Tests, tests, and more tests.

We've started testing to see if the plumbing is working, so to speak.

S. is plugging away at his tests.

My tests are a little crazier. I just got blood drawn on Saturday to test my hormones - FSH, Thyroid, Estradiol, and Prolactin.

On Wednesday, I then go in for a HSG - Hysterosalpinogram - to basically make sure my fallopian tubes are clear and functioning properly.

Then I go back to the blood center on either Jan. 9th or 11th to get my progesterone tested.
We should have all results by the end of January and I'll keep this blog updated.

Please keep us in your prayers. I hope that these round of tests find something, as I'm not sure where the next round of tests take us. :-/

Joy Szabo has delivered her baby.

I've been following this story in a previous post and just read that she had her baby via a successful VBAC! And the article CNN wrote was amazing.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/17/birth.plan.tips/index.html

Congratulations, Szabo family!!!

Merry CHRISTmas!

Steven and I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, filled with love, family, and the giving spirit.

Life Resolutions to Make an Impact

New Years is around the corner and with the champagne, singing, party hats and blowers come promises to write more birthday cards, lose those extra "15 pounds", or a myriad of other wishes that usually fizzle out before the year even gets a chance to get started.

Typically, I abstain from making these empty promises to myself, however this year has already been monumental for both Steven and I and I wanted to see how I can continue to up the bar.

We set out to get healthy in 2009 and, as you can tell from the blog earlier, it didn't work. We had momentum and fizzled within a good solid month. However, Jesus got us back on track and June 1, 2009, we finally had had enough. I was at a whopping 209lbs and Steven at a hefty 220lbs. We joined Medifast and got control of our eating habits, which were completely disgusting. We each dropped about 30lbs (we still have some more to go, but feel incredible) and have since changed our diet. Oh, and we swore off fast food restaurants forever (with one single exception - In N Out Burger).

Steve and I have decided to eat preservative-free, locally grown organic fruits and veggies, free-range, hand-eviscerated poultry and farm fresh eggs, etc. The preservative-free part is the hardest, especially since we like to go out and try new restaurants. If we lived in West Hollywood or LA, we'd find a myriad of organic, local farm only kind of restaurants. Unfortunately, we live in the South Bay, where our options are a little more limited.

I have also started looking into 100% all-natural beauty products. I have taken myself off of shampoo and am LOVING the transition, but I have also started looking into homemade soaps for my face/body, homemade lotions and oils, and want to eventually make my own scents. I currently use bareescentuals, but am hoping I can get my adult acne under control so I can eventually go au natural. (Maybe some lipgloss)

We have become recycling pros. Our trash is SIGNIFICANTLY lower since we started recycling the plastics and paper. I take the bottles and cans to a local recycling company and we usually use the money for a meal together, or a movie, or we just put it into savings.

Lastly, but most importantly, I have finally started building/rebuilding my relationship with Jesus. I always knew I needed to get back to basics with Him and just submit, but I was either too busy, or too blessed, or too pissed, or too proud, etc. I wanted to do things my way. I didn't trust Him, I didn't want Him, I didn't want to hear things that weren't in line with what I wanted. I only with I had done this sooner. But I'm here and trying so desperately to get to know Him again, to trust, and to obey Him.

All of this occurred this year and seeing how vigilant and dedicated we really are energizes me to continue making more positive decisions in my life, in our life, especially for the future.

And, while this may be a little early, I'm writing down my continuing life resolutions and the new ones I hope to add for 2010 (some we already do, but I'd like to make more of a conscious effort):

* Set up a condo-friendly compost.
* Eat out less often (and when we do eat out more wisely).
* Post more recipes of our farmer's market delights (to be posted on Steve's food blog).
* Walk everywhere we can, take the stairs more, park as far away from the entrance as possible.
* Buy more hand-made items (I have a new love for Etsy.com).
* Walk the dogs for 25 min every work day morning.
* Find more homeopathic/integrative medicine Doctors.
* Make our family business more green.

I hope that this perhaps encourages you to think outside the box in terms of a "new years resolution" that fizzles out and dies and perhaps think about something that changes you for the better and, perhaps, impacts the world.

Looking forward to updating you guys throughout the year.

Patience

He told me that He is trying to instill patience in me, yet I'm having such a hard time submitting to His plan and trusting that things will work out.

Let me back up a bit. Yesterday I was driving home and I starting a conversation with God. Out of no where I blurted out "I know I need patience!!!" and then, as if I was off actually talking with Jesus only to realize I was in my car, I shook my head and wondered where that came from.

Then He began to show me substantial moments in my recent life where He, in fact, made me wait. Did I realize it at the time? No way! Who does?

The 2 flashes He showed me were of our courtship/engagement/wedding and then of me joining the family business.

See, with the first flash, I had known since we started dating that S. was meant for me and that I would marry him. I began growing very impatient around our 2nd year of dating, thinking it was time to get married. By the 3rd year, even though I loved him more than anything, I was beginning to doubt the longevity of the relationship and really started putting on the pressure.

Little did I know that Jesus had the situation covered and that I needed to be patient.

On December 10, 2005, 3 years and 2 months after we started dating seriously, S. asked me to marry him in the most incredible way a woman could imagine and 10 months later we were married in the best wedding EVER.

Instead of working on my time, I should have submitted to Jesus and worked on His.

Second flash was me working with the family business.

Back in 2004-2005, S. and I wanted to work together as it just seemed easier. Yes, that was our reasoning. Looking back it seems obvious that it wouldn't have been the right move then, but we were young and I was incredibly...impatient. (Who would have guessed?) Time passed and I gained more experience in the marketing field, our relationship grew, we matured, even got married, and eventually the time came when it all fell into place - and worked!

It wasn't until the end of 2008 when I finally joined the family business and everything, for the most part, has worked out beautifully.

