Riding the Clomid Wave

For all of you out there that don't already have kids, keep this story in mind if you ever have to take Clomid...

I started taking the medicine on Monday, the 26th. The worst part about it that day was the nasty chalky taste it left in my mouth. Disgusting. I didn't really feel any different and thought, "Hey, this is pretty good. No side effects." Then the word vomit started. Sorry for the graphic wording, but that's really what happened. My mother-in-law asked me a question, that shall not be entered here in the blog, and I honestly answered her, "You don't really want to hear the answer, you'll just disagree with me." She asked for it anyways....and I gave it. Along with multiple other opinions on the topic at hand. And the worst part was, I couldn't stop it! I knew I was saying things I shouldn't...but I could't stop! Needless to say, my Mother Erdahl now knows me a little bit better.

On Tuesday, the pills stuck to the inside of my mouth and I had to force them down with massive gulps of water. Same nasty taste. Things went smoothly for the first part of the day. Then Kendall and I went leather coat shopping...again. Now granted, this was already a sore spot for me, since he's already tried on about a million coats and none of them have been good enough. Well, things got even uglier at Burlington Coat Factory. After FINALLY finding a coat, Kendall couldn't decide if he should purchase the coat. Now, I want to preface this next statement with this: I KNOW I already have a short temper. But suddenly I was riding "the wave" and I told Kendall that this was the worst anniversary ever and that I hated shopping with him and I was NEVER looking for a leather coat with him EVER again. The wave subsided by the time we got home from the store.

I had a second wave at dinner later that evening. I felt like I was running around like crazy trying to get food ready for our holiday party with my family. I accidentally left the wings in the oven for too long and they started burning. My mother proceeded to yell at me, which normally wouldn't upset me- I would just snap back- but I started crying! Like tears streaming down my face crying. I couldn't make them stop for like 5 minutes. Like they say, "There's no use crying over burnt wings." Or is it spilled milk?

Oddly enough, today went fine. Took the pills with some OJ, but no waves.

Final diagnosis: When the bottle lists "mood swings" as a side effect, take them seriously!

Viki, this one's for you....

So, I'm known for having odd dreams. A couple of weeks ago I had a dream that I made a deal with Teri Hatcher to pick up my cousin Grant in a limosine in New York City. That kind of "weird".

Last night, I had yet another odd dream, and of all the people to particpate, it was my 1320 roommates. I dreamt that my roommate Viki was getting married (again-too the same man, don't worry Viki!) to Trey in this HUGE church. Even more huge than the one they really got married in. All of her roommates from college (myself, Karen, Sarah Ford) were bridesmaids. But there were some problems...

Firstly, the florist showed up with one measly little centerpiece and we were attempting to create several birdesmaid bouquets from it. It wasn't working. So we gave up. And my mom cut some roses from her buses in the front yard (that strangely looked like it belonged to Bree VanDeCamp). We then basically did a dance number down the aisle, nothing coordinated though, and were all set to see Viki get married.

For some reason, Viki was nervous. She was breathing heavily and couldn't get out any of the words. So we hauled her BACK down the aisle. Which is where the dream got really crazy. Then half of Viki's "relatives" came dancing back down the aisle in outrageous outfits that looked like they came out of the movie Dirty Dancing...and if I'm honest, I think they were doing the same dance that Johnny did down the aisle at the end of the movie with his dancing buddies. ("Nobody puts Baby in the corner!")

At that point, we got Viki BACK down the aisle and things seemed to be going smoothly, so I left the ceremony (I know, weird) and headed over to the reception. When I arrived I had an ammaretto sour on my mind. I tried to order one from the bartender and he said, "Sorry, only German Club members can order from the bar." He then said something to me in German and since I couldn't respond he said, "See, you need to go over there, you're not German." Which for some reason really ticked me off (I am German) and I stormed over to the "guest" table where I proceeded to down a glass of Warsteiner.

Once the bride arrived the dream gets fuzzy and I think I may have woken up. I just felt the need to share this oddness, because I never dream about Viki! She lives thousands of miles away in Italy! Why would I suddenly dream she was getting married?? Again????

I guess my brain was just trying to say, "Get in touch with Viki, you haven't talked to her in forever." So Viki, this is my strange way of saying Hello. I've been thinking about you...hehe!

For once, I'm excited...

WARNING: This blog will talk about something gross that happens to girls. Enough said? Keep reading if you really want to hear about this...

