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!

~~~~

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!  :)

Sunshine!

Thank you for all your sweet comments on my last post.  Starting to change my state of mind and hoping to come back from vacation refreshed and ready to jump into the school year.  Hoping that the issues will be corrected next week in my classroom while I am off enjoying the sunshine and lots of pool time.  Too bad most of the pool time will be spent as a spectator at a swim meet!  :)

Hope you all enjoy the last few moments of summer!  I plan to post from the road, but we'll see how that goes.  :)

I've put my etsy shoppe on vacation mode until I return- so you won't see anything in the side bar for now.  I'll be doing lots of sketching and designing while away, so there will be lots of new goodness in the etsy shoppe in time for the holidays!  If you have custom order requests or need to contact me, please feel free to leave a comment here.  Or email me at puzzleblog(at)me.com. 

Have a great day!

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

Whew! Back to NORMAL! :)

Just talked to nurse at local clinic.

Experienced RE taking over my case.

Said he doesn't care if it is 3.3, 2.2, or less than 2- It's NEGATIVE and there is NO need to repeat.

I feel like I could break into the Hallelujah Chorus right now.

She's even going to talk to him about running labs for RPL.

Could I really finally be through this hell?

Things are looking positive in the new job department.  Still FAR from a done deal, but my name is in the running.  It's not having the elusive certificate that is holding me back.  But there aren't many people who have said certificate.  So hopeful that I will get some news on that next week.

It's taken all summer, but feeling like things might resolve.

Off to go knock on some wood somewhere!

FINALLY NEGATIVE!!!!!- But wait, maybe not?!

* See added edit at the end*

~~~~~
I finally made it.

I'm finally not pregnant.

Not that I've been "really" pregnant for the past three months.

But as of today, I am finally considered NEGATIVE for pregnancy.

Never in a million years did I think this long time infertile would be so very happy to hear those words.

"Your HCG is less than 2"

I'd be lying if there wasn't a tiny bit of me that will always be sad to hear those words.  But the reality of this situation is that this is GOOD news.  Really good news.  Good news that has been a LONG time coming.

Off to email CC.RM with the good news and also ask for orders for RPL panel.  Who knew I'd also be thrilled to add one more diagnosis to my list?  Hoping to get those labs run next week and then hopefully

Move on.

Where?  That's the big question.

But at least I don't feel STUCK anymore.  I feel like I can finally move.  Let's just hope I can keep some momentum.

~~~~~

Edited to Add:
Apparently I spoke too soon.  There still is an issue.  Just got message from nurse at local RE office.

They ran my blood three times.  (Not sure why?!)

Only the third time did it come back as less than 2.

The first time it was ran it was 3.3
Then 2.2
and then the third time less than 2

So, I am supposed to call in the morning and go from there.

Will this nightmare EVER end?
~~~~~~

LIVID!!!

Just got home from what WILL be my last set of labs for the Miscarriage of the Summer.

Asked for them to finally run the APA and Clotting Panel as well.  Local RE has refused to do so until my HCG was negative.  CC.RM told me that it could have been run two weeks ago when I was at 4- but this yahoo wanted to wait until it as less than 2.  Asked for them to just draw the vials today- since they charge me an office visit AND venipuncture every.single.time I walk in the door. 

Tech had no idea what to draw so asked Dr Local Moron.  He told her that he WOULD NOT RUN IT FOR ME and that I had to go to a hematologist or my GP.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME????  All summer I was told that as soon as I got to negative he would do it.  Now, three months later he is saying he WON'T DO IT?????!!!!

Now that I've cried angry tears the car ride home, I think the bottom line is that HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT TO RUN!  That I am beyond his expertise and he just didn't know what tests to do- even though I copied EXACTLY what my CC.RM nurse told me.

On top of it all, I think my favorite nurse has left the practice.  She has been there since I started with them a decade ago, and I haven't seen her in the last month.  She was ALWAYS there, so that makes me think she quit.  She was amazing and kind.  Guessing that dealing with Dr Moron finally got the best of her! 

To be fair, this is the associate of the main RE at the clinic.  I got pushed off to him at the start and have had nothing but issues since.  He has tried to push me off on an Ob/Gyn since the start.  Trying to keep my level head because if we are ever fortunate to try again at CC.RM I need to use this clinic for local monitoring.  Even if they charge me an extra non billable $40 every.single.time I walk in the office with orders from CC.RM.

So I will send an email to my beloved CC.RM nurse who will write me orders for the tests.  Just means I'll have to make an appointment at the hospital to have them done.  I don't have time for that right now.  Only one week until we leave for Cali, and then school starts the day after we get home.  Summer is over for me.

Ok rant over for now.  Please GOD let my levels finally be NEGATIVE!!!

MIA with Pictures

I've been a bad blogger- but with good reason!  I had some amazing women here last week, and I just didn't have the chance to blog.  Still in limbo with the miscarriage and the job.  Not even going to go there in this post.  It just makes me mad.  So, instead I am going to share with you photos of what I was up to while my blog sat neglected!

It was great to host these amazing ladies!  We see each other every other year- and it's always like we've never been apart.  They've been such a support for me over the years, and I am so glad I got the chance to show them my home and my city!

Taking a break from the heat in Lake Geneva

Four scrapbookers= lots of photo ops!

Buttrick Sawmill in Antioch- Tradition of taking photos using the timer which requires me to RUN to get into the shot.  This year was no different!

Lots of laughter- Love this shot because it truly shows the spirit of this amazing woman.  :)

Attending the CHA show with my girls- Gloria was able to get us tickets and we LOVED seeing all of her work featured at Spellbinders, Graphic 45, & Hampton Arts!  (Totes were my gift to them made by Just Embroidered Totes and Stuff)

Making sure the girls got to experience all of the Chicago Style food I could come up with- This is Gino's East Pizza.

Beverly's husband Stephen with the girls- It was so nice to see him again!

Out on the LEDGE at the skydeck.  That's not photoshopped! 

Had to take the girls to Ed's for lunch! 

It was the HOTTEST day of the year... but I insisted that they needed to see the Bean.