GTKY Jan 31 Edi.

2MamazInSeattle · January 2014

This is a weekly thread to get to know each other a little better! Lurkers, join us!

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January?
2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad :-) )?
3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills!
4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.
5. What's happening this weekend?

Bonus: Hug or applaud a bumpie of choice!

GoaliesWife123 · January 2014

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January? I'm not sure how this month has gone by so quickly, but I am glad it did! I am so sick of the cold weather. I am totally fine with snow, but -20 is just too much! The highlight of my month was becoming insured. The low light of this month has been the treatment by our RE. We're hoping to remedy this today.

2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad )? It has been a tough week. I usually clean when I am upset. If I don't clean, I'll try and cope by talking it out with my wife.

3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills! Oh man! I would probably get a new pc. Even though mine is fairly new, I want a mac for photos. I also want an SLR camera. And photoshop. How about $5000

4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh. I grew up on a farm and we had chickens, pigs, llamas, horses, cows and turkeys. At one point, I was out in our yard and the rooster decided he wanted to chase me...and boy did he! He chased me from the back of the property all the way to the house. I screamed the entire way!

5. What's happening this weekend? DW has a hockey game tomorrow, but we are supposed to get another 6-7 inches of snow, so we're not sure if the game will be on or not. We're heading to my parent's house for the superbowl on Sunday.

Bonus: Hug or applaud a bumpie of choice! I honestly can't pick just one! I adore everyone on this board!

JGY · January 2014

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January?

I really hate winter. This one has been just so awful with the cold. I know I should be taking Gabe out in the snow when I can, but I just have no motivation to do so.

Highlight - definitely seeing my little guy learn to walk and become confident. The other night he walked all the way around the dining room at a local (family friendly) restaurant. He got lots of attention. Oh boy.

Lowlight - standing by helpless while my friends deal with the serious congenital abnormality diagnosis of their little one. This will be a long road for them, and we are half a continent away.

2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad :-) )?

Honestly? I drink. Not so good for the breatfeeding relationship, so I try to keep it under control.

3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills!

I would prepay for 2 service professionals to come to my house. 1 of them would watch Gabe, the other would follow me around and complete my house projects (hang this there, move this here, throw this out, organize that).

4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.

Lately I've been preparing myself for dealing with the possiblity that Gabe will have ADHD as I did. I know that alloting proper time for exercise will be important. When I was a kid I used to go to school all day, then have gymnastics team practice for 2 hours, then change leotards and run 4 blocks, and have a 2 hour ballet class. Three times a week. Then, I would go home, and still have so much energy that I'd show my Mom everything I had learned. I'm not sure if I'm up for that kind of energy from my little guy.

5. What's happening this weekend?

Tonight I am singing in a concert. Good luck, S, on getting Gabe to bed! Tomorrow is swim lessons, yay! Sunday I have choir rehearsal and then a SuperBowl party with some friends. The rest of the time this weekend I will be trying to work on my SuperBowl cupcakes. I make them every year, and try to do a team logo on the top that's as accurate as I can make it. If they turn out well, maybe I'll PIP.

Bonus: Hug or applaud a bumpie of choice!

This week we have a few people dealing with losses, and a few others coming up on the end of a cycle that is likely another BFN. My heart goes out to all of you, and I wish I could just turn into a magic pregnancy fairy and fix everything for you.

KH826 · January 2014

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January?

Highlight - Starting to feel baby move on a daily basis. It has made me a much more sane person, and I honestly really enjoy this new connection that I feel like I have with her

Lowlight - I have been struggling with some feelings about my relationship with my family. Just leftover emotions that I try not to drudge up, but ocassionally allow myself to revisit. I have felt a lot like I am the lowest priority of all of my siblings (I am the oldest of 4), and even now that I am pregnant the dynamic does not seem to have shifted at all. Not that I need attention, but I will be the first to admit that I have a complex about being everyone's least favorite sister/daughter. I don't know why that is, or why I am suddenly fixated on these feelings again, but it has been bothering me the last couple of weeks and I feel like it is silently straining my relationship with my mother and sisters.

