It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!!!

I love the holiday season so it should be of no surprise to anyone that we picked up our tree today. Aidan is putting it in the stand as I type. We'll let it drop for the rest of today (we're at the St. Andrews Ball tonight) and decorate tomorrow. I love coming home to the smell of a tree and the lights (I'm a white lights kind of gal).

Thanksgiving was busy. Between my mom coming home, a meeting and making dinner, the day was full. I made a wonderful apple custard pie that for an experiment was amazing. As crazy as this year has been, I am so very thankful for my life, my family and my friends.

I had a question about why we've decided to go to Norway for IVF #2 versus NJ or NY. Like our decision to go to the Czech Republic this past summer, the decision was twofold. First, we want to have a vacation while we go through the process. While it isn't a relaxing type of vacation, it is more relaxing than doing it while working. The second reason is cost. IVF in CZ was very inexpensive and in Norway it will be more expensive than CZ but still less expensive than doing it in the US. Finally, we're both psyched about visiting Norway. Aidan has been there twice and loves it and I've never been there. Aidan's already excited about planning this cycle which is half the battle, as far as I am concerned! So while I would still love for us to do this naturally, Norway would be a cool place to visit while going through this process.

Pictures from the Royal Visit to Bermuda

I didn't make the parade but Aidan said it was a great experience.

Our wedding photographer got some great shots of the Royal Visit to St. Georges. Enjoy.

http://www.bermynet.com/photos/november242009

Here are photos from another photographer from the Queen's visit to Hamilton on Nov 25th:

http://www.bermynet.com/photos/november2509ham/p/1

Pretty Darn Cool.....

The support group was excellent. I really wish Aidan was able to come with me but he was getting his kit ready for today's parade in St. Georges for the Queen. In any case, the participants were amazing and their journeys were fascinating. I didn't freak out, cry or clam up. I just shared my story and eventually information that I had researched that was helpful to others. In the end, we went over by 30 minutes but it was worth it.

I am contemplating how to go to St. Georges today to see the parade....

Another New Adventure....

Last week I decided to take the plunge.... Tonight I'm going to my first IRL Infertility Support Group. People who know what I've been doing have been encouraging me to go for a few months but since I was seeing a therapist, I didn't feel the need. After we came back from CZ and the 2 weeks of insanity that included the beta and its aftermath, I almost decided to attend but a meeting with my therapist calmed me down enough to change my mind. Well, my therapist is leaving the country. I thought about it for a few days after receiving the news and then emailed the group's organizer. So I am forgoing the dance class tonight to visit with the group. Thankfully, they do not meet every week so I will be able to go to class some weeks. On the other hand, we're off to Boston in 2 weeks so I may not get to attend again until the calendar flips over into 2010.

In any case, I am pretty nervous about attending. I go through phases of feeling like I'll fit in. I usually bring a book to parties just in case my socializing mood is off for the evening. What if I don't feel like sharing or if I don't feel comfortable like I do/did with my therapist? Sure, tomorrow I'll probably say that the group is absolutely amazing (I've been told that it is).

Perhaps what I am more nervous about is surgery and the group is a scapegoat for my fears over the whole process. I've been open about the procedure. Whenever I get congrats on being pg I just say "oh no - it's fibroid tumors and I'm having them removed next month". It usually nips that conversation off at the knees. But I still need to go out there, get through pre-op, have the surgery and then get through the first 48 hours after surgery and then the energy rollercoaster post surgery. Sure, I'll be fine and Aidan will be there for me but I can't help but think further ahead as well, past my fear of hospitals and needles and having to spend the night in the hospital (I hope they drug me up well!). What happens when they say we can TTC again. That rollercoaster I am not looking forward to. As AF has just begun, without the anxiety of the past 20+ months, I can only imagine how I'm going to feel after going through all of this and still not succeeding. I am positive looking towards 2010 but I don't like the pain I've felt in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Anyhow, the Queen will be arriving tomorrow with Prince Philip. Aidan will be playing for their visit. I don't know if I'll get the opportunity to see her - perhaps I will get the chance when she arrives in Hamilton for a church service. The media are already here - I went to purchase socks for Aidan's Christmas stocking and encountered a British news crew interviewing a shopkeeper about Bermuda shorts and whether they could be popular in the UK for business men. I slipped out the side door after making my purchase as I had no desire to be pulled into the circus...

Anyhow, the Christmas letter is still not done so the Christmas cards aren't either. We did wrap some gifts while we watched tv this weekend so at least we won't have to worry about that. I'd like to get the cards out next week and we'll probably mail the US and international cards when we're in Boston (still thinking about the logistics of that...).

November ICLW - Thanks for Stopping By!!!

Welcome from Bermuda. I'm getting ready for 3 things currently: 1) My mom is flying back home on Thanksgiving Day after a successful kidney transplant that she received in October; 2) I'm getting ready for Fibroid surgery in Boston in December and; 3) I'm getting the house ready for the Holidays!!! It's less hectic than previous months and I am actually feeling pretty organized for the first time since June/July!

