hello stranger...

oh dear it's been awhile. this will be a quick update if anyone is reading.

I am well. I am happy but every time I think to write a blog post I get distracted and onto another thing on my to do list that keeps on growing every single day.

Operation "leave my full time job" could not possibly be going any better. I'm blown away by the work that has come in just in the last month. I'm excited to share with family, friends even my chiropractor this shift that has happened. I'm following my passion once again. I'm finding my way back to myself again and it feels so great. I realize my struggle to conceive has not been as lengthy as some and maybe my plan is pretty drastic to some. But I must find myself again. I took a f/t job to get a mortgage and a mat leave (a whole year in Canada) and that hasn't happened and holy crap it's 5 years later and the mortgage is due for renewal soon.. how did that happen?

I've gone through different bouts of sadness with this... at first I was convinced that I had done nothing but run on a hamster wheel for a five year period and I was so disappointed in myself... 5 years later same place in life just 50 lbs heavier... yeah me! But I realize now that I have grown... so it took me 5 years to stand up and say "enough" it's my turn to live life and I'll be damned if I live it by "the man's" rules. I'll create the life I want the life I always expected to have. To have my small business, work from home, have a family and keep on working and growing my client base, my knowledge, my experience. I just got a little side tracked by about 3 years with the oh so comfy job (which honestly isn't because of a certain boss who I've written about before).

So where am I at right now? What's the time line? Have a left yet?

Right now I'm $1000 short on the 2 months worth of expenses to keep my husband happy and comfortable with my leaving the job. I'm blown away that it has happened so quickly because as it stands right now I'll be staying put until mortgage renewal time and that's October.. right now we're waiting for the renewal papers from the mortgage company and then we'll be attempting to dump some dept into the renewal. So haven't left yet but I know I will celebrate 2011 as a self-employed person. All efforts to conceive and/or try to figure out why we have been unsuccessful are on hold and a distant memory in so many ways.

I'm working like crazy to keep on top of everything I have on my plate and keep the invoices going out so more work can keep on coming in. And for now that is and will continue to be my focus. Yoga attendance has been poor (ok non existent) but I'm not beating myself up over it. Eating.. not so great but dh asked that we get back at it on Monday and I'm game... when he's on board it makes it so much easier cause he spoils me with his cooking and meal planning awesomeness! Once I've left the job then I'll have more time to find my routine again. I use to workout a least a few times a week when I was self-employed, had time to put dinner on the table for DH and I, a little house work mixed in here and there and I'll also be getting an hour back since I won't have the daily commute to and from the office. And so much of the stress that has likely been the bully behind my not being able to scream from the hilltops "I'm pregnant!" will finally shift. I'm not saying it'll be easy but I do know that it will feed my soul like nothing else can right now.

I am happy, I'm excited and I'm going to making this happen.

Daytona Tuesday

Here's a picture from almost two weeks ago up in beautiful Tobermory, ON

DH coaxing Daytona in for a swim. I forgot a ball so it was hard to get him to go in :-)
And DH isn't dressed just cooling off before he goes scuba diving.

Time for Change

Inspired by Anne's post about change ( click here ) I thought it was time to share with you the change I'm working towards making in my own life.

I know I've mentioned it before but this time I mean it... I'm going to be leaving my f/t job before 2011. It is time! Just as Anne and her husband purchased a home in an area great for families... I have been in a job I do not enjoy for 5 YEARS because we wanted to start a family. Now we haven't been in TTC mode for 5 years but the last 3 come September is a couple of years too many as far as my job is concerned.

I'm not going to be living my life by the code of "we might be pregnant soon" anymore because that has not worked. One not so great job complete with crap salary got us into our first home and that is wonderful. We love our area, yes it would be great for kids, but it's also great for us... quite dead end street, mature trees and wonderful sunset views from our livingroom window for Daytona to enjoy. lol Although I've stopped stepping on the scales I'm sure I've put on a good 50 lbs since starting my job, my skills go completely unappreciated and there is no where to move forward with the company. I'm but one creative being among a see of sales people, engineers and one micro-managing bitch of a boss lady. IT is time for change.

