Half Way There ... some memories

The time has finally come for A&T to share the news that they are expecting with friends and family. It's been a long journey which they decided to keep private until we were successful. Then our success was followed with more ups and downs throughout the first trimester bringing more reservations. Thankfully the pregnancy is thriving and their lil boy is developing normally and perfect as can be and it is time to introduce him to the world.

As some of you know, I created a DVD for them when we first became pregnant to share the wonderful news that they were expecting. The package showed up on their doorstep while they were out of town and the wait for them to get back home and receive their surprise was killing me!! It was the greatest joy to hear IM over the phone, sobbing and so excited when they finally got the good news.

Congrats again A&T, I feel so privileged to be sharing in this miracle with you. You are wonderful, caring and special people and will be amazing parents too.

BABY STEPS VIDEO

20 weeks

Merry Christmas and wishing everyone a very very Happy New Year!!!

20 weeks

Today was our 20 week appointment/ultrasound and all is looking great.

I didn't gain any weight these last two weeks which was just what I had hoped for. I've been trying to be more conscious about my food choices and not over indulging and it seemed to work. I also have been exercising again since getting the all clear two weeks ago, hopefully my efforts will prove helpful throughout the holiday.

The u/s went great, heart rate was 138 bpm and he is measuring 14oz right now ... still so tiny. It was awesome to not only feel him moving during the scan but see the movements that were causing the sensations too ... ultrasounds never get old. A&T are just enamored by their lil man (yes he is still a boy) and I can't wait for them to share their excitement with friends and family over the next week.

Jason came along for this visit and we went out to dinner following the appointment and had a wonderful visit. After wards we headed back to the house for some dessert and coffee with our girls and exchanged gifts. IM picked out a really nice Pea in the Pod top for me and they also gifted the family Wii Resort and some accessories for the Wii too. The girls were very excited and can't wait to try out the new game!

I always hate to see our visits end but they'll be back in 4 weeks. Next time (24wks) it will just be a routine visit, haven't had one of those yet. It will be weird not to get to do an u/s since we've been getting a peek every week to two weeks for the last couple months. Can't believe we are half way there !!

Working on a Dream

IM gave to me a CD with several songs to represent the journey. I can't listen to it without smiling ear to ear and at the same time getting misty eyed. What an amazing miracle we are witnessing. I've made a playlist which includes a few of the songs. Enjoy.

(You may need to first pause background instrumental by turning off player located at bottom of blog. To scroll and view all songs below use "Pop Out Player" tab. )

19 weeks

I'm hiccuping and covered in vernix. My hair is starting to grow too!

Everything is pretty much going as expected.

Next week is the anatomy scan where we'll get a nice long look at this lil guy and get to count fingers and toes once again. We've been pretty lucky to have an u/s each and every visit so far and I'm always excited to see him again.

18 weeks

So not to much to report, things have been quiet which is great. We had yet another follow up visit today, Baby Boy looked great. His heartrate was 141 and he was moving about and appeared comfy and cozy all snuggled in. The other news is that the bleed has reabsorbed but the undeveloped embryo still lingers. The doctor told me since everything looked good I could get back to normal life; time for my hubby, exercise (with in limits of course) and just enjoy the rest of the second trimester.

My weight gain came up, ugh ... I've put on something like 12lbs in just the last 8 weeks. So glad that she ok'd some more activity, hopefully getting back to the gym will keep me from gaining much more to quickly.

IM and I got to chit chat for a bit at a coffee shop after the appointment. I always love spending time with her, our relationship has really blossomed over the past several months and I feel like I can really be myself and enjoy what has become an very special friendship.

17 weeks

I can swallow and blink! I'm a 1/2 pound and my heart pumps 25 quarts a day.

Another week has gone by. Everything is going great. We did get another peek at the lil guy today and once again he was not shy to show off his stuff. Heartbeat was a strong and steady 146 bpm and he was busy and active once again. I'm feeling lots of movement now, still not strong enough to feel from the outside but noticeably there from the inside throughout the day. It appears that Twin A remains the same but the bleed wasn't even detected by the tech so maybe this means not more spotting from here on out. I still have instructions to take an easy and remain on pelvic rest. We are going back in another week just for another peek and then after that the next appt will be mid December for the 20wk "anatomy scan".

