Look at what came in the mail......

Yes, that's right, I have now become our own version of a home science project! A package was delivered today with all sorts of needles, vials, etc that we will need while I am taking hormone injections. I am unable to start these injections for another week or two, but am very anxious and nervous to begin!

I actually laughed out loud a little when I opened everything because all of this still seems so surreal to me. A year ago I would have never imagined I would be standing in my kitchen opening all kinds of needles and medications just to try to do one of the most natural things a person can do- have a baby! But, as I told my mother in law today, one thing is for sure: there will be plenty of stories to share with this kid whenever he/she decides to finally arrive!

And of course, I could not resist taking several pictures to share with you guys!

Here is the "cute" carrying case to store some of the stuff:

And this was by far my favorite part- our very own hazard box!!

--Cait

Top 2 Tuesday!

This week's Top 2 Tuesday theme at The Undomestic Momma is..........Deserted Island! 2 things (not people, thats cheating!) you would take with you to a deserted island- and mine are.......





1) Kindle!





You guys read about my Kindle obsession not too long ago on a previous Top 2 Tuesday, so I will not bore you with another post about how much I love my Kindle (but in case you didnt read that previous post, I LOVE MY KINDLE!!!)





2) I had a hard time with picking one more item (since I obviously wouldn't be able to take a mall with me- wait Taylor, would that be cheating?? :)) so I let Husband pick the 2nd item- since he knows me better than I know myself sometimes. So Husband said my 2nd item would be........





Popcorn!




I do LOVE popcorn too- I eat it a lot! Husband likes to make fun of me too because when I eat popcorn I always have to lick the butter off the bag, too- I know, gross, but at the same time its sooooo good!



Now, I did ask Husband how he expected me to be able to cook popcorn on an island- and he said that the island would be hot enough that I can just leave a bag out in the sun :)

Now normally, I try to combine Top 2 Tuesday with a post about something else as well, but to be completely honest- I am beat! So my bed is calling my name right about......now!!!

--Cait

Me and My Daddy :)

This weekend Husband and I were able to enjoy some great family time with both his parents and some of mine (a very rare event)! In honor of my dad's visit (and Father's Day being last week), I thought I would devote this post to him and let you know a little about my daddy.....

My parents divorced when I was very young (just 1 year old) so spending time with my dad was always a special treat- since I did not get to see him every day. In the beginning, I lived close to my dad so I was able to see him every couple of weekends and I was young enough that I dont think it was as hard on me. Several years later, though, my mom and I made the move from California to Texas and spending time with my dad became much more of a challenge. I was limited to seeing him around school breaks since we were not as close anymore- and anytime I went to visit I had to fly (which can get quite expensive). Over the years and my many travels back and forth, I learned how amazing my dad truly is! At a time when he could have backed down because of how "hard" it was, my dad stepped up: keeping in constant contact with me, always wanting to know how school was going, and buying me a plane ticket anytime I wanted to come see him. He continued to support me throughout college and helped me "get on my feet" when I was ready to finally get my own place. He has always supported EVERY decision I make and has given me nothing but unconditional love- and I could not ask for a more supportive or understanding dad. I will admit there were times that I hated life because I did not have my parents together like other kids in school and there were times when I would feel like my heart was breaking whenever I would get back on that plane to fly home after visiting my dad, but I now know that all of that sadness and hurt just made me appreciate my dad even more! I can only hope that Baby Hill loves his/her dad as much as I love mine!


Here are a couple of pictures of me and my daddy years ago.....

And now present day:

And some other pictures from this weekend........

Husband's mom, me and my stepmom:

My baby brother, Christopher and me:

Husband and me:

Husband and I are constantly reminded of how blessed we are to have such wonderful families!! This weekend was absolutely perfect for both of us!

Hope you all had a great weekend too!

--Cait

Doctor's Appointment :)

This morning the moment I have been anxiously awaiting was finally here: I was able to meet with Dr Ku again and I am so excited to say that Husband and I can finally begin treatment! After discussing different options, we were able to formulate a "game plan" for the next several weeks that will go something like this.......

First, I get to start the progesterone pills- again. Once I have completed those, I will go in for an ultrasound to make sure everything looks ok to move forward with treatment. As long as everything looks normal, I will begin another cycle of Clomid. Since Clomid alone has not worked in the past, I will be taking hormone shots as well at the same time. Then after both the Clomid and shots, I will go back in for another ultrasound- and this time they will see if there are eggs ready to be released. After that.....we say a lot of prayers that everything works!

