We are................

PREGNANT!!!!! Yes that is correct, I have been wanting to tell on here for a while, but wanted to wait until we had the first ultrasound. I have had 3 positive bloodworks and then 3 positive sticks. Lane told me no more tests, but I have just been scared something bad would happen until I talked to one of my bestest friends and she reminded me that this is in God's hands now and He is in control of everything. So I put my complete trust in Him and we will see where this goes.

We had our first ultrasound today and I had ants in my pants all day. We had our little scare a couple of weeks ago with the bleeding and cramping and everyone thought for sure we lost one of our embryos, so that is just what we pictured. Our numbers weren't to high and then they didn't double and all of that so they thought one of them were gone and the other was picking up steam. We get to the hospital and go back and they said well lets just start with a belly ultrasound, which I was thankful for, b/c I was sick of the vaginal ones to be quite honest. The tech said oh there is baby and then said and there is baby #2. WHAT?!?!?! Are you kidding me? Lane and I just looked at each other and were in disbelief. His face was priceless asking are you sure?, is this for real?, what? I am still not sure if it has sunk in yet to be honest. This is the greatest Christmas present I could ever ask for. TWINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still can't wrap my head around it. We got to see their hearts beating, one was at 144 and the other was 143 and I am 7 weeks and 1 day. Still aren't posting this on FB yet, want to wait until about 12 to 15 weeks if I can hold it in that long, but our due date is August 15th. So here are a few pics of what has been going on the last few weeks. Thanks to all for your prayers . We are so blessed. God is good!!!


7 days post transfer, line is light but it is there. woo hoo!!!



14 days post transfer


Lane being goofy


Hoping there is something in there at Christmas


Here they are, our little babies!!!

Fireman Christmas Party

So last night was the annual Mishawaka Firefighter Christmas party. It usually entails the guys acting crazy and karaoking, but for the last 2 years it has been really mellow. We had dinner at Reggio's and then went to someone's house after for a few hours. I wasn't feeling in the dress up mood and feeling fat, so I opted for the black tights, long sweater and as my friend Kaley would say Peter Pan boots. I am always excited to go and hangout with my girlfriend Mo and we said ok we have to get lots of pictures. So I got out my brand new memory card for my camera and we were on our way. Mo sends me a text on the way saying she forgot her camera, but no problem I have mine. As I pull my camera out it says memory card error. Whoever in the world would think to check that, obviously not me. So to say the least we got one picture, which all in all is pretty cute, but I wanted more to post. We had a great night and thankful for all of the friends I have made from the department.

Beta #3

So we just got back from Ft. Wayne after a long 2 day wait to see what our numbers had done. Me being Mrs. Pessimist I was always fearing for the worst, when everyone else around me is positive, thank goodness. Well my number the other day was actually 423 and today it was 824, which is wonderful. My progesterone was over 300, which is unheard of and also a huge problem I have had in the past. It at one point was only 1, horrible!!! So things are on the up and up for us. The doc will keep a close eye on us and we will have our next test on Dec. 28th. I can't wait!!

Numbers

So this week has been stressful and I am trying to not make it that way, but it is hard!! Sunday I was suppose to get my first HCG level drawn, but Friday at work I started cramping really bad and bleeding. I was a hot mess. Doc still wanted me to come in Sunday for my level so I did. It needed to be at least 50 and it was like 280 so that was great!! I went today to get my level rechecked and it needed to go up by 66% to show things were working properly. Well it only went up 53%, so now I have to go back to Ft. Wayne again Thursday and get it checked again. They said that it wasn't good or bad. Gotta love the medical field. I looked at Lane and said can just one thing go right please?!?!?! It is so frustrating, you are so happy then sad, then happy and sad. It is an emotional rollercoaster. So please pray my numbers Thursday are better than today and we will go from there.

What a Thanksgiving

Well it is done. The 2 little embryos have been implanted and now the waiting game. This has been a LONG week.



We were scheduled to go for the transfer Thanksgiving morning at 8:30 and be there at 8:00. Everything was going ok until Wednesday and I was feeling terrible. I kept dry heaving but nothing would come up, I even tried to make myself puke but nothing. Oh the heaving and heaving and finally Lane and my mom convinced me to call my doctor. He had me drive to Ft. Wayne to check me out and he wasn't feeling to good about the transfer the next day. I was dehydrated and my ovaries are HUGE. Way bigger than normal and they will keep growing is the bad thing, so he was nervous. He gave me medication for the nausea(which was awesome) and said I had to drink drink drink fluids all night and see how I felt the next morning.

