First off, I apologize for the Blog Silence. It's been a busy few weeks with work and getting etsy orders filled. And then the tragedy of last week happened, and I just couldn't find the words to share here about it, so I decided that no words were my contribution to the blogosphere's way of processing it all. I don't think I have fully processed it- and don't know that I ever will.
It almost seems trivial to talk about anything else... but I read a quote somewhere about how moving on with "normal" life is often the best way to pay tribute to those who've been lost. I don't know if that's the right idea, and when we've experienced any sort of loss, I was always pissed that it seemed that life was just going on around me. But in the end, it was that sense of normal life that helped me to reengage in life. So that's what I am going to do... try to fully engage in life- this crazy life that we're living!
Today is going to be a whirlwind of emotions. We're meeting M for lunch today. It will be the first time we've seen her in person since we've agreed to the adoption plan. We've communicated a great deal over text. We had a rocky few days with our agency and some communication pieces with all those involved. There are so many professionals involved that sometimes it is very frustrating. We have our attorney that I adore and respect greatly. She has been our rock through all of this. Then we have a social worker at the agency who did our homestudy and is also our contact. Then there is a social worker who is assigned to M through the agency. While we have a great deal of communication with M, anything with support has to go through the agency and while we are so grateful for that, it can be a challenge with communication. M talks to her social worker, who talks to our social worker, who calls us. And sometimes our attorney has to intervene to make things work with this process, and last week the director of the agency got involved as well. It was an extremely stressful few weeks, but we *finally* feel like everything has been addressed and we can now work on developing a relationship with M and hope that the professionals can work with the system we've all set up.
Chris is at practice this morning. He'll come home and change and we'll make the 90 minute drive to pick M up and take her to lunch. She had a Dr appt this week, so hoping we'll have a chance to talk a little about it. It's such a strange world to live in, and I don't know that anyone prepares you for this. Our initial conversation in person was good, so hoping that things will go smooth today. I am hoping to feel some sense of peace after today. We've had so much loss that it is just so darn hard to believe that we will finally be in a place to become parents in a few months. It's crazy to start thinking about what our Christmas future might hold!
After our lunch with M, we're heading into the city for an annual Christmas party. We'll see our swimmers from years past who are now all grown up. It's always so fun to see everyone and we always say we have to get together more than just once a year, but life just gets in the way. It's a little strange to be sharing a bottle of wine with girls you've known since they were 8, but it's also pretty cool at the same time. They've all become such amazing adults, and it makes my heart swell with pride knowing we had just a little bit to do with that. We've been a part of so many kids lives, and the idea that we might just finally be able to share our life with a child of our own is almost more than my heart can take. I am actually tearing up just writing this post... We've been making this trip into the city for more than a decade, and it's truly one of the highlights of our Christmas.
With that, I need to actually consider getting dressed for our big adventures. Thinking of you all today, and still feeling so full of gratitude for the love and support you have all shown us!
Showing posts with label swimming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label swimming. Show all posts
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Olympic Trials Day 1
One of our kids swam today. He didn't hit his seed time, but neither did most of the swimmers! He acutallly moved up to 67th place from 107th! We don't have any kids in finals tonight, but plan to attend for the love of the sport. There are a few swimmers from IL and of course Ryan Lochte and Phelps. It should be pretty exciting! You can watch the trials live at night on NBC.
Here are a few photos of what we've been up to:
Here are a few photos of what we've been up to:
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| Statue outside the Mutual of Omaha building |
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| I'm almost as tall as he is, right? |
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| The world's tallest escalator! |
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| Chris on the pool deck! |
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| We had VIP status for this morning's session. Way cool! |
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| Yep, we were that close to Michael Phelps today! |
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Beautiful Young Adults
I thought about posting about Mother's Day today and all the emotions I have rolling on in my head.
But I decided that I am not going to do that.
Instead, I am going to share with you some photos that were taken last night. Chris and I were honored to be invited to the pre-prom party for some of our swimmers. I honestly got a little teary when I saw these amazing kids all dressed up for their prom. We've known a few of these kids since they were 8- and all of them for the past five years. We've seen them grow into such beautiful young adults- inside and out. We've been blessed to be a part of their lives outside of the pool. We've been welcomed into their families and been able to help nurture their spirits as well as their bodies in the pool. We hope that one day our own children will be as successful, kind, intelligent, driven, and amazing as these young adults.
We are so very blessed. While I am sad that we don't have the relationship we'd hoped for with our biological families, we are so thankful for the extended family we have with our swimmers and their families. Another one of our former swimmers graduates from the University of Illinois today and several others in the coming weeks. While it breaks my heart to know that we're still waiting for the opportunity to become parents. we are so proud to be a part of these young lives each and every day. We also know that our future child will be loved by so many and can't wait to share the life experiences with our extended family.
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Nothing new to report on my last post. I haven't done anything to get an answer. Decided this weekend wasn't the time. More on that later.
But I decided that I am not going to do that.
Instead, I am going to share with you some photos that were taken last night. Chris and I were honored to be invited to the pre-prom party for some of our swimmers. I honestly got a little teary when I saw these amazing kids all dressed up for their prom. We've known a few of these kids since they were 8- and all of them for the past five years. We've seen them grow into such beautiful young adults- inside and out. We've been blessed to be a part of their lives outside of the pool. We've been welcomed into their families and been able to help nurture their spirits as well as their bodies in the pool. We hope that one day our own children will be as successful, kind, intelligent, driven, and amazing as these young adults.
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| Two of these boys will be swimming at the Olympic Trials next month! Their parents have become like family to us. They've supported us in so many ways along our adoption journey and can't wait to spoil our child as their kids move onto college! |
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| The famous pose these boys have to do with Chris. I'm not even sure when it started or why. We have this pose in just about every possible situation... but this is the first one in tuxedos! |
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| Just a few of the beautiful ladies we've come to know through the crazy world of swimming. It has been such an honor to see them grow and become beautiful inside and out! |
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| Chris and Allie- We've known this young woman since she was a scrawny 8 year old. She has blossomed into a such an amazing young woman. Thankful we've got one more year before she heads off to college. Can't wait to see what her future holds! (And yes, it was a little chilly outside....) |
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Nothing new to report on my last post. I haven't done anything to get an answer. Decided this weekend wasn't the time. More on that later.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Finally something to celebrate!
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| A very nervous Chris before the meet starts |
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| The boys show off the trophy to their fans! |
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| Some of my favorite boys... especially the grown up one in the front! |
There were some really bad calls by the officials as well as a disqualification in the prelims of our 200 free relay. It was such a roller coaster of emotions with very lows but ended on a very high note! The school did a parade for the boys today and Chris was able to experience the festivities with the boys too. I'm so incredibly proud of Chris and all he accomplished with these kids. While it's the end of the high school season, we have big meets coming up for the club in the coming weeks. Chris does get 2 hours back each day now that HS season is over though, so looking forward to having a few more minutes each day with him.
It was so nice to have something else to focus on and celebrate after everything we've been through. The meet itself is crazy. In the midst of a blizzard, we had to drive towards the city to wait in line to get our wristbands. We then waited in the gym for more than 6 hours to be admitted into the pool. The meet lasted another 3 hours. And that was just prelims on Friday. Saturday was almost as long. So, it's no surprise that I am still exhausted. Still having some sleep issues... but working on it. Thank you to everyone's comments on the last post. Will share more later on all of that... want this post to be a positive one. :)
Have a great rest of your night!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Slowly resume "normal"
I had my post-op appointment today. The OB was more than 30 minutes late. There's just nothing like sitting in a paper drape for 30 minutes waiting. But I've always felt like he takes time with me- so I know that's why he is always running late. The actual exam was very fast... it was as if he just "peeked" inside and said everything was healing. Not sure how you can see that in a quick glance, but I am going to take his word.