Of all the options we discussed, we chose this because while I may be desperate for Baby Hill, I am not desperate for 10 Baby Hills- no octomom here! So this is a big step forward for us, but at the same time we have chosen a "conservative" option. (This is probably the time where I should point out that everyone is different- this plan may not be the most logical for others. I use the word conservative lightly because while this seems like a more safe route to take, I would never judge other people's decisions to pursue more aggressive treatment- and it is very possible that I could end up pursuing other options as well. I know that some people may read this that have chosen different paths, and to that I say "great! whatever works best for you!")

So, Husband and I are looking forward to what may come of the next couple of weeks! It feels so good to know that we are finally moving forward (rather than standing at a standstill while we complete all kinds of tests). I am also anxious to share everything with all of you along the way!

Now, I have put cleaning the house off long enough- I think its about time to actually go do it! My dad is coming to visit for the weekend and I am so happy I have some good news to share with him :)

Happy Weekend!

--Cait

BEST. PHONE. CALL. EVER.!!!!

Rember that VERY unpleasant test I had last Friday?? Well, I received a voicemail yesterday stating that my results came in!! (why do I always miss these phone calls?) Anyways, the lady leaving the message was kind enough to leave the results in the voicemail AND............THEY CAME BACK COMPLETELY NORMAL!! I cannot express to you all the relief that washed through me when I heard the news! I even hesitated to feel happy because this is the first test in 7 months that has come back normal- over that time I forgot how it feels to receive good news!

So....I am off to Dr Ku bright and early on Friday morning and cannot wait to hear what he has to say! This test was the last obstacle Husband and I needed to overcome before starting treatment! (you know I will be counting down the hours until Friday morning!)

And, of course, I will let you all know what comes of Friday's appointment! :)

Happy Wednesday!

--Cait

Father's Day Recap and Top 2 Tuesday!

This weeks Top 2 Tuesday topic is........Top 2 Reality Shows you would be on:

This one is a tough one for me because even with how much I LOVE reality shows, I am pretty sure I would not want to ever be on one! (The thought of someone always watching me makes me really nervous!) So, with that, here are my top 2.........

1)

Now, of course I wouldn't want to be on the show with Nick and Jessica, but a similar show starring Husband and me!

2)

I grew up dancing throughout my entire childhood, all the way through high school. If only I was still in shape.......

Now on to our Father's Day celebration! Husband and I were all excited Sunday morning to drive to his parents house, enjoy their pool, and have a delicious bbq! So, off we went on the hour long drive to his parents, when all of a sudden this happened......

Husband and his dad removing the faulty tire (hey, at least they got some great father/son bonding time in, right?)

We finally made it to their house and had such a fun afternoon! Here I am with the man of the hour:

I love him!!

I have already read all of your blogs to catch up on how you all celebrated your weekend and loved all of the pictures everyone has posted! Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

--Cait

Shop Til You Drop Weekend!

This morning was the morning I have been dreading for several weeks now: time for my HSG test :( Because of Husband's new job, he was unable to be there with me, which put my anxiety into overdrive! Husband is normally so calm and cool in stressful situations that he is the perfect balance to my craziness! Without him there, I tried to keep myself together- not an easy task! You could probably say Husband was getting bombarded with text messages while I sat in the waiting room!

The test itself was not a long procedure- it was just the experience of it that I did not enjoy. As I laid there, staring at the ceiling, several things went through my mind: 1) This is VERY AWKWARD! I have always had a female doctor and unfortunately the doctor doing this test was an older male, so this was the first time I had had a male doctor "down there" 2) PLEASE let the results be normal- as long as they are, I am able to begin treatment. As with past appointments, I googled everything about the test before hand so I was very aware of what they could possibly find. 3) After those earlier thoughts had passed, I thought about this whole experience: all the tests and doctor visits, all the stress and tears, and all the prayers Husband and I have been saying, hoping for some good news at some point. And I thought about how I hope in a year or two from now, I am able to look back on all of this and think of how it was totally worth it- becasue I will have Baby Hill in my arms!

They did not go over the test results with me today, since the test was not done at my doctor's office- but luckily, I already have an appointment scheduled with Dr Ku (our fertility specialist) for next Friday. Now, if only I can worry about other things in the meantime!

After that very uncomfortable and very stressful start to my Friday morning, I decided there was no better way to improve my day then to indulge in some retail therapy! I had actually had my mind set to be "good' and avoid shopping today- but who was I kidding??!! As I drove past one of my favorite shopping centers on my way home I JUST HAD TO STOP!




So I spent some of my time here.........



If any of you have never heard of this store, you should really see if there is one by you! (they have stores in several different states) They also have all of their clothes for purchase online as well, but that is just not the same as shopping in a store! I absolutely love this store- they have the cutest things and their prices are Husband-approved!

