Baby Maple

When my sister was visiting, I wanted to do something special to celebrate the beginning of our journey into a the new world of motherhood. So, we planted a Japanese Maple tree (Bloodgood) in honor of baby X. It's such a powerful symbol for us on our journey. It reminds me how to grow we need nurturing, care and some pruning from time to time. We spend time pruning away parts of us that are no longer enhancing our lives. We use this as an opportunity to grow from our past experiences and to continue to enrich our lives, our hearts, our dreams.



The tree's shape reminds me that we each have unique gifts, branching out beautifully in many directions. Our beauty is also enhanced when we follow the way Mother Nature intended-- with a little pruning to keep us moving upward and outward. Like many aspects of nature, we can't always do things alone, but we must be very cautious about whom we allow to tend our garden…actualizing our lives depends on this. We also need to remain firmly grounded in ourselves.

Okay, okay...I'll stop being sappy! I'm just really glad we did this! I have a daily reminder of how beautiful life's challenges can be and how far we have yet to travel on our journey. Maybe someday Baby X will be touched by this story.

Pride or Ride?

It's another hot one today! Okay, okay, so it's not in the triple digits but it's close...90 degrees and it's only 1:00 PM.

H and I decided not to go to the pride parade today. We didn't really feel like dealing with the heat and the crowds, so we went out for a bike ride instead. I have to say that I had a blast! I haven't been out on a bike in a long time. I used to ride fairly religiously, but between running, swimming, yoga & cycling it's hard to find enough time to fit everything in. H has never been a big fan of cycling. In fact, I think she down right hates it! But, it was her idea to head out for a ride this morning. I'm suspicious that because the weather has been gorgeous she thought that this was a perfect tanning opportunity. The meticulously rolled sleeves, no gloves, no socks, and hiking her shorts up a bit higher on her thighs was a dead give away. Still, I wasn't about to pass up this opportunity!

I opted for a rain check on the hills, so we drove down to the bottom of Inglewood Hill and rode along East Lake Sammamish. It was still early enough that the slight breeze taunted us with the smell of the water. It was enough to make you want to jump off your bike, strip down and jump in the lake. Of course, we didn't...but wouldn't that have been fun? East Lake Sammamish takes you to the Birk Trail, which will take you all the way to Seattle (I sometimes will ride home after work from Downtown Seattle to Issaquah via the Birk, which is a good 40+ miles - I wouldn't be impressed. I usually only do this once/twice a week in the summer months).

H and I rode to Woodinville and back. We ended up riding 25 miles, which is pretty good considering we've neglected our bikes all winter long! So, we missed pride, but we did ride - dykes on bikes? Yeah, okay that's a stretch!

Happy Pride, everyone!

Here we go again

Yep, that's right it's CD 4. I'm not surprised. We knew that when all my little fertility gadgets hit peak on CD 19 we got the timing all wrong. I can't imagine what it would be like if you didn't use a FM or ovulation sticks during this process and you depended on CM or BBT. It would be so much harder. Each month you would think that you timed it just right only to be disappointed.

The plan this cycle is to inseminate on FM peak day and the day after. We promised each other that we wouldn't jump the gun and inseminate early regardless of what my cervix or CM looked like on a given day. This time our plan is to be patient, try Vitex, a little acupuncture, and get back into a regular yoga routine. Getting pregnant is a full time job.

Here's a link to my chart for those of you that love stats. I know I do.

http://forums.ovusoft.com/chart.asp?id=allfortino

Summer Solstice

This past weekend was the Fremont Fair, which celebrates the Summer Solstice. H and I took my sister T to the fair. We walked through hundreds of vendors, and stayed to watch some of the parade. One of the most well known parts about the parade are the painted naked people. H and I have a friend who lives a few blocks from the main activities, so we always get to hear stories about how there are naked people wandering the streets outside her house! My sister didn't apprechiate the art in it, but it was still fun. Here are a few images from the day.

(WARNING...painted naked people abound)

Mr. Yellow Man (and all that sperm!)

The Devil, The Tin Man, and A Star

This lady and her dog watched the parade from the top of the roof. I think they had the best seat in the house!

Nemo was here!

This pup was sure Happy!

