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Home › Diaries › Corinne C's › December 29, 2000

Corinne C's Diary Entries

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December 29, 2000

TTC #1, Cycle 14, CD 26

‘Twas four days after Christmas
and all through their home,
all that they wished for
was a child in her womb,

With her body in mind
she took the utmost care,
in the hopes that a fetus had
implanted itself there.

Her husband had carefully
administered her meds,
while visions of newborns
danced in their heads ...

Hi all,
As I missed last week’s entry, I thought I would pay a tribute to the now gone holiday with a tacky, but yet heartfelt, “Night Before Christmas” preconception rendition. It so perfectly reflects my feelings of the past two weeks and I thought you would appreciate the sentiment.

That said, I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, etc., and that you all got exactly what you wished for. As for myself, I had the most WONDERFUL Christmas that I can ever remember -- and that is without even knowing whether I am PG or not! My Christmas was wonderful not because of any gift I received, but because I felt so happy and so loved and so content with my life at that moment. In fact, I don’t recall ever feeling so incredibly happy for all my good fortune on any other past Christmas. I felt so grateful for all that I have, my wonderful husband, my health, good jobs, a home, LOVE ... there is really not much more I can ask for in this lifetime, is there?

Christmas events -- this part of the entry is slightly boring but since I never really talk about our week’s events, just indulge me this one time.

The days leading up to Christmas were most joyous for me as I was able to do nothing all week prior except lie around the house reading and catching up on reruns of "Little House" and "The Cosby Show." I know, I am immature, but still I must admit that I am more relaxed now than I have been in months, maybe even years. On Christmas Eve, Charles and I had a simply great day. He went to work early (that part sucked), but was home by 10 a.m., his arms laden with shopping bags. He comes in the house and tells me to go in the bedroom so I can’t see his bags. Now, I am going to stop in the middle of my story to just ask all of you, am I the only woman out there with a husband who waits until Christmas Eve to buy his wife’s gifts??? Talk about last minute!! Anyway, I digress, but as he went upstairs with the bags I overheard him saying to himself, “Hee hee, she’s going to be so surprised!” So, my interest was most definitely piqued.

Later that afternoon, we did a little last-minute Christmas shopping downtown and then we walked over to the rink that is in the middle of the town center and watched the ice skaters. We would have skated ourselves but I was too afraid of falling and reinjuring my knee -- I simply refuse to have reconstructive knee surgery more than once in my life. Charles won’t even attempt to try to skate as he has serious knee problems from all his years of playing tennis, but it was fun to watch all the same. Fun, yet sad as we watched all the families together having such a great time. But we felt happy knowing our time will come.

After that, we went to a late matinee of “What Women Want,” which was very cute. After the movie, we went home and watched (for the first time ever if you can believe that), “A Christmas Story,” while I made our Christmas Eve dinner of cheese fondue. I even had a little wine because I figured it can’t hurt at this point. The fondue was so good we stuffed ourselves like pigs; afterward, while I vegged on the couch with a book, Charles went upstairs to wrap my gifts. As he is wrapping, all the while giggling to himself, he leans over the balcony and says “Honeyyyy, come see what I have!” So I walk into the living room and look at him hanging over the balcony with a 3 x 3 Crate & Barrel box. He’s got this big cheese-eating grin on his face and he says, “Look where your gift comes from! Aren’t you happy?” I start to think to myself, “He must have lost his mind if he thinks I’m going to be elated over housewares from his own store that we can get anytime of the year we want on discount ... but, I better play it off and start practicing my I-love-it face for tomorrow morning.” So I say, “Oh yes, so happy ... grumble, grumble ...” Housewares? We’ve only been married a year and he’s giving me maybe a Kitchen Aid mixer? Granted, I really want one, but not for Christmas! I tried to put it out of my mind and just be appreciative of the fact that he was giving me a gift at all, though I did think it strange since that is so unlike him. Charles is always the first one to say that a woman deserves something personal as a gift, not something useful.

