My Name is Jennifer, and I...

take far too many dog pictures. We celebrated my father-in-law's 50th birthday last night, and I took a whole lot of pictures. However most of them were of dogs. I don't know why I take so many pictures of dogs. Maybe its the lack of kids. Or maybe its because dogs are always cute and never have bad hair days. Regardless, here is a picture of Roxy, my in-laws new boxer puppy. I took Jeramy's stepmom to Stanwood to get her the weekend after Thanksgiving and I think she has quadrupled in size since then.

Here is a pic of the birthday festivities too...

I hope that everybody has a wonderful new year!

A Lazy Saturday

I'm having a lazy Saturday afternoon. I can think of a ton of things that I should go do. I need to bake a cheesecake for my father-in-law's 50th birthday party tomorrow. I need to make curtains for the kitchen and do the trim work. I've got knitting and cross-stitching projects. Oh and my entire house needs to be cleaned before my birthday party next weekend. Yet, I sit here being lazy and feeling guilty about it because Jeramy has worked over 30 of the last 48 hours.

I watched Julia for a while earlier today. I really do enjoy having her over, but at the same time it makes me nervous about becoming a parent myself someday. I mean when she is here I feel like I can't do anything but watch her at all times. Now she doesn't have much in the way of toys while she is here and my house is not Julia-proof. But how do parents get things done anyhow? I don't know what I'm trying to say exactly, except that I realize that it is a huge lifestyle change. I definitely want it, and we're as ready for it as we're ever going to be. But I'd be a liar if I said that I don't find these thoughts overwhelming sometimes. I wonder whether I'm to selfish to be a mom. Whether I'm going to be a bad mom, because I'm not good at playing with children. I wonder if all feels different when its your own children. I'm rambling but if there are any parents out there reading this, can you tell me if any of these feelings are normal?

Anyhow, I'll leave you with a pic of Julia and Cujo that I took today. She really loves cuddling up with him, and he seems to tolerate it at least.

Another Reason I Like Letrozole Better

I really hate swallowing pills, especially big ones. As a child I couldn't do it for the longest time, which was problematic since I frequently got headaches but couldn't stand to swallow the aspirin. Finally somewhere around my pre-teens I figured it out, but I still have a difficult time with larger sized pills. I find that I get nervous causing my throat to tighten up, which in turn means the pills either don't make it into my throat or get stuck there until I cough them up. And in turn trying to swallow a large, moistened pill is even worse.

Clomid was about 1cm in diameter, which was just big enough to cause me problems. Plus it had a texture that caused it to get stuck on the back of my tongue coupled with a horrible after taste that made me gag if I couldn't get it swallowed quickly. But that was of little consequence considering that I did not experience the the typical side effects. Except for that low-grade, annoying headache that lasted for a week after the last pill. Oh and those lovely ovarian cysts. Hmmm...

Anyhow, my last cycle began Christmas Eve (apparently good ol' Aunt Flo prefers visiting on major holidays considering the last one started on Thanksgiving). So I've now finished my second dose of Letrozole, and I have to say that besides the lower cost (thanks to insurance) I'm loving the size of these pills, which is on the order of birth control pills. I can even swallow them with out liquids, and the after taste is minimal. And so far no side effects! Of course the clomid side effects didn't show until after I finished the pills so I'm not holding my breath.

So the protocol this month is Letrozole on cycle days 3 - 7 and then a follie check on January 4th. If my response is similar to my clomid cycles, we'll probably be doing the IUI around my 30th birthday (the 7th). So please keep everything crossed and I'd appreciate loads of anti-cyst vibes!

Pictures from the Christmas Festivities

I'm too tired out from all the festivities to write a legitimate post. I'm also feeling too lazy to find an old pic for a Flashback Wednesday post. So here is a pictoral recap of our Christmas fun.

First Cujo and Ellie received their presents.

That made them tired so then they slept.

Then we got together with family, where of course Julia was the center of attention. She has finally decided that she likes her Uncle Jeramy.

Back at home Jeramy played with his new remote control helicopter. Too bad it got stuck in my hair. Luckily both the helicopter and the hair survived. Today we went out to The Rock pizza with Jeramy's mom, stepdad, and Julia. Miss Julia thought the food was good...

Afterwards we went back home where she played with the dogs. Between Julia, the camera, and the dogs, I had my hands full.

Oh and my dad taught me something quite important this Christmas. "The clap" is slang for Gonorrhea and not Chlamydia as I stated in a previous post. However, I'd like to clear the air here...I have not had either of these lovely STDs. I find that the holidays are a prime time for life's little lessons, don't you?

