The Fifth Time's A Charm?

Well, no Christmas miracle for me.  I'm not pregnant this month.  Dang it.

So, Adam and I have decided to try out another IUI.  For those of you who don't know, an IUI is an Intrauterine Insemination.  Basically, sperm is placed directly in the uterus.  It takes out a step that the sperm has to make on its own by bypassing the cervix.  A small catheter is put through the cervix and doctors send the sperm through the catheter.  It gets the sperm closer to the Fallopian tubes where the eggs are located.  And there's your anatomy lesson for the day.  

The actual procedure is not painful and is very quick.  It feels about the same as a pap smear.  I usually have some minor cramping for the rest of the day and that's it.  If I sound like I know what I'm talking about, it's because I do.  Adam and I have been through 4 other IUIs.  Why are we trying again?  Well, both our acupuncturist and our fertility specialist think it is a good next step.  It's been about a year since our last IUI attempt and we've done acupuncture since then.  Everyone agrees it's worth trying a couple IUIs before moving towards more invasive and expensive options.  

In addition to the IUI, I will also be taking Clomid which will increase the number of eggs that I release when I ovulate.  Having more eggs released means an increased chance that one (or more) will get fertilized.  Typically, women only release one egg each cycle.  Taking Clomid will make 2-3 eggs release. While this does increase the chance of having twins or triplets, it's a relatively slim chance.  

Clomid has some pretty crazy side effects.  I took it for 3 of the 4 previous IUI cycles.  It pretty much makes you crazy.  Everyone and everything annoys you.  You get hot flashes.  It's just not pleasant.  Poor Adam had to take the brunt of it.  And also that car mechanic.  I still feel bad about that...

Anyways, hopefully the Clomid and the IUI will result in a healthy pregnancy!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  

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Merry Everything!

As promised in this post, here is this year's Christmas card:

Jazzy and I would like to wish everyone and their loved ones a very merry holiday season full of hope and happiness!  

And we wish you a fabulous New Year, too!  

Cookie Day!

AKA: The Day I Ate My Weight in Cookie Dough!  (I know you're not supposed to eat raw cookie dough, but what can I say?  I like to live dangerously!)

For the last few years, I've taken a day in December to whip up some Christmas cookies to share with my neighbors.  It's a nice way to give a little something to the folks who put away our trash bins and look out for the house when Adam and I go on vacation.  

Usually about halfway through the cookie-making process I stare at the growing pile of dishes in the sink and ask myself why I did this in the first place.  But not this year!  This year I planned ahead and forced myself to keep my cookie day as simple as can be.  That way I could actually enjoy it instead of wishing I hadn't done it halfway through. 

Here are a few ways I kept the cookie-baking fun and stress-free.

I gathered all my supplies ahead of time.

This year I got my act together ahead of time.  I looked at all the recipes and gathered all of the ingredients and baking utensils I would need before I started.  It really did save a lot of time in the long run.  Plus, I felt like I was on a cooking show and had everything I could possibly need right in front of me. Maybe I should start doing this when I cook dinner...

I used tried and true recipes. 

In previous years, I would scour Pinterest and look for some exciting new cookie recipes.  I don't know about you, but it always takes me twice as long as the expected prep and baking time when I try a recipe out for the first time.  And nothing ever seems to turn out quite right the first time I try to bake something.  So this year I decided to use recipes that I knew how to follow and that I knew would be delicious.  

My absolute favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe can be found here.  The cookies are so moist and chewy. Yum!  

And the award for most adorable cookies has to go to these Peanut Butter Rudolph Cookies.  C'mon!  Look at those cute reindeer!  I do recommend having a second set of hands to pull off the decorating part.  You have to quickly add the antlers, eyes and nose as soon as you take the cookies out of the oven.  

I tried to find the recipe online without much luck.  I'm pretty sure I cut it out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine, like, 5 years ago.  Here's a picture of the recipe.  

I mixed in some store-bought cookie dough. 

I wasn't afraid to use some store-bought cookie dough this year.  I figure if only 1 out of the 3 types of cookies I made were made using store-bought dough, then I can still say I made most of the cookies from scratch.  My mom told me about the peppermint sugar cookie dough she bought from the grocery store and I was sold.  Delicious and very easy!  

Buy some cute storage containers to hold the cookies.  

Usually I end up putting cookies on paper plates and then wrangling plastic wrap over the cookies and plate.  (Why is it that plastic wrap only seems to stick to itself and not the thing you are trying to cover?) I got smart this year.  Way back in last December, I bought some cute cardboard cookie containers during the after Christmas sales.  These cookie containers ended up being far easier to transport and they looked as though I picked them up at a bakery.  I will definitely be looking for more containers after Christmas this year.  

There you have it.  The only cookie-baking secrets I possess.  Happy baking!  Or happy eating raw cookie dough!