Uterus Watch 2010: Day 8

I'm writing this in a Clomid stupor, so I will apologize in advance. For those of you keeping tabs on my uterus here is the latest scoop.

I had an ultrasound done last week on Day 3 before starting Clomid. This test was performed to make sure there were no cysts on the ovaries from being overstimulated on prior rounds of Clomid. It also showed the lining in the uterus was nice and thin, which is how it's supposed to be at this point. You could also see the resting follicles in the ovaries, which have the potential to one day be mature follicles. Since the ultrasound was OK, I started back on Clomid for days 5-9. Thankfully I got to stay on 100 mg and didn't have to up it to 150. I can't imagine hot flashes getting any hotter (See here).

Then, it's back on Day 12 for another ultrasound and bloodwork. Finally, when the time is right we will do our first IUI!

MIW-
J

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Confessions on an Organic (Sometimes), Vegetarian, Sugar Addict

Do you ever feel guilty grocery shopping? Not for not bringing your own reusable grocery bags. Not even for taking a mango sucker at the check out that is intended for the children. Just for what you buy -- or want to buy. I pick up an item and look at the ingredients. If it doesn't have some kind of corn syrup or artificial colors and flavors, it has enriched flour or pesticides or hormones. Sometimes I feel like there is nothing safe to eat. I know if my grandma was alive she would be reminding me about the mantra "everything in moderation." Right now sugar really is my downfall. I eat candy like I'm a 7-year-old. Have you tried the Tropical Starbust? A-maz-ing.

I love to shop in the "hippie section" as CP likes to call it. You might better know it as the organic section of your grocery store. I would rather cut back on other areas of my budget and be able to get a few key organic pieces (did that sound like fashion?). I try to look at the items I consume daily and focus on those first. Since I have such a problem with sugar I figure if I am going to eat the crap it might as well be organic crap. I have my eye on some organic candy that has no corn syrup, no artificial colors and all the other bad stuff. It's made by Surf Sweets. I will let you know how it is after I try it out.

Jamie's Must Buy Organic/Healthy List

1. Milk. I don't care what brand -- whatever is on sale -- as long as it's organic. Take a taste test and you will taste the chemicals/hormones in regular milk.
2. Yogurt. I like Stonyfield's organic yogurt. The lid this month features a message from the President's Cancer Panel recommending you eat organic. And no high fructose!
3. Strawberries. Maybe my most favorite fruit and also one of the worst. I read an interview with a non-organic farmer who said that you could grind up regular strawberries and spread them back out as fertilizer because they are filled with so many chemicals.

4. Peanut Butter. I love Earth Balance natural peanut butter. It's not organic, but it's natural. It only has five ingredients! Peanuts, flaxseed, agave syrup, palm fruit oil and salt. And it's not that weird have-to-stir-it-up-kind.

Not buying everything organic or healthy can sometimes leave me feeling guilty as I mentioned earlier. However, once I learned about "The Dirty Dozen" it greatly helped. Basically it's a list of the most contaminated don't-eat-these-foods list. Kind of like buying organic on a budget.

Here is the list taken from the Environmental Working Group.

12 Most Contaminated

• Peaches
• Apples
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Celery
• Nectarines
• Strawberries
• Cherries
• Pears
• Grapes (Imported)
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Potatoes

While we're at it, here is a list of the least contaminated.

12 Least Contaminated

• Onions
• Avocado
• Sweet Corn (Frozen)
• Pineapples
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas (Frozen)
• Kiwi Fruit
• Bananas
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Papaya

There even is a place here where you can print out a wallet version or download an iPhone app to take with you to the grocery store so you can remember what you can skimp on and what you should splurge on.

If eating less sugar and more organic interests you, I would recommend the book "To Buy or Not to Buy Organic: What You Need to Know to Choose the Healthiest, Safest, Most Earth-Friendly Food" by Cindy Burke. It explains what exactly organic means, talks about the Dirty Dozen and so much more.

So I pretty much eat like Jekyll and Hyde. Clean, healthy, organic one day. Blizzards and Starburst the next. I will keep trying to make it work.

Pass the Skittles,
Jam

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I Hate Wearing Shorts

I hate wearing shorts. I think they are the most unflattering piece of clothing aside from palazzo pants, mom jeans and pleated khakis. I think they either give you sausage legs or make you look like a park ranger. I only wear them to sleep in and for the three times a year I work out. I have tried to wear them on rare occasions with hooker heels, but I still feel squatty. Maybe if I worked out more than three times a year I would feel more confident in shorts, but I doubt it. I love skirts, so it's not completely a legs issue. It's a shorts issue. Maybe I just haven't found the right pair yet. If you know of an amazing brand/style of shorts out there, please let me know. I would love to try them.

