TCOYF

I read the entire book in 3 days. It was so interesting!!
I recommend that book for EVERY woman, whether or not they are planning on getting pregnant. It's a great way to learn about natural birth control. You just learn to read your body, you know when you are fertile and when you are not. Abstain or take extra precautions during your fertile time, and your non-fertile time, well, no worries!

my 'O' symptoms?

I don't know the exact date that I ovulated according to my chart below. It looks like anywhere between the 14th and 16th day of my cycle.

From what I've read, the rhythm method suggest that most ppl ovulate on day 14 of their cycle. Per the TCOYF book, it's not true. Everyone's body is different, and so you have to read the signs to see when you are most fertile.

Ironically for me, it seems the 14th day of my cycle (or maybe the 15th even) was the day I ovulated...

So with that in mind, here are my symptoms (dpo = days post ovulation)

1 dpo - I had some slight pinching in my left ovary.

2 dpo - cramping on left side at night. Had a metallic taste in my mouth (maybe it was my filling?)

3 dpo - medium intensity period like pains, a little bit of a head cold and runny nose, headaches, a little dizzy, and I gained 3 lbs :-( waaaaaah!

(I think maybe it's even a little too early to tell if I really Ovulated b/c this is my first chart, and there aren't many temps recorded yet... We shall see)

It kinda feels like the type of cramps I get the day before or of my period. Is it PMS? Being that I gained 3 lbs and all (I usually gain about 2lbs a few days before my 'riod). Or maybe it was Thanksgiving dinner LOL

I have only been charting this month. I know that my last cycle was 26 days, so if we are staying with that length right now, it would mean my period isn't due for another 9 days. I don't usually get cramping this early.

Maybe it's ovulation pain? I read that when you ovulate you can have cramps/pain in your ovaries. I mainly feel it on the left side. Even when I get my 'riod, I always feel pain on the left, nothing really on the right.

Most likely, it's just that I'm paying closer attention to my body that I noticing every little thing that's happening to it now...

Keeping with my over-analytical personality -- i just hope there's nothing wrong with my equipment. LOL

This is my chart...

To those of you who don't know what this is all about - I can explain what I know so far. It's taken me awhile to figure it out.
This chart starts on the first day of my period.
The dotted line shows my basal body temp (BBT).
On the left in the CM row -- the first 5 boxes are RED, indicating I have my 'riod. The other things in that column (-, S,C,E,W,-) indicate my CM. (cervical mucus, YUM!).
The HEARTS in the DAY row indicate the days of my cycle that we BD'd.
BD row shows what time of day we 'did it'
Meds - the X shows when I took my prenatal vitamins.
The 01/02 show my symptoms.

According to what I've read. When your BBT goes up significantly during your cycle, you either Are, Have, or will be ovulating, so it's a fertile time. Your fertile time also is noted by how your CM is. When it's like eggwhites, stretchy, wet...etc... you are fertile. These are the 2 methods I use to determine the most likely times to get pregnant. The other is your cervic positioning, and even though I read about figuring it out, I don't think I am ready to get all up in there just yet. LOL

So that's it... I will probably post my chart every week or so. But in the meantime, here is a linky to my fertility chart .

too clueless to think of a title.

After looking online about determining when we would be due should we happen to conceive during this cycle, I told Mr.Moo. He was a little disappointed b/c he thought it would happen later (labor that is).

So to him it seemed it would interfere too much with my family reunion in Hawaii. So, he decided (not to tell me that night after we were in bed and I was ready to go at it) that he didn't want to get pregnant this month.

Perfect timing -- *sigh* -- I have been getting my hopes up just to start trying and they were shot down. I felt rejected. I do want to go to Hawaii, but it's not like we'll never be able to go if for some reason we couldn't fly while we were pregnant. The majority of my family is out there, so we would be having so many more opportunities to go during our lifetime. Alas, there was no winning to be had on either side of the conversation.

I went to bed disappointed, and so did he. But we seemed to agree that we would start trying again sometime in December. That's okay with me, we had originally planned to start TTC in Jan/Feb 2009 anyway.

This morning I woke up and apologized to Mr.Moo in case I had made him feel guilty or bad for changing his mind about TTCing this month. Then he started getting frisky. I went with it, just knowing that he would probably pull out or whatever so we didn't risk getting preg. Alas, -- he didn't. I was a little confused. I asked him why he did that and he said... "because we're trying."

He's messing with my head! AHHHH

I took my Basal Temp (96.66) - WOOO 1 whole hundreth of a degree higher than the last few days. Does this mean it's going up? I didn't ovulate today. I can tell. My CM (cervical mucus - friends of mine, sorry if TMI again) is not to the prime stage yet, but it's getting there. I also took an OPT (Ovulation Predictor Test) and it was neg. (4 for 4).

