The Craziest Week Ever

The past week has been super crazy. First, we got our tub re-caulked at the apartment (last) Thursday late afternoon. We stayed at my in-laws that night and Friday night to give it more than enough time to dry since our bathroom has moisture issues. When we came back on Saturday, our window was open, fan was on, and there was a note on the door saying that the knob on the stove was on so they came in to turn it off. Apparently, the whole building smelled like gas.

Of course, this was a huge red flag. I didn't cook anything Thursday and my husband stopped by the apartment Friday morning on the way to work to see if the windows were locked and stove was turned off. It was off so he left. No big deal. So, when we got the note on the door, I couldn't believe it! I called up to the office and they wouldn't tell me who responded to the call and said I would have to talk to the manager on Monday.

The apartment manager wasn't able to talk to me until Tuesday and I was a bit upset. I told him about the notice and he thought that maybe it was a leak in the gas line. When it was explained to him that it said specifically that a stove was turned on he wasn't sure what happened and said he would look into it.

Tuesday night Phil decided to work late so I went to pick him up from work so he wouldn't have to take the train home. I left around 5:45pm and when we returned around 8pm the apartment building smelled horribly of gas. Immediately, I went and checked our stove and one of the knobs was turned on all the way! Again, I didn't cook that day and had ordered a pizza for dinner. Plus, with our stove, you have to push in the knob for it to turn so it can't be knocked that far.

We ended up opening the windows and using a fan to try to get the smell out. We called emergency maintenance and left a message on the machine. When they didn't get back to us, we were really upset. Around 9:30pm a neighbor came by and asked if it had happened again. When we explained how we weren't there the first time and that it happened again when I went to pick up my husband from work, she was floored. Someone who has access to a key was coming in our apartment while we were both gone and turning on the gas to the stove. She told us to call the fire department and have them check it out. So, that's what we did. They came in and told us it was safe to go back in and we asked them to turn off the gas line to the stove so it couldn't happen again.

The next morning I made sure to be down at the apartment office to talk to the manager as soon as he got in. I told him what had happened (again) and he said they could change the locks. Of course, I explained that the person who got in had access to our key before so who's to say it couldn't happen again. He asked what would make me feel safe and how he could fix it and I told him that I wanted to be let out of the lease early.

Thankfully, he understood and said that we could be let out at any time without penalty.

After talking to my husband, in-laws, family, and friends, we decided that we are going to have everything out by November 10th. Yep, we're moving in 2 weeks and it just so happens to be on my in-law's birthday!

So, that's my crazy story for the week. Do you have any of your own?

My Husband is the Head of the Household

Submission. 

There, I said it. I promised to submit to my husband in our vows because it was important to me, but how often do I submit and let him take the lead on things?

This is what has been on my mind lately.

I'm a strong-willed, opinionated woman. I like to lead and be in control, but this is not the role I'm supposed to take on in our marriage. Likewise, my husband is very calm, yet stubborn and is ok taking a step back. In a nutshell, I have a type A personality and he is type B. Sometimes this makes it difficult for me to stop and let him lead since I like to be the one who initiates things.

I've been feeling a prompting from God that I need to let my husband lead. So, that's exactly what I decided to do...except, that I didn't tell him. Instead, I sat back at Ikea when we couldn't fit the dresser in the car, laid out the options that we could utilize to get it home, and let my husband make the decision. Yes, that took about an hour extra, but I wasn't pushing him to make a decision that he didn't think was best. I encouraged him and told him that I would be happy with whatever he wanted to do.

This past weekend we went apartment hunting. After yet another incident that happened at our current apartment, we made the decision that we are moving and we needed to find a place. So, with my typical list in hand of places to check out, we took all of Saturday after church driving from apartment complex to apartment complex looking at different layouts, floor plans, pricing, and amenities. It was fun for me, but can be a little taxing for my husband.

We found out that we have different opinions on layouts and although we may both like the same ones, inevitably, we will each favor a different floor plan than the other. Again, the prompting began. I could feel God telling me to back down and let my husband make the decision. I silently prayed that God would help us find an apartment that we both liked and that I would be able to submit to my husband even if we chose the one that I liked, but wasn't my favorite.

We drove in to the last place and I had made up my mind that we were going to end up at the complex he liked more in the split-level apartment and not worry about how we would get our furniture up the stairs. I wasn't expecting much from this new place, but was shocked to find out that they were 100% occupied, all utilities are included in the rent, and that they were in our budget.

