Happy 5th Birthday Milou!

Today is Milou's 5th birthday! She has proven to be such a wonderful big fur sister to baby A. She watches over her while she's sleeping, comes over to see what's wrong when she cries, and if A is ever on the floor, Milou has to come over to clean her feet and ears. She adores her.

I feel pretty rotten that Milou has been out of her classes for so long, we had to stop going when I got too big to move around easily and now with baby A here, we haven't been able to go back yet. I'm still not sure if it's even possible to manage her classes with a baby, but if there's any way to do it I intend to find a way to make it work. Milou is such a good girl and I know she's really missing the exercise and interaction. Hopefully I can get her back into at least one of them as a birthday gift.

Happy Halloween

I wish I could start this post with better news but it looks like we've actually lost two of the follies we had on Wednesdays ultrasound. The 8 that was hanging out on the right side has basically shrunk to nothing and disappeared and one of the 12s on the left side appears to be arresting - it was only a 10 today. This leaves us with 5 follicles that could potentially have eggs but they're still not big/mature enough to trigger.

I'm telling myself to be positive: quality over quantity, those five follicles could have perfect, mature eggs that grow into five strong embryos. Still, I'd sure feel a lot better if we had 10 fabulous, mature eggs to pick from instead of just 5. I've been feeling really junky lately, a lot of uncomfortable pressure in my temples, one shoulder randomly going numb, sore lady bits and I need this cycle to be worth it. Come on eggs, I need you to grow, we need more embryos to test.  

With the extra Menopur I bought from Kaiser, I have enough to stim for 13.5 days - enough to get me through the weekend. Depending on what my blood work comes back at, my next appointment will probably be way too early on Sunday morning. If the follies are ready then and I have to trigger Sunday night, the pharmacy won't be open so I stopped in at Roxanne after my appointment. 

I don't know what the chances are of me actually triggering soon. I was looking over my old post-its from last cycle and they didn't trigger me till several follies were over 20mm. With these guys growing so slowly, the biggest is barely 18 :(,  I wouldn't be surprised if I had to get more Menopur and wait until Monday to take my Novarel.

 

In better news, I finally found a use for all these obedience classes I've been doing with Milou: Posing her for photos. After Halloween last year I picked up a couple pirate costumes for her on the clearance rack - she's usually a large or extra large in brands that make tiny dog costumes or a medium in brands that make costumes for larger dogs. I think these two came from Petco for a couple bucks a piece and are both larges, definitely a good score. 

 

I think the red and white costume is my favorite, it has a tiny pirate sword sewn to a black belt and is closed with two velcro straps which makes for a nice snug fit. She so sweetly let me pose her sitting or standing and even let me pose a too big pirate hat on her fuzzy head. That bit didn't fit all that well since it's technically my hat, but she put up with me like a champ. I love this girl so much.

Since costumes with straps probably aren't the most comfortable things to wear, Milou wore her second pirate costume to her agility and obedience classes. This one is a soft puppy t-shirt that slips over her head and two front legs and is super comfy. It also glows in the dark which is insanely adorable when we're walking at night - Trick "Arrr" Treat with a puppy skull and crossbones.

I hope everyone has a happy, safe Halloween filled with lots of delicious treats and merriment. If you have a few seconds to send some positive thoughts/vibes/prayers/good juju my way, I would much appreciate it. Happy Halloween!

A Day Off

Wednesday, E decided to take the day off. He was supposed to be in Anaheim by 8am, an unpleasantly early call time,  in the middle of a 20+ day stretch of work and he seriously needed a break. He got someone to cover for him and we planned a boring but productive day that started with sleeping in.

The primary item on our agenda was supposed to be taking our cars in for repair. E's car is making an alarming squeaking noise from somewhere in the wheel well and my air conditioning, which I just had repaired not even a year ago, decided to stop working and then start up again. A car rental was supposed to cover E while his car was in the shop, but there was an unexpected issue with scheduling. Instead of spending the day dealing with the cars, we ended up with the entire day to ourselves.

