GIRLS NIGHT

After an exhausting day, I am going out tonight with some girlfriends. YEAH!

Shower prep

Tonight I spent the evening at my cousin's house making food for the bridal shower tomorrow. I hope everything goes okay since me and my cousins are giving the shower. I don't have much else to say tonight. I am really tired and hope to actually get some sleep tonight. I hope everyone has a great weekend. I promise I will post some pics tomorrow.

Doctor

My doctor gave me some news about the back and hip pain. Sciatica! I will look back and see who had suggested that. I also have a bladder infection.

Not much input tonight. Shower planning, 3-way call with my favorite cousins, dinner prep, pharmacy trip. Now my new medicines are starting to make me sleepy. YES!!! If I don't pass out soon, I will post a couple of pics that I said I would last night.

New Camera

I thought my hubby was serious recently when he told me I could get a new camera if I could sell mine. Guess what? I tried talking to him more about it last night and he said we didn't have the cash for it. I knew this. I really want a DSLR. I just figured I would use the credit card for it when I know I shouldn't. When we hear something back from the D.O.T. about our counter-offer, maybe then will my camera wishes be quelled with something special.


Any of my friends can vouch for the fact I love taking pictures. I don't have any desire to be a professional. I only want to take better pictures for myself. Not that my current camera is bad. I currently have a Canon Powershot SX10oIS. I have taken some great pictures with it. I'll post some later.

Just to pacify the camera enthusiast in me, please let me know what kind of camera you like to take pictures with.

Back and Hip Pain

Tonight, I am sitting here on my living room floor in pain. My lower back seems to ache a lot and my hip is the worst tonight. It feels like someone is trying to twist my hip joint and pain will shoot down to my knee. I have been blaming the back pain on the endometriosis even though I don't know for sure that is the cause. Since I am getting some new visitors (Hi ICLW'ers), I thought now would be a good time to pose a question to anyone else who might have endometriosis. Is it normal to have lower back pain all throughout the month, not just before/during your period?

I do have an appointment with my PCP this Friday and I am going to ask him about the hip pain for sure. I don't want to sound like a big cry baby who whines all the time and wants prescriptions for this and that. I just want to feel normal and go maybe a couple of days without pain. I probably need to contact the GYN also. I passed the pregnancy "deadline" he gave me. I need to see him anyway.

25 Random Facts About Me

For those of you reading this on my facebook, I have posted these before. I am trying to introduce myself to new people reading my blog.

1. I obsess for days over what to write on this blog.
2. I swore I would never date my husband.
3. I read the perezhilton website daily. I love celebrity gossip.
4. Spelling errors irritate me, especially when I type in a hurry and make one myself.
5. I have ADD. I also have OCD.
6. I had dreams about making out with Vin Diesel when I was pregnant.
7. I don't like the Andy Griffith show. I cannot stand to hear the theme song.
8. I don't like the bands Nickelback or Creed. "Don't like" is a nice statement for how I feel about their music. I heard Kidcratic refer to these bands as "Nickelcreedback" and laughed so hard. SOOO TRUE!!
9. I know how to shuttle tat.
10. The back side of any craft project I make has to be perfect. I have remade projects because the back did not meet my standard. Actually, I am a craft perfectionist. I almost always make a gift projects twice. The first one is for me to practice and see what problems I have. If this turns out okay, then I will make the second one to give away.
11. I have a fear of new situations or events. I have not gone to parties or events because of this.
12. I do not like butterflies.
13. I regularly use a Charlie Brown pillowcase that I have owned since childhood. When this one started coming apart, I bid and won a 2 extra ones on eBay. I sewed the seams and still use the old one, but have the others as back-ups.
14. I cannot sleep uncovered. Even in the summer, I need at least the sheet over me. I have to be covered up to my ears with only my face and top of my head exposed.
15. I have problems going to sleep unless it is pitch-dark in the room. I made a cover for my alarm clock because the numbers were too bright. I still put something over that.
16. I love apron sewing patterns. Every cloth or quilting store I go to, I shop for these. I will never make all of the ones I own but I have made a few. The internet fuels this passion because I can always find small companies that make their own patterns, not just the big 3 pattern companies.
17. I cry every time I watch new episodes of Extreme Home Makeover.
18. I love James Bond movies.
19. I am the person reponsible for my husband getting into bowling. Yes, I was bowling before Steven. He joined his first league with me.
20. When I watch football, I don't understand what is going on other than teams getting touchdowns. First downs, second downs? I don't have a clue.
21. My nickname is Jupiter.
22. I love Guitar Hero World Tour. I am constantly trying to figure out how I can make room for the entire band set-up in my house.
23. I love taking pictures. I would love to take photography classes.
24. I love things with skulls on them. Cute skulls though, not scary ones. I have skulls shoes, a purse, fabric and still is constanly looking for things with cute skulls.
25. I am afraid of going back to school. I am worried that I will fail any class that requires me to write papers or essays and that would be almost every class except math classes. I have problems expressing my ideas and facts in writing.

Problems with comments

I had some settings incorrect and comments could not be made. I believe I have now corrected this. Sorry everyone! I am still new to blogging and Blogger.

Hello ICLW'ers

Hey ya'll visting as part of IComLeavWe. I guess I should introduce myself since this is my first time participating. My hubby and I have been married for almost eleven years. We have one five-year old daughter (who is known as diva-child). I never knew I had endometriosis until 2007. I had a cyst burst earlier in the year so my doc was keeping an eye on my ovaries. In an ultrasound, they found an endometrioma growing on my ovary. Due to the rate of growth, the doctor wanted to remove it and my ovary also. I could have opted for the bilateral oohorectomy (both ovaries) but I wanted to have another baby. In December of the same year, I had the unilateral oophorectomy. In January 2008, I had a Lupron injection to help prevent the growth of new endometrial cells. My doctor advised me I needed to start trying to get pregnant as soon as possible.

