You + Me + Baby = Three

This morning a strong, healthy heartbeat from the little life inside me made me wish I never had to work another day - or for that matter, I'd like nothing more than to sit and watch this little one grow for the next seven and a half months! Thanks for your continued prayers and support as our baby prepares for his or her grand entrance in August.
This news is the best late Christmas gift ever!

Just for Fun - Name Game

Geoff and I have been throwing around baby names as long as we've been married, so here are our top three boy and top three girl names:
BOYS
1. William Everett
2. Linwood James
3. Robert Clyde
GIRLS
1. Jane Edith "Edie"
2. Virginia Kathleen "Kate"
3. Martha Claire
(Instead of having a Jr., we're just going to call our kids by their middle names, since their Dad goes by his middle name). They're all family names and I have the hardest time deciding between them. Maybe we'll end up with six - three girls and three boys and I can use them all! (HA!)

The Christmas Post

So this is the obligatory Christmas Post. And probably about time, seeing as my last post hit before Thanksgiving. I will definitely have to post some pictures after Christmas day. Usually I'm more on top of things than this at Christmas. I think, though, my life is a little full at the moment.
We have decorated the tree and indoors. I even put up wreaths outside and a tree on the porch. We had intended to put outdoor lights up this year, but Geoff managed to slice open one of his hands and we spent the day after thanksgiving in the ER. Then he was out of commission for a week and it just didn't happen. Here's hoping for next year!
Geoff's van is coming along, and after two years in the backyard, it's nice to say that it's really, really close to being finished. I know he's as ready as I am to have that project wrapped up.
Speaking of projects, my folks are coming for Christmas, and we always seem to have a project. Well, this Christmas's project is painting my kitchen. Over all of their visits over the past 4 and a half years, we have really done some great work on our home. For those reading this who know my mom, you know she's a project queen, so I'm not being a bad daughter asking for her help on stuff like that - she likes to do this stuff!
Anyway, I hope to post soon, showing off our pretty decorations, unwrapping the Christmas presents, and working on the kitchen among other things. Maybe my new year's resolution should be to post something once a week. I think I can manage in 2009, so stay posted...

Double Whammy

In case you're out there wondering, try #1 (out of 4 possible) with the OI/IUI procedure proved unsuccessful. This comes as a shock to anyone who had heard the details along the way because everything looked to be so promising. The news hits as a double whammy due to the fact that if the first pregnancy had not ended in a miscarriage, we would be delivering the week of Thanksgiving. I was really hoping to be able to counter that memory with the joy of a new pregnancy, but once again it's not meant to be. But as my husband says, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again...

Nieces and Nephews

So I had a busy, busy week. My sister with her two kids in tow (and my mom as well) came to visit me for an entire week! I hadn't seen my nephew since his birth at the end of June, so it was good to get some bonding time in with him. It also afforded me the first opportunity to get my two neices together. It was hard to tell which one was bossing the other around, two three year old princesses used to being the center of attention!

The week was fun, but I think exhausting for everyone and I know they were glad to get back home and see their Daddy and Geoff and I enjoyed having our home to ourselves for a little while as well.

After the week-long visit, we all went together to Samford's Homecoming weekend. There were A Cappella concerts and Kate Campbell concerts and it was a busy blast! I also did my part by serving as part of a panel of speakers for the English Department, talking to English Majors about how I use my English Degree in my daily work in the investment and insurance arena. A bit of a stretch, but hey - I speak and write in English, so it works, right?
Anyway, on the homefront, we've officially started the injectible treatments so hopefully it's only a matter of time before all the above nieces and nephews (plus Stone who is allergic to my whole house and couldn't visit us) have a cousin (or two) to join them. I'm tired of taking pills and soon to be tired of sticking myself with needles. I'm tired of feeling nauseous 24/7 and I'm just generally tired. But if it pays off, it will all be worth it.

Still Here

I'm still here, in case anyone is wondering. Maybe I'll be back in the spirit of blogging again soon. I've told a number of folks that I have been feeling lately like I have to share so much of my personal life with so many strangers that it's becoming harder for me to talk about any of it with anyone. Every time I turn around there is another doctor's appointment with more questions. Sharing every little detail of my cycle is not all that exciting with doctors. I told my mom the other day that she's really the only person I feel like talking to about all of it.
Suffice it to say we've still got a long road ahead of us with our desire to have a baby. No, I don't really want to talk about it, but when I do, I'm sure I'll post something. It's October now and I think about where I would be if our first pregnancy had worked out. Now it's looking like that due date will pass without hope of our being pregnant again. It's amazing how nine months can fly by and yet seem like such an amazingly long length of time.
I'm trying not to lose hope. We are in the hands of some wonderful doctors who tell me something new every day. And I guess if there are various problems it's good to know about them and to be treating them. But it is frustrating to hear, oh, you have this or this wrong with you - that might be why you lost the first baby. And the pills and the injections that will seemingly never end...
I can't promise to post much, but I'll keep the blog up and open. Hopefully I'll have some fun things to post at the end of the month when I have a visit from my sister and the kids. I'm looking forward to this last hurrah before treatments start in earnest and I'm having to make regular weekly trips to Montgomery or Birmingham.
Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm still here...