Jen and Jeramy, Pet Sitters

We've acquired a second dog temporarily since we volunteered to watch Ellie while my sister was out of town for the holidays. I had forgotten how active a puppy can be. Especially a puppy that is not an extremely lazy bulldog. Here are some of the pictures I've accumulated over the past few days:







Oh and besides watching the dogs alternate between playing and sleeping, I've also been baking up a storm (sugar cookies, ginger snaps, marbled fudge, chocolate chip cookies and bourbon balls) and knitting. I even finished the scarf below just in time for Christmas.

Flashback Wednesday

Christmas is a great time of year for family photos, and yesterday when flipping through my photo box I found one of my favorites circa 1982. The personalities just come through so vividly!

A Perturbed Husband and a New Camera

Well not many posts can convince Jeramy to come out of lurker mode, but yesterday I (well we really) succeeded. When I got home from work today, Jeramy said "What's with all the husband-bashing on your blog???" I laughed, which perhaps was not the right response but was glad to learn he'd finally commented on something. Anyhow, he stayed home from work today, went to the doctor and is feeling many times better this evening. And that makes us both happier!

We also finally got our new camera today. When I posted last week, I thought the camera would arrive any moment...can you say free 2-day air? But unfortunately it ended up being backordered, which significantly diminished the advantages of this shipping bargain. Luckily it arrived today with plenty of time to spare before the holiday picture taking frenzy. Probably its coolest feature is that it can take panoramic photos by automatically stitching together multiple individual pictures. Here are a couple of pics we took this evening:

The tree. Obviously I am no tree-decocrating genius.

Cujo in his normal state, holiday or no holiday.

It's Beginning to Look alot Like Christmas

The tree is decorated, the cards are out, the presents are wrapped, and I spent the whole weekend baking. Oh and Jeramy seems to be coming down with some flu-like bug. So yes, it's beginning to feel a whole lot like the holidays around here.

Now I have to say that I'm a pretty crappy wife when it comes to the nursing component of the job. Maybe I don't have a whole lot of nurture in me, but Jeramy's whining grates on me. But remembering what a baby I become at the slightest hint of a cold, I tried to block all that out and take care of him. I picked up cough drops and tomato soup at the grocery store. I helped him build an absurdly hot fire to combat his chills. I loaned him my body basal thermometer to take his temperature (how accurate is that anyhow???). I tried not to think of the dollars he'll fail to earn if he stays home sick tomorrow. Oh and I let him repeat himself over and over, which was apparently caused by his cold induced drunken-like state. I didn't flee the house in an attempt to save myself from his presumably highly-contagious germs, which I'm sure will take hold of me just as I start my long weekend on Friday. You know, I think that his being sick is almost worse than me being sick.

Cheesecake

I highly recommend making the water-bath cheesecake from The Joy of Cooking. I made it for a holiday party last night and ended up feeling like a rock star. So creamy. And with cherries on top, so yummy.

Tag...I'm It

I'm feeling very special right now because Nancy tagged me for the Seven Random Things list. So here are are the seven random things about me:

1. I grew up with horribly crooked teeth, which I was horribly self conscience about for years. After 5 years of braces and 2 jaw surgeries starting at age 23, I finally got what I wanted. And let me tell you, I have no problem in remembering to wear my retainer after forking out all that $$$.

2. Jeramy and I first met in marching band when he was in 8th grade and I was in 9th. He was playing the bass drum and I was on cymbals (since oboes don't march). And my first impression of him was not particularly favorable. If somebody would have told me that we'd be married 6 years later, I'd probably would have probably had them admitted to an insane asylum.

3. Jeramy and I started dating after we had health class together when he was in 10th grade and I was in 11th. So I can honestly say that we began our relationship by taking sex ed. Obviously I must have been distracted by new-found love, because I apparently learned nothing about how to make a baby.

4. I authored psychology reports for 4 pipefitters during their apprenticeship. I made $100 apiece except for Jeramy's which I did for free. My favorite one was on voyeurism.

5. I'm obsessed with Jane Austen. I've read all the books and seen all the moves. Many times. If she were alive, I'd probably be some creepy stalker.

6. I majored in chemistry, but I'm a complete klutz in the lab (or anywhere for that matter). Since sulfuric acid and I don't get along, I decided to move on to an office job.

7. I'll cry over just about anything. Take last night for example. I cried during the news because an Oregon couple finally got to adopt their 2 year old son. Then I cried during Charlie Gibson's interview of Senator Biden, and his story about losing his 29 year old wife and 18 month old son in a car wreck years and years ago. I never did this when I was younger. But as an adult, anything can trigger tears.