Jesus provides, as He told me, however I just need to be patient and trust Him.

And while I continually struggle with succumbing to His will and plan, almost always it seems like I'm fighting God, I feel more comfort knowing that He will provide for us, but on His time, and I just need to trust Him.

*********

2 Samuel 22:31:
31 As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Jeremiah 17:7
7 Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
And whose hope is the LORD.

Psalm 37:7
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Hebrews 6:13-15
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”[d] 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

My start to helping the environment (and my body): No poo

I love learning new and exciting ways to get my body back to "normal" as well as helping out the environment.

I've become more involved with the 'crunchy' movement - the term crunchy refers to those who prefer a natural approach to life (no preservatives). This whole process includes our food, our merchandise, etc.

Anyway, in my readings and research I found a movement gaining increasing popularity called the "no poo" method and the no poo refers to no shampoo. Shampoo and conditioner is something that has come about within the past 50 years and gained popularity only because of amazing marketing. Shampoo strips your hair of its essential oils, leaving it bare and broken, but gives you that squeaky "clean" feeling that all have come to accept as normal and then conditioner adds a waxy residue on your hair to give it the lush, softness that makes it 'normal' again.

In addition to what it does to your hair, there is conversation that mentions the effects on nature that rinsing shampoo and conditioner down the drain have on our environment.

After months of deliberation on my part, I finally decided to go for it and am pleasantly surprised at the results.

You can find many different recipes online, but the 2 basic ingredients to washing your hair are baking soda (acting as the shampoo) and apple cider vinegar (as conditioner).

I'm currently following One Green Generation and got my recipe from there 2tbs of baking soda and about 2 tbs of warm water until its a paste. Scrub into scalp and leave in for about 30 sec. Rinse well. Then take a bottle and add 1 part apple cider vinegar to 4 parts water and rinse through your hair, make sure to get to scalp. Leave on hair for about 30 seconds then rinse well. Style as normal.

From No poo

Normally I don't wash my hair for 2-3 days so my official last day of no shampoo was Friday, December 4th. So my hair was roaring and ready to go. unfortunately, I had a lot of hair spray leftover in my hair from an event I attended on Friday, so I had to wash again the next morning (there was way too much debris).

From No poo

After blow drying and a full day, here is my do and I couldn't be happier. My hair is shinier and feels super clean and smooth - but not in the way we're all used to.

From No poo

From No poo

I can't wait to post an update a year or more later saying I'm completely free (and show the money I've saved, too)!

Movie Review: Food, Inc.

S. and I were feeling lazy and decided to watch a movie on Netflix last night. We perused the Instant Queue offerings and found Food, Inc. A friend recommended the documentary and so we put it on.

Oh.
My.
Gosh.

We already knew that there were severe issues with the system (a huge part of why we've only been going to farmer's markets for our produce for the past 6-8 months) but we had no idea how far reaching it was.

I see why people are vegetarians given the state of our food.

This movie has changed us completely as we will never step foot in a supermarket again. I'm even rethinking eating out. Has this information made me paranoid? No way. It's provided me with information and I feel empowered to make critical choices that will affect my family's diet in a much better way.

Do I recommend you watch it? Hands down, yes. Yes, yes, yes.

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

My rating: ***** (out of 5)

--------
Side note: Considering that health care seems to be a super hot topic right now here's a question that we should think about (this stems from the movie).

We are focusing so much on the insurance companies, doctors, and our government to fix this system because so many sick people need insurance but can't get care. In the movie, they talk about how ridiculous it is that a bag of chips and a soda are cheaper than buying fresh vegetables, which obviously severely affects the poor and minorities. The rate of diabetes, heart-related issues, and cancer is skyrocketing. No one is questioning the food. And no one is taking responsibility for their actions (choosing a McDonald's hamburger over fresh fruit and veggies).

My question is why are we racing to spend more money on a bill that will only put a band aid on the problem as opposed to changing out outlook on food and proper nutrition and exercise?

(The answer is in the movie so go watch!)

Book Report: Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Wechsler

Although I bought and started this book what feels like forever ago, I finally got the push to finish it and I'm glad I did. There is a lot of great information that is gone over - from basic charting lessons (basal body temp, cervical fluid, and cervix checks) to conditions that could be preventing pregnancy (stress, anovulatory cycles, and even luteal phase problems). In addition to charting and pregnancy-related issues, Toni Wechsler also discusses topics such as how to achieve a certain sex and even goes into detail about PMS.

There were other books mentioned in this one that I'm very curious about and will look into (and report back). Another great feature of this book that I liked was the picture section showing cervical fluid and cervical positions. I only wish I could find info on what a "healthy" menstrual flow looks like - especially since she mentions issues with a thin uterine lining (something I may be looking into).

The only issue I had with the book was the repetition. I felt she kept saying the same thing over and over and not in the "let me stress how important this is" manner, it was more like "I promised my editor a big, fat book and I need to meet that promise" kind of way. But this doesn't detract from the fact that there is a lot of great information in here and is something EVERY woman needs to read and practice.

My rating: **** (out of 5)

---------

If you're interested in charting to take control of your cycles, visit http://www.ovusoft.com/ or http://www.fertilityfriend.com/

Ovusoft is the official software of TCOYF. They have a CD ROM that only works with PCs, however they just released an online version that I've been told is good.

I, personally, use Fertility Friend and find it works great for me.

Continuing our quest for Baby G.

Baby G. is already proving to be incredibly stubborn and the little monster hasn't even been conceived yet (or that we know of).

S. and I got off of birth control (well ok, so it was just me, but I digress) in April/May of 2008. We weren't looking to get pregnant then, but between gnarly side effects that I was experiencing and the fact that we knew it would be soon and we wanted to get the drugs out of my system I had to stop taking them.

