Doctor Appointment

Today was my "Western Medicine" doctor appointment.  I was so excited that I hit it off great with the OBGYN.  All I did was look up the physicians that were under my insurance online and called to see whoever had the first available appointment.  She was wonderful.  Very attentive to my concerns and wishes.

Best part about the appointment was that my acupuncturist had warned me not to mention the acupuncture at the appointment when I requested to have some tests done.  She said that some Western doctors may not agree with the treatment, ect.  Turns out I did not even need to mention acupuncture or the tests.  1st my doctor explained that she wanted to do the tests ASAP because of my past history AND 2nd she even mentioned that some of her past patient's have had great luck with acupuncture!  Score!

Today's appointment consisted of: Flu Shot, basic check up, and blood work.  I remember she mentioned:  Testosterone, Prolactin, Thyroid and maybe a few others.  The blood work will be sent to Minnesota (Mayo Clinic) and then I will have a conference to go over the results.

She mentioned starting Clomid as needed.  This gives me mixed emotions.  I hate to pump my body with more medications/hormones when everything is already out of balance.  She did mention that women on Clomid are more often to conceive twins!  Now that is a fun idea!

Needy.

Cuddle Time

Needy Milo?

OR

Needy Maria?

 ;)

Acupuncture/Tests/Seed Rotation Diet

Today was my first acupuncture visit.  It was a learning experience.  It was really nice to see the provider concerned with my overall health.  Many times when I told other healthcare providers about my "irregularity" they just said it is normal for me.  I never thought that maybe there was some sort of hormonal imbalance causing the irregularity.

SOURCE

She encouraged a lot of the same things that I have read about.  Low sugar, dairy and grains in diet.  No caffeine.  No alcohol.  Exercise regularly.  She added a basal cell temperature each morning and a new prenatal vitamin.  This prenatal is serious stuff! Three capsules twice a day!  Took my first dose this morning with breakfast and surprisingly did not feel nauseous.  She said the biggest difference between the OTC prenatal that I was taking and these pills is that this has a natural source of folic acid whereas the OTC has a synthetic.  Which has been linked to cancer.

She also encouraged that I see an OBGYN for some hormonal tests.  The tests include:  LH: FSH ratio- Luteinizing Hormone and Folicle Stimulating Hormone.  Testosterone.  Estradiol (to make sure my ovaries are working correctly). PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) testing including prolactin.  I have an appointment next week for a check up and hopefully the MD will order these tests.

Lastly, she recommended a seed rotation diet.  The seeds selected contain essential fatty acids that promote a healthy balance of estrogen and progesterone and help to regulate your menstrual cycle.  They help to normalize irregular menstrual cycles and support adrenal and thyroid health.

Day 1-14: one tablespoon of 50/50 ground flax seed/pumpkin seeds

Day 15-28:  one tablespoon of 50/50 mix ground sesame/sunflower seeds

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Looking forward to the outcome!  

Good Friend

My best-est friend came up to Madison for dinner today.  It was the highlight of my week!  What a treat to have such a good friend drive up in the middle of the week for a dinner date!

milo even posed for the photo

I am so excited to visit her on her new adventure in Boston MA!

Today.

Starting off today with some private hopefully no one ever reads this blog information!  I started my menstruation today.  Phew, had to get that off my chest.  Feeling blessed and more "normal".  We had a great time this weekend at my mother in laws.  She shared the sweetest photo of my nephew Bodhi with me. 

Bodhi has the sweetest mama, Cara.  She is truly a role model to me on how to be pregnant, look great, and stay healthy.  She did such a phenomenal job watching what she ate and eating only the healthiest for her baby.  All her hard work and determination paid off.  Bodhi is a beautiful and healthy young boy.

I found these little gems at Hobby Lobby this week!  It reminds me of my childhood.  My mom was always so good about decorating for each holiday.  I never realized how much those decorations put a smile on my face. :)

I also found this hoodie at Goodwill for 3.99$! Score!!  I am really going to try to shop the clothes there a little more often.  You can really find some great treasures!  

I have had the worst crick-in-the-neck for the past three days and finally decided to go to a power stretch class.  I feel so much better.  I am already looking forward to going back on Monday night.  

Whole Foods.

Also known as... whole paycheck.

Not really, but it sure is a lot more expensive than Aldi's!  I am tying to accept the perspective that money spent on "garbage" food is not really saving money.  Although Aldi's has a lot of great healthy foods and produce, I am not convinced that it is worth it to eat inorganic.  Thoughts?

