Itchy Face Update… I Just HAVE to Share!

LOOK AT MY FACE!

My Greek yogurt & raw honey mask is working! The itchy, red irritation bumps on my face are already going away! 

Look! Look! Look!



Your Pit Bull

Wow. Beautifully written!

Dear River,

I want to tell you a story about your dog, Zoe. We found her cowering at the pound. She wasn’t barking like the other dogs. She was simply laying there, looking up at us. The tag said, “lab mix” and she was slated to be killed in a week. We fell for it, thinking we were buying a lab.

She is not a lab. She is a pit bull.

As Zoe grew, we came to realize the pound had lied. I was scared. I felt irresponsible for letting this type of dog into my home. All of the stereotypes, preconceptions and worries filled my mind. Should I take her back? What would people think of us?

She is the definition of disenfranchised. When first time guests visit we lock her in her cage, not because she is dangerous, but because of unspoken fears. She receives wary glances from strangers as…

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“Hola!” From Cancun

The flight from Houston to Cancun was about 2.5 hours and was one of the smoothest plane rides I’ve ever experienced!

We traveled with AeroMexico and were wowed by their generosity. Every seat had a personal touch screen TV attached to the back of the seat in front of it which provided free entertainment (movies, tv series, music, moving world map, and seat to seat chat). Hubby and I started watching Divergent, but we turned it off because the headphones were acting funny and we could to head very well through them. I’ll definitely have to watch this movie at home soon! To our surprise, we were also served lunch (boxed sandwich with chips). Because we weren’t hungry, we saved them for later – just in case ;). We’ve never been on a domestic flight that feeds you on such a short flight.

Weather is perfect here. It’s in the high 70s.. But it’s a bit humid (which is alright, because that’s the way it is at home, anyway!). We spent a lot of time in our hotel room tonight. We went to dinner at Señor Frogs (fun atmosphere.. Blegh food), and checked out the pool, beach, and rest of the hotel before heading back to our room. We’ve both been lacking sleep, so we’ve been relaxing the night away :).

We have an “Off Day” tomorrow, during which we plan to visit the local mall, scope out some small, unique shops and booths, eat delicious food, and explore a little more of the area around us :).

On Monday we are going to XPLOR for some adventures in zip-lining, driving amphibious vehicles, rafting through caves, and a swimming down a lazy river.

On Wednesday we are going to visit Chichen Itza, where we will see Mayan ruins :)!

In between, we’re relaxing and exploring.

For now,
Love. Love. Learn.
Roxana

We’re Really Doing It This Time!

Hubby and I went for a 3 mile walk last night around our neighborhood. We took our dogs with us for the first mile and a half, and because their short dachshund legs couldn’t handle much more, we dropped them off at home and walked the last half without them. Upon returning home, we each enjoyed a EAS vanilla protein shake and registered for our first 5K walk for later in the year.

We discussed the changes we’ve made in the last month. We eat a lot healthier, and even if we eat fast food, we make good choices. My favorite fast food right now is Smash Burger’s Avocado Club SmashChicken without bacon or a bun. It’s only 370 calories, so it fits in well with my restriction of 1,450 calories a day. What you have to watch out for are the fries! There are 400+ calories in one serving of SmashFries – that’s a huge no-no!

I’m down only one pound in the last two weeks, but feel so much better! I’m clear-headed, my shirts fit better, and my headaches are slowly going away. In the last two weeks I’ve only taken two Advils. That’s HUGE! I usually take 4-6 Advils A DAY!

I plan on walking 1-2 miles every afternoon after coming home from work, and another 1.5-2 miles with Hubby when he comes home from work :).

Summer, I’m going to use you to my advantage! Wahoo to the perks of being a teacher :)!

Live. Love. Learn.
Roxana

STAAR is among us yet again.

The desks are arranged neatly in rows,
Cubbies are put away in their places,
Everything is in it’s right place.

All anchor charts have been removed or covered,
All the beauty drained from my classroom.

STAAR is among us once again!

I’m feeling excited to get the STAAR Writing out of the way, but nervous, anxious, and nauseated all at the same time just thinking about it.

We’ve worked so hard all year!