I woke up and was feeling much better, so we headed for Indy. My hemoglobin level had to drop from what it was the night before and thankfully it had so the doc gave us the go ahead. I was so relieved!!!! I got into my beautiful outfit again and popped in my vallium. The only bad part was I had to have a full bladder so I drank and drank some more water. I was in lala land and back they took me. Lane got dressed into his spacesuit, but I was to doped up to get a picture, which I am quit sad about now, but into the room we go. They show us the dish with our name on it and in they go. The whole time I was praying please don't let me go to the bathroom all over the place. I didn't even look at the ultrasound machine, just layed there with my eyes closed praying dear God let this work and let me hold my bladder!!!! About 10 minutes later we were finished and a little after that we headed home.

Before I knew it, it was Thanksgiving lunch time. Man was I hungry. I have decided that i LOVE vallium. It was the best thing ever. That had finally worn off and i was in my recliner eating my meal. Everyone thought it was funny to take pictures of me, I look horrible, but still didn't much care. I was thankful this process was over with for now and now we wait. I hate waiting, but on the 6th we get our first set of labs, which really isn't that far away. I can't wait!!!




Now this will be a Thanksgiving worth remembering!!

5 day transfer

Just got the call from the biologist that we will be having our transfer thanksgiving day. Out of the 14 that have fertilized 7 meet the criteria for the 5 day transfer which is great. Thr others they are going to put into the incubator and hopefully they will be able to freeze some of them just in case we need them for later.

Retrieval Day

So Saturday morning we woke up bright and early and made our journey down to Indianapolis for our egg retrieval. I was quite anxious, so I was glad when we got there we didn't have to wait and we got right in. Also my doctor whom wasn't on call still came in to do my procedure, so that made me feel even better. I guess you would get a little nervous thinking about someone sticking an ultrasound probe with a long needle on the end of it and going through your vaginal wall into each ovary. Sound like a blast!!!

They took me back and got me changed into my lovely outfit, which included a gown, hat and booties(very sexy). They got my IV started and before long they were walking me back. I had barely gotten to lay down and the anesthesiologist said I am giving you the drugs and the next thing I wake up and am back in my room. It was a breeze. I was worried for nothing. I stayed there about another hour and we were on our way home. Lane said I wasn't asking the same questions about 5 times and I had to make sure that he texted Mo and Tori to know I was ok:) I decided on the car ride home I would go ahead and take a Darvocet to make sure the pain stayed away and boy was that a mistake. I was so sick after that. Dry heaving for like 20 minutes and so dizzy. So I finally fell asleep at home and when I woke up I thought I will just try half of a pain pill. Still no good. So I suffered the rest of the day in horrible pain just taking my tylenol and thinking to myself oh my word I can't imagine having a baby. I made it through and am feeling much better tonight(Sunday).

I had a total of about 50 follicles to choose from and from those they were able to extract 29 eggs, which is great!!! This morning we got an update from the biologist and of the 29, they were able to ICSI 19 of them. 12 have fertilized so far and we will learn how the other 7 are doing Monday morning. Great news!!! Now just waiting for the transer which will either be Tuesday or Thursday. Hoping for thursday, b/c that means they will have made it to the blastocyst day 5 and chances are a little better then.

Finally....Retrieval

So after much anticipation I went back to the doctor this morning to see how things have progressed over the last couple of days. Got my estradiol level drawn and another ultrasound and the nurse would call me in the afternoon with results. I was waiting and waiting and waiting and finally at 4:00 today I got the call. The doc said it was time I am ready to go. I have never been more happy to hear that I will be having surgery in all my life. I was so excited I couldn't even stand it. I of course texted everyone I know to keep them updated that my sugery will be on Saturday. I will be so happy to get these stinkin eggs out of here you don't even understand. I am horribly bloated and am in a world of pain. I can't sleep at night, I am nauseous I am guessing this is what it feels like when you are prego, so I am just getting some practice hopefully. My levels were over 4,000 holy cow, that would explain the unnecessary amount of crying lately that has been driving my poor husband absolutely insane I think, but he is being a trooper.

So I go back to the doc tomorrow for my pre-op appointment and will be heading to Indy bright and early Saturday morning for the retrieval. Please pray this goes well and they get a lot of mature eggs that fertilize. Just think in about 6 days I could have 2-5 day old fetus's growing inside of me. Not trying to get to excited about that, but I just can't help it!

