Holding my breath!

Well, May has been a LONG month for me personally! Although it may seem as if I am just going with the flow, Deep inside I have this HUNGER and pain to be pregnant. I am going about my life, working, training, running, and doing as I normally do each day, but I feel like some days it's wearing on me. I know it's ONLY BEEN 2 months, but I feel like the longer it takes, the less my chances are. I am going to take a pregnancy test in 3 days if my period doesn't come.  Last month it came 3 days early!

While lying in bed this morning I felt crampy, and ran to the bathroom to see if my period came, but it didn't! I was so happy. ALL DAY, every time I would pee, I had to check. I do act as though I am fine, and some days I am, but other days, I just want to be PAST my first trimester already!

If I do get my period, I am going right to my OBGYN, to discuss Clomid or another medication to help me. I am NOT ready for IVF especially since I just had this surgery!

not this time....

I can't tell you how excited I was to take my pregnancy test this coming Saturday.... That is until I woke up this morning with my period. I am trying to be REALISTIC about this. I JUST had surgery on April 9th. April 8th was my last period, so I can't EXPECT that by some miracle this would happen IMMEDIATELY, although I was praying to God that it would.

I think if I wasn't 40 years old already, I wouldn't be so obsessed with getting pregnant RIGHT AWAY, but the facts are the facts and I am 40 years old and the chances for me to conceive get slimmer and slimmer the more the clock ticks away.

I must have read about a thousand articles on how to increase my chances and while I am NOT tooting my own horn, I pretty much could right my OWN book on how to get more fertile. Having a healthy balanced diet is one that is a MAJOR for me. In the past three months, I have been eating egg whites, the OCCASIONAL Pole Caught tuna and buffalo and my protein powder. As for my complex carbs, I get them from yams, brown rice pasta, Quiona, black rice and steel cut oats. I eat a TON of veggies (hence the name FIT GREEN GODDESS) and fruits, well, I love them all. SO you can put a check next to HEALTHY DIET.
Exercise, yup check that one off too. I workout 6 days a week and if I am energized enough I workout seven. You won't catch me texting or yapping on my iphone while training or doing cardio, as a matter of fact you won't catch me talking - PERIOD! I bust my ass! I consider myself an ATHLETE.
Stress- well who doesn't have stress? My stress is away at boarding school so as long as Tyler is in school, I am stress free and happy. I have an incredible life and I couldn't be happier.

So, you see, I do everything in MY power and what I can with what I have control over- the rest is up to MOTHER NATURE and our Lord. Every Sunday in Church and every morning and every night, my conversations and prayers with God are about Heather, Tyler and that little Angel in heaven who is waiting to come into my belly. I will stay positive and leave it in God's hands....

Until then, Mario & I will do our job! We don't mind THAT part either! :O)

Guess I was wrong...

I THOUGHT I was ovulating... All the signs were there, and based on my period tracker- I WAS OVULATING! SO, Mario and I got to work! And yea, that is what our sex has become. Now it's a job... in hopes to have a baby growing in my belly soon...Could I have miscalculated? I don't think so.  I also used like 15 different ovulation calendars....Who knows. All I know is that this is consuming me. I have a headache I think about it so much.

Today after I peed on the stick (yet once again), I just looked up and asked God for a blessing. I guess it's all I can do right?

I read all these things about how to BOOST your fertility... HA!!!! I'm there! I don't drink, I don't smoke, I am at the perfect weight. I eat a very well balanced diet with NO trans-fat what so ever, I workout everyday and my stress levels have gone down dramatically. I don't think I'm infertile, I just think the Tubal Reversal has messed with my hormones. I guess I shouldn't have even THOUGHT so highly that there MAY be a chance the FIRST time around. My body is all out of whack. I went from running 30+ miles a week, training like a professional football player (exaggeration) to a complete STOP. Right after my marathon we flew to Gran Caymans, and right after that I worked for 2 weeks before we took off for Chapel Hill to get the Reversal.

I was SO EXCITED because the day before my surgery, I got my period, so the sooner it was over, the sooner we could try. Even though the stick shows no signs, we still are doing our part. Who knows, maybe the stick is wrong? I highly doubt it, but wishful thinking seems to soothe my aching heart.

