A Trip to New Harmony

A couple Saturday's ago, I wanted to drive to New Harmony and rent a golf cart to drive around the town and take some pictures.  I wanted to go by myself so I could go at my own pace, but I wanted someone to go with me so I would have some company.  I ended up waiting for Shawn to finish golfing that morning.  I wanted to eat lunch at the Bliss Artisan shop where we rented the golf carts, but Shawn didn't want to, and I really wasn't that hungry.  So we ended up at the McDonald's and were going to have dinner at Hawg n' Sauce in Mt. Vernon (more about that later).

Shawn got home about 11:30 and by noon we were headed to New Harmony.  We got to within a mile of New Harmony and it started raining.  It was a light rain, so we went ahead and rented the golf cart.  We rented from the ice cream shop again.  I also asked to make sure the battery was fully charged cause I didn't want to have a repeat of our last trip to New Harmony.

We got all of our stuff loaded in the cart and off we went.  We started off heading towards the river and then around town.  I had seen people take pictures at this cute little turquoise bridge before and couldn't find it last time we were there.  We found it this time and a couple more little trails to ride on.  We stopped at the bridge to take some pics.  I wanted Shawn to take one of me on the bridge, however upon taking one step on the bridge, I got stung in the back of my ankle by either a bee or wasp and it hurt like fire!!  I'm allergic to bee stings, so my ankle started swelling instantly and I started getting nervous.  At that point I wasn't thrilled about the bridge picture at all!  You can see me lifting my ankle and the look of fear and pain on my face in the picture!  HAHA!!  

We drove the golf cart back to the car to get an allergy pill and then took off again.  

There is some great scenery around New Harmony to take pictures off, however the weather, among other things weren't cooperating with us.  I did get alot of pictures, but not the creativity I wanted since it was raining alot and I was trying to keep my camera dry inside the cart.  

We also had a mishap with the cart about an hour into our drive.  Can you guess what it was?  Yep, the battery started running out on us near the big white visitor center again.  I ran in to go to the bathroom and knew they had alot of golf carts there so I asked if they were related to the golf cart rental place at the ice cream store and they said they were.  I explained about our golf cart and asked if they could swap the carts out for us.  They did, and off we went, but then the rain got heavier and the whole afternoon was becoming a wash out.  The rain got the best of us and we ended up heading back earlier than I wanted too.  

Below are pictures of our visit around town...

(My editing skills leave alot to be desired :/)

After the golf cart ride, we drove through New Harmony State Park.  I had wanted to drive through there the last time we were in New Harmony, but we didn't get a chance.  So I thought it would be something fun to do on this day.  It was a bust too!!  The park totally wasn't what I pictured it to look like.  There was definitely alot of camping going on and lots of driving to get to the different parts of the park.  It rained on us the majority of the time we were in there so we just drove through and left.  We stopped at the boat ramp area and got out for a few minutes to look at the river and then spotted this cute little turtle on our way out of the park.  No one was behind us so I stopped in the road and got out and took a few pics of him :)

After the park, we drove into Mt. Vernon to eat an early dinner at Hawg 'n' Sauce BBQ restaurant.  Shawn had been before and said it was good, and I've known other people who have been and liked it.  They were all right, it WAS good!  We shared the deep fried pickles, I had the Ida Hawg BBQ pulled pork potato, and Shawn had a pick 3 sampler platter with ribs, brisket, and pulled pork.  They brought him pulled chicken by mistake so they let him keep it too.  He also had the baked beans and potato salad.  

After super, we drove down to the Mt. Vernon riverfront.  They have recently redone it, and out of all the times we have driven through Mt. Vernon I had never been down there.  It was really nice, and the weather outside was nice that day finally.  We even found a geocache too!

After Mt. Vernon, we headed back towards home and stopped at the Master Gardener area and then the State Hospital grounds where we spotted lots of ducks, squirrels, hedgehogs, a kitty in a tree, and another fox!!  I had been wanting to get out and walk around the Master Gardener.  I was going to the other day and it started pouring down rain as soon as I pulled up.  It's such a beautiful area and a great place to go to get ideas for different types of flowers and plants to have in your yard.

(Uh yeah, I know these ducks aren't fighting! LOL!)