2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad :-) )?

Bad coping mechanisms - Eating my feelings!

Good (or less-bad?) coping mechanisms - I am communicative and articulate with my feelings to a fault. I could talk about feelings all day. It drives my wife crazy! HAHA... she is a social worker, but she herself deals with her emotions much differently than I do. She likes to process individually for a good long while before she renders the verdict of how she is feeling and often times it feels like I have to pull it out of her. I like to process outloud. At any rate, when dealing with challenging emotions, I rarely internalize and I often talk out my feelings in real time to my wife until I figure out how I feel about something deep down.

3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills!

I would buy a $1000 Babies R Us gift card to use after our Baby Shower on all the stuff we will still need/want that we don't get at our shower.

4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.

I was a fairly nervous nelly as a child. I acted like an adult from a very early age (that is not something I am proud of - I actually wish that wasn't the case). I hated being dirty, I always made "safe choices" -- I was definitely NOT a risk taker. I was also very much obsessed with always looking my best even as a little kid (I get this from my mother for sure -- not a hair out of place!). Anyway, in the 4th grade I was wearing this little Springtime outfit that was this white material with this little pale colored design on it. It was very early 90s and hideous now that I think of it. Anyway, it was brand new and this was my first time wearing it, and I had white Keds sneakers on with it and a white bow in my hair to match. I think it was April-ish. My class went outside for recess. On the way outside I slipped on a wet spot and landed in this giant mud puddle. I was covered from head-to-toe in mud. From my shirt and pants, to my white keds, there were even mud spots on my hair bow. I was ridiculously embarassed at first and that quickly turned into a total meltdown. My teacher sent me to the nurses office to get clean clothes, but I refused to put on any of the mismatched clothes in the lost and found bin that didn't belong to me. I just sat there in my muddy clothes sobbing until my mom came to pick me up. That's right, she didn't even bring me new clothes, she just took me home. I was THAT much of a mess (emotionally and physically). I cried all the way home and all through my bath (there was mud in my hair!). Then my mom told me she was going to have to throw away the outfit b/c there was just no salvaging it. Oh goodness - I lost it. I remember writing my mom a card and leaving it for her that night apologizing for falling in the mud and offering to use my saved up allowance to replace the outfit. Yep, I was that kid. Ugh....

5. What's happening this weekend?

Tomorrow we are working on more house projects. I am hoping we make some headway in the room that will be our nursery. My wife will do most of that stuff, and I will go grocery shopping and do laundry, etc. Sunday we have planned a little Puppy Bowl viewing party for ourselves (I know this sounds lame, but it is an excuse to cook fun appetizers and bake a few treats and sit on the couch with my wife and our dog and watch some cute little pups on TV) -- I am excited! So it's another light-ish weekend for us, and I am thankful for it. By Friday night most weeks I find myself totally exhausted and things will start to get busy again soon with planned obligations, etc., so I am enjoying this time to just work on the house and slowly nest/get ready for baby and hopefully get some rest whenever possible.

Bonus: Hug or applaud a bumpie of choice!

Hug - Huge hugs to @doodah & @Firstcomeslove2013. Thinking of you both everyday and sending you as much support as I possibly can. You two are very strong, and I know you will get through this difficult time that you are going through, but gosh I wish so much you didn't have to go through it. So huge hugs!

Applause - A big round of Applause to @Healz413 and her rockstar ovaries for kicking it into gear this week! Here's to a successful retrieval and then a 5-day transfer to @Manada! I will just keep clapping until you get your BFP! Come on eggs-->embryos-->baby(ies)! You can do this!!!