We have been trying since the middle of 2008 for a baby. In January of this year, I had an HSG to rule out the possibility of any endometriosis or any other blockages in my tubes. The doc said most ladies get pregnant within two months of having the HSG and to come back if I wasn't pregagnt by June. Then, we would look into "some help" (i.e. drugs). It is August now, still not pregnant and haven't been to the doctor yet.

This is my trying to conceive story so far. Being minus an ovary should not affect my ability to get pregnant, but who really knows? I am trying to learn to enjoy more things and enjoy the life I have with my husband and daughter.

Okay, time to get back to organizing my sewing stuff. I hope everyone who reads this enjoyed learning a little about me. I appreciate any comments since most people only read and never comment. Have a nice weekend, ya'll!!

My Wedding Set

Or How I Ruined a Family Heirloom To Make Another OneYes, this ring is missing something big from the middle that was cut out.

Way back before Steven and I got married, my grandmother told me about my grandfather's ring that belonged to my great-grandfather. It had three diamonds on it. Her plan was to let me use the biggest stone for my wedding set if I wanted. The other two stones would go to her and my mom. I let Steven know this with plenty of notice.

When we knew we were getting married, we spent lots of time looking for the perfect set in which to include the diamond. We eventually decided on a set from Doris Diamonds (which is now closed). The only problem was I wanted white gold. So this was going to be made and would take some time. It didn't take me long to change my mind to the yellow gold. I knew Doris had the yellow set in the store. I knew they already had my Papa's ring. It wouldn't take long to get my new set back, right? It turns out Doris had to order a special stone mount for the diamond. Due to its age, the diamond was not cut like newer ones. It took a little longer than I expected. But the day I knew he picked the set, I pulled my spoiled girl routine to get the engagement ring.

Long story short, I had the stone removed from my great-grandfather's ring to be a part of my wedding ring set. It means so much to know my set wasn't just one of many made in bulk by some no name faceless person. There was time and effort put into making my ring special for me. One day, I hope to be able to give my rings to Audrey and explain to her why they have an emotional value to our family.

Me Bad

Okay, I haven't been the best blogger. My A.D.D. has gotten the best of me recently and kept me occupied during the only free time I would have for writing, at night.

I read Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters regularly. Every month, they have a week where you sign your blog up and you agree to comment on six other blogs daily. The official name of this is IComLeavWe or International Comment Leaving Week. The logo is in the sidebar underneath my blog title. I signed up this month in an effort to make myself write more often. So tonight, I get the reminder e-mail about IComLeavWe. Then, I realize I haven't written anything in over a week. Bad JEN!

I already have my topic tomorrow planned out. I even took pictures tonight to add to the post. Here is a sneak preview.

What does all of this stuff have to do with my post? Not much, only one of the pieces of jewelry in the picture will be discussed. This is actually a secret look into the weird world of how I take pictures of almost any small item in my house, my homemade macro photo studio.

Tomorrow's topic: My wedding ring set or to make it more interesting, How I destroyed one family heirloom to make another potential family heirloom.

Kindergarten

My baby started kindergaren yesterday. Normally, getting her up in the morning involves some poking and many trips back to her room trying to wake her up. When her alarm went off, she was up and ready to eat breakfast. I prepared her cereal and went to take a shower. She was fully dressed and sitting on the couch with her backpack on by 7:10. Steven was still in bed while she kept asking me when we were leaving.



I love this picture of the hubby and diva-child walking. It reminds me of one I took when she was only a year old at an Easter egg hunt.


We were at school before they opened the doors. As we prepared to leave my baby, I started to think about how far away she was from my office and got teary eyed. My sunglasses hid my watery eyes. She was happy to be there and already playing. Does this look like the face of someone sad? I didn't think so.



Like many other moms this morning, I managed to separate myself from my baby and head to work. That afternoon as I was working in my office, my cell phone rang. It was Audrey's teacher. UH OH! WHAT IS WRONG? Turns out it was nothing. She was just wondering if we were picking her up at school release or was she attending the after school program. Whew, crisis averted.

Everything went fine. Audrey said the only boring thing about school was they played music part of the lunch time. You could not talk while the music was playing. I understand why they do this. If the other kids are like Audrey, she will not talk much. UNTIL you put a meal in front of her. I knew there wouldn't be any problem for her to adjust to "big" school, but us moms worry about sending our babies into the real world. She sure is growing up so fast.

Ouchie in my back

I haven't been myself recently. My back has been hurting A LOT. I have a feeling my endometriosis is getting worse. The pain is consistent until close to my period. Then, my menstrual cramps seem to be increasing in intensity every month. I believe I am starting a week early and this would expain the pain getting worse. I don't want to do ANYTHING and I hate that.

Of course, I am not pregnant yet. After having the HSG early in the year, the doctor assured me almost everyone who has one is pregnant in about two months. I do not think I want to continue trying if my pain levels are going to increase. The pain is starting to interfere with my daily life.

RANT OVER - I will get back to posting on a regular basis tomorrow. The subject of the day will be my baby's first day of kindergarten.

Schedule for posting

Not that anyone really reads my blog, but I am working on a topic schedule for posting here. I figure I can choose a different topic for each day of the week. If you have any suggestions for topics, please comment below. If you are reading this post on my facebook page and have suggestions, please click the link to visit and leave a comment on my blog.

More family pictures

Here are some more pictures from my family's latest photo session.

Aren't they sweet?





This girl could be a model.