PCOS Transitions

Today's post is going to be a short one, and I actually changed which topic I was going to write about. I was going to treat everyone to a look at our landscaping and garden plans and what we accomplished this year, but tonight's episode of The New Girl was too timely to ignore. The two main girls of the show were concerned about fertility, as 30 year olds without partners. It's an issue that hits close to home for me right now, though I'm 27 and have been happily married for four years.

In early October I was told that my hormone levels are consistent with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It's not a disease, it's not quite a formal diagnosis (though I have no reason to doubt it), and while it does increase my risk of developing diabetes and heart disease, I don't have any of those conditions. Honestly, I'm otherwise a fairly healthy individual from what my bloodwork showed, but the PCOS news wasn't especially welcome to someone who's looking to start a family in the next few years.

I wasn't going to talk openly about this, as it's a fairly personal issue. But then I realized that very few people talk openly about conception, at least with their friends. There are lots of forums and support groups (and I found one locally that's just starting up), but that feels impersonal and like I have something to hide. I don't have anything to hide, and I lean towards talking about these things openly because who knows when the same thing might happen to my friends, or their friends. I also think that all the mystique we wrap around the topic of conception is unnecessary and not helping anyone, but that's perhaps a topic for another time.

Why share this on domestiCaited? Because the longterm "treatment" is all about lifestyle changes. I could take fertility drugs that would help regulate ovulation, but I've opted not to do that for now, choosing a more natural course for these first few months. When I could easily lose 15 pounds and still be healthy, it seems like a better place to start than putting anything else into my body. In advance of having a kid, I'm supposed to maintain a diet that's effectively what a diabetic would eat (which is ultimately the way we should eat anyway). After children I theoretically wouldn't have to be so strict, but right now it's all about regulating hormone levels and not letting excess simple carbohydrates further any insulin resistance I've already got.

So, expect to see some PCOS-friendly recipes popping up in the next few months, and how I transition to eating 5 small meals a day instead of 3 larger ones, a recommendation I've found in multiple places. There should also be information about exercise plans, as that's one of the more important steps for me to take. I'm hoping to take adult ballet classes again, as it's been 12 years since I danced and I miss it. I'll also be looking to bike to work once spring returns, and I'm considering how to put some exercise equipment into the basement.

Next week, I'll start into the discussion of our new yard. We've made some progress over the last five months, but we've got ambitious plans for the next few years! I promise to include lots of pictures.

Moving On Up

Well hello there folks! It's been a while I know, and though good intentions don't mean much when it comes to blogging, I assure you that I've frequently thought about posting about my recent domestic exploits. Mainly, there's one big piece of news that most of you already know, but it's fun to repeat it.

We bought a house!

With the help of my lovely parents we were able to close on a house in Champaign this past June. There's so much to share about how it happened, settling in, and working through the first-time-homeowner kinks. To ease back into the blogging process, I thought I'd share a few pictures of the place.

Here's the outside! It's not much to look at, a fairly plain white house that extends into the back. Note the fence coming up around the front of the house; that was a major selling point for us with the St. Bernard. The place came dog-ready right from the start.

Here's a drawing of the property altogether, with a few notes on landscaping that I made (in paint...). The first floor is 1200 square feet with two bedrooms, and there's a full basement that effectively doubles the amount of space we have. The basement is unfinished, but it has a lot of potential, depending on time and funds. 

I'll do a more detailed post on the yard landscaping soon! 

Here's a shot of the yard from August. Even before we bought the house we had purchased fruit trees from a local gardening store. August, of course, was a horrible month across the country and went over 100 degrees almost every day. Yet, we persevered and planted three of the trees (two apple and one peach), and I can safely say that I never want to do that ever again. I planted a fourth tree myself in October, and it was a much more pleasant experience at 75 degrees. 

We've made a lot of progress on the inside as well, and I'll write more about how we've made interior design decisions, especially the paint colors. That was a potentially frustrating process that I actually thought we handled rather democratically. The living room ended up being "Grandfather Clock Brown."

The dining room is "Fields of Gold." We thankfully got the table in through the front door, though we put a lot of scratches in it. Someday, I will fix them.

The bedroom by far has my favorite color: Melodious Blue. I wake up in the morning and just stare at the walls still, it feels so homey and comfortable to me. The cats, I think, mostly enjoyed having access to the bedroom and clear bed (usually they're locked out).

Moving forward with the blog, I want to make sure I talk about each of the following, as they're topics that we've learned a lot about over the last few months:

• The home-buying process
• Color selections
• Landscaping decisions
• Homesteading efforts
• Establishing a prairie
• Recent dietary changes
• Interior design
• Longterm plans for the house

I'll try to tackle at least one of these a week through the end of the year. And then, there will undoubtedly be more to talk about!