Thing is we didn't use any protection during this time and I really followed my charting calendar that based my "expected date of ovulation" on my cycle length rather than the big 3: temp, cervical mucus, and cervical position. This being said, we should have gotten pregnant in those 7-9 months we "weren't" trying.

But we didn't and so began our quest for baby.

Here it is something like 9, 11, 13 (I don't know really) cycles later and still no baby.

We're getting antsy and I'm fighting something fierce with Jesus. After a few conversations, we decided the next step for us is testing.

In the meantime, we keep on keepin' on.

7 Days of Thanks, Day 1

I am most thankful for the love shown by my God when He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

I watched my church service online this past Sunday and our pastor had a great message about the goodness, greatness, and graciousness of Jesus. In spite of the fact I have been less of a servant to Him, He has continued to pour blessings on Steven and myself. We couldn't feel less deserving of His gifts, yet He continues to be the Greatest God I could ever serve.

1 I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable. Psalm 145:1-3

The LORD is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. Exodus 15:2

Thank you Jesus for all you have and haven't blessed me and my family and friend with this year and every year.

7 Days of Thanks, Day 2

As we grow closer to Thanksgiving, my thanks becomes more personal. Today I am incredibly thankful for the love of a great family. I am grateful to be supported by both of my parents. They are filled with near-unconditional love for my brother and I and have been such a strong foundation for us growing up. These wonderful people can always be counted on. I only hope that I'm half as great of a parent as they are.

Jesus also blessed me with an above-average brother. ;) I kid and he knows it, I have a great brother that I wouldn't change for the world. We have yelled, screamed, fought, and had complete dislike for one another growing up. But for every "bad moment" we've had that times 5 in great ones.

Many people have "in law horror stories" and while getting used to each other has been challenging, I couldn't have asked for a better mother in law. I have been exposed to a different culture, she has opened a door to S.'s childhood that even he never knew about, and, since working together, we have become closer.

And, although I mentioned him on Day 7, I could not be more grateful and thankful for S.. He is the most incredible man I have ever met and Jesus rolled out the red carpet when it came to putting him in my life. Every day I fall more in love with him and, even though some days we have to work harder than others in the relationship, I wouldn't trade him in for the world. I look forward to the next chapters in our life with a smile and enthusiasm.

7 Days of Thanks, Day 3

Today I'm incredibly thankful for the friends God has blessed me with. From my long time childhood friends that I wouldn't trade for anything, to my newly made friends that have made an impact on my life, and even those friends that I've lost touch with over the years.

I am lucky to have a great support group that I have been able to make many memories with. We have grown up together, stood by each other through good times and bad, and even experienced amazing ventures.

7 Days of Thanks, Day 4

Today I am ever so grateful for the ability to travel. I have always been fascinated with other countries and cultures and have been able to enjoy that curiosity with Steven.

We have been to Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and Japan. We have eaten new things, saw new things, and have a desire to do and see more.

In addition to world travels, S. and I have been making headway visiting other states. We hope to one day say we've been to all 50 together. So far we have visited Nevada, Arizona, Florida, South Dakota, and Colorado together. In February we have a trip scheduled to NY that we are both incredibly excited for. We also talk about visiting Wisconsin and South Carolina because of family ties.

We are very fortunate to enjoy traveling together and to want to continue doing so. I consider myself lucky for my journeys and treasure the memories we made on them.

7 Days of Thanks, Day 5

Today I am very thankful for my health. In a world riddled with disease, famine, cancer, and other health deficiencies, I am lucky to be healthy and happy. This past year has been focused on eating right and exercising - something we neglected - and have seen positive effects.

I pray that our world changes for the better as health seems to have fallen to the wayside where health care has become more important. People don't realize the importance of staying healthy, not over indulging, and exercising. Many of the issues faced today: obesity, heart failure, diabetes; can all be alleviated if you take care of yourself.

Here's to our health and our healthy future!

7 Days of Thanks, Day 6

I couldn't be more thankful (which is why I'm an avid tither) for the fact that Jesus has blessed me with a great job. S. and I work together at his family's insurance firm and we are severely blessed with a LOT of business right now. I know not many others have this blessing in this economy and that just makes me that much more thankful.

I am also blessed that I am actually able to work with my husband. We make a really great team and have incredible communication. And by working with my mother in law, I've found we are able to talk more and have even gotten closer as a result.

7 days of Thanks, Day 7

Thanksgiving is around the corner and, although my Christmas decorations are already up, I decided to give thanks to Jesus every day for the next week leading up to Thanksgiving.

Today is Day 7

I am thankful for a beautiful roof over my head that is filled with animals who are loving and well-behaved (most of the time), nutritional food to keep my body going, clothes to keep me warm, and a husband who loves and adores me more than I could have ever hoped for.

Bloggity blog update!

Greetings!

I have been transforming my blog and for those avid followers you may already see the difference.

I have partnered with Amazon and set up a store where you can purchase books, videos, anything I mention on the blog really. I do get a portion of the purchase, however I requested it to be in Amazon gift certificates. I'm thinking about doing giveaways on the blog later and donations, so really I'm not making a load of cash! :)

The blog also has email! So feel free to drop your comments/questions/remarks to me there.

Another BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: We're on TWITTER @thrivingforbaby I've added a twitter gadget.

Obstacles overcome, small victory for us.

I really owe this to my friend, J.D., who pushed and pushed me to temp. Here's an update on what was floating in our minds and why I consider this a small victory:

1.) I wasn't ovulating. According to FF (so far) I have indeed ovulated and that is one step closer to baby.

2.) I was ovulating later in the cycle. This would mean I had a shorter LP - or luteal phase - and could possibly not have enough progesterone to sustain a pregnancy or not enough time to implant before my menses. This was not the case as the cycle showed I ovulated on Day 10 2 days earlier than my calendars had been telling me and earlier that I anticipated. This brings really good news as it means I have a longer LP!