So, what do you do on a gorgeous day off in Los Angeles? You go to the beach of course!

Although there are countless gorgeous beaches in the LA area, E and I decided to spend the day together as a family, and that meant finding a beach that was doggy friendly. There aren't many beaches that allow dogs in the water and on the sand, so we pointed our car towards Rosie's Dog Beach in Long Beach, CA.

Rosie's Dog Beach is basically an unfenced but roped off 4 acre section of the beach that is open to off leash dogs. It's not exclusively for dogs and there's no dogs allowed on the beach on either side of the roped in area, but that specific section is the perfect place to spend time with your furry friends.  Milou isn't a big fan of the water but had an absolutely fantastic time strolling along the beach, saying hi to all the people and dogs, and plucking up the courage to get her paws wet. She trotted along next to us, checking in every few seconds to make sure we were staying together, and sniffed sand, shells, and washed up kelp to her hearts content.

(Source)

Considering how many dogs visit the beach every day and thus use it as a bathroom, the beach is surprisingly clean. Owners are very careful to clean up after their charges and everyone is committed to keeping the beach nice. We didn't see any trash or poop and 90% of the dogs there were perfectly sweet and friendly. There was one little dog lacking in manners, but he was more interested in guarding his towel and yapping at passersby. A second dog who showed up later, a large pittie,  was also rude, so we ended up leaving after a couple hours when it became clear that his owners were going to be staying in our area. He was a little too exuberant and growled when he didn't get his way, definitely more the fault of his owners, but Milou wasn't a fan and we'd already been there a while.  The rest of the beach goers were wonderful, they all played together in the water and sand, chasing balls and romping in the waves. We will definitely be going back the first chance we get, though I'd suggest a week day when it's a little less busy.

After the beach, we dropped by The Yard House for some yummy lunch. They have a large patio that backs up against the pier so you can bring your dog and tie them up next to you. Luckily, we got a friendly manager who complimented us on our "service dog" with a wink and let us keep Milou under our table in the shade where she alternated between sleeping and sniffing the delicious, food scented, air.

We got home in the evening just in time to brush the sand off our feet and head to Milou's obedience class. Milou and I were both exhausted and yawned our way through class but she did very well anyway. It was such a nice distraction in the midst of E's crazy work schedule and all the difficult decisions we're trying to make. Infertility can be all consuming, even when you're not in the middle of a cycle. Considering that it's so embedded in my subconscious that I'm dreaming about egg harvesting, IVF, and embryo quality, a day at the beach was a really nice change. 

Today is day 4 of birth control so I have 10 more days of pills before my next ultrasound. I've got my fingers crossed that my ovaries are recovering nicely and absorbing all those old corpus luteum cysts like they're supposed to. Come on ovaries, I need you to get your act together so we can try again.

New Knobs! Finally!

You may recall, that back in May of this year, Milou and Tintin took it upon themselves to update my nightstand by eating my drawer knobs. I had planned on getting some lovely new ones from Anthropologie, but life intervened and it was months before I had the chance to actually do something about the crunched on hunks of wood. Plus, those beautiful (but pointy!) Anthropologie knobs were a bit pricey, and since my Milou is still pretty young, something a little more affordable/replaceable was definitely in order.

Nom nom nom

E and I have been working on sprucing up our space a little since we've stayed so much longer than anticipated; replacing our lamps, adding storage, organizing things, trying to make the space a little more functional. We'd already added some wall shelving and organizational bins from Ikea back in July, so the next step was new lamps for our bedside tables to make them feel a little less desk-like.

I was hunting for the perfect lamp/shade combo at Cost Plus when I happened to stumble across some gorgeous and affordable drawer knobs! I was wandering around the store after picking a lamp for E, trying to waste some time since I wanted to bid on an ebay item and didn't want to do it while driving, when Bam! there they were.

Ta Da!

