Similar Schedules for the First Time Ever!

For the past 8 years, Ben and I have been on different schedules.  My schedule is your normal Monday through Friday 8 – 5.  Ben’s schedule has always been second shift (4pm-2am) and his days off changed every 3 months.   After having Ava he decided he wanted to go to day shift (7am-5pm) so he could be home more with her.  He applied for day shift in January but due to seniority he did not get it.   Until now…

On Monday, he received a phone call from his lieutenant asked him if he wanted day shift starting next week.  Ben said yes.  So starting next week Ben will be working day shift! 

I should be super excited right?!?!?!  Well I was indifferent about it at first.   Ben and I have never spent 7 days with each other on a routine basis since ever in our relationship.  We went to different colleges.  He moved home, I moved to Baltimore.  He moved to Kentucky and 8 months later I moved to Kentucky.  From that point on we have lived together but again have always been on different schedules.  I am use to have 4 nights of the week to myself to do whatever I want.  Granted sometimes I truly missed him those 4 nights but overall I enjoy my Kelly time.

The idea of Ben being home nightly has grown on me.  I will have a little free time to grocery shop by myself or maybe even if I dare a movie with some girlfriends!  I know those two will still be hard to accomplish but I will have more opportunity!  It will also be great to have Ben home during the spring and tornado season.  Last night, we were under a tornado warning and here I am trying to wrangle 4 dogs and keep Ava asleep at 11:15 at night.  I managed but it will be so much easy to split the duties.

Overall, I am nervous and very excited to have Ben home every night.  Hopefully, we as a family adjust to it well!

Valentine

Our valentine got us purple boots!!

Favorites

I decided to do a little post about a few of my favorite loves since it is almost Valentine’s Day. 

A few of my favorite loves:

1.      The smell when Ben first opens the door after getting out of the shower. Hmmm…

2.      Listening to Ben and Ava do anything together.  Specifically, I love listening to him over the monitor reading books or playing or giggling or etc.

3.      Ava’s “I-am-so-happy-to-see-you-mommy” face when I pick her up from daycare.

4.      The sense of hope that our FET transfer will work. 

5.      Snuggles with our doggies

6.      A nice juicy steak with a baked sweet potato and a glass of red wine.

7.      Music – lately Tom Petty and Eric Church.

8.      Reading for pleasure where I stay up most of the night because I just can’t put the book down.

9.      Nice long naps.

10.  My little family, our big family, and our friend family.

 What are some of your favorite loves?

Here we go again! FET#1 Schedule

After much contemplating on my part, Ben and I decided to do FET this March.  I thought I had decided not too just because it is smarter financially and professionally to wait until next year but I was never settled with that decision.  I brought it up yet again to Ben and he said lets go for it.  I made the call that day and I felt very comfortable about my decision.  I kept waiting for a wave of regret to come and it never did.  Now, I do have heavy shoulders about the procedure.  Specifically, how many do we transfer, what are we going to do if it doesn’t work, etc.? 

Here is My protocol:

Step 1 – Birth Control Pills for a month.  I have started January 27^th and will continue taking BCP until February 22^nd.  So far I feel like the pills have just made me weepy.  But maybe it is the gray skies and snowy weather keeping me homebound last month and I just have some major cabin fever!

Step 2 – When I start my next period I will start using Minivelle patches.  I start with 1 patch and work my way up to 4 patches.  I will decrease back to 2 patches prior to the transfer and will continue the patches until my period or 10 weeks pregnant. 

Step 3 – Transfer day will be either March 17 – 18^th.   I will start my antibiotics and Prometrium suppositories.  I will continue Prometrium until my period or 10 weeks pregnant.  I used the prometrium last time too.   Even though I never felt quite clean using the suppositories, I am so glad it isn’t the progesterone shots that I hear horror stories about. 

There will be a total of three appointments not including bloodwork/pregnancy scans. 

Appt 1 – Tuesday this week I met with our RE for a sonohsterogram (SHG).  Per the clinic’s website, SHG involves injecting sterile saline through the cervix into the uterus and then the RE uses good ole Mr. Wandy to make sure the saline flows into the uterus without any problem.  I cramped a little during the procedure but it went well and there was no blockage or other issues. 

Appt 2 – It will 12-14 days into my next cycle.  They will check my lining and make sure all is ago for the transfer.

Appt 3 – As mentioned above the transfer day is March 17^th-18^th.  Either day works for me.  I will have to miss a part of work but it is what it is.  I will either have to wear green for St. Patty’s day (3/17) or Duke blue for my brothers birthday (3/18).

It seems completely weird to be in this process again.  Ben and I are still discussing how many to transfer.  We have 3 snow babies.   We both agree not to transfer all 3.  Ben says transfer 2.  I go back and forth between transferring 2 and having a better odds of pregnancy and transferring 1 and still having 2 for backup. 

It feel so odd, yet strangely familiar, to be back in this process again.