We sat down, looked at floor plans and talked a long time about the complex. We walked around to see the grounds and amenities and when the leasing agent was getting something from another room, I leaned in and asked my husband what he wanted to do. He said he wanted to put in an application and be put on the waiting list...right then and there. I was shocked. My husband likes to come home, talk about it and think about it for a week or two before we make any decisions. He is not impulsive at all and I could tell that he felt that this was the best place for us.

I decided to go with his lead and we started filling out the applications. Then, the leasing agent asked us which floor plan we liked. Immediately, we each picked a different one *head desk*. Here we go again. My husband couldn't understand why I liked the other one better. I calmly explained to him why and said I would just like him to consider it. Ultimately, it comes down to what is available anyways so we may or may not have a choice.

What I found most interesting was that the leasing agent heard that we each picked different layouts and he immediately put us down for the one that my husband chose. That definitely confirmed to me that I needed to submit at that moment and trust my husband's judgement. 

We've been praying for an apartment to open up in December for the move and I'm planning to be put in the one that my husband picked and you know what? Looking again at the pictures and floor plans, I would have to agree with him.

Funny how that happens, right?!

Good News...It Worked!

I went in yester for another mid-cycle monitoring appointment. Last Thursday, there were no follicles that were of "good" size so they had me come in again today to see if they would grow. I went in hoping that one was 16mm so that we could continue the cycle and not have to up the dosage. We were praying all weekend for good news and I'm happy to report that's just what we got!

I went in for my appointment and they found one 22mm follicle! That is super fantastic and I was so happy that it grew so quickly. In addition to the ultrasound they did more blood work to check my LH levels. In order to ovulate, your LH hormone has to surge and the egg will release. Imagine my surprise when they told me that if they weren't high enough, I would have to trigger...tonight. I was definitely not prepared for that and thought it would be a couple of days before that was needed.

I got the call that I needed to do the trigger shot and drove to pick it up from the pharmacy.

This is how I felt about it when I picked it up.

Truth be told, I hate needles. In fact, I cry and flip out if the doctor tries to give me a shot. I've gotten used to getting my blood drawn, but not shots. I was a bit nervous picking it up, but knew it needed to be done. The trigger shot is important because it causes your body to release the egg within 24-36 hours after the injection.

I managed to keep busy when I got home until after 6pm when I could do the trigger. I was super calm and when I gave myself the injection last night and it didn't even hurt! I couldn't believe it. I called my mom and was so excited that I did it!

The next step in monitoring is to go in November for a beta draw to see if we're pregnant. If it's positive, then there will be more beta draws to make sure the levels continue to go up and an ultrasound to check the heartbeat when it's appropriate. If it's negative, we start it all over again with monitoring.

Either way, I'm so happy that it worked and we're going to ovulate!

Monitoring

Tomorrow I go in for my first mid-cycle monitoring appointment. I finished my first round of clomid with the RE on Monday so we're going to be checking to see if my follicles are growing and where they're at. Depending on the size and number of follicles, I'll be going back in for additional monitoring 2-4 days later followed by...you guessed it, more monitoring.

At this point I'm praying that the clomid will work and we will have a chance this cycle.

Fit Fridays {Week 19}

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Finally! I am seriously so excited about this! I've worked hard and it looks like I'm going to make my goal of 30 pounds lost by Christmas.

This makes me officially weigh in under 200 pounds! 

Clearly, I am not able to work out this week (or probably next week) because of my sprained ankle playing softball, but this shows how important your diet and water intake are for weight loss. In addition, I am now taking Metformin for my PCOS which can help aid with weight loss by helping your body produce the right amount of insulin needed. It is not a diet pill. Weight loss just happens to be a side effect to getting your body working right. Not sure if it has started helping yet since I've only taken it for two weeks, but I'll take it!

Weekly Stats...

 

Starting Weight: 224

Last Week: 200.6

Current Weight: 198.4!

 

- 2.2 pounds this week

-25.6 pounds total

 

 

So What Wednesday

   This week, I'm saying So What if...