So, with one of my new goals for 2013... "Eat clean.  More fruits and vegetables."  I need to revolutionize my grocery shopping and meal planning.  Here is a photo of todays goodies:

6 Organice Green Apples

1 cucumber

Blueberries

2 packages of Fingerling Potatoes

6 Sweet Potatoes

1 container of guacamole 

1 jar of almond butter

1 package of coconut flour- (I have no clue what I am going to make with this but I have come accross a lot of recipes online)

Bag of raw macadamia nuts

Bag of raw almonds

Bag of raw cashews

1 gallon organic 2% milk - for my handsome husband

1 small package of sour cream - for my hunk-a-lovin

1 package of oyster crackers - for my main squeeze

I still have some groceries left over from last weeks trip to Copps (aka Rundys):  Spring Mix Lettuce, Spinach, eggs, carrots ect.  And we keep a lot of frozen meat on hand.  Hopefully I can make some yummy clean meals this week made with whole foods.  Bon appetite!  

Acupuncture.

Have you ever tried it?  I have been doing a lot of research lately about regulating hormones and the importance of regular menstrual cycles.  I am not interested in any western medicine interventions just yet, after all they probably would send me right out the door anyway considering we have been only trying for about 4 weeks. 

 I am so excited to try alternative medicine.  I am throughly convinced that our body can be healed of many ailments through proper nutrition and relaxation.   I am not concerned about the lack of pregnancy yet, but more concerned about the lack of menstruation.  Without that menstruation my body is unable to ovulate or therefore become pregnant.  

Am I obsessing? Probably.

I have been trying to be very mindful and make some lifestyle changes to help my body become more in balance and healthy already.

1.  Exercising regularly.  I am running 3 - 4 miles 3 or 4 times a week.  (Started October 2012)

2.  Eliminated caffeine.  Gave up coffee and diet soda.  (Late December 2012)

3.  Incorporating more vegetables into my diet. (in progress)

4.  Limiting flour, wheat and sugar. (in progress)

Goals I am working on implementing to improve health and balance:

1.  Start acupuncture with a female health specialist.

2.  Start taking yoga classes.

3.  Eliminate processed foods!! This sounds so intimidating to me but will be well worth the effort.

I have my first session with Amy a week from Friday!  I am so looking forward to it!

*Update:  Tried to go for a run today with new running shoes and the knee is still acting up :(

The weekend.

Friday:  Headed out early to a nursing home in Edgerton, Wi.  It turns out the home was under construction and many residents were battling the flu (boo).  I saw only a handful of patients and was home by noon. 

 I had a quick lunch then headed out for a run.  I was thankful that the weather was back into the high 30's.  It seems as though I am fighting a little knee injury.  I have never had any pain (other than out of shape-too-many-donuts pain) while exercising.  Needless to say, I am little worried.  I did some googling and I have self diagnosed myself with "Runner's Knee".  The prognosis is not very promising but I am blaming it on my shoes and the ice I have been having to hurdle over.  I took today off and will try a run again on Wednesday.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is just minor and a few days of rest will fix it!

I was also able to create a quick meal plan for the week and head out for groceries. 

I had a few hours before Jeret came home for work so I whipped up a quick batch of chocolate chip cookies.  So good.  I ended up baking only a few and then froze the rest of the dough.  I am hoping this will help my self discipline.  Although, now I can't keep the idea out of my head that there is frozen chocolate chip cookie dough in the basement freezer!  At least this way I have to do a set of stairs to help work off a bite of dough. ;)  We had Orange Chicken for dinner with steamed veggies and brown rice.  I am really trying to be conscious about the amount of white flour processed foods that we are eating.  Dang it cookies!  

Milo and I retired to bed early, as always.  I either catch up on my blogs (that I read) or read my book.  Milo falls asleep next to me.  Normally he is at the foot of the bed, but Friday he thought a pillow would suit him. 

Saturday was wonderful.  I really do cherish the time I have with my family.  I am so lucky to be able to relax on Saturday and Sundays and be with my husband.  It really means a lot to me.  I was up early with Milo and Jeret was able to catch a few more zzz's.  He is the night owl.  

Jeret made a delicious breakfast which is his specialty before we went for a run together!  What a treat to have a running partner.  I did have to walk a few times due to the knee (which surprised me because that is not like me).  