Exhibit A: Kesha
Forget about the $ sign and the Hello Kitty glitter on her legs-- that actually helps to distract you from the shorts.

Photo Credit

Exhibit B: Mischa Barton

Photo credit

And here's me (and Zoe).

I always get excited when I put together pieces I have never put together before. It makes me feel like I have a new outfit without having to spend anything. Internet - here I am in black shorts and two Miley Cyrus pieces. Don't worry. I don't have Justin Bieber's nail polish on ... it's not out yet.

Boyfriend Jacket: Miley Cyrus/Max Azria at Walmart
Graphic Flower Tee: Miley Cyrus/Maz Azria at Walmart
Belt: ?
Black Shorts: Daisy Fuentes at Kohl's
Tights: ?
Multi-Strand Necklace: Simply Vera at Kohl's
Grey Booties: Simply Vera at Kohl's
Zoe: Rescued Brussels Griffon Mix wearing a collar from Pet Supplies Plus

If you can make it work wearing shorts - go for it. I'll be painting my nails One Less Lonely Girl.

MIW-
Jam

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The Vi Peel Rocks My World

I've never had the greatest skin. Is it possible for a 5-year-old to have a pimple? CP says no, but I'm not convinced. Check out my kindergarten school picture.


I will go through times where my skin is better than other times, but usually it just leaves me feeling self-conscious. I finally reached a place where I was OK with how my skin was doing and then I stopped taking the pill and all "h" broke loose (in our house we just say letters). Mah-jor hormonal imbalance going on everywhere - my face, my neck, my chest, my back. Two huge thumbs down.

Then, I tried the Vi Peel. It's a chemical peel that combines the strongest acids without causing pain during the peel or downtime afterward. Not only does it help with acne, but it also helps with pore size, fine lines, brown spots and so much more. On the third day after the peel, the visible transformation begins. Your skin will start to flake and peel around the mouth and then work its way up your face. The peeling should be finished by the end of the fourth day. I had a few flakes here and there around my jawline and hairline for the next few days. People always want to know what the peeling will look like. Well, I don't know what I'm thinking. I would rather show you my uterus again than my face without makeup, but here I am on Day 3 after a Vi Peel.

Left: The Vi Peel begins peeling around the mouth on Day 3.

Above: An up close shot of the flaking. It can be covered with the moisturizer provided in a take-home after care kit.



Check out the amazing before and after results on my neck!


If you have any questions at all, feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

The Vi Peel definitely makes it work!
Jam

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My Uterus Landed On The Moon

Yes, that is my uterus. Who knew it was so little? It's the dark sort of triangular blob in the middle. The jellyfish/spaghetti to either side are the fallopian tubes. Don't worry. The shy one all curled up is OK. They do that sometimes, I guess.

I passed my HSG or Hysterosalpingogram test. The test wasn't bad -- just a little cramping. If you want more details on the test or to see what an abnormal test might look like, this site is great.

So, what's next? More waiting. Next month I will take another round of Clomid and plan to have an IUI done. Although looking at the low success rates for the IUI procedure I'm ready to break out the big guns. In trying to find a bright spot in all of this, I am thankful I get a month break from the hot flashes.

I will try to get another post up soon so you don't have to stare at my insides. I know CP is thrilled about that :).

MIW-
Jam

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I Never Met A Neutral I Didn't Like

You know what I love more than neutrals? Putting them all together!

Neutral: matching well with many or most other colors or shades

I tend to find myself drawn to a few certain looks: boho, downtown and feminine. Prisoner chic has never made the list. However, I recently wore this look to volunteer at a community dinner and one of the attendees said I looked like a prisoner. He obviously hadn't eaten his chicken and noodles yet. Does Rachel Zoe have to deal with this? Where is my gay best friend when I need him?

Anyway, my favorite part of this look is the pop of brown with the belt and earrings. Oh and the mash up of stripes. I guess I just need a ball and chain and I've got my Halloween costume ready to go.


Grey & Cream Sweater Dress: T.J. Maxx
Navy & Cream Stripe Cardigan: The Loft
Brown Belt: Maurices (old)
Grey Tights: Kohl's
Grey Booties: Simply Vera at Kohl's

Here's to making prisoner chic work-
Jam

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A Roller Coaster Year

It was a year ago today that I took my last birth control pill. Yesterday, I had my Day 3 blood tests. Not where I thought we would be one year later, but that's where we are. They performed the FSH and estradiol tests and had the results back in less than three hours!

If you're new to all of this infertility talk an FSH -- or Follicle Stimulating Hormone test -- basically checks to see the quality and quantity of the eggs you have on reserve. If your FSH number is higher, then your egg supply is lower. I scored a 4.5, which is normal.

The estradiol test checks for ovulation issues. It is a form of estrogen that helps a follicle mature and also is responsible for the uterine lining for pregnancy. I scored less than 20, which again is normal.