3.) We weren't timing things right. I looked back at my pathetic charting from the previous months and saw we were all over the place. Sometimes we were consistent and others not so much. I felt like I had wasted time and if I had just started this process earlier, we probably would have a baby by now. Yet I also know Jesus is trying to tell us/teach us something.

I feel refreshed and ready for this. Maybe this is our cycle, maybe it isn't, but at least if we continue on we have the tools needed to carry on. Who knows, there may still be a problem, but at least we can narrow down the list using the information we've received.

:)

Neglected health

We worked so hard to learn to eat right, add exercise and take care of ourselves. What we didn't learn is how to manage this in incredibly busy and stressful times.

We started our journey in the summer, where everyone was on vacation so sales/business was a little less rushed, I only had 2 classes (one was done in 3 weeks and the other was online) so I had extra time, and the sun was out later so even if we got home at 6:30, we could still go for a walk.

S. and I are working until 7 or 8 most nights, our eating schedule is chaotic, stress levels are higher since work is really pouring in (thank you, Jesus) and I'm taking 4 classes this semester (3 at school and 1 internet). Thankfully, we have NOT touched fast food, which is something we swore off for as long as humanly possible - if not forever. But the thing I miss the most is the exercising and the energy. I'm finding myself to be very lethargic and tired all the time.

I'm happy to feel like I'm not near the place we were before with our health, but I'm definitely not happy with myself now. So I have made 3 goals for myself:

1.) Eat my big meal at lunch. It seems easy, but we are normally "too busy" and end up grabbing a small sandwich or a salad, and then are starving for dinner, which leads to us going out since it's too late to cook.

2.) Remember the small snacks in between. The one thing Medifast taught us was to never let yourself get to be "starving." We bought nuts, some high-fiber cereal, and a bunch of other good snack items for the office, but we usually get too busy to remember to eat. I really want to reincorporate this back into our life as I know it will help keep the unwanted pounds off.

3.) Go to bed earlier. When we were on Medifast, Steven and I would be out by 9:30 (10 was usually our 'late' time) and we woke up around 6:30-6:45 and felt great. We had plenty of energy. I also think we could use the time in the morning to go for our walks then and get back to exercising. I know the pups would enjoy a good, long stretch in the morning.

I love challenging myself and seeing what I can accomplish.

Fertility Awareness Method

I was introduced to this what feels like eons ago. I bought the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler, I started to read it, and I religiously began charting my cycles. Then I put down the book like 1/4 of the way through and I never took the 2 extra steps needed for successful charting: temping and charting CM.

It has been almost a year of trying using the ovulating guesstimation dates, given from simply charting my cycle start and stop, and I finally decided to add in those 2 extra steps.

I started temping 3 days ago and for those of you who follow my blog and like to be kept on the up and up (this will get you REAL TIME) here is my chart for your stalking pleasure: MY FF CHART

I'm excited to see results and pinpoint exactly when I ovulate. Here's to our continuing quest for baby!

Attack of the inflamed sinuses

I've been suffering from sinusitis since I was a freshman in High School and it's been getting progressively worse. I had a sinus infection at the end of September, which cleared up just in time to see the ENT (great, thanks). And here it is, the end of October and I've got another infection.

Normally I beat this thing with day/nyquil, ibuprofen, drinking lots of water and tea, and the sinus rinse.

Unfortunately, we're in a delicate situation playing a waiting game and I can't risk taking normal medications. So it's au natural for me. And it SUCKS.

I've been using hot compress, steam with olbas oil, LOTS of lemon and honey hot water, water, spicy foods like spicy ramen noodle soup, sinus rinse, Mentholatum under my nose, crazy internet concoctions of horseradish root, lemon and honey, you name it I tried it to get this inflammation of my sinuses down.

I'm in pain and have never wanted to drink 2 tbsps of nyquil so bad in all my life.

I guess I better get used to it if we get graced with a little one's presence. If not, I'm so grounding them when they finally do come around.

And for anyone else looking for sinusitis help:

Natural Remedies for Sinusitis Gaiam for life.

Natural Remedies for Sinusitis
What remedies are effective for preventing and relieving the symptoms of sinusitis? Rountree suggests the following natural remedies:

1) An air filter/HEPA filter combination
Because allergies are major culprits in sinusitis, a combination air filter/HEPA filter can eliminate potential allergens such as dirt, dust, pollen, air pollutants and animal dander. It also may help to use allergen-proof mattress and pillow covers and install an air filter on your vacuum so that it doesn't distribute dirt and dust.

2) Irrigating sinuses with saline solution
Nasal washes are effective as topical disinfectants. Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon baking soda in 4 ounces warm water. Use a Neti pot or a bulb syringe to flush out your nose 2-4 times daily. Colloidal silver (1 dropperful six times daily) and commercial nasal washes containing Echinacea and Goldenseal are also effective.

3) Quercetin
Quercetin is an anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting bioflavonoid found in the skin of red onions and apples. It helps decrease mucus production and swelling by blocking the release of histamine from immune cells. Quercetin can also be taken as a dietary supplement.

4) N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is an altered form of the amino acid cysteine. This antioxidant thins mucus and provides antiviral action. Use of this substance has long been prescribed by medical doctors to treat lung congestion associated with cystic fibrosis.

5) Boosting your immune system
Chronic sinusitis can indicate that your immune system is compromised. Taking an antioxidant supplement containing vitamin C, vitamin E, carotene complex, selenium and zinc can help bolster your immune system. Olive leaf extract and garlic may also help by fighting yeast, which can be linked to sinus infections.