Cute, affordable, comfortable to pull on, they were perfect. Anthropologie actually carries a few of the same ones, but Cost Plus offers them for $2.50 - $4.50 per knob instead of $20. They were super easy to install and I absolutely love how they turned out. I still need to oil the dresser, or eventually stain or paint it, but switching the knobs was such a quick fix to update it on a tiny budget.  And, my mom ended up buying them for me, so they made an excellent Hanukkah present on the first night of Hanukkah.

An Agile Girl

Yesterday was the last class of Milou's second agility course. Unlike her obedience classes, she doesn't graduate and begin a new class learning a new set of skills. Instead, she remains with the same group of dogs until she becomes sufficiently skilled enough in the basic tasks to move up to the next level. This means basic mastery of the weave poles, dog walk, A frame, tire, chute, and tunnel. As of yet, we haven't started the teeter or the pause table.

Below is a beginning agility course for a little dog. It has a very low dog walk and A frame, 8 inch jumps, and what looks like beginning weave poles. Milou is jumping 8 inch jumps right now too but she'll have to jump higher ones soon. She also has to run the dog walk and A frame at full height which probably scares me more than it scares her. It's all very complex and people take it waaaay more seriously than we do.

(source)

Now Milou's favorite obstacle, hands down, is the tunnel. She would run back and forth through that thing all day long if you let her, and a few weeks ago she completely blew me off mid class to run in and out of it over and over while everyone had a good laugh. Apparently as dogs get better at agility, all the work you put into making them work an obstacle when they didn't want to is put into preventing them from running those obstacles when they're not supposed to.

In a lot of ways, the class is actually incredibly inconvenient. It's smack in the middle of my Saturday so I can't plan anything else and the park has possibly the world's worst parking. All summer long it's been filled with people having massive family reunions with what has to be every family member and unsupervised child in existence. They triple park in the fire lane, leave trash all over and let their kids run into our agility courses and right up to our working dogs.

(Source)

Last class a little girl, probably not even 4, literally ran up to two tethered barking dogs and started yelling at them and waving her arms in their faces. I'm not sure how her parents didn't freak the fuck out with their baby's arms that close to gnashing teeth but they were watching and didn't appear to be too concerned. I probably had a small heart attack trying to get her away from two otherwise friendly aussies without turning around and killing her parents. Our course is roped off with cones and clearly off limits so I'm baffled as to what would make them think it's okay to come in. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to the family reunions summer ending. Plus, while the class is reasonably priced, it's starting to add up in a major way after three obedience classes and now three agility classes.  

Even after all this work and money, I don't think Milou and I would ever compete in professional agility. People take this sport very seriously and devote their lives and money to it. But she seems to have such a good time that I keep signing her up for more sessions. She tackles each run with a massive grin on her face and literally bounces in between obstacles in what has got to be the most excited run ever. Even her classmates comment on how much fun she is to watch. Plus, a tired dog is a good dog and she definitely comes home tired :)

Play with me!

Tintin tries to entice Milou to play with him. Clearly it's not going all that well lol. Normally she's down for some rough housing but when it's hot out and she's already spent a couple hours playing, this girl needs a break.

Milou Snuggles

Milou loves sandwiches

Idiling Or Inching Forward?

Somehow it's already the middle of June, which means I've had no job for the last two and a half months. Unemployment is a colossal pain in the butt, but I'm glad it's there since E's work can be really slow and it has definitely helped carry us. To certify, I apply to at least three jobs a week, although really I'm applying for everything I can get my hands on.  No offers yet, but I'm well qualified for everything I apply to so I'm hoping something comes through soon.

In the meantime, I'm looking at some online MPH programs and and E and I are discussing expanding our family in the future. While we would never have a child without the ability to support it, we've been thinking I might have more time to parent a baby if I'm going to school online full time vs working full time. E's schedule is fairly weird and flexible, with a lot of nights and weekends, so he'd probably get to be present great deal as well. There's a lot to consider, mostly financially, since we would otherwise love to be parents, but we're starting to work it out more seriously.