shelly2314 · January 2014

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January? Highlight is obviously our BFP...however we also have a buyer on contract for our rental home so fingers crossed that the appraisal goes through and we can move through that process. Lowlight...stress at work and the weather is really it here. I
2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad )? I have not always done well with my coping mechanisms. Usually I just bottle it up and it explodes later. Not ideal but sadly just how I function (I didn't use to but a long time in a bad relationship trained me). M usually tries to help but talking it out
3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills! I would pay bills LOL...j/k. probably on baby room furniture and if not then on egg rock and plants for our front entry way. We are in the process of redoing our landscaping (did NOT realize how expensive that would be)
4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.I have an incredibly sick and crazy family. One night my older brother (18 at the time) was babysitting my little sister (she was 5), myself (I was 7), and my 3 cousins (all boys 8,6,5). He went into the garage and shut off the breaker for most of the house. Then he stumbled into the house with a knife tucked under his arm pretending to be stabbed and dying. When we ran over to him he rolled his eyes until you could only see the white and told us in a really creepy voice that the aliens had gotten him and sucked his brain out. Then he jumped up and chased us all around the house. When my parents and aunt/uncle got home the boys went running and crying to them to tell them what happened. My parents laughed hysterically, but my aunt and uncle were PISSED. My family just has a sick sense of humor.
5. What's happening this weekend?
I do not have much planned. M and I are going to clean house, grocery shop, then relax on Saturday and then Sunday she has a Superbowl party at a local pub we are suppose to go to. I could care less about the game and really don't feel like going to the tavern so we shall see if I go with
Bonus: Hug or applaud a bumpie of choice!

I don't know if I have a bumpie of choice. There have been some low moments and for those I am truly praying that things can come around and move in a positive direction.

trisholio · January 2014

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January?

The highlight has to be seeing our little bean. We are lucky and have had two ultrasounds already. The lowlight is me getting sick. It's 'just a cold' but oh my goodness, i just want to die!
2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad )?

If I get really frustrated or upset I tend to clean, but other emotions I will talk out with my wife. I am also a firm believer that ice cream heals all.
3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills!

I would purchase a new laptop and some new maternity clothes
4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.

Up until I was 10 we lived in the city, well suburbs. The summer between 5 and 6th grade we moved out to the country, WAY out into the country. One day I saw smoke coming from a house down the road and I called 911 to report it on fire. After the call I rode my bike down to the house, I believe 4 fire trucks and an ambulance showed up. Well it was just someone burning their trash, oopsie!
5. What's happening this weekend?

We have a crazy weekend and the more I think about it, the more tired I get. Right now my normal little guy I babysit is sleeping. After he wakes up we are going to pick up twin 8 month old little girls that we are watching ALL weekend. Then I forgot that I had told my friend (I watch her son most weekends) that I would watch her son this Friday AND Saturday night so she could work. So there is a possibility I will have 4 kids under the age of 1 for an hour or so by myself this afternoon. Then my wife will get home from work. I am praying that the twins we are watching all weekend sleep thru the night because I am exhausted just thinking about it. All of this while I am super sick with a cold and I want to rip my face off!

Please pray that I make it thru the weekend and keep my sanity!

ATXmommas · January 2014

1. Highlight - a thousand amazing moments with my little one, in particular his sweet smiles! Oh, and my rock star (for me) boobies that produced over 3oz of milk this morning! Lowlight - having serious conversations with Z about her family. They are a bit disfunctional and Z and I don't see eye to eye on how to help them. 2. I allow myself to have a pity party for as long as I need to. I mostly talk to my mom and Z when I struggle. They both want to fix things, but I just need to feel allowed to be sad, angry, whatever before I move on to acceptance. 3. Vacation!! And some clothes. I haven't even attempted to determine which work clothes still fit me. I had to buy new jeans in bigger size. 4. My sister, who is 20 months older than me, and I shared a room when we were in elementary school. When she was in 6th grade and I was in 4th, I was mad at her for something really silly. My mom had placed a stack of clean, folded shirts on her bed. When no one was looking, I took a pair of scissors and snipped each shirt in the stack. Well, my sister keeps noticing the snips in her shirt and she and my mom thought the boy who sat behind my sister at school was doing this. So much so that my mom called the school and asked for my sister to be moved around in the classroom. I confessed this to my brother at some point and we went years without my mom or sister finding out until my brother ended up blabbing. Such a devious kid. 5. Meeting friends for lunch and others for a walk at the trail downtown. And hanging with my buddy. Bonus: loving the interaction with the Mommas in the board with older kiddos, in particular @JGY and @Jazibel. I'm grateful to draw on their knowledge and get a glimpse of what's ahead! ETA: yikes! No spaces. I'm mobile, but this has never happened before. My apologies!