6) Hot towels or ginger compresses to your eyes and cheeks
Hot towels and ginger compresses may help reduce inflammation and open nasal passages.

7) Limiting dairy products, refined carbohydrates and sweets
Dairy products may produce sinus-congesting mucus, while refined carbohydrates and sweets suppress immune function.

In addition to the above recommendations, if you have sinusitis you might try bromelain, an enzyme that has been shown to reduce swelling and inflammation in the sinuses. And, whenever possible, reduce your stress levels. Ivker says that emotional stress is one of the most probable causes of sinusitis because stress lowers immune response in the body. So while you're taking your natural remedies, also consider taking a break.

- and -

Natural Remedies for effective sinus relief The Healthier Life.

8 Natural Ways To Help Overcome The Pain Of Sinusitis Straight Away

Fortunately there are steps you can start taking right now, which offer a safe and natural alternative to harmful medication:

1. Studies have shown that up to 70 per cent of chronic sinusitis sufferers have environmental allergies. So it makes sense to try and avoid breathing cigarette smoke, traffic fumes, dry air and chemicals at home or in the workplace as much as possible. Tackle dust mites in the home by vacuuming carpets frequently.

2. Exercising in moderation helps boost your immunity. Even walking for just 30 minutes three to four times a week can be highly effective -- although you should avoid any form of exercise outside when the pollen count is high, as this may exacerbate the problem.

3. Cut out mucus-forming foods and common allergic foods, such as dairy products, eggs, wheat, fried and fatty foods, pastries, sugar, chocolate, beer and anything containing food additives.

4. Eat more sinus-clearing foods, which aid the breakdown of mucus. These include foods like fresh fruit and vegetables, salads, fish, and hot chicken broth. Foods which are known to be particularly beneficial are garlic, onions, chillies, ginger, horseradish, mustard and pineapple.

5. Drink 2 to 3 liters of still mineral water a day and have hot herbal teas and lemon drinks.

6. For rapid relief, mix 1 teaspoon of grated fresh horseradish root with the juice of a lemon, add boiling water and a little honey and sip slowly.

7. Inhalation is a tried and tested way to relieve blocked sinuses. Add ten drops of Olbas Oil to a bowl of almost-boiling water, cover your head with a towel, close your eyes and inhale for ten minutes.

8. Nasal washing is an old ayurvedic treatment. Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, hold one nostril closed and sniff the liquid up the other one until you can spit it out of your mouth. Then repeat with the other nostril.

We are so ready for you, Baby G.

Dear little baby G:

We aren't technically your mommy and daddy yet as you haven't been conceived, but I wanted to let you know that we are more than ready for you to be here with us.

Every month that passes that you haven't started your life growing inside me leaves us that much more empty and restless inside.

We try harder and harder to make sure we're doing everything right - to give you the best possible place to live for 9 months (and beyond) - and I really hope you decide to finally join us.

Your daddy and I were in San Francisco visiting your Auntie J. and got to hold a baby. He was so sweet and adorable. When your daddy held him, the little baby fell asleep in his arms. It was then that we both realized that you are the only thing we want in life.

We love you so much and can't wait for you to be in my belly growing into our baby.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Stay tuned...

I've been wanting to post a lot this week, but between work going into psycho crazy mode and then me realizing I'm half way through the semester and not giving anything (and having the grades to show for it) I found that I really didn't have time.

I have an update to the lady I wrote about on 10/2 regarding her VBAC. Apparently someone at CNN realized this was insane and a follow-up article came out on October 15th. Kudos to CNN, big thumbs up to the ACOG (never, ever thought I'd say that), and double boo to Banner. Why the thumbs up to he ACOG - because they had this to say to Banner:

Banner Health, which owns Page Hospital, says it decided to stop performing VBACs at Page when ACOG, the obstetricians' group, established guidelines for hospitals that Page Hospital was not adequately staffed to satisfy.

The ACOG guidelines recommend "24/7 coverage of both physician and anesthesiologist," and that "two physicians be immediately available during the entire period of labor," Banner Health said in a statement.

But ACOG spokesman Gregory Phillips says that's not what the guidelines say. "These appear to be Banner's interpretations of the stated recommendation," says Gregory Phillips.

The ACOG guidelines recommend that doctors consider several factors when determining if a VBAC is possible. For example, two criteria that can be considered are whether there's physician availability throughout active labor, and whether anesthesia and staff can be available for an emergency C-section.

Since the ACOG guidelines came out in 2004, more and more hospitals have refused to do VBACs. Today, nearly half of hospitals won't do VBACs, either because the hospital has banned them or because doctors won't do them, according to a survey of nearly 3,000 hospitals by the International Cesarean Awareness Network, a grassroots group that has fought against VBAC bans.

Typically, health care professionals rally around other health care professionals in these types of situations regardless if they are 'right' or 'wrong.' Mardsen Wagner calls it camaraderie and talks about this in his book (that I'm half way done reading) Born in the USA.

Anyway, the fact that ACOG is telling Banner, in a sense, that they're wrong feels like a win to us. I'll take it where I can get it.

=

On a personal note, S. and I are still at this trying to conceive game and growing very impatient. I know it's all in Jesus' hands and so does S., but some days are easier to accept than others. I've also started bringing up talks of adoption. Research on that subject has started, and we decided to give to spring of next year before we get fired up on adoption. I'm actually really excited about adopting. It's something I've always wanted to do, my heart has always felt a calling.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to all the ladies who waited a while to get their little one and my advice was always "relax, let it happen, stop trying, etc." I understand now why it was so frustrating to hear, how nice you were by grinning and saying "thank you", and how you really just wanted to tell me to be quiet. I appreciate all of the "advice" I've been given on the subject, really I do, but after a year of attempting to produce an offspring and getting the same retort, I'm going slightly crazy here.