Cycle 2: Day 27

Today is day 27, 8 DPO. This time last month I had already started my period. I can see that my body is not going for any type of consistency. Not that I'm a planner or anything. I guess it's good that my cycle is going longer since I ovulated so late. Pregnancy symptoms??? zero, nada... not a single thing. Well, unless you count a sinus headache. Oh well.... at least the TWW this time around isn't nearly as stressful as last month. We're convinced that we got the timing wrong so I've not had the added stress of thinking about the 'what ifs". That's not to say that we haven't talked about the possibility that I may still be pregnant. It's just more of a distant hope. Also, I think our new game plan with exercising has been helpful. Last month not being able to do a variation of my normal workout routine was driving me batty and dangerous for C. Poor C was walking around on eggshells because the lack of exercise was making me so bitchy. Exercise is just a great way for me to release all my pent up energy & stress from work.

In other news C's older sister is visiting and we told her we're trying to have a baby. She was genuinely excited for us. whew! It was such a relief for C. She's been dreading sharing this part of our life with her family because they are just so darn conservative but it was all for nothing. C's sister T can't wait to be an Auntie. Not that she doesn't already have a zillion nieces and nephews. She's so excited about the possibility of actually being involved in our little one's life. So, one of C's siblings down only 5 more to go. 2 of which are Evangelical Christians with 18 kids between them. Our current plan is not to tell any of the other siblings until I'm actually pregnant. I don't want them praying for our souls while we're in this process. We need positive vibes from the universe.

Well, got to go find out what's for dinner.

Peace out!

Possessed GPS

The Gar.min is either possessed or I should sign up for the Beijing Olympics immediately. According to the Gar.min, I logged 5 miles in 35 minutes, which translates to about 5:11 per mile. That amazing considering I've constantly been a 10-minute gal (keep your mind out of the gutter!) for most of my life. My personal best was a 7:30 about a year ago and it only happened once or twice.

Lately, the Gar.min has been "acting up". There are days when it takes a lifetime to find a satellite signal, days it won't find one at all, or days it looses the signal mid-run. On this particular day, the damn thing was constantly loosing its signal and then it would recalibrate to try and make up the difference. That must be one hell of an algorithm to pinpoint the deltas between where you were when it lost the signal and where you currently are when it picked it up again, not to mention recalculating your pace and time traveled...please! I'd rather it just dropped the signal and not bother. I've had the Gar.min for over two years...I guess it's on it's last legs. It might be time to upgrade, but I'll certainly miss my tried and true companion!

34 Years!

My sister (ex-sister-in-law, actually) and her moms made the news! The Sacramen.to Be.e published an article about her moms getting married. Laura is the "estranged" daughter in the article. She was married to my brother (divorce was final last week), who is the mystery man behind what is being described as her "anti-gay attitude".

The article describes the last 15 years in three sentences... "She joined his church, the now-defunct Davis Fellowship of Christ. They married, and she followed in his ways. When her husband blocked the entrance to abortion clinics in Sacramento, she was there to sing. Meanwhile, her mother was escorting women into the clinics." I remember this time all too well! It was about the same time H and I started "exploring" our friendship. It was a tumultuous time for my family, Laura, her moms, and H and I were caught smack-dab in the middle.

H and I have known each other since High School and have been together ever since. Since the moment there were "signs" that my friendship was more than just a friendship, my family has given us a significant amount of grief. I'm still puzzled as to what these "signs" where, but apparently our behavior had textbook homosexual tendencies. H and I were sixteen at the time and were more concerned with whether or not we had enough credits for our necessary college curriculum pre-requisites to be concerned that out "exploratory" behaviors were going to sentence us eternal damnation. While my brother was hell bent on saving my soul, Ellen was in the background supporting H and I. Ellen wasn't allowed within 500 feet of our home, her grandchildren, me, but if I needed to just talk to someone about what it meant to be gay, we would talk over the phone or meet outside of town. This was not an easy time for anyone, but times have changed.

Laura and I have since made our amends. She's come to visit H and I in Seattle on numerous occasions and we've talked allot about the past. She called me out of the blue about 8 months ago and poured her heart out. She was so apologetic for the way things were, but really she didn't need to be. My grievances have never been with her, and I've come along way in accepting my grievances with my brother. It's been rather easy supporting her through her divorce and she's returned the favor twofold. When my sister A (I have two) got married last September, Laura made it possible for me to spend time with my nieces and nephews, most of which I had never meet. In fact, it was the first time I had physically seen my brother in over 13 years. We barely exchanged two words and he kept a close eye over my interactions with the kids, but it was worth it. I don't think Laura realizes what an amazing gift that truly was.

I'm incredibly proud of her tenacity and support for her moms. So after so many years, I propose a toast! To Ellen and Shelley, may you be blessed with another 34 years and congratulations on your marriage!

