[mandyt]

I am sheepishly starting a journal (I'm very tardy, I know). I think I thought starting a TTC journal would jinx me out of a BFP! But obviously, I know it doesn't work that way, so here I am! Wish me luck that my TTC journal turns into a Grad journal very soon!

So I am Mandy (obviously) and my DH is Greg. We met at a summer camp where I was working as a counselor and he was on the board and did a lot of the summer staff training. He is quite a bit older than me! As I remind him whenever I look at his senior photo:



People who know him now can not BELIEVE this photo! He is a funny man, and my best friend and love of my life. I can not wait to see him as a daddy! He is amazing with kids (he is a teacher and former youth director) and I think he secretly wishes he could be a stay at home dad!

We have two cats, Tony and Luca Bella, and one yellow lab, Jim. We live a ten minute walk from the ocean! I love: ice cream, babies, my iPod, the color PINK, movies, UGGS (I am so Nor-Cal! ), camp, being with my friends and family, writing and reading. I have been working as a babysitter and then a "nanny" (which I realize is a glorified title for an OLD babysitter!) since I was 12 years old, so I consider myself reasonably prepared for the demands of motherhood! As prepared as you can possibly be anyway (and part of what I've picked up on is that you never are!). I'm hoping to someday be a writer, mother, university professor and maybe even independent bookstore owner. I am currently working on a masters in English.

As for the name 'Beak'- DH had a dream one night that I was pregnant and for some reason we thought it would be a great idea to name the baby Beak!! When he woke up he was thinking 'Beak?!?! What were we thinking! I hope it's not too late to change her mind!' before he realized it was just a dream. So needless to say, the name stuck and has become our 'in utero' name- replacing the potential fetus formerly known as 'Ziggy' (still the name of my blog). Well, this is enough of a novel for one night, I'm looking forward to reading more of your journals and getting to know you all a bit more!

[KDD]

Hi Mandy. It's great that you started a journal. I like the name "Beak". We called our angel Ziggy (for zygote).

Looking at your DH's grad photo, I think that he is close in age to me. Big hair and eyeliner was all the rage in my day!

[Tammyms]

Hi Mandy, is that really a pic of DH back in the day? That is AWESOME!!! lol I love the name Beak... I think it's fun to have a nickname like that and will probably carry over to when they are born, my cousin calls her little boy Beaner for that reason

[MommaLee]

Hi Mandy! I love the pic....it reminds of the group POISON!!!

My dh is 12 years older than I am, so I understand the whole age difference. Good luck this cycle!!!

[chrissy323]

Hey Mandy! Love that photo~ rock on! Glad you started a journal! Good luck sweetie

[<>*NaYoMi_BaBy_Dreamer*<>]

just wanted to say hi..and hope you wont have to stay in ttc too long and will get your this cycle

[mandyt]

Yep, that is really DH! I know, his mom once jokingly told some of her students that he was the drummer for Def Leppard and they swarmed him asking for autographs!

I am sooo frustrated today... I had a faint line on my OPK on Thurs and a pretty dark one on Friday (still not as dark as the control though). I missed taking my OPK yesterday due to the holiday and being gone all day (which bugged me to no end) and the test I took in the late am TODAY was stark white. I am feeling like I'm just not really ovulating? Or maybe I already did? But yesterday and today I had temp spikes!! Charting is really frustrating me... my chart looks like a roller coaster!!! Any expert opinions? Could Clomid be causing the wackiness?

Well, DH and I went to IHOP for breakfast to cheer me up and I had Butterscotch Rocks pancakes!!!!! They were ridiculously good, if not the healthiest choice. I told myself I better have them now because I know I am going to be SO meticulous about what I eat after I get my BFP! (And even in the 2WW which I hope is starting... soon?) DH said I better have them now because they are going to make me diabetic and then I won't be ALLOWED to have them. Well, I'm gonna take a peek in your journals and see what you all are up to this holiday weekend!

[denalibear]

Yay for starting a journal!!! Thats a great pic "like totally"

I love IHOP I could eat breakfast stuff for lunch and dinner.

I think you O'ed sometime Friday...but it is hard to tell. I'm not sure if the clomid would affect it our not.

Good luck!

[Tammyms]

I love coming here just to see that pic of your husband, it makes me smile! lol

I don't know the answer about your chart, I have just started so I'm learning. I finally got a +OPK and now I'm taking 3 tests a day till they go - again just to see what happens with myself. I hope it's your month Mandy!

[mandyt]

I was thinking I might have O'd Friday too, except don't you usually get the + OPK the day BEFORE O?? And my line was pretty light on Thurs. :/ It was super faint both tests today so I think I have definitely hit my surge already... still really frustrated I missed the chance to test yesterday! I am going to be really confused for the next few days I think...

[Dóchas]

Yeah for starting a journal...
I love the pic of your DH... Brill it really made me laugh.
I hope you caught your eggie and your on your way to your BFP.

[Tammyms]

In case you O'd on Friday

[~* Liss *~]

Originally Posted by Lee Ann

H...it reminds of the group POISON!!!

Originally Posted by mandyt

I know, his mom once jokingly told some of her students that he was the drummer for Def Leppard and they swarmed him asking for autographs!

OK - first of all - I just saw Poison & Def Leopard in concert last night!!!

Nice to see your journal Mandy! You may have O'd on Friday... did you BD anyways? Hope you caught your eggie this cycle!!

[mandyt]

Yes- I don't pay for FF so you can't see my custom info, but BD'd Thurs, Fri, and this AM... missed yesterday because we were sooo exhausted by the time we got home! Hope I didn't miss it!!

[MommaLee]

Wishing you lots of luck!!!

[mandyt]

Well, got an identical temp rise for the third day in a row! Don't they say it takes 3 days of a thermal shift to confirm? Is it safe to say I ovulated Friday at this point?? I am now considering myself in the 2WW!!

[~* Liss *~]

Sounds like an O! YAY for Oing!! Now time to stalk you in the TWW

[denalibear]

your temps look really good...I don't know why ff hasn't given CH's yet unless they are waiting for one more high temp. Good luck hun....you timing sounds good to me.

[mandyt]

Thanks for the well wishes girls. It is so nice to have such a positive place for support. So few friends IRL know we are TTC... you ladies are the best!

IPS are already setting in!! LOL... yeah, 3 DPO and already exhausted and nauseous (maybe I should get more sleep and eat better food? lol). I am excited to see what my temp looks like tomorrow! I really thought FF would give me the pretty criss-cross this morning but no such luck. Hopefully one more high temp will do it!

[denalibear]

Cannot wait for you temps today...I hope you get CH's so you can be officially in the 2WW!!