Cast of Characters

Now that I've been writing for a while, I've decided that I need a more coherent way of referring to people. And honestly, I get tired of writing out "Husbandido's oldest brother's wife;" it just takes too much space. If you ever wonder who I'm talking about, this is the place to come.

Me - my undergrad degree is in Chemistry, and I spent 7 years working on my PhD in Biochemistry. Unfortunately, my research didn't work out, and I left without a graduate degree. I am currently a housewife/personal trainer for myself. Hobbies include gardening, reading, and ballroom dancing.
Husbandido - hardworking computer programmer at (name redacted). Favored free-time activities include board games, video games, and ballroom dance.

Names have been changed to protect the innocent (and me).

Robin - our orange fluffy cat, our oldest
Biscuit - her full story is here 
Bilbo - our youngest, a lynx-point Siamese, also from Siamese Cat Rescue Center, our most affectionate cat, also our scaredy cat

Mom - I am fortunate to have a great set of parents that have been a great example for me of what married life should be like; they've been married for over 40 years, and they're still going strong. Though Mom has no experience with IF, she has been great at listening to me whine, complain and moan. She's also helped out with the costs of treatment; without that aid, there would be no way we could pursue treatment if I didn't work. There may be a latent family history of IF on her side of the family as one of my cousins has also been through IF; all of the previous generations had their children much earlier. 
Dad - My father has suffered from hearing loss and has worn hearing aids since he was a small child. His conversational skills may not be the greatest, but (aside from the usual pre-teen/teen angst) there has never been any doubt that he loves us. Recently I have discovered that there is a family history of IF on his mother's side. Bonus factoid: he wanted more children, but Mom said only if he carried them.

Grandma - my only remaining grandparent; my mother's mother; she will turn 90 in 2015

Munchkin - my younger brother
I - my brother's wife who went through IF after a benign tumor on her pituitary gland ruined her endocrine system
Posey - their daughter, born summer 2012

MIL - Husbandido's mother, native Pittsburgher, sweet, but sometimes unintentionally hurtful with regards to IF
FIL - Husbandido's father, also a native Pittsburgher, slightly gruff but very warm and supportive underneath it

E - Husbandido's oldest brother
W - E's wife; significantly older; has a daughter from her previous marriage (K, see below)
Danny - our oldest nephew, who is autism spectrum, born 2001
Kirk - our other nephew, born 2003

K - our step-niece, only a few years younger than us; she had both her children with her ex-boyfriend who has since married someone else
Mark - her son, born in 2009
Cindy - her daughter, born in 2010

N - W's sister, who has been welcomed into Husbandido's family as she and W have very little family surviving
Mercy - her daughter, our not quite a niece, born in 2009
JD - Husbandido's second oldest brother, still single

F - Husbandido's older sister, the second youngest of the four siblings
P - DD's husband, initially common-law, later had wedding
Epsy - their daughter, born in 2010

I may add to this list if I find myself mentioning others frequently.

Last update 11/28/16