This event wasn't supposed to happen until 1/28, but one of his brackets popped off earlier this week. We went to the ortho on 1/6 to get it fixed, but he decided to take them off instead. He was so close to removal anyway. It just made sense. Hmmm... Maybe I should try that exit strategy? I want my braces off too, dang it!
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Metal Mouth No More (1.6.15)
This event wasn't supposed to happen until 1/28, but one of his brackets popped off earlier this week. We went to the ortho on 1/6 to get it fixed, but he decided to take them off instead. He was so close to removal anyway. It just made sense. Hmmm... Maybe I should try that exit strategy? I want my braces off too, dang it!
Posted by Brandy at 1/10/2015 12:00:00 PM 0 comments
Friday, January 02, 2015
Our 15th Anniversary in Colorado (Part 1)
12/12---To start the trip off, we drove to High Point to drop off the boys at my Mom's house. She watched them while we were gone. We headed out to Raleigh to stay the night before our flight out of RDU. I had reservations for us at The Angus Barn that night. The thing is, I also invited our best friends (Jason & Natascha) to join us without Clayton's knowledge. We had a wonderful time hanging with them for the evening.
Love all these people :)
12/13---We got up bright and early to head to the airport. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good morning. I was dying for some good coffee and so we stopped at the first Starbucks we saw. After walking away with our cups, we realized that we couldn't carry our drinks through security. Ugh. We walked back inside the cafe and sat down. I proceeded to mention that I had somehow kept my Ugg boots clean for a long time and hoped to keep them that way. About 5 seconds later, I dropped my entire coffee and it went all over my left boot. I about cried. Sigh...
Our first flight of 38 minutes took us right back to our home of Charlotte. Yes, I know we should have flown out of our own airport, but we saved over $300 by going out of RDU instead. We couldn't get a direct flight from CLT either, but we got to fly direct to Denver from Charlotte on the RDU itinerary. Weird. In the end, it was worth the extra driving.
As soon as we got to Denver, we headed to our old hometown of Johnstown for lunch. Huang Garden is the best Chinese restaurant ever and we miss it so much. It didn't disappoint. Before leaving, I walked into the local grocery store next door for their awesome homemade flour tortillas and guacamole. Yummm
We checked into our hotel in Fort Collins (The Armstrong). It is one of our favorite places to hang out. Even when we lived in Colorado, we stayed in this hotel multiple times for staycations. It is eclectic in decor and perfectly located near Old Town. We love it there.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimpSKS6uT7qj4hhVkcORd09g08S3DQYTkDjkQ2IZZZSjJNZ62ZZe70pnz17CmAoyN4S0z5Hj8QdUoYSCVPqAyu9exP5stS8FMdu80LE-aDD8jFHvvAGdNCyy2rXmRs9lgCzRd7Ig/s1600/ATub.jpg)
Posted by Brandy at 1/02/2015 12:53:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: anniversary
Our 15th Anniversary in Colorado (Part 2)
FYI-Snooze is an amazing place with the best breakfast EVER.
12/15---Our Anniversary Day
Clayton had a surprise for me. He booked us a portrait session with a local photographer. He also booked me a hair and makeup session beforehand. What a cool idea! We haven't had photos of ourselves in a long time. Some photos were taken in a park and others were taken in downtown Fort Collins. I can't wait to see how they turned out.
Posted by Brandy at 1/02/2015 12:53:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: anniversary
Thursday, January 01, 2015
Happy New Year!
We had a low-key night at home with the kiddos last night. We played Farkle, ate pizza, and watched the ball drop in NYC at midnight. It doesn't get any lamer than that, lol. I have been under the weather lately, so I had to call off a trip to Raleigh to see our besties. Major bummer.
On the surrogacy front, I had a baseline ultrasound done this past Monday (12/29) and my lining is a little thick. This happened on last cycle's baseline too. It turns out that this same thing has happened to several other surros using the same doctor recently. I think he orders the ultrasound too early. As soon as I stop birth control pills (used to control the IVF cycle), I am expected to shed my lining. That is not an immediate thing though and the doctor must not be taking that into account. I didn't start until 4-5 days later. That wasn't enough time before the ultrasound. Now I get to go back on Monday for a follow-up to make sure I am ready to begin the next phase of IVF. As long as my lining has thinned, I will be fine. A frozen transfer is set for 1/22 in Connecticut. Due date will be 10/10/15, if everything goes according to plan. Please wish my IPs luck for the new year!
Hope you all have a very happy new year!!!
Posted by Brandy at 1/01/2015 02:52:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: surrogacy
Friday, December 26, 2014
Surrogacy #4
If you are curious about my recent surrogacy journey, here are the deets:
Cycle #1
11/1---transferred 1 beautiful fresh 5-day embryo in CT
11/5---received my first BFP on a home pregnancy test @ 4dp5dt
11/11---first beta results of 161 @ 10dp5dt
11/13---second beta results of 246 @ 12dp5dt
11/17---third beta results of 106 @ 16dp5dt
11/18---chemical pregnancy confirmed as beta continued dropping :(
Cycle #2
12/17---began Lupron injections for second IVF cycle
12/29---baseline ultrasound and bloodwork
1/13---lining check ultrasound and bloodwork
1/22---frozen transfer of one or two 5-day embryos in CT
The first cycle was a bust. I was devastated and the intended parents were bummed. It sucks to have everything look good and then for it all to turn south. That's okay. We have a new game plan for January and I have a very good feeling about it. Please wish my IPs much luck for a 2015 baby (or babies). :)
BTW, I received Christmas cards with photos of my previous 3 surrobabies. They are all so beautiful!! Even though they aren't my kids, I am incredibly proud of them. The pics are already prominently displayed on my fridge (along with their past Christmas photos). I just love seeing these families everyday. :)
Hope you all had a very merry Christmas!