I was able to sneak away for a few hours to do a little speed shopping.  One of our neighbors invited us over for his 40th Birthday that night.  I just picked up a 6 pack of beer and bottle opener that was shaped like a wrench.  I thought I would like that if I was a guy! I even made a quick peak into Ann Taylor Loft.  Turns out I found some awesome cobalt blue skinny jeans and a great grey turtle neck to wear to the party.  They were on sale and then 50% off the sale so I justified the purchase.  (I am definitely the spender in this relationship but I try to be conscious and only make responsible purchases.  Blue skinny jeans = responsible in my book!)

My father in law Russ stopped over to spoil milo pick up a desk and stayed for a quick game of Rummy.  For which I won! Wa hoo! 

The party was at a bar just down the street.  We had a great time!  We watched the Packers lose, which was unfortunate.  The boys all put on some fake mustaches.  Jeret cracked-me-up!  He looked like a legit fire fighter with a mustache!  We really couldn't ask for better neighbors.  They are the only community I have (besides family) here in Middleton.  I am hoping to meet some new people this year.

This morning (Sunday) we relaxed and Jeret watched his most recent Netflix movie.  I made it to the gym to ride the bike.  I was thankful for a little exercise and it didn't bother me knee at all.  We watched football sporadically and I made three dishes of lasagna.  I added as much vegetables as I could find in the freezer:  broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers and spinach!  Jeret was not enthused.  I am really trying to eat more vegetables.  I did use an organic olive oil pasta sauce with no added sugar and used whole wheat noodles.  There were still a few cheats:  cheese (ricotta and mozzarella, wheat and two cookies for dessert! :) 

I am so thankful for such a wonderful weekend.  I am all rested and ready for the week! I think...

Worrier

I am a worrier.  I worry about my worries.  It is the way I have always been.  I worry about myself, my troubles, my issues.   I worry about my family and friend's issues.  I even worry about strangers!  It is what I do.

I realize it is not healthy to worry all the time.  It makes me feel restless and anxious.

I try to let things go.  To understand that some things are not in my control, and therefor the worrying is useless and exhausting.

Some of my worries today:
 -  my fertility.  Do I have PCOS?  Will I have issues conceiving?  Did I make the wrong choice by starting to take oral birth control?  Did I choose the wrong pill?
- work hazards.  Is the chemical sterilization at work causing harm to myself?  Will it impact my ability to get pregnant?  Will it impact my baby prenatally?
- my little sister.  How is she feeling today?  Is today a good day for her?  Are the people present in her life making her smile?
- finances.  Are we house poor?  Probably so.  Do we love our house?  Absolutely.  I worry if one of us may loose our job.  How will having a child impact our finances?
- my marriage.  Am I good wife?  More importantly, is my husband happy?  Does he find happiness in his job?

With all that being said, I want to try to find the good in these topics.  I want to focus on what we have and not what could be.

- my fertility.  I have barely given it a shot.  We are only 3 measly weeks in.  Lots of time.  And thankfully we are young, healthy and have a bright future.
- work hazards.  I'm on this one.  I have contacted the EPA and am going to find all of the information that I can find on the risks of the chemicals we use.
- theresa girl.  She is beautiful and doing SO much better.  I will continue to pray for her and do my best to empower her to grow more confident.
- finances.  We are so lucky to have been able to pay off all of our debt (besides the mortgage).  My student loan will be paid off in 4 months! Wa hoo!  Even after dedicating a lot to pay off any debt, we have been able to save money for our wedding, a down payment on our house, and into a savings.  We also are able to allocate money to our Roth IRA and 457.  If life throws a curve ball, we can always downsize.
- my marriage.  Jeret if your reading this... let me know if I need to step it up! ;)

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Keeping up with the jones and a gratitude journal

I find myself constantly comparing.  I am comparing my job, my appearance, my home, my income, and the list goes on and on.  Why do I waste my time on such useless thoughts?  I know that I am so lucky to have such a full and blessed life.  My husband is wonderful.  That is probably the one department in my life that I do not compare because he is as good as it gets.  This I already know.

Today, I felt a twinge of jealousy when I found out that two of my acquaintences were expecting babies.  We have been trying for a whole TWO WEEKS and I am already wishing that I could be the one boasting a pregnancy.  I can understand having a little jealousy if we had been trying for a while, but I haven't even given it a chance.  Have some patience, maria!  I think this stems from the fact that I think we might have a hard time conceiving.  I have never been "regular" (sorry for the TMI) and birth control has always been a little hard on my system.  I am hoping and praying that I am wrong and the road ahead will be a smooth one.

