Cleaning Lady May 26, 2004
Boy, my apartment is clean. I’ve spent the past 3 days cleaning it from top to bottom. What’s the occasion? My in-laws are coming to visit. It’s not that my apartment was disgusting or anything, but I feel like it has to be spotless when we have visitors. My husband’s mom, dad, and younger brother are coming in from California to spend a week in Houston. We haven’t seen them since Thanksgiving, so it should be good to catch up with them. There’s still a remote possibility that they may be staying with us for part of their visit since they have yet to reserve a hotel room (they’re not planners like us- far from it.) I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they find somewhere to stay. It’s not like we don’t get along, but I like having my safe haven all to myself (plus my hubby and furbabies, of course.)
Car update: The car is in the shop, and I actually have a rental car. I think they were prepared for me after yesterday’s snafu. I got helped by the manager and got a free upgrade. The estimate to complete the work is 7 days, but I know it will be longer.
Surgery update: My husband got to speak to his Dr. today about the procedure for freezing his sperm. They will retrieve sperm in order to be frozen in case the surgery is not successful, and we have to do IVF. The Dr. told him the lady that schedules the surgeries has all the contact info. Great. Still no luck getting any answers from her. It’s so frustrating.
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back May 25, 2004
We’re making some (but not much) progress on both of the important fronts in our world right now: my husband’s next surgery and our wrecked car. I’ve been calling the lady that does the scheduling for my hubby’s Dr. since last Tuesday. I’ve been getting no where, so I delegated the task to my husband. He called yesterday with no luck, but finally spoke to her this morning. She’s supposed to talk to his Dr. and call him back this afternoon (the same thing she told me last week.) Well, she hasn’t called yet.
My Dad decided to go through the insurance to get our car fixed since the rise in his rates will be less than the estimate to fix the car. I finally heard from the insurance company this morning. They gave me a claim number and the # to call to talk to someone in-state. I called them and was told to call the body shop and the rental car company. No problem with the body shop. They already had the insurance info and everything. On to the rental car co. I called them and was told that they were helping someone else and would call me back. Three hours later and no call, so I called back. Apparently, the guy that answered this time didn’t have much of a brain. After giving him all my info (slowly and repeatedly) I was told that I had an invalid claim # and would have to call back later. I told him that I wasn’t going to call back and that I wanted to talk to someone else that could actually help me. I was put on hold. Eventually the manager came on the line and told me that he had already spoken to the insurance co. and the claim # didn’t start with the right letters and numbers. I gave him the info from the person I had talked to earlier, and he said he would call me back. He did, and I learned the problem. Apparently, their brains go to mush when dealing with out of state claim numbers (even when the out of state thing had been previously mentioned.) I supposedly have a car waiting for me tomorrow, but I’m not holding my breath.
Antisocial May 23, 2004
I’ve survived two firm events, one on Thursday night and one last night. I’m really not a fan of these type of events. It’s not that I don’t like hanging out with other people from time to time, but these events are so contrived. Everyone is so schmoozy. I would much rather go to something where everyone can just chill and be themselves. My husband and I have vowed not to atte
nd anymore of these hoity toity events.
One of my biggest pet peeves at one of these shin digs is having people ask me, “So what do you do?” I just want to say “NOTHING.” It doesn’t help when I’m one of a few non-lawyers in attendance. I just end up kind of chuckling and saying, “I’m not working right now.” What I really should say is, “I’m supposed to be a stay at home mom, but thanks to this wonderful thing called infertility, I’m just spinning my wheels waiting to take all the millions of steps necessary to finally get pregnant.” The nurse I had for my HSG was great. She asked me, “So, do you work outside the home?” I said “no”, and she said “how wonderful.”
All Clear May 20, 2004
I’m back from my HSG, and I have survived. It was pretty much as I expected. It hurt a lot but only lasted about 10 minutes. I can’t imagine how bad it would have been if I hadn’t taken the vicodin. In the end, everything looked good. There was a med student observing, and after it was finished the Dr. said to the student, “That was a textbook normal hysterosalpingogram.” My tubes are open, and there are no adhesions or anything. It was worth those few minutes of pain to know that everything is ok inside there.
Tonight I’m going with my husband to a firm social event. Every summer law students come to law firms for clerkships. That is how you ultimately get a job offer. The firm really wines and dines the summer associates. It’s really one long recruiting event. Well tonight the younger associates in my husband’s section are taking their summer associates to Smith & Wollensky for dinner. It should be nice to have a good dinner out (besides having to be all social,) but I don’t think I’ll be able to enjoy a much deserved cocktail thanks to the vicodin.
Nervous Nellie
My appointment for my HSG is this afternoon. I am extremely nervous about the thought of going through this. When I first saw the OBGYN that specializes in infertility back in March she ordered blood tests but said that the HSG would probably not be paid for by my insurance since the cause of our infertility had already been determined as male factor. She said that it would be covered if my blood tests came back abnormal. Well, my blood test came back completely normal, and yet I got a letter from my insurance company approving the HSG. I figured I’d go ahead with the test for the peace of mind. Plus not having to pay anything for a $700 test is also nice.