Wouldn't I look even cuter with a sibling?

To possibly prepare for having kids in the next few years, E and I are attempting to get healthier (again). This means losing the copious amount of weight I we have gained since the wedding and exercising like I we used to before I was working full time. We've been hitting up the treadmill and cutting out white stuff like bread, pasta, and sugar, although I'm not going as hard core as I did before the wedding. If I cut them out completely, the weight practically falls off, but comes right back as soon as I smell a piece of bread. I'm hoping for something a little more sustainable this time and while I haven't gone anywhere near a scale yet, I'm pretty sure it's working.

On the same topic, we bought a bottle of prenatals and I've been trying to take them to increase my vitamin levels. The first week was just fine, but during the second week I found them really disagreeing with my stomach. I'm not sure if I didn't eat enough food with them, or if they just have an ingredient that makes me want to hurl, but it's a really good thing I didn't take them while actually pregnant because oh boy would that have been bad. I've been trying the Nature Made brand with DHA ala Costco, but I might be in the market for a new one, maybe from Whole Foods or Trader Joes. I have plenty of time to pick a good one before I really need to take it, but I'd like to make it part of my daily routine sooner rather than later. Any suggestions for a good brand?

Knobs

Tintin started it and Milou finished it off with a few good chews. Looks like I'll be in the market for some cute new knobs! If we were moving I'd probably paint the whole night stand in addition to putting some cute new knobs on. It would look nice in the living room as a little end table stained a dark mahogany, or since it's a little beat up, a coat of paint might look better. New knobs are definitely in order though, and I'm thinking something fun:

             

All knobs are from Anthropologie 

There are so many it's impossible to decide! 

Happy Birthday Little Lady

Happy First Birthday to my sweet puppy, Milou! We found our little girl in June 2011, when she was about 11 weeks old, but of course it feels like she's always been here.  She really makes E and I feel like a family instead of just a couple since she's our first baby together.

3 Months

12 Months

   

We couldn't ask for a better puppy and are going to be ordering her a new memory foam bed as her birthday present :) Happy Birthday Milou!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! Wishing health and happiness to you and yours

Happy Holidays 2011

Somehow it feels like this year has gone by at lightening speed. Like I was writing this exact post only last week about the new Hanukkah star topper we got for our tree. Except now, the new star is the old star, E and I have been married for over 8 months, we have Milou, many new babies have been born to happy friends, I have a full time job, E is working more than ever, and somehow everyone grew up overnight.

while you were sleeping/ the babies grew/ the stars shined and the shadows moved/ time flew, the phone rang/ there was a silence when the kitchen sang

It's incredible to look back and see all that we've accomplished, and not accomplished. Like our Trash the Dress session and album which we STILL HAVEN'T DONE omgslackerswesuck. But if you ignore that, we have come a long way. E and I are happily married even though I sometimes feel like we are just "two ships passing in the night" with him getting home just as I'm going to bed. We both adore our fur children and we're doing our best to work towards our future.

while you were sleeping/ the money died/ machines were harmless and the earth sighed /through the wind you slept sound /and gravity caught my love around

 

Since I never wrote a Thanksgiving post this year, I guess I should say that I'm incredibly thankful for everything and everyone who has been a part of this year. I'm thankful that E is my husband and we're still happy after almost 10 years together. That my family and friends are the best you could ever ask for and whom I love dearly. That we have the worlds cutest puppy, see photographic evidence above. I'm thankful that I'm doing a job that makes a difference, and even though it can be stressful, it's the primary vehicle for saving for our future. I don't know where we'd be without this opportunity and I feel so very lucky to have it when the unemployment rates are so high right now. 

while you were sleeping /the time changed /all your things were rearranged /your vampire mirrors face to face /they saw forever out into space /and found you dreaming in black and white /while it rained in all the colors of the night

Whatever holiday(s) you celebrate this year, I hope you have a good one. I hope you and your families are happy and healthy and I hope that the coming year is as good as this one was.

