~MEMBER OF THE WEEK AUG 11 - 15~

*becky* · #1 August 11th, 2008, 07:12 AM

THE MEMBER OF THE WEEK IS: MICHELLE!!

</span>on Monday: you'll post your story of your life and TTC, etc.

on Tuesday: you'll post 20 random/interesting facts to get to know you better

on Wednesday: Will be Q&A time, others will ask you questions and you answer

on Thursday: Is show and tell, show/share pictures that relate to you and your life and tell about them

<span style="color:#9932cc">on Friday: you'll post anything you know about TTC , share your knowledge!

Hopingfor1soon · #2 August 11th, 2008, 10:41 AM

YAY!!!!

#3 August 11th, 2008, 11:41 AM

Yay! This will be fun.

It all began one night in late '83. My mom was throwing my brother's baby bottles away, and my Dad said, "Hey-- we can still get one use out of those!!" Thus began TTC #3 for the Luke family.

I was born at 2:27, on Tuesday, November 27, 1984 by c-sec at 28 weeks gestation. They told my parents I would not live through the night, and the prognosis was incredibly bleak. My mom didn't believe them. She was right. I survived, but did have some birth "defects" if you will. I joined the family with Christy (8) and John (3 weeks shy of 3 years old}.

I grew up in the house my mother was raised in. Growing up was pretty good until I turned 13. My parents divorced, my dad moved out, and my sister moved out with her baby, my niece, Alyssa. Those were some tough years.

I was a shining star through high school, almost always on the high honor roll despite missing a TON of school due to chronic illness. My senior year, one of my cysts from being on a ventilator grew to 13 cm. I had to have it removed, and my family expected the worst-- they didn't know it was a scyst at the time. I spent a month {and the LAST month} of senior year in the hospital ending up with 2 surgeries and a chest tube insertion.

In August of that year, I moved to Rochester, NY to attend Nazareth College of Rochester. I LOVED it there, but I was always sick and having asthma attacks and my lung collapsed once. I had to go back to Buffalo. I began at Niagara University in the Fall of 03, spending 6+ years there again due to health problems, and "graduated" {though I still have one course to complete} in May. College was great even though there was a LOT of drama.

I met DH first in high school, where I was his buddy for an icebreaker for a club called "Peer Mentorship". I was a Sr. and he was a Jr. and I was the "Veteran". We had gone to school together since I was in 8th grade, he was in 7th. He said he fell for me right then and here because I remembered every detail of our conversation. I was with my high-school love, and I didn't even know Mike liked me.

Flash forward to 2004. It was the end of Spring semester, and a friend of mine told me I needed a night at the bar. Canada is 15 minutes from me, and the legal drinking age is 19. So I went with her, despite my aversion for meeing new people. Mike was there, and we exchanged screen names. I was having a hard time deciding whether I was going to work at a summer camp in MA. He helped me decide it was not the best idea. He was so supportive and so awesome. I decided to go with my gut and ask him out on a date. He had never been out with a girl like that before!!!

We went to dinner at Applebees, and saw some of our old high school classmates, and we decided that according to the gossip mill, we were going to be "married and or having a baby" tomorrow. We talked politics, life, and everthing. I must have been really comfortable because I asked if I could change into my PJs before going to the drive in. He took me home to get them, and then we saw Shrek 2. We were pretty much inseprable from that point on.

We were talking marriage in the 2nd week-- seriously-- not jokingly. As a joke, 3 months into our relationship, we went to Wal-Mart and bought a fake engagement ring. We went to my mom's office and showed everyone. My mom was excited!!

So we left, and we went to the mall. Mike picked out a ring, and proposed to me in the mall parking lot. He "re-proposed" a year later from that day at Niagara Falls.

We decided to TTC around the end of Sr. year of college {my 3rd} knowing that we would be done with school by the time the baby came. As of today, there is still no baby.

We were married Sunday, June 1st of this year. We had a hugely rushed wedding because he ONLy wanted to get married on the anniversary of our 1st date.

KCMomma · #4 August 11th, 2008, 01:03 PM

What an awesome story!!! I just couldn't stop reading it!!! You and your DH sound so in love. That's so refreshing these days!!! I hope all your health problems are clearing up. Good luck this cycle. Now that I feel like I know you better, I even more want that BFP for ya!!!! Good luck girl!!!!

Hopingfor1soon · #5 August 11th, 2008, 01:13 PM

That is such an awesome story! How sweet!

snsgirl336 · #6 August 11th, 2008, 02:26 PM

That is a great story! Thanks so much for sharing! I can't wait for the rest of the week!

*becky* · #7 August 11th, 2008, 02:34 PM

What a great story!! I'm so sorry to hear of your health problems - but it seems like you're a stronger person because of it.

I can't wait to read about more the rest of this week!

~April04~ · #8 August 11th, 2008, 04:55 PM

what a great story

#9 August 11th, 2008, 07:59 PM

Thanks girls! I don't know i f it's a "good" story but it's the story of me!