I have been reading TCOYF (Taking Charge of your Fertility) and I am most definately going to follow the FAM (Fertility Awareness Method) to get pregnant and to not get pregnant in the future.

It's amazing to read. Things I didn't even consider!! For example. Men are fertile everyday from puberty to death, whilst women are only fertile for a short few days. So why is it that Women have a long ass list of birth controls and men only have 3??

For Women: Tubal Ligation, Implanon, Depo-Provera, The Pill, The Patch, IUD (intrauterine device), Nuvaring, Diaphragm, Cervical Cap, Sponge, Female Condom, Suppositories, Spermicides, Natural Methods

For Men: Vasectomy, Condom, Withdrawal

If you think about it, there are so many side effects to the Pill alone that women may experience, and I really don't see the need if you can really break down your fertile phase to a few days -- just abstain! Or have the 'man' use a condom or something. I don't think I will ever go back to using any of the chemical birthcontrol methods ever again.

I honestly thought that women could get pregnant at any time, I never thought it was only a few days. Really. No egg, no possibility of getting pregnant. DUH!

This book is truly eye-opening and easy to read as the writer has an awesome sense of humor. :-)


P.S.: I think Mr.Moo messing with my head has really had an effect on me today because:
- I spilled a Full glass of orange juice on the carpet today - it was pretty horrific.
- I spilled a Full glass of water on the carpet today while trying to clean up the orange juice mess
- I spilled a bottle of Coke while trying to pour myself a glass
- I spilled an entire box of Wheat Thins on the floor

I don't know what's happening, but I don't like it. I've already been told I'm not allowed to eat or drink in any carpeted areas... waaaaaahhhh.

I bought it!

Due to some recommendations from friends and a fellow blogger - I went to heaven (AKA, Barnes & Noble) and bought 'Taking Charge of Your Fertility'.

I honestly did not expect it to be as big of a book as it is. It also came with some software to help charting. I put all my info in, and FINALLY I got some info that matched some other stuff I got, So I am going by this book!

Tomorrow I am 'supposed' to ovulate. I can definitely see feel signs. I never realized that all the changes happening to me were natural and supposed to happen. I thought, maybe it was my diet? I used to make excuses for everything. D'oh.

BDing has not been easy. You see... we have the habit of coming home from work late. I get home around 7 and he is usually in before 7:30. Then we eat, separately from each other. I am picky. We don't cook b/c we are too tired an lazy to. So usually we eat leftovers from dining out, or our lunches, or cereal etc... During our random meal time we chat, sort through mail and talk about our plans for the house, getting pregnant, and the upcoming holidays. About an hour later, we move on to reading books, or browsing the web (and for me -- blogging and stalking other blogs). I am usually attached to my computer on the couch with the TV on in the background until about 11:30pm. At which time I am dead tired.

We talk about how we will BD - it's not a CHORE. We like doing it. It's actually a friggen awesome experience every time (TMI?). But by the time I get to bed he is either asleep or too tired. And the convo goes something like this (beware, maybe a little too much for some)

Me: "Let's have sex"

Him: "Okay."

Me: "Okay, but, I don't feel like moving." (hint hint)

Him: "Neither do I" (hint hint)

Me: "Can't you just JO and then finish inside me?"

Him: "Why don't you do it for me?"

Me: "If I could snap your penis off afterwards I would, because I don't really feel like moving my body."

Him: "heh" *cringe*

Me: "We're lazy."

Him: "Yeah we are."

Me: *snore*

Him: *SNORE*

Last night, since we just fell asleep, we agreed to try and go to bed early tonight so we wouldn't be so tired. It's already a quarter to 10 and he's asleep on the couch. Me, -- well I don't feel like moving once again. But now is my fertile time so I will get to it. He will be happy b/c he likes it when he can just sit back, relax, and enjoy it. Fine, he deserves it. He did all the dishes tonight. (Lucky Me!)

I checked the TCOYF (taking care of your fertility) planner and it says that if we conceive this week, our due date would be around August 19th, 2009. Aye! A summer baby?! I hear that's rough. LOL. Whatev -- I will just be happy to get pregnant at any point.

Wait, I think I just inspired myself to BD tonight by writing this entry -- even if I am the only one getting a workout.

So, off I go. WOO HOO!!!

So what's new...

Not much really.

Friends of ours became pregnant about 11 weeks ago, just found out some bad news about the baby, but are seeking a 2nd opinion. The baby might have downs. I can't imagine what they are going through right now. I don't know what they believe or what options they have... I am keeping my fingers crossed for them that no matter what happens, they will get through it.

