FoF: Thanksgiving and NYC!

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Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday and this year was no exception! Thanksgiving is my favorite because it's like Christmas minus the stress of presents. We aren't caught up in the material things, so we spend more time enjoying family and quality time. We spent it at my in-laws but my whole family came too! We are so lucky that our families live only 45 minutes apart. Being with both my family and my husband's huge family makes for some loud, fun, delicious memories. I probably gained 5 lbs and I'm totally ok with that :)

[T W O]
I am currently en route to NYC with my family! So pumped to spend a weekend in the big city. We have 3 broadway shows planned with lots of shopping and eating in between. Any bars/brunch spots or shopping areas that we must go to?! Message me!

[T H R E E]
I had to share this amazing deal with y'all. I snatched up this Kenneth Cole winter coat at Nordstrom Rack and saved $135! It rarely gets cold enough in NC for a bulky winter coat but I knew I needed one for NYC and it's just nice to have a good coat for when you really need one. Score!

[F O U R]
You guys, if you have not been to Target recently, you have got to go look at their christmas section! Don't walk, RUN! A few weeks ago I went to Target for 1 thing, and left with about $200 worth. I spent a ridiculous amount of time browsing the wrapping paper section… my husband had to walk away. Obsessed with all their wrapping stuff this year!

[F I V E]
You guys, next week is MY LAST WEEK OF PA SCHOOL. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning x10000. I can't even contain my excitement. These 2.5 years have been so challenging. I've been less than an enjoyable person for a majority of that time (sorry husband). I cannot wait to have a "normal" life where I am not studying 24/7. Also, I accepted a job!!! More on that to come!

Thanksgiving

Excuse me while I get all sappy and emotional today. But I want to talk about a few of the "things" I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

My husband-- he is my rock, my best friend, my voice of reason, my biggest cheerleader. I don't know what I did to deserve him but I thank God every day for allowing me to go through life with him by my side. These past 2 years while I've been in PA school he has cooked every single dinner, packed my lunch, done the laundry, cleaned the house, called out notecards to me, listened to me cry and say I am dropping out 500x. He is the glue that holds me together. He is patient, hard working, kind, loving, God fearing, and so darn handsome.

My family-- my two sisters, brother-in-law, niece, nephew, parents, sister-in-law, and in-laws. I won the jackpot when it comes to family. Though I may want to kill my sisters every now and then, we have grown to be best friends. My family is supportive in everything I do. I love them so!

My health-- working in medicine truly opens your eyes to how many people are spending the holidays in the hospital or not able to enjoy Thanksgiving due to chronic illnesses. Health is something we take for granted but this past year I have truly started to become more aware of how lucky I am to be alive and healthy.

My education-- though I frequently complain about school and the stress that goes along with it, I am so very thankful to be 1 of 30 people that will be graduating from my school's Physician Assistant program next weekend. Education is a powerful thing, and not everyone in this world is privelaged enough to be able to go to school.

What are you extra thankful for on this Thanksgiving?

Christmas traditions: Operation Christmas Child

Every Christmas growing up my family packed shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. I knew before I got married that I wanted to carry this tradition over into my own family. So now my husband and I have started this tradition. It feels so great to shop for children and imagine how happy they will be on Christmas morning when they open their shoe box.

It's amazing how much you can squeeze into a shoe box. We always make sure to include fun games and toys but also important items that they may not have like a toothbrush and toothpaste. This year we even included a set of pajamas! I encourage you to partake in this tradition with me next year! For more information click here.

What is one of your favorite Christmas traditions?!

Linking up with Jenn and Jessi

Reeses cookies

These Reese's cookies are SO easy and so delicious. They are the perfect treat to take to any Christmas  or Thanksgiving get-together.

What you need:

-Mini muffin pan

-Bag of Reese's

-Roll of chocolate chip cookie dough

Directions:

-Unwrap the Reese's… do this before you cook the cookies so you aren't scrambling when they come out of the oven!

-Spray muffin pan with Pam

-Fill each cup about 1/2 to 2/3 full with cookie dough

-Cook on 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. The time just varies. Keep an eye on them! You want the edges to be brown but the middle to still be a little doughy

-Push Reese's into cookie immediately upon taking them out of the oven

-Let them cool completely before removing them from pan

-Enjoy!