SweetPea0307 · January 2014

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January?

Highlight: DW and I went on a really gorgeous hike in the White Mountains a couple weekends ago. When we got toward the top, everything was just coated with snow and ice. It looked like a winter wonderland.

Lowlight: Being told the manager I had just hired needed to go back to his old job for 2 months. So I need to do his job as well as my job. Ugh.

2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad :-) )?

Chocolate is definitely one of them. Wine used to be, but I've given that up while TTC. Also talking with DW (that's probably the healthiest one).

3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills!

I think this might be cheating, but I like @KH826 's idea of buying a gift card. I would do amazon.com though, since that's where I order all my OPKs, HPTs, and where I have my secret wish list with baby stuff.

4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.

When I was in 6th grade, my bus route to school was really winding and I would get car sick some times. One morning, I actually threw up, but luckily I had a carefully crafted diorama for history class to catch it in. Of course I had to throw it away when I got to school. When I told my teacher, he said puking on it was the best excuse for not having homework he's ever heard. My stomach still gets upset pretty easily; I hope it's not predictive of bad m/s during pregnancy!

5. What's happening this weekend?

On Saturday, DW and I are going on a hike, and on Sunday, we're heading over to East Boston to eat yummy food, practice our Spanish, and buy ingredients for seco de chivo (an awesome goat stew). Also, more HPT's.

Bonus: Hug or applaud a bumpie of choice!

So many choices; it's a little creepy, to be honest, how emotionally invested I am in the journeys of so many folks on this board when you don't know much about me. And there are a lot of hugs that I want to send out. But to be more upbeat, I'm going to applaud @shelly2314, since it's inspiring to see a BFP and good betas after a long road and a tough IUI.

ball.and.chain · January 2014

1. Highlight of January: NT scan and even more so, Mat21 results a week later indicating that we are having a chromosomally normal boy. On a related note, getting to tell people after we got the results! Lowlight: Being sick. And sick again. With my wife also sick. Here's to a healthy February!

2. I guess my "bad" coping mechanism is eating (specifically over-eating, and/or eating things that are not healthy, like cupcakes). However, I do believe that food brings pleasure and if it makes you happy or comforted to eat a pint of ice cream after a BFN or a loss or other bad news, by all means, I think you deserve it. The problem for me is when I have a whole week...or two...of "splurge" days instead of keeping it to one day or two. "Good" coping mechanisms: I do find that exercise relieves stress for me. Circle & Bloom recordings help me stay more relaxed in times of pregnancy, TTC or loss-related stress. And I'd be a mess without therapy! We also have very funny friends who have kept us laughing throughout the last 2.5 years. It always helps.

3. I'd book a babymoon. We're trying to save, so we're not really taking one. I'd love one last fun vacation with my wife before Mr. Baby shows up.

4. I was so shy as a young child that until Kindergarten, I wouldn't speak to any adult other than family members. This included nursery school and Sunday school teachers. Once at Sunday School we were making get-well cards for a classmate who was sick. I didn't know how to spell her name and wasn't willing to ask, so I made a card for my grandmother instead. The Sunday School teacher clearly thought I was slow and didn't understand that we were supposed to be making cards for our classmate, and then I hated her for talking to me like I was stupid. She was a member of our church for years and I NEVER got over my dislike of her.

5. Not much. I think we're having lunch with a friend tomorrow, but otherwise we decided we're going to take it easy. We are both still getting over illnesses and haven't been resting as much as we should.

6. I'm sending hugs out to everyone who has had a bad week -- but I want to applaud @2MamazinSeattle for making it through a great NT scan, coming up with GTKY questions every week, and always keeping things in perspective!

redrockmama · January 2014

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January?

2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad )?