Tuesday I go for an HSG x-ray. This test will show if my tubes are blocked, my uterus is crooked, etc. We are hoping insurance covers this test. Unfortunately many insurance companies, our included, will not cover infertility. I have no idea why. It's not the couple's fault they have medical issues preventing them from getting pregnant. I understand insurance not covering it if someone is healthy but just wants to go all Octomom and have eight babies at one time. Of course. But for those with medical issues, it's so frustrating it's not covered.

Either way we will make it work.

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I Was Chased Down the Frozen Food Aisle

My weekend uniform always includes jeans and a gray T-shirt -- V-neck please. This past weekend I decided to pair my go-to pieces with a military-style jacket and my trusty new favorite boots.
As I was walking down one of the frozen food aisles -- ice cream, duh -- I heard someone running toward me yelling, "Excuse Me." I turned around and the chaser asked me -- nearly out of breath from tracking me down -- where I got my boots. Made my day. My boots came from Elder-Beerman, but they are widely available online. Normally I'm a "flats are for quitters" kind of girl, but I love the casualness of these guys.


One of my favorite parts -- the red zipper in the back. In some ways it makes me feel like I'm wearing Louboutins even though it's the zipper and not the red sole. I would never in my life pay that much for shoes even if I had money coming out of my eyes. Would I shamelessly wear them and plug them for Mr. Louboutin if given a red carpet to work? Absolutely! Have you seen how sexy his shoes are? Hot. The End.

Jacket: Old Navy (old)
Gray T: Kohl's
Jeans: Flirt by Old Navy
Boots: Madden Girl "Zoiiee"

MIW-
Jam

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What Color Eye Shadow Should I Wear?

As a makeup artist, the No. 1 question I get asked is "What color eye shadow should I wear?" To which I usually reply, "Whatever color you want to wear. It's like your wedding. Do what you want to do." This usually prompts "the look" or a sigh or both. I'm not the eye shadow police, people. Wear what you like. Sensing she needs/wants more direction, I explain the color wheel.

Courtesy: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/floriculture/container-garden/lesson/colorwheel.jpg

The secret to making your eyes pop is finding your eye color on the color wheel and then selecting eye shadows on the opposite side of the wheel. For example, if you have blue eyes you would want to select browns and pinks to bring out your eyes the most.

I was so excited when jane iredale came out with her Eye Steppes this fall. They take all the guesswork out of what eye shadow to wear. Each of the three compacts offers five beautiful shades to compliment your eye color. There is a ton of product in each kit, so it will last a long time. Plus, since jane iredale takes out all of the fillers in her makeup you're getting more actual makeup and pigment which means you need a lot less than you normally would.

The goblue kit includes: Oyster, Rosy, Taupe, Swiss Chocolate and Smoke.
The gogreen kit includes: Allure, Iris, Sepia, Slate and Grape.
The gobrown kit includes: Sea Green, Blue Sky, Tan, Forest and Licorice.

Credit: janeiredale.com

I have tried all of the kits on both myself and clients and love them all. Here is a client with the gobrown kit.

And here is a client with the goblue kit:

jane iredale and EyeSteppes definitely make it work!

Jam

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The Great Pumpkin Shortage

I have been craving pumpkin pie since July. And I'm not even pregnant yet. As it gets closer and closer to fall, I continue to check the aisles of different grocery stores in search of a can of Libby's. Then, I remembered -- The Great Pumpkin Shortage of '09. This guy is hoarding all of the canned pumpkin. He's like the Scrooge of Thanksgiving.


No, not really. The real story is that heavy rains caused all sorts of trouble for the pumpkin making folks and their crops last year. It's just science, people.

Heavy rain + muddy fields where equipment won't work + rotted pumpkins =
No Pie Up In Here

I've read conflicting reports about the crop this year. Some say the supply will be tight and some say it's getting back to normal. Either way, I wasn't going to wait around any longer. Someone suggested to me to use a real pumpkin. You can do that? Sad, I know. I found instructions and a recipe online and gave it a shot last night. I love to bake, so I wasn't too worried. I just didn't know it was going to be such a workout.

Let me just say that the instructions suggested using a hand saw to cut the pumpkin in half. I thought they were joking. They weren't. I was ready to run into the jungle and get some dynamite to blow up the stupid thing. (This reference is not me admitting that CP had me start watching Lost and I actually like it and we are on Season 2). I am lucky that along with the pumpkin guts I scraped out my own guts weren't all over the kitchen too with the way I was hacking away at that thing.

After much struggle and sweat that pumpkin was mine. Aside from cracking the pumpkin code, it was an easy process -- just a long one. Here is a piece of said pie taken by CP on his phone. No the crust isn't burnt - it's just a graham cracker crust. The biggest difference to me in the taste was the texture.


