The official report of the recently convened reproductive decisions convention, in words and pictures.

Agenda set. Reproductive decisions discussed. Reproductive decisions made.

 

All of which makes it sound a lot more exciting than it really is.

 

***

 

What first? The cheery doc had advised against performing the typically included HSG during my control cycle testing, since I didn't have any risk factors for obstructed tubes and especially, of course, once again, lest we forget, I got pregnant once before ha ha ha yeah that went awesomely! I agreed because what I was mostly concerned about then was autoimmunity, which doesn't really have any bearing on internal structure.

But as EmHart aptly pointed out over a coffee beside a canal, just because one little sucker managed to find its way up doesn't necessarily mean that it was easy or that others can follow in its path. In any case, it would be nice to check internal structure off the list as nothing to worry about, or, less ideally, to put it on the list as something to do something about. So when (okay, fine ... if; pardon my wanting to escape the definition of insanity) cd1 arrives in about a week, I'll be making an appointment for that.

And then, assuming all's structurally fine, and perhaps after a second sperm analysis, which many of you have suggested, we'll ask to move forward with an IUI. Despite the super-low proportion of non-monster sperm to monster sperm, there should be enough of the former to give us "good chances of success," or so we were advised when we were also advised to just keep trying!!! [Exclamation points provided by the cheery doc herself.] As long as good chances lead to a good baby, that's good enough for me.

It doesn't really seem that revolutionary, or worthy of any sort of so-called convention, really, but getting to this point – the one where you realize that "when a man and a woman love each other very, very much ..." doesn't amount to tuppence and that, instead, "when a nice doctor helps a man and a woman who love each other very, very much ..." might actually be the reality – is not always so easy.

***

Putting aside all the lack-of-baby talk, the holiday component of this getaway was amazing, even though it both began and ended with two hours of this:

 

It's a good thing kitty wasn't actually needed for tie-breaking purposes after wearing out his little throat protesting against vehicular travel like that.

The skies cleared and the sun came out and, contrary to expectations, by the time we arrived, there was nary a fleck of snow to be seen, except where it might be expected, high up on the Alpen peaks.

We hiked each day except the one when neither of us changed out of our pajamas; met new friends with whom to share a few bottles of wine on an evening terrace; gorged on our favorite fondue made from the cheese of cows that graze on neighboring alpine pastures; and reconnected with each other in the most essential ways after having spent too long apart.

But why use words when pictures speak louder? You might have caught a glimpse of what I selected for the photo challenge, but if you would like to see more, well ... there are plenty. Perhaps more than plenty. Here are just a few:

downtown.

one of the few patches of clouds we saw all week.

the trail police.

an icefall.

a fitting window decoration for a cabane de montagne.

a swiss beauty "appreciating" Gilles a bit too much.

early-morning mist over the valley.
(well, as early as "early-morning" got for us.)

to the brim: an american pour in a swiss wine glass.



what it looks like to be lying peacefully, trying to enjoy
the view after a vigorous hike, only to have somebody throw
grass at you because you're not paying him enough attention.

hi.