IM joined me again today, always so nice to see her. She got to meet my daycare crew and hang out a bit and stuck around through nap time so we could chow down on some Chinese together.

Here's another look at lil "Baby G". Doesn't he look cozy?

16 weeks (& gender news!!!)

Sugar and Spice & Everything nice is all I've ever known so it is a little weird to me that this time I'm carrying a BOY!!!

The follow up appt went great. I thought it was gonna be just IM today but turned out IF was able to come after all so when the tech asked if they wanted to know the gender answer was YES! This lil guy wasn't shy at all, showed us all his goods a couple of times. Heart rate was 141 and he looked perfect. Twin A is reabsorbing some and the OB described it as a "scab" on the sac of Twin B. We still aren't 100% in the clear, it could pull away from the uterine lining and cause more bleeding but all is looking pretty good. I'll go back in another week for yet another u/s and if all looks good from there we'll get back on a regular OB schedule.

I think it is all becoming more and more real to IM. They still don't plan to tell anyone till Cmas but she did admit to doing some window shopping online the other night. Now that we know the gender maybe she'll be doing more than just window shopping. So excited for them!!!

15 weeks

I can move and love to suck my thumb! My movements will soon be strong enough to feel.

Hello everyone! Wow can't believe we are at 15 weeks already, time is flying by.

Pregnancy-wise this has been a quiet week (which is good). I've been feeling great and experiencing movement on a regular basis which is a wonderful feeling. Nothing really new to report. We'll go back in to see the OB on Monday (11/16) just for a quick u/s check to be sure the bleed continues to reabsorb and baby looks good.

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending some time with my mom and three youngest girls, we went on a lil getaway to Minneapolis. The reason for the trip was to meet up with a group of surrogates from the Minnesota/Wisconsin area. There was a great turn out and we enjoyed spending a few hours visiting & eating. I hope to add some pics soon (gotta steal them from a fellow surro friend when she posts them ;) ) My mom, the girls and I spent the rest of our day at Mall of America. We did a lot of window shopping, the girls tolerated walking the mall but got a bit more restless when we'd actually step foot into a store. They really enjoyed Nickelodeon Universe and all the sights. Before heading home Sunday we had breakfast and hit IKEA for a bit. Chloe, Lauren and Isabelle were great travelers, thank goodness for DVD players. It was very nice to spend the time with them and my mom too.

14 weeks (Bouncing Baby on Board)

Today we had a great 14wk appointment. The basic details of the visit are; urine negative, blood pressure good, weight ... well let's just say I have my appetite back. We were taken back first thing for the u/s and we saw a beautiful bouncing baby! I know "A" was very relieved and I think a lil surprised to see her lil one so lively and "baby" looking. The munchkin had a good heartbeat of 145 bpm and measuring right on track. The tech also had to investigate the previous bleed from the miscarried Twin A and it appears to be reabsorbing which is great news. There is less of a risk of there being complications with each day that goes by without any bleeding. All has been quiet for the past week so just hoping it remains that way from here on out. Although a bit early the tech was trying to get a look at gender but it remains unknown for now, we'll see if baby cooperates next time around.

IPs and I were able to enjoy a nice relaxed lunch together and even began discussing details for the big day and all that comes before. It was great to hear them optimistically talking about their future family. A&T then came back to the house to hang out with Jason and the girls for awhile, we had a great afternoon visiting.

We will be going back in two weeks for another u/s just to check on everything, can't wait to see baby again. We got a few pics of baby, great images of hands, feet and even counted the little toes ... everything looks perfect.

Babies head on left, one arm stretched out above the head...too cute. :)

The Reveal

Ok here's a lil peek at the belly, hoping next week I'll have images to share of the little one that is occupying it. I've popped out quite a bit already for 13wks, I'd say the bump is comparable to my 18wk belly with our youngest daughter. Can't say that is all baby just yet though, a lot of what is sticking out is all the "stuff" my uterus has pushed out of the way. LOL Enjoy!

13 weeks

I've got vocal chords and my gender is visable. I weight one ounce and breath!

