Dear TLC...

This is a blog written by Infertile Naomi, on September 10, 2010. I just HAD to post this!! I couldnt have written it better myself!!

Dear TLC,

I am a big fan of your network and enjoy many of your programs. However, as a woman experiencing infertility, I kindly request that you think about changing some of the names of your shows.

Show Title: Quint By Surprise

A story about Casey and Ethan Jones who wanted to add one more baby to their family and were thrilled with their fertility treatment resulted in quintuplets. I would understand if the couple had not done fertility treatments and — surprise — you have five babies. Now, that’s a surprise. But when you have multiple eggs, sometimes you get multiple children. Where’s the surprise?
Better Title: Surprise! Your Fertility Treatment Actually Worked this Time!

Show Title: 19 Kids and Counting

The story of the Duggar family, who can procreate at the drop of a hat and have named all their kids starting with the letter J. Please stop procreating already. While some of us can’t even seem to have one, you are already blessed with so many children. Perhaps Michelle Duggar can offer to become a surrogate for the rest of us infertile folks? She is a human fertility machine.
Better Title: 19 Kids. Please Stop Procreating

Show Title: I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant

I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant is a series that reveals the astonishing stories of women who conceive and carry their babies all the way to labor and delivery with no idea that they were ever pregnant. Meet Lilah, a 35 year old woman who thought she had gained 30 pounds from too many donuts. Meet Cheryl, a 20 year old, who went to the hospital for a stomach ache and came home with twins. And, 29-year-old April thinks she has food poisoning, but it turns out it wasn’t bad barbecue, it was a baby.
Better Title: I Didn’t Know I Could Be This Dumb

Here are some of my other suggestions for future, more realistic, TLC programming …

Show Title: Why Didn’t IVF Work on the First Attempt?

A story of women who spend thousands of dollars on in vitro fertilization, but the sperm and egg refused to fertilize.

Show Title: I Am a Fertility Drug Addict

The story of five women getting high on Clomid and fertility injections.

Show Title: I Haven’t Ovulated Since 1980

The story of women dealing with PCOS who haven’t seen their menstrual cycles since the TV show Family Ties went off the air.

And although I do enjoy all your pregnancy and baby-themed programming, I suggest that you think about putting an additional infertility warning before the show. Instead of “This program may contain material unsuitable for children,” change to “This program may cause tears and heartache for any couples dealing with infertility.”

Just a thought.

Thank you for taking some of my suggestions into consideration.

Sincerely,

Infertile Naomi

Blogger of ‘999 Reasons to Laugh at Infertility

Meal Planning Monday People!

Wow...it's been a while sine I posted one of these, so I figured it was time. I've got some yummies planned for this week at my house. Here's whats cookin!

• Chicken Burgers with Garlic Mayo and Homemade Oven Fries. Sounds so fancy, but so easy! I buy the burgers at Costco and to make the garlic mayo, just add minced garlic and s/p to yor regular mayo. And a little tip for making the perfect oven fries: slice them and let them soak in salted water for 15-20 min before you bake (400 degrees for about 40 min.) but make sure you pat them all the way dry before baking or else they wont crisp up!
• Pasta with Sausage and Peppers. I made this last week and it was such a huge hit! And since I got more peppers and onions in my basket this week, I'm going to make it again! Of course, I make a more healthy version. I use organic chicken andouille or vegan sausage, whole wheat penne pasta, and low fat mozzarella cheese.
• BBQ Salmon. I've never made this recipe before, but there is a Asian bbq salmon that we love, so I figured I'd give this one a try for something different. Served with rice and a veggie medley of some sort.
• Escarole Soup with Turkey Meatballs, or Italian Wedding Soup. I've made this recipe before and it is SO delish, really low fat, and super easy!
• Foil-Pack Taco Chicken. A new one on the list, looks super easy which is perfect for weeknights. Again, I'm going to make this a littler healthier using low fat cheese and skipping the sour cream. Served with a side salad.

9 Months!

Well here we are 3/4 of the way to 1!

