Splendid Summer Solstice ... and then a week of surprises!

 Oooooweeee!  It has been quite a week. Let's start with the weekend and then proceed from there, as it gets more complicated. Liz and I had planned to spend the day of Summer Solstice (Saturday) on Fire Island because last year we made a day trip out of it, and it was magical. As our luck would have it, a friend of ours who has a house on Fire Island offered for us to stay the night, and we were elated.  Our friends Ellie and Tamika were able to join us, and we spent a glorious two days on Fire Island (a gay mecca with no cars and beautiful beaches). We grilled veggies, chicken, and corn on the cob and enjoyed dinner outside in the deck on Saturday. We spent lots of time on the beach, got to swim in a heated pool, and watched the best drag show you'll ever see by the pool at the Ice Palace. Tamika even got involved by joining in the modeling contest, which required each contestant to strut around the pool while being bad-mouthed by the drag queens. Quite a sight!

As we returned on Monday, we were feeling blissed out until we got a call from our real estate agent stating that there was another offer on the house, even though we had an accepted offer. The seller wanted BEST and HIGHEST bids by Tuesday at 6:00, and we were not allowed to have any information about the nature of the other bid. So, in our frustration and anger (it just seemed so unfair), we upped our offer and felt like we might be okay. Wednesday morning we got a call that the seller had chosen the other offer... We lost the house😞.  All day Wednesday we were both devastated, sad, and angry. But then, by Thursday, we had decompressed a bit and were able to rally our spirits back up.

Strangely, on the same day we found out we were outbid, we also received good news at Columbia that my follicles were growing and one was at 18mm. Once the follicle reaches 22-23 mm it's time to ovulate, so it was good news because they've been a bit slow to grow. We were told to monitor my possible ovulation at home with test strips each night and then come back when I was ovulating.

Well, as it turns out, I started ovulating on Thursday night and was scheduled to facilitate a training on Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. on the Brooklyn College campus, which is at least an hour commute from Columbia (fertility clinic).  So, I had to re-adjust and ask for a last-minute replacement for my first training session, and then take over for the second part of the day.  Ovulation is a short window of time, and my eggs wait for no one... so, off we went to Columbia on Friday morning for our second insemination.  It just so happens that it's also the start to PRIDE weekend here in NYC, so this just might be the perfect time to conceive a SUPER GAYBY :)

As with the first round, we are hopeful but we are also keeping our expectations low, knowing that this process could take a while for us.  And, if we happen to get pregnant this time, it will feel like a huge bonus!  So, we're thinking lots of positive baby thoughts and sending lots of love to that little one who is waiting in the wings.  When she's ready to take the stage, it will be all hers!