Update

So today I went back to Ft. Wayne for a follow-up appointment to see how the Follistim was working and is it ever. I knew I felt terrible and wasn't making all of this up in my head. I am on the verge of OHSS(overian hyperstimulation syndrome), so I have to cool it down for a couple of days. I have so many follicles in there which is good(at least 30 or so now), but they don't want all of them to mature. So I will continue my Lupron and go back to the doc on Thursday for more bloodwork and another ultrasound and then hopefully we can do the retrieval Saturday or Sunday. So not the news that I really wanted, but it could be worse.

Follistim

So today I started yet another medication. Now 1 shot in the morning and 2 at night. I am getting use to it, but let me tell you my stomach is looking like a war zone and it is starting to hurt a little. You can inject it in your leg, but for some reason in my head I believe if it goes in my stomach it will work better. I know probably crazy, but I want this to work the first time! I have become quite bloated and almost went out and bought some maternity pants just so I would feel more comfortable, thus I just went to wearing sweat pants. Very classy I know. I have been injecting myself for 29 days now, b/c the Lupron completely shut my system down and now I am a few weeks behind. I go back to the doc next Tuesday and am hoping that the follicles are big enough and we can plan the retrieval soon. It looks like now things could fall on Thanksgiving week, but man I sure hope it doesn't mess up my Black Friday shopping, that is my favorite day of the year. I know I'm nuts. So until next Tuesday we shall see what happens.

Kids

I love it when my friends send me pictures of their little ones via text, so what do I have to send back.....this:) He was extra cuddly Sunday morning.

Shot in the buttocks

So yesterday I made yet another trip to Ft. Wayne, b/c it was day 36 and still no period. I know you are all thinking you are pregnant, but of course not, test was negative. So since I still hadn't they had to give me 2 shots to make it start. Walked in, nurse said drop your pants, I think that Lane was probably jealous, b/c it wasn't him telling me to do that. Lol!! Will probably take effect in the next few days. They said the Lupron must really be working good on my sytem, b/c it has completely shut me down. So I got a shot in each cheek. One of progesterone and another of oil and YOUCH let me tell ya they weren't to bad at first, but then a little later was I sore. Especially trying to lay on my back last night. So let's hope this works soon so we can get this show on the road. I hate waiting!!!!!

Ruger

So this is our dog Ruger. He is one spoiled dog I tell ya!!! I feel sorry for him whenever we have a baby, b/c he won't know what to do when he isn't the center of attention. We rescued him when he was just a puppy. Yes his is a pit bull, but I promise the nicest one you will ever meet. He loves playing with our neighbor kids and his best friend is a toy poodle named Oscar. He goes on car rides whenever he can and absolutely loves to swim.
Yes this is really how he sleeps. Pathetic!!

Him and Oscar at Christmas.


He is a little naughty sometimes!!


But I love this little guy!!

Nausea

So the side effects from the medication are definitely hitting me. I obviously don't know what morning sickness is like, but I am pretty sure I have it everyday around 2 in the afternoon. I get afternoon sickness instead, which is ok, b/c then I can work all day and feel good until it is about time to go home in which I just go home and sleep. I get really nauseous(haven't actually gotten sick yet, b/c I will do WHATEVER to keep from doing that) dizzy and then the muscle cramping is awful. Guess I won't get much of the weight gain, b/c I don't want to eat, score for me:) I was laying around the other day saying what in the world am I doing to myself and Lane said we are only a few days into this. I know I said and I could have to do this up to 5 more times if it doesn't work. I can't even imagine. Lord please let it work on the first try!!! Thanks everyone for all your wonderful comments and for following this more to come......

Lupron-Day 1

So this will be my first blog...one of my best girl friends told me I should start this so here it goes. For most of you reading this you know for the last 3 years Lane and I have been trying to get pregnant with no success. We did a bunch of fertility testing a year ago and nothing happened and today we start our in-vitro process. Woo hooo!! You may ask what this means, well daily shots of hormones(I apologize now Lane), bloodwork, ultrasounds and surgery to come. Doesn't that sound pleasant? It will all be worth it in the end though if it works. Lupron is the medication I started today and I haven't done this before so hopefully the side effects won't hit me to hard. Headache, vomiting, swelling, rapid weight gain, dizziness and many more wonderful things. Wow I am so excited about all of those. So anyone else reading this that has been through this before feel free to give me any advice or pointers you may have. And I will try not to be to graphic:) Enjoy!!