Well, I will keep you posted. I contacted Dr. Monteith who did my reversal. He told me that after two cycles, I should ask my OB-GYN about Clomid- Can't I ask him NOW!?!?!?

Guess who is OVULATING!

Well, YOU guessed! ME! I guess after all these years, I am finally getting in tune with my body in more ways than one! Could it be a sign form GOD that I got my period the DAY BEFORE my TUBAL REVERSAL? I feel like getting my period before the surgery allows me to ovulate QUICKER, and HOPEFULLY I will get pregnant SOONER rather than later.  Here is something strange.... Without even peeing on the (OVULATION) stick or looking at my period tracker app, I KNOW I am ovulating. I get this little crampy pain near my ovaries, I get these tingles in the Sheesh area, and my whole personality changes. It's almost as if I get period symptoms when I am ovulating. Am I a weirdo? Who knows, all I know is that with these symptoms, and looking at my APP, I was RIGHT! TODAY I started to Ovulate, BUT!!!! The stick only shows ONE line. Hmmmmm... The two lines have to be similar in color and DARK. I am wondering if doing it later in the day makes any difference, so tomorrow morning, I am going to do it when I get up, and see what happens.

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed I think. I wasn't in a good mood, I was tired and so emotional today (another sign of ovulation?) Anywho... Mario and I "TREID" last night. It was awkward, painful (my stitches) and felt more like work rather than love making and that is SOOO NOT our way.  He was awkward (he didn't say anything) but I could tell. I can read my husband very well. I layed there afterwards, afraid to pee, because I was afraid the sperm would end up in the toiled and NOT up there! UGH! A client told me to lay there with my legs UP! While I did NOT do such a thing... I did lay there with the hopes some of those suckers are up in there and my egg comes bouncing down and they meet!  SO between last night and this morning, it kind of set the tone for my whole day.....

I had a consultation with my OB-GYN whom I have been going to for about 9 years now. I told him about the TUBAL REVERSAL. He was happy for me (I guess) but I could tell that if I am NOT pregnant in 3 months, he WILL PUSH IVF! SHIT! I hope it happens! Please GOD! He was happy to hear about the length of my tubes which are 7 cm on the left and 8 cm on the right.  SO from what he says...Things look positive but THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE! With me being 40, the chances of course go down. I am going to hope because I am healthy and fit, because I have an incredible diet, because I get my period every 28 days to the day, things will happen soon. I have to be positive.


 These pics are MY info on my Period tracker... Check it out!

 This is my monthly calendar. You can see that on the 8th through the 11th, I had my period, which means that I start ovulatingTODAY! See the green dots from the 16-the 22nd? I am fertile on the 21st. You can list your symptoms, temperature, moods, etc.

















Period Tracker is the go-to app to log and predict your periods, know your fertile times, and note when you're having menstrual symptoms (PMS, anyone?) throughout the month. Icons for moods, flow and ovulation (a bright pink daisy!) are cute and light-hearted, making those challenging, emotional days a little easier to take.
 When you see the YELLOW bright MOON, that's a SIGN! Get moving baby!!!!












You can keep track of all of your cycles, and if you r anything like me, I am so forgetful with dates, so this is super helpful with reminding me.

Time to get to work!

Well, I went to CVS today and immediately grabbed my First Response Ovulation Kit! Oh man! This stuff is all so confusing to me, I m not sure why, but it is!
It comes with 20 tests, in this sealed package which you CAN NOT open until you are ready to start peeing on the sticks! You must use the sticks within 30 days of trying! Sheesh!

I was also looking into the Basal Body Temperature testing, again, all too much work to do! So I am going to use my handy dandy "Period Tracker" App on my Iphone and use this First Response Ovu- Kit. We will see how it goes.
All the pain I am in now form this Tubal reversal, I better damn well get pregnant right away! I have no time to be doing all sorts of crazy tests, and peeing on sticks! I am 40 and I am NOT getting any younger!