I did ask him about the possibility of being anemic and he said he would run labs. We almost forgot when we left but had them draw it for us. We also talked about the folgard and he told me to just stay on a prenatal with folic acid and extra iron. As far as next steps... he doesn't think he can help us and directed us to talk with an RE or someone who specializes in RPL. I appreciate his honesty. He did say that he feels he will see us again. We gave him our adoption profile and asked him to add it to their file. He was more than willing to do so.
He told us that we are supposed to slowly resume normal activity. Of course that's easier said than done. It does mean that we can finally return to normal marriage activity... something that hasn't happened since I peed on the HPT in December. Of course he told us that we have to us protection. Let me remind you that Chris and I have been together since high school. We haven't had to use much in the way of protection over the years. I was more than overwhelmed in the aisle in Tar.get tonight! Oh well, one more thing that will be funny someday. The OB also told me I can slowly start working out again. I haven't laced up my running shoes since before Thanksgiving. Hoping to feel some motivation to do that again soon.
So, the bottom line... how do I really go back to "normal" How do you move on from a third miscarriage in a little over a year? How do you ever go back to normal? Chris and I had a heart to heart this afternoon about it all. I have learned that he doesn't grieve the same way that I do. We've grown from all of this heartache. He is ready to move forward. He has already grieved and is ready to look forward. It's not so easy for me. I find myself holding my breath at times at how much my heart is breaking. But there's a tiny part of me that is starting to break free and feel hopeful. I am feeling such a sense of urgency that I haven't felt before. I've always wanted motherhood more than anything but now it is an ache that is constantly there. It is always in my thoughts. I am trying to focus that energy on adoption marketing and trying to believe that our match is out there. We just have to find it.
In other news, Chris was in a car accident on Thursday. He is absolutely ok, but his car is not. Of course his car is the one we haven't paid off yet. There was a big chance it was going to be considered totaled, but the body shop called this afternoon to let us know that they will be able to fix it. This is a HUGE relief. We just can't afford a car purchase right now in the midst of our adoption. It was a tense few days here, as the accident was Chris' fault and I had a really hard time not being mad at him. I've come to terms with it and we're in a good place. It was just hard to swallow one more negative event in the midst of all we've been through.
As a highlight, Chris' HS swim team had a GREAT sectional meet. He has three relays and seven individual events heading to the State meet this weekend. I am so excited for him and his boys. He is poised to finish in the top 5 of the state, which would be a huge feat for his team. So excited that I'll be able to be at the meet on Friday and witness it all myself. It's sometimes hard to sit in the stands with the parents but I love being there to see the look in Chris' face after a great swim. One of the families has become very close to us and has actually helped us financially with our adoption. I am looking forward to having the time with those parents as we wait for the meet.
So we're trying to figure out what normal is for us. For now, it's swimming and school and working hard on adoption marketing. And hoping that the tears and heartache are a minimum.
I did ask him about the possibility of being anemic and he said he would run labs. We almost forgot when we left but had them draw it for us. We also talked about the folgard and he told me to just stay on a prenatal with folic acid and extra iron. As far as next steps... he doesn't think he can help us and directed us to talk with an RE or someone who specializes in RPL. I appreciate his honesty. He did say that he feels he will see us again. We gave him our adoption profile and asked him to add it to their file. He was more than willing to do so.
He told us that we are supposed to slowly resume normal activity. Of course that's easier said than done. It does mean that we can finally return to normal marriage activity... something that hasn't happened since I peed on the HPT in December. Of course he told us that we have to us protection. Let me remind you that Chris and I have been together since high school. We haven't had to use much in the way of protection over the years. I was more than overwhelmed in the aisle in Tar.get tonight! Oh well, one more thing that will be funny someday. The OB also told me I can slowly start working out again. I haven't laced up my running shoes since before Thanksgiving. Hoping to feel some motivation to do that again soon.
So, the bottom line... how do I really go back to "normal" How do you move on from a third miscarriage in a little over a year? How do you ever go back to normal? Chris and I had a heart to heart this afternoon about it all. I have learned that he doesn't grieve the same way that I do. We've grown from all of this heartache. He is ready to move forward. He has already grieved and is ready to look forward. It's not so easy for me. I find myself holding my breath at times at how much my heart is breaking. But there's a tiny part of me that is starting to break free and feel hopeful. I am feeling such a sense of urgency that I haven't felt before. I've always wanted motherhood more than anything but now it is an ache that is constantly there. It is always in my thoughts. I am trying to focus that energy on adoption marketing and trying to believe that our match is out there. We just have to find it.
In other news, Chris was in a car accident on Thursday. He is absolutely ok, but his car is not. Of course his car is the one we haven't paid off yet. There was a big chance it was going to be considered totaled, but the body shop called this afternoon to let us know that they will be able to fix it. This is a HUGE relief. We just can't afford a car purchase right now in the midst of our adoption. It was a tense few days here, as the accident was Chris' fault and I had a really hard time not being mad at him. I've come to terms with it and we're in a good place. It was just hard to swallow one more negative event in the midst of all we've been through.
As a highlight, Chris' HS swim team had a GREAT sectional meet. He has three relays and seven individual events heading to the State meet this weekend. I am so excited for him and his boys. He is poised to finish in the top 5 of the state, which would be a huge feat for his team. So excited that I'll be able to be at the meet on Friday and witness it all myself. It's sometimes hard to sit in the stands with the parents but I love being there to see the look in Chris' face after a great swim. One of the families has become very close to us and has actually helped us financially with our adoption. I am looking forward to having the time with those parents as we wait for the meet.
So we're trying to figure out what normal is for us. For now, it's swimming and school and working hard on adoption marketing. And hoping that the tears and heartache are a minimum.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Colorado is on my mind...
No, we're not heading back to CC.RM. I really do hope we get the opportunity in the future for a sibling, but it's not in the cards for us right now. I am really, really, hopeful about our adoption plans. I am in a good place... today. I believe with all my heart that our baby is out there- and that we will finally be a family through the gift of adoption.
While we were not successful at CC.RM, we were given a true love. It seems that both Chris and I have fallen in love with the great state of Colorado. We daydream of one day moving out there. I'd like to at least be able to take a nice long vacation to visit all of the beauty that the state has to offer. How many people can say that they've been to Colorado FOUR times and not witnessed much of its beauty? I did get to take in the sunshine and the amazing landscapes- from the window of various hotel suites while on bedrest!
What brought on this longing for the great state of Colorado you might ask?
This text from my husband did:
You see, Chris is in the lovely state of Colorado RIGHT NOW. Without me. And I am a little bitter and jealous that he is out there making new memories that don't involve infertility. He's getting to experience some of the million other things that Colorado has to offer other than one of the world's greatest IVF clinics.
All joking aside, I am thrilled for him. One of our very talented swimmers was asked to attend the National Select Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. As part of the program, they ask the coach to come with the swimmer and participate in some advanced coaching clinics. It's an amazing opportunity for both our swimmer and Chris. He's staying at the training center and working with the same staff that trains our Olympic team. The food is apparently amazing too- all provided by the nutritionists/chefs employed by the OTC. He has already learned so much and has another two days of training still to come. He and our swimmer even got the chance to go see a few sites before the camp started on Thursday.
So for now, I am experiencing some of the wonders of Colorado through the text messages and emails from Chris. While there are no vacation plans in our near future due to our adoption costs, I hope to one day very soon be able to see those mountains and sunshine again with my own eyes. I want to make some new memories of the Centennial State. Hopefully it will be one of our first family vacations and my new memories will involve sharing our love of the state with our child.
