WHAT YOU NEED TO CONCEIVE {07.15.2015}

Due to the fact that I have an overwhelmingly large number of readers who are in the TTC world, I wanted to put this up. Keep in mind that E and I are no longer in the TTC world, we have basically taken one huge leap away from that world for a while, but for my ladies that do read this blog, waiting for the TTC posts, here is one just for you.

 

It is crucial that you are taking the correct vitamins for you and your future embryo. Those little eggies need all the vitamins and supplemental boosts they can get. Here are 10 of vitamins you need to conceive!

 

#1 Zinc
#2 Folic Acid

#3 Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

#4 Omega 3 Free Fatty Acid

#5 Iron

#6 Calcium

#7 Vitamin B6

#8 Vitamin B12

#9 Fish Oil

#10 Prenatal

 

Take this list to your nearest pharmacy and stock up ladies, you are going to want all you can get to make that healthy miracle baby.

 

I also wanted to share some other tips and tricks for conception.

 

Pinapple

Although I am not a doctor, I have heard some amazing things about pineapple. If you eat this magical fruit, mainly the core, after ovulation has been determined, you will have a better chance of implantation. You can thank Brolemain, an enzyme found in pineapples, for the help. How much do I believe this? Well, to be honest I'm not sure. I did eat pineapple core with our second pregnancy, in January, which was successful in landing a BFP but I'm not sure how much this factored in. Worth a try though!

 

Acupuncture

I'm sure you've heard me talk about this before, and with good reason. In addition to the pineapple back in January, I was also seeing an acupuncturist weekly throughout my cycle. Not just for fertility, but for relaxation, Acupuncture is so important for balancing systems throughout your body. During a TTC journey, it's easy to get caught up in the frustration and stress, Acupuncture allows us to breathe and calm our body and minds. After all, the most important thing you can do for your future pregnancy is ensure that you aren't stressed.

 

Weightloss

Now, don't hate me for saying this, but weight plays a very vital roll in fertility. If you are even five pounds over your "normal" body weight, your fertility will be negatively affected. Just like the round in January, I was doing all three of these things. I managed to lose about 30 pounds and, although it wasn't easy, we sure managed to get pregnant first cycle after a whole year break. I'm not saying that it's impossible to get pregnant if you are five pounds overweight, but the healthier you are, the better your chances.

 

SMEP Plan

Just go back and look at anyone of my posts from the last cycle in April or the one in January, and you will see that I am an avid believer in the SMEP Plan. I found this little gem searching the web and it has worked wonders for us. Again, we were successful while using this in January. This plan is crucial and can help you and hubby stay on track. Best part is, this plan keeps the man and woman accountable during the TTC journey. It's important that men build up their swimmers, so waiting at least one day for that to build up is so important. Another thing is, it helps remind us to pay attention to dates and timing so as to not miss our small window of opportunity. Find out more about the SMEP Plan here.

 

 

A Tribute to Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss {10.15.2014}

Hello Ladies and Happy Hump Day!

In honor of today, Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day, I wanted to share with you a tribute to Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss. If you have suffered a miscarriage, I want you to know you are not alone! I hope this video will inspire you to keep going on your journey. Be sure to light a candle with us tonight in honor of those who have suffered a Miscarriage or Pregnancy Loss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Am3QD0hUU

I hope you enjoyed the video.

Tomorrow I will be doing a post all about Pre-Seed! I will also have a new Vlog on our channel that will be the "unboxing" of Pre-Seed. If you are interested in finding out whether or not Pre-Seed is worth the money, be sure to stay tuned for Friday's Vlog where I will do a review on Pre-Seed. Also, in conjunction with Friday's Vlog, I will also be doing an update for you! You won't want to miss this!!! This is probably one of the greatest updates, and best part, I didn't even expect it to happen.

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten, I will be doing a 2&3 Week PCOS Diet and TTC Update for you ladies that details out everything that has taken place.

Be sure to Subscribe to our Blog and YouTube channel so you can stay up-to-date with our TTC Journey, Vlogs are posted daily Monday through Sunday!

