Clean Slate

Once again, I am slowing down blogging. Not intentionally. I have been helping at the hospital with home health patients, and still need to do my year-end taxes and get on the phone with an insurance company regarding one of my little guys so they will hopefully pay me! :) I had so much to accomplish over this break but sadly I haven't got much of it done. My hope is in next Monday and Tuesday. And here's my list:
-bill insurance company
-clean up Christmas decorations
-clean the house (so very desperately needs it)
-write two evals
-organize tax info...ummm, some of it hasn't been updated since June... :/
-finish painting my few non-Christmas orders (7 canvases, one pair of shoes, 2 canvas bins)

I need more than 24 hours in a day.

I had a great Christmas. Kyle surprised me with a Nikon D3000. I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing but I love it. I need any and all pointers. I didn't ask for it, as I didn't really ask for anything big. I thought this year we would kind of do the minimum since we have all the dr bills. But he said, "You surprise me with stuff all the time, so let me surprise you." And he did...I love it. I've always said I wanted a "big, nice camera" before we had kids, and he just remembered me saying that. Now, everyone is tired of getting their picture taken.

...and...we get to go to the Cotton Bowl! So excited. Spending the night after the game in Dallas, then Saturday with friends also going to the game. Saturday night with Mary Beth and Alex! Can't wait.

Please keep us in your prayers, as we both have appointments next week. I have the endometrial injury on the 4th. After that I will begin my medicine daily. Can't wait to get this started and see what is in store for us. Excited and nervous. Anxious and apprehensive. But hopeful and humble.

Sheree, if you are reading this...I got the Princess book for Christmas that you gave me the quote out of. Can't wait to get to reading. Thank you again for sharing with me. :)

Happy New Year!

Christmas Spirit

I love going to work around Christmas. I love my job anyway, but around Christmas is so fun. The kids adore the decorations and crafts and I love to hear what they want from Santa. The innocence of a child is so evident this time of year. Leaving our quiet room the other day, a first grader turns around and looks at everyone...grins...and belts out "AND A HAPPY NEW YEARRRRRR!!" Priceless.

I've been crunching it with Christmas orders. I've got most of them done and at this point I'm prioritizing...who needs their order by what date. And it's working so far. You may get your order on the last day you told me you needed it, but you got it! Last minute orders have come in too. I just can't say no to people I know. My paint room is...well, disastrous. Or maybe that is an understatement. It's kind of scary. But I will manage. Kyle may not, but I will.

We had a bible study at our house last night for our age people. I loved it. So fun to hear what the bible says with your friends, and talk about how it is applicable to our lives right now. We have decided to meet about every 2 weeks in our homes. I'm really excited about it.

The IVF nurse called, and mailed me a "calendar" of events. When she said, "Just follow your calendar and you'll do fine," I was kind of relieved. Although I seem type A with lists and calendar things, some parts of me (like my paint room) are so NOT type A. So if all I have to do is follow this calendar, we're golden. I can do a calendar! I got the paper and it states the dates and times I take each med. And a "possible ultrasound and lab" every once in awhile so I know I may have to miss work that day. I'm going to get with my family over the break and decide who goes with me when so that can all be worked out. My next appointment is January 4. I will be doing the endometrial injury to clear the lining to start fresh. I guess. I hope. He said just in case I do have endometriosis this would help, plus being on the birth control for longer than usual.

The IVF pharmacy called the next day just to confirm we are good to go. I said, "yes ma'am!" She says she will call me within a few days with a quote for our meds. :/ I am kind of nervous about the amount, but I'm putting a large number in my head so maybe it won't be quite as bad as I had thought.

I still have my cough, which is getting better; however, I seem to have pulled a muscle on the right side of my ribcage. Last night it felt like I was being stabbed in the side when I was trying to sleep. I ended up in the recliner and got a few hours of sleep. I'm hoping this will end soon as this is what I have consumed over the past month: 2 packages of cough drops, 2 bottles of cough medicine, a shot of Roceflin (not sure on the spelling), a Z-pack, and a small jar of Vicks. And Kyle's nerves are somewhere in that list. Bless his heart.

Thanks for all the prayers and love. Maybe when we have good news to share I can start doing more pictures. Our life is kinda boring and not many pictures (interesting, that is) are taken!!

Updates

I really wish it would have snowed here, and I believe it was cold enough! The temperature kept dropping as the day went on. My dad went with me to my appointment today, since Kyle didn't have to be there. The infection is slowly going away and he was able to do the ultrasound today. The cyst was almost gone, but it was not even big enough to be a concern. Good news #1.
He also did a trial transfer, which is where he goes in to see which catheter to use when we do the actual embryo transfer. He said everything looked good and was easily accessible (strangely put). Good news #2.
All of our labs from last Monday came back normal. Good news #3.

All of this to say that we are on track for IVF. We will begin stimulation medicines the beginning of January. Not sure what date yet, and it's bugging us because we kinda want to go to the Cotton Bowl! I asked the nurse to call me ASAP and let me know so we can get tickets if we can go. She just laughed. But seriously, I need to know!

Woo Pig Sooie!