I can't possibly think of 7 more people to tag, seeing as everybody else has already done this. So I'm tagging my Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Barry, because yes, I have family members that are cool enough to blog.

Are my Tubes Blocked or not? The Million Dollar Question.

I finally had the appointment with my RE regarding my HSG results this morning since none of the dye went through my right fallopian tube during the procedure. I arrived at the office thinking it was just going to be a consultation, but to my surprise they wanted to do an ultrasound to check on the cyst also. I mean why the heck not. The wand and I are tight. Plus we can code the whole appointment to the insurance covered condition of cyst! However, what I really love is how the medical assistant instructs me on what to do as if this is my first time rather than my 20th: "undress from the waist down, here is a flimsy sheet to cover yourself with, are you allergic to latex?". Anyhow, I digress...

My RE came in, we did the ultrasound, and it seems that the cyst has resolved. Then I dressed and we had the consultation. He confirmed that my uterine cavity and left tube appear normal based on the left HSG. The question is really why the dye did not go through the left tube. He said that this is usually due to one of two things: (1) a spasm during the HSG procedure or (2) a blocked tube. He suspects that it is #1, because the most common cause of tube blockage is a chlamydia infection, and I've never had the clap. He said that endometriosis can cause blocked tubes, but that it is very rare and laproscopy is the only way to diagnose it. So since infertility treatments are really an odds game, we're going to bet that the cause is #1, spasm, and continue to focus on getting me to ovulate without forming cysts. He mentioned that I could do another HSG, but we didn't really feel that it would be money well spent at this point in time.

As I'm expecting my next cycle to start around Christmas, it sounds like Santa will be bringing me a letrozole/IUI cycle. What fun!

Flowers!

Look what I just got at work! Jeramy's stepmom, Vickie, sent them to me for taking her to pick out a new boxer puppy a couple weekends ago. Isn't that thoughtful? And they're getting me in the holiday spirit with the Christmas tree smell now filling my office. Sorry that the pic is a little fuzzy. Cell phone cameras leave a little to be desired.

Flashback Wednesday

Well since I've posted some of my baby pictures, I figured that it was only fair that you get one of Jeramy too. That way you can see what a cutie he was with his blond curls.

Also, Jeramy "elfed" our family. Take a look: http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1317278859

Getting a New Camera

Has anybody noticed the poor quality of my pictures over the past couple of weeks? Well perhaps you haven't but I certainly have. Plus there have been many pictures that I wanted to post, but they turned out too dark and blurry. You see, it all began a couple of weeks ago, when I asked Jeramy to take a picture of me with my new scarf for this post. I had set the camera on the kitchen counter, and when he went to pick it up the strap got caught on the corner. This caused the camera to go flying from his hand and crashing into the the floor. It also caused me to become quite irritated.

Anyhow the crash caused the camera's zooming capabilities to fail as the lense was getting caught up on some internal part. Luckily, Jeramy (the amazing camera repair man that he is...a true renaissance man of do-it-yourself) was able to fix it by hitting it several times until the zoom lens went in and out somewhat smoothly. But then a couple days later I discovered that the flash no longer worked given the dark, blurry images being produced. So Sunday Jeramy tried fixing that. He tells me that he was successful in that endeavor, except that something else broke. So our response was to break down and buy a new camera. Our new one has 8.1 megapixels, 12x optical zoom, and should arrive by tomorrow. And more of my lovely photos will soon be coming to a blog near you (and by that, I mean this blog).

I'm also thinking of buying a smaller camera to put in my purse, because the cell phone camera just doesn't cut it.

A Few Thoughts on Fine Dining

Quite unexpectedly, I ended up having a very good morning. Saturday night I went out with the girls, and Sunday I went with my Dad, stepmom (Cindy), stepbrother (Judah) and brother (Curt) to Cindy's holiday work event which consisted of a show and dinner. The show we saw was the musical Jersey Boys, which is the story of the Four Seasons and Frankie Valli. I really had no idea what to expect, but I actually liked it a lot as it was quite funny and had some great music. Then we went out to dinner at Tulio Ristorante, which is what forms the basis for the title of this post.

First a little background. I am a very picky eater. My selection of favorite foods is similar to that of a 3 year old: pizza, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches and tacos. I have been known to go into a restaurant, order a beer, and ask for a kids menu. I have an aversion to nearly all green foods. My mother kindly indulged me a child, and my husband has apparently adapted to my stubborn refusal to try anything new. And while I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm proud of this behavior, I also feel like I am entitled to eat as I please.