• I finally told my mother-in-law about the fertility stuff. I told her about the PCOS and how I didn't just need to "lose weight" and there are real risks with not doing anything about it. She took it well and I'm hoping that we will have her as back up if needed for doctor-related stuff.
• I switched chiropractors and didn't say anything to the old one. I told the one chiropractor who adjusts me so she would know, but the owner is intimidating and we have a personality clash so I wanted to avoid the extra drama. And yes, he came outside of the office to ask me when my next appointment was and why I wasn't coming back. It was super uncomfortable and he was ticked.
• I seem to only want to do things like clean my apartment when I can't. At least there's some motivation, right?
• My husband and I are on the fence about moving. I want to, he doesn't and we're waiting for the email back from the property manager to see if that will persuade us to stay or leave.
• I've been super emotional on and off for days. No real reason, but when I get tired it gets worse.
• I have a tendency to over book myself with orders. It always works out, but I stress while getting it done.

Oh the Joys of Apartment Living

This is my second apartment and in many ways, is better than the first one I lived in. I've been living in this apartment for just shy of two years. The reason why we chose this apartment is that it is 20 minutes closer to my husband's train for work, the price was fantastic, and it has more space than the last one. As much as we long to be in a house, it looks like we will need to continue renting for at least another year or two until we have enough money saved in case something goes wrong in the house we purchase so we don't go broke.

Over the past {almost} two years, there's been a lot of ups and downs in this apartment. I had a lot of issues the first year I lived here and when the new property manager came, he was more than willing to help correct past mistakes, including reducing the amount of rent increase for this year. Now that we just got the new renewal and rent increase notification, it makes me wonder if it's still worth living here or should we pursue some place different.

Basically, we have a month to decide or we will have to start a new lease with a higher payment at the beginning of the year.

There have been some things recently that make me wonder if we should stay.

1. Permit parking. My car was towed this past weekend because we forgot to put the permit from my in-laws car we borrowed for a show to my car. It was $240 + $15 {one day storage fee} for the tow. What upsets me the most is that I had no idea my car had been towed despite the fact that they have the info faxed to them to tell them which car has been towed. I thought my car was stolen and when I called the office to find out if it could have been towed, they told me they had all the information there, but that I should call the towing company to find out. Aka, they didn't feel like checking. Why did I think my car was stolen and not towed? Last year {before the new security company was patrolling} my car was ransacked in the parking lot.
2. Laundry. It's $1.65 for a wash and $1.35 to dry. The washers are small and there's only three machines each for every 3-4 buildings. There are 12 apartments in each building which means sometimes my husband has to drive to other buildings to do laundry. Also, we have to put cash on a card and there are only two laundry rooms in the entire complex that have these special machines and sometimes they're locked.
3. Our kitchen is tiny. We have very little counter space and literally trip over each other if we're both in there together.
4. Utilities. We pay our own electric, but water, gas, sewage, and trash are combined with other tenants. I would like to pay my own gas and water bill since we are more frugal than others and some people have five people living in their two bedroom apartment which means more water and sewage usage that I don't want to pay for.

Of course, our apartment has some perks too which makes it difficult to decide.

1. Price. The price for our two bedroom apartment is currently $200-$300 cheaper than other apartments per month. Yes, this is fantastic, but some other apartments have bigger spaces, laundry in the unit, and a nicer area.
2. Maintenance. The maintenance team here is fantastic. They are super knowledgeable and are so kind. Sometimes they get backed up, but they do a great job every time.
3. New property manager. He is super fantastic in trying to get things to be better. He always takes my concerns seriously and actually makes a point to fix the problem quickly and reasonably.

At this point, I'm just trying to figure out what is the best situation for us. We have to make a decision by November 1st or we forfeit the increase and will be paying a couple of hundred more per month for the same place {which is not happening}. I'm hoping that my email to the apartment manager about some recent concerns and to see if he will decrease the amount of the estimated increase will work. I should have a response by tomorrow morning at the latest and we will see if we need to apartment shop or not. Any advice?

Fit Fridays {Week 18}

Let's start this week off by saying that we got our new scale in the mail! Now, I'm able to have an accurate reading of my weight and I couldn't be happier with that.

This week I managed to get in a good cardio workout and some yoga. It seems that the more I want to get to the gym, the more comes up to try to prevent me. And, you know what? That's life and that's ok. I am learning to manage my ever-changing life in regards to exercise. In the dieting world, I'm still doing a great job! So it's still a win because the numbers are still going down.

I'm still on track to lose 30 pounds by Christmas so I'm happy about that!

So, how did I do this week?

Starting Weight: 224

Last Week's Weight: 201.9

Current Weight: 200.6

- 1.3 pounds this week 

-  23.4 pounds overall!

 

 

Honey, Where's the Paper?