My husband won’t be accompanying me to my appointment. He offered several times, but I felt that he should stay at work. He would have to drive the 30 minutes it takes to get there from downtown each way plus the hour for the appointment. Since he had to leave work early on Tuesday for his Drs. appointment, I thought it would be best for him not to miss another 2 hours today. Plus, with any luck, his surgery will be scheduled soon, and he’ll have to miss another week for that. I’m just glad that there’s some leftover vicodin in the house. That should make getting through the test bearable.
One Step Closer May 19, 2004
We’re a little closer to knowing what’s going on both the surgery and car fronts, but not much. My hubby had his appointment with the general surgeon yesterday. It was pretty much a waste of time. He explained how he would assist my husband’s urologist by performing the laparoscopic portion of the surgery, which we already knew. I guess I should just view it as one more step down in the long list of steps to achieving our ultimate goal. I called the lady that schedules the urologist’s surgeries after the appointment, but she wasn’t able to do anything until she got my husband’s chart back from the other Dr. She’s supposed to call back today, but no luck so far.
After the appointment we took our car to the body shop to get an estimate on the damage. $1800. I called my dad to relay the info, and he just wants to cut us a check for that amount. Then we can either use the $ to get the car fixed or to buy a new one. I suggested he at least run it by the insurance company to see what would happen to his rates if he claimed the accident. He should be getting back to me today or tomorrow.
I have a feeling we’re going to end up buying a new car. I don’t know what to do about the $1800 though. It’s weird being in a better financial position than my parents. Sure we have a butt load of students loans from my hubby’s 3 years of law school, but my hubby makes more money than both my parents combined. The real difference is that we manage our money better. I tend to be majorly frugal, and as a result we do ok financially. It’s not like we couldn’t use the money. If we have to do IVF, that’s going to set us back more than the cost of the car we’re looking at buying. I just feel badly taking money from my parents. I guess we’ll figure something out.
Anticipation May 18, 2004
Today should be an interesting day. This afternoon my husband has his appointment with the general surgeon that will be assisting in his second surgery. I’m not sure what the appointment will entail exactly, but I hope that we’ll be able to schedule the surgery soon after.
Then we get to go to the body shop to get an estimate on our car. I’m afraid of what they’re going to tell us. My husband suggested just keeping it as a second car as is and getting a new car for the majority of our driving needs. This is a possibility, but it still hurts me to think of shelling out all of that money. I liked having a safety net in case IVF is in our near future. I guess everything will work out one way or another.
What a Weekend May 16, 2004
I had a lot of fun with my hubby on my bday. We went out to dinner, went shopping at Katy Mills, and had some Marble Slab for dessert. All in all, a great birthday.
Yesterday we made the 5 hour round trip jaunt to visit my parents in Louisiana. My brother and sister-in-law were also visiting. It was nice to catch up with everybody. My mom gave me my bday present and I presented her with her mother’s day present, and guess what? We had given each other the exact same thing. That doesn’t happen often, and it was pretty funny.
Here’s the bad news. My husband, brother, sister-in-law, and I were pulling into my parents driveway after going out shopping for a bit. At the same time my dad was pulling out, except he didn’t see us. (My parents driveway is one car width at the entrance, but widens to allow two cars to park at the end near the house.) My husband honked the horn, but my dad hit us anyway. So now our car has a big dent near the passenger side front tire. It’s drivable, but only temporarily.
The dilemma is that my parents already have a wreck on that car and don’t have a perfect record on their other car. If we go through their insurance their rates will definitely rise, but their policy could also get cancelled. We obviously don’t want that to happen. We’re going to take the car in for an estimate on Tuesday to see what we’re dealing with. I have a feeling we might just have to trade it in as is, get as much as we can for it, and buy a new car. Buying a new car was not in our financial plan for the near future. We’re trying to save money in case we have to do IVF. I guess it goes to show that you can only plan so much.
Today we had a nice laid back day. It was a nice way to spend our 6th anniversary. We didn’t really make a big production out of it but just enjoyed each other’s company.
Happy Birthday to Me May 14, 2004
Today is my 27th birthday. I was afraid today would suck, as my birthdays generally do. I was even more inclined to believe that when my husband forgot to tell me “happy birthday” before he left for work. I knew he was dealing with a lot of stuff at work, but still. He was quickly forgiven when I received a lovely e-card from him that brought tears to my eyes.
We had planned to go to an outside performance of Cinderella by the Houston Ballet tonight, but since it’s been raining buckets all week long, that looks doubtful. I’m sure we’ll come up with something else to do. All I know is that I just want to spend time with my hubby (plus eat some yummy ice cream cake from Marble Slab.)