After he finished, we took a nap for a couple of hours before going out for midnight mass. The times I have gone to midnight mass back in NY, services always started at midnight, so we left the house around 11:30 looking for the nearest church to attend but stupid us, every church we found had started their services at 10:30 or 11 so we couldn’t go. I was so disappointed because I really wanted to go though it is our own fault for not checking beforehand. I don’t know though -- the term midnight mass would seem to indicate to me that services start at midnight, go figure. We decided to drive around town and look at all the houses decorated with their Christmas lights. I know it may sound corny to you all, but to us it was so special and really romantic. The best part of the night was when we stopped by the pet shop and watched all the little puppies sleeping in the store window. If there is anything I want almost as much as a baby, it’s a Boxer puppy. They are my absolute favorite, which is saying a lot since I am really a true cat-person at heart.

Because Charles and I are such children, Christmas morning we were up at 6:30. Charles immediately says, “Open this one! Open this one!” as he hands me a gift. It was the same box he was waving in my face the night before. I ripped open the paper and saw the infamous C&B box. I opened the box and pulled out what was inside. At first, I couldn’t tell what it was. I thought that maybe it was a comforter. Ugh. But then, as I rip often the paper I see it is the most beautiful chocolate brown shearling coat! What I have always wanted! As I am trying it on Charles laughs gleefully and says, ”You thought you were getting a Crate & Barrel gift, didn’t you? You were sooooo disappointed, weren’t you?” He thought his little mind game was hysterical. I suppose it was funny, in retrospect.

Later that afternoon we drove to my parents’ house and spent the night there. We had a wonderful Christmas Day with them and left the next morning as Charles had to work that afternoon. So, as I said before, it was such a great Christmas for me because it’s really the first one where I’ve spent it with someone who makes me feel so happy and so loved.

Additionally, it’s one of the few times where I’ve actually been able to spend Christmas with my own parents instead of the in-laws. Usually, we live so far from my family that I don’t get to see them at Christmas. Last year, though it was our first Christmas together as a married couple, our Christmas was so hectic and harried as we had just gotten back from our honeymoon and were in the process of moving. Worst of all, we spent it with Charles’ family (for like the 80 millionth time) so it was not the Christmas I would have wanted. Therefore, this year was a welcome change in my usual Christmas routine. Let’s hope that the new year brings forth some welcome changes as well.

TTC Status
As you all know, I had my last IUI on Dec. 18. I have had no strange symptoms except for a little light cramping a few days after the IUI and again maybe one week post IUI. Aside from that, the only other abnormal thing is that I am so tired all the time. I could sleep for days, it seems. I nap constantly. This is very odd for me because I am one of these weird people who can function well on four or five hours of sleep a night. On the weekends, I am always up by 6:30 or 7, it’s just my way, I am not a sleeper. Therefore, this sleeping all the time nonsense is getting a bit annoying. I think I am sleeping all the time because I have been so inactive for the past two weeks. You know how you get when you don’t shower or dress before noon? You remain tired all day. It’s like the more rest you get, the more lethargic you get, so that’s probably all it is. But I hope not.

I have an appointment scheduled with a new RE here in Va. on Jan. 26. Can you believe they wanted me to come in Dec. 29? How amazing is it that I could have gotten an appointment in just one week’s time? (I called on Dec. 22). Anyway, I could have just gone on Dec. 29 and they said they would give me a PG test but I chickened out -- no sense in ruining the weekend, right? Plus, I’d rather wait until the 26th and have a whole month off, free of drugs and injections and most of all, free of stress. I don’t even want to think about this crap anymore. So now I wait until Jan. 2 to test. Hopefully it will be a positive. What a great way to start off the new year, with a big, fat +++++.

Movie Reviews (I have four)
Over the past two weeks I have seen 1) "Vertical Limit," 2) "What Women Want," 3) "Family Man" and 4) "Finding Forrester." Instead of doing four drawn out reviews I am going to do a sort of combination one. (It takes forever just to write one of these damn reviews)!