For once I'm actually excited...that my period came! I know that's totally gross and weird. But it means that I can FINALLY start moving in a better direction (I hope) with my infertility! And the best part is that I don't have to wait the requisite 14 days til ovulation. My action starts on day 5. Okay, let me clarify "action" in cause you're going "Ewwwww!" I start my Clomid on day 5. I feel like we're finally taking back a little control!

My biggest fear is that it won't work. That we'll go through the rollercoaster of hope again for 6 months only to hear that it's not going to work. And my second biggest fear (Sorry Dathan and Natalie, this has nothing to do with you personally) is that next Christmas there will only be one baby in the Erdahl family. So everybody who reads this (like all two of you-haha) please pray that this stupid drug works!

I thought vacations were for relaxing...

So Kendall and I have successfully booked our entire vacation solid. We're spending Christmas Eve and Day at his parents house in Columbus. Then we're driving two more hours to the Land of Cleve to spend three days with my parents. We'll have to shuttle back and forth while there since the 'rents are divorced. Then we'll be driving three hours back to Dayton on Wednesday, only to prepare to leave on Thursday for South Dakota.

You're asking yourself, "What the heck is in South Dakota???!!!??" Kendall's grandparents. His grandma hasn't been doing well lately. We're worried that this may be our last time seeing her. I suggested this evening that we see what flight prices were like for next week. When we found out we could both fly all the way out there for under $500 we couldn't pass it up. The last time we went out we spent almost $700 and had to drive like 4 hours to their house from Minneapolis. This time we got a flight right into Sioux Falls and Norman (Kendall's g-pa) will be picking us up.

I'm looking forward to seeing them, but I'm a bit worried that we could be having a slightly boring time. Isn't that terrible of me to say? I know we'll get to relax while we're out there, and we do get to spend like 12 days together (Kendall and I that is) so I really can't complain all that much.

I'm sure I'll be ready for Kendall to get back to work though...HA! So basically, just keep us in your prayers since we'll be traveling an awful lot. We'll be getting back at 11PM on New Year's Eve, so we'll probably have to kiss in the airport at midnight. But at least we'll have two days to rest before heading back to the daily grind!

Something to "Shake Up" your Day

Check out this link. If you're having a bad day it's a great stress reliever! Just click on the icon to the left!

Merry Christmas from the Erdahls

This is the picture going out in my Christmas letters...if I ever get them finished! Thanks go to Aaron James for taking such a wonderful family photo!

Idoits of the World Unite!

So I couldn't have just one blog logged for today. I had to spend a moment paying tribute to several idiots of the day...myself included....

This morning I slipped on some water on the stairs in the school building. Trying to compensate for my fall I ended up catching my right foot in the cuff of my left foot and proceeded to strain something in my left leg. I had to hobble my way to the nurse's office. She gave me two motrin (I wanted to ask for another 600mgs) and a tiny bag of ice. As the day progressed my leg and ankle area started feeling tighter and tighter, even with ice and drugs. When I went to see the nurse again at lunch she asked me if I wanted to go see a doctor, I then abashedly told her that Kendall was a doctor and I would rather have him look at it first. She seemed irritated that I wasn't taking her professional opinion, but I'm not spending 2 hours in the ER so they can tell me the same thing Kendall will..."It's sprained. Keep icing it and take more drugs." The only difference is that Kendall will tell me I have to be naked before he examines anything...even my ankle...HA!

So my second idiot tribute goes out to a student I will call "M". M was running around the room this morning pretending he was on a skateboard. He was jumping in the air like he was doing tricks on the board. When the bell rang he continued to leap and dive around the room. I finally said to him, "Get in your seat and stop acting like an idiot!" He immediately got mad and said "So you're calling me an idiot?", to which I replied, "I guess so." Then he REALLY got mad...which made me happy!

My last idiot tribute goes out to the student who participated in today's practice spelling bee and spelled the word zucchini as I have typed it below:

ZUCINIO

Wheel...of...FORTUNE!

So we bought a new game. It's incredibly addicting. Our original intentions were to purchase the game for my little brother Billy. Once we actually saw the game, we had to have one for ourselves. (For those of you thinking we kept Billy's present, we bought a second one. Shame on you for thinking I'd steal from a child!)

The concept is actually pretty cool. You purchase what looks like a game controller. It has a wheel in the middle that you can spin. Let me say that again so you all realize how incredibly freaking cool that is...YOU CAN SPIN THE WHEEL!

