Alright guys, this is going to be the shortest blog post in blog post history. My appointment today went really well. I love the endocrinologist I saw, and the RE nurses were seriously so sweet. I initially planned on making a video for you guys, but things went by so quickly, time just didn't allow for that.  I still wanted to give you guys some kind of update, so here it is.

After checking in for my appointment, I was given a bunch of paperwork to fill out (no surprise here), and was almost immediately called back to see my doctor. The waiting room was seriously empty, and I loved that I didn't have to wait at all. After getting back there, the doc asked some really basic questions, and then he did a transvaginal ultrasound to check things out.

Everything looks great, and we found something we weren't expecting to see. It looks like I produced a mature follicle all on my own, and if the doc is right... I'll be ovulating this weekend, and we all know what that means! He seemed extremely optimistic all while staring at my 13 mm follicle. He kept saying things like, I wouldn't be surprised if you were pregnant here in the next couple weeks... come back in for Monday for testing... just things that aren't so much trying to get us pregnant, but to check to see if we did this on our own!

If this little follicle doesn't grow to be another babe for us, then we'll be on track to start up fertility meds a little over two weeks from today. Justin had to get checked out today as well, and as soon as we get the labs back from that, we'll know that both of us are tip top! All in all the facility is wonderful, the staff is awesome, and if this is the route we have to take, I'm already super excited! This is all I have for now!

Happy Friday all!

♥- Leilani

Weaning & The Baby Doc

These last couple days Washington has showed it's *true* colors and we've had constant rain and wind. I honestly don't mind it at all because it reminds me of why I love the Pacific Northwest. The rain has also given us a nice little break from the heat. During this time Ava bug and I have had plenty of time for indoor cuddles and games. We've been snuggling together, learning new games together, and even taking trips down to the library to explore new books. As much as i've enjoyed these last couple days, I've also been extremely emotional as well.

A lot of my readers have read some of my posts that talked about weaning, and my feelings about it. I wanted to be that mama that allowed their child to nurse until they were ready to let go...but with being on certain medications for trying to conceive baby # 2, it doesn't look like that's going to happen. It literally breaks my heart in two knowing that I'm going to alter my child's comfort. Breastfeeding has become so much more than nutrition; so much more than bonding; I can't even sit here and write this post tear free, because that's how emotional I am by my decision.

The silver lining in all of this, is that Ava really is weaning herself (I've mentioned this before). Not as quickly as we need her to, but she is. She drinks milk from her big girl cup three times a day, and the only time she really nurses is before any type of sleep, and when she's upset. That gives me hope that this "weaning process" won't be as traumatic as I'm imagining it to be. The biggest challenge for me will be not offering her the breast. I have a really bad habit of that, and I know it isn't helping our situation.

On a lighter note, my first appointment with the endocrinologist is tomorrow, which means you guys will get to see my first fertility vlog with TTC #2! I'm so excited to share this journey with all of my readers, and hopefully the next blog will allow for more information on what our route looks like. I'm trying not to go into this too optimistic, but it's hard. It took one assisted cycle for us to conceive Ava bug, and it'd be amazing if that was the case with our next baby as well. Regardless of how long it takes, we are definitely on board (and ready). We'd definitely appreciate you guys thinking good thoughts for us Howlands though!

Because so much is changing, I decided to give you guys a little throwback Thursday! Well, a then and now. I think it's safe to say that every mama likes a good nursing photo, and I've got tons to share! Here's a comparison with over a year in between.

Then (Photo Cred: VSP)

Now (Photo Cred: JOP) 

Happy Thursday all!

♥- Leilani

Ready

I didn't realize it until Tuesday afternoon, but it has been over a year since I started this blog. My, how the time does fly. I remember sitting alone in the house, writing about anything and everything while Justin was deployed. Crazy to think that I had all the time in the world to write back then, now it's a miracle if I had time to do any recreational writing. These last three days I have spent all my time indoors getting our home in order. All of our household goods arrived Monday morning, and everything was in one piece. I think it took the movers over six hours to get everything in and set up (not bad). We've been on the go ever since. The decor is on the walls, Ava bug's nursery is almost finished, and Justin's man cave is complete.

 I'm really impressed with the jyppso move we just did. All I've ever heard are horror stories, and complaints. We had great movers on both ends, and none of our things were missing or broken. I think a lot of the time it's how we process certain situations. If you have an optimistic outlook, optimistic results occur. Besides, when you pack your things they ticket everything, and document any scratches, or damages. I mean they do a pretty thorough job. When the movers in Washington arrived, one of the first things the driver did was give Justin a clipboard to check all our numbered boxes/household goods off. We were able to ensure that nothing was missing, and that everything was in the condition we left it in.

I'm actually really looking forward to this weekend because of the Superbowl! Justin and I are having our first Superbowl party.. the icing on the cake? Our Denver Broncos are in the bowl this year! I'm really going to chalk this occasion up as a Superbowl/house warming party. This will be the first time a lot of my friends have seen Ava since we have been in Washington, or the new house for that matter. I can't begin to express how much I love being back in Washington. I feel like I'm finally aligned with the universe! Speaking of being aligned, we are all set on actively trying for another baby this summer. We are going to meet with an endocrinologist at Fort Lewis to see which route would be best for us to take. Justin has had baby on the brain for a few days now, that's a classic sign for us, that we are both on board, and excited. God willing everything will go smoothly, and we'll be welcoming a new Howl baby May 2015. That's actually really specific, but I wouldn't mind having another May baby!

I'll make sure to update everyone on how our consult with the fertility doctor goes, and the method we are going to utilize. Happy Friday all!

P.S. A line for internet is being dug as we speak! I can hear the hallelujah chorus!

♥- Leilani