While we were not successful at CC.RM, we were given a true love. It seems that both Chris and I have fallen in love with the great state of Colorado. We daydream of one day moving out there. I'd like to at least be able to take a nice long vacation to visit all of the beauty that the state has to offer. How many people can say that they've been to Colorado FOUR times and not witnessed much of its beauty? I did get to take in the sunshine and the amazing landscapes- from the window of various hotel suites while on bedrest!
What brought on this longing for the great state of Colorado you might ask?
This text from my husband did:
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| "Wouldn't it suck to wake up to this every morning?" |
All joking aside, I am thrilled for him. One of our very talented swimmers was asked to attend the National Select Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. As part of the program, they ask the coach to come with the swimmer and participate in some advanced coaching clinics. It's an amazing opportunity for both our swimmer and Chris. He's staying at the training center and working with the same staff that trains our Olympic team. The food is apparently amazing too- all provided by the nutritionists/chefs employed by the OTC. He has already learned so much and has another two days of training still to come. He and our swimmer even got the chance to go see a few sites before the camp started on Thursday.
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| Our swimmer looking very serious within the Olympic Rings |
So for now, I am experiencing some of the wonders of Colorado through the text messages and emails from Chris. While there are no vacation plans in our near future due to our adoption costs, I hope to one day very soon be able to see those mountains and sunshine again with my own eyes. I want to make some new memories of the Centennial State. Hopefully it will be one of our first family vacations and my new memories will involve sharing our love of the state with our child.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Home
We're home safe and sound. Had an amazing week with some really fast swimming and lots of fun. I haven't even uploaded all the photos, but I'll be sure to share my favorites here. I am so very proud of Chris and all he accomplished with his swimmers. They were the highest scoring team from the state of Illinois! All with only four swimmers!
It was hard to come home without Simba being here. I had a little meltdown when I walked into the guest room and realized that is where he had his final days. Our friends cleaned everything up for us and it was just surreal to see all of his "supplies" stacked up in a pile. I don't think it has really sunk it that he is really gone. Words can't express how grateful we are for our friends who cared for him and Romeo while we were gone.
Romeo is beyond excited to have us home. He apparently took up residence on our bed while we were gone so those sheets are in the washing machine as I write. Hoping they'll be done in time for me to get to bed at a decent hour.
It's back to work for me tomorrow. I have so many mixed thoughts and emotions about that. Sadly, I don't have the excitement that I usually feel for the start of a new school year. Hoping that once I get there tomorrow and see all my colleagues that I will feel that. I am so thankful that I took the trip with Chris. It was great to clear my head and really go into the school year with a sense of peace and calm rather than being here and brooding for the past week.
And let's face it- this has been a pretty crappy summer for me. Here's to new beginnings and moving forward. Fall is a wonderful time of year full of change and promise, right?
It's going to be rough in the morning. My body will think it's 3 am when the alarm goes off... I've already decided it will be a VENTI kind of morning! :)
It was hard to come home without Simba being here. I had a little meltdown when I walked into the guest room and realized that is where he had his final days. Our friends cleaned everything up for us and it was just surreal to see all of his "supplies" stacked up in a pile. I don't think it has really sunk it that he is really gone. Words can't express how grateful we are for our friends who cared for him and Romeo while we were gone.
Romeo is beyond excited to have us home. He apparently took up residence on our bed while we were gone so those sheets are in the washing machine as I write. Hoping they'll be done in time for me to get to bed at a decent hour.
It's back to work for me tomorrow. I have so many mixed thoughts and emotions about that. Sadly, I don't have the excitement that I usually feel for the start of a new school year. Hoping that once I get there tomorrow and see all my colleagues that I will feel that. I am so thankful that I took the trip with Chris. It was great to clear my head and really go into the school year with a sense of peace and calm rather than being here and brooding for the past week.
And let's face it- this has been a pretty crappy summer for me. Here's to new beginnings and moving forward. Fall is a wonderful time of year full of change and promise, right?
It's going to be rough in the morning. My body will think it's 3 am when the alarm goes off... I've already decided it will be a VENTI kind of morning! :)
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Kitty Heaven
My Simba Kitty went to kitty heaven last night. I am on the other side of the country and wasn't able to say goodbye. I am so thankful that we have such amazing friends who not only took care of our animals for us, but took care of him in his last days and took him to the vet after he was gone. It's a true friend that will do all of that for you while you are far from home.
I was heartbroken last night when they called to tell me he wasn't doing well. He was fine over the weekend, but took a turn for the worse suddenly Sunday night. He shut himself into the closet in our guest room and wanted to be alone. I am sad he was alone when he left this world, but it seems that is just what my sweet kitty wanted. He was very loving before we left, and I feel that he wanted us to be away when he left this world. I know it will be very hard to go home and know that he is gone. But he didn't suffer long, and that he was well cared for in his last days.
He was a great kitty and was so very attached to my sweet Patches. I know that they are together again playing and cuddling like they did when they were babies. He thought he was a dog, and came for treats whenever the dogs would get one. He was a talker and a cuddler. He will be missed. But I know his health was failing in the last year and I am so thankful he didn't suffer long.
The swim meet is going VERY well. Both swimmers moved up in their events and scored points for Chris' swim team. First time in the history of the team! Another swimmer in finals tonight. It's been very exciting!
I've also enjoyed the sunshine and haven't thought much about school at all. :) Hoping the rest of the week continues just as well and that I can go back home feeling refreshed and ready to face the world.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Proud Coach's Wife. :)
We've enjoyed the weather here in California.
But today was finally the start of the Junior National Meet. The entire reason we are here.
It was a GREAT morning. Three swims and three best times. Two of our boys made it back for finals tonight. This is the first time in the history of the team.
I am one VERY proud wife right now! Chris has worked so very hard this summer. And the boys swam their hearts out and it paid off. Big time.
Hoping that finals goes well tonight and that the team will score points. Another FIRST for the team.
I'm so happy for Chris and the boys!
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And just to make things interesting... AF started last night. Yep, the worst possible place to have her show up. But it also seems my body is regulating?! 31 day cycle? That's a little bit too normal for me. Thank goodness for Aleve and nice bathrooms at the meet! :)
But today was finally the start of the Junior National Meet. The entire reason we are here.
It was a GREAT morning. Three swims and three best times. Two of our boys made it back for finals tonight. This is the first time in the history of the team.
I am one VERY proud wife right now! Chris has worked so very hard this summer. And the boys swam their hearts out and it paid off. Big time.
Hoping that finals goes well tonight and that the team will score points. Another FIRST for the team.
I'm so happy for Chris and the boys!
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And just to make things interesting... AF started last night. Yep, the worst possible place to have her show up. But it also seems my body is regulating?! 31 day cycle? That's a little bit too normal for me. Thank goodness for Aleve and nice bathrooms at the meet! :)
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Craptastic start to the school year already...
In the end, looks the district is hiring someone from the outside to take the tech position. I am disappointed and frustrated with the entire process. A piece of paper (that even the person currently in the position doesn't have) was more important than experience and commitment to the district. It has shown me that this is a position I'd really like to have so I will pursue getting the certificate and then take my talents to another district in the future. That's all I'm going to say on that.
My "new" classroom is also craptastic. That's not helping my mood. There are issues with missing white boards, and the interactive white board in the room was abused last year and is not in great shape. I treated the one on my old room like a classic car... so I am devastated at how this one was treated. I requested to have my old one moved, but apparently that isn't going to happen.
My schedule is rough too--- I teach for 5 straight hour without a break. My plans are the last two hours of the day. Not loving that either.
So bottom line, I need to figure out how to adjust my attitude about this all. It was a rotten summer, and I just can't bear a rotten school year.
So Chris and I are off for a week in Sunny Cal for the National Swim meet. Let's hope that some sunshine can work some magic on my psyche before returning to start the school year.
