Just Melancholy

My sister told me several months ago that her teenage daughter found out she was pregnant. I couldn’t believe it - her daughter is only 16! It really took us all by surprise, however, we all wanted to be supportive towards her and her decision on what to do about the pregnancy.

I can recall when I was young, a friend of mine became pregnant at age 15, and she married the father of the child. Their marriage was difficult and short lived because they were both too young to be married and raising a child - they were children themselves! The baby, now in her 20s, deals with a lot of abandonment issues because her father moved out when she was young, leaving her young mother to raise her alone.

I shared this story with my sister, and encouraged her to look into all alternatives for this unwanted pregnancy. I’m very much pro-life, so I was hopeful that they wouldn’t consider an abortion.

In the end, my young niece decided to give her baby up for adoption. I think it was a very mature decision to make - I’m sure it was difficult for her and her parents, but they all knew it would be too hard for my niece to try to raise this child, and have the chance to grow up herself.

With the gift of adoption, this baby will have the chance to be raised by two parents that love him and want him, and can give him all the attention and stability children require.

Once you have decided to become an egg donor to help infertile couples to conceive a baby, there is a long application process that follows. Here are the steps that most egg donation services follow to allow you to donate.

First, you must fill out an application to donate your eggs. This application ranges from a short questionnaire to several pages. The application inquires about your medical history, including general health quesions and your sexual history, your family medical history, your education, your personality, your physical traits, and many other things. Often, a psychological screening is also done in person or over the phone as part of the application process. After reviewing the application, the company will contact you, either accepting or rejecting you as a donor.

After being accepted, a profile will be that includes most of the information that you gave in your application. This allows potential parents to choose the physical and personality characteristics that best match their own or those that they desire.

As a donor, you will be screened through physical exams, as well as blood and urine tests. After the screening, the doctor will prescribe drugs to induce the production of more eggs, or begin Lupron injections to suppress your menstrual cycle, which makes it easier to synchronize your cycle with the recipient’s cycle. Typically you will give yourself daily injections of the hormonal drugs, as well as having five or more morning doctor appointments so they can monitor your progress through vaginal ultrasounds and drawing blood.

Finally, when the eggs are ready to be donated, the doctor will perform a procedure similar to a vaginal ultrasound, except that you will be given anesthia and will be semi-conscious. The eggs will be collected through the vagina with a needle with an ultrasound probe attached (to allow the doctor to see to guide the needle through your ovaries). A few hours later you can have someone pick you up and you will need to rest for the next day or so. Most patients experience PMS like symptoms, including irritability, moodiness, and lower abdominal pain during and for a short time after the egg donation. Usually you will have an exam following the egg donation. Within a few weeks you will be back to normal, a little richer, and perhaps happy to know that you may have helped a couple to become pregnant and fulfill their dream of having a child.

Living in Utah, it seems that there are business opportunities everywhere I turn. Hand drawn posters proclaim that if you buy and drink a certain type of juice, you’ll live forever, or never have wrinkles, or never get cancer. Or something like that.

I’ve always been skeptical of these types of things because I’m very frugal with my money. I have mouths to feed, and 5 childrent to take care of. I can’t be careless, however, I’m always looking for ways to bring in a little bit more money to help pay the bills, or put into savings.

My husband works long hours, and I know that he doesn’t have time to do much more than what he’s already doing. I decided to start looking for a legitimate Utah business opportunity so I could contribute to our household income.

I came across one that helps people get into the investment, mortgage, and real estate industries, and I’m excited about it. I’m able to work on it, even though I’m busy taking care of our kids. I’ve been working on it for a few months now, and it has been really helping us out. We’re hoping to take the kids to Disneyland this Christmas!

At any rate, I’m glad that there are legitimate opportunties out there - I know there are a lot of companies just looking to take your money, and I’m happy to have found one that works for us.

A friend of mine confided in me a while back that she and her husband have been trying to start a family for the past several years. She mentioned that they were trying to decide whether to begin infertility treatments using an egg donor, or turn to an adoption service to start their family.

She said she’s been sad about this for quite some time because she always expected to be a mommy, and she knew it would be very difficult - if not impossible - for her to become pregnant and give birth. She told me the more she and her husband discussed it, the more they wanted to adopt a child.

Just recently, my friend and her husband were able to adopt two beautiful children, thanks to an adoption agency that was straightforward, easy to work with, and honest. They were able to find the children they were looking for. She said she’s been so happy since they adopted their two children - a little boy and a little girl. I know she will be a wonderful “mommy,” and that even though they aren’t her children by blood, they’re her children nonetheless.

Recently my parents decided to get portraits done. They turned out great and since my parents loved the photographer, my Mom even had individual portraits done later.

Although I haven’t had my picture taken since my high school senior year (I don’t think I’m photogenic despite positive comments from friends and family), my Mom’s pictures captured her face beautifully, using lighting to accent her features and make her look years younger and thinner. They were very useful for using on her resume, for work pictures, and for sending to her parents and family.