SO a little about POST surgery. As you already know, I feel like a big fat cow right now. My tummy is so bloated from the surgery- which I am sure is normal. I got on the scale this morning and yep! I sure am retaining tons of water- I weighed in at 115lbs! I haven't been 115 in about 3 years! I can feel it in my belly, my fingers and my face. Check out my pic! The cut is NOT big at all, in fact, it's tiny and clean, but I still can't stand up straight. I can't lift anything over 15 pounds, an NO working out! BASTARD!
So? I slept, and got lots of much needed rest. I did all the laundry, Dragged Tyler food shopping with me as he carried all 9 grocery bags, did my CVS shopping and even cooked dinner. I am shot though, and feel like I ran a marathon today! That is how Post Surgery goes though... I am drinking lots of water, had a great big salad for dinner with some tuna. I feel a little nauseous right now, not sure if it's the salad or the Advil and Tylenol with codeine. Either way, feeling pretty crappy right now.

Tubal Reversal Surgery.

Sitting here at the airport because our flight has been delayed- and of course, I had YOU on my mind. I wanted to fill you in on my surgery. First I must say how beautiful North Carolina is. We flew into Raleigh North Carolina, and stayed in Chapel Hill at the Residence Inn. Not getting much sleep on Sunday night as we arrived here at 1:45am, not getting to sleep until around 2:30, We had to wake up at 7:00 to be at the Tubal Reversal Center at 8:00 for our consultation. We couldn’t believe how thorough and professional and sweet the whole staff were. Meeting with Dr. Monteith was awesome. He is very layed back yet SUPER SMART and I knew right away I was in good hands. Bonnie was my nurse, and this girl was adorable, super professional and so caring! Mario & I loved her!

At about 9:30 we went into the surgery room to get prepped. I needed two bags of fluids because I was a little dehydrated, I guess form the plane, and lack of water. Even now I feel bloated as a balloon (24 hours later). The surgery went great and Dr. Monteith said I had double huka clamps on each tube (I didn’t know this). Anyway, he snipped them off and says the length of the tubes are great! 7 & 8 on each side. The longer the better because once Mario’s sperm meets my egg they have longer to form before they drop into my ovaries and form a baby.  When I woke up I was sooo out of it. AT one point I was sitting up and almost fell on my face- while Mario thought this was funny, the nurse came running over to stop me.



We got back to our hotel room, and I crawled into bad for a good 5 hours. AT about 5:00, I got up and got ready for us to grab some food. I was in some pain but the meds still had not worn off completely so it wasn’t until around 7:00 that the pain really set in. I had a great little bowl of soup, a salad and some gluten free pasta with veggies. I sucked down 4 glasses of ice water but still felt extremely bloated. By 9:30 I was passed out. I slept through the night but by 6:00 am, I was feeling the pain get worse, so Mario got up to get my Tylenol with codeine and my Advil. The nurse came to my room to remove my bandage, clean my stitches and put a new bandage on. I couldn’t look down, I get so queasy when I see blood even my own!

I was starving at this point so we grabbed breakfast at some other hotel. I had some steel cut oats, an egg white omelet with squash and some fresh fruit. They even served lemon water! It was sooo refreshing! I sucked it down.

I am feeling ENORMOUS and BLOATED. I seriously feel as if I gained 10 pounds just from all the fluids before surgery and the salt in all the food we have eaten everywhere! I hardly had any carbs except for the oats, so I KNOW it's the salt. I mean really! All i eat are veggies and fruits! I am despereate to get back home.


At this point, I am so not happy with JET BLUE! our flight is delayed....not one hour but 5 hours later, we had to hop on another flight and get outta NC! 5 hours! After surgery! That sucked! I started crying simply because of the pain and discomfort I was in! It was horrible!

It hasn’t hit me yet that Mario and I are going to try and actually get pregnant, I don’t know if it’s because I’m in pain, or because I feel like a bloated blimp right now....
I DO KNOW that when we do try and start this baby making business, it’s going to be beautiful!

I am still in the wee stages of this whole pregnancy thing. My 

focus right now is to get as fertile as I can, stay healthy as I can, 

and "DO IT" as much as I can, without wearing out my poor 

husband! I tease him all the time about it. While we have a VERY normal sex life and it's quite passionate, and beautiful...NOW it's a job! We have certain days of teh month where we need to MAKE SURE WE DO IT! BOY O BOY!