Weekend Project

Over the weekend C got a great idea to attempt a remodel on our downstairs bathroom. Our townhouse is about 20 years old and for the most part has all the original fixtures and counter tops. We have beautiful rose colored counter tops in the bathrooms & kitchen. Yuck!! We'd love to go through and rip out everything but we decided that while we're in the TTC process these elaborate remodels are on hold. So, we opted for a cheaper update. C painted, added a new shelving unit, light, faceplates for the outlet covers & a toilet paper holder. I added pictures below. It's hard to tell but the color of the walls are a subtle green.


Before:



After:

Virtual Coffee

I'm sitting upright in bed, letting the strength of the solid wood headboard support my back, resting my thoughts on my pillow. The sun is pouring into the room like spilt milk, the air is fresh and has a tiny bite, the neighborhood is eerily quiet except for the sound of the ducks echoing off the lake, the needles on the pine trees carrying their voices like transponders. H is laying next to me, her arm resting over her eyes as if to block her thoughts, and her breath is steady, deep; every inhale fills her lungs solid like water fills a glass, every exhale long, supple, peaceful. H is beautiful. Her rhythmic breath calms me. It's a moment all too often lost in the craziness of our life. A moment laden with simplicity, stillness.

I become more aware of my own breath. I watch the soft threads of cotton rest over my stomach, rising and falling with each breath; the beauty of the morning keeping me relaxed. I think about what moments like this will feel like when shared with a child. I think about the day ahead. I think about the laundry, the dogs, coffee. My thoughts are intermittently interrupted by the sounds of cars passing in the distance. I start to wonder where these people are headed. Is it Church? A quick trip to the store? Wives taking their husbands to breakfast? I recall my father and wonder if his morning ritual is filled with sounds? Is he enjoying coffee and a doughnut like he used to every morning when I was younger? If he feels different now that his children are grown and he wakes up to an empty house? I wonder if this silence has been broken by the phone ringing, one of his sons or daughters wishing him a happy fathers day?

My father lives in California with his wife. He remarried shortly after my mother passed away thirteen years ago. It is the rare occasion that I speak to my father, but we do try and talk at least once a year, usually during the Holidays. We've had our share of troubled times over the years. I've long since forgiven him for his inability to accept who I am. Now he is an elderly man with small glimpses of reality. At the age of 76, he is still fairly active, lucid with his thoughts, but he will forever be bound to the past. It's impossible for him to live in the present and see me as the woman I have grown into, that I really am. I'm no longer his little tomboy, who was better at just about any sport than any of his sons. My identification number is 6, like a barcode or systematic way for him to keep track of his children. As thoughts fire rapidly in my cerebellum, I wonder how things would be different if life hadn't taken us down this path. I stop for a moment and realize that it can be different, if only for a moment, right here, right now as I lay daydreaming.

As I continue to sit quietly, H remains resting peacefully, and I take my father out for virtual coffee. I imagine us sitting in a coffee house at a corner table, his head tilted slightly as he sips coffee, the cup almost too heavy for his aging hand. His brilliant white hair combed over the top of his head, his glasses resting heavy on the tip of his nose, using his index finger to push them to the bridge. I'm enjoying a Chocolate ring, wiping the glaze from the corners of my mouth with each bite. There is coffee house chatter in the background, but it doesn't interrupt our conversation. We talk about what fills his days, his health. The conversation shifts and I tell him about my job, H, the dogs, life in Seattle. I share our plans to have a child, that he will hopefully someday soon be a grandfather 24 times over. He is overjoyed, happy, peaceful. We talk for hours, just enjoying our time together.

Hey, Pop, thanks for the coffee and doughnuts.

The Ultimate Sunblock

The sun made an appearance late yesterday and I think just about everyone in Seattle was ecstatic! Of course, that was short lived because it was cloudy and gray again today. So when a friend of ours sent us this cartoon this morning it seemed only fitting to share!

The good news? We're expecting sun this weekend! The gardener came today, so our lawn is freshly mowed, our flowers look fabulous, and if the sun shows up we can sit out on the lawn with a cold drink and read a book. Seattle is a wonderful place, but if we don't get some sun soon we're all going to go insane.

Small Detour

H and I have been on edge since her cycle went biserk. We both have our own ways of dealing with the endless amount of uncertainties that is a part of the TTC process, but for the most part we both enjoy blowing off some steam by running. After I had a minor meltdown this morning when all the fertility monitoring gadgets indicated that H was still ovulating, I started out the day on H's bad side. On the way into work, we spent the entire time in silence. With all the tension of the situation, we just needed to hit the road.