After driving through there a couple times, we left and went to Cold Stone and got ice cream and then headed home for the evening.  While some things didn't pan out how I had envisioned them, we had a great day and enjoyed spending the day together!

Gavin's First Day of Kindergarten

How can this even be?  My little man is a kindergartener?

Because of my doctor appointment this morning, I wasn't able to join him on his first day of school.  Thursday night his new school had an open house so I went to that and we did our first day of school pictures then.

He's so excited about school and I can't wait to hear all about it.  Hopefully I won't here "same thing as we always do", which is what he always said about headstart when I asked him what all they did at school.

Checking out his new classroom!

I tried to get a picture of him with his new teacher, but he wasn't having it.  

Our First IUI

Last Friday at the doctor, my follicles weren't mature yet, so I had to continue taking the Follistim injections on Friday night and Saturday morning, and then Saturday night I had to get my HCG trigger shot to make me ovulate.  Wednesday and Thursday night when I had to start taking my Follistim injections in the thigh with the bigger needles instead of my stomach with the injection pen, I wasn't sure about doing it and went to my friend Heather's house and her sister, and my friend, Brandi came over and gave them to me.  Friday night I braved up and did it myself.  I can definitely say I prefer Nurse Brandi doing them.  HAHA!  After I filled the syringe and put the needle on, I turned it upside down and lost almost all the medicine and had to start over.  Thank goodness I bought the extra vial, just in case I had anymore mishaps! I also didn't stick myself hard enough in the thigh, so I had to do it again.  Yikes!  Saturday afternoon's injection went alot better!  Saturday evening I did have to go to Heather's and have Brandi come over and give me my trigger shot.  It had to go in my hip so I wasn't sure about doing that one myself.  

This morning Shawn and I had our doctor appointment for our very first, and hopefully only, IUI.  Once again another successful doctor appointment!  While I was excited to do this IUI, my biggest fear going into this appointment was whether or not they would be able to cath me to do the insemination.  We went to see Dr. Gentry almost two and a half years ago to do artificial insemination and at that time, Dr. G wanted to do a hysterosalpingogram on me to make sure my tubes weren't blocked.  At that procedure, because of the fibroid's and my tilted uterus, he wasn't able to cath me then and said that since he couldn't cath me then, he wouldn't be able to cath me to do the insemination.  Thus began the journey of "the surgery from h3ll" and another fibroid surgery.  

We had to be at the doctor's office at 8:30 this morning.  When we got there, there was three other couples in there, so needless to say, I knew we wouldn't get called back right away.  When we did get called back, we had to sign a consent form allowing them to inject Shawn's semen into me.  We were given a number that we needed to use to verify everything when the actual procedure took place.  Shawn went and collected his specimen, and then we left while they washed it and had to come back in an hour.  We went and had breakfast at Hardee's and then drove around the Evansville State Hospital grounds.

Once back at the doctor's office, there was more waiting in the lobby and then we were called back for the insemination.  You can't tell in the picture, but I have a serious nervous belly!  

The nurses came in and Shawn had to verify his number against a dozen different papers, tubes, etc.  The insemination itself was went quick and smooth.  The worst part was the nurses trying to put the speculum in.  She tried the longer metal one first just because my uterus is tilted and my cervix hard to get too.  When that didn't work, she used the shorter plastic one and that worked great.  She was able to get the cath in really quick and easy, so that was awesome in my book.  She injected the semen and that was it.  Quick and easy.  After the insemination, I had to lay with my hips tilted for 20 minutes and then Shawn and I were free to go. 

My view for the next 20 minutes!  HAHA!

 I did have some mild cramping and have had some cramping and aches in my abdomen most of the day.  I know it's because of the insemination and ovulating.  We got our homework instructions, Thursday I start using the Progesterone inserts, and then it's just a waiting game.

Insurance has paid for the ultrasounds and blood tests for the IUI, but not the actual IUI itself.  I learned at the check out that if we paid cash, it would be $40 cheaper than paying with a debit card, so I had to run down to the ATM and get some greenbacks!

I can't say enough how much we appreciate everyone's prayers, thoughts, phone calls, and texts during this trying time for us. The last 7 years of TTC has definitely taken a toll on the both of us, both mentally, physically, and financially.  I'm so thankful that God has provided for us, he's a miracle working God!