So, I thought today would be a good day to start a "gratitude journal".  I know that my perspective on life and trying for a baby will be a lot healthier if I focus on the good in my life.

Entry #1:  I am thankful for my health.  I am grateful for my two legs that allow me to jog a few times a week.  I am thankful for the opportunity to shop healthy for myself and my family.  I am thankful that I have a warm home and wonderful kitchen to cook in.

I am feeling better already :)

Lately

Lately,  I can't get enough of this goofball. 

He really is quite the stud muffin. 

And this little boy is pretty darn sweet, too.

Life is good.  Grateful for all of the blessings in my life.

I'm off to make a little brownie sundae!

Love handles = 1 Maria = 0

Jeggings

Jeggings = leggings + jeans

My mom gave me a pair for Christmas.  I insisted that they were at least two sizes too small!  She said that was the way they are supposed to fit.  If you can't trust your mom to tell you the truth, who can you believe?

So, today I am wearing the tightest pants of my life!  

Master Bath Wish List

Speaking of that 800$ that I could have spent on something other than the broken axel.  Here is a little bit of inspiration for next big project... the master bath.  It is our next project but I'm not sure when we will get to it.  We like to save until we can pay cash for projects around here so it may be a little while.  Especially considering we may be having a little bambino in the next year or so and I will probably work only part time.  Without further ado, here is eye candy! 

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I love the basket weave tile on the floor and the vanity. (Source)

We will have two half walls like the picture above shows.  We will have two shower heads as well on each side of the shower stall.  Picture the half wall above and then another half wall on the right of that glass door and a show head on each side.  (Source)

I like the idea of a gray grout.  There is nothing I hate more than dirty grout.  I love tile but the grout drives me mad trying to keep clean!  (Source)

These are the sconces that I would like to buy.  We will have three in total- one on each the two mirrors.  (Source)

I have been unsure what to do about counter tops, but I think I have an answer!! This is corian = very durable. But unlike most corian it looks pretty attractive.  And it is Martha Stewart... win! (Source)

Broken Axle

Thank the lord that it was just a broken axle.  Although it will still cost several hundred dollars to fix, I'm glad it wasn't the transmission because that price tag is in the thousands! Wowzer!
We are going to go ahead and have them fix the axle for 460$ and a transmission flush for $140 (and of course it cost 130$ just for the diagnosis)!  Which brings us to 730$ without tax.  Man, I could of done a lot of shopping with that 800 bones.  But, I am grateful that we have a savings account for these types of things.  Cars are expensive, but they get me from point A to point B and for that I am grateful.

Car Trouble.

I hate car trouble. Big Time.
Does anyone ever plan to have their breaks go out on this day at this time? Of course not.  You count your lucky stars and wish that it is some sort of miracle and your car doesn't need maintenance.  Right?
I really shouldn't complain.  My husband does wonders on our cars.  He changes the oil, replaces the break pads, and changes various filters, ect.  It saves us lots of money.
But today, while I was driving my car just went ka-put!  It literally made a loud noise and wouldn't budge.  Were hoping praying that it was just a broken axel but its looking more and more like a failed transmission. WHAT?  I thought your car gave you hints when the transmission was going bad.
Of course, we we're just talking the past few weeks about calling around to have the fluid changed.
But neither of us got around to it.
I'm definitely not looking forward to that call when the mechanic gets back to us.
There goes our "New Car" Savings account...
*On the bright side, the tow truck guy was very pleasant and gave me a ride to the dealership :)

2013 Goals

1.  Dedicate time and energy to the relationships in my life.  People receive the most happiness from their relationships rather than finances or hobbies.
2.  Join a local church.
3.  Start a family!
4.  Amp up our retirement plan and savings.
5.  Stick to a cash budget envelope system.
6.  Pay off student loan and start to pay on Principal of house.
7.  Focus on eating clean... less sugar / more vegetables... less soda / more water
8.  Continue to run outside.  Is makes my body and mind feel good and energized.
9.  Work hard to continue my education and be the best employee and hygienist I can be.

Happy New Year 2013

Happy New Year!  2012 was a big year for us!  

We added a new addition to our family:

Meet Mr Milo Jenkins

And we worked on A LOT of projects around the house:  

We Painted the Kitchen Cabinets a cool blue/grey and removed the wall paper

We updated the half bath with bead board.

We painted the paneling in the family room, removed the outdated fireplace doors and replaced the garage entry door

 I ran a 5K for arthritis

Jeret started Paramedic school with the Madison Fire department! 

I ran a 5k for Arthritis.

What a blessed year we had!