Our Channel "Pickles & Icecream": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSHuPHdd4MumSf76evJllOQ

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

PCOS Update & Vlogging {10.13.2014}

I want to start by just giving you a quick PCOS Diet update. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to weigh myself in for end of Week 2 so I will be doing my week 2 end recap tomorrow. I did want to show you my little baby Fertility Friend chart...

So far it's looking pretty normal. As I go through my cycle, I will be anxious to see if 1) I ovulate, and 2) if the PCOS has been reversed. I will be doing a side by side of my PCOS charts versus this chart and we can see if there's a difference or not. 

Next, I want to encourage you to check out my TTC Update on YouTube, you can follow this link to the Vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UcTwGMMSyg&list=UUSHuPHdd4MumSf76evJllOQ

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's blog post and be sure to Subscribe to our Blog as well as our YouTube channel so you can keep up with our Daily Vlogs!!!

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

Clearblue Digital OPK & Weekend Recap {10.12.2014}

It's Glorious Sunday!

Before I went on to my weekend recap, I wanted to share a quick video on the Clearblue Digital OPK test. I know that quite a few are interested in seeing what it looks like and how it works...so here it is!

What I didn't mention in the video is that once you eject the test strip, you can acutely see the blue dye lines like you would with a regular test. I actually like that I am able to see it digitally and regular-style. Here's what it looks like once ejected...

The O on the digital test will last for 8 minutes, the blue dye is on the ejects me test strip. As you can see, the digital read "low/no fertility" (no ovulation) and the blue dye test strip read "negative" as well. I will be taking more tests as my cycle digresses. The next test will be taken on CD 12 which is October 16, and then I will test once a day after that until I run out. Let me know if you have used or plan on using Clearblue digital tests and what you think. 

Now, I want to move on to weekend recap as well as some PCOS Diet info. This weekend, we had so much fun! Saturday we woke up and went to the shooting range, then we headed to the Halloween store, and finally we took a stroll around the local festival. Here are some photos. 

A girls got to have pink on at all times!

My handsome little black gun! 

Walking to the indoor range with our gear on!

Waiting for our target to be hung up so we can get started.

Ready?! Let's go!!!

Me first! My very first time shooting my gun.

Really great shooting for first time! Not a single round missed the circles and I got into the X.

Hubs next! He did great shooting my gun for the first time. 

All 50 rounds made it into the circles! Go us!!!

So after shooting we went to the Halloween costume store and E tried on some pretty funny, and even some scary, masks. 

So funny! It's the total opposite of my hubs! 

After playing around at the Halloween store, we took a stroll around the Katy Rice Harvest Festival.

Today, we started the day at church, praising God for our blessings!

After church, we headed out to Katy Heritage Society since I had a photo shoot with a cute little family. It was so miserably humid, so we tried to wrap up the shoot very quickly. Once the shoot was over, we headed home for some R&R! 

I wanted to touch base quickly on my PCOS Diet updates. I've decided that instead of doing updates daily, I would do it weekly and make it a recap. 

Be sure to check out our YouTube channel:   https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCSHuPHdd4MumSf76evJllOQ

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

The XYZ Box {10.11.2014}

I really wanted to write about this box after finding out about it from a fellow vlogger, who happens to be the creator. Right now, if you order the box, 10% of proceeds will go towards Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (as it is breast cancer awareness month), another 10% will also go towards The Zygote Foundation for the Advancement of Fertility Research to help build funds for grants for infertility. When you purchase your monthly subscription box, you will receive pregnancy and ovulation tests, one beauty item, one comfort item, and one stress relief item at minimum. Below is a photo of this months box.

This particular box included: 1 first response pregnancy test, 5 wondfo pregnancy tests, 5 wondfo ovulation tests, 1 thank you card, 1 2015 monthly pocket calendar, 1 pink rubber duck for breast cancer, 1 nail polish, 1 milk chocolate candy bar, 1 package of charmin to-go toilet seat covers, 1 package of fall themed tea light candles, and 1 fall themed glass tea light candle holder.