Not much new to report since the last update. I've been feeling ok, still having some brown spotting here and there but nothing alarming. Just anxiously waiting for next Monday's appointment and ultrasound. I think I may be feeling little flutters in my tummy but I have to sit very still and concentrate to feel anything, two things I rarely get time to do before bedtime. LOL

Update to ER Visit

I called my OB this morning but today is her day off so the OB on call said to rest, drink plenty of fluids and follow up with her tomorrow since the bleeding seemed to have stopped and we already had a 2pm appt set. They said they'd call over to the ER and get my records from last night for her to review. We'll a few hours later I got a call back saying they did want to see me today after all b/c the ER report was vague and the u/s info didn't really shed much light on anything...so I got to go in for an u/s this afternoon.

Basically what is going on is what lil placenta Baby A (the one we lost) began with is starting to separate from the uterine lining/wall. So this is the cause of the bleeding and it could go on for awhile or it could just stop. We are hoping it will still just reabsorb but he explained that my body may, but hopefully will not, try to expel it causing a miscarriage which could put Baby B at risk. We are not in the clear just yet even though Baby B looks good, he was honest and said we could still have complications and lose the pregnancy altogether. He did mention multiple times that Baby B is strong and healthy, heart tones were great, measuring a day ahead and looking good. I'm on pelvic rest and lifting restrictions but he said to go about my normal life as much as possible. I might continue to bleed but he said if I have hemorrhage like bleeding or extreme cramping to go to the ER or call the office ASAP. Unfortunately at only 12 wks there isn't much they can do so now we just wait and see.

It was reassuring to see Baby B and know s/he is doing fine but it is still scary that s/he is at risk. It's weird that for the last two weeks I've been grieving Baby A and now I actually just want the non viable embryo to go away and stop causing me/us this grief and uncertainty!! I go back in a lil over a week for a 14wk appt and u/s, lets pray all is well between now and then.

So that is the latest...continue to keep us in your thoughts please.

ER Visit

Well I ended up in the ER last night. Just before dinner time I bent down to do something and felt a gush, when I stood up another gush. I went to the bathroom and sure enough bright red blood. I had some brown spotting/bleeding the night before so when I called the OB yesterday I was instructions to go to the ER if I soaked a pad in an hour but who really wants to wait around for that! It was already 7pm and I knew if it got worse I didn't want to be sitting in the ER overnight so I called my mom and we headed over there. Of course the wait was forever, thank goodness my mom was there to keep me company. I finally went back for an exam and cervix looked good and she saw very little sign(s) of bleeding...by this point it was back to the brown again. I went back for an u/s and the tech didn't really show/say much the entire time and the screen was totally turned away from me. After 15 long minutes with my heart racing she turned the screen to me and said, "See a nice lil heartbeat". What a relief! I asked if she could still see the other embryo/sac and she could, in comparison to the thriving baby the sac still looked quite big. The ER is forwarding my u/s scan to the OB office and I'm supposed to follow up with her to get the results today.

So the news is good, baby is looking fine. My poor IM, I left her a VM around 7:00pm to let her know I was going to the ER, then a txt around 10:00pm to let her know baby was fine. I didn't hear from her which I thought was odd...it was because she was on a flight to NY. She called me at 12:40am once she landed and turned her cell back on, I was still up and we talked for a bit and I reassured her I was fine and baby looked good too. She apologized for leaving town, she said she thought booking this work trip would be ok at this point and time since we'd be in the 2nd trimester and I told her that her kid is already trying to ruin plans...isn't that what kids do?!?!

12 weeks

Today marks the end of the first trimester...wow that went by fast. I am welcoming the second trimester and all that comes with it. I have been feeling really good, energy is up and my appetite is back. A lil baby bump has begun which right now is a good sign that baby is growing. I am really looking forward to feeling movement, hopefully in the next couple weeks. This has always been the confirmation to me that everything is ok and I can't wait for that reassurance on a daily basis.

I think the mood right now with all of us is cautiousness. IM shared with me her feelings about the loss of the one twin, she is upset with herself for getting too excited about what could have been and leaving herself vulnerable and open to disappointment. I am hoping that our next OB visit will bring a fresh view of things and we can all feel renewed after seeing this lil one on u/s again thriving and growing as s/he should. Until then we just pray and have faith that all is well.