So last night when I heard we were having Italian for dinner, I was pleasantly surprised. I love a nice plain fettuccine alfredo with garlic breadsticks. However upon entering the establishment, I could tell this was no Olive Garden. All signs indicated this place was far too upscale for me: one-sided menus in a foreign language, waiters severely lacking in "flair" and candle-lit dining. It was not a situation unfamiliar to me. I often work with internationally renowned scientific researchers, well-to-do board members and executives who are let's face it, a class or two or three above me. And those sorts of people do not tend to think of the Olive Garden as a great place for a business lunch or dinner.

So after my first glance over the menu, I felt a wave of panic wash over me. There was nothing that looked even remotely like noodles in a cream sauce, and there was even something with the words "little ears" in it. Outwardly I tried to maintain some composure as my eyes raced up and down the menu looking for something...anything...that I might be able to eat at least a little of. So when the waitress arrived 45 minutes later (long waits, another sign of fine dining) I asked her if they had anything remotely like a fettuccine alfredo. In response I received raised eyebrows and a condescending look. Taking that que, I went with plan B of ordering these least repulsive item on the menu. If I recall it was a vegetarian dish of something ending in "ella" with ragu sauce and goat cheese.

Then I sat back, chatted, drank some wine and waited another hour or so for the food. I also enjoyed the scenery and nearly burst out laughing when I saw a guy who looked like the Emporer from Star Wars sitting at a table nearby. Finally the food arrived. I was glad to see it was a small portion (another sign) and luckily edible enough for my standards. Later I rewarded myself by choosing the Tiramisu from the dessert menu. Yum! All in all, dinner took nearly 3 hours.

In summary, while I cannot say that I enjoy fancy restaurants, I can get through such occasions without embarrassing myself too much. But the pathetic truth of it all is that I'll take a place
with loud country music and Bud Light on tap over snooty five star dining any day. I just can't get away from those white trash roots, I guess.

Normally I don't do quizzes, but...

I couldn't resist finding out what Napolean Dynamite character I'm most like. And the results are in:

Which Napoleon Dynamite character are you?

You are Napoleon Dyanamite and a buttload of gangs are trying to recruit you.
Take this quiz!








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Flashback Wednesday

Well, I'm not going back in time very far today (August 2004), because I ran across this picture that always makes me laugh. Yes, this is a picture of our boat on our car trailer. To me, its really depicts the essence of being a white trash redneck.

The story behind this is that we left to go Sockeye fishing on Lake Washington at about midnight the night before this pic was taken. I do realize that this lake is only 10 miles away from our house, but Sockeye fisheries are a very rare and popular event around here and you've got to get in line at the boat launch in the middle of the night in order to be fishing by sunrise. Anyhow, on our way we got a flat tire, but that was no problem because we had a spare. So soon enough we were out on the water and catching plenty of fish. Unfortunately on the way home, about a mile away from our house, the second tire blew out. And of course we didn't have a second spare tire. After mulling over our very limited options, Jeramy went and got the car trailer, which led to the scene above. It was a pretty crazy sight to behold driving down the road.

I Haven't Drowned Yet

Despite the 3.77 inches of rain yesterday (2nd wettest day ever) I am still here. Thanks to a tarp on the roof, a sump pump in the back yard coupled with PVC piping leading to a storm drain out front, and of course Jeramy, we're even starting to dry out a bit. And right now, I can even see a little blue sky out the window.


Last night I finished blocking my latest scarf project, "My So-Called Scarf". I think it turned out very nicely...quite bohemian and funky. I'm definitely keeping this one for myself although maybe I'll make it again in the future for gifts. Also, I added a crochet slip stitch border around the edge to make them look more finished, as I had seen somebody else do this Ravelry.com (have I mentioned how much I love that website???). Here are the pics:

A Monsoon has hit Seattle

By the time you read this post, there is a good chance that Seattle will have been swept into Puget Sound. It has been raining heavily here for over 24 hours now. Yes, I know Seattle has a reputation as a rainy place. However, it got that due to those endless stretches of days filled with a dreary drizzle. What we've been experiencing is a drenching down pour.

The effects have certainly been felt at my house. There is now a lake between the garage and where our jeep is stored. We have a leak coming out at the door frame to my office. On the way to work this morning I wasn't sure if I was in a vanpool or a hydroplane-pool. It's 8:30am right now and it looks more like 6pm out my window.

Yuck. I hope this stops soon.