! One of the joys of being a teacher is summer vacation...though it's not really a vacation. A lot of people fail to realize that I'm actually not getting paid for the time I'm not in the classroom. They stretch our checks out over 12 months to make us feel better, but we only get paid for the time spent with (as someone much wiser once called it) our butts in our chairs. I have big plans for this summer...going to Charleston multiple times to visit the mom-in-law, and of course the beach. Possibly going to a Braves game, a little IKEA shopping sprinkled in here and there, and of course, spending time fixing up our house! Last summer we tackled painting the whole downstairs which SUCKED. We had to do three coats of paint on each wall...and we have really big, long walls downstairs. Ugh! And though it doesn't seem like much, we also agreed on all of the renovations we plan on doing to our house. Seriously, this is a big deal because Brandon and I are both EXTREMLY opinionated when it comes to our house. However, next week we are FINALLY clearing out the mini-jungle that possesses the back of our lot and prepping for our fence. We are also laying a HUGE patio off of our screen porch and planting some shrubs along the back fence to keep our dogs from barking at the neighbors dogs. We are really pumped about getting all of this done...not so pumped about being the ones to do it. Pictures will be following of before, during, and after shots...if we survive of course.

As far as things go on the PCOS front, I am calling tomorrow to make my next appointment. I have been doing a no/low carb diet for the past month, and I have lost 10 pounds! Idealy, I would like to lose 10 more, but quite frankly I'm getting impatient. Mom and I were joking around the other day about how I'm losing weight to get pregnant and gain it all back! All kidding aside, I should be checking in with the Doc this week (who just had her baby a month ago!) and discussing the next step which will be taking a medication called Clomid. Basically Clomid helps stimulate ovulation, therefore increasing the chances of getting pregnant. Ironically, it also leads to an increase in multiple (twins, triplets) births...which already runs rampent on BOTH sides of my family! So we'll see where this journey takes us, I will be updating like CRAZY this summer for lack of more awesome things to do! :)

PS: I am currently starting a lifestyle photography business. To do this, I need several clients who are willing to let me shoot you and your family to use as advertisements. Positives: You get FREE family shots done, location of your choice. I will put them on as many CDs as you want, and sign rights over to them! Negatives: (if you want to call them that...:) You have to deal with me for at least an hour, and if you would be so kind to let me use your pictures to launch my website! If you or anyone you know is interested, PLEASE let me know! Thanks!

People should think...

Before they speak. I've learned this lesson the hard way. And sometimes, even when I think about things, and I know I SHOULDN'T say anything, I still do. But I'm fully convinced there are people who don't ever think before they talk.

Case in point. I have PCOS. Done. You can't reverse it, you can't cure it...all you can do is live with it. I've been taking a medication to regulate my insulin, and I'm not onto diet # 3. (No carbs...holy wow, so not easy!) However, over the past two weeks I have had three people...two co-workers and a friend that I don't talk to TOO often make snide/rude/mean comments in my direction about having children. Having children is an incredibly sensitive subject for me (and Brandon) at this point in time. We have been actively trying to conceive now for nine months. If things would have "worked out" the way we wanted, we would already have, or be about to have our precious first baby. Not so much. And now that I've received the diagnosis of PCOS, I feel it is important to educate people and make it a known disorder as opposed to "You have WHAT"....with that comes the discussion of babies...I get it. But the thing is, just because I mention that I have PCOS, it DOES NOT give you permission to comment on my inability to have children at the moment! You wouldn't have a discussion with someone who recently lost their leg in a car accident, and then begin complaining about how you hate your calfs because your muscle tone isn't right...would you? And if you would, SHAME ON YOU! At any rate, here are some dos and donts for dealing with women who are having fertility issues...


DO be empathetic
DO give lots of hugs and smiles
DO listen when she begins to update you on her condition

DO NOT constantly talk about pregnancy
DO NOT make JOKES about being childless....for the love of god.
DO NOT ask how "baby things are going" (oh yea, that was a fun one to field)
DO NOT ask if I have looked into adoption yet

and the biggest one.....
DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO CONCEIVE... The name of my blog is "positively hopeful" for a reason. Brandon and I remain POSITIVELY HOPEFUL that when the time is right we WILL be blessed with one, two, three, or more precious children to call our own. Whether that be through natural conception or through IVF or infertility treatments...please don't be such a downer!

