cycle 11, day 20

well, happy new year!

here we are, nearing the end of cycle 11, and i can hardly believe we've been TTC for so long. obviously we're in the two-week wait right now, but these past couple of months haven't been very hope-inspiring. we've done a good job trying, but i think we're just not expecting that it will work anymore. and while this may seem pessimistic, it's made life a whole lot easier to live. i don't worry very much about drinking, and not even a tiny bit about coffee or medication or anything else. i hardly think about it, which is such a lovely change of events.

but this week we decided to start thinking about it again.

in the past few days, the hubby and i have booked two spring trips. which we are VERY excited about. but when i perused the calendar, i realized that two peak fertility times in a row will fall during our travels in March and April, which isn't ideal for diligent trying. so we made the decision to start the IUI process rolling, so that we can at least feel that we're not losing the entire spring.

today we called the lab where he had the semen analyses done, since they also offer insemination services. i also spoke with my ob/gyn to make sure he agreed with our decision. the nurse at the lab was very helpful and said that she'll take a look at the hubby's results while she's waiting for my doc's office to send over my records. after she's had a chance to look at both of our details she said we'll make a plan. but it seems like the general idea is to take one go at it without using any kind of hormone treatment, which i am not unhappy about. i will continue to use the ovulation monitor, and when it indicates ovulation i will go into the lab for an ultrasound, which will make sure that i am actually ovulating properly. then they will do the procedure. luckily, my job is flexible enough that i can scoot out of work if needed, and the lab is also open 7 days a week. now i just need to check with my insurance company to see how much of this is going to be covered and how exactly that works. i hate the red tape, but i'm thankful that we won't have to pay for everything out of pocket.

and, again, having a plan is calming. even though i feel like we're nearing the end of our most favorable options, i like progress. tra la!