Here are a few more pics from my trip for transfer #1 (my mom and I visited NYC):
Posted by Brandy at 12/26/2014 11:52:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: surrogacy
Friday, September 19, 2014
Let It Begin...
Posted by Brandy at 9/19/2014 10:24:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: surrogacy
Tuesday, September 02, 2014
Stitch Fix #25 Review
1) Brentwood Tiered Striped Tank Top by Pixley
Posted by Brandy at 9/02/2014 09:10:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Stitch Fix
Friday, August 22, 2014
Staining of the Glue on My Teeth
Posted by Brandy at 8/22/2014 01:26:00 PM 2 comments
Labels: braces
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
My Birthday and My New Best Friend (8/2/14)
Posted by Brandy at 8/20/2014 12:01:00 PM 0 comments
Friday, August 01, 2014
Braces-3 Weeks In (7/30/14)
Week 3-7/30/14
Well, it has been a looooooong 3 weeks. I hate these horrid things and can't wait to get them off. I can already say that there is no way in heck I am going to wear them for 2 years. On days where I talk a lot, my mouth feels like I have razor blades in it. Regardless of how bad they feel, I love how they are providing quick results. My top teeth look so much better. The one tooth on the top right in the photo, has almost completely tucked into where it belongs. That was fast! Look at how crooked my wire was at the beginning and how straight it is now. My bottom teeth don't seem to be doing anything though. Hmmmm... I will see the ortho next week and I hope he will reassure me that those teeth will indeed move. They are crowded upfront.
Posted by Brandy at 8/01/2014 10:51:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: braces
Monday, July 14, 2014
Brace Face
Ok, so I totally changed my mind on ceramic Clarity braces at the last minute. I was already in the chair and they had the box of ceramics on the table next to me when I began drilling them with lots of questions. The answers didn't make me happy so I chose to go with metal. The reasons were:
Some people pay more for ceramic but my ortho charges the same either way. I really wish that the ceramics didn't have so many cons because I really wanted them, but I am happy with the metal. Since I have metal, it was easy for me to go with colorful ligatures since there is no way to hide the fact that I am in braces.
The only bad thing is that I cannot eat properly. My molars are so sore that biting isn't something that I can do as of yet. It has been weird eating soft foods all the time. Oh well, it will all be worth it in the end. Heck, I was having a hard time eating before braces because my molars had just enough space between them that they caught food every time I ate. It was terribly painful and the main reason that I opted for braces in the first place.
Posted by Brandy at 7/14/2014 10:34:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: braces
Saturday, July 05, 2014
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes...(Hair and Teeth)
Posted by Brandy at 7/05/2014 11:25:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: braces
Thursday, July 03, 2014
Stitch Fix #22 Review
3. Leota Haylee Abstract Chevron Print Swing Skirt-This skirt is incredibly comfortable. Lovely colors and pretty design. It has a stretchy waistband, making it a great piece for pregnancy.
4. Pomelo Corinna Striped Heather Dolman Top- I already have this top in blue/black, but I was still thrilled to see this one in my box. It is so soft and comfy. The cut is flattering on everyone that I have seen on the web. It's a perfect top.
5. 41Hawthorn Montgomery Chevron Cross-Fit Top- This top is super soft and the color is beautiful. The only thing I don't like about it is the fabric can move rather easily to show off more skin than I want to. It needs a snap in the chest area to hold it closed.
Posted by Brandy at 7/03/2014 09:27:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Stitch Fix
Tuesday, July 01, 2014
Father's Day 2014 (6/15/14)
Posted by Brandy at 7/01/2014 07:51:00 AM 0 comments
Friday, June 20, 2014
Whoa, WHAT?!
I have a little secret to reveal. I know I have been absent from my blog for a long time now but I will soon be updating regularly again thanks to surrogacy journey #4. Yep, you read that right. If you are a Facebook friend, you have known about this for several months. I didn't want to announce it on my blog until I knew for sure it was going to happen. Why am I pursuing this again? I am totally insane, I guess, lol. To be honest, I am trying to end my surrogacy life on the best note possible. My last surrogacy was very stressful and hard to deal with (hence the reason that there are very few posts on my blog for journey #3). Even though that journey was rough, I made amends with the mother and I miss her muchly after all has been said and done. The conversations that we had after the birth should have happened early in the pregnancy. I had no idea how many life struggles she was dealing with during the IVF cycle. If had known then, what I know now, things would have been very different and I hate that.
Anyway, I am working with a wonderful agency this time around and they have made everything go so smoothly. All of my previous journeys were independent so it is nice letting someone else do all the work. I am matched with an international couple and they are going to be awesome. I begin meds on 6/27 and we are looking at transferring around 8/9.
Posted by Brandy at 6/20/2014 01:10:00 PM 1 comments
Labels: surrogacy
Sunday, March 23, 2014
My life as a background blur on tv
Posted by Brandy at 3/23/2014 02:24:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: acting
Saturday, March 01, 2014
Posted by Brandy at 3/01/2014 04:04:00 PM 0 comments
Monday, February 24, 2014
Meow Monday
Posted by Brandy at 2/24/2014 02:17:00 PM 0 comments
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Valentine's Day 2014
Posted by Brandy at 2/23/2014 07:00:00 AM 0 comments
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Snow Day (Well, Days)
Posted by Brandy at 2/22/2014 07:00:00 AM 0 comments
Friday, February 21, 2014
New Recipes
Posted by Brandy at 2/21/2014 02:14:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: recipes
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Random Stuff---Catching Up
Posted by Brandy at 2/19/2014 11:02:00 AM 1 comments