Oh, and my "new" room isn't even unpacked yet. And we get back the night before school starts.
Serenity NOW
My "new" classroom is also craptastic. That's not helping my mood. There are issues with missing white boards, and the interactive white board in the room was abused last year and is not in great shape. I treated the one on my old room like a classic car... so I am devastated at how this one was treated. I requested to have my old one moved, but apparently that isn't going to happen.
My schedule is rough too--- I teach for 5 straight hour without a break. My plans are the last two hours of the day. Not loving that either.
So bottom line, I need to figure out how to adjust my attitude about this all. It was a rotten summer, and I just can't bear a rotten school year.
So Chris and I are off for a week in Sunny Cal for the National Swim meet. Let's hope that some sunshine can work some magic on my psyche before returning to start the school year.
Oh, and my "new" room isn't even unpacked yet. And we get back the night before school starts.
Serenity NOW
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Goodbye March & Winter!
It's been a crazy few weeks. Even though March is the month of my birth, it is probably my least favorite month of the year. Life is crazy for both Chris and I with work and the weather in Chicago is miserable in March. I am thrilled that the month is almost over and that Chris and I are leaving the miserable Chicago weather behind for a few days!
Chris' Winter swim season finally ended just before my birthday. He had to deal with the wrap up of the season and prepare for the upcoming Spring/Summer season. There's always some parent drama and that finally seems to be settling down. Schedules and such are set for the upcoming season and he'll start practice and try-outs the Monday after we return from our trip.
I had to deal with the state testing and then staffing issues for next year at school. That seems to be finally settled, but we will be losing one of our secretaries due to the closing of another school in our district. It's so sad to see good people lose their jobs due to the financial situation of our state and schools. We fortunately are not facing any teacher lay-offs this year as we took the brunt of it last year. I will have to move classrooms after 10 years in the same room. Not going to think about that until we get back from our trip.
I am also the yearbook sponsor. I've done the yearbook for 9 years now. Every year I swear is the last, but I am suckered into it the next year without fail. It has consumed all of my free time for the past two weeks. I submitted the final pages on Friday, so that is off my plate for now.
Losing my sweet Patches has been hard. I keep thinking I am going to see her come around the corner, or find her sleeping in her bed. Romeo seems to be adjusting to being the king of the house, but the cat is definitely having some issues. The cat is 15 years old too, so I know his time with us is limited too. His health is not great, either.
We've not had much time to focus on the adoption over the past month. Planning to schedule our final interview for April and get our final pieces of paperwork done and sent in to the state. We also need to get things set up with the attorney so we can get our 800 number and start getting that out to people. I know that Chris and I will have some time to talk about things during our trip.
The trip.... we debated about spending the money to take a vacation, but knew that we needed to get away to rejuvenate our souls after the past year. With all of the loss and stress on our marriage, we knew we needed to invest some time into our relationship. We dreamed of recreating our dream vacation from last year, but that wasn't realistic. So, we are heading to Aruba! We were able to use Marriott points that we earned from all of our stays in Denver and swim meets. We're flying using upgrades from our flights to Denver. At least our trips to CC.RM are paying off in some ways!
We also got a random check in the mail yesterday from CC.RM. There was no letter, no stub- just a check with refund written in the memo. So now we have some extra vacation spending money from CC.RM too!
Hoping you all have a wonderful week. I'll soak up some rays for those of you stuck in the cold. :)
Chris' Winter swim season finally ended just before my birthday. He had to deal with the wrap up of the season and prepare for the upcoming Spring/Summer season. There's always some parent drama and that finally seems to be settling down. Schedules and such are set for the upcoming season and he'll start practice and try-outs the Monday after we return from our trip.
I had to deal with the state testing and then staffing issues for next year at school. That seems to be finally settled, but we will be losing one of our secretaries due to the closing of another school in our district. It's so sad to see good people lose their jobs due to the financial situation of our state and schools. We fortunately are not facing any teacher lay-offs this year as we took the brunt of it last year. I will have to move classrooms after 10 years in the same room. Not going to think about that until we get back from our trip.
I am also the yearbook sponsor. I've done the yearbook for 9 years now. Every year I swear is the last, but I am suckered into it the next year without fail. It has consumed all of my free time for the past two weeks. I submitted the final pages on Friday, so that is off my plate for now.
Losing my sweet Patches has been hard. I keep thinking I am going to see her come around the corner, or find her sleeping in her bed. Romeo seems to be adjusting to being the king of the house, but the cat is definitely having some issues. The cat is 15 years old too, so I know his time with us is limited too. His health is not great, either.
We've not had much time to focus on the adoption over the past month. Planning to schedule our final interview for April and get our final pieces of paperwork done and sent in to the state. We also need to get things set up with the attorney so we can get our 800 number and start getting that out to people. I know that Chris and I will have some time to talk about things during our trip.
The trip.... we debated about spending the money to take a vacation, but knew that we needed to get away to rejuvenate our souls after the past year. With all of the loss and stress on our marriage, we knew we needed to invest some time into our relationship. We dreamed of recreating our dream vacation from last year, but that wasn't realistic. So, we are heading to Aruba! We were able to use Marriott points that we earned from all of our stays in Denver and swim meets. We're flying using upgrades from our flights to Denver. At least our trips to CC.RM are paying off in some ways!
We also got a random check in the mail yesterday from CC.RM. There was no letter, no stub- just a check with refund written in the memo. So now we have some extra vacation spending money from CC.RM too!
Hoping you all have a wonderful week. I'll soak up some rays for those of you stuck in the cold. :)
Saturday, March 5, 2011
What a week!
Oh my bloggy friends, I have neglected you this week. It's been a crazy week since I last posted. This post might be a hot rambling mess, so be forewarned! :)
Chris' boys had a ROCK STAR State Meet. The team ended up 14th overall- the highest in school history. Individually, several kids did very well. Our diver ended up 7th overall, and our 500 swimmer ended up 6th. Several other boys ended up in the top 12, as did one of our relays. So very proud of Chris and the team. I am so very thankful that I had the opportunity to be there with him. I spent lots of quality time with one of my most favorite swim families, so it was a great weekend all around!
Chris is happy high school season is over, which means he is only at the pool for 5 hours instead of close to 8 every day. He is at the club's Senior State Meet this weekend, and the kids are really doing well there, too. One more weekend and he will be on a break until after my Spring Break.
Things are crazy busy with school for me right now. Lots of stuff due on March 1st including trimester grades and purchase orders for the remainder of the school year. Kids have spring fever big time (ok, so do teachers) and we have the dreaded state testing next week. I just might be counting the days until Spring Break!
Chris got his coaching check and we also got our tax refund. We are trying to find a way to get away to some sun for a few days over Spring Break. For a short time, it looked like we might be able to sneak away to St Lucia again for a short time, but flights were crazy expensive by the time we decided. I spent way too many hours online researching places for us to go and we still haven't made up our mind. I am torn about spending the money to go on vacation right now, but in my heart I know that Chris and I both need some time to reconnect and relax after everything we've been through since September. Chris is supposed to be looking at options during his down time at the meet, but I am not sure how much of that he is doing.
I've also run twice since I last blogged. The runs were spread out due to the craziness, but I did them! So I've done Week 2 days 2 & 3
1.36 miles
Ran halls of school
Hoping I'll be able to run outside tomorrow sometime. It's cold and snowy, so it isn't looking good. Otherwise I'll have to run on Monday. Week 3 gets even tougher! The race is now 1 month and 5 days away. YIKES!
And then there was the third strike... or + sign depending on how you look at it I guess. A third coworker came "out" to me after school on Friday. She's pregnant and due on the SAME DAY as coworker #1. I saw this coming as my sixth sense had already kicked in. It was an interesting conversation that I am still processing and I have the start of a blog post swirling around in my head. So, look for more on that later. This is her second child and I knew this was going to start happening... I'm being lapped by the "second round" of coworkers now...