The “D” Word
My brother is getting divorced. He’s only been married for 10 months. I can’t say I’m surprised. We had a long talk yesterday, and he told me that “the fat lady had sung.” It’s been coming for a while, but I guess it’s officially over now. They are already preparing the paperwork. I never really liked his wife. I would never tell him that, but he knew that we didn’t really click. I guess it’s because I knew she wasn’t the one for him.
It’s kind of weird thinking about my younger brother getting divorced. Especially since my own 6th wedding anniversary is in 2 days. I know I shouldn’t compare my siblings’ relationships to mine, but I can’t help it. My other brother got married this past January. It was obvious to me that he and his new wife were great together. Plus, I adore his wife. She’s great. I’ve noticed the differences in my two brothers’ relationships, even before the whole divorce thing came about.
I feel badly for my brother. I know what’s it’s like to have a wonderful, loving marriage, and I want him to experience that too. I just hope everything works out for the best.
My Three Amigos May 12, 2004
Muffy (top), Dixie (middle), and Salvador (bottom)
on their favorite down blanket.
May 11, 2004
We are one step closer to my husband’s next surgery. His Dr. called him this morning to let him know that he had selected a general surgeon to perform the laparoscopic part of the surgery. That Dr. wants to see my husband before the surgery, so my hubby has an appointment with him next Tuesday. Only after that appointment will they schedule the surgery.
I have to remind myself to just keep taking all of this one step at a time. It gets so frustrating otherwise. There’s always one more appointment or one more test, etc. before the next major hurdle. That means more waiting. As I’ve said before, waiting is the hardest part.
I don’t know where my husband finds these things, but this is absolutely hilarious.
May 10, 2004
I just went to mess with my profile, because it’s not doing what I want it to. There’s different categories that you can add info to including interests, about me, favorite book, favorite music, etc. They also have a random question that you can answer and add to your profile. I’ve only been in to edit my profile a couple of times and have found the random question to be quirky yet not quite noteworthy. This time my random question was:
What would you name your ballet inspired by the sight of children leaping through a garden sprinkler?
Ballet and children in the same question? Freaky.
I think it’s funny to see what ads are at the top of my blog each day. I’m too cheap to actually spend money on this thing, so I get to see what google thinks it should be advertising on my blog. When I first started out with this venture, the ads were for IVF. Then they were for things related to ballet. Now they concern PMS. I realize that by writing this, I’m contributing to the likelihood that the ads will continue to be about these things. Maybe I should start writing about random things to see what will happen to the ads. Just a thought.
Since blogger has had a recent revamp, I am playing around trying to find a new template. I think my blog would look better in these new templates if I actually used titles in my posts, but I don’t think I’m that creative. Blogger’s also added comments. That’s fun too.
May 9, 2004
Oh, how could I forget. I have one last Mother’s Day gripe. Yesterday, I checked the mail and found a piece of mail from my mother. She sent me a Mother’s Day card from my cats. It’s something she’s done before. In years past it was kind of cute. This year, give me a break. We told them about the whole infertility thing right before my hubby’s first surgery, so it’s not like she doesn’t know. It’s like saying “I know you want to be a mom more than anything, but can’t. At least you can be a mom to your cats.” Hello, it’s not the same thing.
I have the best husband. He’s knows that I’m feeling down today (I’m sure the extreme grumpiness clued him in,) so he just left to go pick me up some yummy lunch. Thanks honey.
It’s here- Mother’s Day. It’s a really hard day to face if you’re dealing with infertility. This is the first Mother’s Day that I’ve known that we’re infertile. Two years ago, we had been trying to get pregnant for less than 6 months, so it didn’t bother me. Last year, we had been trying for almost a year and a half, but I still had hope it would work (looking back that could have been denial disguising itself as hope.) This year, I know there’s a 0% percent chance of us getting pregnant on our own right now. I also know that I won’t be a mom by next mother’s day either.
Mother’s Day is impossible to escape. Everywhere you go, there’s all kinds of gifts, cards, etc. all letting you know exactly what day is coming. Yesterday, my husband and I were shopping at the Galleria in hopes of finding me a bday present. I was trying on some rings at a jewelry store, and the employee that was helping us asked “Oh, are you shopping for a Mother’s Day present?” The word “no” shot out of my mouth so fast that it was unbelievable. Today I’m just going to lock myself up in my apartment and wait for the day to pass. (At least I have the Survivor season finale to look forward to.)
May 7, 2004
Well, I’ve done it- I’ve planned my bday. My hubby is now officially off the hook. It wasn’t intentional. I was scouring around the internet looking for stuff to do when my in-laws come to visit for Memorial Day when I stumbled upon a great idea. The Houston Ballet is performing Cinderella in the outdoor theatre in Hermann Park on my bday. So we’re going to pack a picnic and make a date of it. The other great thing- it’s free. Perfect.
I told my husband about it, and he agreed it was a good idea that he probably wouldn’t have stumbled upon while attempting to plan things. So I told him that he’s now responsible for planning our anniversary, which is 2 days after my bday. Seems fair to me.
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