Weekend in Chapel Hill

This weekend was the greatest! Friday after work we went to my mom's house for my birthday dinner. We had my very favorite pasta and chocolate pie that she makes. There's nothing like your mom's cooking, am I right?! My niece was sooo excited to show me the cake she helped make and decorate. Side note: she calls me "wee wee" because she couldn't say Owen when she was younger, and I just love it.

 Saturday morning we were up bright and early to head to Chapel Hill. My sister and brother-in-law went with us and we met G and I's college best friends there. We spent the day at the mall with our first stop being Zin Burger for the best bloody mary and cheeseburger in the world.

After doing some Christmas and birthday shopping and spending way too much money, we headed to the hotel to shower and get ready for the night. Did you guys know Kendra Scott gives you 50% off one item during your birthday month?! I can't explain how excited I was when they told me this as I was purchasing this new pink necklace I've been eyeing for months! 

We had dinner at Top of the Hill, the iconic restaurant on Franklin Street in the middle of UNC campus. It was UNC game day which made the atmosphere even better. Brought back sooo many great memories from undergrad and made me miss college so much!

After dinner we pretended we were in college and did some bar hopping. We stayed out later than I have in months and ended the night with "late night" at the greasiest, most delicious restaurant in town. And I woke up Sunday morning sleep deprived but with a happy heart!

See you soon, Chapel Hill! And as always, GO HEELS!

Linking up with my girls Meghan and Biana

FoF: birthday weekend!

[O N E]

Tomorrow is my birthday!! Honestly, I don't really look forward to birthdays because after 21, what's the point?! But it is a great excuse for cake and extra champagne ;)

[T W O]

We are headed to our college town, Chapel Hill, NC, this weekend with our best friends from college which I am so excited about! It just happened to land on my birthday which makes it even better! We are going to try to act like we are in college again and stay up past 10pm, haha! {follow along: Instagram @mrsordavis, Snapchat @owen_ross}

[T H R E E]

I scored big time at Old Navy this week! Everything in the whole store was on sale. We are going to NYC in 2 weeks and I needed a pair of gloves but I wanted cheap ones since NC rarely gets cold enough for gloves. Old Navy had these on sale for $10. I also got this sweater in both black and gray because it was only $19! Best deal ever! I love the way it looks with a blanket scarf and boots.

[F O U R]

Wednesday night I had my birthday dinner with my dad at my favorite sushi restaurant. G and I rarely go out to eat during the week so it was fun to get a yummy meal with my family, and presents are always a plus!

My sister and nephew

[F I V E]

If you haven't already, don't forget to enter the giveaway for the Erin Condren 2016 Life Planner!! Trust me when I say that these planners are amazing! Giveaway ends Monday!

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Erin Condren 2016 Classic Life Planner giveaway with

Lisa Loves John  |  The Davis Duo  |  Katie Elizabeth  |  Champagne and Suburbs

Linking up with Amanda and April

First week in infertility medicine

Today I'm giving you guys a glimpse into this rotation. If you don't want to read all about infertility medicine, I suggest skipping this post today!

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If you know me at all, you know I am passionate about OBGYN and infertility medicine. So when I started PA school I knew I wanted to try to get an elective in infertility medicine. My program contacted the best infertility specialist in our area and he agreed to let me spend 4 weeks with him. I am about to finish my first week and it has been nothing short of amazing. It has been fascinating to learn so much about such a common problem that couples face when trying to bring a babe into the world.

The first step when a couple comes to see us is to have a "consultation" in the office to document the couple's medical history, length of infertility, etc. From there, we address the 3 most common reasons that couples have trouble conceiving:
1. The female's tubes are blocked, not allowed the sperm to reach the egg
2. The female is not ovulating (releasing an egg)
3. The male's sperm is abnormal

Couples tend to always think it is due to an issue with the female's body when very frequently it is due to low sperm count, decreased sperm motility, etc. Once the male has been "cleared", we usually do a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) next in addition to a progesterone level at the end of her cycle to determine whether or not she ovulated. An HSG is where dye is pushed into her uterus under live video and you can see whether the dye has problems going all the way through her fallopian tubes or not. Below is what a normal HSG looks like… you can see the white dye has filled up her uterus and fallopian tubes then is spilling out into her abdomen, which is normal. This tells us that sperm has no problem reaching the egg.

