Trial Run and Other Musings

Work for me has been terribly slow this week and I hesitate to say I just do not have much to do. While this may seem to be a good thing, especially around the holidays, my longevity here depends on my productivity and the bottom line is I must bring in money to the firm by way of billing clients for work. No work means no clients to bill, which means I feel vulnerable. My worst fear is that we will be six months pregnant and the firm will decide it is not in their best interests to keep me around. With my six-figure plus student loans we could not live on one salary alone. Did I mention that I am a classic over-thinker? Someone once recommended I read the book Women Who Think Too Much. Alas, it is still sitting on my bookshelf.

In baby news, this should have been ovulation testing week. My cycles are usually 30 to 32 days and last cycle it appears I ovulated on day 19, after a + OPK on day 17. This, coupled with the manufacturer's directions about when to begin testing, led me to do the first test last Sunday, Day 13 of my cycle. I tested and then put the stick on the bathroom counter, knowing it would not be positive. I glanced at it just before walking out the door to work and the test line was clearly darker than the reference line. In complete disbelief, I tested again a few hours later. Same result.

Our RE suggested we do a trial run before January. When we had a positive test, I was to call the clinic and then go in the next morning for a P4 (progesterone) blood test to confirm I was actually ovulating. I then called Sunday and on Monday morning we went in for the quick blood draw. That afternoon the nurse called and said my progesterone levels did in fact indicate ovulation was imminent. If we're lucky, all will go this smoothly in January.

In non-baby news, we are off to Virginia this weekend. Our great friends and backpacking partners are members of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. This organization is responsible for maintaining 1000 miles of the Appalachian Trail in the Mid-Atlantic region. The PATC also maintains some primitive cabins that members may reserve and use. Our friends graciously invited us and one other couple to spend the weekend at Conley Cabin, just outside the Shenandoah National Park. The cabin has a wood stove and wood-fired cooking stove, bunks and no electricity or running water. The hike in is only a half mile and we can all bring our dogs.

If the weather cooperates, we may even see some snow there this weekend! I know those of you in other regions of the country may not find this appealing, but this possibility could not make Dana and me more excited because 1) it is 80 @#!&* degrees here in North Carolina on December 13th and 2) in our pre-"Dana and Lee Knight" lives I lived in Vermont and Dana in Alaska. We embrace the cold and snow and even aspire to move to New England, Washington State or maybe even back to Alaska. Someday....