New Cycle, New Toys

Another month down. As we begin Cycle #5, we've added a few things to try to help our chances of conceiving. Behold, our new toys:


I've started charting my Basal Body Temperature and we're using a Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor. I set the alarm for 5am each morning to check my temperature. Last month, I was checking it at 7am, but it's recommended that you check your temp after three consecutive hours of sleep. Well, since I share a bed with a notorious leg-twitcher and three dogs, I was often getting woken up around 5-6am. I didn't want this to throw off my temps by taking them at different times each day so that's why I started setting the alarm so early each morning.

I have been using an Ovulite Saliva Ovulation Predictor Test the past few months and it has consistently shown a ferning pattern that would indicate that I was ovulating, but since it doesn't actually measure any hormone levels, I wanted to use some other methods to confirm. Charting your basal body temperature is a great way to confirm ovulation, as temps are low before ovulation and then shift upward afterwards. However, so far, my temperatures have been all over the place and don't seem to be following any clear pattern. I haven't ovulated yet this month (I'm only on Cycle Day 8), but here's what my chart looks like:


You really can't determine anything from one chart, but if I have a few months of temps that look like this, a trip to the doctor might be in order. Who knows, maybe I'll still see a clear shift later this month, but with temps that are up and down like a roller coaster, I'm not feeling too positive about it. We'll see...

After seeing how wacky my temps were most of Cycle #4, I decided to go ahead and buy the fertility monitor. I figured that since this is a device that actually measures my hormone shift, it would given me the most accurate indication of ovulation. Plus, the fact that I'm combining it with charting my BBT and still using the Ovulite, I figured that I was set. Well, The CBEFM asks for tests starting with day #6 of your cycle. I did one on Friday and immediately got a high reading, followed by highs on Saturday and today. WTF? In past cycles, from what I can tell, I haven't ovulated until between Cycle Day #16-#22. So, I may have 10-16 high days before I hit a Peak day? Seems crazy. The instructions for the monitor warn that it uses the first month to "learn" your cycle, so I'm not sure I can trust what it says just yet. I guess that while it's registering as high, it may just not understand what's high for me. Maybe next month (if we don't get pregnant this month!) will be clearer.

In other news, I've already moved into a "nesting" phase... As we know that there are things we will need for a baby, I've been trying to pick things up where I can, so that we don't have to buy a bunch of stuff when we find out we're pregnant. My aunt Kathy recently moved to TX and gave us some GREAT things including this adorable changing table:

It's perfect for storing all of my fabric-- the room that will eventually be the nursery is my sewing room for now. And while we won't need it for quite a while, it makes me happy that it's there. It's a reminder of good things to (eventually) come.

We had another addition to the room this week. A co-worker of mine gave us her glider that she used when her girls were little. (Thanks Gracie!) It's green gingham now (so cute!) but we'll probably have it recovered by the time we need to use it. I've wanted a rocker/glider that looks like an armchair (I like them better than the wooden framed ones) and this one is perfect:

So, I've been sewing tons of fun baby stuff (for everyone else), we have fabulous new baby furniture, and high tech gear to help us conceive, but no baby on the way. I'm feeling kind of...stuck. 5 Cycles is long enough to start getting frustrated, but not long enough to indicate that there are any problems. It's likely that we're both fine and that we'll get pregnant in the next seven months (odds are in our favor) but that just seems like an eternity when we're ready for it now. So, I'm reading and making and sewing and gathering... doing everything I can to help me feel like I'm not just waiting.

The gadgets and the furniture are not just a distraction-- they help me feel proactive. Sure, we may not be pregnant yet, but I'll have a super comfy chair to nurse in when the time comes and for now, I have a great place to sit and read. I may not have a baby whose diaper needs to be changed, but I have a great place to store fabric and sewing supplies. And I may not have hit a peak on the fertility monitor yet, but using it helps me learn more about my body, which is always a good thing.

Kathy, before she moved, gave me a magnet that has been passed down through several women in my family as they were waiting for their babies. It said: "Between the wish and the thing, life lies waiting." I'm trying to keep that in mind these days as we prepare for what, hopefully, is to come.

Practice...