We’ve written so many compositions and drilled the grammar to a pulp, but we’ve learned! We’ve come so far! I’m proud of what my kids have accomplished this year, and know I will continue to be proud of them! Bring it on, STAAR – we’re ready to kick your booty!

On a side note, I can’t help but feel like I should be starting my injections this week. The stress of waiting for hubby’s genetic testing is truly weighing on me. I’m so very hopeful that we can start trying next month. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts.

Live. Love. Learn.
Roxana

What’s happening here?

I’ve always been terrified of needles.

And when I say terrified, I don’t mean just scared.

I mean getting hot and sweaty, hyperventilating, and passing out.. TERRIFIED!

I had my MRI yesterday and did alright when the contrast was injected, but still felt a bit weak and woozy afterwards (thank goodness I was already laying down in the MRI machine).

My blood work today was super simple. I went in a little iffy about everything. I sat down, took deep breaths, and felt the alcohol swab on my arm. Without looking, I took one more deep breath and felt the needle as I exhaled. I focused on my breathing, as to not hyperventilate. I must admit, I focused too much on the procedure, and listened to her swap out the vials as my blood was drawn.. But it was over before I knew it! Next time, I will try to relax more.

I’m proud of myself, because I’ve never been able to get my blood drawn by myself. I’m a big girl, now :). I just texted my husband (at work) saying, “I didn’t hyperventilate! I’m beginning to be okay with all this.”

Go, me!

Live. Love. Learn.
Roxana

Back to TTC After Spring Break

My husband and I spent March 7-12th in California visiting my best friend, Ashley. The trip was amazing. We visited many places I had not even visited while I lived there. During our trip to California, we:

– ate at In-N-Out 2x (should I be bragging?).
– visited San Pedro Square’s Beer Market.
– enjoyed a fresh breakfast at Scrambl’z with some of my dearest friends.
– went shopping!
– visited San Francisco.
— ate fresh seafood and enjoyed the sights at Fisherman’s Wharf.
— dug into plenty of salt water taffy at Pier 39.
— thought about sharing a sundae at Ghiradelli Square (we were too full!).
— drove down Crooked Street (Lombard St.).
– visited Sausalito.
— wine tasted and shared a cheese plate at Bacchus & Venus.
— bought socks at the cutest little shop called Soxalito!
– made a mini road trip out to Monterey.
— watched the sunset on Pebble Beach, with our toes in the sand.
— enjoyed Monterey nightlife.
— discovered that I actually enjoy drinking Blue Moon, Shock Top, and Hef. Weird!
– Met baby Koosha, my dear friend’s 2 week old baby!
– and last but not least, we definitely enjoyed eating at some of mg favorite places!

Our trip was an eventful, well needed, and well deserved break from reality. I loved seeing Ashley and all of my other friends, but what I loved most, was experiencing Hubby’s first trip to California with him :).

Upon our return from our break, we jumped head first back into TTC. I had my pituitary MRI with and without contrast yesterday. The radiologist urged me to drink plenty of water for the next two days. I’ve had a headache since that won’t go away.. Not sure if it’s because of the dye? My follow up visit with my RE is today, and we will discuss our plan going forward. Hopefully, I will walk away with my prescription in hand, so we can figure out exactly how much meds will cost us the first time around (I don’t think we have enough time to wait on insurance this time around).

Here’s to hoping that I won’t freak out at the sight of the needle (I’ve gotten calmer), I walk away with all of the information I need, my RE has my MRI results already in hand, and that this headache goes away soon!

*UPDATE*
Left without a prescription. I’m not sure what I was thinking.. I only just had my labs done. My RE will call me with a “game plan” as soon as all of my results are in. Without them, he can’t tell me much. Also found out that my left tube is “partially” blocked. Not sure exactly what that means.. But the dye made it through both tubes during my HSG.

I don’t know what to think.

Live. Love. Learn.
Roxana

Sounds of the Jury Assembly – 1:42PM

Crinkle

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Crinkle. Crinkle.

Crunch.

A woman clears her throat.

Someone across the room sneezes.

A number of people mumble “Bless you.” from around the room.

Someone behind me yawns loudly.