Mr. Moo and I have started trying this month. Who knows when is the right time...b/c every site and every book I read tells me a different time of the cycle is the fertile time, so we are just going to go at it every other day until December. How weird it is to have that little tidbit of our lives out on the net... but it is what it is.

We don't know what we are really doing, so the more days, the more chances, eh?

I have been telling ppl that we may try sometime next year, (end of Jan, or sometime in Feb or maybe even in August after our reunion in HI).

So, my sister-in-law mentioned that if we get preg in Jan/Feb, they will start trying for #2 in September, so we can have kids close in age - I thought that was funny. I think b/c having children puts you into a kind of clique. It's just weird.

Anyway, I've been trying the basal temp monitoring, and my temp is down around 97 degrees everyday. With a regular thermometer, my temp is usually around 99-101 -- so it's strange seeing such low numbers. I'm not sure what the basal temp signifies, but i'm keeping track until I finally decide to be interested enough to look it up.

Mr.Moo also picked up an ovulation testing kit. They look like pregnancy tests that you P on. You're supposed to do one a day for 7 days, and when it comes out positive, you are fertile. Gotta get to it, b/c you only have 24-36 hours to get PG.

LOL --

I will start them today.

I think this whole getting preg thing is just something to keep me from being bored at the moment, b/c I still don't feel I will get pg right away -- so for now, i go through the motions.

Fun times!!

Oh ... a little caught off guard...

I've decided to start charting.

I am learning how to do it by reading online...

So my 'riod came last night around 4pm. Perfect timing, I had just bought a calendar to start logging everything in. My first cycle. Now I guess 14 days from Yesterday is my most fertile day (O for Ovulating) -- That would be 11/27.

They say to BD (baby dance, have sex, whateva) 5 days before, the day of and the day after. I guess it's a 6 day fertile window.

You only ovulate for 24 hours but spermies can live for up to 5 days, that's why trying before gives you a higher chance of getting pregnant.

Mr.Moo and I had agreed to start TTC on Jan 1ish -- but turns out that's after my O date per our current cycle schedule. So technically, we'd have to do it either the end of Dec or the end of Jan...

Instead, he has said -- let's get started this month -- for his bday (since it's on the 30th -- 1 month ahead of schedule. I'm okay with that - If we wind up getting pregnant, then I will be in 8+ months pregnant flying and I don't think we'd be able to go to Hawaii. But for some reason, I'm not sure I got this cycle scheduling thing ddown yet -- so I don't 'expect' to get PG this month -- we'll try anyway . ;-)

I'm Psyched...

my siggy

So I noticed on justmommies.com that everyone has these cute little digital scrapbooking type signatures...

I am a lover of digital scrapbooking -- so I jumped at the chance to design my own.

(Side note: "moobooty" is my Screen name on most of the family planning type sites)

Yikes!!

I was wondering why one of the topics I posted about never showed up here.

I found out where it was. It was on my social page that my friends visit for upcoming events. YIKES!

The only reason I found out is b/c a friend posted a comment and I got an email notification about it.

At least it wasn't a super personal post like the others on here --

Anyway... I deleted that post immediately!

From what I remember it was something about:

I planned to stay home and surprise Mr.Moo with a day of cleaning -- for him to come home and be wow'd only to wake up and realize he had also decided to take the day off. I can't clean with him around. Thoughts start racing through my head. I start to over-analyze things to the point where I'll think something like... "He's going to think the only reason I'm cleaning is b/c he bugged me about it, so fock it, I'm not gonna do it." ...

Ugh -- also, I cleared out 1/2 my closet, a couple thousand dollars worth of clothing that I'm just going to dump into a donation bin. I could EBay, I could go to salvation army and get a write up for the a semi-not-really-true cost and get a great tax write off, but instead, I will just take the $300 write-off I can get away with without having a receipt.

Anyway, 1 full day of cleaning = 1 closet cleaned.

(if you saw the closet, you'd understand why it took so long)


*update, I've removed some posts -- not gonna happen again*

How Bitchy Am I??

You Are 40% Bitchy

You're a pretty sweet person, and you're definitely not prone to bitchy outbursts. Sometimes, though, you can't help thinking mean thoughts about people. But at least you don't act on them!

How Bitchy Are You?

Yeah, that's definitely me.

This seems a little weird ...

I just joined Just Mommies website. It's weird to think about this next stage in my life.

I've been thinking more cynically lately... I think I fear getting my hopes up only to have my expectations set too high to achieve. Realistically, anything can happen. I can't just start thinking the worst. I mean, we haven't even started trying yet.

Have you ever been at a point in your life when things were just going so well, almost too good? Then the next thing you know, a big upset occurs?