My surgery isn't until April 9th, but it's all that is on my mind. I 

tend to obsess over things, especially LIFE CHANGING 

THINGS! I want everything to be PERFECT! I want to eat the 

perfect foods, take the right supplements and vitamins, 

workout, but not over do it (I am a MANIAC- just check out my 

other blog- Fit Green Goddess). 

I found a list of snacks for fertility snacks that will regulate your 

blood sugar levels and give you a good source of protein.

• frozen blueberries with organic plain yogurt- I don't eat Yogurt
• nuts and/or seeds with fresh fruit- I LOVE NUTS
• apple with organic peanut butter- LOVE
• dried apricots with walnuts or almonds- LOVE
• fresh fruit with almonds or walnuts- LOVE
• fresh fruit with a slice of organic cheese- I don't eat cheese
• Wasa™ or Ryvita™ crackers with organic peanut butter- LOVE
• raw vegetables with Hummus- LOVE
• homemade pita chips with salsa- LOVE

I already eat super clean and have tons of water and fiber- kinda goes along with my lifestyle.... A vegan 90% of the time. With all the running I do each day (30 miles a week), I NEED water, coconut water and more water to replenish. 


I don't do detoxes, simply because I don't need to. I NEVER drink alcohol, I don't eat processed foods, so what am I detoxing?? The only thing I require is a vacation twice a year- a DETOX from my everyday life! :O) 


As far a supplements, I take an organic pre-natal vitamin, COQ10, wheat grass shots and my fish oils Both my husband and myself are super strict with our routines each day including our meals, supplements, workouts and sleep.

SO I will investigate these snacks further...I am definitely NOT a HIGH fruit intaker, but I will make sure I get a GOOD balance of my nuts fruits, protein and veggies....

Pregorexia.

WHOAH! While zipping through my twitter, I came across a 

tweet from WOMEN'S Health Magazine...

Pregorexia
Extreme dieting and exercising while pregnant to avoid gaining the 25 to 35 pounds of weight doctors usually recommend.

"There's more social pressure on women to look thin during and after pregnancy," says Shepphird. "But pregorexia comes with very serious health problems." Starving moms-to-be are at risk for depression, anemia, and hypertension, while their malnourished babies are often 

miscarried or born with birth defects.

 Wow! I didn't realize it, but now that I think about it, it's probably TRUE. I know for me, I just want to get back to where I am NOW once I DO intact get pregnant and have a baby.. I also will not deny, I am NOT crazy about gaining the baby weight, and will do whatever I have to in order to have a HEALTHY pregnancy and most important, a HEALTHY baby! 


FOR SURE, I'm not going to be the pregnant chick who eats and eats and says I am eating for two! HECK NO! I will continue to eat the way I eat, and workout the way I workout with a FEW modifications to be on the safe side. 


You can be sure to watch me as well! I will be Vlogging the whole time! ;O)

A little obsessed with Fertility now!

It's amazing how I go from obsessing over my weekly workouts to obsessing about how to get SUPER FERTILE! As I said, I am mapping out the BEST FERTILITY meal plan I can! When I found this recipe, I got all sorts of EXCITED! I already use everything in here except for Royal Jelly and I DO occasionally have wheat grass shots, but only if we go to a super health food place..... Now I am on a mission to find wheat grass..

Fertility Smoothie Recipe

From Modernmom.com

Ingredients- I put some notes next to each ingredient of my own.

• Frozen mixed organic berries - GOT em!
• Almond or rice milk - I have COCONUT MILK
• Protein powder - Something natural and clean without a lot of additives or soy. Think whey. NO WHEY FOR ME, BUT VEGA WILL DO!
• 2 shots of wheat grass - You can use powder or fresh shots. I use a frozen one by Evergreen
• Maca Root Powder- GOT IT! I have been using it for a while now
• Acai berry- hmmmmmmm...
• Mixed powdered greens- I use Green Vibrance
• Royal Jelly *NOTE, if you are allergic to bees, do not use
• Bee pollen *Again don’t use is you have a bee allergy- I got it!
• Liquid omegas - Read dose instructions on back of product- Carlson's Fish oil!