Here is my favorite purchase from today.......


It doesnt really look like anything special in these pictures, but it is so cute on! I love the ruffle neckline and this dress is soooo comfortable! I can't wait to dress it up with some fun jewelry!

Now, the reason for today's blog title (and why I was trying to be "good" today by not shopping) is because Husband and I are counting on doing some major damage at the mall tomorrow! He is in desperate need of more work clothes since he has this new job- and just our luck, Nordstrom is having a sale!! :) So we have decided to make a special day of it and drive into Dallas (we live about an hour north) to go to one of my favorite malls and then spend the day together out and about! I am very much looking forward to our "day-date" tomorrow!

Hope you all are having a Fabulous Friday!

--Cait

Vegas Baby!

I cant believe Husband and I are already coming up on our 1 year wedding anniversary! It seems like it was only a couple of weeks ago that we were in Puerto Rico getting married! That day was truly the best day of my life and we have so many wonderful memories from our wedding and honeymoon cruise :) So for our first anniversary, I definitely wanted to take a trip somewhere to celebrate! I was voting for another cruise (I just LOVE cruises!), but Husband vetoed that idea very quick- he keeps saying all of the Caribbean islands "look exactly the same." So after much debate we finally settled on.........


Vegas!!! And since we will be going in less than 3 months, my brain is already on overload trying to get everything booked and planned! I am a HUGE planner so I always have to know which restaurants we will eat at, sights we will see, shops to stop at, etc before a trip- Husband normally hates my OCD-ness when it comes to things like this! He would rather just show up and go with the flow- NOT my style at all!

So far I have booked for us to stay at THE HOTEL at The Mandalay Bay- which means I can spend most of my time here.........

I have stayed in Vegas several times before and always enjoyed staying at Mandalay Bay because they have, in my opinion, the best pool area! Husband has never been to Vegas- shocking, since he is a HUGE poker player!- so I cannot wait to show him a good time! And since every other time I have been to Vegas I was under age, I am looking forward to enjoying the OTHER SIDE of Vegas that I have never been able to experience! (Although, I keep hoping that maybe Baby Hill will be on the way by then- in which case I can just enjoy more pool time with some virgin drinks)

So.......if any of you have been to Vegas in the last couple of years and have some good recommendations let me know!!

--Cait

Top 2 Tuesday and Weekend!

This weeks Top 2 Tuesday at The Undomestic Momma is...........Guilty Pleasures!

1) This one should be a given (but just in case).........SHOPPING!! Now for a normal person this may not be considered a guilty pleasure, but for me it is. I actually get a rush when I go inside a mall! (you think I am kidding, but trust me I am not!) Anytime I am having a bad day all it takes is a step inside a store and I magically feel better! And its not just clothing shopping- it can really be anything! Grocery shopping, Petsmart for the dogs, shopping for Husband, and even random errands that just require me to purchase something! Husband and I have definitely had an argument or two over my addiction!

2) Romance Books- I know, I know, not the most glamorous guilty pleasure! But something about summer makes me want to just lay out at the pool with a good love story! Now that I have my Kindle (which I absolutely love!!) I have easier access to books any time I want them- all I have to do is hop on Amazon and download whatever sounds good at the moment- which definitely does not help any with guilty pleasure #1! And like #1, Husband and I have gotten in a few arguments over this guilty pleasure, too- because sometimes I don't understand why Husband cannot act more like the men in those books! (To which Husband will normally respond by saying that if he too had someone writing all of his lines, he would definitely act more like those men!)

As for our weekend......let's just say that if I were ever in a position where someone was wanting to torture me, I now know exactly what they can use...... Yard work! I have always known that me and yard work do not get along, but this weekend I really learned how much we hate each other! I just do not see the fun in sweating, aching, being bitten by bugs, or getting dirty! And to any of you who are able to garden or who enjoy yard work, I have so much respect for you! Because I really wish I was good at it, but I can very confidently say that yard work and I will never be a match for each other!

Husband and I had decided it would be a GREAT idea to completely re-do our flower beds this weekend! As much as I hated the work, I was very proud of the result! I took before and after pictures to share with all of you- but please be aware that our flower beds looked HORRIBLE in the beginning! Husband and I did not have a chance yet this season to go through and pull the weeds, so I will admit they were a bit of a mess before we started!

Before:

Husband starting on the digging:


The finished product! I am so proud! (Husband was very quick to point out that in this picture he had not yet mowed, so our yard does look better now too!)

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend- hopefully more than I enjoyed mine!! :)

--Cait

Fabulous Friday!

1) It's pay day!! Which led to.........