This month Miss M has learned lots of new things! She waves bye bye, will give you 5, and is very interested in the things around her. She is very into details too...for example she will study my face and try and pull at my eye lashes, she will pinch at freckles, and is very intrigued by eye brows! She will pick up the.smallest.things like fuzz, etc. Last month we hit separation anxiety at full force, and it seems like it's getting a little better. She used to cry the moment she realized I was leaving her at the gym, and now (on most days) she does well! Also, last night she learned how to open the cabinets in the kitchen (she hangs out on the floor with toys while I cook), so cabinet locks her we come! She's a smart one! Here is all about M pie at 9 months:

- She weighs 18 lbs. 1 oz. (50th %) is 28 inches long (50th%) and her head is 18 inches and still rockin in the 90th%!
- She wears a size 3 diaper and size 6-12 month or 12 month cloths.
- Her nicknames are Buttercup and M Pie.
- She takes 2 naps per day; one in the morning around 9:30 and then her longest in the afternoon around 2:00.
- She goes to bed at 7:00 and wakes up at 6:30am.
- She eats almost all table foods, and eats anything you give her! She eats 3 meals and 1 snack per day.
- She drinks (4) 6-7 oz. bottles per day.
- She's cruising all over the place and will take one step.
- She has her two bottom teeth and just cut her two top teeth. They are coming in at the same time, poor girl.

-She loves: to throw everything out of her crib and drop things off her highchair. It's fun! Cold water in her sippy cup (she LOVES water!), the swing at the park, balls, books, and bath time.


-Shes hates: getting in and out of the car seat (I just ordered her convertible so maybe this will get better?), anything that requires her to be still!!

And in other news, at her 9 month well check Miss M got her ears pierced! They do it at her pedi's office and I did Kay's at the same age, so we went for it! She cried for a few minutes, but then she was fine and has been ever since. It's easy, I just clean them 3 times a day at diaper changes and she hasn't messed with them at all....and she looks so darn cute!

Funny Faces

I'm working on M's 9 month post, however she is napping and then we have to run to the office, so I will try and snap her picture later today. But I thought I would share some funny face pictures from this week...because it is FRIDAY and all :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Italy Part 1: Santa Margherita

We got a chance to go spend 3 days on the Italian coast while we were in Italy, before we headed off to Turino to work. We stayed at the Hotel Laurin in Santa Margherita, Ligure Italy (a ritzy little Italian Rivera town loved by the locals).  It was so incredibly beautiful there and I am so glad we got a chance to spend some time there! I was surprised that this town was full of mostly Italians, there were really no tourists! And the people were very friendly. I loved that. Santa Margherita was lovely, but very expensive. We're talking 50-60 dollar lunches (pizza and or a salad and water), dinners were 100 + dollars. So if any of you go here, be prepared to spend some money. It was so worth it though. Also, if you travel to this region, try the Pesto! It was created here and it was one of the most amazing dishes I had while in Italy- so different than the US. So creamy and delicious! I have tons and tons of pictures, but here are a few of my favs!

The beautiful view of the sunset/sunrise from the balcony of our hotel.

Like I said before, it is a expensive ritzy little town. All the taxi's were white Mercedes!

(This was outside of the train station) My kinda taxi ;)

This was a little niche in one of the alley ways.

Some neat stairs.

It's so funny that all the cars and trucks are there are SO small! This was the garbage man..and you can tell by his height how small the "dump" truck was. I giggled the whole time I was there!

A beautiful Villa

A Statue of Christoforo Colombo

 There was this band marching through the Piazza on Sunday morning...not sure if it happens every Sunday, or if it was something special. But it was a sight to see! They were all wearing striped shirts, and had many different instruments (one guy even had a toilet seat as a drum!). And there were a lot of them- about 25!

Blonde or Brunette?

That is the question!

Every year I say this will be the "year" I will go back to brown or some version of it, and every year I chicken out. Because the truth is, I love being blonde! And I think it suites me well. My natural color is a dark brown, and I haven't seen that since I was pregnant with Kay. I was blonde before I had her, then when I got pregnant I thought it would be better to dye it back so I wouldn't have to maintain it. Then once she was about 18 months, I slowly started adding more and more blonde back in and have been blonde ever since. I really do love being blonde, it's me...it's my personality, but I also think I could use a change. I don't think I want to go full on all-over-color brown (at least not yet), but rather weave in some brown low lights. I really wish I had a good picture of me with brown hair, but that was long before I owned a digital camera. You all know what I look like with blonde, and I know its hard to compare when you have nothing to go off, but thoughts?

Should I do it and go for a change? Or should I stay with the blonde I love so much?

P.S. My hair appointment is Friday, so I have to make my decision before then!

Boot Camp

I'm starting a 12 week intense boot camp today. Not a little class at the gym like I've taken before, but a serious boot camp that my gym offers. We're talking lifting kegs, flipping tires, drills, all that! I'm really excited and a little nervous. You meet 3 times per week for 12 weeks and they track your progress throughout.I'm in pretty good shape right now physically, but even in my condition I know its going to be HARD. I'm excited though and love challenging myself, testing my limits, trying new things to mix up my workouts, and overall getting involved in something that's going to push me out of my comfort zone.....so boot camp it is! I can't wait!