-Mix all of this together in a blender. Depending on thickness, use as much milk as you want for the consistency you like.

Wondering what all the ingredients do for you?:

The powered greens, berries and Acai feed and promote healthy cell growth and help nourish the blood.

The wheat grass lowers FSH levels, helps restore hormone balance and helps alkaline your PH levels which makes it better for sperm to live in. Its also nourishes cells.

Maca root nourishes the entire endocrine system, enhances fertility, and brings hormones into balance. Also increases sex drive, vitality and gives you tons of energy.

Royal Jelly balances hormones, supports endocrine system , helps raise estrogen levels ( great for woman who have low estrogen ) , helps increase sperm quality and testosterone levels in men .

Bee Pollen has high levels of vitamins, natural aphrodisiac, Nourishes the ovaries, help produce healthy eggs, increases fertility, increases sperm count in men and balances menstrual cycle.

Protein powder repairs and builds healthy tissues

Fish oils help stabilize moods, lowers inflammation in the body, increases blood flow to uterus and promotes regular menstrual cycle, ovulation, and cervical mucus as well as increasing sperm mobility in men . 

BRING IT ON!!!

My food shopping FERTILITY list:

I don't think I have been THIS excited to get to Whole Foods! I have my Fertility food list and I am ready to knock some people OVER for the stuff I need to get me KNOCKED UP!

Here are the foods on my list today. 

Some of which I already eat use or take as a supplement.

• Berries pears peaches oranges kiwi
• kale  swiss chard spinach romaine
• quinoa whole oats - steel cut Ezekiel bread & wraps faro pasta & brown rice pasta (once a week for a carb boost)
• almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds
• black strap molasses (have to figure out what to do with it!)
• chick peas, black beans, kidney beans, cannellini  beans
• Ethical Eggs (SUPER EXPENSIVE- but worth it)
• Tofu, tempeh
• avocado
• coconut water, oil & milk
• flax oil, chia seed olives salba
• Frozen or powder wheat grass Maca Root powder Royal Jelly Bee Pollen

I made a list of supplements, however, I will talk to my Dr. before I start them...

• Vitamins C & E
• Folic Acid
• CoQ10
• Selenium
• B12
• Chlorella
• Omega's

Getting my ducks in a row!

Never think because you are super healthy, super fit and super strong that you can have a baby just like that! Prime example: I am 40 years old- I live one of the cleanest most boring lifestyles you can imagine. Boring meaning, we don't go out, we don't drink, we live at the  gym or at home, and we really don't even go out  to eat. I mean BORING! For Mario & I, it's our lifestyle and to us, it's sooo not boring! In order to get the tubal reversal, I had to go through some routine blood tests:

1. FSH Test- a test to asses my ovary function and reserve of eggs
2. Complete blood count (CBC)
3. HIV-1 antibody
4. Hepatitis B surface antigen
5. Hepatitis C antibody

No problem! I'm so healthy! Go ahead, take my blood! Yup! I was sitting here so happy and confident that everything would come back 100% a-ok! Within 24 hours, I called Chapel Hill to get some more info done over the phone. The nurse told me my FSH level was a little high. SO confused, I asked what that meant. My heart started to pound and I got nervous! She told me that the NORMAL range is 4.7-13 and mine was 14.8. Ok so it's NOT 25! Why is this nurse freaking me out right now? I haven't even had my surgery yet! Sheesh! 

Well, if you know me, You know as soon as I hung up with her in a panic, I researched over a thousand websites about FSH levels, fertility in my 40's, and anything I could find to enlighten myself. When Mario came home, I told him and the tears started to fall! I was so worried!! What if I go through this surgery and NOTHING happens! I will die! Mario calmed me down- and I listened to him (which is NOT something I usually do).


I came across so many helpful websites on how to get MORE fertile, and How to lower FSH levels... 


I realized I have SO many things GOING for me!