2) Spending some of my afternoon here......

For those of you who do not know, this is BY FAR my favorite place to shop (and this is also the home of my former fashion career).

3) Favorite purchase from my shopping trip.......

4) Husband's test results came back! Drumroll please.........

He passed with flying colors! Which means SOMEONE will very likely be walking around the house this weekend with a larger ego!

These are just a few things that have made my Friday fabulous so far- along with looking forward to seeing some amazing friends this evening! Hope all of you are enjoying your Friday too!

Happy Weekend!

--Cait

See You Next Month, Progesterone!

Every month for the last 5 months I have had to take a cycle of progesterone pills to raise my hormone levels- they are VERY low due to my PCOS. My experience with these pills, so far, has not been too bad- but, as with any medication you take, there are side effects. With that being said, I think Husband is more excited than anyone that I am done with this month's cycle of progesterone! He is the one who encounters most of the side effects, aka my craziness, while I am on them! After all, these are HORMONE pills- I think you get the picture. So good news Husband......you can now rest easy for the next couple of weeks!

Since I am done for this month that means I am now that much closer to this month's test: a Hysterosalpingogram, or HSG test. I am NOT looking forward to this test and it does not sound like it will be a pleasant experience! (I will be having dye injected into me so that an x-ray can be taken of my lower abdomen area) Luckily, Husband's new insurance kicked in this week because I do not want to think about how much a test like this would cost without insurance coverage! I have not yet set the date for the test but it will be sometime within the next 2 weeks- and you all know I will blog about it!

*On a complete side note, I got to have lunch with Husband today for the first time since he started his new job! It makes me feel so good seeing him so happy about this new opportunity!


--Cait

Tulsa Fun And Top 2 Tuesday!

I am very happy to join in on my very first Top 2 Tuesday, hosted by Taylor at The Undomestic Momma!

This weeks topic is: TOP 2 BOOKS!! I figured what better day to join than on a day where the topic is all about one of my very favorite things: books! (2nd to shopping of course!)

1)

I absolutely fell in love with this book!! It is my all time favorite and I have read all 4 of the books in the series (and am anxiously awaiting the release of the upcoming one!). I will admit that on more than 1 occasion I have wished that I was Rebecca Bloomwood and have definitely felt like her in a store a time or two!

2)

I just finished reading this book a couple of weeks ago and have recommended it to several friends! This book will really make you look at your relationship with your spouse and re-evaluate what makes you happy. It is definitely not an uplifting, happy story, but is still just as good because of the message of the story!

Now on to Tulsa!...........


After a late start Friday morning, Husband and I drove up to Tulsa, Oklahoma to see our besties- J and K. It took 4 long hours- during which Husband was going insane listening to my off-tune singing and crazy driving- but was worth every minute! This was just the weekend we both needed!

Nothing helps you relax after a crazy couple of weeks more than floating a beautiful river with some food, drinks and friends! (CAUTION: Please excuse me for looking like a hot mess in these pictures! It was 100 degrees outside and humid= my hair not cooperating!)

--Cait

PS- Husband did have his "test" Friday morning, but I decided to not post about it- let's just say it was a VERY AWKWARD event! I am sure he would rather I not share the details! So far we have not heard any results yet, but we figure no news is good news for now!

A New Chapter in Our Lives

I am already VERY ready for this week to be over for several reasons:

1) Husband and I will be heading to Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend to visit some of our best friends! I am so excited and cannot wait to get away for a couple of days! Our friends, J and K, are such wonderful people and I think both Husband and I could really use this fun time with them! I will make sure to take plenty of pictures and will likely post about the trip next week :)

2) Husband will be going in for his one and only fertility test on Friday (I am saying "one and only" because Husband is ABSOLUTELY sure they will not find anything wrong with his "swimmers"). I am very anxious for this test because once Husband is in the clear, we can focus on me and start treatment sooner.

3) Probably the most important reason........Husband starts a new job next week! Upon returning from our trip, Monday morning Husband will begin training for what we hope will be a great new career! We keep saying this new opportunity is actually a blessing in disguise because with the new job comes a great benefit package- including infertility coverage! It has been very hard to continue paying for all the tests up to this point- without coverage, fertility testing is not cheap! Hopefully, this is a sign of good things to come!

With the new job, I can't help but think that this is a new chapter in our lives. Husband and I have been going through a few major changes in our lives lately and this just adds to the list: Husband graduated from college in May, we started pursuing fertility treatment, and now a new job! I am both excited and nervous for this "clean slate"!

So with that being said, I am looking forward to the month of June! Summer has always been my favorite season and this summer is already off to a great start!

--Cait