In other weight loss news, I'm back in my size 27 jeans! Which is fabulous, but I still have some work to do. Anyone that's had a baby knows that even if you get back down to your size, your body is just not the "same" as it was pre baby. It will get there. It takes time I know, and that's part of why I wanted to take the boot camp. I need to drop another 8 pounds or so, and work on my core and inner/outer thighs. Typical woman problem areas ;)

Here is a picture of  me at the train station in Italy.

Which btw- yes I am working on posting some pics soon, this week I promise! Wish me luck today, hope I survive!

Table Foods

Baby M is almost solely on table foods now. It started by giving her her baby food, and then a little of whatever we are eating, and not so slowly she realized that she like what we eat much better! She's started rejecting her purees and really likes self feeding. She's a such a great eater and eats ANYTHING you put in from of her (including but not limited to paper, which is her favorite food). Seriously, she eats anything. I was eating a big green olive the other day and she was pawing to get at it. I kept telling her "No, you cant have this M, your not going to like it!" Finally after clawing my face off I decided "fine, go ahead...you'll see" and much to my surprise, she loved it!

Here she is eating cottage cheese,

Scrambled eggs with toast,

And dinner last night....Pasta, fresh mozzarella cheese, and sweet baby peas.

 She LOVES peas! She had about 4 helpings of peas. Funny thing is, is peas were her least favorite veggie out of the purees!

 Some of her other favorite foods are: shredded cheese, avocados, tomatoes, peaches, green beans, waffles, squash, any pasta or bread, yogurt, broccoli, mandarin oranges and bananas! It's so refreshing to have such a good eater because Kay is so picky. I think its mostly to blame on the-first-time mommy-mistakes I made with her. Feeding her things I knew she would eat because I thought she had to eat something. Rather than forcing her to try new things, and if she didn't eat, then she didn't eat. I catered to her too much in that department- and still do really (I would sometimes make 3 different meals each night. One for me, one for DH who is also picky, and one for Kay). It's the devil, and I swore not to make that same mistake again! So far so good :)

ShareYour Blog

I need to update the blog roll and am interested in finding some new blogs to read and getting to know more about you all! So please post a link to yours in the comment section and tell me a little bit about what you like to blog about!

Thanks!

21 Things You Don't Know About Me



1. I have scoliosis-pretty bad too. I was supposed to wear a brace for 3 years starting when I was 12. I only wore it for 1 because it was pure torture. I pay the price for that decision. That is the single thing I regret in my life. I struggle with chronic pain every day of my life.

2. Salad is my favorite food. Yes, it is possible. I eat at least 1-2 salads per day!

3. My Dad died when I was 3. My step-dad had been  my "dad" since I was 5.

4. I am scared of elevators. Especially small ones. In Italy- I took the stairs a lot!

5. I am a little like Erin Brockovich- I wear what I want and I don't care what people think.

6. My husband is 21 years older than me. Go ahead. Gasp. You know you want to. My dad was 18 years older than my mom. It must run in thr family.

7. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, some in which we may not know for many years after the fact. Even my battle with infertility, as horrible it is- it has made me a better mother and shown me how strong I am.  

8. I have absolutely no musical or artist abilities.

9. I honestly cant remember the last time I saw my toes unpainted.

10. I once posed for Playboy. The pictures were never printed.

11. My favorite movie of all time is Casino. I've seen it 546294875839 times. At least.

12. I am very opinionated. Sometimes this is good. Sometimes this is not.

13. I was raised extremely spoiled, but had a very unstructured unstable life bouncing between my grandparents and my mom/step dads. I moved out on my own when I was 16.

14. Because of the above, I strive to be the opposite. I like schedules and routines and my days are exactly that. I think I like it so much so because I never had that.

15. I am not into sweets and don't buy junk food.

16. I wanted to be a Respiratory Therapist growing up and was fascinated by the lungs.

17. I was born in Houston, TX and lived there until I was 5.

18. I think everyone looks better tan (fake tan of course!).

19. Being a mom is my single greatest accomplishment. My kids have given me purpose in life.

20. I am very picky about my pillows! Non one is allowed to touch my (3) pillows! To me it's like someone using my toothbrush...keep your hands (and head) off my pillows!

21. I only wash my hair twice a week.