Getting Ready to Jet Set

I fully believe this is true! I keep my life simple and I splurge on travel. People tell me I'm "lucky" when they hear that I'm going here or there, but actually luck has nothing to do with it! I have very consciously disciplined myself to not be dependent on expensive luxuries and to be very frugal. I would so much rather spend my money on a vacation to a foreign land or far away island, rather than a new cell phone or fancy car. To me, it's simple. It can be for you too--just decide what you want more.

Our upcoming trip is less than a week away and I have been in full research mode. I am such a Type A planner--I have to know what to expect and what the schedule is. I loved our guided tour in Italy in 2008 because I knew exactly what each day would hold. For this trip we are traveling on our own, and so far I am the only one doing the planning. I feel a little more stressed because of that since our experience will now depend on what I have picked out.

I have done the best I can to pick day trips from 3 of the 4 cities we are visiting while factoring in cost, distance, time, and number of things to see that are included. What Nick and I usually do is spend some time walking around and checking out our immediate surrounding, then later spending a day getting out into the countryside away from the city and really seeing what that country is about. We have such a short time in each city (2 days) that we really have to condense our sightseeing into things we really want to do without wasting much time looking at a map or wondering around lost. Of course, sometimes wondering around lost can be fun!

Paris is the only city where I am not planning a day trip to get out of the city. I feel like there is so much big stuff to see and do in Paris that 2 days is not enough to leave it behind for something else. We are going to venture around the city and just see what we can in the time we are there.

The hard part of the planning is pretty much done, now I just have to figure out what outfits I'm going to pack!

Super Moist Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake

I have made this twice now, and each time it is a major hit! It has not lasted longer than 2 days in my house. I am a huge fan of lemon and blueberry desserts, and if you are too then this is the perfect one for you! I used *this* Ina Garten recipe, and added the blueberries to it. YUM.

Cake:
1 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c plain yogurt
3 eggs
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
grated zest of 2 lemons
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c blueberries

Syrup:
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
1/3 c sugar

Glaze:
1 c powdered sugar
2-3 tbs fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Grease large loaf pan. Sift first 3 ingredients together. In separate bowl, whisk remaining ingredients except for berries. Slowly add flour mixture until mixed, then gently fold in blueberries. Pour into loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. When done baking, heat ingredients for syrup on stove until sugar is dissolved, then pour over loaf in pan. Let cool for 15-20 min, then gently invert from pan onto wire rack to completely cool. Transfer to serving tray, and mix glaze ingredients together. Drizzle over top of loaf and enjoy!

 

This cake is seriously so moist you are not going to believe it. If you don't eat it all within a day or two I would recommend keeping it in the fridge. Enjoy!

Feelings of a Mom Getting Ready for IVF

We are now just one month away from starting injections for our next IVF cycle. The feelings and emotions this time around have been markedly different than last time. It's amazing how much can change in a few years! 6 years ago we were at our wits end and IVF was our last resort to having a child. We didn't know if it would work, and when it did work we didn't know how the pregnancy would go. Amazingly it all went off without a hitch (except that fact that he didn't want to come out!) and now we have a blessed little almost-5-year-old to keep us entertained.

I feel like this time around I am more calm and relaxed because I know what to expect from the medications and hormones. I know how my body responded the first time, but I also know that I am 6 years older and it may not respond as well this time around. I am using a different doctor (my first one retired) so I'm not sure what to expect from him. I have heard he is aggressive. I also have a different OB, so if I do get pregnant it will be a new doctor delivering and a new hospital.

Yes I am starting to get nervous. I know how lucky we were to get pregnant with our first cycle, and I know it may not happen for us this time. I know I will be devastated if it does not. I know I am blessed to even have one healthy child, but I know that he would love to have a sibling. I loved being pregnant and hope that I am able to experience that at least one more time.

One big difference with this second TTC journey is I am not nearly as bitter as I was before. You other infertiles know what I'm talking about---your insides just cringe every time you see another announcement, baby shower invite, mom with 10 kids at the store, etc. I was filled with a lot of hatred before that I could do nothing about. I still get annoyed by women who conceive just by looking at their husbands (or drunk boyfriends.....) but I can much more easily brush it off and know that my journey has led me here for a reason and I am blessed in my own way.

My support system is also a little different this time around. 6 years ago I had a completely different circle of coworkers, as well as friends outside of work. I had a couple close friends who were also in the middle of their own infertility journeys, and we could vent to each other on the bad days. Those friends are busy with their own lives now and outside of my house I am alone with my infertility. No one to call after my latest RE appointment. No one to whine to about the hormone injection side effects. Nick is of course there with me every step of the way, as is my mom, but the support of a girlfriend helps in a different way.

The outcome of our IVF will also determine how soon we try to sell our home again. If it works, we will take our time and wait a few more years. If it does not, then we will build up our savings and list our house for sale as soon as we hit our goal. We both still very much want to move out of the state and get a change of scenery.

I have also decided to only share my IVF blogs on Facebook with a select group of friends who might be interested in reading about it. A lot of my Facebook friends are either just acquaintances, or singles who have no interest in reading about beta levels or follicle sizes. I thought about not sharing it on there at all, but I know I have several people who are supporting me and like to follow my journey. I write about my experiences not just to get it of my chest, but also to maybe enlighten and help someone else out there who might be going thru the same thing. If you would like to follow my blog and aren't seeing the links posted on Facebook, just message me to let me know and I will add you to the list! I know the first time we did IVF I scoured the internet for every bit of information on it and any little side effect I should expect throughout the whole thing.

Thank you for reading, and keep us in your prayers!