Steven and I can not wait until we can post pics of our new family member (whether from our blood lines or someone elses).

Mothering

I really love the Internet. Information is available in an instant and supporting debates becomes easier when you can back up your opinion with facts.

This is probably why the natural birthing movement is seeing great momentum. One blogger links to another who links to another (so on and so forth). The same is with magazines, news articles, books, movies, etc. Everyone is very open with their information.

Skip to my latest find - Mothering magazine. I signed up for a year digital subscription and am captivated. I'm sure many of the future articles that I'll add to my list on the right will be from this magazine.

Mothering.com

Birth Advocacy

I feel like I hit the jackpot of birthing info today. Every day I try to research something new, I usually bring it back to my natural birth board online if it hasn't been brought up, and I save it for future use in my favorites.

Today I got not one, not two, but 3 pieces of great information to add to the hopper and I really want to share this with you.

1.) The Lie of the EDD: Why Your Due Date Isn't when You Think

This article was found on the blog of www.mothersnaturally.org, posted on August 15, 2009. Take a look and read through it. I found it overwhelming considering the increasing rates of low birth weight babies, babies with lung development issues, etc. It is thought that just because your baby is "term" it is perfectly safe to come out.

2.)Midwifes & Mothers in Action

Midwifes & Mothers in action is a culmination of midwifery organizations banded together to promote midwifery, midwifery awareness, and life state midwifery bans - all at federal level. Please forward this information on to others - donate, volunteer, get involved.



3.) Citizens for Midwifery

I found this site after combing through MAMA's site seeing how I could get involved. I realized this organization is exactly what I needed. And I decided to join. So now I am an official member of the Citizens for Midwifery!

I'm a bird, I'm [in] a plane!

We got a treat this morning when our good friend (who also happens to be the world's greatest vet) asked S. and I if we'd like to take a morning flight over LA with him.

We both shouted "hooray!", jumped up and clicked our heels together, and rushed through our grocery shopping at the local Farmer's Market.

We took off from Torrance airport in a 4-seater Cessna. It was my absolute first time in a tiny, single-engine plane and for all intents and purposes, S.'s as well (you see he flew in one once so long ago he doesn't even really remember it except to say that he remembers being in one).

I got to fly copilot! We flew over LAX, through Santa Monica, Hollywood, around downtown LA, followed the 710 through Long Beach, saw the Queen Mary, and zipped around the Palos Verdes Peninsula, back in through Redondo Beach and home to Torrance.

It was so beautiful and surreal. And I near about got airsick in the plane. It took everything in me not to, well, you-know-what. My lesson learned is to keep Dramamine with me at all times - especially since we'll probably have more impromptu plane rides in our future!

We know how to celebrate.

How can we top our 1st Anniversary at Disneyland (the place where it all took place the year before)? Easy! A B&B trip to Napa filled with wine, Thomas Keller (Bouchon and Ad Hoc were included in the culinary trip - next time: French Laundry), and Cyrus. So, what do we do for 3rd anniversary? Head back to Disneyland! But wait - we already did that. Ok, how about get into the most exclusive club in Disney? PERFECT!

We ate, drank, and moused it up at Club 33 (courtesy of a very awesome friend).

People Amaze Me

I was reading the natural birthing blogs I'm following yesterday and came across an article that was published on 9/30 that got under my skin.

Hospital Policy Pains Expectant Mom

"Joy Szabo, pregnant with her fourth child, stands beside the message she wrote protesting Page Hospital’s recent general ruling that will prohibit her from giving birth naturally.
PAGE – A pregnant woman’s pleas not to have an unnecessary caesarean are being ignored by Page Hospital administrators..." (Lake Powell Chronicle, 2009)

Apparently, we aren't allowed to make decisions anymore on how we birth our children, otherwise the hospital will get a court order. Thanks, so much, Medical Community for supporting us. Maybe we'd give you our business again if you'd take that self-righteous stick out of your behind and listened to us instead of fighting with us and telling us we're stupid.

Amore

3 years ago today I married the love of my life and my best friend.

I can't believe how fast it's flown - I'm having the time of my life. I can wait until our twosome becomes a threesome (and more!). You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I'll love you forever.

Thank you for choosing me to be your wife.

Love you with all my heart,

M.

A beautiful melody, for a beautiful birth

I came across this youtube clip a few months back, loved it, but for some reason it popped back up in my mind today and I realized I just had to share this.

If I had a set of pipes like this lady (and a hubby who could play a real guitar - no, honey, Rock Band doesn't count) I would love to welcome my little one in the world with this beautiful song.

Ooh! New Markdowns! It's shopping time.

I've fallen in love with this site, The Land of Nod, and am on their email mailing list.

Well today I got this one and think I'll have to trek over yonder to get a great deal. I thought I'd pass it on to all the mommies, mommies to be, and future mommies.

FUNNY!

So I stumbled on this baby site, baby gaga, and it had some crazy funny cartoons and I thought this one was relevant:

Happy Windsday!

After a delightful and last minute evening trip to Disneyland last night, I'm feeling refreshed and amazingly lighter. Although I was craving a churro or some other delightful Disneyland treat, I stayed away and much to my amazement actually lost weight this morning (even after a couple cocktails).

I am very proud of our decisions, though. Before Medifast we wouldn't have hesitated to get a churro AND an ice cream AND a corn dog AND whatever else our tastebuds yelled for.

I just can't believe how time has flown and 2009 is in the later half of the year. Christmas will be here soon enough and I get more and more excited about the holidays. Hope everyone is having a great week.

New things

I have started adding some great widgets to add some relevance and resources to the blog. If there is something you want to see or feel would enrich the natural community please do leave a comment or email me.

TFB will be undertaking a transformation...

