Thursday 30 August 2007

Small Mercies

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh....

My home is in-law free once again.

I can return to living a life of inapropriate self-touching and vigorous scratching.
Oh and of course daily sessions in the saddle to help nature on it's way.

Ironically, next week we again have visitors, this time my family, which will clash with the time when we discover if this month has been successful or not. These guys (gals to be precise) are much younger and should result in a chilled out few days for next weekend.

Overall, we are much more relaxed about everything, we have a pretty full schedule for the coming weeks and even months which should keep us occupied when things start to get us down.

At what point do people normally start wanting to get some medical advice?, I know that it's widely said to be a year for our age group, but I'll be a sailor's willie before I believe that people haven't gone about it sooner....

I am one impatient paddy.

Anyway...I'm off to treat myself to a new xbox game, disrobe and scratch to my wee heart's content...

Saturday 18 August 2007

Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday saw the passing of our 2nd wedding anniversary. Seems like quite a short time when you say it that way and doesn't really reflect the fact we've been together for nearly 10 years now (apparently) .

2 Years ago yesterday we were in New Orleans having the time of our lives, champagne on the Mississippi, wonderful street jazz and a feeling that all was good in the world. Louisianna and Tennessee where we had spent that period was genuinely full of the nicest strangers we've ever met.

1 year ago we were in Istanbul, a fascinating city full of startling contrast between the romantic old Ottoman empire days and the starbuck's riddled European capital that it is today. A city where you can stand by one bank of the river and look across to the other in Asia and see people looking back at you in Europe. Not to mention the juiciest lamb available in either continent.

So, how do we spend this year? not wanting to buck the trend of having an international flavour to our anniversary, last night we hopped in the car and went to...Ikea.

...who says romance has to fade away eh?...

Friday 10 August 2007

When You Don't Conceive

What do you do when you don't conceive?
I don't mean in terms of tests or treatments, which are a million miles off at the moment anyway, but rather how do you pick yourself up and get on with being a fully functioning spouse, friend, or employee.

I'm a bit of an obsessive person, when I set my mind on something, it gets 100% of my attention, focus and energy. This can be very good in some respects, especially with work and socially.
But what happens when what you focus on isn't totally within your control?

I foolishly believed, as did many others from what I've since read, that once we decided to start our family that it would happen as simple as ABC. This hasn't been the case, and in retrospect that's no great surprise considering the statistics, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

People have even commented to me that it's taken them 18 months. Frankly, I could not last that long, my sanity certainly couldn't.

For the last 24 hours I've struggled to hold a conversation with my wife, and today isn't looking any better. I know we are both dissapointed and a bit of quiet time is good for relection etc but what happens after 4, 5, 6 months and further ? In the long run this cannot be good for anyone involved.

So, now I'm not struggling with the (blatently premature) notion of not having a family, but with the thought of how I would or would not react to and handle this.

Then again, in a moment of philosophical vividness, I think that perhaps this is nature's way of preparing me for being a parent, trying to iron out my obsessive tendencies and laying out in full colour before me the fact that I will not be able to control what, when and where things happen.

Well, thats the silver plated lining that's getting me through for now at least....

I think I will bring flowers home to my wife this evening, just to tell her that I'm not intentionally being a 'james blunt' and they won't even be even service station ones either....

Thursday 9 August 2007

Strike Three

Well, bang on time, as regular as clockwork, my already suffering 'nads have received a swift kick.

We haven't managed to conceive this month either.

Thats three months, we are both (just) in our 20's, reasonably healthy, with a beer and the occasional coffee being our only vices.

...At what point does one begin to worry...

Monday 6 August 2007

And The Beat Goes On

As the old saying goes, doesn't time fly when you have your willie in a sling.

It seems another month has almost passed us by, and by the end of this week we'll know again if we have conceived and I can face our bedroom without an ache bellowing up from my groin or if we have to go for it all over again, and again, and again....

Incidentally, if it doesn't work out this time, I can see through a scan of my calendar that we will be playing host and hostess to my in-laws right about the time we should be playing vicar and divorcee. Hardly a prospect to get you in the mood.

But, wait, then again....

Wednesday 1 August 2007

Escaping With My Life

It seems my problems with years and dates stems further than my own date of birth. I previously mentioned that I've been with my wife for almost 9 years in all, when in fact, it has been painfully pointed out to me that it is, in fact, nearly 10.

LM: Can you believe that we will be 2 years married in a few weeks.

Moi: No, pet, its amazing isn't it how fast time goes, and 9 years overall.

LM: Er...say what now ?

Moi: Say what now what, petal ?

LM: It's not 9 years, its 10.

Moi: Nah, it's only 9 pet.

LM: Tell me you are kidding or I'm going to disembowel you with a rusty spoon.

(madness ensues as I continue to claim its been 9 and not 10, and when the dust settles and the police have left, we continue)

Moi: So, 10 years eh pet ?

LM: You scum sucking, pig man half fool, tell me, how could you get it SOOOOOOO wrong ?

(at this point I wanted to point out that as an IT consultant, being just 10% out in timeline estimation is not all that bad, but I didn't, so as my heart raced into self preservation mode I searched the caverns of my brain for an acceptable response)

Moi: Well petal, when I'm with you, time goes by so fast, so enjoyable has it been...

LM: You rotting, festering crawler....

Moi: Upstairs then ?

LM: ...OK.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As an aside, I've decided I detest the template for this blog, but I'm loathed to attempt to change it.

...and more importantly, it's just about a week to 10 days before we have an idea if we've defied all that's good and rightous regarding genetics and procreation and been succesful in conceiving our own wee WGCB.

How to keep occupied till then eh ?

Moi: Oh Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal.....