That's it for now...and as one last note, Good luck with the recital this weekend DD girls, and GO IRMO SOCCER at state on Saturday!

Sometimes it's funny...

Ya' know, sometimes it's funny how things work. Growing up my momma always said that "Everything happens for a reason". Well, when I was in high school, I SO didn't believe her.

Last weekend, Brandon and I were tested by a career change on his part. It was quite sudden and a little unexpected, but the more I'm thinking about it, the less panicked I am. I mean, he had been at his old job for about 2 1/2 years...that's super long in the technician world. But this new switch has a lot of perks...he's closer to home AND to my job, he's finally working in air conditioning, and the job even has a chaplain that comes around once a week to check on the guys. Pretty cool if you ask me!

That brings me to me...This year has been super hard on me. You married folk will know what I'm talking about...when you are dating your significant other you always hear "when is the engagement"...when you are engaged all you hear is "OH, when is the big day...where are you registered...where are you going to live?, etc"...then the day you get married it's "When are you going to have babies?". Well, after 5 years of dating and a year of marriage, Brandon and I decided it was time for that whole baby thing. I've wanted nothing more in my whole life than to be a momma...I have an amazing mom and grandma, and I want to be just like them! We began to start trying in September.

I have always thought in the back of my head that it wouldn't be so easy for me to conceive a baby...and lord, I was SO right. In March of this year, I was diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS. Basically, sparing gory details, it's gonna be hard for me to have a baby due to my insulin not being balanced. Luckily, it's not impossible...just not so easy. And the side effects of PCOS suck...like, acne, weight gain...awesome. It does explain why it's always been so hard for me to lose weight though! (Another topic, another day...) Anyway, hearing that diagnosis was a shock...but not unexpected. But here's where the difficult part comes in...the second I hear the diagnosis, EVERYONE in the world is pregnant! I'm talking friends from high school, friends from college, friends of friends...hell, even one of my students is pregnant. The darn bird that made a nest on my front porch just had 4 baby birdies....augh! I mean, don't get me wrong...I'm happy and excited for every single one of them, from friends, to students to birdies...I just want it to be me very badly.

So all of that being said, I'll probably be talking about the struggles of PCOS a lot during the next couple of months. Hopefully not for long, then I'll be talking about how it feels to finally be pregnant...or even adopting! So stay tuned! :)

First time blogger

So I've been thinking about starting a blog for a long time. When I was in high school/college, I kept a journal. Not your typical "hide under the pillow" journal, but I would just write/draw/paint/stain glass/dance my feelings out. I've never been one to hide my emotions...ask anyone who REALLY knows me! :)

Anyway, as I embark on this blog journey, there are probably a couple of things you should know about me...if you don't already know...

*I'm a teacher....a high school teacher. Prayers are welcomed and encouraged

*I'm a horrible speller...and I really think it's a character flaw. I'm paranoid about it. I've already spell checked 4 times.

*I'm married to my high school sweetheart. I love him to death...even when he stands behind me when I'm on the computer

*I have two expensive mutt puppy/babies. They are seriously spoiled....and I will probably talk about them a lot

*I'm a sports fanatic...college, high school, sometimes pro...I LOVE sports. Football, soccer, baseball, competitive cheer and dance...most recently hockey! I can talk sports for hours...

*Next point: I LOVE my Carolina Gamecocks. To the end. I know, they are not the best...but they always keep things exciting, and nothing is as exciting as standing in WBS and hearing 2001....goosebumps people, goosebumps. I've also become a Florida State Seminole fan by marriage...it's quite the adjustment, but I think I'm handling it well.

*I love history. And reading. And obviously writing. I'm a closet dork...I actually LIKE school. I guess that's why I'm still living my life in one!

*And last but not least, I have the best parents, brothers, grandmas, step grandpa, aunts, uncles, cousins and mother-in-law anyone could ask for. I love them all dearly.

So I guess that's a good start. At any rate, I hope I spelled everything right. And if I didn't, please don't tell me! :)