This is a great product because for women who are on their TTC journey, sometimes the little things make a big difference. I have been on the lookout for a TTC box, and when I came accross it, I had to have it! Best part, as you know. I love to POAS (pee on a stick) and this box will provide monthly ovulation tests and pregnancy tests...PERFECT! I also really like the fact that there are other fun items in the box to keep the TTC couple at peace during their TTC journey. If you would like to find out more, or order your XYZ Box, visit www.xyzttc.com. Let me know if you order yours and what you think! 

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

***Disclaimer: I am not a paid blogger or spokesperson for the XYZ Box, nor do I personally know the creator.***

PCOS Diet Day 5 Week 2 {10.10.2014}

PCOS Diet Day 5 Week 2

Weight (day 1 week 1 morning): 174.6

Weight (day 3 week 2 morning): 

---

Weight lost: ---

Food today:

B- boiled egg, green grapes, and mozzarella stick

S1-  pineapple

L- grilled chicken salad with olive oil and red wine vinegar

S2- none

D- Cheat night! But watched how much I ate

S3- none

Energy: feeling great! Loving all my new TTC products! Really making me feel positive about this cycle

Anything else: not at this time, just really excited about the possibility of getting pregnant (fingers crossed)

*********************************

Well Wishes & Baby Dust

PCOS Diet Day 4 Week 2 {10.09.2014}

PCOS Diet Day 4 Week 2

Weight (day 1 week 1 morning): 174.6

Weight (day 3 week 2 morning): 

169.2

Weight lost: 5.4 lbs.

Food today:

B- egg and green bell pepper omlete

S1-  pineapple

L- grilled chicken salad with olive oil

S2- pumpkin seeds

D- Cajun rotisserie chicken and squash cooked in coconut oil

S3- black olives

Energy: tired since we didn't go to bed until midnight

Anything else: 5 lbs down, with no exercise, still feeling very confident about this cycle and keeping my fingers crossed for a bfp 

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I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's post, so be sure to check in tomorrow! Have a wonderful evening!

Well Wishes & Baby Dust

TTC Essentials {10.09.2014}

Hello Ladies!!!

Today, the focus is going to be all about TTC Essentials! I’m not going to spend time typing up a story…instead, I have added the video for your viewing pleasure. This is obviously just a few of the things that I suggest. The PCOS Diet is a MAJOR part of this TTC journey, these are just “boosters” to help push that little sperm and egg to meet and stick. So enjoy the video!

I will be posting a video using my first OPK (digital style-whoop whoop!) on CD 8 which is October 12, this Sunday! Keep in mind that the box does have 10 tests so I will be using those until October 21. I will keep you posted on as details come up but for the most part, this is what I’ve got for you. I hope that you are trying a few of these things! If so, let me know how it is going and definitely let me know if you get your BFP.

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

PCOS Diet Day 3 Week 2 {10.08.2014}

Stay tuned because I have a great post for PCOS, or really any TTC couple. Also, Friday I will have a fun post for more inspiration this Fall! 

Here are my stats for this Week 2 so far...

PCOS Diet Day 3 Week 2

Weight (day 1 morning): 174.6

Weight (day 3 morning): no weight taken

Weight lost: ------

Food today:

B- egg and green bell pepper omlete

S1-  orange

L- leftover Genghis Grill and pineapple

S2- orange

D- chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini all cooked in coconut oil. 

S3- black olives

Energy: not terrible. Still a little tired even though we went to bed early but I'm starting to think that it may be my period that makes me tired. But I was also very focused.

Anything else: had my acupuncture appointment today, and after the appointment my period got a little heavier so it must be working! 

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If my period does not go away tomorrow, I will only be charting my BBT and will not start the OPKs. As soon as AF goes away, I will being using the OPKs. For those that will be joining me for this months TTC, this is for us...

