Medical Update

I haven't posted in awhile about our fertility journey, but I thought I'd give an update today. As many of you probably inferred our 1st IUI on May 1st was unsuccessful. We tried our 2nd IUI the end of May, and even with two follicles that procedure was again negative. Tomorrow will be my 3rd, and final, IUI.

There are many reasons why this will probably be the end of the road, at least with Western medicine, for us. I am good at researching (yea master's degrees) and know the statistics that if you aren't pregnant after your 3rd or 4th IUI that probably won't be a successful procedure to keep trying. Before undergoing an IUI you have to be on some crazy medication, usually Clomid. Clomid has been found over time to thin a woman's reproductive lining which is essential for supporting the egg during the first stages of pregnancy. It also has been linked to ovarian cancer. This will be my 7th time on Clomid, and neither Jon or I feel comfortable with me continuing to be on that medication right now. The emotional ups and downs of the ARTs journey are very difficult on me. For my own sanity I need to take a break from this. Finally, at this time we don't feel at peace about pursuing IVF, the usual next step from the Western medical community.

Obviously both Jon and I want this procedure to be successful. We are hoping the 3rd time will be the charm so we can have a biological child of our own. But, I am beginning to understand and accept that this may never occur, something I never admitted to myself before. I always thought I'd get pregnant on Clomid, and then when we had to move onto Clomid + IUI I knew that would be the trick. But after the failure of not one, but two, IUIs I have more perspective this last time around.

Jon and I still have a strong heart and desire to be parents, and being a Mom has been something I have wanted since I was a little girl. We have therefore started to think and pray a great deal about adoption. It has been overwhelming to say the least, but we have learned a lot in the few weeks we have been considering it. This is definitely an exciting next stage, but I must be honest that it also feels a little like the death of a dream because being pregnant has been important to me, although my desire to be a Mom is definitely the greater of the two.

I appreciate those of you who have walked this journey with me, even from far away. It has been wonderful knowing that we have people who love and support us and our praying for us. Thank you for your prayers about tomorrow and the two weeks following.

Memorial Day 2010

Memorial Day weekend Jon and I decided to get out of Seattle and head south...to Portland! Only a 3 hour drive away, we wanted to get our of the city and take a mini vacation. Jon had never been to Oregon before either, and it seemed like a good time to do it.We stayed in the Nob Hill district of Portland, a cute neighborhood area in the Alphabet District close to downtown. It is famous for their shops and restaurants. We ate both nights in Nob Hill, and we actually had some of the best Mexican food we have found in the Pacific Northwest here. Now I know my Phoenicians friends may not agree if they tried it, but I have learned I have to be more flexible while living up here or else I'll never eat Mexican food! Jon and I explored downtown Portland and walked through Powell's books, reported to be the largest bookstore west of the Mississippi. I tried to figure out what system they used to arrange their books (because it certainly wasn't Dewey), but I couldn't figure it out.

We also made a stop at Voodoo Donuts, a Portland hot spot made famous for their unique take on the breakfast staple. Need an example? They are famous for their maple glazed doughnut with bacon on top! Jon was excited to order this unique combination. Although I usually like plain glazed donughts I thought I needed to be adventurous and purchased their voodoo donut. It is shaped like a doll with chocolate frosting and red filling (to simulate blood) with a pretzel stick through the heart. Classy. Their other flavors are even weirder than this...cereal on top, oreos crumbed as a topping, and there are some very "unique" doughnuts shaped and named in a risque fashion (you can click here to see the full menu). Plus, the line was 40 minutes long. At least it wasn't raining!

Jon and I also visited the International Rose Test Garden (see picture of Jon). Although all of the roses weren't in full bloom (that would be a sight to see), it was a relaxing, pretty place. The Japanese Garden was in this same general park, and we stayed here for about 30 minutes. Some of the spots inside were lovely, and we got some good pictures. (See top picture).

We also took a trip to OMNI, Portland's Science Museum. We heard it was fantastic and was very highly ranked on Trip Advisor, my #1 source for finding hotels and top attractions. Although they had some neat exhibits, we were glad we paid extra to see the IMAX movie on the Hubbel Telescope and go inside a Navy submarine.

The submarine itself was used for active duty between the 1950s to 1980s, but it was amazing to hear about the living conditions for the officers on board. I don't think I could be confined to such a small space and have no personal area. The air still smelled musty, and I couldn't imagine what it would have been like with 80 big, sweaty crew members who got showers every 5 days and were allowed to smoke on board!

The highlight of the trip was Multnomah Falls. It is not far from Portland, and it is very impressive. We decided to climb to the very top of the mountain, with Jon pushing me to keep going with each step. I always feel good when I accomplish something like that, but the actual going up part is never fun. Knowing I'd get a cold glass of water on the way down was a good motivator to keep going! (Can you see this by the expression on my face in the picture on the left?)

Overall we really liked Portland. Although much smaller than Seattle, it still seemed like a big enough town with lots to do. The neighborhoods, in general, seemed clean, safe, and well kept up. We were also surprised how quickly you could leave Portland (a la 15 minutes in one direction) and be in farm land. Seattle is definitely more built up than this (as is Phoenix, t00).

It was such a great time to get away!

Parent's visit

I always love to see family, and living so far away makes the time I see family so much more meaningful. This past weekend my parents were in town, and we had so much fun together!

Even though the weather was crummy on Friday we went to Snoqualmie Falls, a quick 30 minute car ride from ou

r house. The mist surrounding the falls made it almost eerie to see, and

my parents were very impressed. They agreed a follow up visit is a must when the weather is better.

Saturday was forecasted to be our one beautiful day of their trip, and the weather didn't disappoint. It was sunny, warm (70's), and you could see for miles. We took a WA ferry over to Bainbridge Island, 30 minutes from downtown Seattle by boat. We had fun soaking up the sun and views on the ride over. The Seattle skyline looked beautiful. Once we ar

rived we didn't have any plans and didn't know what to expect, so we just drove. We went to the northeastern most point of the island to a state beach, and we saw crabs that had washed up in the tide. Jon and I even spotted a seal playing in the sound 200 feet from the beach. Afterwards we went to Bainbride Island's downtown, Winslow, and walked around a bit.

Bainbride Island is famous for their vineyards, and since Jon and I had never been to one we decided to give is a shot. It was an experience, especially since I really don't like the taste of wine (hah!) and the server was determined to make us try the dry wines before she'd let us sample the sweeter, dessert wines I can more easily palate.

We got back to Seattle and visited the Seattle Aquarium. They had one of the largest octopus I have ever seen, and it was actually moving around and was very active. We were disappointed, however, there were no sharks and so few large sea animals inside. Finally, we ate at Ivar's on the water in downtown. My parents both thought it was the best fish and chips they had ever eaten, and I agree it was delicious.

Sunday we went to church and showed my parents around the University District shopping area by the University of Washington. Then we went to Red Mill Burgers for lunch. This

place is a Seattle institution, and when it opened at noon there was already a line of 10 people in front of us. Jon proclaims they have one of the top 5 burgers he has ever eaten (the top burger outside of Milwaukee), and everyone agreed the food was good. In fact, even Oprah has said it is one of the hamburgers you have to eat before you die. (So, for all of my friends reading this blog, what are you waiting for? Get up to Seattle, and I'll provide the transportation there!). :)

Today my parents' flight left Seattle in the early afternoon.

We made a quick trip to West Seattle so my Mom and Dad could see the library and my school. It was nice to have them be able to get a visual for the place I spend so much time in.