Update on labs, homeschool

I had to go in for P+7 labs this week....yuck. Progesterone was good, 12.8. Estrodiol was only 35, quite pathetic. He is putting me on help for that and I'm staying on Femara and 400mg of prometrium. I'm trying, Lord. I don't want to lose hope, I have lost so much in the last few years I need to stay strong and believe God is working. We are taking a much needed vacation this coming month and I hope to clear my head then. We are starting Seton after labor day, rushing to get our CAT tests in before we leave town. Maybe we will find a shrine to visit on the Gulf to thank the Blessed Mother for all we do have in our lives.
I will update more later. Cod and perogies in the oven.

Plans and side effects. Yeah, like that.

I am CD7 and my weight is bouncing around quite a bit, wondering if it is stress, the femara or salt/water whatever. I don't know. We planned our vacation and we are staying in the Gulf, not the messy part and honestly, I was not apposed to that, the people there just didn't return my phone call(Gulf Shores). We need to get away and we are being budget-friendly doing so. It will be hot, I'm sure so we will be in the pool a lot.
The phase of my diet is going okay, could be better. I read some people gain on femara but I did a one day dose thing so I can't see that is affecting my weight. I don't think I am drinking enough water, honestly. Today I hope to do that a load up on protein to see what happens. I want to be stable before our trip. I don't want the whole trip to be about what I am eating or not. My appetite has changed and that is a beautiful thing.
I am in a mess over homeschool. I was really disappointed with the curriculum we used this year. I loved the classical aspect of the books and lessons but their customer support is a hot mess. A waste of money, in my opinion. They rarely answered the phone, took a week or more answering emails...not what I paid for. We really had problems tackling the creative writing this year and instead of helping us, the advisor got all vague and moved on. So we need a new plan. I need to settle this and work on it before we leave. I am planning on doing the kids standardized tests next week. We are looking at Seton but I will miss teaching the classical elements that the kids loved like mythology, Latin and (we were preparing for) Roman history. The grammar and math programs were good too. The lesson plans and organization aspect got the best of me this year. I know the kids are much stronger in language, math, history....it's writing they all struggled in trying to find a solid understanding. The schools they attended prior to homeschool just ignored creative writing. Period. That left it all on me.
So I will get through. In the meantime, we hope the new plan for achieving pregnancy(and staying pregnant) will work. I have another friend who is pregnant and it gives me hope that God will hear our prayer. I don't feel old. I feel younger than I have in years after losing weight and getting my blood pressure to 120/80(last week). I have lost much more than 10% of my body weight, all good. So I ready to go where God leads me. I just have no idea where that will be.

HCG Protocol and update

Eesh....been almost a month. Sorry about that. A quick update as we are preparing for 4th of July here tomorrow. My total loss during R1P2 of HCG was 40 lbs.
I am now on a similar plan to Atkins to stabalize my weight. Then we will start adding back in healthy grains, etc. in a few weeks then vacation. I will be going to the doctor this week and hope to get some help with luteal phase and ovulation. I will keep you posted.
Sorry so short. Much to do and cleaning out all the clothes that are too big. Hope everyone has a safe 4th of July!

A Florida update

I have been negligent in updating my blog. We have been in the Tampa Bay area for over a week and the place we are staying has no wifi. We had to upgrade our phone account so I could keep up with business matters and I have been doing little else on the computer. We are heading back today and I will have to face a pile of backlogged orders that accumulated while we were gone. We were able to attend the Tampa Tea Party this week and I will post some photos when I have time this week. The fervor was different than the one in Cincinnati in March. People are more passionate and upset by the arrogance of government. I will have to brave the unknown tonight and go to a ...gulp...Saturday night Mass. It is that or miss Mass completely. We will be on the road for over 18 hours and have no idea where we will be and when we will be there. I will try and update on the road, if we have the capability. It's been a rough trip on the "kid front". I think my family knows why I am hesitant to home school. The got a taste of my life and it wasn't pretty. Our public and private lives are very different. We try to be as normal and productive as we can. Some days I wave the white flag a lot sooner than others.

Not soon enough

Pant, pant, pant. I am feeling like 2 ounces better. I am trying to muster the strength to get in the van and pick up fondue cheese. So far, I am not getting a break from the pain. I will wait it out. Kack. I guess I should be thankful vacation isn't now or I'd be indoors on a couch in pain instead of at the beach.

Planning a route

We are taking a get-away over the kids break in two weeks. What started as an inexpensive excursion has snowballed. Not to be pricey but it is in the Tennessee mountains and we have to pray Mass somewhere. There is only one Catholic Church in the area and if Florida was any indicator, it probably has the tourists(recall the bathing suits at Mass post). As of right now, our safest bet seems to be stopping in Lexington, KY on the way home for the 4 pm Mass. I am grateful to the sites that post Mass times and specifically the times and locations of the growing Latin Mass community. It is one less thing I have to fret over when we leave town. Did I mention we have to listen to a timeshare spiel? I did say it was cheap, right? I will have to report back so you can have the full experience along with us. My kids love stuff like this and doing it on a budget makes it all the better.