Here are my 20 facts-- In case I don't feel like getting on the computer when I get out of work tomorrow.

1) I was born at 28 weeks.

2) DH and I were in the same NICU at the same time.. YAY for NICU GRADS!

3) I have a 13 year old cat named PITA.

4) I'm still living in the same town I was born and raised in. Mike too. We are about 4 mins from each of our parents

5) I'm a very proud Democrat and politics really excite me.

6) The person I look up to the most (almost) is the late great Tim Russert.

7) I buy a new pack of socks every 6 weeks or so. I love BRAND NEW white socks

8) My favorite household chore is laundry. My least favorite is mopping.

9) Canada is less than 20 minutes from me and saying "I'm going to Canada" is like saying "I'm going to Target".

10) Speaking of which, I could spend 3 hours in Target looking at everything and not be bored

11) I love John Grisham books.

12) I like celebrity gossip a *bit* too much. What can I say? Escapism is a good thing.

13) On the first of every month, DH and I wish each other a happy "monthiversary". We're currently in month 50.

14) I am a Buffalo Sabres hockey fanatic.

15) I LOVE country music and I have seen Kenny Chesney 7 times.

16) I was in college for 6+ years but I am not sure how I feel about it being back to school time and I'm not going.

17) I played softball and was a cheerleader in high school. Then I screwed up my knee and if I say I'm running, people think I'm joking

18) I've had 13 surgeries in 23.5 years

19) I was DH's first kiss, hand hold, EVERYTHING

20) I am a JM-aholic. I always have it up, sometimes it's just minimized!

~April04~ · #10 August 11th, 2008, 09:33 PM

great facts! I LOVE John Grisham too! and how neat that you two were in NICU at the same time.. talk about fate

Hopingfor1soon · #11 August 12th, 2008, 09:51 PM

Wow Michelle...you have some amazing facts there.....I was my DHs first too...sadly I cant say the same for him...

Oh and I love John Grisham books too!!

SavaAngel · #12 August 12th, 2008, 10:24 PM

I was DH's first too! LOL! And I was born and raised in NY - not that close to Canada, but anyways.

caseyb · #13 August 13th, 2008, 04:34 AM

Great facts! #9 made me laugh outloud!

KCMomma · #14 August 13th, 2008, 05:54 AM

Great facts!!! I LOVE Kenny Chesney too!!! I think I've seen him every time he comes even remotely close to me! Sometimes twice a year!!! I LOVE HIM!!! Sadly, I will miss his tour this year and I"m so sad about it!! I love country music too!

*becky* · #15 August 13th, 2008, 06:05 AM

Those were great!!! So...do you want to come to my house and do laundry??

snsgirl336 · #16 August 13th, 2008, 09:26 AM

Those are great facts! How sweet that you were your DH's first everything! Aww!!!

Hopingfor1soon · #17 August 13th, 2008, 11:09 AM

YAY Question time....

What is your ideal vacation spot?

What is your best and your worst quality?

What is one tradition that you want to share with your children?

What is the craziest thing you have done for TTC??

#18 August 13th, 2008, 01:09 PM

YAY Question time....

What is your ideal vacation spot? I want to go to Vegas and CA SOON!

What is your best and your worst quality? Best: I ALWAYS believe in 2nd chances. Worse: I overanalyze EVERYTHING!

What is one tradition that you want to share with your children? One I really look forward to is reading the Polar Express on Christmas Eve and getting new pjs from Mike and I. It's what my parents did for us, and my mom's parents before her. I got the Polar Express for my 7th birthday.

What is the craziest thing you have done for TTC?? One nght in my dorm, I had heard from my RA friend that there *might* be a fire drill. Which was as good as hearing, "HINT, FIRE DRILL TONIGHT" Well, I got a + OPK at 10:00 and assumed a planned fire drill wouldn't happen so late............................ Welllllllllllll......... I was WRONG, and well, we had to throw clothes on at the speed of light!

#19 August 13th, 2008, 01:09 PM

YAY Question time....

What is your ideal vacation spot? I want to go to Vegas and CA SOON!

What is your best and your worst quality? Best: I ALWAYS believe in 2nd chances. Worse: I overanalyze EVERYTHING!

What is one tradition that you want to share with your children? One I really look forward to is reading the Polar Express on Christmas Eve and getting new pjs from Mike and I. It's what my parents did for us, and my mom's parents before her. I got the Polar Express for my 7th birthday.

What is the craziest thing you have done for TTC?? One nght in my dorm, I had heard from my RA friend that there *might* be a fire drill. Which was as good as hearing, "HINT, FIRE DRILL TONIGHT" Well, I got a + OPK at 10:00 and assumed a planned fire drill wouldn't happen so late............................ Welllllllllllll......... I was WRONG, and well, we had to throw clothes on at the speed of light!