I've started sewing again lately. A co-worker of mine recently had a baby shower and I made her some custom burp cloths as a gift-- it really pushed me to get back into creating. I finally got my etsy site back up and running and I've made baby shoes, burp cloths, dresses and bibs. I actually made my first sale today! I have a new sewing/embroidery machine and I've had a lot of fun learning how to use it the past few weekends. Not only does it make me happy to make something cute for someone else, but I also enjoy practicing and perfecting my sewing skills, so that when the time comes, our little one will be the best dressed baby on the block.

Speaking of practicing, we're into our 4th month trying to conceive and honestly, we're a bit restless. We both want a baby so badly, and while we realize that these things just take time, neither of us are wanting to be patient. The good thing is that our restlessness seems to come in waves and it doesn't seem to hit us both at the same time-- when I'm frustrated, Rob reminds me that our time will come. When Rob is longing, I'm able to remind him that, "There's always next month." And it's true-- while the past several months have been a little disappointing, each month is a new opportunity for a miracle.

So, we'll keep trying, and eventually, I know that practice will make us a perfect little one.

Here goes...

Big changes are (hopefully) in store for the Blakelys...

A month ago when I created this blog, I thought it would be quite some time before it got any use.. and while it still might be a while, I have a feeling that it will be coming sooner than I thought.

They say that the first year of marriage is the hardest and we believe it! 2008 was a crazy year for us: We got engaged, moved to Birmingham, each got a new job, bought 2 new cars, got married and bought a house. We couldn't have packed more life-changing events into such a short period of time, and that was a big source of stress. But the wedding is over and we're left with amazing memories of a perfect day. The stress of purchasing a house is done and we're loving our new "home." And each week of our marriage seems to bring a new understanding of each other, better communication, and a greater excitement about our future.

I recently stumbled upon a great opportunity in my career. As I went through the process of learning about the job and eventually receiving an offer, Rob and I talked a lot about the future and what our plans entail. When it came down to it, I declined the job, telling them that I didn't think it would be fair to accept the position because we want to start our family in the near future. Their response was that they wanted me to join their team regardless of our plans to have a baby. I can work full time now and when the time comes, work from home or work part-time. Music to my ears. This is the type of position I've dreamed of... I happily accepted and I start mid-April.

Things are falling into place, just as we had hoped. We've had many conversations over the past few weeks that have all resulted in the same decision: We're ready to have a baby. We've spoken to my ob/gyn about the next steps, we've stocked up on books, I've cut out caffeine (a big step for me!), I'm exercising regularly, I've stopped all medication that could be harmful, I'm taking pre-natal vitamins, and of course, the big thing is that we're no longer on birth control.

So, next month, the waiting game begins... Rob has sweetly reminded me not to stress-- that this part is supposed to be fun! His relaxed demeanor is one of Rob's best qualities-- a sharp contrast to my constant anxiety. I'm sure I will worry more than he will, but I believe that this is just part of being a woman who wants to be a mother. Rob will be 40 in two weeks and I'd love to give him a baby before his next birthday, but nature will take its course, and when the timing is right, we'll be blessed with a little one of our own. We're already day-dreaming of what we'll name him or her...

When there's news, I'll post again-- Wish us luck as we start this new adventure!

Not Yet...

Alright, alright, alright...some of you will be freaked out by the blog address, I know, but the following addresses were all taken:
http://www.blakely.blogpsot.com/
http://www.theblakelys.blogspot.com/
http://www.blakelyfamily.blogspot.com/
& http://www.theblakelyfamily.blogspot.com/.

Oddly enough, it seems that while these blog addresses are taken, almost no one has created an actual blog in their place. Perhaps people have claimed the address, so that one day when they are ready, they can use it.

I got worried that by the time I actually wanted to start a blog for our family, there might not be an address that was even remotely relevent to us. So, I figured that since we'll probably start keeping this updated once we have a child, well... www.babyblakely.blogspot.com/ was the best I could come up with.

For the record:
There is no baby yet.
No baby on the way.
No immediate thoughts of adding to our family.

But one day, two will become three, and I wanted to set up a place to share information with our friends and family.

Until then...