I decided since I never take pictures, maybe a professional session would make me less camera-shy. I went to the same Utah photographer my parents used and found him very easy to work with. He really captured all my good sides. I’m famous for closing my eyelids at the precise moment that the lens snaps, but most of my pictures turned out with my eyes actually open.

Plus, he used computer imaging to erase some facial flaws that I don’t like. I posted my professional portraits on my websites such as myspace. On my networking I listed that I was considering modeling (for sport because I’m a personal trainer), and I even received several messages from photographers who wanted to do some shoots with me.

Although you don’t have to be a model, taking the time to get professional photography for just you or your family can provide you with beautiful shots that show off the best of you. Professional portraits are a great way to preserve a moment in time.

After graduating from high school, I was clueless about what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to be like all the girls I knew and get married right out of high school just to get out of their parent’s house. I was searching for a career, or at least an exciting adventure.

Although college was an option, I didn’t like the idea of wasting a year trying to figure out what I wanted from life by talking to a school counselor or taking advice from roommates. Instead, I tried talking to people about their own careers and trying different jobs to learn what my skills were and to build more skills.

Fortunately, I was able to talk to an acquaintance of my father who was a mentor for an entertainment program. The program was called Get a Mentor and provided an apprenticeship for eager students. It paired a student with a working professional in the radio, film, or TV broadcasting industry.

I had always been interested in film editing , although I had no prior experience. I set up an appointment and I discussed my finance and mentor options with Get a Mentor. I was able to work around my job schedule so I could pay for the apprenticeship. I was also set up with a mentor that I respected and with whom I worked well.

After a few months of classroom and on-the-job training, one of the contacts my mentor had introduced me to offered me a job. Now I am working in the film industry while all my friends are still in school and paying thousands of dollars to discover what they want to do with their lives. The best part is, I have work experience and I am not in debt for my schooling.

Despite negative stereotypes, women are moving into almost every profession, including the trucking industry. Although sexual harassment and other problems have kept women steering clear of trucking jobs, women are starting to fill the job gaps of needed truck drivers.

Women in Trucking is a new association founded to fight discrimination and interest more women towards a career in truck driving. It is designed to help combat and solve problems that women have in the trucking world, by fighting sexual harassment, improving cab environments and implementing tractor designs for smaller drivers, and giving women knowledge and support while pursuing a trucking job.

A truck driving job can offer women a flexible schedule and a large starting paycheck. And since the need for truck drivers is so high at the moment, truck driving teams are paid even more than driving solo. So you can work with your significant other and make more money together than solo.

Whether you want to start a career in truck driving on your own or with a significant other, now it is easier than ever for women to succeed in the trucking industry.

My girlfriend told me about something absolutely fabulous…outdoor adventure trips just for women. Apparently there are number of companies that offer all sorts of different trips, both domestically and internationally; anywhere from kayaking in the Caribbean to an African Safari, or Utah outdoor recreation at Zion National Park to back packing the Applichian Trail for the more rugged of us girls. There are numerous trips available to cater to all demands, whether you are a country girl or city gal. So if you need a break from the kids…try going on an outdoor adventure trip with some girlfriends. It could be an amazing, cathartic bonding experience.

Gardening is a relaxing way for me to get outside and grow vegetables that I can cook later. However, I always worry about getting bug bites and a sunburn from the harsh sun’s rays. I’ve found that the best way to avoid both problems is by wearing a hat. But not just a regular brimmed hat, but a bug hat. Although I felt a little silly at first, I found myself more carefree and relaxed while gardening, rather than annoyed at swatting bugs away. A bug hat has a fine mesh netting that comes down from the brim to around your collarbone. Now I don’t have to worry about bee stings, bug bites, or annoying flies! My bug hat is my favorite new gardening tool.

Before my husband and I started our family, we agreed that I would stay home to raise our children. When I had my first baby last year, it was a rough transition for me to go from working full time to being a stay-at-home mom. Even though I adore our daughter Chloe, I missed working. Plus, the bills were starting to add up, and it was harder making ends meet because not only did we lose my salary, we had more expenses.

I looked online to see what kinds of jobs I could do, and everything seemed like a scam. All these “secret shopper” jobs and “investment” companies seemed like a waste of time and money to me. I really wanted a legitimate job that I could do that could earn money.

I then stumbled on the idea of finding a dropshipping company, and selling items online. I’ve always been into jewelry and accessories, so I thought starting my own e-retail store selling those would be fun. The great thing is that I don’t have to carry an inventory. Doba, the company I found, drop ships everything to my clients. All I have to do is have a website and sell the items. Doba takes care of keeping the inventory and shipping the orders for me.

It’s been such a great experience for me to be able to work again, but still stay at home with my daughter. It helps me feel like I’m contributing, but I don’t have to feel guilty about leaving my daughter in daycare. Right now, my husband and I are going to save some of our extra money for a trip to Mexico - I can’t wait!!