Progesterone shot #32 and I’m sure sis-in-law is relieved that this is the last one that she’ll have to administer. She did a great job this week and I’m so thankful that my in-laws are so supportive. Tomorrow, she’ll accompany me to my doctor’s appointment along with mom-in-law since Hubby will not be present. I tried to convince them that I’m perfectly fine driving myself to the doctor — and have done so countless times over the course of the past two years since I’ve started the IVF process, but they insisted. In fact, she took the day off from work just for the occasion. Sis-in-law #2 will meet us after work for a girls’ night out. It’ll be a fun time!

My butt is getting larger by the day as the oil that contains the progesterone accumulates in the muscle. Previously, the sensitivity and swelling was going sideways (making my hips wider), but now it’s moving toward the middle — which makes sitting back in a cushy chair a painful endeavor. I’ll definitely need to have the doc look at the injection sites and make sure the symptoms I’m experiencing are in the zone.

Asking for your prayers for tomorrow’s ultrasound. The doc will be checking for the fetal heartbeat(s). Big day!

I’ve discovered a new daily addiction and it’s called Discount Coupons Guide. It’s a resource that compiles great deals, online coupons, and free offers — all in one place.

I love to receive free stuff, so I check the site daily for the latest. And, you should too, since there are usually only a limited number of offers available. If you wait too long, you might miss out. If you’re a Twitterer, you can follow freebiesguide to see the latest offers right in your Twitter timeline!

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Here’s another tip for you…

Whenever you sign up for anything, you get put on someone’s e-mail list — which makes you vulnerable to unsolicited e-mail. If you’re averse to spam like I am, I recommend establishing a separate e-mail account (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) for the sole purpose of registrations, offers, etc. This helps keep your personal e-mail account spam-free.

30 progesterone shots so far with at least another 60 to go. Already my butt is looking a little worse for wear, the right cheek feels like a have a baseball implanted just beneath the skin and someone keeps trying to hit line drives on that thing. Strangely enough, the left side is handling all of the abuse quite well. No swelling and barely any tenderness. The right side needs to take some cues from its neighbor.

I can’t wait until Friday. Not just because it’s my first ultrasound, but because I have a ton of questions for the doc. First and foremost, can I start exercising? This lethargy is affecting my mood and rapidly adding to my waistline. Not that I’m intending to get all crazy and try to lose weight or anything, but being able to take short walks around the neighborhood would be nice. Or maybe some yoga or stretching?

I’ve been feeling extremely unattractive and frumpy these days. (Thus, no vlogs!) Some of it is undoubtedly because I have gained some weight and clothes don’t fit me like they should. Besides that, my skin (although not great to begin with) is having issues of its own. These days, it seems that my skin simply cannot get hydrated no matter how much I moisturize. Is it this weather or is being pregnant sucking all the moisture out of me?

I guess I’m not one of those women who look ravishing and get a natural glow from being pregnant. Shucks.

For the past couple of days, I’ve been feeling an increasing weirdness in my stomach. Not quite nausea, not really a sore tummy, but a feeling of fullness in my stomach and unease in my throat. It’s the kind of feeling you get when you’re about to get queasy. It never gets to a full-blown queasiness, but I’ve only been able to eat about half as much as I normally do. I haven’t been snacking in between meals and I couldn’t even finish a modest serving of miso soup for dinner.

The funny thing is that this afternoon I was absolutely famished and I felt like eating a cheeseburger. So, I did a drive-thru. Two cheeseburgers, medium french fries, and a medium root beer. I managed to eat everything except a handful of french fries. And boy, was it yummy.

It must’ve been last night’s conversation with sis-in-law who revealed that she would get morning sickness every time she tried to eat “healthy” food, but felt just fine with indulging in plate lunches and fast food. It must be psychosomatic.

Just for fun, I thought I would start keeping stats:

Progesterone shot #30
Days since frozen embryo transfer: 25
# of shots since start of IVF: 68

This week, Hubby is leaving for the Big Island on business, so his sister has agreed to wield the needle in his stead. Tonight, she came to obtain another training session with Hubby and, this time, she actually administered the progesterone injection for me. Needless to say, she was a little nervous at first, but she did a great job. I barely felt the needle and experienced minimal discomfort. Good job, sis-in-law!

It’s great to know that we have a capable backup for Hubby, just in case, for some reason, he can’t give me the shot. After all, it’s imperative that we don’t miss a single day!

We have a spare bedroom that we are presently using as a computer room. I suppose in about nine months, it will be converted into the baby’s room. But, oh, the daunting task ahead. The room serves as a workout area/study/storage. The stuff has to go somewhere. But where?

I have the TLC show Clean Sweep on my DVR and I watch it from time to time. After viewing an episode, I find myself peering at my surroundings with a critical eye and I get an overwhelming desire to make “sell”, “toss,” and “keep” piles. The only problem is that I don’t have the luxury of a personal organizer and carpenter at my disposal to design space-efficient storage units for me. Also, since I live in a townhouse, I am lacking a vital component to a good garage sale: a garage. So, instead of a “sell” pile, I have a “donate” pile. We still have a long way to go, but I’m whittling away at it.

Aside from the entertainment value, I realize that we watch reality shows to make us feel better about ourselves in some way. Shows like Clean Sweep puffs me up by allowing me to say, “heck, at least my house isn’t that bad!” We relate to reality shows and compare our state of affairs to the folks on the show, who sacrifice their privacy and pride in exchange for free stuff, money, or an improved lifestyle. I sometimes wonder if I could be convinced to make such a trade.

In addition to improving our self esteem, certain reality shows can spur us to action and inspire us to make improvements in our lives. Whether it’s de-cluttering your living room, staging your house for sale, or simply learning how to dress more professionally, reality shows tell us that even average Joes like us can do it.

I’m not sure how this entry ended up making me an advocate for reality shows, but perhaps it’s because I spent the entire day watching TLC and the Discovery Channel in my pajamas. Unfortunately, nearly an entire weekend of downtime still didn’t banish this cold, but at least it’s not getting worse.

“Feed a cold, starve a fever”?

Today I took a break from the computer, and in addition to feeding my cold tonight at Makino Chaya for mom-in-law’s birthday, I spent the better part of the day resting.

Oh, my goodness, the grilled-to-order Wagyu beef with scallops and mushrooms were delicious. I wanted a second serving, but this strange feeling in my stomach that I’ve been having for the past few days prevented me from doing so. Instead, I opted for a few pieces of jell-o. I managed to steer clear of the chocolate fountain and the brownies, much to the dismay of my sister-in-law who felt it is simply inhumane to deprive oneself of life’s basic pleasures such as caffeine and chocolate. When I asked for a cup of hot water (no tea bag), she scolded Hubby for putting me on such a restrictive diet. But, truth be told, it’s not Hubby’s doing. I’m just super cautious and want to make sure I’m not doing anything to jeopardize the Snowflake(s). I’m OC like that.

Sis-in-law will be administering the progesterone injections for me while Hubby is on his business trip this week, so she came by the house after dinner to get some training from Hubby who can now be considered an expert in the craft. Convinced that I needed to indulge myself while pregnant, she showed up with some dark chocolate-covered cherries for me. I thought it was so cute of her to be so concerned about me. For that, I allowed myself to enjoy one of them — and told Hubby that he could eat the rest. You know, “feed the cold” and all. Amazingly, I don’t crave chocolate like I used to. Even after getting a sumptuous taste of that chocolate-covered cherry, I still feel that life without chocolate isn’t so bad.