1. I'm in incredible shape!
2. I eat cleaner then EVERYONE I know.
3. I do not drink alcohol or do drugs
4. I do NOT eat processed foods or BAD fat
5. I am 90% Vegan, with the exception of Pole caught Tuna & Ethical eggs
6. I workout and run everyday
7. I am NOT underweight
8. I already have two children


I also realized I have something AGAINST me (MAYBE)
1. I am 40 years old! UGH!


I am not going to STRESS over it! I am going get the surgery, and have sex sex sex! LOL! I am kidding! I tease my husband all the time! No seriously, I am going to continue doing what I do everyday. I know with a positive mind, I will get pregnant sooner than later! 


Here are some things to help me with fertility....
Since I am 40 years old, and age IS in fact a factor in getting pregnant, I have to plan accordingly. 


* A fertility Monitor
* A basal thermometer
* A GREAT diet!


Today's Blog is about Nutrition, and foods to increase fertility.... SO you may think that your diet has NOTHING to do with how fertile you may or may not be, but you are wrong. SO many women who can not get pregnant have the wrong diets, whether they are UNDER WEIGHT or OVER WEIGHT. 


I'm not going to tell you there are some foods that are like MAGIC to get you knocked up- but eating a well balanced diet will improve your chances. As you know from my other blog fit green goddess, I eat clean, I mean really clean. NO red meat, no poultry no dairy (6 years). I do not eat processed foods and No JUNK, or sugar. SO this is a PLUS for me! I think, anyway.


As always, anyone looking to have a baby should IMMEDIATELY start with a pre-natal vitamin with folic acid. Folic acid will help to reduce the risks of birth defects. Pre-natal vitamins have a little MORE than regular multivitamins. Pre-Natals have MORE calcium, iron and folic acid.


SO here are the foods I found to be the BEST for you body when trying to get pregnant...


* Dairy: Great for reproductive health, however you must be careful...overdo the ice cream, yogurt and cheese- you will gain weight- gain weight and you lower your chances of getting pregnant. I am DAIRY FREE for 6 years due to being severely Lactose intolerant.... SO I have to get my calcium elsewhere.


*Protein sources: The IRON in Lean meats like chicken and turkey are screaming your name! Iron definitely helps to build up your fertility. Be warned though: STAY AWAY from HIGH FAT meats like bacon or pork tenderloin. You must also keep your protein servings to 3-4 oz per serving. For Vegans like myself, I have to eat MORE quinoa, tofu and beans. I also have IRON in my pre-natal. OCCASIONALLY (maybe even more so now) I will eat some ground Buffalo or Bison, which is REALLY lean and loaded with iron &  protein.


*Fish: Wild salmon and sardines are tops of the fish. They are loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids. These fats will increase blood flow to your reproductive organs. If you are like me and don't eat fish, try CHIA SEEDS, try FLAX SEEDS, almonds, pumpkinseeds and eggs that have DHA. 


*Complex carbs: LOSE the white carbs! Trade them in for the brown carbs... No more white rice, have BLACK rice instead. No more White pasta, have Brown rice pasta instead. No more white potatoes, have YAMS instead. No more rice cakes, have BROWN rice rice cakes- Catch my drift? You want to keep your insulin down. You don't want ANYTHING to bother your reproductive hormones and your menstrual cycle. Want to promote regular ovulation??? Eat the brown and other colored carbs, and toss the whites!


*Berries: We already know HOW AMAZNIG blueberries are for you and HOW STRONG they are in fighting off free radicals in the body, right? Well guess what! Your eggs are cells too. Keep them strong! Choose Blueberries and raspberries Over the rest! Frozen or fresh are fine.


*Yams: An ovulating stimulating veggie that is so delish just baked in the oven. It doesn't have to be Thanksgiving to eat these orange beauties! We have them baking in the oven at least 2 times a week. Sprinkle some cinnamon and PRESTO!


Here are some other foods that I already eat but you may want to start eating if you aren't already...