Two older women laugh quietly in the corner.

The phone rings softly.

“14 jurors will be escorted out into the courtrooms in 5-10 minutes.”

“Yes!” a young man whispers loudly from behind me.

The phone rings again.

Someone behind me whispers quietly.

“Jurors, 28 of you will be escorted to the courtrooms shortly.”

Two women cough at the same time.

Someone sneezes.

A phone goes off (loudly).

Loud squeaks echo through the room (the benches are old).

The flipping of magazine pages slices the frigid air.

“Oh, my gosh. I cannot believe that.”
Two women carry on a conversation in front of me.

The woman to my right coughs.

The humming of the air conditioner seems so low and loud
– it’s rumble hurts my ears.

Someone sniffles.

A man in front of me is asleep with his head slung over the top of a bench.

Someone shuffles around, digging through their bag.

Crinkle.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

I’m going crazy just sitting here.

Live. Laugh. Learn.
Roxana

Disheartened

Today is CD1.
(Haven’t had a visit in about a year..)

Feeling hurt.

The insurance specialist at my RE’s office, Anne, didn’t get our paperwork together in the month we gave her, so no cycle for us this month.

I’ve contacted the office manager, so that hopefully we can get something done. And soon!

As it turns out, Anne has been verifying [and re-verifying] the infertility coverage that we already knew we don’t have! I’ve told her repeatedly that, although, I do not have “infertility” coverage, I do qualify for “hormone replacement therapy” (same thing, different phrase) coverage because of my diagnosis. According to Jane, the insurance representative I spoke with this afternoon, (and four others before her), under my diagnosis code (626.0 for Primary Hypothalamic Amenorrhea), I qualify for coverage for the following procedures and labs: LH, FSH, Estrogen, Progesterone, Follicular U/S Monitoring, HSG, Sonohysterogram, and IUI.

Anne tells me that she understands my dilemma, but clearly there is a disconnect. She hasn’t even sent off the letter of medical necessity I’ve been asking her to put in the mail for the past two weeks..

I hope we have a solution soon.

Send positive thoughts our way, please!

Live. Laugh. Learn.
Roxana

Happy holidays, indeed!

The holidays were fantastic this year!

The week before Christmas, DH and I drove into the country for his family’s Christmas get together (as I mentioned before). We had such a fabulous time with all of his relatives. I’ve been very open from the beginning with his family about our TTC journey because, as newlyweds, people asked often about when we’d start a family. When we were up this weekend, I expressed to his Mama, Nanny (grandma), and aunts that we plan on starting our HR treatments soon, and they were so supportive. We are truly lucky to have such amazing family and support in our lives. It feels so good to know that our families understand how badly we want to be parents and that we’re fighting a long, hard battle to fulfill that dream. They understand how much it hurts to be asked questions over and over, and work hard to make us feel “normal” (only word I feel is suitable in this context).

Christmas Eve was spent with my family. Mom and Dad wanted us to spend the night at their place (like when we were little). We had a delicious dinner, baked Cowgirl Cookies and watched movies. On Christmas morning, upon waking up, we shared a delicious homemade breakfast together and laid around. My MIL came over by 11:30, and we opened gifts.

I received a small, beautiful black leather Kate Spade cross body/clutch from my DH, Dior Pure Poison eau de parfum and lipgloss from Mom and Dad, and tins of goodies from my MIL (jammies, slipper socks, fuzzy blankie, small jewelry box, and Tupperware).

One of my best friends, Giny got married today (12.27.13), so all of yesterday (12.26.13) was spent with her at bridesmaid luncheon, check up on venue, and a sleep over.

Getting ready for the wedding today was a blast. We had hair done early, ate lunch, and worked on our own makeup. I absolutely love the way my hair was done, and I’m super proud of myself for doing such a fantasy job on my own makeup.

Here’s a photo of our beautiful bride and handsome groom – they are so perfect together.

The bride and I were pledge sisters of Phi Mu Fraternity together. With some other sisters, we serenaded her and her husband with special songs. Here’s a photo of us after the serenade.

Now to enjoy the fantastic weekend that lays ahead of us :)!

Live. Laugh. Learn.
Roxana