After much inner-debate, Thriving for Baby will become, in addition to updating everyone on our family-expanding journey, a place to inform women about the choices they have with regards to childbirth.

For the past year I have been researching alternative methods and have found my heart being pulled in a direction I never thought I'd go down. I can only attribute it to God's calling for me and lucky for me Steven is behind me 100% - actually sometimes it feels like he's ahead of me pulling.

I look forward to sharing this very huge part of our lives in hopes that it educates and empowers other women, their husbands/boyfriends/significant others, and encourages others to spread the knowledge.

Energy Shields Are At Maximum Capacity, Captain!

I admit, I came into MediFast thinking I would eventually find out that I had been duped and the whole direct selling thing is a sham preying on the weak and the fat. I convinced my husband to just give it a try anyway as we were out of control and if we didn't get a hold of ourselves right then and there, we'd be on the Discovery channel talking about how we're both 800lbs and eating a billion calories a day.

But I admit I was wrong. I was very wrong about you, MediFast.

You have somehow retooled our way of thinking, of eating, and how I feel about myself. Maybe it's a drug in the food, but whatever it is I like it.

I go out to eat and make SMART choices (ok, so the 2 glasses of red wine aren't smart, BUT I do realize that I need to add about 10 extra minutes of exercise the day before and after to make up for that choice).

AND I have a LOT of energy. I love going out for out walks and if it's getting close to 2 days since I last walked, I get antsy and irritable. My body now craves movement. Once I get started I can't stop. If I come home after a walk and still have energy to burn, I'm running up and down our stairs, or doing lunges, or dancing to good ol MJ.

I also used to spend HOURS in front of the TV or the computer. And now I get antsy if I'm there for too long. I need to get up, to move, to DO SOMETHING. (As a matter of fact I'm running to my room to change into my walking gear as soon as I'm done with this blog!)

I love how bright the future looks for my husband and I and I really feel that in these short 7 weeks on the plan we have been taught a valuable lesson on eating wisely. You can have a cheat meal once in a blue moon - BUT do something to counter act that choice and add in a few extra crunches and 15 min extra on the cardio. And don't beat yourself up. Feel great about that choice. It's a wise one.

Still Alive and Doing Well

We're almost and the end of 7 weeks on MediFast and we're feeling AMAZING. We have more energy, we exercise at least 3 times a week, and DRUM ROLL........

S. has lost 25 lbs and I have lost 21 lbs!

I'll get a great pic of us after we get back from our vacation so you can see the half way point transformation of us. (Well S. is over his half-way point, I've got about 25 more to go.)

One of my greatest milestones on this weight loss journey has been being able to fit back into my wedding ring without having the horrible skin irritations that forcing it on caused.

We're looking forward to the day when we step on the scale and see numbers we haven't seen since before we met each other and can feel great about how we look. And since starting MediFast, we're realizing that day is actually not too far away and completely attainable.

timeline

Currently: Waiting for a bio mom to select us to parent Baby G.

August 2011: Fingerprints done.

July 2011: Sent in Fingerprint Renewal Request.

March 2011: A horrific and disastrous earthquake and tsunami hit the northern part of Japan. Prayers. Prayers. Prayer.

December 2010: Advised the program is closed to new applicants and to anticipate the 12-18 month wait.

September 2010: Photo album and letter approval.

September 2010: Baby care basics class at our local hospital.

August 2010: Met with our agency and got the run-through of how it will all work once we get the call.

July 2010: Letter to birth mother is done and we scheduled our date to meet with the agency.

June 2010: USCIS Fingerprints done, I-171H received, dossier completed.

April 2010: Home study completed!

March 2010: Home study started.

January 2010: We spent awhile praying - God calls us to adopt. We send in our initial application to adopt our baby from Japan.

Mid January 2009: We decide to start trying for a baby.

April 2008: We come off of birth control (trying but not trying). ;)

September 2006: We are married!!

December 2005: S. proposes on the Goodyear Blimp!

August 2002: We meet & start dating.

"It doesn't taste that bad"

We found ourselves saying this a few times today (except for a couple of things we both kind of had issues with). You see the plan is to eat every couple hours or so, we we eat 5 of their meals and 1 of ours since we wake up.

As I mentioned earlier, we started off with a bowl of oatmeal (off plan) and didn't get our food around noon. So we were a little on the famished side and dug right in.

S. had a strawberry crunch bar - "surprisingly not rancid" (his words) and would eat again!
I had a bowl of wild rice and chicken soup. It was decent, although I think it would move up a notch on the yumm scale if a) I didn't overcook it and b) I added salt, and a lot of it.

We then moved on to our mid afternoon snack around 2 where S. partook in the chicken noodle soup, which he likened to the Lipton soup and gave that a two diet thumbs up. I had the strawberry cream shake.

Now I forgot to mention that we decided to mix in a lot of the food we wouldn't normally go for or really dislike, and eat it in the beginning. We were told that the first few days were the worst, so why not make it super bad and give us something to look forward to when we're feeling better?

I bring this up because I hate strawberry shakes, strawberry ice cream, and a bunch of other strawberry items that aren't either real strawberries or jam.

The shake I had was not a hit with either of us (Steven decided to sample what little I had remaininig) and I was bummed he didn't like it as I wanted to trade my strawberry for his orangscicle. :-/

Anyway, then we had our 4p snack and it consisted of the orange cream shake (the orangscicle) for S. (who was not a fan but I thought it was super yummy) and then a lemon merengue bar for me, which was "eh".

The best meal of the day is the lean and green (where you cook for yourself) by far. We had 5 and 6 oz of roasted chicken - no skin - (I had 5 because it was dark meat), 3/4 cup of cucumbers, and 3/4 cup of green beans. Steven poured a tiny bit of rice vinegar on my cucumbers and a pinch of sea salt for the beans. His meal was a little more crazy. I think it was the same thing, except he also added truffle salt to his beans, and paprika and chipotle powder to his chicken. We also took a long time to eat, drinking plenty of water during the meal, and are pleasantly full.