All I wanted to do when my stepmom passed is drink, still do, but of course I can't. Right now my coping mechanism is denial. If I think about it and make it real I start falling down a deep dark hole. It's not a good coping mechanism, but it's working for now. I also like to be in nature, that helps.

3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills!

That's hard there are so many things we want to buy for the house and baby, but what I really want is the awesome chair we almost bought a couple months ago. It's so perfect.

4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.

ball.and.chain that was so me when I was a kid. Did you see that recent article about selective mutism? I didn't talk to anyone, teachers, classmates, friend's parents, grandparents, etc.

I don't really have any good childhood stories. One time I was walking our dog at night, I was probably 10 or 11 so it must not have been that late, but it was darkish out. We had a great pyrenees growing up so I felt pretty safe. I noticed someone following me, so I started walking faster. They started walking faster. I didn't want to run and look scared. I was about a block away from my house and fast walking as fast as possible. Then, I felt someone grab me by the shoulders and about peed my pants. I slowly turned around and saw a big black lab. It had jumped and put it's paws on my shoulders. It felt like a person though. It was so scary, but I was so relieved it was a dog and not the creepy pedophile my mom had warned me about. I didn't tell my mom, she would have never let me go out again by myself again. I also never told her about the time I hitchhiked along I-70 in a bikini about 7 years ago...

5. What's happening this weekend?

Who knows... We had a midwife appt tomorrow at 8:30, so early ugh. I have a meeting for a LGBT homeless youth project I am involved in after the midwife. J says she wants to take me on a date tomorrow night so we'll see what she has planned. We'll go up to visit my dad at some point, and maybe my mom. She is helping us make some cloth diapers and I want to get started soon. Man that sounds like a busy weekend. Oh and we will certainly be watching the super bowl, I'm a huge football fan and like both teams so it should be fun to watch. I'll be happy with whoever wins.

rkbo · January 2014

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January?

The highlight of our January was starting our TTC journey. We had our very first IUI on the 16th & 17th. The lowlight would have to be the 20 or so sticks I've peed on that were all negative. I went in for a blood test this morning, I should have my official BFN this afternoon.

2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad )?

My wife and I are each other’s crutches when we are down. Rarely are we both down at the same time, so the other is usually there to help pick the other up pretty quickly.

3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills!

HMMM…..buy more SPERM!!

4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.

Ha, my brother and I playing with matches when we were really young…definitely shouldn’t have had matches…and we accidentally caught his pants on fire…thank goodness we got it out pretty quickly and he wasn’t hurt at all. Damn kids and the things they get into!

5. What's happening this weekend?

Probably having a few drinks with friends this weekend since my TTC will start up again next week. I’m going to ask for a larger dose of Clomid to hopefully up our chances of pregnancy.

healz413 · January 2014

1. Lowlight: we had a fight with a friend of ours a week ago that hurt (emotionally) everyone and the next day we got the really shitty (and thankfully not permanent) news that I wasn't responding to stims and we might not be able to do IVF with my eggs. That weekend sucked a lot.
(I'm purposely not choosing other people's really bad news and losses as my lowlight but those things are horrible and make my heart hurt for them)
Highlight: I think it's too early for a highlight. I don't want to pick my growing eggs or anything because I'm afraid to count my chickens before they hatch (fun egg/chicken word play ensues in my brain). This whole month seems to have been about this IVF cycle and that's not done yet.

2. Food. For sure. And sleep or TV. Sometimes exercise but I have to be havin the right kind of problem to cope via exercise

3. We'd book a vacation! Probably to some place in florida so that we could be warm but would not have to put in too much of our own money. Maybe I'd let M talk me into Mexico.

4. When I was maybe 7 or 8, my baby brother S (who is 4 yrs younger than I am) and I were at the playground in the park where my brother C (2yrs younger than I am) was playing soccer. Maybe we were all a bit older but S wouldn't have been more than probably 5 so I probably was 9 at the oldest. Anyway, a few older kids started picking on S--cutting him in line for the slide, pushing him out of the way, etc. I told them that they had better leave him alone. They gave me an "oh yeah? Or what?" kinda answer. And I said "my other brother is playing soccer right now and when he's done you'll be sorry!" They responded, "is he bigger or littler than you?" And I said, "you just wait and find out!"

