Happy Birthday, Mr Siili

Yesterday's post that didn't get finished:
My Mr Siili turns 38 years old today. He'd old, well at least older than me. *grin*

I know he doesn't care much about his birthday and sees it as just another day, but I like celebrating it and making something of it. I can't wait for him to get home from work and open his gift this evening. It isn't much, but I know he'll like it (a blue kitchen knife) because a few months ago we saw them in the store and he thought it would be cool to have one, but we didn't really need it. So, I made a mental note of it and got it for him. Bonus, it was even on sale!


Today's continuation:
Mr Siili's response about the knife was a grin and then he wondered why it wasn't glow-in-the-dark, "because a glow-in-the-dark knife would be cool". Uhm, ok.

Paxlet is still baking. I'm truly happy he is enjoying his time in my uterus, who knows if it will ever be used again. But really! I would love to meet my little guy now! I have now tried some acupressure (several times), ate curry for lunch yesterday with a co-worker (who was a bit freaked out at having lunch with an overdue pregnant woman) and I spent 2,5 hours out in the woods across from our house yesterday picking chanterelle mushrooms.
And nothing has changed!

Yesterday's catch, all clean. Approx. 6 liters of chanterelle mushrooms.

My good friend R sent me a message this morning that she had some painful contractions again last night. She's 5 weeks behind me in her 2nd pregnancy. With the way things are going, we might end up giving birth together, along with a co-worker whose EDD is 2 days behind Paxlet's (if she hasn't given birth by now, as the last time I talked to her was a couple of days ago).

I have managed to get some of the things done from my 'to-do' list on Wednesday, but I should try to get some more done today.

• Wash some laundry, at least one load
• Write something on Mr Siili's birthday card seeing as his birthday is tomorrow
• Start filling in Paxlet's Baby Book that I bought a couple of weeks ago
• Write the last Thank You-card for my Skype-video baby shower (it was a last minute addition, all the rest have been sent, except for the 2 that need addresses) 
• Organize Paxlet's clothes in the closet. Right now they are just piled in there
• Continue with organizing and arranging boxes and other stuff from the move (3 months ago)
• Re-check Paxlet's coming home bag, I think I want to make a change or two

I think I'll go get started on some of it...laundry is the easiest.

CD10 + doctor's visit

I had my first clinic visit in ages today! But first I want to share the mushrooms I picked yesterday with you. I went by myself into unknown and new woods to pick mushrooms by myself! Normally, I've gone with someone else to pick mushrooms and to a spot that they know about. But this time, I didn't have anyone to go with me (and Mr Siili isn't a big mushroom person), so I put on a brave face and decided to check out a new place right near our home. Actually, it is between our current place and our new home. Score!

I wandered around for the first hour not finding the mushrooms I had gone to look for (suppilovahvero = yellow foot), but rather finding a few chanterelle (1/2 liter) instead. Just when I was thinking of heading back, I stepped upon, literally, the mother load of mushrooms. I picked 2 liters of the suppilovahvero. By that time I had been wandering around for about 2 hours, it was time to head home. On my way back to the car, I heard some snuffling noises behind me, turned around and there was a white fluff ball! I yelped (no screaming or yelling) and the dog growled at me. I froze for 2 seconds and calmed my heart down enough to remember I have Taekwon-do skills if need be and a bucket of mushrooms. The guy finally got his growly dog back under control and I found my way back to my car. I didn't get lost! Another score!

Summer break from TTC is over! After an ill-timed O in June that caused the FET to not work that month, the clinic being closed all of July, my period starting too early in August (actually 1 week before Aug) and then me going to Shanghai for work at the end of August and first half of September, this is the first time the timing is working again. So, when AF showed up for cycle #40, I called the clinic to schedule today's appointment.

The lady doctor was one I hadn't had/met before (they have rotating doctors at the clinic, so we get whoever is there that day). She was nice, answered my questions well and I liked her. The details are as follows:
- lining is 8mm. Yay!
- left ovary has a couple of small cysts; nothing new & nothing to worry about, but also only very small follicles growing there
- right ovary has a couple of nice sized follies, at least one is a 7mm and one 8mm. Go follies!
- I'll start POAS on Thursday to hopefully catch the surge (on Friday?) sometime during the following couple of days
- If/When I get a positive, I'll call the clinic to schedule the thawing of our last and only embryo. Fingers crossed the timing is correct and it thaws in tact!

I also asked about the AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) blood test I had done back in June to see how my egg supply is doing. She told me my score is a 0,6, which is normal for my age and having endometriosis. Dr Lady said that if had been 0,2 or lower, then we'd be in major trouble. There's still some time for me and my eggs, but still it is time to be cautious because, yet again, of my age and endo.

I also asked her about my endo and whether or not that is a good enough reason for "infertility" or should I still be searching for another reason. She said endo is a 'good' enough reason. I think I have a post brewing about this topic, so I'll save it for a later date.

All in all, the doctor's visit was like I expected. Everything looks to be going like it should and nothing earth shattering was found. Fingers crossed we see some double lines on the O tests later this week!

For now, I've got a bit of bounce to my step and some hope in my heart.

Mushroom soup into coconut milk

Another recipe I tried and loved! I think I'll make it again. I love trying new recipes and especially finding ones that are good. These last few New Year's I've (jokingly) made it my New Year resolution to "try new recipes". It's one resolution I've never failed and I have tons of fun with it all year long.

Enjoy the recipe and check out my remarks below.

Mushroom soup into coconut milk / Sienikeitto kookosmaitoon
2 boxes of mushrooms (aprox. 200-250g each)
1 small onion
1 tablespoon oil
1 can of coconut milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons lightly salted soy sauce
chives



Clean and slice the mushrooms. Peel and finely chop the onion. Saute the mushrooms and onion in the pan with a bit of oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes.


Add the coconut milk and simmer another 5 minutes.


Add the spices and taste the flavoring. You can puree the soup, especially if you serve it as a starter. Sprinkle some chopped herbs on the top.

And here's the finished product with some lightly toasted and buttered rye bread.


I made a couple of changes to the recipe, but I don't think they effected the taste much.
First off, I had way more mushrooms than what the recipe called for. But how can that be bad? It is mushroom soup after all!
Secondly, I didn't have any lemon juice or lemons, so I used lime.

Next time I make this I think I'll make some rice to put the soup over. It'll make it stretch a bit further and give it an added texture.
I also think I'll only use 2 tablespoons of soy sauce (unless I have the less salty version).

All in all, I'm quite pleased with the taste. It is a bit different than other mushroom soups I have tried in the past, but very yummy.

This recipe came from Kikkoman.