PCOS & Pregnancy/Infant loss awareness

September was PCOS awareness month. PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS is an imbalance with hormones. Many women with PCOS have trouble getting pregnant, and or staying pregnant. PCOS symptoms are not the same for everyone.

1 in 10 and 1 in 20 women of childbearing age has PCOS. Researchers also think insulin may be linked to PCOS. Many women with PCOS have too much insulin in their bodies because they have problems using it. Excess insulin appears to increase production of androgen.

Some of the symptoms of PCOS include Infertility (not able to get pregnant) because of not ovulating. In fact, PCOS is the most common cause of female infertility.

•   Infrequent, absent, and/or irregular menstrual periods

•   Cysts on the ovaries

•   Acne, oily skin, or dandruff

•   Weight gain or obesity, usually with extra weight around the waist

•   Patches of skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs that are thick and dark brown or black

•   Skin tags — excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area

•   Pelvic pain

•   Anxiety or depression

Women with PCOS have higher chances of Miscarriages!

PCOS is very real; I was diagnosed when I was 18. I knew NOTHING about it, and honestly I am still learning. PCOS does not define me though, its not my story, its just a fraction. Yes, we have had trouble getting pregnant. Yes, we do want children. For those who follow my blogs, well you know that we have had two miscarriages. Yes, it was devastating. Yes, we are trying. No, we haven’t been to the doctor for more help. Yes, I have taken clomid (drug to simulate ovulation). If we don’t get pregnant within the next year, we will be going to see an RE (reproductive endocrinologist) to explore our options.

October is Pregnancy & Infant loss awareness month. So if you know someone who is struggling with the loss of a pregnancy, or SIDS, etc. be kind to them, say a prayer and let them know that you love them. You may have forgotten, but they haven’t, and the loss is still just as fresh and raw even if it was a long time ago. We will always remember the day it happened, the missed due dates, and the what-ifs. We think about who they might have been and how different our lives would be. We shouldn’t have to feel alone, even though we do. This is more common than most people think. It’s hard to understand unless you have experienced the pain that comes with loving something so much and then having it taking away just as fast. The pain is very real, and you feel like it is your fault. Two songs that I absolutely adore, and that helped me tremendously through both of our losses are, Praise you inthe Storm & Bring the Rain. I hope this helps someone somewhere, and remember you’re never alone.

Jesus, Bring the rain.

Angel Baby #1- July 2013

Angel Baby#2- April 2015

Patiently waiting for our Rainbow baby 

 

Date Night

So for those of you who follow me on FB know I am moving into a new position at work and I couldn’t be more excited for this new chapter with work. I start August 10^th, which feels so long from now! So Jesse and I went out to dinner to celebrate my new job, a just to have a date night.

ShoGun is where we ended up, which is this yummy Japanese restaurant that we don’t eat very often. We haven’t had it in a long time, so we figured we would celebrate my new job as well as date night. So two Mai Tais later and I definitely wasn’t feeling any pain, and I even had shrimp and for those of you who know me, know what a huge deal that is. I NEVER eat seafood.

After dinner we stopped at our best friends house and visited with them for a few hours. I don’t know what I would do with out Jill and Jay! They are honestly our favorite people to hang out with! So over all date night was a huge success.

Target Fun

I finally got a KitchenAid Mixer! In Ice Blue! I have wanted this color for a long time but every time we go to Target, they are ALWAYS out of that color and I didn’t feel like ordering one online. So we went to Target to pick up a few things, and a few things turned into a cart full, which is why Jesse hates going to Target. Happens Every. Single. Time.

So we were walking past the kitchen stuff and I noticed that they had Ice Blue products sitting out so we HAD to go look at the stuff…. They had one, ONE, Ice Blue KitchenAid mixer left, AND it was on SALE!!!!!! I had to have it. It was a sign and I knew it, Jesse didn’t feel that way and certainly didn’t share in my excitement for a new kitchen gadget but obviously he isn’t right in the head. So into the cart it goes.

We needed a new clear shower liner, and a rug so we stopped in the bath section. Which resulted in buying a new liner, shower curtain, rug, hooks, a toothbrush holder, and a bath caddy. All of which look awesome in the bathroom. Now just a few decorations and the bathroom will be complete. Jesse bought a plunger. That was his purchase, Sorry I didn't take a picture of it!

As you read above, I have a problem: A Target shopping problem. I go in for one item and walk out with stuff that I don’t really need. That is why I don’t have a Target store card; I would be in so much trouble!

Weekends full of work

Our house is finally starting to come together. We have flowers planted, bushes dug up, a kitchen table and dinning room chairs, and pictures hung up. My mom and I planted flowers and got a ton of yard work done, but now my flowers are pretty much dead. I do not have a green thumb at all!!! But nonetheless the yard looks so much better than it used to so I cant complain too much.

The table is from my great grandma and the chairs are from Jesse’s aunt and uncle and they fit so nicely together. I updated the hardware on the table and we are looking at getting some chair covers to match the rest of the stuff in the kitchen but so far we haven’t had any luck.

The painting in our kitchen is from IKEA that I picked up a few months ago with Jill and just now got around to hanging up.

The picture that you see when you first walk into our house is from a friend of the family who was moving and couldn’t take with them so we scored on that. It was hand painted, and I absolutely adore it, and it matches out living room perfectly!

The picture above the TV is actually our guestbook sign from our wedding that I just had reframed about a week or so ago.

I just bought new jars from Home Goods (its such a bad thing that we now have one in town because that place is AWESOME) for our kitchen, that match the turquoise/teal accents I have in the house and love them so much, they are so rustic looking!

New Salt and Pepper shakers

Got these from Home Goods too!! Love them!

We splurged and decided to buy our grill and patio furniture, we got a great deal on both so I guess I shouldn’t say we splurged but It felt like it. The rug is teal chevron print and the umbrella is teal as well. We had my mom and dad over for dinner on Sunday, and grilled out for the first time on the new grill and had dinner on the patio luckily it wasn’t too hot out or raining.

For Jill’s birthday I took her to a loaded Brush night, which is a night to paint and drink wine and just have fun. We drank our bottle of wine and got step-by-step instructions on painting the picture we had chosen. Overall it was an awesome, relaxing night and I can’t wait to do it again

I also got her a gift from Café Du Monde, a café in New Orleans that serves the BEST beignets, and café au lait.  Sadly we won’t be going back this year so I thought I would bring a little piece of NOLA to us. So I ordered some coffee and chicory, a coffee cup and beignet mix right from the café. So happy birthday lady! I cant wait to see what this year holds!!