Family

Dude, my parents are spoiling me. They are here visiting and I'm really in heaven. I miss them so much.

They brought me a whole duffle bag of loot. I think my sister bought out all of the mall for me, lots of sweaters, long sleeved shirts (no central heat here), slippers, a coat, lots of good stuff. And that's not even including the stuff they're buying me now that they're here. Like I said, I am one spoiled girl, I'm not complaining.

Hope everyone is having a good holiday. Enjoy being with the people you love.

Another One about Hormones

I've been quiet about the TTC thing lately, mainly because my body has been completely fucking with me.

(By the way I have decided that this is now officially part of my blog and I am going to share the gory details, if you don't like this kind of stuff you may wait for the next post about cookies, otherwise you may now follow along.)

After a couple of cycles dissappointedly not getting pregnant I promised myself I wasn't going to even consider possibly being pregnant until I got the positive test, it was just too depressing. But then this month was a little different, and of course I got my hopes up.

First of all, E and I were not really trying in the true sense of the word to get pregnant this month because we were apart for most of the applicable part of my cycle. We had sex once before we were apart and this could have been from either one day before I ovulated up til five days or so before (my cycle length varies a couple of days). So really, we had very little chance of being pregnant, and this lack of chance made me feel better, like it was no big deal that nothing happened.

Then it all started.

While I was laying around at home by myself all of the pieces started falling together telling me that I was pregnant. The big difference this month though was that I really truly wasn't searching for signs, they really just fell in my lap, all by themselves. They were things I couldn't ignore.

First of all, at the beginning I felt nothing. Really a great feeling. I had one of those few periods in my life where for several days I didn't feel controlled by my hormones. Then my temperature jumped up again, much higher than it had ever been and stayed there consistently for the rest of the time. Then a couple of days ago I started cramping, but not like my period cramps at all. And unlike my period cramps, these cramps produced no spotting, none, whatsoever.

And finally, the number of days after ovulation without my period were staring me in the face. I usually get my period 13dpo and the day had come and my temp was still nice and high. Even fertility friend was screaming at me to go take a pregnancy test.

So, this morning I got up, took my temp which was a little lower but still well within my luteal phase temps, and took the test.

Completely negative, snow white, not even a chance.

My first reaction was complete disbelief. Then once I realized I really wasn't pregnant, my next thought was real worry. Maybe my luteal phase wasn't consistent? All I know is that's not a good thing and probably involves doctors.

Then the more I thought about it I realized I probably just ovulated later than I thought because my temperatures that I measured at the most important time of my cycle (i.e. the ones that would tell me when I ovulated) were completely unreliable. Even fertility friend was a little skeptical about my ovulation date. So all I really do know is that I ovulated. When I did, is anybody's guess.

Sucks, but it validates what I knew from the beginning. That we didn't have sex close enough to when I ovulated, and we really didn't have a chance. When it comes down to it, that's really the best option of all of the possible scenarios (well, except for being pregnant) here.

Once I get my period we'll know what's really going on. Considering my temp went down today a bit, my guess is I should get my period in a day or two. Fun, fun.

Cycle four down, bring on the next one.

Paris

You'd think that with a tornado in London and it being cold, rainy, and pretty much just gross in Paris, the jet stream could find it in itself to throw a little nasty weather our way. Dude, this is getting ridiculous. It's been like a month already without rain, which considering we get NO, as in none, rain during the summer, is very bad. I never thought I'd be begging for some nasty weather, but at this rate there will be no Dead Sea in a year or so, let alone drinking water for the Middle East.

Anyway, despite the awful weather in Paris (the wind took a knit, KNIT, hat off of my head and then shot it down the street and into every single gross puddle for a block until it was stopped by a motorcycle wheel), the trip was great. I forgot how much you walk in Paris, I was really out of shape for it, my hip joints are still feeling it.

We stayed with friends who live a little bit outside of the city which was really nice. They live in a suburb that has a nice French village feel (granted an upper-middle class, suburban, manufactured to feel like a village feel, but it was very successful and we'll take what we can get). So, we got to have the city during the day, and lots of home cooked meals at night, which was great (um, have you seen the Euro lately?? The last time I was in Europe the Euro was .9 to the dollar, it was like 10% off all the time, not so much anymore).

Paris really is a great city. I guess the best way to describe it is that everything just feels like it has a lot of depth to it. I really enjoyed being there this time, I was there for a while about five years ago but I feel like I appreciated the city a lot more this time. I think this has a lot to do with my sense of style, taste, etc. being more developed at this stage of my life. I know what I like to wear, cook, and eat, and Paris really excels at these things.

Here are some of my observations about Paris from my trip:

· I love the attention to detail there. I could have bought (or taken pictures of if our camera hadn't died) of hundreds of things there just because they were so beautiful. I love it. It's just the way my brain works, and it soaked up the hundreds of little details (I know, clear the hard drive, right E?).
· There are still a lot of small stores around and a lot of them are organized by their "craft" so to speak. Like the whole guild thing is still going on.
· I love that there is an area in the middle of the city with lots of movie theaters all in one place, makes it much easier to be spontaneous.
· They do have areas with huge stores but they've managed to keep it tasteful.
· Eek, I had a peppermint mocha from Starbucks there. I know, awful, but I had too. It's my favorite Starbucks creation and it's only available during the winter, and if I don't go home at all during the winter it is very sad.
· They have some very cute and reasonably priced lingerie stores but do not carry anything above a small C. Come on people, my boobs are really not that big.
· The security around the Mona Lisa was better than their airport security.
· Reasonably priced wine is very fun.

All and all, a good trip. Now it is time to gear up for Hanukah. Fried food and familial obligations here I come.

Also, I will post the Pom cupcake recipe, I promise.