National Infertility Awareness week

It is National Infertility Awareness Week, a thing close to my heart. Did you know that Infertility is a disease affecting 7.3 million people in the U.S.? This figure represents 1 in 8 couples. Andy and I are one of those couples.

Infertility 101: Get the facts
Myth: Infertility is a women's problem.
Fact: This is untrue. It surprises most people to learn that infertility is a female problem in 35% of the cases, a male problem in 35% of the cases, a combined problem of the couple in 20% of cases, and unexplained in 10% of cases. It is essential that both the man and the woman be evaluated during an infertility work-up.

Myth: Everyone seems to get pregnant at the drop of a hat.
Fact: More than five million people of childbearing age in the United States experience infertility. When you seek support, you will find that you are not alone.

Myth: It's all in your head! Why don't you relax or take a vacation. Then you'll get pregnant!
Fact: Infertility is a disease or condition of the reproductive system. While relaxing may help you with your overall quality of life, the stress and deep emotions you feel are the result of infertility, not the cause of it. Improved medical techniques have made it easier to diagnose infertility problems.

Myth: Don't worry so much -- it just takes time. You'll get pregnant if you're just patient.
Fact: Infertility is a medical problem that may be treated. At least 50% of those who complete an infertility evaluation will respond to treatment with a successful pregnancy. Some infertility problems respond with higher or lower success rates. Those who do not seek help have a "spontaneous cure rate" of about 5% after a year of infertility.

Myth: If you adopt a baby you'll get pregnant!
Fact: This is one of the most painful myths for couples to hear. First it suggests that adoption is only a means to an end, not an happy and successful end in itself. Second, it is simply not true. Studies reveal that the rate for achieving pregnancy after adopting is the same as for those who do not adopt.

Myth: Why don't you just forget it and adopt? After all, there are so many babies out there who need homes!
Fact: For many, adoption is a happy resolution to infertility. But choosing how to build your family is a very personal decision. Learning about all the ways to build a family can open your eyes to options you may not have thought of as a possibility. Education is key to finding resolution.

Myth: Maybe you two are doing something wrong!
Fact: Infertility is a medical condition, not a sexual disorder.

Myth: My partner might leave me because of our infertility.
Fact: The majority of couples do survive the infertility crisis, learning in the process new ways of relating to each other, which deepens their relationship in years to follow.

Myth: Perhaps this is God's way of telling you that you two aren't meant to be parents!
Fact: It is particularly difficult to hear this when you are struggling with infertility. You know what loving parents you would be, and it is painful to have to explain to others that you have a medical problem.

Myth: Infertility is nature's way of controlling population.
Fact: Zero population growth is a goal pursued in a time of world overpopulation, but it still allows for couples to replace themselves with two children. Individuals or couples can certainly elect the option to be childfree or to raise a single child. Infertility, for those who desire children, denies them the opportunity to choose.

Myth: I shouldn't take a month off from infertility treatment for any reason... I just know that this next month will be THE one!
Fact: It is important periodically to reassess your treatment and your parenting goal. Continuity in treatment is important, but sometimes a break can provide needed rest and renewal for the next steps.

Myth: I'll be labeled a 'trouble maker' if I ask too many questions.
Fact: The physician/patient team is important. You need to be informed about what treatments are available. What is right for one couple may not be right for another, either physically, financially, or emotionally. Don't be afraid to ask questions of your doctor.
A second opinion can be helpful. If needed, discuss this option with your physician.

Myth: I know I'll never be able to stop treatment until I have a pregnancy.
Fact: Pregnancy is not the only pathway to parenthood. You may begin to think more about parenthood than about pregnancy. You may long for your life to get back to normal. You may consider childfree living or begin to think of other ways to build a family.

Myth: I've lost interest in my job, hobbies, and my friends because of infertility. No one understands! My life will never be the same!
Fact: Infertility is a life crisis -- it has a rippling effect on all areas of your life. It is normal to feel a sense of failure that can affect your self-esteem and self-image. You will move through this crisis. It is a process, and it may mean letting go of initial dreams. Throughout this process, stay informed about the wide range of options and connect with others facing similar experiences.

Still waiting

We are still waiting for our homestudy to be signed so that we can be certified. We are at the point that we are getting frustrated...actually very frustrated. Our last homestudy meeting was March 2...a week from today that it will be two months since we had our last meeting. I have to admit that I'm very suprised it has taken this long! We were told we'd be certified by the end of March and now it's looking like we won't be certified by the end of April. So...we continue to wait and pray that it will happen soon. I know that once it's done we'll still be waiting...but at least then we'll be officially waiting for a kiddo...our kiddo. I'm at the point that I don't even want to go into our future kiddo's room right now...I hate that I don't want to go in there..it's a place that one day will be filled with happiness and joy but right now it just makes me sad.