You plug the controller into the jacks on your TV and it shows up on the screen. It generates new puzzles every time. You can play by yourself or against up to two other people. Kendall and I have already logged multiple hours in on this baby. And it saves your high scores so we can compete, which many of you know is not healthy for our marriage. This game may fall under the category of, "Things the Erdahl's must play as a team". There are several other games that we have to play this way for the sake of our marriage, including Scattergories and Monopoly. This will probably have to be added to the list.

3 Years Ago Today...

Just wanted everyone to know that three years ago today I sold my soul to...Kendall! Happy Anniversary to us! This being the "leather anniversary", I got Kendall a leather bomber jacket...that didn't fit and we're returning. He got my a Coach black leather purse...which I'm returning for a brown one. Ahhh, gifts of love! Seriously though, we're returning them because if we don't we won't use them. I'll make sure to update you on what we exchanged for. Hehe!

UPDATE: We tried coats on for Kendall and found that leather doesn't fit him quite right. We had to go all the way up to a 4X to get it to fit in the chest and arms. And those are still the muscular parts of his upper torso! So it made him feel skinnier when we realized that the coat didn't fit on top more than on the bottom.

I also took back my black Coach purse. I found a brown leather bag that's huge, and wonderful and smells awesome! Kendall pointed it out when we walked in the store and said, "This is the one I wanted to get you but couldn't rationalize paying that much for unless I knew you liked it." Which I did. It was really the only one in the store I wanted. So we bought it. And it's wonderful. Did I already say that?

Some days I just have to laugh...

So this was just one of those days where I just couldn't get mad at a single stupid thing my kids did. The day started off with a 7:10 detention for a kid who wrote the word F*CK on my wall yesterday. We went on a cleaning spree. We washed desks in 4 rooms. By we, of course, I mean the student.

Then, one of my homeroom students "B" (we'll just use initials) came storming in 2 minutes after the bell telling me he wasn't late because his books were already in the room. I asked him, "Was your body in the room?" "No! But I don't care, I'm not late!" I sent him to the office for his late pass and he came back going on a tirade about how he was tired of school. He's decided he's just going to keep being bad, because it's already too late so why stop now? I gave him this example:

If I got a ticket for speeding and I decided to just keep speeding since I already had a ticket, do you think the police would stop giving me tickets once I reached a certain amount. Say on the 4th time I got pulled over, would the police say to me, "Well gee ma'am, you already have 3 tickets, so we won't give you any more since you'll just keep speeding." No! I'd get my license taken away and I got to jail if I kept driving.

That scenario seemed to make sense to "B". Crisis #1 solved.

By the time 2nd period rolled around I once again had the morning detention boy. He didn't like that I was telling him to keep his head off the desk and his arms, so he proceeded to scratch his head with one finger....THE finger....as if I wouldn't notice!

By the afternoon I figured it couldn't get much worse...until "B" showed back up for his afternoon study hall. He proceeded to tap on his desk with a drum stick and headbang for a while. Then when I finally couldn't take it anymore I told him, "B, I like you as a person, but hate you as a student." Then I sent him to sit in the hall...and life was good again.

How many more days until Christmas?

Dr. and Mrs....

Okay, I've just been to my first "Champagne Brunch". I assumed, based on the name, that we would be drinking champagne. I also assumed that since we were going to a doctor's house it would be pretty nice. I well underestimated the elegance of the function we were attending. As we drove down their half-mile driveway we passed a sign that said, "Valet parking at the door." We laughed and thought, "What a good joke." Then we watched the person in front of us pull up the hill to the front door of a MANSION and proceed to hand their keys to none other than the valet service!!! We decided we were too low class for that and we didn't want to get spoiled, so we parked our own car and walked.

As I said earlier, I assumed we would be drinking champagne. Once I saw the house I thought for sure it had to be Crystal. What I didn't assume was that there would be every liquor known to man, as well as several beers, available for our consumption. Now I know the rule of drinking before noon...but I didn't realize that when noon hit, everything was fair game. I sampled both the eggnog and the strawberry champagne, both of which had enough liquor in them to make me forget my name 'til next Tuesday. WOW! I took a sip of both beverages and then proceeded to drink Coke. When I asked the bartender for something without alcohol he judged me with his eyes. JUDGED ME for asking for something without booze in it.