Where I've been...

My technology wasn't very cooperative during my time away. I will catch up and share some of our journey over the next week. We were able to visit 2 shrines and had two totally different Sunday Masses so I will detail that as well. The drive back was 19 hours. Yeah, kind of painful. Above are some cool photos. I want to move there. I am so not a winter person...

TTFN

We are hitting the road! It's an all nighter so I will see how my mobile blogging goes...

Update on life

Well last cycle came and went. I have been feeling rather yucky for the past two days. I started the supplements yesterday and you know, I just need to start eating better. I'm tired of not being able to keep up with life and my kids(sometimes). These supplements have me thinking healthy and feeling motivated. I just need a plan. It seems like whenever my husband and I have a plan to eat healthy and lose some weight, tragedy sets in and we go back to survival mode. I faxed over my BBT chart this morning and I just know he will bump me up to 200 mg on the clomid. This is sure to have side effects at that dosage. I'm fairly certain that is what landed me in the hospital last week. The abdominal pains were intense enough to worry me into the emergency room.

I need to focus on business and get things completed before vacation. I won't be able to handle the stress of outstanding orders and packing in one week. I'm up early feeling crampy and I should just get to work. I need to try and get the kids to Mass either tomorrow or Friday. I'm so hopeful about all things at our parish that I'm really not concerned with "that" aspect of my life right now. Looking back on the last year, I see that all things happen for a reason. There are still some horrible things that happened that cannot be reversed but I have to stay hopeful. A dear priest I know always says to me "who are you that you think you shouldn't have to suffer?" That may sound harsh but wiser words have never been spoken(to me). I think this is one reason I have such issues with Protestant mentality on suffering. Because I know God allows it for good reason. We have to trust that reasoning, it's part of our faith. In so many aspects of my life I try to pick the fruit before it is ripe and it is God that slows me down. He is the "whoa" so to speak. I look at the calender and see that I am getting older and worry about how much longer I have to bear a child. I need to get healthy so I can carry that child.

On a much more positive note, my daughter had a heart to heart with me yesterday and said "Mom, I just want to be a nun and a teacher. I think that will make me happy". Wow. She is six, mind you. Even if that never comes into fruition, it helps this mom feel like I am at least on the right path with my kids. Even if it is just for a day, sometimes I need that.

Yeah, I'm busy.

Late last night, panic struck and I realized we are leaving here soon and I needed to get the reservations finished and so much more. I made reservations(after reading great reviews) of a mom and pop place on St. Pete Beach that has one bedroom and a full kitchen. Two minute walk to the beach. I also researched and found a church in St. Petersburg that has an indult at 12:30 on Sunday. It is in a chapel so I made note of it. I know how I am when I get to a new church and want to try and "blend in". Honestly, with indults in both Orlando and St. Pete, reservations made and good seafood joints found, I believe I am set. The rest will go on a to-do list and will work itself out.

I did find out that we need a note from the boy's doctor to make things easier at WDW. I'm not a big fan of Disney and what they stand for but with kids, it is a hard choice. We are going one day, my daughter has never been on a vacation and this is all long overdue. I will try and blog on the road. This will put my Blackberry to the test.

Today I am taking all three kids for haircuts. I have never attempted this in my life. We still need to shop for back-to-school and order uniforms. I'm clearly in over my head. Not to mention orders for my business that got to gooooooo. If anyone who has been to St. Pete's has recommendations or tips, I'd be happy to hear from you!

Vacation planning

Still planning, still obsessing. It has been so long since we had a vacation and I'm fairly certain I have no idea what I am doing. Okay, it's fear of commitment. Once I make the reservation, I will read a bad review of the hotel and freak that we are stuck there. Right now, we are in agreement that we don't want to spend a whole week in Orlando. I would like to go to Clearwater or up further to Treasure Island. Definitely the gulf side(we did Daytona years ago and it was not my cup o' tea). Then I realized that Sunday will be a travel day and we need to find an "appropriate" Mass. I figure the only safe bet is a Latin Mass. I think I read somewhere that the one in Orlando is super crowded and in a small chapel(though I could be mistaken). In any event, I just need to get the reservations made and move on. I have a HUGE order for my business that came in and I will be sewing around the clock for the next two weeks. Too many lose ends.

A blog break

I will be back to blogging over the weekend. We have been busy with the business, church devotionals and planning our family vacation. I actually went to the St. Peters Way site thinking we could afford a trip to Rome this summer.....what was I thinking???
The leprechauns were near our house this morning and dropped coins! Not enough for a trip to Rome but the kids were still excited. They were dancing and singing trying to attract the leprechauns. Didn't work, they weren't coming out.