the dreaded red

Yes, our first cycle of trying to conceive has come to a close while the next exciting cycle is just beginning.

It’s bittersweet and yet – IT’S ONLY BEEN ONE CYCLE! I should be okay for now ;)

I’m reminding myself of the many things still left on the baby bucket list. Mainly the little fact that the more time we have until baby, the more financially secure *hopefully* we shall be. While most everything seems in it’s place and we become more emotionally mature and prepared, it could never hurt to have a little more dough for diapers… and further down the road – college!

It also doesn’t hurt to have more time for just he♥and♥me.

We’re making sure we soak up this time together as much as possible, see and do as much as possible, and make as many precious memories together as two before our entire world as we know it is rocked by a blessed miracle.

and *OOPS!* – did I forget to mention that I told him about this blog! {Do you believe me now that I’m a terrible secret keeper? It actually has me seriously doubting my abilities to keep future joyous news a secret for a WHOLE TRIMESTER.} I actually told him a couple of weeks ago. He just laughed with surprise and didn’t seem to really believe that I started yet another blog until I showed him the website!

I did tell him it was “safe” for him to read everything on it at the moment, but to not visit in the future without running it by me first… just in case the one post I don’t want him to see ahead of time is up – the what’s a fun way to tell him we’re having a baby post where I’d love to get some fun ideas from everyone. I don’t think he’s even read the first word on this website. He’s just ecstatic I have another outlet besides him for my baby chatter! =) I’ve not told a SOUL outside of him and this blog =)

With this cycle ending, just what shall I do with this:

Yeah – really, this is my morning temperature chart for the past month.

Granted, some days I charted later than the normal 7 a.m. A couple of days towards the end I may have even had a fever. And the rest of it… I have no explanation for which. I actually even wondered if I might have an overactive thyroid with all the high temps – ? {Derived from information in the TCOYF book.}

I’m chalking it up to it being my first month of being off the pill {can you ever really know what to expect that first month?} and STRESS! {Not stress due to baby-makin’ in the least… just lots of other outside factors this past month, much worse than usual…}

I’m trying not to let myself think too long on this chart. It really looks like I may have never even ovulated at all, which the severe lack of CM I seem to have experienced backs up. Though I will not let myself start to believe I will never ovulate. Like I said – first month off birth control will get the blame for now.

{I’d love and welcome any insight you veteran charters may have on the topic!!}

In good news – this cycle was only 29 days! Not the dreaded super long cycle I was expecting making the wait for the next ovulation window even longer. The drab news… this may mean my next “O” window falls on the exact dates I may be out of town for work this month – making it pretty darn difficult to conceive then! {Again, I really can’t predict when I will ovulate based on anything at this time besides the often wrong 14 day notion. So, I’m not going to get too down about our possible bad timing to be apart this next month – we’ll take advantage of the time we do have and PRAY!}

As for this past poll – I took your advice! First, for the results:

 Would you recommend any of the following (from personal experience) while trying to conceive?

93 voted and said:

• 37 votes – 39%   Ovulation pee sticks (Love my very technical terms, don’t ya?!)
• 2 votes – 2%       Ovulation saliva scope
• 33 votes – 35%   Temperature charting
• 29 votes – 31%    Analyzing cervical fluid
• 4 votes – 4%        Checking cervical position
• 48 votes – 51%    Having sex more often
• 17 votes – 18%    *Only* the “good old fashioned way”

 

Based on YOUR input, I made a *hopefully* helpful purchase to use in our future adventures:

 

 

Here we go again!