These foods are loaded with Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B9, B12

• Brazil Nuts, dried figs, Mangosteen and egg yolks... 
• Avocado, dried apricots and mackerel..
• Tuna, dried dates and plums... 
• watermelon, avocado, salmon
• walnuts, bananas, apples
• strawberries, grapes oranges

These foods are load with Carotenes

• dried apricots, carrots, tomatoes, persimmon
• mango, watermelon
• Salmon, Tuna and egg yolks

These foods are loaded with Vitamin C

• guava, black currants, kiwi
• strawberries, lemon and oranges

These foods are loaded with Vitamin E

• Brazil nuts, hazel nuts 
• walnuts, salmon, egg yolks, blueberries
• avocado, mango, peach, plums, grapes

These foods are loaded with vitamin K1

• avocado, kiwi, egg yolks
• plums, hazelnuts, grapes

These foods are loaded with Vitamin D:

• SUN! Fish, egg yolks

These foods are loaded with Calcium

•  Hazelnuts, dried currants, figs, egg yolk, 
• Brazil nuts, and olives 
• walnuts, raisins, oranges, kiwis and mandarins 

These foods are loaded with Magnesium:

• Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, 
• papaya, coconut and banana

These foods are loaded with 

Zinc: 

• Brazil nuts, egg yolk 
• Oysters, Walnuts, hazelnuts, currants, figs, salmon, coconut 

These foods are loaded with 

Selenium: 

• Coconuts 
• Brazil nuts 
• tuna, mackerel, salmon and egg yolk 

These foods are loaded with 

Phosphorus and Sulfur: 

• egg yolk and fish

These foods are loaded with 

Chloride: 

• MOST fruits, egg yolk, mackerel, coconut, 
• dried dates, bananas and kiwis contain chloride.

These foods are loaded with 

Potassium: 

• All foods (including fruits) contain plenty of potassium.

These foods are loaded with Sodium:

• Especially fish, egg yolk, kumquat, 
• dried figs, dried dates, coconut 

These foods are loaded with 

Iodine: 

• Egg yolk, bananas, mango
• Seafish & seaweed

These foods are loaded with 

Fluoride: 

• Egg yolk, raisins, dried apricots

These foods are loaded with 

Iron: 

• Fish, egg yolk, dried fruits, hazelnuts, 
• Brazil nuts, coconut, olives

These foods are loaded with 

Chromium: 

• Brazil nuts, dates and hazelnuts

SO! What am I going to do with this enormous list of INCREDIBLE foods? I'm going to put together an incredible meal plan, eat and be as healthy as I can so I can be FERTILE MYRTLE!

XOXO

Am I Crazy??

Sometimes I tell myself that I am crazy for doing this AGAIN! Doing what again? Well, let me explain. Way back in 1990, I made a decision that would change the rest of my life. I was 18 years old when I found out I was pregnant. Boy oh boy was THAT the scariest thing for me! Forget about knowing I was pregnant, I was MORE afraid of telling my mother. I was a young girl, a wee bit on the wild side, and still trying to figure out who I was. Does anyone KNOW who they are at 18?

All I knew at that VERY moment I took a pregnancy test, was that NO MATTER WHAT the outcome, I am KEEPING this baby. I won't get into details and to be quite honest, It's been 20 years, so I really don't remember every second of THAT part of my life.  I didn't care that I was pregnant at all, meaning the belly, the weight gain, etc. I was in my glory, and to be honest, I think that me getting pregnant at that exact time in my life was a BLESSING from God.  By the time I was 7 months pregnant I only gained about 16 pounds- All I could eat was watermelon, berries and any other fruit that was in my face. I was nauseous the whole time. I remember thinking that I was happy I was carrying my baby all summer, because my feet were so bloated, I couldn't wear sneakers! Looking back, I was calm, happy and just excited to have something- someone I could LOVE- REALLY LOVE.

By the time Heather Lynne was born, I was about to turn 19. I don't remember being scared of being a mom, and I don't remember EVER looking back and wishing I did something different. I would just look at her, smell her, play with her, love her and just BE. I do think back to when I was in the hospital with her and my mom was there with us (Lucky me), she stayed with me for a week THANK GOD! In the hospital, I was holding Heather when she started to cry, I couldn't understand why she was crying. I was holding her as she was wrapped all tight in her little blanket- What did I do wrong? I started to cry! Every time she cried I would cry because I felt like I didn't know what to do.... My mom would say " Teen, did you change her? Did you feed her?" OH! That's what you do with a new born! Now I get it!

