Thursday, February 28, 2013

New Digs


I just wanted to share a few pictures of our new home!!  We are in love with it, and can't wait to bring the little nugget home!

And YES, I will post pictures of the baby's room once it is finished. We all know I'm a tad OCD and will be sewing and painting...so please stand by. :)






Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Have You Seen My Brain?...

Pregnancy Brain.  Do you think it's a myth?

Well let me tell you, I do not!! The evidence does not support any such phenomenon known as Pregnancy Brain or Momnesia; however, if you lived at my house for a couple days you would become a believer. Everyone knows that I am the flighty one, the aloof one, and Jen is the rock and the memory in our little group of two.  Among all the other adjustments in our new life, I am learning to (attempt to) become accountable for the things Jen used to do. My iPhone is overrun with notes on things I have to remember to do, buy, or put together/fix.

There is course, the occasional loss of keys (that were left in the car). The start of a sentence that seems to fly off in to space... A trip to Target for one item that ends in us getting home with nothing we needed.

The studies may not prove that there is actual change in the mechanics of a pregnant woman's brain, but I am here to tell ya, it's for real.  So Partners, Hubbies, and family... get your calendars, reminders, and day planners handy, you're gonna need 'em!










“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.”

Monday, February 18, 2013

We have a weenie!!

Of course we wanted a healthy baby... I think that is something that is understood to all parents.  However, does that mean we weren't leaning in one direction, well NO!! We were leaning toward the boy side of things... AND we are having a BOY!

Our little nugget with the weenie is quite healthy, already active, and if you ask me, damn cute!! Jen and I both saw the little weenie before the sonographer even told us, but we kept our mouth shut.. That pesky umbilical cord had tricked us before! Sure enough, she pointed out the same nubbin, letting us know with 100% certainty, that we have a baby boy on the way!

Jen is feeling good, less grouchy, and the 'glow' everyone talked about is finally revealing itself.  We still have a bit of time left, but we are so stoked!!  We will be in a new house this weekend, and baby boy nugget will have his own room soon enough...

P.S. The name of said Nugget will be revealed in August, :)







Thursday, February 7, 2013

Baby Momma


Ummm... So... How Do Two Women Make A Baby..?

Whether we get funny looks, weird questions, or genuine curiosity, we understand there may be confusion for those who are not Two Mom Savvy (yes, that's TMS, and I made it up).  A good many people really just do not understand how it all works, and it can make for many awkward moments.  Don't get me wrong, this stuff can be tricky, but I can say that we are pretty much experts now!  Since it took a little time for it to work for us, I feel it was meant to be since we can now share our knowledge.

We do not mind talking about it! How will people learn about our life and family, as well as the process, unless they ask (or I write a blog about it)!
Some people tend to tilt their heads when we tell them we're pregnant.  So, let me start by clarifying one issue; Jen did not get drunk and go wild at a bar (yes, we've been asked or looked at funny)!  Although, I do believe that would have saved us quite a bit of moola! We did IUI  (I'll explain below) at a Fertility Clinic with the use of Donor Sperm from a bank in Tustin. It's amazing what you can look for in a donor; online shopping at it's finest!  It is possible for one woman to carry the baby using the eggs of her partner.  That entails an entire new cost. Our little one is biologically Jen's nugget (but Karma will make him/her act just like me)!!

People easily confuse IUI (intrauterine insemination) with IVF (in vitro fertilization), since IVF is the most commonly heard of infertility treatment plan.  IVF requires removing a woman's eggs and fertilizing them outside the body, and then implanting them back into the body (see links below for details).  IVF is more invasive, and the cost begins at 15K per try. IUI means that the donor sperm is placed inside the woman's uterus, and the body naturally goes through the motions from there. IUI is much less expensive, and varies quite a bit depending on the medication used. IUI essentially involves a medical grade turkey baster!  :)

We always welcome any questions; It will prepare us for when our little one starts asking about our family!


Here are some links for those that would like more info:

IVF for Dummies
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/ivf-beyond-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html

IUI or IVF What to consider
http://www.fertilityauthority.com/story/iui-or-ivf-what-consider

IUI Details
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/intrauterine-insemination/MY00104

General Infertility Information
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/infertility/DS00310

California Adoption Information
http://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-adoption.htm

Costs Associated with Adoption
http://costs.adoption.com/articles/the-costs-of-adopting-a-factsheet-for-families.html


"Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."
Dr. Seuss


 



Wednesday, February 6, 2013

A Road Paved With Infertility... Still Leads to a Baby.



Unexplained Infertility.
I don’t think any woman expects to hear those two words.  The proper response: I suppose the positive was that nothing was wrong with me.  So essentially nothing is medically wrong, but you still cannot get pregnant.  As comforting as that may seem, it only made me feel worse.  Not only did we burn through a good amount of money, we also burned through our emotional stability.  I wanted something to be wrong!  I wished for a few abnormal cells, maybe a tiny cyst, anything!   As long there's a reason for infertility, and then we can nip it in the butt.  But no, there's no logical reason.  That's pretty much worst case scenario for someone like me.  For women, our body is under our control, even when everything else is awry.  We think we know our bodies so well, of course it can't fail us for something so important.  If you can't control the function of your body, well, then what do you have!  We are brought up knowing, if you want it, you will grow up and have kids one day.  So in my naivety, I never considered the other outcome: Infertility.  I don't live in a fantasy world, but I just knew we were meant to have a baby, and so I would get pregnant.  Let me tell you a little secret about what we want or expect; It does not always work out.
In fact, expectations will almost always fail you.  When we expect things to go our way, what we're really saying is that we deserve it.  So yes, I expected to get pregnant.  I mean, why wouldn't I?  I was young, healthy, and we wanted a baby.  It was actually extremely selfish on my part.  I have learned, the hard way, that things always work out, just not in the way we want or expect. 

So here we are, we're having a baby!  Is it me? No. Does it matter? No. The whole point in trying to get pregnant is to become a mom;  I've realized that I will still be a mom, so any particulars don't really matter.  Some women know that they do not want children, so their lives follow that path.  I knew I wanted a baby, and my path has led me in that direction.  I am grateful for the experience, and find it rather humbling.  A little humility is enough to put me back in my place, along with a little appreciation for the things I cannot control.  Luckily, I have the best partner I could possibly have, and she happens to have a mighty fine uterus.  :)
The journey itself, of being the other mother, well that's going to be quite the story, so stay tuned...

I have lots to share, although not all of it wisdom, and I hope this story enlightens some or helps those in similar positions.  Homosexual or Heterosexual, creating a family is something that should be a united front.


P.S. We are a little over 13 weeks along, and we find out the sex sometime around the 18th.. if this little nugget cooperates!

                                              This was our announcemnt photo online...


"No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings."
William Blake