11 weeks

I'm an inch long and a fetus now! I've got fingernails and hair now too.

Well it is taking some time to adjust to the news we received Friday but doing well considering. Thanks so much everyone for your thoughts and prayers over the last few days. It's just hard when you've got yourself all psyched up and then something like this happens. Although I was looking forward to the experience since I've never carried twins and selfishly was enjoying the attention ... carrying a singleton doesn't effect the grand scheme of what I'm doing here and our one baby is still a miracle just the same. It's just taking a lil time to re adjust to thinking of this as a "regular" pregnancy.

I'm really excited about our next visit in three week, A&T are both going to be able to make it and I'm taking a personal day to spend some time with them. I'm hoping I can talk my OB into another u/s...originally she began to say we would have one next time but then corrected herself saying we should be able to hear the h/b by doppler. Maybe I can talk her into another peek so that they can see all is good with their thriving baby and to give them some reassurance. If she won't wiggle us on to the u/s schedule we'll have to wait till 20wks b/c IPs decided not to do the NT scan. I don't want the to have to wait that long so I'll see what I can do.

Hoping for nothing but good reports from here on out. Thanks again everyone.

Disappointing Update (but smiling)

I'll get right to the point. Today's u/s at 10 weeks 4 days showed that Baby A stopped developing at 8 weeks (2.5 wks ago). There is no reason or explanation why.... just one of those things. The other baby looks beautiful, so right now although this is sad news for us we can't help but just be thankful. Baby (B) was active, lil arms moving and legs kicking. S/he has a strong and steady heartbeat of 170bpm and was measuring 10w5d. Please say a prayer that all remains well with A&T's sweet lil one.

I can't really speak for my IPs right now but although the news is disappointing it is not devastating. We are still expecting a miracle next spring and couldn't ask for more. The doctor explained that since this has been going on for over two weeks now I likely won't have any bleeding, the embryo that didn't continue developing will be reabsorbed and will not pose risk to the remaining fetus.

The next visit will be in three weeks unless IPs decided to do the NT scan, then we will be seen sooner.

Thanks in advance for your prayers and thoughts.

10 weeks

Time is really going by fast, can't believe we are nearing the end of the first trimester already. Not much has changed. I still can't believe how lucky I've been...besides some minor symptoms I've been feeling pretty good. The fatigue is probably the worst of it, it's a total different feeling then just being tired. I'll be going strong and feeling good and then it's like I hit a brick wall and MUST take a short break. If a break isn't possible I find myself zoning out and staring off into space but that doesn't last long, the spell is usually broken by someone either yelling "Mommy" or "Miss Tiffany"!!

I've officially broken out the maternity wardrobe. I keep asking myself, "This "gut" wasn't here two weeks ago right?" I'm certain it wasn't and Jason and some friends have pointed out that it is there now so I'm not imagining things. ;) I plan to take some pictures today and hoping to take them each week or two to show IM how her lil babes are growing. :)

Yesterday was my last day of meds...woohoo!! Since my ovaries were suppressed prior to transfer my body did not begin producing estrogen and progesterone as it normally would when a woman ovulates. I've been taking synthetic hormones for the past 10+ weeks but now the placenta(s) are producing enough of these hormones on their own that I can stop medications. It had become a ritual to take them three times a day, it is strange to not have to worry about it anymore.

The first OB appt is right around the corner now, Friday morning. I'm nervous to meet the new doctor(s), I've heard lots of good things and am very confident that moving practices was the right thing to do but it is still a hard choice after being with my previous OB for 10 years. We'll also be getting an u/s at this visit. Can't wait to see these two doing flips and moving their lil arms and legs about. So excited to get a peek at them again.

9 Weeks

I/we weigh one gram! I'm getting bone and swimming soon.

Another week done, this puts us at 9 weeks now. All is still going well, I can't believe how good I feel for carrying twins. I was preparing myself for the worst during this first trimester and so far have been pleasantly surprised.