So, I have  Heather Lynne who is 20 and  is SOOO beautiful, and Tyler is my handsome 18 year old dude! I divorced Heather and Tyler's father about 16 years ago. At the end of my marriage, I KNEW in my heart I wasn't with the right person. We were two babies who had babies together- that's it. Although we both did try, I had my visions of what my future would look like and he had his own views. I decided to get a Tubaligation after Tyler was born,because I was so fertile that While on birth control, I conceived Tyler, and after Tyler was born, I had the IUD inserted in my cervix and I ended up pregnant only to misscarriage. I couldn't handle it anymore. I was accused of being selfish, but my view was that I was so young, with two babies and marriage that should have never been.

Was I thinking THEN that some day I would get remarried and want to have more children? Nope, not for a split second. In my mind, I was done for GOOD having babies. I have a boy & a Girl, what more could I want?

Fast forward to 2003- When I saw a guy from high school one day. I said hello, he said hello, and I never thought anything of him. We went to high school together, so I knew of him, and he would occasionally come into one of the gyms I worked at, but never a second thought of him. I switched gyms and one day came into work to hear a voice call message form HIM. I scratched my head in confussion wondering why on earth he would be calling ME. We went on a date after 2 weeks of chatting it up on the phone, and POOF!!!!! 9 years later, we are married, so in love and READY to HAVE A BABY!!!!!


So now I ask YOU- AM I CRAZY to want to start over? Well, regardless of what YOU or anyone THINKS, I am so ready to give my husband a baby, and sacrifice my life yet once again. I think since we first started dating, I wanted another baby- FOR NOT only Mario but for ME.

Mario & I can't do things like normal people would- Ya know, roll around in the sheets, get crazy, and BAM, I am pregnant- NOPE, It's a process for us- It's BEEN a process for us!

Let me back track to 2010. I went for an OBGYN check up and talked to my Doc about getting pregnant. He suggested I go to Columbia University Of Obstetrics and Gynecology and talk to Melvin Thornton. Well, I did JUST that! I made the appointment to go meet with him and get things going. Upon meeting with Dr. Thornton, we discussed my age (38 at the time), My tubes being tied and IVF. He told me to forget the Reversal tubaligation, because it may or may not work. IVF has a higher chance for pregnancy. I became so excited by the end of our conversation, I couldn't wait to tell Mario! Long story short, I did ALL THE TESTS required, went to all my appointments and the only thing left to do before we start the process was for Mario to get the semen annalysis done.

Let's just say that NEVER happened, and so many other things distracted us from Mario doing this test, that here we are in 2012 now, where I had to REVISIT Dr. Thornton, and go through all the tests again.... (SUDDEN STOP!) That is until Mario & I stumbled upon Chapel Hill Reversal Center in North Carolina. We researched the site, read the testimonials, and even spoke with some of the nurses. This to US seemed like such a better idea, by FAR! I would only be covered for one cycle of IVF and in MOST cases in 40 year old women, It doesn't happen right away. Well while we have a GREAT business, we aren't WEALTHY. A cycle of IVF could run you $15,000! We don't have that to just "CHANCE IT" and we don't have time!

 I am 40 years old and YES, MY TIME BOMB IS TICKING AWAY!!! We decided just a few days ago to book our flights to NC, and get the tubal reversal, so we can try naturally.  There I said it! It's out there! AHHH, I feel so much better!!!! Just today, I filled out the papers, going to fax them tomorrow and I will be all scheduled for April 9th to get my surgery!

What's really amazing is how God works! I have such a great feeling about this process Mario & I chose together! I get baptized on Saturday April 7th, which is the  Easter Vigil, Easter Sunday I am considered a Catholic, a Whole new person! Monday I get my surgery and hopefully soon thereafter, I will be carrying Mario's baby! This will all be God's will. I am praying he blesses us with a healthy baby very soon!

Keep reading my blog for updates! It's so exciting for us!.
XO Tina.