I think this story captures my 1) aversion to direct lies, 2) willingness to let the other party assume incorrectly, 3) preference of nonviolent conflict resolution, and 4) my major protectiveness of my brothers!

5. I'm hanging out with a few of my baseball teammates for a birthday celebration for one of them tonight. I'm so glad that I had the foresight a few weeks ago to suggest it be low key. I'm feeling super crappy on these meds and with my swollen ovaries. I was fine 2 days ago but the last two days it has really all kicked in.
Tomorrow morning we go to the clinic.
We may trigger Saturday night. If not, we will go back to the clinic Sunday morning for another check.
Sunday afternoon I have the annual general meeting for my baseball league. I'm the outgoing president so I have to run the meeting.

Hugs to @doodah1013 and @firstcomeslove2013 and @redrockmama and @twobrooklynmoms

Shout outs to all who have given us love and support and encouragement. Too many to list!

2MamazInSeattle · February 2014

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January?

Highlight was just getting through a fairly anxiety-ridden month with a new pregnancy. And living in Seattle, January isn't exactly a highlight weather-wise, though it wasn't bad compared to the rest of the country!

Lowlight was probably the fears/worries around the pregnancy - which I don't want that to sound selfish since of course I'm so happy to be pregnant - but the morning sickness, many sleepless nights of worry and anxiety made for a long month.

2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad )?

You know overall I do ok with emotions - definitely will still stress eat a bit. Otherwise I'm a pretty good communicator at this point in life. @KH826, we are so alike

- I also process out loud and J moreso internally - but I've also learned she has a limit, so I use my sister or other friends sometimes for rounds one and two of processing which has been a good thing for us. I did have a work-stress meltdown or two since being pregnant, of which I"m not proud, but no one witnesses these lesser moments than J, who just said, after trying to help, "you are a mess, I'm going in the other room."

Fair decision on her part!

3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills!r

I think I might buy the glider I want for the nursery - and if something bad happens, I'd still be glad to have it (I'm no where near buying baby stuff). I want a glider that reclines! These seem to be few and far between, and cost a small fortune. But if I'm bf'ing and baby dozes off, I would love to just lie back and let us both sleep or rest at least.

4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.

My next yougest sister told me she and her friend found a dirty magazine. She was probably in 2nd or 3rd grade and I was 3 years older. I told her "I'm telling mom!" she begged me not to and said she'd do anything for me. So - and I am not exaggerating - for 1 year I bribed her by saying "the maga-zee-een" and she got me iced tea, blankets, pretty much anything. So finally one day she was fed up and just told my mom herself. My mom was like "oh ok." My sister was furious! It was pretty funny and we laugh a lot about it now.

And in my defense, after she moved to Seattle, two years in a row I won a coffee-drink-of-choice every day for a year at work to be used at Tully's Coffee - I gave her both years' worth provided she promised never to bring up the magazee-een again. Total deal and she said she felt it was a fair payback for being a mean big sister. I do feel kind of awful about it but I guess I was a kid too!

5. What's happening this weekend?
Oh I hope very, very little. I'm on a plane home from an intense couple work days in Phoenix. Mexican food with J tonight; yoga tomorrow morning and otherwise chilling; superbowl on Sunday and we're having a handful of friends over to hopefully see the Seahawks win. It's been a fun time in Seattle - quite a lot of buzz and a very electric feeling all over the city! I'm not a huge sporto, but I do enjoy football and am excited (and nervous) about the game. Should be fun enough!

Bonus: Hug or applaud a bumpie of choice!

Ok I want to applaud you ALL for participating in the GTKY post each week! I sometimes worry a question is really dumb, then it often turns out to be the one people answer with the most heartfelt responses that week. So, thank you for playing

I love learning more about you, getting off the whole baby-making/rearing topic and know more about each of you outside of that journey! I especially love the childhood stories this week!! And, if you ever have ideas for a question, PM me please. I usually whip them up off the top of my head but welcome input!