H wasn't all that interested in running, but she humored me. So, we laced up the shoes for the second time this week, grabbed the Ga*rmin (GPS) watch, and headed out toward our usual route. H was "implying" that she was bored with running the same course, but then balked when I suggested an alternative. I guess I should mention that our unspoken agreement after our last insemination was that we would continue exercising, but just be sure that H takes it easy. My solution? If we go running, H is required to wear the heart rate monitor at all times and ease off if her heart rate exceeds 145 bpm (this is me pretending that I wear the pants in the family). The Ga*rmin lets you set alerts if you exceed certain zones, so I enabled the alert so we would know when her heart rate was getting too high. H was fine with this until she realized that all it took to set the alarm off was a hill. So, while H was back there cursing the Ga*rmin ("Oh, shut the fuck up!), I changed our course.

Our usual course has a "fork" in the trail where you can head towards the main road or wind through the residential developments. If you head downhill towards the main road, there is only one way back and that UP! It's a good 2 miles before you loop back off the main road and have to make the "dreaded" turn up our version of "heartbreak hill". Since the Ga*rmin was beeping at H on every hill, I thought I would be helpful and bypass the "evil" hill and go around. I figured if we just ran to the next main street, we could find our way back without too much trouble. In theory that was a good idea. But my little detour added another 2 miles and one very long, steep hill. H is convinced I just wanted the extra miles. Should I tell her that I planned for a 4 mile run before we even started? Yeah, no...I might have to sleep on the couch with the dogs! But, H is tired now, curled up with Bandito on the other end of the couch, quiet, not irritated and watching "So You Thin*k You Can Danc*e".

CD 18

Somehow I feel responsible for us inseminating early. It's my body, shouldn't I have a better clue as to what's going on? The months before we started TTC the FM hit peak on day 13 or 14 and my cycle was between 25 & 26 days. Now that we started TTC my body as gone haywire. I really didn't think I was stressed about getting the timing right but now I'm not so sure. Last week during a run I got super tense in my upper back and it lasted through the weekend. Getting more painful each day. To a point where I was taking hot showers to loosen up my shoulders. I thought it was from running when I was tired but now I think I was incredibly stressed out about the whole process. Why can't this be easier? I'm so frustrated, sad and disappointed at the same time. I feel like I've been doing everything right. I exercise, I've given up caffinated coffee, I don't have junk food, and I don't drink. What more can I do? We want this more than anything!

BBT Dip

I have a love-hate relationship with the FM. Today, I hate it! H woke up this morning and her BBT dipped really low...the lowest she's logged since we started charting. I think we were both convinced that damn thermometer was broken because we took it four times. According to TCOYF, "it is believed that this usually occurs on the day of ovulation and is the result of high levels of estrogen pushing the temperature down."

To top it off...the FM hit peak. H has had numerous months where her FM reading stopped at "high". But, she's never showed signs of ovulating past day 16. The key word here is NEVER! We inseminated when her cervix was open, high, SOT show lot's of ferning, CM was spinning...but, OPK was neg and FM was high. The swimmers were sitting inside of a seven day tank and we were running out of days, so we had to do something. Since H has not always hit peak on the FM in the past and all the other signs lined up, we went for it. I can't fucking believe it...a drop in temp, FM reading is peak, and I'm sitting here sperm-less and blogging. I'm trying to stay positive, honest. If it wasn't for the fact that I feel sick to my stomach, I think it would be easier. I think we totally missed our window. If only I had access to an unlimited amount of sperm and/or DTD wasn't frozen and stored 2500 miles away. Why does it have to be so fucked up?

At Home Insemination: Ten Things I Learned Part II

Why do books, brochures, documentaries make the Insemination process sound so easy? A little planning, a donor, the swimmers, choose a method, a squirt and you're done. If only it were that easy!

Adding to my list of things I've learned:

1. Shipping vials of sperm across the United States is expensive and incredibly stressful. For one thing, unless you upgrade to the "two-week" tank or pay for overnight shipping, the specimens are only good for 7 days from the ship date. This time H and I opted not to upgrade the tank or shipping. The vials shipped on the 4th, arrived on the 6th, and were "good" until the 9th. H ovulated on the night of the 8th! Can we time that any closer?