Then we measure a progesterone level. This is done after ovulation should have occurred. If it is below a certain number, she likely did not ovulate and we have to figure out why.

If she DID in fact ovulate and the male's sperm is good, the next step is likely intrauterine insemination (IUI). This is where the sperm is looked at under a microscope, spun down and made very concentrated, then placed into the female's uterus. I like to think of this scenario as a physical problem… all the "parts" are working on both ends, but the sperm just needs a little help reaching the egg.

If she did NOT ovulate, then likely the next step is oral medications to stimulate her ovaries to release a follicle. The most common medications used for this are Clomid, Tamoxifen, and Femara. While on these drugs, she comes to the office at least once a month to have an ultrasound done right before ovulation to measure her ovaries and the follicles inside them. This gives the doctor more insight into whether the dosage is correct based on how big her follicles are. Follicles are usually 20-24mm right before ovulation. If the follicles are the right size in preparation for ovulation, she is told to go home and "spend some time" with her significant other ;) If the follicles are not big enough, either her medication dosage can be bumped up or she may possibly be switched to another medication.

So, this was just a snapshot into what I learned this week! There is obviously SO much more that goes into infertility treatments but this is the "bread and butter", or the first steps. I have been so unbelievably blown away by the patience and strength these women have. Some of our patients have been trying for 2+ years to get pregnant.

Have you gone through any of these treatments or procedures? I'd love to hear any thoughts or experiences! And as always, praying for all the women that are wanting and trying for a babe of their own.

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Don't forget to enter the giveaway for an Erin Condren 2016 Life Planner!

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Erin Condren 2016 Classic Life Planner giveaway with

Lisa Loves John  |  The Davis Duo  |  Katie Elizabeth  |  Champagne and Suburbs

Confessions + a GIVEAWAY!

I'm baaack! It felt so great to "detox" from social media for a while but I did miss blogger land! Today I'm just going to word vomit everything that has been on my mind lately. And if you don't feel like reading, make sure you jump to the bottom to enter an amazing giveaway!

-I am having minor major anxiety about the fact that I don't have our Christmas card picked out yet. Or even a picture that I like. My Type A personality does NOT like this. This was our Christmas card from last year… I loved it! With it being our first married Christmas, it was SO easy being able to use a wedding photo. Can't I just use a wedding picture every year?!

-I was a wreck last week when our doggy had some sort of stomach bug. I hated seeing her sick! And I know it's going to be so much worse with kids.

-I have spent soo much time with my niece and nephew lately and it makes my heart so happy! They are getting SO big and have the cutest personalities.

-I haven't even started Christmas shopping. I am usually done by now. Whew.

-24 days until I am DONE with PA school. I can't even express the happiness this brings me. Tears of joy y'all.

-My birthday is Saturday and I'm kind of dreading it because I hate birthdays.

-I wanted to decorate for Christmas this past weekend but I felt like people would judge me. So I am making myself wait 2 more weeks. I am "that" Christmas person.

-We joined a new gym a few weeks ago and I have been taking cycling classes again. I get so burnt out at the gym so these classes have made me excited to work out again!

-I won the husband jackpot. He is so supportive, encouraging, etc. etc. He makes my life 1,000x sweeter.

-It's slightly terrifying going on job interviews and trying to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life. I mean, I will be a PA but from there the options are endless. Do I want to do pediatrics, orthopedics, family medicine, surgery, etc. Ah! I am terrified of choosing the wrong job and being miserable 1 week in.

And now for a GIVEAWAY! So excited to be co-hosting this amazing giveaway for a Erin Condren 2016 Classic Life Planner. With the New Year just a few weeks away, it is the perfect time for a new planner and a fresh start! Giveaway will end on Monday, November 16th!

Erin Condren 2016 Classic Life Planner giveaway with

Lisa Loves John  |  The Davis Duo  |  Katie Elizabeth  |  Champagne and Suburbs

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