I was pretty angry/sad/anxious when I got home from work on Friday. I am thrilled for this friend and our conversation was sweet, but it still stung. I tried to express my feelings to Chris, and he just doesn't see a connection between other people's pregnancies and our infertility. I've come to respect his opinion on it, but it doesn't help me when I go to the dark place sometimes infertiles go to. He's out of town at the meet all weekend, so my weekend was wide open to do whatever I wanted. I had thoughts of drinking multiple bottles of wine, but then I realized that I could DO SOMETHING with my anger/sadness/anxiety.
So, I remembered that there was an adoption conference being held by a local organization today. I had dismissed it, because I knew Chris was going to be at the state meet. I checked the website and found that they were in fact accepting walk in registrations. So... after some gentle shoves from my good friend Mandy, I decided to go. It was SO far out of my comfort zone and my anxiety levels were high most of the day, but I did it. I drove 90 minutes each way and attended a conference all by myself. I'm not going to go into deep detail about the conference in this post because I have lots to say about it and it deserves its own post. However, I am going to say that I am pretty proud of myself for taking this big step and I even talked to the attorney we worked with back in 2007 and got some information and will be calling her to set up some services with her.
I have school work and housework to keep me busy for the next 24 hours until Chris gets home. I also plan to go through some of the handouts from the conference tonight and try to process it all a little more while it is fresh in my brain. :)
Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!
Chris' boys had a ROCK STAR State Meet. The team ended up 14th overall- the highest in school history. Individually, several kids did very well. Our diver ended up 7th overall, and our 500 swimmer ended up 6th. Several other boys ended up in the top 12, as did one of our relays. So very proud of Chris and the team. I am so very thankful that I had the opportunity to be there with him. I spent lots of quality time with one of my most favorite swim families, so it was a great weekend all around!
Chris is happy high school season is over, which means he is only at the pool for 5 hours instead of close to 8 every day. He is at the club's Senior State Meet this weekend, and the kids are really doing well there, too. One more weekend and he will be on a break until after my Spring Break.
Things are crazy busy with school for me right now. Lots of stuff due on March 1st including trimester grades and purchase orders for the remainder of the school year. Kids have spring fever big time (ok, so do teachers) and we have the dreaded state testing next week. I just might be counting the days until Spring Break!
Chris got his coaching check and we also got our tax refund. We are trying to find a way to get away to some sun for a few days over Spring Break. For a short time, it looked like we might be able to sneak away to St Lucia again for a short time, but flights were crazy expensive by the time we decided. I spent way too many hours online researching places for us to go and we still haven't made up our mind. I am torn about spending the money to go on vacation right now, but in my heart I know that Chris and I both need some time to reconnect and relax after everything we've been through since September. Chris is supposed to be looking at options during his down time at the meet, but I am not sure how much of that he is doing.
I've also run twice since I last blogged. The runs were spread out due to the craziness, but I did them! So I've done Week 2 days 2 & 3
1.36 miles
Ran halls of school
Hoping I'll be able to run outside tomorrow sometime. It's cold and snowy, so it isn't looking good. Otherwise I'll have to run on Monday. Week 3 gets even tougher! The race is now 1 month and 5 days away. YIKES!
And then there was the third strike... or + sign depending on how you look at it I guess. A third coworker came "out" to me after school on Friday. She's pregnant and due on the SAME DAY as coworker #1. I saw this coming as my sixth sense had already kicked in. It was an interesting conversation that I am still processing and I have the start of a blog post swirling around in my head. So, look for more on that later. This is her second child and I knew this was going to start happening... I'm being lapped by the "second round" of coworkers now...
I was pretty angry/sad/anxious when I got home from work on Friday. I am thrilled for this friend and our conversation was sweet, but it still stung. I tried to express my feelings to Chris, and he just doesn't see a connection between other people's pregnancies and our infertility. I've come to respect his opinion on it, but it doesn't help me when I go to the dark place sometimes infertiles go to. He's out of town at the meet all weekend, so my weekend was wide open to do whatever I wanted. I had thoughts of drinking multiple bottles of wine, but then I realized that I could DO SOMETHING with my anger/sadness/anxiety.
So, I remembered that there was an adoption conference being held by a local organization today. I had dismissed it, because I knew Chris was going to be at the state meet. I checked the website and found that they were in fact accepting walk in registrations. So... after some gentle shoves from my good friend Mandy, I decided to go. It was SO far out of my comfort zone and my anxiety levels were high most of the day, but I did it. I drove 90 minutes each way and attended a conference all by myself. I'm not going to go into deep detail about the conference in this post because I have lots to say about it and it deserves its own post. However, I am going to say that I am pretty proud of myself for taking this big step and I even talked to the attorney we worked with back in 2007 and got some information and will be calling her to set up some services with her.
I have school work and housework to keep me busy for the next 24 hours until Chris gets home. I also plan to go through some of the handouts from the conference tonight and try to process it all a little more while it is fresh in my brain. :)
Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Science Fair Jail, Running, & Swimming
For the past two days, I have placed children in what I have lovingly referred to as "Science Fair Jail" after school. I'm happy to report that all of my darlings will in fact have a finished board for tomorrow's presentations. It has meant two VERY late nights at work this week, but it is worth it to have the kids feel the sense of accomplishment of a finished board. So many of my kids just don't have the support at home to complete projects like this, so we have to do it all within the school day.
I am a little sad I won't be there tomorrow for the actual fair, but know that my kids will be in good hands with one of my favorite substitutes and another colleague. I am glad that the Science Fair is now done but not looking forward to the late night on Monday grading everything. I am so fortunate that one of my collegaues has given up his plan period for just about the last month to help me out in Science every day. One of the budget cuts last year was my instructional assistant, and I miss her dearly. It's hard to work with kids at such varying levels all on my own. My colleague teaches the Social Studies class for my kids, so I will be repaying the favor when we start the big International Fair project after spring break. I am so fortunate to work with such a great staff. With all of the negative press about teachers right now, it makes my heart smile to remember that there are those of us in the trenches every day making a difference for kids, no matter what the media says about us as a group.
I ran again today after I released the darlings from Science Fair Jail. Here are today's stats:
Week 2, Day 1 (5 min warmup, 90 sec run, 2 min walk X6, 5 min cool down)
1.36 miles
Halls at school
I did ok on this, and I was worried about the first day of the new week. I didn't even check the run time until after 60 seconds, so that means that the program is working, I think! The last run was tough and I definitely had to push through it. I love that I am able to use the Nike+ app to post to Facebook when I start a run. Then anytime someone hits like on it, I hear a cheer as I run. Too fun! The app was definitely worth the $1.99!
I am noticing that I have a sore back tonight. I am wondering if running the halls is harder on the body than a treadmill. I also know that I run very heavy on my feet. Need to work on technique for sure. Does anyone have any tips or resources for this novice runner? It seems silly to say that I need to learn to run, but I do. I need to learn how to be lighter on my feet I think. Anyone have any thoughts?
Tomorrow is the big day- It's the Illinois State High School Swim Championship. It's really exciting, and I am so glad that I get to go and cheer on Chris and his boys. It is a crazy event and seating is VERY limited. I am meeting parents at 7 am so we can get in line to get wristbands in order to get into the seating area. We already have our tickets- those are a premium too. The wristbands just get us a spot in line to get into the seating area. Then we have to spend the day in the gym until the pool opens to spectators at 2:30! Looking forward to spending the day with the parents and hopefully seeing some really fast swims from Chris' boys. I love the sport of swimming, and love to watch it anyway so this is a big treat. I took a personal day from school so I could go, and I am really glad I did. I am really NOT a fan of big crowds, so I am going to work hard to just go with the flow of it all!