"Vertical Limit" -- 3 babies -- very entertaining film with good visuals and special effects. The director missed the boat though when he forgot to produce fake cold air breath coming out of the actors’ mouths as they stood on that 50-degree-below-zero mountain top. The plot is obvious -- stupid people don’t have enough trouble in their lives without having to go find some by climbing a stupid mountain, knowing full well that their chances of survival are slim. Stupid people get caught in an avalanche and are thrown into a crevasse, causing even more stupid people to risk their lives trying to rescue them. No offense to all you mountain climbers out there, but is life that boring that you need to hang 1,000 feet above the ground suspended by just a rope and some clips in order to be happy? All in all, good movie worth catching at a matinee. Note: Check out Bill Paxton’s teeth -- they are simply gro-tesque. (I have this thing about teeth.) With all his money and accessibility to cosmetic enhancements, there is no excuse for his dental state.

"What Women Want" -- 3 babies -- also very entertaining film and Mel Gibson makes for great eye candy. In this story, Mel Gibson, in a most unbelievable fashion, electrocutes himself and is suddenly able to read women’s minds. As an advertising executive, he uses his power to steal great advertising ideas from his new boss, Helen Hunt, never expecting to fall in love with her at the same time. The good part of the movie in my opinion, stems from the mind-reading. The screenplay writer had some very clever ideas in that respect. I have no significant criticisms of this film except for the fact that I am getting a little bit tired of seeing Helen Hunt portrayed as this ball-busting, hard-ass, nothing-shakes-her type character. She is always so sarcastic with a slight twist of nasty and I’m sick of it, quite frankly. The true indication of a great actor is someone who can fall into any type of role. This woman can’t. I think she is a very good actress if she is given the character type I just previously described but how about broadening one’s horizons just a bit?

"Family Man" -- 3 babies -- Good movie with a bulls--- ending. I have NEVER been a Nicholas Cage fan. He is an absolutely hideous man with a voice that always sounds like he swallowed too much food. He looks like a combination of a balding baby chick and a newborn hamster. Gross. This in mind, I did not choose to see this movie because he was in it. In this story, Nicholas Cage is a very wealthy and successful investment banker (or was it stockbroker -- oh well, doesn’t really matter), whose relationship with a college girlfriend (Tea Leoni) petered out once he left the country to pursue an internship with a firm in London. After an encounter with a would-be criminal whom he attempts to save, Nicholas Cage wakes up the next morning in the life that would have happened had he stayed with his college girlfriend. As it turns out, the would-be criminal, Don Cheadle, is some sort of apparition who has transformed Cage’s life to teach him an object lesson. Throughout the movie, Cage’s new life is giving him hell, as he is now subjected to dirty diapers and off-the-rack clothing. All in all, a very “nice” movie, definitely worth seeing; however, be forewarned, the ending is a horrible disappointment.

"Finding Forrester" -- 3 babies -- This movie had the potential to be a great film, but 1) the movie was 45 minutes too long, and 2) the plot is too predictable. Sean (TO-DIE-FOR) Connery plays a former Pulitzer Prize winner/recluse holed up in an apartment in Brooklyn (or maybe it was the Bronx). I apologize for not remembering this newcomer’s name, but the other main character in this film whose character name is Jamal Wallace, plays an extremely bright high school student who befriends Connery after going into his apartment on a dare. Connery befriends Jamal and serves as a sort of mentor to him by honing Jamal’s writing skills. After Jamal scores high on an aptitude test, he is awarded a scholarship to a prestigious Manhattan prep school. Due to predictable stereotyping, Jamal is treated by his new English teacher as if he is no more than a common thug and/or dumb jock and is accused of plagiarizing an essay he wrote for English class. Big, strong, white Sean Connery comes to the rescue of this poor black kid -- typical. There is obviously more to this film than I’ve mentioned, but you get the gist of it. I would suggest renting this one, as it is long and has snooze potential.

Wow. I am tired now. That was a lot of catching up to do. Sorry I have been so lax in including my reviews. I said I was going to do one review for all four movies and I ended up doing exactly the opposite. Sorry, what can I say, brevity is not my strong point.

So girls, that’s about it for this week. I am not at all happy about starting work on Tuesday -- ugh. Just the thought gives me the chills.

I wish all of you a happy new year and I hope that all of your wishes for this new year come true. Charles and I will be, where else, at the movies. (We have no friends down here yet so we had no party to go to -- sniff). :o) Please be careful Sunday night and have a good time. Talk to you soon.

Love always,
Corinne



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