2. "Timing of the ICI procedure is very important, as it should be performed around the time of ovulation to increase the chances of conception." Right, no problem! What are the odds that the FM and OPK are both positive, there is signs of ferning, the cervix position is low, CM is spinning, and the fast lane is wide open, all on the same day? Oh, right, Zero, Zilch, Nada...can that really happen?


3. Shot glasses make excellent vial holders for thawing! They also work well in keeping the vial in a safe place while you run through your "checklist" and get things ready. Lube? Check. Lamp? Check. Pump air out of Syringe? Check. Entertainment? Check. Latex Gloves? Check. H? Check.


4. H and I opted to use a speculum during insemination. Inserting a thin and flexible catheter through the hoo-hoo until it reaches the cervix is harder than it sounds. The speculum makes it easier to "see" what's going on. WARNING: A fully lubed speculum will "stay" in place if you hold it. Letting go at any time could result in someone loosing an eye.


5. For an ICI, you're suppose to place the "swimmers" just before the cervix opening but not inside. Exactly how much is "just before"?


6. If you have long hair, ALWAYS wear your hair up or pulled back. It's dark enough "down there" that you don't need your hair getting in the way.


7. Some "swimmers" will collect on the tip of the speculum. If you want them to travel towards the cervix and not away, it will require some acrobatics as part of both the inseminate-tor and inseminate-tee.


8. Inserting air, no matter how little, will result in hoo-hoo fluffs.


9. If you have any pets (dogs/cats), keep them away from the "clinic"...Hoo-Hoo's smell interesting enough on their own.


10. It's easy to return the Nitrogen tank. It comes with a postage pre-paid label and all you have to do is call to schedule for a pickup. Just leave the tank out on the porch and like magic when you return home from work, it's gone. WARNING: Leaving a suspicious item resembling a rocket on your porch will get the neighbors talking.

ICI #2 is now out of our hands. I feel like we've timed this one right and done everything we can possibly do to make this happen. The process was much easier than the first time. It's almost as if I was a professional...okay so I'm stretching, but I was definitely more confident. It's funny...we wait 13-16 days to Inseminate, only to turn around and have to wait some more. Now we start the TWW...I should be a couple pounds heavier by then, since cooking/baking/eating is one of my favorite coping mechanisms.

Bagel Throwdown!

I've never really been very good at working with yeasted breads or doughs. Handling the dough is an art and you have to be extremely patient; one of which I lack a tremendous amount of, which is why I'm baking in the first place. I need something to do to help keep my mind off of TTC. Today is CD 15 and H still has not ovulated. We have a nitrogen tank with two vials of swimmers that "expires" tomorrow and she still has yet to ovulate. She's never not ovulated by now so we are at a loss as to what to do next. So, we decided to have a bagel war! It didn't start out as a war, but rather an 'Um, is the dough suppose to be crumbly?, no, you fix it' conversation.

Periodically H and I will flip through cook books and look for recipes that we A.) have not tried B.) sounds yummy and C.) looks easy enough to try. Last night H found a recipe for boiled bagels that looked easy enough. After finding out that H still had not ovulated, we decided to keep ourselves preoccupied with baking. The first ten minutes or so started out fine. I sifted the flour (okay, okay, so it didn't say to sift the flour, but I was in one of my 'helpful' moods), added the sugar and salt, whisked the yeast in luke warm water (110 degrees exactly) and added to the dry ingredients, and then set the mixer on the lowest speed possible. The recipe said to mix the dough for 10 minutes, which I did, but the dough was NOT soft...it was crumbly and dry. H and I read the recipe for the hundredth time and we followed it to the letter, but there was just not enough water. I was about to scrap the whole thing and start over, when H figured we could just add more water and see if that helped. I'm terrified of dough...I figure if you add anything beyond what the recipe calls for, you're asking for trouble. H thinks that's nonsense. She spent about another 5-10 minutes working with it and was able to get it to at least resemble dough. We placed it in an oiled bowl, covered it with plastic wrap and let it rise, but we were convinced that it was going to come out like CRAP! While the first dough was rising H decided to look on the internet for another bagel recipe to try. What she found was that most bagel recipes called for less flour. Since we were convinced that the first batch was doomed, we started on a second batch. Hence the bagel throwdown!!

The second batch that H started looked better right away. It actually resembled dough. Below and above is the outcome of the bagels. I think that I won but H has a different version. If you ask her she would say hers didn't come out as well because she was tired after all the effort it took to save my batch. hmmmm.....right..... If that what gets her through.

Hopefully, H ovulates tomoorrow. I don't think our kitchen can handle any more throwdowns.