Here's a little bit about my world:

Me - 35, independent consultant and dancer, 5+ years into a doctoral program in management (in the process of changing the methodology to simplify the study and finish... I have the BEST editor), dx with polycyctic kidney disease (not affecting fertility) and fibroids (apparently affecting fertility). I love MGM Musicals, theatre, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Star Wars, Star Trek and dancing.

DH - 37, engineer, clairinet player and bagpiper, dx high prolactin levels and low motility. He loves marching and pipe bands, theatre, suspense novels, strategy games and good BBC programming.

Our Life - met in 1999 or 2000 (depends on who you speak to), dating in 2001, engaged in 2005, married in 2006 and began TTCing in 2007. I'm having the Da Vinci robotic fibroid removal surgery on Dec 9th so we're on a TTC break until June 2010. I am also about to join an IRL infertility support group.

Other stuff - we have 2 cats and 2 dogs (CKCSs). We love to travel (it happens when you're stuck on a 21 square mile Island). We love Broadway and West End Shows. We both enjoy being onstage performing or backsage making the show happen. We're planners and that probably makes this whole IF thing suck royally.

What we're doing to get by - We started increasing our communication with each other after I had an emotional explosion in December 2007 over an unsuccessful cycle. Since December 08 we've stopped putting our energy into TTCing and started putting it into getting healthier and spending quality time together. This year we've walked the equivalent of a marathon and ran a half-marathon. We've adopted healthy eating habits and are doing acupuncture. We did our first IVF cycle in Zlin in the Czech Republic (we did not miss out on our annual vacation). We're considering doing IVF #2 in Norway next in June or September 2010 once I've healed from the fibroid removal surgery.

Other than that, we're looking forward to the holiday season.

Christmas Cards 2009

Suzy - I hope you like them!

I am soooo boring....

Hi - I haven't been around much. It hasn't been for interesting reasons though. Wish I can say the non-TTC life is therapeutic and I am refreshed. Basically I've replaced worrying about TTCing with tons of work.... I'm so boring! That said, it's been hellish at work lately. I have decided that things need to slow down quite a bit leading up to surgery. I am going to resign from one of my clients because I just cannot give them the time that they need. Added to that, I don't need to be worrying about getting back to work after surgery is done. I can only manage one pressure cooker client at a time. To try to relax (not really happening though), I've gone through Charlaine Harris' Aurora Teagarden series (the last book pissed me off a bit ) and am almost finished the Lily Bard series (I've really liked these). I've purchased the Harper Connelly series for my kindle but I really need to hold on it it for after the surgery. I also purchased a book that's supposed to be the sequel to 'A Christmas Carol' that had really good reviews. We took the Christmas decorations out of the basement yesterday to air out. I need to figure out what to do with the wreath this year. Aidan is going to start on the 2009 Christmas Letter so we can start addressing envelopes. I'm not too happy with the homemade cards this year but I chalk it up to not being as relaxed as I usually am at this time of year. I'm hoping that early tree trimming will calm me down. But now that I think of it, there will then be present wrapping - then house preparation for the Open House (thankfully that will be catered) - then there's Christmas and Boxing Day when we'll be driving all over the place. Why do I always think that the holidays will somehow be relaxing.


We've also done a little tv watching. We just finished the UK version of 'Life on Mars' and are almost finished 'Firefly'. Not sure what we'll watch next - perhaps start on the Christmas movies and tv specials (I think I'll purchase 'It's a Wonderful Life' this year and I have already ordered 'Christmas in Connecticut' from Amazon. I am contemplating taking off next Thursday since it isn't a holiday here. I don't know whether to make a Thanksgiving dinner for the Thursday or for the Sunday. If I can steer clear of this client that I am resigning from, life should slow down a tad (and not even that much since I still have quite a few irons in the fire). I really do plan to stop once I am away and will have no choice but to take it easy when I get back.

At Home...

... at least for today and tomorrow. The Summit was hellish because I had to drug myself up the entire time. The hotel food got old really fast and the AC was a PITA. Still, the Summit went well.

I have today and tomorrow to relax a bit and catch up with stuff around the house (and hopefully order our Christmas Tree). I have managed to pay some bills but I still need to do invoices for October and to also catch up with my editor and send her the next payment. Plus, I have a Christmas Cardmaking Party on Saturday so I need to sort out my Christmas Card list to see how many card I need to make.

I am so happy that it is November though. Can't wait to do more baking, Thanksgiving and ultimately Christmas music. Yeah, it also marks the countdown to surgery next month but that is also another step towards our goal!

My mom is good. The weather has changed in Boston so my parents need to go shopping for some warmer clothes. She also plans to start her Christmas shopping next week.