Well Wishes & Baby Dust

PCOS Diet Day 2 Week 2 *Quick Update* {10.07.2014}

PCOS Diet Day 2 Week 2

Weight (day 1 morning): 

174.6

Weight (day 1 morning): 

did not weigh

Weight lost: ---

Food today:

B- boiled egg, green grapes, and mozzarella cheese stick

S1- pineapple

L- grilled chicken salad with olive oil & vinegar

S2- almonds

D- Genghis grill...yay! And it's still healthy 

S3- none

Energy: soo soo tired, headache all day, backache pretty bad but I was very focused and completed all my work and more! 

Anything else: period is coming to an end, probably tomorrow, I will be picking up ovulation tests tomorrow afternoon. 

**************************************************

I will being charting temperatures and taking daily ovulation tests and will add the deets on the blog for you. 

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

PCOS Diet Day 1 Week 2 {10.06.2014}

Good evening everybody! 

Thank you for stopping by. I just want to give you guys a quick update so here it goes...

PCOS Diet Day 1 Week 2

Weight (day 1 morning): 

174.6

Weight (day 1 morning): 

173.2

Weight lost: 1.4

Food today:

B- boiled egg, green grapes, and mozzarella cheese stick

S1- pineapple

L- grilled chicken salad with olive oil & vinegar

S2- pumpkin seeds

D- chicken, mushrooms, and green beans cooked in coconut oil 

S3- none

Energy: ehh! I have been feeling a little tired today and more irritable then usual but I am getting stuff done

Anything else: not at this time...I have my acuity it's appointment coming up...YAY!

**************************************************

Will be posting some fun stuff pretty soon...stay tuned!

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

Meal Prepping, Planning, & Organizing

Today we will talk about Meal Planning, Prepping, and Organization! 

Let's start with...

Meal Planning! 

This is always fun for me because I love being organized and if I have a schedule, I usually can stick to it. Follow along with my photos to see how I meal plan.

1)

First I start with the pervious weeks planner.

2) 

I cross out what I don't need for this week (usually because I have left overs) and then I circle things I will need to double up on. You can also see that I will write how many times or how many of those items I will need. 

3) 

I write down my grocery list based off of my highlights, circles, and numbers. 

4) 

I plan my meals for the week. The top meal is dinner, below that is my breakfast and off to the side are my snacks for that day. The hubs usually grabs lunch so I don't make him anything.

5)

& now it's time to go shopping! 

Pretty simple for meal planning. Now on to...

Meal Prepping!

Basically I will go down the list of lunches and snacks and pre-pack everything. I do not pre-cook dinners, however I will pre-cut and pre-package my veggies. Here are some samples of what I package...

Here is my green bell pepper and egg omelet, seasoned with Cajun seasoning. 

This is my favorite meal prep breakfast! 1 boiled egg, green grapes, and mozzarella string cheese. (My typical breakfast if you've been following my PCOS Diet Days)

And I do make the hubs eggs and bacon...so delicious...I'm so jealous!! Hehe 

Now let's move to the final topic...

Meal Organization!

I love my fridge! Probably one of my most favorite things. It is so organized and I'll explain how I organize it. 

Alrightly, so obviously at the bottom we have two drawers left drawer is veggies, right is fruits. (Pretty basic lol)

Above that is drinks! (BTW we had more gallons but I left them in the car)

In the little drawer I keep cheese sticks, bacon, and any extra things that might be hanging around.

Next is the breakfast and lunch packages. Far left is my breakfast packages, next to that is the hubs' breakfast packages, beside that is my lunches which are salads and grilled chicken, and then finally far right is chicken for dinners. 

Top level far right are my pineapple packages, I do have a few more days of lunches on the top, but to the far right, is all of our chopped veggies in individual containers. 

Well ladies, that is all I've got for Meal Planning, Prepping, and Organization. I hope this inspires you. Before I end, I always cook all the food (boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, bacon, and my grilled chicken for the salads) the day I go grocery shopping. I also chop up all the veggies that day as well. It makes dinners so easy when I just have to cook the chicken or fish and throw the veggies in a pan. Makes meal time so easy! I hope you enjoyed this and I hope it helps you! 