The hardest part has been dealing with my OBs office. All I can say is UGH!!! With some thought and input from IM we've decided to change providers. I've been with my OB for over 10 years so it is a hard move to make but the care I've received on my last several visits has been less than stellar.

Our next appointment with the new OB will be a week from Friday (10/9). We get an u/s too, glad to have the opportunity to get another peek at these two. Unfortunately my IPs can't make it out for this one but hoping the next visit we can make it work for everyone.

8 Weeks

Today marks 8 weeks and so far so good. I've actually been feeling pretty decent this past week. The fatigue isn't as bad and the queasiness has been minimal. There has been just enough to remind me that I'm preggo but nothing awful, so praying these babies are still growing as they should. Oh how I wish we could get a peek at them every week just to know for sure! My belly hasn't grown much yet. I know they are still just teeny tiny (about the size of a small grape now) but I thought with twins I'd be feeling a bit more "bloated" than I am. Maybe I won't be as big as I thought I might be in the first trimester after all. I have my maternity clothes on standby just in case though.

My first appointment with the OB is Wednesday. It should be a rather boring visit, just meeting with one of the nurses to review my chart, history, some lab work, etc. My IPs aren't coming out for this one but are hoping to make as many as possible.

We have heartbeats !!

At 6w3d babies are looking great. Baby A measured 6w1d with a heartbeat of 124 and Baby B measured 6w3d, right on track, with a heartbeat of 111. The RE assured us that all was fine and even released me to my OB with instructions to continue meds till week 10. So now my appointments will be out here in the Rockford area, woohoo!!! My IPs are interested in making as many appointments as possible so they'll be heading out this way now. Looking forward to them finally meeting all the girls and visiting our home too.

In other news, I started my aqua aerobics class last night, it was nice and I'm sure I'll enjoy it a lot come December or so when I start to feel huge.

As of now I have most of the typical symptoms, fatigue, queasiness, sore boobs and bloating. I was honest with IM when she asked how I was feeling and she apologized for making me feel so icky. I told her it was my pleasure.

Ultrasound says .....

Baby A & Baby B are right on track. That's right it is TWINS for A&T!!! We saw two gestational sacs each with a yolk sac one measuring 5w3d the other at 5w0d. We'll have another u/s next week and hope to see a couple lil beating hearts at that visit. Keep sending positive thoughts our way that these two continue to grow and develop.

Repeat Beta #

Well numbers are still rising and very strong.....today's beta at 12dp5dt was 2500 which is quite high, hcg doubling every 27.4 hours.

We are working on scheduling an u/s that works for A&T....Dr. said we could shoot for Thursday (9/3) so a week from today. Excited but nervous.

Beta News

Well today was our 10dp5dt beta...just for reference 17 is low, 132 is average and 439 is high for this point in a pregnancy (possibly indicating multiples). Our beta results ... 738 !!!! Oh my!!!

Repeat beta will be Thursday with an u/s to follow in approx. 2 weeks.

BFP!!!

I had the absolute pleasure of sharing a beautiful BFP with my IPs !!!! I am still just in awe and feel so very honored to be a part of this journey with them.

So the details are, woke up very very early Thursday morning and although only technically 4.5dp5dt decided to test. Now mind you I'd tested the day before and got a negative so I was really nervous about testing again but couldn't resist. You can only imagine my delight when that second line came up (test pictured at top) ... it was light but definitely there in all its glory. That same afternoon I took a digi and was over the moon to see "Pregnant". The second test pictured here was taken Sunday evening ... the line is obviously much more prominent now and a true Big Fat Positive.

I finally shared the news with my IPs just tonight who were MIA over the weekend, the nerve of them to take a quick trip to NY! They are very excited although I could sense IM was still trying to be cautious. She and IF both wanted reassurance that my BFPs were real...I promised them they were very real. LOL I got the sense they hadn't really processed the news just yet. It will hit them soon enough.

Our first beta is tomorrow ... I'll update when the numbers are in.

Sticky Thoughts!!!

We couldn't have asked for a better transfer, everything went great. There are two grade 3AA embies hopefully snuggling in right now. There are different ways to rate embryos but in this is how our clinic breaks it down.

