Such an insane week. First, we learned that Housing had never actually put the order in for our fence. As of Tuesday, it was two weeks since we moved in. The housing folks came in and put their little orange flags up marking the boundaries of the fence, but supposedly it’s going to take ANOTHER three weeks. Really?! So, needless to say, we’re getting the big guns involved with this. I’d love to have a fence by Friday, since I’ll be visiting Mark next weekend; then Pat won’t have to leash up the dogs every time they need to go out.
On top of the fence drama, I received more bad news on the trying to have a baby front. I had to go to Walter Reed Thursday for a doctor appointment. After talking to my brother Bob’s girlfriend, Jill, at my dad’s wake, Mark and I decided to try to do IUI. This is especially important since I haven’t had a period since before my dad died (they put me on meds to restart my body) and since even if I am ovulating at some point, the chances of Mark being by me when it happens is slim to none. Well, at my doctor’s appointment, they learned I have a small cyst. Clomid apparently doesn’t react well with cysts, though, so the docs are actually putting me on birth control to prevent new cysts from forming, and they’re hoping the cyst goes away on it’s own. In about three weeks, I get another ultrasound, and if everything looks good, we can actually start trying again.
This is definitely not the way I wanted to have a baby, but we’ve decided that having a child at this point is more important than anything else. So, my fingers are crossed, hoping my body gets better and that I can actually start trying for a baby again soon. In the meantime, however, more people that I know are telling everyone that they are pregnant, are posting updates about their pregnancies, or celebrating their wonderful little bundles of joy. I’m not going to lie; it is so, so hard to smile and honestly congratulate them.
We’ve been trying for a baby for two years this coming June. I know that there is a reason for all of this. I also know that Mark and I are going to appreciate and cherish our children so much more because it has been so hard to get them. I just wish my time would come….
In addition to housing and baby challenges, this week has been full of obstacles since Mark has been gone. I had to get a dog sitter to come by and let the pups out Tuesday through Thursday because I worked so late at school. (Thank you, Justin!) Being busy actually made it easier to handle Mark being gone. Plus, we watched a movie together. (We weren’t actually together…we watched it in our respective locations at the same time and then talked about it.) I didn’t do much on the cooking front because of my late work nights, but I’m proud to say that I haven’t done a microwave meal!
Today, I kept myself busy–slept in (since I finished cleaning the house last night), and then I took a pizza class this afternoon. The teacher was great, but I felt like I didn’t have exactly the base knowledge I needed to understand how to do everything. I was lucky that I had a great partner who had taken classes like using knives and baking…that made it easier for me to play catch up. We made the dough from scratch, learned how to make pesto and sauce, and prepared the toppings. This recipe actually takes TWO hours. I was bummed because some of my sauce got on the pizza peel and the teacher couldn’t get my pizza to slide off, so I got a calzone instead of a pizza. I learned so much, though. I think I’ll make my dough from scratch, but that’s it. Two hours is just too long for me!
Tonight was the first time this week I really didn’t like coming home to an empty house. I took the dogs to the dog park to run around. I almost didn’t because I had such a fiasco with them earlier in the day. A few of my neighbors with the dogs were out in front of our house when I needed to take the girls out before class; I knew that was way too much of a distraction so I went to the backyard with them. Darcy went to the bathroom, but then she and Scout noticed the neighbors’ Yorkshire terriers out. The dogs ran for them, dragging me along. I finally was able to put Darcy in the house, where she promptly destroyed some of the blinds. I was SO angry and had to kennel her. I never did succeed in getting Scout to go to the bathroom, though. When I came home from class, I new they needed to run around. They haven’t ran around outside since we moved here…that’s two and half weeks. Both were good at the dog park; they had it all to themselves. The downside of the park is that it is covered in wood chips, and it not well grated. Nothing in Liberty Park housing is. This means that parts of the park get huge pools of water or mud, as the water disappears. This, in turn, means I have one absolutely disgusting ball since I was playing fetch with the girls and that the girls have mud all over them from running around in there. I just can’t seem to win.
I’ve noticed the weekends are my hardest times. My routine was always spending time with Mark. Tonight when I started feeling sad, I forced myself to go the gym. I worked out on the eliptical machine for 30 minutes. I was really proud…I burned 265.7 calories! Since I’ve been home, I treated myself to a bubble bath and glass of wine and have been working on reading education books in order to prepare for my interview with Regis University.
Tomorrow, I have an insane amount of grading and prepping to do. After Mass, I’m going to the Panera in Alexandria to get some work done out of the house, and I get to have lunch with Maggie, Jason, and Molly. They’ll be a good distraction from work from my work. I also have to grocery shop and work out. I’m trying to let the endorphins help me fight any depression, and I’ve decided if I am not going to be getting pregnant any time soon, I’m getting in bathing suit shape for my visit to Mark in Florida this April.
So prayers for my body–that it gets healthy and working properly on the baby front, prayers for my Regis interview and work I have to do for that, prayers that the fence comes soon, and prayers that Mark and I can continue to find ways to stay close and communicate even though we can’t be together.