As we snooped our way around the house (with the owners permission) both Kendall and myself were in awe. The house boasted tin ceilings, a private office with wood paneled walls and a floor to ceiling bookcase that dominated one entire side of the room. There was a curled staircase with a beautiful banister and enough windows on the place to give the housekeeping a migraine. While their decorating sense was not to my taste, I did enjoy the overall structure of the house and commented to Kendall that he needed to become an orthopedic surgeon.

The food was a catered ordeal and included filet mignon, a very delicious French toast made from croissants, some strange looking eggplant dish and "potato puff with bacon and eggs". There was an entire buffet of desserts and a wide assortment of wines and juices. After consuming my portion I was then in a food coma.

I think the most distinctive portion of the afternoon was the realization on both of our parts that we are not quite ready for the world into which we are about to enter. While we will be at the "low end" of the pay scale for a physician and their spouse (only in the low 6 figures), we were not quite prepared for the elbow rubbing and lifestyle that we are about to encounter. At one point, when the server brought us an array of desserts to sample, I commented that we didn't need our own plates because we were "sitting at the kids table". This happened to produce a great bit of laughter from the other physicians sitting around us. All in all, I think that we both need a bit more time and a few more glasses of champagne before either of us truly starts to believe that we are Dr. and Mrs. Kendall and Lisa Erdahl.

My "Babies"

Just thought I'd add a picture of my babies. Not the greatest picture, but still...

Chronicles of Narnia

So we went to see The Chronicles of Narnia last night with the Erdahl clan. I thought it was a pretty good movie, so did Kendall. My mother-in-law didn't seem to be that impressed. She complained that it varied from the book. My response, "The book is always better than the movie." Sometimes I wonder if she's ever just happy with something.

We then went out for dessert afterwards, just us and the in-laws and were asked by Dad, "Do you think these movies could compete with the Harry Potter series?" Kendall and I started to respond, but I don't think Mom Erdahl liked our response because she stopped listening! We just shrugged and kept our own commentary going.

I think I'm still going to try to get a copy of Finding God in Harry Potter for Christmas table conversation...that ought to get Mom Erdahl's blood pressure up! HA!

On a more positive note...

Christmas shopping is well underway! I've officially spent all of my alotted money for Kendall. And...I can't wait to give him one of the gifts! So I'm not! I went to the Pontiac dealer today on a whim. I wanted to see if our Bonneville had keyless entry, hoping that dealer we bought the car from had just been a cheap b*stard. Sure enough....we have keyless entry! It's even smart enough to save our radio settings when we use our personal "clicker".

I made a total a$$ of myself at the service shop, bouncing up and down and clapping my hands together. I think I probably sank to my lowest point when the trunk popped open on it's own and I yelled "Shut up!" At least I amused the service men. The best part...it was cheaper than the guy had told me over the phone!

I called Kendall and told him, "You're just going to have to get this gift early, because it's a LIFE ALTERING moment." I've decided to tell him the present is in the trunk of his car...and then pop it open from the front porch! I'm sure he won't bounce for joy like I did, but maybe I can...again!

Is anyone else having a baby?????

Well, let's see....my friend Amy is having a baby. A girl at work just had her baby. My friend Stephanie just had her son Daniel. My sister-in-law is having a baby. Now...my friend Laura is having a baby! Can someone please call me and tell me they're NOT having a baby!!!!!!!

I'm surrounded by people either having or trying to have babies, myself included. I've been going though this process for a year and have already been passed up by 3 of my friends. Would anyone else like to join the list of people that are having a baby so I can feel even worse??!!!?? No, really, please, if you're having a baby, let me know so my uterus can feel like an even bigger loser!

My doctor told me to take this month off and, "relax and have fun". Ummmm, hello?????? Having fun stopped about 6 months ago. When you're regimented on having sex for a week in the middle of the month, you're definitly not going, "Yes! I can't wait to have sex again next week!" I get to start Clomid next month-big fun there! I've read that it can make you feel crazy. Well that shouldn't be much of a change, I ALREADY feel crazy! I just want to grab every 15 year old pregnant girl that I see and slap her! If that's not crazy, I don't know what is.

I told my mom the other day that we did this process the wrong way. We should have gotten pregnant BEFORE we got married, and probably while we were still in college. That would have upped our odds. Since we decided to graduate, get jobs, get married, and buy a house we automatically killed our odds of actually having a baby by 50%. Maybe I should quit my job and go on welfare. That seems to work for a lot of people.