Finals are on Saturday. We are hopeful that his relay(s) and a few of the boys should make it. It's going to be an exciting and exhausting few days. I am so proud of Chris and looking forward to celebrating with the team tomorrow night. Illinois is a very competitive swimming state, so there should be some really fast swims over the two days.
Off to treat myself to a bubble bath for completing science fair and running and as a calming measure before the swim meet! Have a wonderful weekend!
I am a little sad I won't be there tomorrow for the actual fair, but know that my kids will be in good hands with one of my favorite substitutes and another colleague. I am glad that the Science Fair is now done but not looking forward to the late night on Monday grading everything. I am so fortunate that one of my collegaues has given up his plan period for just about the last month to help me out in Science every day. One of the budget cuts last year was my instructional assistant, and I miss her dearly. It's hard to work with kids at such varying levels all on my own. My colleague teaches the Social Studies class for my kids, so I will be repaying the favor when we start the big International Fair project after spring break. I am so fortunate to work with such a great staff. With all of the negative press about teachers right now, it makes my heart smile to remember that there are those of us in the trenches every day making a difference for kids, no matter what the media says about us as a group.
I ran again today after I released the darlings from Science Fair Jail. Here are today's stats:
Week 2, Day 1 (5 min warmup, 90 sec run, 2 min walk X6, 5 min cool down)
1.36 miles
Halls at school
I did ok on this, and I was worried about the first day of the new week. I didn't even check the run time until after 60 seconds, so that means that the program is working, I think! The last run was tough and I definitely had to push through it. I love that I am able to use the Nike+ app to post to Facebook when I start a run. Then anytime someone hits like on it, I hear a cheer as I run. Too fun! The app was definitely worth the $1.99!
I am noticing that I have a sore back tonight. I am wondering if running the halls is harder on the body than a treadmill. I also know that I run very heavy on my feet. Need to work on technique for sure. Does anyone have any tips or resources for this novice runner? It seems silly to say that I need to learn to run, but I do. I need to learn how to be lighter on my feet I think. Anyone have any thoughts?
Tomorrow is the big day- It's the Illinois State High School Swim Championship. It's really exciting, and I am so glad that I get to go and cheer on Chris and his boys. It is a crazy event and seating is VERY limited. I am meeting parents at 7 am so we can get in line to get wristbands in order to get into the seating area. We already have our tickets- those are a premium too. The wristbands just get us a spot in line to get into the seating area. Then we have to spend the day in the gym until the pool opens to spectators at 2:30! Looking forward to spending the day with the parents and hopefully seeing some really fast swims from Chris' boys. I love the sport of swimming, and love to watch it anyway so this is a big treat. I took a personal day from school so I could go, and I am really glad I did. I am really NOT a fan of big crowds, so I am going to work hard to just go with the flow of it all!
Finals are on Saturday. We are hopeful that his relay(s) and a few of the boys should make it. It's going to be an exciting and exhausting few days. I am so proud of Chris and looking forward to celebrating with the team tomorrow night. Illinois is a very competitive swimming state, so there should be some really fast swims over the two days.
Off to treat myself to a bubble bath for completing science fair and running and as a calming measure before the swim meet! Have a wonderful weekend!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Homestudy Visit #3 Complete
Welcome to those of you here for ICLW. You can find our "story" in the timeline above. We are currently in the process of completing our homestudy for a domestic infant adoption after 10 years of infertility treatments.
We've now finished three of our homestudy visits. We're almost through the process!
Today was my interview with the social worker, and it went well. Chris was also home so he kept the beast (aka Romeo the Lab) with him downstairs and the SW and I talked up in my studio. It was nice to be in my "happy place" while we talked about my childhood and family relationships. I was really worried about how my current extended family situation would be perceived, but she was very kind about it and agreed that it sounded like it was the best for all involved. What a relief!
It was nice to talk about Chris and our marriage. It's hard to put 15 years of marriage into words, but I think I was able to express it well enough. It's hard to talk about your strengths and weaknesses, but I think I did ok there too! :) I actually got a better feeling for the SW after our visit today.
We turned in our physicals, water testing, and reference letters today, as well as a boatload of other paperwork. We still need to get Chris' work letter as well as the guardianship agreement figured out. I still think it's strange that we have to ask someone to be a guardian of a not yet adopted child. We have an idea of who we would like to ask so we plan to have that conversation with them soon. The only other paperwork we need to deal with is the letters of health for the pets. Having a hard time with that one- since two of our animals are aging and not in great health. We need to make some tough decisions in the coming months for the two of them, and I am just not ready to do that yet.
We have one more meeting with the social worker and need to complete the 10 hours of education before then. I forgot to ask her if the books I've read count. They aren't on the list of books she gave us, but the list was pretty dated! We are planning to take a few online courses to fulfill the requirement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have a ton of work to do for school. Now that the visit is done, I MUST work on it! Hope you all had a wonderful day!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Being the Coach's Wife
I am the coach's wife. It's a great place to be most of the time. But, it's a hard place to be sometimes.
I love my husband. I love the sport of swimming. I love watching kids swim and Chris coach. I spend time in the stands...
with parents of said kids.
Now, some of these parents have become our closest friends. They've been there for Chris and I time and time again. We love them like family. (Maybe even more than family!)
But there are the other parents.
The parents who have little respect for me or my husband. The parents who make comments about Chris to other parents with me sitting right there. Or parents who credit their child's swimming achievement to another coach but blame Chris when their kids don't swim well.
He works for a parent owned club. This was a hard pill for me to swallow when he took the job four years ago. I fear that one bad seed of a parent can make life miserable for him and possibly cause him to leave his job.
Thankfully we have developed relationships with many of the parents that run the club. But there are a few who were there before we came that have made life difficult for Chris and for me at times. There is also a coach that has been with the club since he was a swimmer himself. He likes to do the exact opposite of Chris at any given time.
So this weekend I snapped. Ok, not really, but I hit my breaking point.
After a GREAT swim by her son at the high school meet, this parent went on and on about the "other" coach and how he was a big part of this child's success. This coach hasn't even coached the swimmer since before Thanksgiving. (Kid is on high school team, and Chris is the coach for the team in addition to his job as the club coach)
I had to stop another coach/parent friend of ours from saying something to said parent in the stands at the meet. After talking it over with Chris, I felt I needed to address the comment made by the parent. So I sent an email. I had Chris read it over and "approve" it before I sent it. (It is his career, after all!)
Her response was that she was "flabbergasted" that I felt that way. She just doesn't get it. But at least I feel that I expressed my feelings on the subject and have ruffled her feathers so to speak. I don't think this will be the end of it, but Chris and our friends support me in the sending this email. Chris has a meeting with the president of the club this week, so it will be interesting if this email comes up.
The point of this post...
If you are ever fortunate to have a child who excels in a sport, please have some respect for the professional coach. And remember that they have a life too and maybe even a wife who has to sit in the stands.
I love my husband. I love the sport of swimming. I love watching kids swim and Chris coach. I spend time in the stands...
with parents of said kids.
Now, some of these parents have become our closest friends. They've been there for Chris and I time and time again. We love them like family. (Maybe even more than family!)
But there are the other parents.
The parents who have little respect for me or my husband. The parents who make comments about Chris to other parents with me sitting right there. Or parents who credit their child's swimming achievement to another coach but blame Chris when their kids don't swim well.
He works for a parent owned club. This was a hard pill for me to swallow when he took the job four years ago. I fear that one bad seed of a parent can make life miserable for him and possibly cause him to leave his job.