I have a plan. Dollar amounts we're saving for, a mortgage due for renewal in October, new business website being designed by me for my web/graphic side of my small business, tasks being executed all in an effort to make sure I can leave my job before 2011. My husband is 100% behind me and probably just as fearful as I am but with 2 or months expenses in the bank his mind will be at ease when the time comes. I can feel the old me creeping back into my everyday, the business woman I felt I once was, confident and ambitious.... an entrepreneur through and through. I'm remembering what it means to be me, who I am and not just me trying to get pregnant.

And because it just wouldn't be Tuesday without a picture of you know who... here he is checking out the view from our livingroom window.

Daytona Tuesday

On the drive home from our weekend away in Tobermory we discovered another song that makes Daytona wanna sing (can't wait to get the newest iPhone so I can capture these moments on video).

This time is was KT Tunstall (Black Horse & The Cherry Tree)
but Gwen Stefani's Sweet Escape works every single time too.

Spirit Babies

Does anyone else have this book?
Do I want to read it, need to read it?
Will I find some comfort from reading it?

Daytona Tuesday

Another picture of my new furry little sister. We're off on a camping trip this weekend but next weekend I think we'll be heading to the cottage again for a visit with my dad and step mom... can't wait to see how she's changed in a months time :-)

CD 1

I can't keep doing what we've been doing at this point. Something must change and I believe that shift has to happen in my job. I took this position leaving behind self-employment, for two reasons... 1. mortgage and 2. mat leave. We got the house but now as I come up to my 5th year with this company I can't bare the thought of making it to a 6th. I'm not suppose to be here... I should have had 1 child already... I'm carrying another 50+ lbs since I started here... and this job is the one constant in my life that makes me sad and so very unhappy.

I'm reminded everyday of the stress from a boss who does not respect me or my well being by questioning when I'm late or what my doctors appointments are for. My abilities and effort are not respected or rewarded... that $500 raise I got this year is just a slap in the face as far as I'm concerned considering the time, energy and knowledge I've given.

It's time for change. I can't bring myself to put more money towards treatment when my stress level is so dependent on someone elses mood that day or week. I feel like I'm wasting money. I tried two cycles and it did not work so it's time for a new plan of action.

Thank god for my husband! He is behind me 100% and he too can see it now as I do what this job has taken from us. He wants to see his kids doing silly things, to play with them, to hold them... he sees it just as much as I do as we go about our daily lives.

So the plan is to search for 1 or 2 part-time employers... people/companies who can't afford or feel they need someone with my skill set in the office 5 days a week but I can show them what having me for X number of hours each week can do for them. It will be some leg work and research but I have a team I can turn to and then the most wonderful thing is it will allow me to spend more time on my business. Time to put all my own marketing ideas into motion to build that side of my career. The p/t work will just be that cushion as I make the transition back into f/t self-employment and plan for our family.

I'm scare, exhausted and uncomfortable but this feels like what I should have been doing years ago. This job has served a purpose but it is not going to allow me to get where I want to be next and so I must go. I am ready to live my life for me again.

CD 27 12 dpo

Test was negative this morning but still no aunt flow... so still hoping and praying for a BFP!

Daytona Tuesday

Laying on the couch the other night I look up from my pillow to see this....

what a dog...

CD 26, 11 dpo

so I've been taking it easy as of late. just trying to stay out of my head and preoccupied for the most part and I was doing really good at it until yesterday. DH was away all weekend and my mind started to wander and count and compare and well you know the drill.

So with every clomid cycle I seem to have a 27/28 day cycle so that said I think I'm going to POAS tomorrow morning. I have the day off to wait for the internet tech to come out to our home in the a.m. so I can have the day at home to be sad or jump for joy or remain completely in the dark as I wait for AF or BFP if I end up with a BFN tomorrow.

Last cycle I did only have 1 egg release, 1 iui and I had spotting on CD 25 but this cycle I had 2 (possibly 3) eggs release, 2 iui's and no spotting yet. I'm almost afraid to dream that we could possibly finally be pregnant. I was telling my therapist just last week that I've had so much disappointment I have no idea anymore of what kind of happiness and excitement a positive could bring. I'm too afraid of another negative result to really let my guard down and hope. I feel like it's coming soon but will it be this month or will I have to wait again