Blastocyst development and stage status: 3 = Full blastocyst, cavity completely filling the embryo
Inner cell mass quality: A = Many cells, tightly packed
Trophectoderm quality: A = Many cells, forming a cohesive layer

The RE said they were "EXCELLENT" and that he wishes all his patients embryos looked this good. With the IVF process conception has of course already taken place so the question is will an embryo implant into the lining of the uterus and continue to develop? The RE said based on the quality of these embryos, statistically there is a 70% chance a pregnancy will occur, 30% chance it may be twins.

Jason and I had a great visit with A&T today as well. So very nice to catch up and spend the afternoon with them.

Beta is scheduled for Tuesday 8/25. Send those sticky thoughts our way!!!

Fertilization Report

I heard good news from IM yesterday. The response this time was good and there are a number of occytes to work with and several have fertilized. Now the embryologist(s) will pick the best two for transfer. Keeping fingers crossed that we have at least a couple grade A beauties to choose from on Saturday.

As of Monday I started Prometrium 3x per day and today add in the Medrol daily and Doxycycline 2x a day while continuing Estrace 3x a day, 81mg of baby aspirin and prenatals. Thankfully no PIO unless progesterone levels are low or there is bleeding after transfer.

3 more days!

It's Eggie Day

Well today is the retrieval! The clinic called Saturday to say they are super pleased with the response this cycle and everything is coming along beautifully. Aspiration will be this morning and then on to bath'n those beauties in some swimmers. LOL

I will get further instructions on my meds this afternoon/evening and then hopefully they'll keep me in the loop with a fertilization report tomorrow too.

I think it is interesting that had our very first cycle worked the due date would be today, August 10th. Now instead of this part of our journey just ending it is just beginning....today is baby mak'n day!

Keep your prayers coming ladies. I'm really optimistic that this is our cycle and want more than anything to share some awesome news with my IPs in 10 days. Our TWW begins.....transfer Saturday....POAS 5 days later!

Coasting Now

Hey everyone, just a quick update on our cycle.

Had a monitoring appt this morning so into Chicago I went. Everything is right on track. My lining is looking good at 8.8mm (RE recc. minimum 8mm for transfer) so it will be super fluffy by transfer time which is lil more than a week away. Bloodwork came back and all is well so I'm just coasting, continuing 5u Lupron, 2mg Estrace x3 and 81mg baby aspirin daily, until the retrieval early next week.

Contracts are revised and signed and consents for the clinic are out of the way so now all we need are some nice looking embies and a BFP.

So far so good

Things are coming along nicely. I made another trip into the RE Monday. That's the third trip into Chicago in two weeks, 3-4 hours of driving each time! I must admit though, besides the occasional heavy traffic I do enjoy the solitude of being in the car all by myself. ;) The appointment was for bloodwork and u/s. They were monitoring to make sure I am suppressed after being on 10u Lupron for the last 10 days. I stopped BCP on Wed and started my second AF for this month on Friday, gotta love being synced and having two cycles in a months time! Everything looked good on u/s and the b/w numbers indicated that I have not ovulated so we are right on track. My instructions were to decrease Lupron to 5u daily and begin 2mg Estrace 3x daily and continue 81mg baby aspirin and prenatals. Next visit will be in 10 days to do a lining check (Aug 5). Hoping we have a nice fluffy triple stripe lining for some lucky lil embies to snuggle into.

I was able to have breakfast with IM, it was soooooo nice to see her. It was great to catch up and chat about family and how this summer has been treating us both. She and IF are off for an annual vacation next week and when they get back....it's baby mak'n time.

Dates are still the same, retrieval is planned for August 10-12 depending on when they have RE recommends trigger, then transfer 5 days later August 15-17th. It's getting close, less than 20 days away!

Cycling has begun

Hoping and praying that the 3rd times a charm!!! I went into Chicago for a baseline u/s and bloodwork Monday but have to go back tomorrow for a hystrosonogram. I guess the RE was just coming back from being out of town Monday and hadn't reviewed my chart so I'll be making two trips this week. I started a 9 day regimen of BCP to sync cycles on Monday, then Friday I begin Lupron injections...I love doing those...seriously, I'm not being sarcastic. LOL My first monitoring appt will be Monday, July 27th to make sure I'm suppressed and then the estrogen supplement will begin to build up a nice fluffy lining in my uterus with weekly checks until transfer.