For those interested...here is a Meal Plan chart that you can use: http://www.theprojectgirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/mealplanner22.gif

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

PCOS Diet Day 6 *Late Quick Update* {10.04.2014}

PCOS Diet Day 6

Weight (day 1 morning): 

174.6

Weight (day 4 morning): 

173.2 (stayed the same)

Weight lost: 1.4

Food today:

B- boiled egg, green grapes, mozzarella stick

S1- none

L- none

S2- popcorn and pretzel at movies

D- none

S3- none

Energy: great! Super energetic, managed to complete all my tasks! 

Anything else: period still has not started but I've been crazy emotional which means it's coming tomorrow.

**************************************************

Late posting, was very busy yesterday. I will be posting PCOS Diet Day 7 later today along with my Meal Prepping, Planning, and Organization! 

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

PCOS Diet Day 7 *Quick Update* {10.05.2014}

Happy Glorious, God Praising, Texans Game Day Sunday!!!

Here are some pictures from today before we get started...

Loving these pumpkins!!!

Love, love, love praising God! The service this morning was spectacular! 

Alright, let's move on to my quick PCOS Diet update so I can start writing the meal prepping post.

PCOS Diet Day 7

Weight (day 1 morning): 

174.6

Weight (day 7 morning): 

170.8 (stayed the same)

Weight lost: 3.8

Food today:

B- kolaches: (1) small ham&cheese and (1) large jalapeño sausage 

S1- none

L- Talapia, mushrooms, and squash all cooked in coconut oil

S2- (1) bbq rib

D- I probably won't eat anything...not very hungry today

S3- lemon with salt

Energy: feeling a little moody, and somewhat tired but also feeling like I need to get a lot done

Anything else: period day 1!!! It is finally here!!! It took it's sweet time but sometime late last night it showed it's face. 

**************************************************

So I think this is the first time I have felt happy about it arriving. I'm praying and hopeful that this is our cycle and we will get pregnant!!! Keeping our knees to the ground, praying hard and loud, and keeping the faith that this is our time!

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

Sperm Meets Egg {10.04.2014}

I wanted to go over "our plan" for getting the much awaited meeting between sperm and egg! Below you will see all the details of this plan, maybe you can try it and see if you get success. If you do, or if you have had success with this plan, please message me. I would love to hear your success story! So here it goes...

Sperm Meets Egg Plan

Cycle Days 1 - 7:

CD1=1st full flow

*Stock up on OPKs & HPTs

Mark on calendar...

~CD 8=

Baby Dance every other night until OPK

~CD 10=

Daily OPK testing

OPK day:

*Baby Dance today, tomorrow, and next day 

*Skip a day, and then Baby Dance one more day

Mark on calendar...

~Pregnancy test day=

OPK day + 15

***If no OPK, Baby Dance every other day until period or cycle day 35***

Cute little Sperm & Egg photo to get you smiling during this crazy journey to success with a healthy baby!

**************************************************

I truly hope this helps you get pregnant. Please keep in mind it will not work for everyone. It's best to track your cycles with a BBT (basal body thermometer) so that you can pin-point the day(s) you need to Baby Dance. I have only tried this plan one time before, however I was on Clomid at the time and my OBGYN had me change a few dates. If you need to, bring this plan to your OBGYN so they can fix it to suit your journey and increase your chances of getting pregnant.

That's all folks! I'll be catching up with you later this weekend to do a PCOS Diet Day 6 Update as well as a Meal Planning, Prepping, and Organizating post. 

Well Wishes & Baby Dust

PCOS Diet Day 5 {10.03.2014}

I am so excited! It's Friday!!! Although it should be a sad day because this exact day last year, we found out we had a miscarriage, but I am happy instead. I am happy because I believe in my heart that this is our chance to get pregnant. I hope you are all having a great day! Also, be sure to check in this weekend, I will be posting about my PCOS Meal Planning, Prepping, and Organization! So excited to share this with you. So, here are my stats for today...

