So far

We have passed all of the tests needed to get started on trying to conceive through the clinic.  I passed the FSH test earlier this month.  Lori and I had to have infectious disease blood work and we both passed.  Last week we had an evaluation with a social worker and somehow we managed to fool her too!  So I asked when we can get started and my nurse said with my next period, which should have started this past Saturday which would have worked well because I have to go the clinic on day three and I have to be there early in the morning.  Monday would be perfect for such a trip an hour away.  If day three falls on the weekend the drive goes from one hour to 1 hr 45 min because I have to go to the weekend office.  I have to be there between 7-9.  Of course I started a day early and day 3 was on Sunday.  Not a appointment I can take Baylor to so I am skipping this month. Totally bummed but we can try again next month.  If I have to go on the weekend I am hoping Lori can take off work in the morning to watch Baylor.  I know he would not do well being dropped off at a friend's or my cousin's.  So another month goes by and I am getting closer to 40 each month.  Hopefully things will go well this month and we can try soon.  It is very frustrating to keep waiting but I know having a new baby in my arms some day will be worth the wait. 

Choc.olate Pupcakes with peanut butter frosting

Baylor and I were supposed to do to a picnic today with a couple of families like ours, same sex parents and their kidlets.  We made dessert for the picnic but ended up not being able to go because Saturday when Baylor woke up from his nap, at Sonic, his nose started running and it has not stopped.  He had a hard time sleeping last night because of the congestion and took both naps today sitting up on my lap.  I really wish the recliner was still upstairs!  We did make the cup cakes before he was too sick and he did not try to touch anything. And his hands were washed too so he was safe around food.  He likes to sit on the counter and he loves the noisy as he calls the mixer.

Putting the papers in the pan.

Adding the flour.

The yummy frosting.

The finished pupcakes.

We went to the Wh.oopie Pie Festival in Lancaster on Saturday with Yaya and Buddy.  It we pretty neat and lots of Whoopie Pies.  I bought some very small ones for Baylor and after he ate it he said Yum Good. More please!  Dad did the Whoopie Pie toss.  He came close to the targets but did not make a hit.   We lost a woobie there, which made the rest of the afternoon a bit rough.  Woobie is Baylor's comfort blanket.  Thankfully we have three others in reserve.  They were used as a nose wipe all day today and one is in the wash right now.  One day I came home and he was at the back door with three clutched in his hands saying, three Woobie, three Woobie!  He had found two in the laundry room and was thrilled.

Next Steps

Thursday I had my consultation with the fertility Dr and we are going to go though with IUI with meds(shots) to better our chances. Insurance will not cover anything so we are looking at $500 to $700 for the injectable meds and $1600.00 for the proceedure which covers everything execpt the gas to drive down there.  It is am hour and 20 minute drive there but at least it is a staight shot down 15.  Too much on my mind to put it all down.

Real Men make Q.uiche in footie jammies

Baylor is a wonderful sous chef and helped make quiches for Aunts Meeting .  He stirred the eggs and milk together and helped with the cheese.  The mess was minimal but totally worth working with him in the kitchen.  YaYa was also helping us get ready.

One of Baylor's best buddies is Eli Strayer.  Eli has been enamored with Baylor since he first saw him when Baylor was about 3 weeks old.  Every time we see Eli he is very drawn to Baylor and today was no different.  Baylor being the youngest right now is usually the center of attention. But it is usually Eli who wins his attention. 

After playing for many hours and just being busy all day, he curled up in my lap and feel asleep in about 2 minutes and slept for three and a half hours, most of it on my shoulder.  I enjoyed it because it won't last forever.

I love this face and this person! 

At least I have young ovaries

I had to change the appointment at the clinic to next week because I had too much going on at work Wednesday.  Monday I went to the OB's office for a blood draw and sign paperwork release forms so Pam could fax the information to the clinic and to insurance.  The blood draw was to check my ovary function which came back at 8 point something and anything under 10 is good.  That was comforting to find out.  My insurance called yesterday and since we have only had 3 attempts, I am cannot be deemed infertile yet.  I would need three more tries for them to cover it.  But I can dispute them and plead my case to them and see if they can change their mind.  I will call soon to initiate that.  The appointment is next Thursday so I hope things go well.

