In the meantime...

Sorry for the absent Katie lately :) Here's what I have been up to:

1. Lesson planning and prepping for the summer program at my school. We have a new theme each week (as opposed to every month or whatever during the year), so it that means more materials (word walls, felt boards, etc.) to make. Ahhhh!

2. Planning and prepping my friend Aja's baby shower. This is turning into a monstrosity and I am happy about it :) I hope that the finished product reflects how much I love Aja and how happy I am waiting for Baby Girl Appel! Can't wait to post pictures after July 10th! In the meantime, here is an unrelated picture of this AWESOME slumber party table setup that I found while searching for decor for the shower. How cute is this?! File away, file away for my future eight year old!

(from RealSimple)

3. Re-learning how to FLY with FlyLady. Love me some routines and missions! I keep up with her on Facebook, which has helped me stay more motivated than I was just receiving the regular emails I used to get! Check her out.

4. Going on mini-vacays with my little family and our friends! Went camping with my friend Amy and her hubby, and to the beach with Aja, her hubby and puffy baby Bentley. Again, pictures to come (if my slacker friend Eric Appel would finish editing and posting the beach pictures!)

5. Meal planning! Going back to work after my hiatus has required me to get my meal planning back in order. I have my Summer 2010 two week rotation all planned and ready, so if you would like a peek, say so in the comments and I'll do a post on it. Lots of yummy fish recipes in there!

6. I've found myself a new church! Hopefully it is my forever church! It is an inclusive community of Catholics and Lutherans - they hit service and social justice hard and everyone is so kind and welcoming. I felt at home right away and look forward to continuing to become more familiar with the members and community. Not having a home church has bothered me for a long time, as both Jason and I want to feel established in a church community (that reflects our theology and values) before having a baby.

Anyway, I do have another Miscarriage Monday post in the works, but I am taking a break for awhile until I feel in the mood/have more time. Maybe tomorrow after work if I am not too exhausted? Hope all is well :)

So not pregnant

Sorry for the late update. Yea, um, that was DEFINITELY NOT implantation bleeding. I woke up Monday night covered in blood (yes, seems to be a common theme since the D&C). This was through a super tampon. It was awesome.

So, we have another month of trying ahead of us. I am sad, but also okay with this. Jason is sadder than I am, I think, because he is getting to the point where he REALLY WANTS KIDS SUPER BAD AND HE IS OBSESSED WITH BABIES AND CONSTANTLY TALKS ABOUT THEM. It makes me sad that he doesn't have a baby on the way, but I am looking at this BIG FAT FAIL in a positive light. Here is why it is good not to be pregnant:

1. I have more time to get fitter and healthier by sticking to my intense exercise routine and eating clean. My acupuncturist doesn't want me doing strenuous exercise between ovulation and AF or BFP and especially no abdominal work. So now I have another 21 days or so to hit the gym. Plus, when I do get pregnant, I know that all veggies and healthy foods will go out the window if the next babe is anything like Wild Thing (who liked nothing but chocolate cake, mangoes, white toast and plain pasta). Extra veggies, yogurt, fish, etc. = healthier mama.


2. I can drink. I must admit that after a year of trying to get pregnant, I am no longer laying off the al-chey-hol. Al-chey-hol is one of my good friends, and I enjoy tossing back a margarita or some sangria when we go out to dinner, ESPECIALLY in the summer. I tried to mostly avoid it up until this point, but that is over. I plan on drinking now and again these next two+ weeks, actually up until I get that positive, and I plan on enjoying it! (You KNOW you want to swim in that vase of sangria. Don't lie.)

3. We can wake up when we want, take naps when we want, go to bed when we want. We like not having a baby because we value our sleep. The longer we don't have a baby, the longer we can enjoy lots 'o sleep!

4. I get to enjoy camping, hiking, swimming (oh, the smell of chlorine), tanning, bbq-ing, long walks, etc. this summer. I am a sunshine girl. I am obsessed with the sun and the heat and I LOVE SUMMER. If I was in my first trimester (if the next pregnancy is anything like the first) I would miss my favorite season. Along the same lines, this summer is super busy for me. I am working full-time, planning a monstrosity of a baby shower, trying to squeeze in a ton of professional development reading, have my friend Karen's wedding/wedding-related events, and am taking quite a few mini-vacays. All-day sickness (because we know it is not just morning, ladies) is not conducive to my lifestyle.

5. It buys McSexy and I more time to enjoy adult seating. Everytime we breeze past a 20 minute table wait right into the bar, I am thankful, and every time I remark to McSexy, "We wouldn't be able to do this if we had a baby!" I will enjoy the immediate gratification (because we all know that I am not patient or nice person when deprived of food) and happy hour menu for as long as I can!

Of course, I would trade this all for a healthy pregnancy and baby, but in the meantime, I am going to live purposefully and joyfully in THIS season, knowing that some time in the future, I'm going to miss this!

What are things you are enjoying as a childless person? For parents, what do you miss most about your pre-parent days?

Quick - advice!

I have been absent lately and for this I apologize. I will explain later. Right now, though, I need advice.

Okay. Today is day 35 of my cycle and I THINK I started my period. THINK. Here is why I am confused. I got a positive ovulation on days 21 and 22 of my cycle. My temp jumped day 23 and has remained elevated. This morning, the day my period started, 13 days past ovulation, there was no decrease in my temperature - it remained above the coverline. My bleeding is sort of light. Nothing like it was my last period (1st after Wild Thing), in which the bleeding was HORRENDOUS.

I had to return my Fertility Bible (oh, sorry, I mean the Taking Charge of Your Fertility book) to the library, so I am at a loss.

HELP ME!! What are your thoughts?