PCOS Diet Day 5

Weight (day 1 morning): 

174.6

Weight (day 4 morning): 

173.2

Weight lost: 1.4

Food today:

B- boiled egg, green grapes, mozzarella stick

S1- pineapple

L- salad with olive oil & vinegar and grilled chicken

S2- none

D- Talapia, asparagus, and broccoli all cooked in coconut oil. I did add some olive oil to the broccoli to help cook it.

S3- pretzels crisps

Energy: feeling a little sleepy but at the same time feeling very energetic this Friday!

Anything else: more blood, which is a really good sign. I truly feel that this is our chance! I wholeheartedly believe we have a great chance of getting pregnant this cycle. To think 5 days after starting the diet, I have lost 1.4 lbs and my period is on it's way, so far this diet is doing great!

**************************************************

Thank you for reading! If you are interested in being my TTC or PCOS buddy, email me at PCOSPower@yahoo.com.

See you tomorrow!!!

PCOS Diet Day 4 *Update* {10.02.2014}

Welcome!

Today I want to go over a few things before my diet update. First, I totally forgot to weigh myself so I'm just going to leave that blank. I was so late this morning and it totally slipped my mind. Second, I want to show you photos of what a typical breakfast looks like for me! 

So this ^ is my delicious and filling breakfast! It includes: 1 boiled egg, 1 branch of green grapes (there were more but I ate then lol), and 1 stick of mozzarella. This is a great PCOS breakfast and it really does fill you up. If you don't think it will be enough, try adding an extra egg or more grapes. 

Ok, so now I will go ahead and show you my stats for day 4!

PCOS Diet Day 4

Weight (day 1 morning): 

174.6

Weight (day 4 morning): 

no weight taken

Weight lost: ------

Food today:

B- boiled egg, green grapes, mozzarella stick

S1- pumpkin seeds

L- salad with olive oil & vinegar and grilled chicken

S2- orange

D- chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini all cooked in coconut oil. I did add some olive oil to the mushrooms to help cook it.

S3- nothing tonight

Energy: really great! I was very awake and alert. I don't know if it is the coconut oil, healthy eating, or the fact that we went to bed at 9:30-10pm rather than 10:30pm...either way, I felt very happy today and had a smile all day!

Anything else: I guess those cramps yesterday meant something because today, anytime I wipe, a small and very light, almost non-existent amount of blood shows up. The first time, I thought something was wrong until I wiped again and saw the light pink coloration. So maybe AF is coming tomorrow and that hopefully means good things. Only 4 days on this PCOS diet and some progress is seen...let's just hope it's not a fake-out. I'll let you know what happens tomorrow, but shocked to see that something is happening. 

**************************************************

Tomorrow, I will be doing a "how-to" video. I wanted to show you how I cook with coconut oil, and what I use. I think you'll enjoy it! This weekend, I will be posting my PCOS Diet Meal Planning, Prepping, & Organization so stay tuned for that!!! 

Well Wishes & Baby Dust

PCOS Diet Day 3 *Quick Update* {10.01.2014}

I think from now on I will just do these nightly updates because try are really helpful for me to track my progress, and maybe you can get some ideas for meals if you want to join the diet. So here is my diet day 3 update...

PCOS Diet Day 3

Weight (day 1 morning): 174.6

Weight (day 2 morning): 173.6

Weight lost: 1.0

Food today:

B- boiled egg, green grapes, mozzarella stick

S1-  pumpkin seeds

L- salad with oil & vinegar with chicken

S2- pineapple

D- I totally cheated y'all! But after having one cheat night I can honestly say that I would much rather choose the healthy food because it doesn't weigh me down or make me feel like crap!

S3- lemon and salt

Energy: pretty good! Until I cheated on dinner by eating wings, but I'm determined to never eat that again because it made me feel gross!

Anything else: cramps have been pretty bad, maybe this is AF arriving (please let it be AF). Oh, I am loving the taste of coconut oil and have started eating it supplementally. 

**************************************************

That's all I've got tonight! Hope you enjoyed my post from this morning and that it have you some inspiration to decorate for Fall! Looking forward to posting again tomorrow! Have a wonderful night.

Well Wishes and Baby Dust

(check out my new sig, perfect for Fall!)