If you want to try it yourself. I used the information and recipe from this site: http://www.pickyourown.org/pumpkinpie.php

Make it Work-
Jam

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Sunny Side Up

I have confirmation today (day 29) that I am ovulating. I had a progesterone blood test done and I scored a 22.3. The nurse said it needs to be at least 10 to sustain a pregnancy. So, more waiting now to see what the next step will be.

Credit: http://i.baby-gaga.com/crtn/cartoon1.png

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Turn That Frown Upside Down

It's not what you think it is. Well, it is, but it's not. Confused yet? As you can see by Mr. Smiley above I scored a positive on my ovulation test stick. Bad news - it was on cycle day 23. Not bad like the "Best Kisser" contest on Bachelor Pad where everyone had to kiss everyone. But bad- good like if you're on Survivor and the tribe speaks and sends you home. It's bad you aren't the winner, but good you can now eat real food and sleep in a bed.

As is Mr. Smiley. It's good that it's sooner getting a positive result than it has been in the past, but bad because it's still too late to try our first IUI. So, I go Monday for a progesterone test to determine if I have to up my dose of Clomid again. Please cross your fingers and toes that I don't (read Holy Hot Flash). I don't know if I can make that work.

xoxo
Jam

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Holy Hot Flash

Cycle Day 21: Still a goose egg on my ovulation tester. My geriatric eggs do not seem to be kicked into gear by the 100 mg of Clomid I took this cycle. While I wait for a smiley face, I am plagued by hot flashes (a common side effect of Clomid). In fact, I am having one right now. This drawing is me. I'm not even kidding. I have done this.

Illustration by: evettegabriel.com

CP is very understanding. He will often ask what he can do to help while I am experiencing a flash. A recent conversation between us:

Me: Ugh. Another hot flash. Hot cold hot cold.
CP: Busts out Katy Perry's "Hot n Cold."
Me: *shoot him an I'm-not-amused-glance*
CP: Can I get you some Monistat 7?
Me: (Laughing) Thank you, baby, but that is for yeast infections.
CP: Oh OK. I thought maybe it was for menopause.

Any suggestions for dealing with hot flashes? Not sure it's something I can make work.

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These Boots Are Made For Socks

I love fall. The smell in the air, Notre Dame football, pumpkin everything, the return of "Glee" and the fashion. This fall all styles of boots will be as hot as ever, but especially ankle boots and over-the-knee boots. I was so excited recently to bust out my new boots. I paired them with another fall trend -- the knee sock. Mine were argyle (which you can't tell in the photo).I love the juxtaposition of both dresses and boots and boots and socks. CP, on the other hand, was not a fan of the socks. He thought they looked ridiculous and was waiting for me to tuck them into the boots. I didn't. What do you think? Would you rock the socks with boots look? I think I made it work.

Jacket: Old Navy
Dress: Old Navy
Necklace: Maurices
Boots: Madden Girl at Elder Beerman
Necklace: Maurices

xoxo
Jam

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"Most Likely To Become A Nun"

So...I decided to finally put to good use that high school English award and start a blog. I can't believe I just said that. I don't blog. I stalk. But alas, here I am.

My desire to start a blog stems from our current journey toward becoming parents. Back in October 2009, we (we being my husband Chris/CP and myself), decided we wanted to start trying for a baby. We met with our doctor and got the OK to go for it in two months to allow my body time to adjust to being off the Pill (read: worst cramps ever). The idea of going about it all willy-nilly seemed nonproductive to my list-planning-control-the-situation personality. Thankfully a wonderful friend gave me the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler.

Photo credit: http://tcoyf.com/

All girls should read this book whether they are trying to get pregnant or not. It would have been a lot more helpful than the dreaded day in elementary school when the girls and boys split up and the girls watched an after-school special on how to use a tampon. Anyway, I began charting my cycles each month, taking my temperature, peeing on sticks -- the usual -- and found that things seemed a little off. The doctor agreed. After further testing for both of us, we graduated to a fertility specialist whom I saw today.

I have finished my second round of Clomid and soon will have my first IUI. Then comes the dreaded two-week wait to find out if it worked or not.

You may be wondering about the title to this blog. Back when I was at Lincoln Elementary School we made a "Slam Book." Each page of a notebook had a title on the top page like "Prettiest Hair" or "Most Likely to be President." The book was then passed around and on the ruled lines below the category you were to write down the person who best fit the category. I don't know if the girls all knew something about my slow eggs back then, but I was selected as "Most Likely to Become a Nun."

Before we dated, neither CP or I wanted to have children, but everything changed once we came together. Whether for us that means getting a little fertility assistance or adoption, we are open to God's plan and are eager to "make it work."

xoxo
Jam

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