No dice

So it was a depressing Friday to find out there is no bun in the oven even though I swore the oven was on preheat for the last two weeks.  We are going to consult with a IVF Dr on Wednesday because I worry about using up the last 4 vials of 2623 and not conceiving.  I looked a bit on their site and I know I heavier than the women they usually work with but I am at the same weight I was when I conceived Baylor so I am hoping that will help sway them.  Since I am in constant struggle with food and my weight I know how hard it will be for me to loose weight for them to work with me but I would do my best if that is the only way to get a sibling for Baylor. I also have to wait for insurance to deem me infertile in order for them to cover it.   After Wednesday at 1:00, we will know where we stand.

My soup chef and assistant pastry chef in training

Baylor and I made chicken corn soup this weekend.  I brought the step ladder over to where he could watch and of course that lead to helping.  I had the shaker only slightly opened for this but he managed to drop it in the pot after this was taken.  Don't worry, the stock was cool and the stove was not on.  No babies were harmed.  He enjoyed it and it worked for us.  He is not much into self entertaining so it has been a struggle for me to get cooking done sometimes.  I think we have found a solution and he was very good with directions, albeit with a lot of enthusiasm at times. 

Buddy and YaYa came over for soup.  Baylor likes to ask for Buddy but then not want anything to do with him once he is around.  Baylor showed off his tractor books with they both enjoyed.  Dad is a farmer's son and loves John Deere's also.  They both agreed the soup was delicious.

 

We also made brownies, from a mix, to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Balls for lunch at work on Tuesday. 

 

He exprienced the joys of batter tasting. Yum.  Again, don't worry, we get our eggs from a farm in Juniata County and they are not recalled.  Still a bit of a risk but it is part of life and I cannot protect him forever. 

Later we made The Mother Load Lay.ered Cookie Bars from Pic.ky Palette.  I don't know how to link to another site yet, I just don't want my blog to come up on a search engine for her site. The base is store bought sugar cookie tube.  That is the first time I bought that!  The second layer is a chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough.  This is the butter and sugars mixed together and Baylor kept asking to taste it.  Nothing bad in there!  He liked the hand mixer and called it the noisy and would ask when we were going to use it again.  Not in that full sentence format of course but I knew what he was asking.  He held his hands to his chest when I asked him to keep his hands away when the noisy was on. 

 

Ok so I let him taste it too.

      

Two layers down.

The next layer was a peanut butter, sugar, and egg mixture.

He learned how to work the sifter. 

The last layer was a chocolate chip cookie batter. Bake and wait for yummy goodness.  Baylor likes saying yummy when he is eating and he does not know how much it means to me when he says it.  Toddlers have very discrimminating palettes so if he likes it I know I did a good job.

The finished product is very dense and very good.  She suggests drizzling the bars with chocolate but even I could not bring myself to do that.  Next time, if there is one, I will bake them a bit longer.  But yummy all the same. 

August 23 is Lori's birthday and we took Baylor to a playground.  Ever since I had him, I have begun to change my focus of birthdays and Christmas.  They are a big deal for little ones and I am fine with a phone call and a birthday wish for me. I even stopped giving cards to close family members.  Though I do have a very good friend who I love to find cards for and she always sends the best cards.  For Christmas, I am grateful when I am able to spend time with my family.  So we did not plan a big event for Lori's 40th but had a wonderful family morning at the playground. 

 

Baylor did the slides and the swings but what he really liked was just running.  The entire floor is padded somehow and the construction is with trex boards.  We were there for over an hour.  It was a really beautiful morning for August.  We did a little shopping at K.mart and Baylor fell asleep after that.  I ran into Weis for a few things for dinner.  I picked up Neato Burrito and a Dairy Queen ice cream cake and we headed home.  Lori started passing a kidney stone while in the car. She can feel them moving down her tubes and they are very painful.  No one can tell her why she gets so many but she has them so often they are nearly routine for her.  She went to bed when we got home and Baylor slept a bit longer.  When he woke up he was asking for his bean soup so we made that too.  He loves black beans so he had them and some chicken for a late lunch.  We played outside after the soup was made.  He had a good amount of raspberries from the garden.  I love that he is eating them again this year.  Last year when he was new to food we would go out and eat black, red and yellow raspberries until he could not hold any more.  Like mother, like son. 

It is a bit over grown and neglected but we get enough to eat every night to make us all happy.

I had a great weekend, and I am really glad I was able to take the time of to spend with my family and was able to visit with friends.