As of now the retrieval is planned for sometime between August 10th and 12th (depends on how she responds to meds and when follicles are mature). Then they fertilize the lil eggies, let them grow for 5 days and then transfer them which is tentatively set for the weekend of August 15th. It's baby making time!!

Oh got good news from the IVF coordinator. Turns out the PIO was sent because she thought I had bleeding/spotting after my previous transfers so it was added into the protocol as a precaution in case there was any this time. They were mistaken, I haven't had any bleeding either of the previous times so I likely won't need it at all. Guess it is good to have on hand just in case though but my bum is relieved that it likely won't be needed.

I talked with IM through email the other day, contracts are being drafted and will be ready for signatures in the coming week(s). Gotta get those wrapped up before we transfer but really nothing is changing, so it should be no biggie.

I hope to meet up with IM at my monitoring appointment on the 27th, we haven't seen one another since the last transfer in January. It will be so nice to sit down and chat face to face again, it seem like it's been so long.

That's the latest.

Meds have arrived

The meds have arrived and cycling will officially begin in just a few days time. The first step is BCP which will start when AF shows next week. I'll be putting a call into the clinic then to find out when Estrace starts and monitoring appointments begin. When reviewing my meds list with the pharmacy I found out we'll be doing PIO this time....oh my! I actually enjoy the injections (strange I know) but up to this point I've only done sub-q ones which are a piece of cake. Those inter muscular ones can be a b**** from what I hear and the needles are quite intimidating. It looks like the RE is only doing a 10 day regimen though and then weaning on to suppositories or doing some kind of combo so at least it isn't weeks and weeks of arse poking.

I haven't seen our calendar/protocol yet but according to the IVF coord all is on track. The retrieval should be between Aug 10th-12th putting transfer the 15th - 17th. I risk sounding like a total country bumpkin saying this but our dates fall right over the Boone County Fair weekend and I'll be disappointed to have to miss watching my brother in the demo derby. It is all for a good cause though. We'll just have to wait and see.

Still no word yet about contracts, we should be reviewing those very very soon so hopefully I'll hear something in the next week or so.

Possible Dates Already

Yeah!!!! I just talked to our IFV coord and looks like retrieval will likely be between Aug 10-12 (transfer Aug 13th-17th). Woohoo!!! This news was quite timely, AF showed today so it's CD1 and the clinic will likely have me in for a few labs (it's been awhile) and then we'll start meds with my next cycle.

Getting all the ducks in a row

Well IPs are back from their little getaway to Italy, gotta use up all those frequent flyer miles since hopefully jet setting will be a thing of the past before long.

Now that they are back home it is time for A&T to begin the process all over again so we can move along to the next transfer. We also need to revisit contracts since they expired as of this month. Lots of things to take care of yet so no timeline as to when everything will take place but just wanted to update you all on our status.

Final Results for 2nd Cycle

Unfortunately the second time around is no different from the first. Again I want to thank everyone for their well wishes and prayers for A&T.

They will be meeting with the RE next week to discuss the next steps. This isn't over yet!!!

A Dream (Surrogacy Poem)

by Lain

Our friendship started differently,
Than most friendships I've had.
We had to search each other out,
because of something sad.

A precious child to fill your hearts,
Is what you're longing for.
Infertility has made it hard,
to open up that door.

And so a search began for you,
to find a helping heart.
So similar to my own search,
not knowing where to start.

For me, the search is special,
it requires such great care.
A couple to have a child...
the fruit my search must bare.

Now we've found each other,
so much more real it seems.
Through faith and hope and honesty,
we're moving toward your dream.

But the dream we have,
it is the same, a dream that's filled with firsts.
First smiles, first laughs, first steps, first words.
All starting with a birth.

Often times I find myself wondering what it's like,
to have to trust a stranger with such a precious life.
And though I can't imagine,all that you've been through,
I hope you know I'll do my best to bring a child to you.

Surrogacy is something not everyone can do.
But I've been so blessed in my life,
I'm drawn to helping you.
Some people call us Angels, us surro-moms to be.
But I don't feel angelic, I just feel like me.