My shadow

Ali is my shadow. When we first adopted her(she was 4 months old) from the dog rescue, she was very shaky and nervous. It was quite obvious that she had been abused. She did like loud noises, did not want us to be too close to her, and was very afraid of dark places. As time went on, alot of scared behaviors went away...well all except her fear of bathrooms and water. She is now quite the snuggler and is a very happy dog. Her little tail wags a mile a minute. She has also turned into my shadow. There have been a few times when I've been walking and stopped and she runs into me. I have to be very careful when carrying stuff as she is typically right there. I'm not complaing as I'd rather have this than the scared puppy that we adopted. She also has quite the personality. If you tell her to go kennel and she doesn't want to go, she will bark(kind of a mix between the sound a rooster makes and a howl) at you and run the other direction. When either of us gets home after being gone to work, she has to "tell" us all about her day. It is quite funny as she will go on and on and on. When she is very excited, she does about 20 360 spins in about 5 seconds. One of her favorite things to do is to poke us with her nose. Especially Andy when he is sleeping on the couch.

Spring Snow Storm

The weather people predicted we would get a big snow storm this weekend. The past two times, they have been wrong. Well, it started later than they thought but we got a ton of snow..probably around 18 inches if not a little more. It went from a hard rain to huge snow flakes around 2:30 yesterday and has been snowing ever since. I went to let the dogs out this morning and couldn't even open our back door. I had to go out the garage, through the gate and shovel the stairs as well as the area around the door so I could let the dogs out. Once I was able to let the dogs out, they had a so much fun! They would step in the snow and sink so they decided "hopping" was the best way to get around. The good part is that is supposed to be 50 tomorrow so the majority of the snow will melt.

Avs/Blues in Denver

Today we went to the Avs/Blues game and it was the last game of the season. Andy bought tickets about a month ago knowing that I really wanted to go to this game since I'm a huge Blues fan. Little did we know, this game would be a HUGE game for the Blues. This game would decide who they would play in the playoffs. If they lost the game they would be in 8th place, if they tied they would be in 7th place, and if they won they'd be in 6th place. Before we went to the game, we went to Brooklyn's for lunch. There were a ton of Blues fans!!! It was so cool! Of course, when I'd run into another Blues fan..both of us would say..GO BLUES!!! It was funny as this was the greeting that all Blues fans were doing with each other.

When Andy bought the tickets, he splurged and got good seats. Actually not just good seats but AMAZING seats. We were three, yes THREE, rows from the ice. I was like a kid on Christmas morning...doing a little happy dance when we got to our seats. I bet I told him 100 times, I love these seats!!! If it wasn't for the glass, I could have reached out and touched the players. Not that I would have, ok, I might have, but we were that close!! I was having fun taking a TON of pictures.

When the Blues came out to warm up, we all started cheering(about 50 of us down by the ice) and the players would give us a little nod and seemed kind of suprised there were so many of us. As it came closer to game time, there were more and more Blues fans in the stadium. I would say there were probably close to 3000 Blues fans there.

The game was a great game. It was fast paced, lots of action, and most importantly the BLUES WON!!! I am so happy that Andy got us the tickets to the game..not just because it was the Blues, but it was just what I needed. A fun day, with my amazing husband, and I didn't think about work at all(ok, a little). It was a PERFECT day! Bonus was wearing my new Blues jersey that I got when we were in St. Louis.

What a week

This week has been a crazy week! I started a big trial at work that will keep me very busy for the next two months. I've gone from five 8 hour days to 10-11 hour days along with a few hours on the weekend. Fun stuff! Andy and the dogs know that when I get home, I need to have some "quiet time" so they usually avoid me when I first get home..haha! Getting back into trial mode has been a bit rough...I feel like my brain is on overload...forgetting simple things(stuff to pick-up at store, to get gas, etc).

Andy left very early Tues morning(4 a.m.) for the airport so that he could fly back to Indiana. He is starting a testing process for a sheriff's dept that is about an hour from my parents. They don't have any current openings but will have an eligibility pool that they will hire from. The pool will last for two years. He stayed with my parents and my dad drove him to the physical test on Wed. evening. My parents then took him to the airport on Thurs. morning. They had to leave their house at 3:30 a.m. because he had a 7 a.m. flight. Andy got back to Denver around 10 and then had to go to work that night. It was a very long day/night for him. He will be flying back again next weekend for the written test. Lucky guy gets to see my parents twice this month and have some of my mom's great cooking!!!

No updates on the homestudy/certification...maybe this week??

We are going to the Colorado Avalanche/St. Louis Blues game tomorrow afternoon. I'm very excited!!! I actually will be able to say that I saw the Blues play twice this year!! YEAH! I'm very excited that the Blues made the playoffs this year!!! GO BLUES!

Nada...

Nothing really going on with us right now. I did get an e-mail from our case manager that her supervisor read her first draft of our homestudy and there were a few more things she had to add to it. Once she has added the info in, it goes back to her supervisor to read again. No clue as to when this may happen....I'm trying to stay optimistic and hoping it will happen this week. Sometimes it feels like it will never happen...us having a baby. I know that we will but sometimes when we're out and see all the moms and dads with their little babies, I really wonder if that will be us someday.

Andy is flying back to Indiana on Tues to do the 1st part of a test with a sheriff dept that is only an hour from my parents. As of now they don't have any openings but they are developing an eligibility list that they will hire from for the next two years. If he does good at the test on Wed, he will have to fly back 11 days later for the 2nd part of the test. Kind of sucks that he had to go back twice so close together but the good part is that he will be staying at my parents' house. Lucky Andy! He will see my parents twice this month! I wish I could go back with him but I'm starting a huge "project" at work that will keep me busy until June. I'm excited for it to start but also kind of ready for it to be done.