We have one more Medifast meal for dessert tonight and then it's on to day 2.

So far, we've decided that it's not the diet that will kill us, it's each other. Our irritability is through the roof. Thank goodness we can make each other laugh after we've yelled at each other and we realize what the other is going through.

At any rate, we're still trucking on with a positive outlook and can't wait to get to our goal.

Day 1 Commencing

Here's to our oatmeal (without any sugar or fresh fruit) and coffee (sans the cream and sugar).

Will report back after we've ended our first day.

Have a good June 1st!

Monday is coming up fast!

"I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me."

This has been our mantra for the past few days and it's been working.

I love that we are doing this together because as one person is having doubts creep in, the other comes right in and reminds us why we're doing this and why we NEED to do this.

We are finding that the more we realize how bad we're eating, the more things that used to sound yummy are now beginning to make us queasy. Monday can't come soon enough.

Here's our plan:
We get shipped to us 4 weeks of food that includes:

• 42 Bars (Chocolate Mint Crunch, Peanut Butter Crunch, Oatmeal Raisin Crunch, Caramel Crunch, Fruit & Nut Crunch, Strawberry Crunch)
• 14 Oatmeals (Apple Cinnamon, Maple & Brown Sugar)
• 7 Scrambled Eggs
• 14 Soups (Chicken Noodle, Chicken & Wild Rice)
• 7 Chocolate Puddings
• 7 Cappuccinos

We get one meal a day that we make ourselves. We are sent guidelines as to what that meal can consist of, and it's really not as strict as you'd think. We can even go out to eat for that meal as long as we stick to the rules. And right now, considering the excess 50lbs we each are carrying, we're not about to start going against the rules.

Considering we have a very low caloric intake, we are told to hold off on the strenuous activities until the 2nd or 3rd month. We can take 20 minute walks, though! :)

We are grateful for your support and would love encouragement along the way to help make this easy! :)

Back on the wagon, we go!

So we all pretty much didn't do a thing the past few months and our bodies show that and more.

To top things off, we pretty much just raced to the finish line where we were supposed to start trying to conceive AFTER we got healthy, but didn't. And, of course, the Lord basically told us what we already knew and that was "not yet." So after 5 months and 6 cycles of nothing, we're back at square 1 and feeling much better about this.

After some feedback from family and friends, we decided to try the Medifast diet and low exercise to start for June and July. Then September, October, and November, we add a lot more exercise and do half the Medifast plan and half on our own. And then go from there. We would love your prayers for our success that we can stay on track and always remember that God is in control.

So, starting in exactly 6 days, we will be on our new plan and new life. We're both excited to drop the weight - especially after this picture was taken (this passed Friday). NOT cool.

Thumbs up from Doc!

I prepare for everything. Probably a little more than normal. But anyway, a few weeks ago was my yearly trip to the lady doctor. S. and I decided it would be best to do the "baby talk" (no, not goo goo and gah gah) but the talk that includes, "what are my next steps", "what should we start doing/not doing", "etc." Most everything we discussed I had already knew about from my overachieving preparedness. So she sent me to a blood lab to get my blood drawn to test for:

1. Liver
2. Diabetes
3. Rubella Vaccine
4. Thyroid
5. Blood pressure

Oh, and I'm blanking, but they also want to know your blood type as there is a condition in which the mom's body will attack the baby - yay wiki for helping me out (3rd paragraph down): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_type.

But I got the call Friday afternoon from the doc and I passed with flying colors! YAY!!!

S. and I are excited and are thinking about starting our little family, or at least trying for it, around June or July of this year. So please keep us in your prayers that this is what God wants for us.

Trust in the Lord

Life's been a little hectic and unstable (who's isn't) and I found comfort in Psalm 91, so I thought I would share (from Bible.com):

Psalm 91

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust."
Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust; His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flieth by day,
nor of the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor of the destruction that layeth waste at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample underfoot.
"Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation."

And so it begins

I re-joined sparkpeople and am hoping to have S. and the parents join, as well. Sparkpeople really helps you track your food intake and your exercise. You can either follow their meal and exercise plan or make your own. They even have an online community where you can join with other people, who share similar stories, and get encouragement and help. The best thing about this site is that it's absolutely FREE. On occasion you may get an ad that pops up, but I don't mind as that's what keeps it free.

I had a great day yesterday with the food I ate, even when I thought we had messed up for dinner. I tracked everything and was on the low side of my daily allowance! YAY. S. then hooked up with Wii and we started the Wii fit again. I took the fitness test and according to the Wii my BMI is 28 and change and my wii fit age is 44!!! I went through just about everything and really like the yoga part. S.'s BMI is 30 and change and his wii fit age went up to 50 something! (I think it was 52)

We both realized how incredibly out of shape and sedentary we are. And just reinforced why we're doing this.

We are also going to start the "Couch to 5K" run.
It basically starts you off walking and sprinkles in a few light 90 second jogs, by the end of the plan (week 9) you're running 5K.

I look forward to March 28th and to a bright, healthy future with my husband, my family, and the little ones to come!

It's a Family Affair

In our quest to shed pounds and get fit and healthy for baby, we grabbed a couple more people to join us. And, to my delight, they just so happen to be two people I love the most - mom and dad!

Both S. and I are excited to have mom and dad on this physical journey with us as we have more people to help us be accountable.

We sat down and formulated goals and took measurements. We then decided on dates to meet up at in between the "goal dates" to make sure we're all on track.
We should all meet our 3 month goal on March 28, 2009 and will meet again on January 31 and February 28 to make sure that we are all staying on track.