Well that's where I am now -- things are really good.

What goes up, must come down --

I need to start having more positive thoughts -- so send me yours via the airwaves!! lol

I am also going to make a commitment to not read the pregnancy 'loss' boards until there is a time I really need to be... I do not feel I could help those people by commenting on their posts, being someone who's never been PG, and someone who's never really lost anyone close. I can't even imagine what they are going through, so to console - just doesn't seem right.

Does that seem selfish?

witches brew...

it seems we have ourselves a dry spell here. (how'd you like that pun, huh huh?!)

Let me start by saying -- this blog -- i really don't hold back, so if you don't want to know 'all about me' and my issues, don't read on... b/c it can get personal.

Now...back to the matter.

Mr. Moo and I haven't had sex since our honeymoon.
Seriously, the last time we did it, we were in another country. How pathetic does that sound.

My interpretation of the situation is that he doesn't want to have sex now for fear that we may get pregnant before our planned TTC time (which is Jan 1, 2009).

I think the chances of us getting pregnant in the next month and a half, are slim. First of all, we aren't even sure we can have kids. You don't know until you try...and try -- we haven't.

Secondly, there isn't a HUGE window of time to get pregnant, if you are not trying to. Unless we are having sex everyday, I can't imagine us getting lucky enough to get pregnant on our first few trys.

And what the hell -- why can't he just 'pull-out' -- we've been using that method for about 2 years now -- the only times I went on b/c pills was to change my schedule (eg, making sure I didn't get AF (aunt flo) on my wedding day or honeymoon).

My diet is poor - from vegetarian to non-veg. Chances even more slim.
I'm beat, tired, and totally stressed out due to work, and just getting over all that is planning and executing a wedding & reception. My body - is not ready.

I don't think he understands what it takes to make a baby... but until he 'reads' something, he won't believe it anyway. To get him to read a book now - i'm not so sure he is interested. But that's okay, b/c I know he will read when it's time. (he's good like that).

Foreplay has been an issue lately -- let me just say, I had some dental work done recently, and b/c I have fibromyalgia, I've been extra sore lately. He keeps 'hinting' (which is odd for a man), that he really likes it when I go down on him, and that I should play with 'it' more often. I can't though, so I don't want to get his hopes up so I 'hint' to him and tell him by saying, ' unless you want me to chomp down on you when my jaw gets tired, i don't think it's a good idea'.

Well -- I guess it would also help if I shaved. It's been awhile. I think one of the joys of winter is wearing pants and not having your bare legs on display -- I am free from my frequent razor burn tribulation and it keeps me warm. What the hell, it IS almost winter.

Anyway -- I don't want to get into the habit that we only have sex when we want to make babies. That makes the lovin' so much less enjoyable.

As I write this, I'm not horny -- I just happen to be watching 'The Pickup Artist 2' on tv right now, and I got to watch random geeky guys, via video-night-vision, grope a sexologist in a pitch black room... it was weird -- but somehow - it made me think of Mr. Moo.

why

did my header image disappear?! poop!

If...

we could have it our way. Remoo (younger sis) and I would TTC at the same time. Get pregnant at the same time. Give birth at the same time. Live next door to each other and have our kids grow up to be best friends...

We/I always thought that's how it would be... obviously, due to the fact that she isn't even married yet, I'm not so sure we could get on the same schedule.

However, that's not the only reason. I didn't even think about the what-ifs.

What if one of us got pregnant and the other couldn't. Or what if one of us got pregnant and so did the other but one of us miscarried. I think it would be so hard for both of us to be happy for each other when one experiences a failed pregnancy or attempt. :-(

I need to stop reading the 'TTC after a loss' boards on thebump.com

Acronyms Everywhere...!!!

I don't get it!! I've been reading blogs of ppl from theknot.com that moved to thenest.com that moved to thebump.com and all i see are acronyms everywhere.

What the hell is CBEFM?!



*update* - just discovered it means "Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor" -- geez

Woo hoo!!

First off, let me start by saying that my younger sis, has NO idea about this site.

That being said ---

I know something she doesn't know -- nanny nanny poo poo!!!

Her beau asked my pops for her hand in marriage, and my pops said yes (or something like that Lol)

Anyway, Nov 7th is the day he will pop the question. Let's all guess what her response will be!

I can't believe, done with one wedding and onto the next!!

I will try my best to keep my thoughts to myself as they plan, b/c I know how annoying it could be to have someone in your face telling you the 'right' way to do it.

But -- i've offered her the backyard of our future house as a reception location!! Though, I think Hawaii 2009 would be PERFECT too!!!

For those of you that know her --- shhhhhh!

It's a surprise!!!