Thankfully we have developed relationships with many of the parents that run the club. But there are a few who were there before we came that have made life difficult for Chris and for me at times. There is also a coach that has been with the club since he was a swimmer himself. He likes to do the exact opposite of Chris at any given time.
So this weekend I snapped. Ok, not really, but I hit my breaking point.
After a GREAT swim by her son at the high school meet, this parent went on and on about the "other" coach and how he was a big part of this child's success. This coach hasn't even coached the swimmer since before Thanksgiving. (Kid is on high school team, and Chris is the coach for the team in addition to his job as the club coach)
I had to stop another coach/parent friend of ours from saying something to said parent in the stands at the meet. After talking it over with Chris, I felt I needed to address the comment made by the parent. So I sent an email. I had Chris read it over and "approve" it before I sent it. (It is his career, after all!)
Her response was that she was "flabbergasted" that I felt that way. She just doesn't get it. But at least I feel that I expressed my feelings on the subject and have ruffled her feathers so to speak. I don't think this will be the end of it, but Chris and our friends support me in the sending this email. Chris has a meeting with the president of the club this week, so it will be interesting if this email comes up.
The point of this post...
If you are ever fortunate to have a child who excels in a sport, please have some respect for the professional coach. And remember that they have a life too and maybe even a wife who has to sit in the stands.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Too Much Knowledge Isn't Always a Good Thing
So AF is here in all her glory.
It's hard not knowing what is exactly going on with your body. I've spent a decade knowing the intimate workings of my reproductive system. I wish I could go back to being ignorant about it all. I don't know what it is going on for sure, but I have some theories. I hope the day comes that I won't think about it anymore. That I won't know what cycle day I am on. That I won't think about what could be going on with my body.
I do know that my PMS symptoms this time were VERY intense. I am hoping that is not a sign of things to come and is just my body still adjusting post miscarriage. I can't imagine having the intense symptoms with every cycle for the rest of my life.
I had really hoped that we could have a really nice romantic Valentine's Day celebration this year after the disaster of last year. Thank you AF for ruining that plan. Thank goodness for pain meds and a busy day today to keep me moving forward.
Thank you for all of your support and comments. I've said it before, but I really can't say it enough. I don't know what I would do without this blog and those of you who read and support me. It helps so much to get my crazy thoughts out of my head and I know you all get it and won't judge me. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Chris has a HUGE swim meet this afternoon for his high school team. His team has the chance to win the conference title for the first time in the history of the school. There are two other teams that usually dominate everything so it will be awesome if they can pull it off! Looking forward to spending the afternoon with the team.
Tomorrow is our day to spend together. Hoping to get some new running shoes and get my ass moving. Did I mention that I signed up to run an 8k on April 10th? I haven't run in a year. And even before that I wasn't doing much. Hoping this will give me something to focus on. Maybe I can finally make my body do something that I want it to do!
It's hard not knowing what is exactly going on with your body. I've spent a decade knowing the intimate workings of my reproductive system. I wish I could go back to being ignorant about it all. I don't know what it is going on for sure, but I have some theories. I hope the day comes that I won't think about it anymore. That I won't know what cycle day I am on. That I won't think about what could be going on with my body.
I do know that my PMS symptoms this time were VERY intense. I am hoping that is not a sign of things to come and is just my body still adjusting post miscarriage. I can't imagine having the intense symptoms with every cycle for the rest of my life.
I had really hoped that we could have a really nice romantic Valentine's Day celebration this year after the disaster of last year. Thank you AF for ruining that plan. Thank goodness for pain meds and a busy day today to keep me moving forward.
Thank you for all of your support and comments. I've said it before, but I really can't say it enough. I don't know what I would do without this blog and those of you who read and support me. It helps so much to get my crazy thoughts out of my head and I know you all get it and won't judge me. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Chris has a HUGE swim meet this afternoon for his high school team. His team has the chance to win the conference title for the first time in the history of the school. There are two other teams that usually dominate everything so it will be awesome if they can pull it off! Looking forward to spending the afternoon with the team.
Tomorrow is our day to spend together. Hoping to get some new running shoes and get my ass moving. Did I mention that I signed up to run an 8k on April 10th? I haven't run in a year. And even before that I wasn't doing much. Hoping this will give me something to focus on. Maybe I can finally make my body do something that I want it to do!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Whew!
We are home after an exciting and exhausting week at the Sectional Swim Meet in Minneapolis. I was hoping to have more time chilling at the hotel room surfing blogs, but that just didn't happen. Our kids did amazing and we ended up having swimmers in finals every night. We are sending four boys to the Junior National Meet which is a first for the club. VERY exciting and I couldn't be more proud of my DH. He currently has pink hair after challenging one of the boys to get a National time. Needless to say, the swimmer met the challenge thus the PINK hair!
Nothing new on the IF front right now. I have my BCPs in hand and will start those on August 5th. I also just talked with Freedom to get my Lup.ron ordered and sent this week. I don't have to start that for some time, but my insurance has been throwing hurdles lately so I wanted to start early. I am hoping they will let me order through Freedom and not require me to use their stupid mail order specialty company. The are complete idiots and I just don't need the added stress. Freedom is just so nice to work with! I know I am so very lucky to have insurance coverage for meds, so I am going to stop complaining now!
The start of school is just around the corner, so I am going to try to enjoy the last few weeks of relaxation. Thoughts of school have started to creep into my thoughts, but for now I am pushing them to the back!
Happy Monday!
Nothing new on the IF front right now. I have my BCPs in hand and will start those on August 5th. I also just talked with Freedom to get my Lup.ron ordered and sent this week. I don't have to start that for some time, but my insurance has been throwing hurdles lately so I wanted to start early. I am hoping they will let me order through Freedom and not require me to use their stupid mail order specialty company. The are complete idiots and I just don't need the added stress. Freedom is just so nice to work with! I know I am so very lucky to have insurance coverage for meds, so I am going to stop complaining now!The start of school is just around the corner, so I am going to try to enjoy the last few weeks of relaxation. Thoughts of school have started to creep into my thoughts, but for now I am pushing them to the back!
Happy Monday!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Endo Biopsy... Check!
The endo biopsy is done. So happy to have that done and over with! Thought I might share some notes for those of you who might have to endure this procedure.
It was painful, I am not going to lie. However, I have had no cramping since and very limited spotting. So while it is a painful procedure, it is over quickly and the pain ends quickly. I did take 800mg of Ibuprofen an hour before the procedure, so that might have helped! I am feeling 100% fine now, a few hours later.
I have also discovered that hydration is KEY to surviving Dep.ot Lu.pron. Drinking lots of water seems to help both the headaches and the hot flashes. It also means lots of time in the bathroom to get rid of said water, but it has helped immensely.
Dh's swim team did fabulous this weekend and I was able to spend yesterday watching the meet. It was pretty exciting! We're heading to the sectional meet later this weekend and hope that the swimmers will get a few more national cuts. It will be nice just to get away for a few days, even if it is for a swim meet.
Must finish cleaning and getting things in order for our trip and resist the urge to stay on the computer!
It was painful, I am not going to lie. However, I have had no cramping since and very limited spotting. So while it is a painful procedure, it is over quickly and the pain ends quickly. I did take 800mg of Ibuprofen an hour before the procedure, so that might have helped! I am feeling 100% fine now, a few hours later.
I have also discovered that hydration is KEY to surviving Dep.ot Lu.pron. Drinking lots of water seems to help both the headaches and the hot flashes. It also means lots of time in the bathroom to get rid of said water, but it has helped immensely.
Dh's swim team did fabulous this weekend and I was able to spend yesterday watching the meet. It was pretty exciting! We're heading to the sectional meet later this weekend and hope that the swimmers will get a few more national cuts. It will be nice just to get away for a few days, even if it is for a swim meet.