StacyLH24 · February 2014

@CrazyAunt84 - where in NY are you?

StacyLH24 · February 2014

@CrazyAunt84 - We live about an hour south of Buffalo. I was hoping we were closer! We live outside of Ellicottville if you know where that it is.

StacyLH24 · February 2014

1. Low light - Having to cancel our 4th IUI because my body decided to go a little crazy with the mature follie production.

High light - Hmmm....repairing our relationship with my oldest BIL. We don't always see eye to eye, but I love him dearly.

2. I like to eat my emotions away. I used to like to sleep them away, but with C, extra sleep is never possible. That is probably a good thing for me actually. When I was more physically active, I got everything out on the treadmill. I'm working my way back to that.

3. I would spend $1000 on the half sleeve tattoo I have been wanting for several years.

4. I'm horrible with coming up with stories from my childhood. I grew up as an only child for the most part, so I stuck to myself a lot. That doesn't make for very many funny or interesting stories. I was painfully shy until later in high school...and then I was just angry most of the time. I'm also really tired right now and my brain is failing to come up with anything. Sorry

5. Tomorrow morning we are headed to see about trading in my car and getting a new one. Then tomorrow evening, C is playing in her HS alumni basketball game. She isn't feeling well, so I'm not sure how it will go. On Sunday we are going to my Aunt and Uncle's for the Super Bowl. My Aunt goes all out with making food. She always makes hurricanes but I won't be partaking this year. I am afraid of how it might interact with the Provera. If C still isn't feeling well, I would be content to stay at home and watch the game from our couch. I doubt that will happen though.

Hugs to @twobrooklynmoms and @doodah1013 & @firstcomeslove2013. You have continued to be in my thoughts.

Applause to @ball.and.chain and @2Mamaz. You both give me so much hope that no matter what this journey holds for me, you just keep pushing through until you get your take home baby.

doodah1013 · February 2014

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January?

Uhhhh.... Pass.

2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad :-) )?

Right now we are just taking it one day at a time... Also, sweet red wine is helping and good snuggles with my dog. We also have a tendency to break it down and get goofy.... Mostly including breaks for dancing and making up songs that express our emoions

3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills!

Bankin' some more sperm.

4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.

My friend Jon Hancock and I had a lot of clubs... One club was called the "Good Time Club". Jon and I were the only members so we decided we needed to recruit. We made up a flyer and distributed it to all the kids in the neighborhood. The flyer plainly stated... For a good time call xxx-xxx-xxxx. When Chris Clifford (an older kid from down the street) called looking for a good time the club was inmediately disbanded.

5. What's happening this weekend?

Another one of Amy's best friends is in town. We debated whether or not this is a good time, but decided to go ahead with the visit. I haven't cried since she got here... Which is a new record.
I am also going to a friend's house this weekend to make raspberry jam. I always find canning very refreshing because it always reminds me I am still able to create for the future.

Bonus: Hug or applaud a bumpie of choice!

So many....

Too all those who have suffered losses and kept going (@ATXmommas @ball.and.chain @2mamazinseattle @jazibel and @herbabymama ) I have found a new respect for your courage to keep going... I will continue to draw strength from your successes.

@healz413 and @manada ... You all are amazing. Truly amazing. We love your perspectives and intellect... And also you super goofiness!

yachee · February 2014

1. Highlight: Making it to January 31st without having babies! I'm so ready to meet them, but hoping to keep them in there as long as possible. Plus, I know it's silly, but I really wanted them to be born in the Year of the Horse and to have a purple birthstone instead of a red one.

Lowlight: Finding out Baby A completely flipped from vertex to breech this close to the end. We were hoping to avoid a c-section, but now we might not even get to try.

2. Binge shopping.

3. Somewhere warm! San Diego or Phoenix, maybe. After a year of TTC and what seems like a year of pregnancy, I am SO READY to get out of gray Seattle and GO somewhere! We are already talking about where we will take the girls on their first trip.