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Chores. Each household has them and for us, they're hard to manage. It probably doesn't help that I've never been super neat and although I can organize, my husband's lack of organization can cause some strife.

Our weekly conversation goes like this...

Me: (calling Phil at work) "Hey, Honey, where is that paper that you moved?"

Phil: "Uhhh, I don't know. Is it on the coffee table?"

Me: "No."

Phil: "On the pie safe?"

Me: "No."

Phil: "On the kitchen table?"

Me: "No! It's not in any of the usual places. I've looked on the coffee table, the pie safe, the kitchen table, on the couch, in the bedroom, on the night stand, on the dresser, and on the ottoman. Where else could it be?

Phil: "I'm sorry, Dear, but I don't know."

Me: "We need a better system. This is getting ridiculous."

Clearly, we have a problem with papers. We have a filing cabinet, two shredders, and a small mail thing on the pie safe for important things that I will need soon.

But, it isn't just papers. It's dishes, laundry, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, everything. We are always behind. I stay at home, but honestly, it's overwhelming. I do what I can, but I really have to be careful with my back and not make sure that I do too much, which can be really frustrating. Plus, I'm the only one who organizes. My husband will sit there and look at the same papers forever while trying to decide what to do with them.

When I look around and know I can't do it all myself, I start to get upset. Then I think to myself...

Wait a minute.

1. My husband is a wonderful provider and he works hard so that I can stay at home.
2. My house is cluttered, but certainly not dirty.
3. We have a two bedroom apartment that we are renting for a really decent price.
4. Maybe instead of hounding my husband who works hard all day to get more done, I should try and get more done in smaller spurts throughout the day to help.

It's not always his fault, but mine too. How quickly I am to blame my husband for something not being done because I'm frustrated in the moment.

 

Yes, we need to come up with a new system, but I need to also remember that I can help more too. 

Fall Swap!

As soon as I heard about the "Fall into Fall" Swap, I knew I had to do it. Fall is my favorite season so how could I pass it up?

I was matched with Tina from Like Ordinary Life. It was great getting to know her a little more and to be able to read her lovely blog and find out that she lives in the same state! We exchanged a few emails/tweets and I was off shopping for her.

I was so excited to see what she got me and I literally ripped the box open the second my husband brought it in. See what she got me...

Ok, so there was also some Brach's candy corn, but I may have scarfed those down before I took the picture.

To say that I was pleasantly surprised was an understatement. She gave me a lovely, handwritten note, a note pad, cinnamon cider soy candle, candy corn, and TWO Essie nail polishes! I can't even believe that she sent me my favorite color {Turquoise & Caicos} and another amazing color that's perfect for fall. These are by far my two favorite colors, in fact, I'm wearing the dark purple one right now!

Thank you, Tina for the amazing package! If you want to see what I got Tina, check out her post here.

Living with PCOS and Follow-Up Visit

Being diagnosed with PCOS has given me a lot of answers. I used to wonder why I had twinges throughout my cycle, was exhausted no matter how much sleep I got, was hungry all of the time, had a hard time losing weight, why I gained most of the weight in my stomach, why I was irregular, and why I crave carbs and sugar like no one's business. Being diagnosed with PCOS gave me answers.

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Since being diagnosed, I've been doing a lot of research. I want to know what PCOS is and what we can do to manage my symptoms. I also want to know what we can do to help me get pregnant.

I saw my fertility doctor for my follow-up appointment last Thursday to find out what we can do. We decided to put me on Metformin ER to help manage my slightly elevated HbA1c levels so that I do not become diabetic. It will also help to regulate my hormones if it is successful because they all work with the insulin levels in my body. In addition, we are going to start treatment with Clomid. In two weeks, I will be going in for my baseline ultrasound and blood work to make sure that everything is good to start. If I respond to the clomid, we have a chance to get pregnant. If not, then we will change my dosage and pray that it works. They will give us 3-4 months of trying once we can get me to ovulate on clomid. If it works, then we continue care with my OBGYN, if not, we switch medications, which will likely include injections.

At this time, I am making sure to do what I can with eating well and working out until my appointment next week. It's so important to continue eating well and working out to help the Metformin work at its best to reduce any insulin resistance and to help me continue to lose weight since weight loss can help ease and control symptoms as well.

I am still learning a lot about my diagnosis and I have two books waiting for me at the library to continue to learn. I am doing my best to consider this a blessing. God made me this way and I strongly believe that I can use this as a platform to help others in some way.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as we work with the doctors to try to start our family!