Must finish cleaning and getting things in order for our trip and resist the urge to stay on the computer!
Monday, February 22, 2010
One day at a time...
That is really all I can do at this point. We're dealing with it. I wish I hadn't figured out "dates" if we had gotten our positive. I had a mini meltdown today when I realized that our first ultrasound would have been this Friday. Its the little things like this that seem to set me off the most.
Chris had a great weekend at the High School Sectional meet. He had one relay and several boys qualify for the state meet this coming Friday. He had a few sectional champions, too! The team ended up in 3rd place, which is one of the best they have ever done. I am so very proud of him and this accomplishment. Chris needed this... he needed to feel some success.
We are no closer to making a plan as to what to do next. I know what I want to do, but it isn't possible right now. Instead, we are focusing on trying to plan a great relaxing romantic vacation for spring break. I think we have decided on the US Virgin Islands. We are waiting for Chris' coaching check to book things. It will be last minute, but we are hoping to get some great deals that way. While I feel a little guilty making this splurge, I know that we both NEED this. We are both hurting and need to take some time to reconnect and simply relax.
Next week are the dreaded state tests for my students. They are not ready, but I don't know if they would ever be ready. I HATE giving these tests and they are simply NOT FAIR for my kids. I won't go into a rant about it again. I am not feeling very successful as a teacher, which is compounded by our failed IVF. I am just not feeling very successful in life right now. I let things slide in my professional life while I focused on our IVF. I don't regret that decision, but now I have to deal with the consequences of that choice. I am an overachiever, so it is hard to look at see that you haven't done all that you could have done. Trying not to look back, but move forward. That's hard since I don't know what our future holds.
Chris had a great weekend at the High School Sectional meet. He had one relay and several boys qualify for the state meet this coming Friday. He had a few sectional champions, too! The team ended up in 3rd place, which is one of the best they have ever done. I am so very proud of him and this accomplishment. Chris needed this... he needed to feel some success.
We are no closer to making a plan as to what to do next. I know what I want to do, but it isn't possible right now. Instead, we are focusing on trying to plan a great relaxing romantic vacation for spring break. I think we have decided on the US Virgin Islands. We are waiting for Chris' coaching check to book things. It will be last minute, but we are hoping to get some great deals that way. While I feel a little guilty making this splurge, I know that we both NEED this. We are both hurting and need to take some time to reconnect and simply relax.
Next week are the dreaded state tests for my students. They are not ready, but I don't know if they would ever be ready. I HATE giving these tests and they are simply NOT FAIR for my kids. I won't go into a rant about it again. I am not feeling very successful as a teacher, which is compounded by our failed IVF. I am just not feeling very successful in life right now. I let things slide in my professional life while I focused on our IVF. I don't regret that decision, but now I have to deal with the consequences of that choice. I am an overachiever, so it is hard to look at see that you haven't done all that you could have done. Trying not to look back, but move forward. That's hard since I don't know what our future holds.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Long time NO Blog
It has been some time since I last blogged, hasn't it? I have been using twitter and facebook religiously and sadly my blog has been neglected. Thanks to Beverly for giving me the nudge to finally post something! :)
Summer is nearly over... but I am THRILLED to have several more weeks thanks to a construction schedule at school. We are getting central air in all of our classrooms which meant taking out all of the ancient plumbing and vents. We are also getting new shelving along the outside wall. Can't wait to see it all put back together. However, I am so grateful to have the few extra weeks this summer.
Our summer has been full of swim meets as always. Chris loves his job and has been so very busy! I have tagged along for a few of the big meets. He is currently one of the coaches for Team Illinois at the Central Zone meet. After this weekend, he is finally done for the summer and has a break just about until I go back to school. Usually he gets done just as I have to go back to work.
We did get to sneak away downtown for our anniversary. We saw Mary Poppins and also took in a Cubs game with GREAT seats. I used priceline and we got a GREAT deal on a hotel downtown. We stayed at the Hilton on Michigan Avenue for $79 each night! (Of course parking was $55 per night!) It is hard to beleive we have been married 13 years. We've been together for more than half of my life at this point!
I just returned from a wonderful weekend in New York with my virtual sisters. The group of us met 6 years ago on AOL through the Scrapbooking message boards. We've remained close and try to get together every other year. It was nice to see them all in person and be able to give each of them a hug. I was able to see New York and Vermont over the weekend and even took a trip down the Alpine Slide. Ate lots of chocolate, did some shopping, and had some great laughs. Looking forward to seeing them again in 2011! :)
My newest obsession involves my hair. I have had a love/hate relationship with my natural curls for my entire life. I can say that most of the time I currently lean towards the LOVE side. Yesterday I went and got it cut short again, and I really am happy with the cut. I was ready for something new. I have a great stylist that really knows her stuff and always talks me out of doing anything outrageous. As I was researching the cut I wanted, I visited naturallycurly.com a site that I often check. I started to read up on the curly girl method of hair care. I kept reading, and the more I read, the more it made sense. I won't bore you with all of the detials, but here is a great link: How to Go Curly Girl. I have been having a horrible time with my scalp in the past few months and I really think my products are to blame. I have been using the same products for almost two years now. So as of today, I am now sulfate/silicone free. It is going to take some time until I find products that I love. It is my hope that I will have it all figured out before school starts! :)
Grad school is almost done... November 4th can't come soon enough! I have one more session in my current class and then two weeks off. Of course I have several assignments I should be doing right now for that class. :) Better go do that now...
Summer is nearly over... but I am THRILLED to have several more weeks thanks to a construction schedule at school. We are getting central air in all of our classrooms which meant taking out all of the ancient plumbing and vents. We are also getting new shelving along the outside wall. Can't wait to see it all put back together. However, I am so grateful to have the few extra weeks this summer.
Our summer has been full of swim meets as always. Chris loves his job and has been so very busy! I have tagged along for a few of the big meets. He is currently one of the coaches for Team Illinois at the Central Zone meet. After this weekend, he is finally done for the summer and has a break just about until I go back to school. Usually he gets done just as I have to go back to work.
We did get to sneak away downtown for our anniversary. We saw Mary Poppins and also took in a Cubs game with GREAT seats. I used priceline and we got a GREAT deal on a hotel downtown. We stayed at the Hilton on Michigan Avenue for $79 each night! (Of course parking was $55 per night!) It is hard to beleive we have been married 13 years. We've been together for more than half of my life at this point!
I just returned from a wonderful weekend in New York with my virtual sisters. The group of us met 6 years ago on AOL through the Scrapbooking message boards. We've remained close and try to get together every other year. It was nice to see them all in person and be able to give each of them a hug. I was able to see New York and Vermont over the weekend and even took a trip down the Alpine Slide. Ate lots of chocolate, did some shopping, and had some great laughs. Looking forward to seeing them again in 2011! :)
My newest obsession involves my hair. I have had a love/hate relationship with my natural curls for my entire life. I can say that most of the time I currently lean towards the LOVE side. Yesterday I went and got it cut short again, and I really am happy with the cut. I was ready for something new. I have a great stylist that really knows her stuff and always talks me out of doing anything outrageous. As I was researching the cut I wanted, I visited naturallycurly.com a site that I often check. I started to read up on the curly girl method of hair care. I kept reading, and the more I read, the more it made sense. I won't bore you with all of the detials, but here is a great link: How to Go Curly Girl. I have been having a horrible time with my scalp in the past few months and I really think my products are to blame. I have been using the same products for almost two years now. So as of today, I am now sulfate/silicone free. It is going to take some time until I find products that I love. It is my hope that I will have it all figured out before school starts! :)
Grad school is almost done... November 4th can't come soon enough! I have one more session in my current class and then two weeks off. Of course I have several assignments I should be doing right now for that class. :) Better go do that now...
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