Happy Holidays!

(Song Lyrics: Elvis Perkins - While You Were Sleeping)

My Dog is Cuter Than Your Baby

Keeping warm sleeping on her daddy's pillows

 It has been pretty cold around here lately!  Much colder than I'm used to, living in Los Angeles where the sun is supposed to shine all year and so we can do to the beach everyday. I guess it really must be winter!

Picking out her Hanukkah presents

 In the spirit of all this cold weather, I picked up a sweater for Milou, along with a bursting bag of toys, at the Petco Halloween clearance. I thought I'd get some cute photos of her in it and she could wear it when we go walking at night since her fur still hasn't all grown back from her flea problem. While I expected to love the black and white stripes and friendly skull motif, I was definitely not prepared for how much she was going to love it! 

Awesome skullie sweater

 When you think about a dog wearing clothes, you picture a nearly hairless little chihuahua wrapped in a sweater to protect it from freezing to death inside someone's handbag. Or at least I do. What you don't picture is a long coated German Shepherd Dog, a strong working dog equipped with a thick coat to withstand freezing cold temperatures.  I guess Milou, who has never been in any weather cold than say, 60 degrees? never got the memo about her impressive lineage. She was thrilled with her sweater, snuggling into it and stretching out luxuriously across the bed. When the house got really chilly, she took one of our fleece blankets down to her bed with her for an extra layer of warmth.

Snuggling with her fleece blankie and her stuffed alien "Mars"

She probably doesn't need her sweater, but considering how cute she looks in it, E and I are happy to keep spoiling her. For now she's our only baby and I think she should get to enjoy it while it lasts.

BFFs

Best Friends Forever

Little Lady has Earned her Stripes

Or at least her stripey underwear :) She's not happy about it but she's learning to deal and has stopped trying to rub them off on the floor. Somewhere along the line it seems that little boys underwear went from briefs to boxers. I was hunting for some killer batman tighty whities and found 5 million pairs of boxers and boxer briefs instead. Since when do little boys need boxer(briefs)? I always pictured them as a teenage/adult sort of thing while the wee ones wore their favorite cartoon themed tighty whities.

Ultimately, I found her five pairs of good old fashioned undies for 5 bucks. In a house full of women we already have tons of pads to line them. Everyone needs to be vigilant about watching her, changing her pad, and making sure her undies come OFF before she goes out to pee. I figure if they work, score! We've saved a bunch of money. If they don't work, I can always order her some doggy pants and they should be here lickity split.

Until then, seeing her little tail poking out of the stripey fly is absolutely adorable <3

Little Girl is Growing Up

Don't look at me mama

So, the dreaded event has finally occurred. As of this morning, her 7 month birthday, Milou is officially in heat. I'd had my suspicions for a long time and have been molesting checking her daily for the telltale swollen vulva for weeks but she still managed to catch me a little off guard. Apparently my girl isn't the swellin' kind nor is she the type to welcome male affection. Still, it's not quite as horrible as I'd been envisioning and I think we'll all survive. I'm considering placing an order for some doggy diapers online and will be picking up a pack of little boys briefs to try as well. If they work, they'll be a lot cheaper than the washable doggy diapers.

                           5 bucks                                                                    15 bucks

So, I'm optimistic!  We're like yeah, we can totally handle this heat thing! I'm not sure how obedience class will go on Saturday but hey, we got this! There will be no babies of any kind, our sheets will remain clean and we will absolutely ROCK this as pet parents.

You mean I'm not dying??

It is only day one though so I might change my mind if her heat becomes unbearable.  She's a little clingy now which is totally workable since I love to snuggle with her anyway. I can't believe she's in season already, we were hoping to get to a year before her first heat so we'd only have to go through one before spaying her. Now, depending on her body clock, we may have to make it through two seasons to get to the 18 month mark we were hoping to reach. If push comes to shove we could have it done at a year but I'd really like her to finish growing as much as possible before messing with her girly bits.

Can I snuggles in your bed?