4. When I was five, I was obsessed with weddings and the nativity. Every picture I drew in kindergarten was either of a wedding party or of Jesus in the manger. For Halloween, I chose to go as Mary and carry my baby doll as Baby Jesus.

5. Watch the SEAHAWKS! (Even though we're not football fans, this is too exciting to miss!)

Applause to @2MamazInSeattle for taking the time to start these GTKY threads each week!

firstcomeslove2013 · February 2014

This is a weekly thread to get to know each other a little better! Lurkers, join us!

1. How is January over already? (no that's not the question). What was the highlight and lowlight of your January?

January has been the month of ultimate highs and ultimate lows...

2. It's been a tough week on the board. How do you deal with challenging emotions? What are your coping mechanisms (good or bad )?

C and I are so silly, and I often run to humor for comfort so we do a lot of silly things to keep ourselves from getting too crazy and sad.

3. I just gave you $1000 cash and you've gotta spend it by midnight - what do you do with it? Oh and you can't pay bills!

I would take it and go on a cabin vacation with my love. We would drink wine and sit in a hot tub and watch crappy reality TV and go hiking and play board games and snuggle. We wouldn't talk to anyone else and we would just relax!

4. Tell us a little moment from your childhood that would give us insight into you or make us laugh.

I was a weird, funny, bratty child. I was a HUGE camp kid, and went every summer. My mom always talks about when I was a kid and went to camp I was the only kid who cried when they had to leave camp. I loved my family but camp felt like such a special and wonderful place to be but I know it really bummed my mom out.

5. What's happening this weekend?

One of my best friends is here this weekend. It has been awesome laughing and catching up with her. It has been a really great distraction.

Bonus: Hug or applaud a bumpie of choice!

So, so many people. @2mamazinseattle (you help keep us sane), @healz413 and @manada you guys keep us laughing and talking about super smart stuff. @kh826 thanks for all the kind words and thoughts and to everyone who has mentioned us and who have said they are thinking about us. It really means more than I can say. You guys are all so great and we really cherish being on this board. I know that there have been a few times I have thrown in the bump towel because TTC has been devastating and when I return everyone is so kind and wonderful.

Jazibel · February 2014

1. I can't believe January is over!!
Lowlight: definitely getting the flu (with Kaden) for the last week, I think it's morphing into a cold - boooo :-(

Highlight: Kaden is learning so many new words, up to three a day - it's amazing. Last night he learned about owls (we watched part of a nature show on Netflix before bath time). He said owl a hundred times and bounced all over - too cute. I should add that EV and I love owls and have a mild owl theme in his nursery ;-)

2. To deal with emotions I talk and talk and talk. If I'm not talking then it's really bad, and usually doesn't last too long thank goodness. I try to find spiritual answers for things too. I would say I eat ice cream but I do that to celebrate, and just because too.

3. $1,000?? I'd probably buy all of us some clothes (though I hate to buy something that only needs to last 3 months - so maybe I'd save most of my portion for May...)

4. This is terrible, but growing up we briefly had a lizard (among other pets). As a little kid I took it out to the driveway to clean the terrarium (new dirt, sticks, green plants that I dug up from the garden and planted in the terrarium). My younger brother was afraid of the lizard so I placed it down on the driveway and put the upside down glass/plastic cage on top of it so it couldn't run away. Needless to say by the time I came back with new materials I found our lizard immobile and crisply fried. I was so upset. :-(

5. We have a low key weekend planned. I'm building Kaden a small sandbox in the back yard (temporary until Spring) out of a large flat storage container. Kaden's aunt and uncle (EV's brother and his wife) are coming over for brunch today. Other than that I think maybe we'll head to the park later and hopefully get back to the gym today or tomorrow. No super bowl festivities for us.

Today I'm thinking of everyone struggling. I see so much courage in this community, along with hope, perserverence, wisdom and joy. Frankly I don't know how I would have embarked on this journey of becoming and being a parent without everyone here (and those come and gone).
If you are having a hard time I hope that change comes soon - hopefully followed by resolution and in the (near) future celebration.

shelly2314 · February 2014

SweetPea0307 ....aww thanks! That is very sweet of you!

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