You guys have been busy while I've been trying to sleep!

"Trying" seems to be the optimal word lately. I'm either awake because so much mucus is running down my throat and I can barely breathe, because my sinuses have dried up so much that it stings to breathe, because my jaw and head and face hurt, because I'm coughing non-stop after thinking that I've kicked this thing, or because Kebab has deciding to start doing karate and I can't just sleep while that's going on! So this sinus infection is sort of having very dramatic ups and downs, and I'm pumping the yogurt and no-bottoms-in-bed and such to try to get through the last few days of antibiotics without this yeast infection breaking out for real.

Don't worry about any TMI, buliej. If I'm talking about vaginal itch, then you can talk about bleeding, it's okay. It's good that you're trying to boost your health a bit before you start TTC again. Good luck with the accupuncture and the few pounds you want to take off.

And welcome, Diana! I'm glad that Katie's/Anna's birth have flushed some new ladies out of the woodwork! It sounds like you had a lot of unnecessary salt in your wounds, so to speak, after losing Sebastian. Has your body fully recovered from the infection, did they monitor it closely? I think there are a lot of ladies around these forums using clomid and similar meds, so I bet you'll get lots of info exchange.

Paula, I'm with you -- I don't know if I feel courageous. I sort of feel like half the woman I was a year ago in a lot of ways. But I'm hoping that will take an upswing! With the way you're pushing on with your education and the new job, as well as being strong after losing Charlie (even if you don't always feel strong!), I think you're courageous!

Laney -- I understand, I'm not that kind of person, either. I won't try to convince you that you can take it one scan at a time then, because I recognize myself in your description. I also understand that you have so many weeks left before you pass the weeks of Parker and Shelby's passings, and with another loss fresh in your heart, it's very difficult to look towards that goal of holding your healthy baby in 30 weeks and actually believe that it will happen. I hope that when that day comes, all these weeks will feel like they have passed quickly. I also know what you mean about isolating yourself -- at least from certain people. I have backed away from a good friend of mine whose comments after Beiron's passing were just too much for me to get out of my head, even though she experienced a long and difficult TTC and a loss before having her baby. It was along the same lines as the "it wasn't a good time" comment; she kept telling me how "these things happen for a reason" and she now thinks she's being super encouraging by saying "see? This is the baby you were meant to have!" about Kebab. It just doesn't sit right with me.

Lan, portrait of Hamish really is beautiful.

Helen, how long has your cousin been working on the IVF? Hopefully this is just a rocky beginning for her rather than something she's been struggling with for some time?

Sue -- sounds like things are going great in there. Did you get to hear the heartbeat too, or did your OB just listen? The home doppler we have has headphones (but two jacks, so DH and I can listen together) but my midwife's doppler plays out loud. She actually had a practicing midwife there last week (sooo many students all the time, it's a university town) who tried to do the doppler, but my midwife got fed up with her after 7 or 8 minutes and did it herself. :P