After Drew was kind enough to measure my face for me tonight (don't laugh), it seems I have a heart-shaped face. Guess who else has one? I'm starting to think, more and more, that the Nicole Richie hair-cut (submitted by Aubrey) might indeed be the one...

I know you're all on the edge of your seat waiting to hear which one I'll pick.  I'm planning to get it cut at the end of next week, which gives me some more time to ponder, further explore, and (as Rachel so smartly put it, "wait for the Clomid to wear off before doing something drastic." -- Long story here, but I had the first Clomid-related symptoms this afternoon...crazy hot flashes...and I briefly considered shearing my own mane with the scissors in my office a la Pedro-in-Napoleon-Dynamite style! LOL). I'll keep you posted. Thanks so much for your suggestions, etc., and please feel free to keep 'em coming. Y'all are so much better at this than I am!

-Em

If I were to go short, I think this is what I'd be after...(a la Julia Stiles)

I also like more shoulder-length styles like this...though I wouldn't go that blond.

Do those pics help at all?

-Em

Today we went down to Kalamazoo to visit with Drew's family at his parents' house. Brie and Charles were visiting from Kentucky for spring break. Luanne, Tim, and Lucas came over as well. We had a very yummy home-cooked meal of ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, and salad. We also celebrated some recent family birthdays.

Drew and I had a ton of fun playing with our nieces and nephew today. Check out the 'Recent Photos' on the left for evidence.

-Em

P.S. If you look at the recent pictures, you'll see a couple of me with Lucas. You'll also see that my hair needs some major help (I'm looking pretty scraggily). I haven't done anything fun and interactive here in a while, so I'd like to hear your suggestions for a new spring hairdo! I have been itching to do something new with my hair since last November, but I keep holding off because I can't make a decision. I think I'd rather keep a little length (probably just shoulder-length), to have the ability to pull it back, but the current length is just too much (obviously). I am also thinking about lightening it again, especially for the summer...what do you think? I'm open to other ideas as well.  I had a brief thought of an inverted bob, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough to go that short again.

Well, the first HCG blood test I took last week was negative, then this week, on the day I was planning to go back to the lab for my second HCG quant, my period started. After calling and talking to my doctor's nurse, we agreed that we could skip the second HCG quant, the progesterone to induce a period (duh), and start right on Clomid on CD (cycle day) 5, which turns out to be Saturday.

So, things are moving along. I keep swinging back and forth between being happy that I actually. started. my. period. on. my. own. and being very sad (because, obviously, we aren't pregnant). It was silly to even hold out any hope that we would be, but despite everything, I still always get my hopes up, only to be disappointed. Now that we are out of our holding pattern again, I am instantly drained at the thought of drugs and shots and everything that goes along with it...and we haven't even started yet!

Wish me luck over the next several days as I start on the devil drug again (wish Drew luck as well...he'll need it).

-Em

This afternoon I had my post-operation appointment with my doctor. She removed the stitches from my three incisions, showed me pictures of the cyst (holy COW, was that thing scary-looking...no wonder why I was in pain!), asked how I've been feeling since surgery (much better, now that I don't have a huge round thing smooshing everything around in there), talked about "next steps," and ordered blood work for me for today and next week.

Here's the plan, for those interested:

1) HCG blood test today (check)  -- check for pregnancy

2) HCG blood test a week from today -- check again for pregnancy if last week's was negative

3) If no signs of pregnancy within the next couple of weeks, start Provera to induce a period and start a cycle.

4) Start over with Clomid/FSH shots to get me ovulating again.

5) Repeat a few cycles if ovulation is detected but pregnancy does not occur, then assess whether to move on to artificial insemination.

In theory, based on the cyst now being gone, my tubes not being blocked, no signs of PCOS seen, and no fibroid, etc. found on my uterus, there is no real reason for me not to ovulate. Unfortunately, I have a history of irregular cycles, and even if things look normal, it is not necessarily a given that I will ovulate on my own. Fortunately, however, who knows? There should be less standing in the way now, and I'm trying to have faith that my body will cooperate. Anything is possible.

We'll just have to see what the next couple of weeks bring. No matter what, it is nice to have this "baseline" from which to start fresh. Even with the physical and emotional pain of the past year, we have made a lot of progress, really. We have eliminated a lot of things that "aren't" the problem via process of elimination, and we've mitigated some of the major things that have been problematic.

-Em