Our journey is just starting,
and no one knows the end.
I pray it brings to you a child,
and brings to me a friend.

TWW begins

Well we transferred one 3d 7.5 cell "nice looking" embie today. The Dr. commented that the quality of this one was better than the last transfers so we are keeping everything crossed that it sticks.

DH and I hung out with IPs for a couple of hours before heading home. I'm gonna chill out today and tomorrow to let this one snuggle in. I've promised myself no peeing till 7dp3dt so I'm keeping away from the HPTs till Saturday. Beta is 2/12.....which is also DD's 9th birthday.

Quick Recap of the Last Few Days

At IMs appt Monday there were 4 nice looking follies with a 5th they thought would catch up by the ER, they ended up retrieving only 3 yesterday however. Fertilization report is in, 2 matured but only 1 fertilized so we have just 1 lil embie again this time around. We were really hoping for at least 2 but I guess 1 is better than none and it only takes ONE right?

Transfer will be Sat AM at 10:15 and then the wait begins. We could use your prayers, babydust and belly rubs!!! Fingers crossed that this one sticks!

Cycle Update

IM had her first monitoring appointment Wednesday, she only had 5 follies ... not the best but we knew she probably wouldn't respond exceptionally from the beginning of all this. Last cycle there were only 5 follies at the first check also, by the 2nd check two had reabsorbed so we really only had 3 and then one didn't mature so 2 total at retrival. This time around at her 2nd check, which was today, there are still 4 out of the 5 follies that are developing nicely so all is looking good. Hoping there are still 4 nice follicles there at retrieval time.

As for me, I'm going to be taking Ganarelix (along with other meds) till Tuesday which is when my next appt is. We are having some communication issues between the clinic, insurance and the pharmacy that have been a bit of a headache to sort out but hopefully that will be resolved by today. Poor IM...I've been calling her every day since Wed. with this issue, she doesn't need this stress. Insc said they need to hear from her again so hopefully she can make the call , get the approval and the pharmacy can schedule my meds to be delivered that I need by Sunday night. Ugh!!

Back to cycling news, IM will get her hormone levels back this afternoon but the IVF coordinator said that based on how everything looks trigger may be as early as Tuesday with a Wednesday retrieval. That would put our transfer at next Saturday, only 8 days away. This cycle is going by fast!

Looking Good

Today I had a monitoring appt with the clinic. All is on track and looking good. My lining after 10 days of Estrace is at 7.80 mm so all should be fine and dandy by transfer time. I picked up the remainder of my meds, I'll be taking Ganarelix instead of Lupron this cycle and have been instructed to begin that tomorrow. It is very similar to Lupron, another sub-q injection but the advantage is fewer doses, I only have to stick myself 4-5 times vs. 14. All the other meds are the same expect they've added baby aspirin into my protocol but didn't give me any instructions. I'm guessing I'm to take one daily but I'm going to call them tomorrow to verify that before I start.

IM's next appt is Wednesday. As of now we still don't have a tentative transfer date but last time the ER was 13 days after she began meds, that would put this ER at Jan 30th and likely another 3dt this time so February 2nd or about would be the big day.

"A" met up with me after my appt for some coffee while I was in the city, we had a great visit as always and could have talked for hours but I had to head home to relieve DH from kid duty so he could go to work.

That is the latest, two weeks till baby mak'n time.

Cycling Again!

Today I made a very treacherous trek into the city for an appointment. We had some snow overnight that made the roadways a mess and traffic a nightmare but I was determined to get there and get this ball rolling. After a 3.5 hour adventure (usually takes me 1.5 hours) I made it. Thankfully by the time my appointment was done the roadways were clear and the drive home was much easier.

The bloodwork and u/s were all good. Turns out my period was nearly a week later than expected which threw off the protocol a bit. They've switched to a "short" protocol and I begin Estrace tomorrow. Previously I took 2 wks of BCP and 10 days of Lupron before moving to this step. I don't have our cycling calendar yet, they'll contact me with the full protocol and tentative transfer date after touching base with IM on Monday.

So in short, we are cycling again already!! Woohoo!! Praying hard for a miracle in 2009!