Saliva Ovulation Predictor Tests Part 2

I've been using the Fertile F*ocus ovulation microscope for about a week and let's just say I'm 'challenged'. I've been having the hardest time getting the correct amount of salvia on the lens. The instructions say to put a 'drop' of salvia on the lens and let dry 5-10 minutes. Hello...have you ever tried to put a drop of salvia on a tiny lens at 5:30 AM? Either I put too much, not enough or it has air bubbles. I've now decided on a new tactic. I'm waiting until my eyes are open to at least slits to preform the test. Apparently, clear vision is helpful. So lesson learned.

It's a fun little gadget when you get it right. Two thumbs up and affordable. You can get your very own Click here to order

Posted by 'H'

Bring back the Sun

Can someone tell mother nature that it's June 6 not December 6 in the Seattle area. Today our high is 51. I think I better get out my sunscreen and shorts... whew! That's a heatwave! COME ON, REALLY 51 freakin degrees. What happened to our spring? The weather here is beginning to be down right depressing. I know you non-seattlites think it always rains here but truth be told it doesn't...well...except for this year! I guess I should just be grateful that we are not experiencing the horrible storms in the Midwest.

Check out our forecast. I bet your jealous.

Today Jun 6
Rain
High 51° Low 44°

Sat Jun 7
Showers
High 56° Low 42°

Sun Jun 8
Showers
High 56° Low 43°

I leave you with our beautiful December day. Click here to see more pictures and view the movie.

Posted by 'H'

Open Roads and Belly Rubs

After a long, excruciatingly painful day in the office squabbling over .2 milliseconds (long story), I have yet to find a better remedy than lacing up the old running shoes and spending some quality time out on the open road. So that's exactly what H and I did. We leashed up Maggie and headed out on the trail about a 1/2 mile from our house. We're blessed that we have so many trails in our backyard, but having these trails so accessible doesn't come without a price. We live in hill country and there isn't a trail within 10 miles that doesn't come fully equipped with a hill or two. Before we get too far, H and I usually exchange a few words over how many miles and how much suffering we intend to endure.

Today, we settled on a nice three mile loop. Unfortunately, that loop starts out uphill and ends uphill. For the first part of the run, we wind through residential streets just to avoid the hill with the 10% incline. There's nothing worse than trying to get warmed up on an steep incline, so adding a few extra steps is worth it. By the time we reach the trail we've already knocked out a mile and we're warm enough we can really enjoy the back roads. There aren't that many areas left in our neighborhood that are not being developed or marked with some sort of land use action sign, but these trails are protected and offer the perfect landscape for any trail runner. It has been awhile since we played back in these parts of the woods, but it was invigorating to just breath in the fresh air and enjoy the scenery. It was surprising to see all the landscape littered with fallen pine trees from this past winter. Maggie enjoyed showing off her jumping skills, but I think she was embarrassed by our inability to "hurdle" the trees more efficiently. Apparently, we were slowing her down...she's very serious about her runs.

The last 1/2 mile or so takes us around the backside of Yellow lake. This is my favorite part of the run and not just because we're near the end, but because the vegetation is so pure, so fresh that it's impossible not to be reminded how simple life should be. There's usually ducks near the dock, birds singing across the lake, a crackle or two echoing through the trees, and the sound of our feet gliding over the dirt. Just past the dock, the music of Mother Nature is interrupted by the sounds of cars passing, and children playing at the park. By the time we reach home, there's only one thing left to do...sit on the porch and let Maggie enjoy her belly rubs!

Saliva Ovulation Predictor Tests

H and I recently discovered the Saliva Ovulation Predictor Test. When H first told me that she read this article about how you can use your saliva to determine when you ovulate, I thought she was crazy. But, it turns out, it's true! Who knew!?!

As far as I can tell there are a couple of brands that make the ovulation microscope. We purchased the Fertile-Fo.cus ovulation microscope earlier this month. We started testing last week and so far, it's a piece-of-cake. There's a bit of a learning curve to figure out how to use the darn thing, but once you have that nailed down it is easy to read. Due to hormonal changes, a distinct crystal or "ferning" pattern becomes present in the saliva. We just started testing so we haven't seen any ferning as of yet, but so far it has been easy to distinguish between the not fertile and transitional stages. You have to put enough saliva on the slide otherwise it will be difficult to read. H has found that a "puddle" in the middle works well, especially if you let it dry for 5-10 minutes. So far, this little toy is amazing...let's just hope it helps us get pregnant on our second try!

Posted by "C"