April 21, 2011

We are pregnant!! Yes, it feels a little more real now. We found out Friday by a voice message. The message said "that my HCG pregnancy levels are 138, which is wonderful! So stay on your progesterone. We like to do three HCG levels. So you will come back in on Monday and then again on Wednesday. So congratulations it looks great, your definitely positive. It is a really strong level at 138".
We found out as soon as we were driving into Alabama (we went there this weekend for a wedding). Casey just smiled from ear to ear and I began to cry, then Casey noticed some friends of ours coming to the car. He said "dry it up" we can't look suspicious. We did not even have time to process it. It was straight to rehearsal dinner, the wedding the next day, plus I still was not sure what 138 means? So I wanted to wait until our last blood test on Wednesday (today). Apparently, there is not a certain number for your HCG, it can range greatly. The big thing you need is for your levels to double every two days. It will continue to do that (hopefully) for the first 12 weeks of your pregnancy. So my levels were... Friday=138, Monday=557, and Wednesday=1417 so my levels went above what they should have both times! Yippee!! Your HCG levels increasing are good indicators that you will not miscarry, have a biochemical pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy.
I still have not processed it. It is just amazing and hard to believe. When you have wanted and prayed for something so long and it happens, you just thank God over and over, and continue to pray, just a different prayer now. Thank you Lord for this baby, please  keep me healthy and help my baby to grow strong. I hope you all will continue to pray for me/us and our baby.
P.S. If you read this, great! I really wish I could have told you all in person but I could not make you wait any longer. Please do not share this news with others though. I really debated posting this early, but I know you guys who read this are itching at the bit to know. So I could not keep it from you any longer. I have an ultra sound in two weeks (September 1st). We are hoping to keep it in until then. I am just 5 weeks tomorrow. Thanks again for your love. I will update again September 1st!

Praying, nerves, shots, anxious, and going crazy!

Whew! Who knew how hard the wait was going to be? Apparently it is affecting me more than I think, but I do not realize it until night. When I wake up a million times and cannot go back to sleep. This week my time has been 3am. I usually wake up some time around there and cannot go back to sleep for an hour or two and when I do sleep, it is just dozing and cat naps. I am so tired! and so ready to find out if everything is going to work out. I have gotten in lots of good prayer time though at those 3am awakenings. I realize this is only the beginning though, right? Worrying! Isn't that what you do all the time as a parent? Well, we are so excited and to find out if this is going to be part of God's plan for us. I hope to update soon with great news!

Progesterone...Ouch!

Ok, so I need a little sympathy I guess. These shots are horrible! and to know that I have 9 weeks left! Big sigh! So today I went for a progesterone check, which was blood work to see my levels and see if they needed to adjust the amount I was taking (which is 1cc). So I get the message from the IVF nurse tonight and she says..."Kristi your levels look great, we need them to be at least 30 and your were over 80". I breathe for a second and think oh good maybe I will not have to take them anymore...WRONG! she then finishes by saying..."so keep up with your injections at 1cc everynight!."
They really were not bad at first. The needle is HUGE, the oil is thick! and honestly the first 3 or so shots were not bad. Now I guess because my butt is so sore they just really hurt. This maybe TMI, but my butt is completely bruised! yes, both cheeks, since we alternate sides. Tonight when Casey gave me my shot he said "I kind of liked giving them to you at first, it was neat, but know I just feel really bad." He is so sweet! I was hoping they would get better and maybe they will, but my poor buttocks is just so sore right now I do not see it having the opportunity to get better.
Besides my butt I am feeling good. A little cramping, but they said I would have that for about 5 days. We are both doing well, talking to my belly and our pictures everyday. Well, I talk to them all the time. I tell Casey when he gets home that I talked to the kids all day. Casey just smiles at me and ask what did you say to them?  I said you know, things like... I hope you are setting up camp in me because that is your home for the next 9 months! and things like I cannot wait to meet you, we are ready to be your parents, I love you already, I can't wait to be your mom etc...All the stuff they need to know! :)
I told Casey last night to talk to them. He said I already did, they better mind me! Hahahaha...
Well here is a picture of my needle! and my progesterone (very thick! it is in sesame oil).

Transfer Day

 

We are excited and crossing our fingers all goes well!

Today was the transfer and everything went great! It was so quick. It was about 10 minutes from the time they wheeled me back in the surgery room until they wheeled me out. I was up in the stirrups, Casey was beside me, the doctor came in, the nurse squeezed the goo/jelly so we could see it on the ultrasound monitor. In the monitor you could see the doctor put the tube-like thing in, moved it around a bit and then he said that is it! Then he came beside the monitor and said see that white dot? that is it!
So we did it! We are feeling good, being positive, and praying hard that these embryos like my nice warm body and that they will be making there fit and place roots to call this home for the next 9 months. It will be a nerve racking two weeks, but what an exciting time. What an awesome experience and journey that Casey and I have been on. We are stronger people as well as a stronger couple for going through this process. God had this plan for us and I am excited to be apart of it.
I will keep you updated!! Love you all!

Here are our babies! Please pray for them to grow healthy!

All is good

Oops! I thought I had posted this...we have 7 viable embryos. From the egg retrieval we had 13 follicles, of that 9 were ready, and 7 took. I think that is about average. If I remember correctly I thought they said about half or less take. We found that out on Friday. They called again on Saturday to say that they all still looked good and that we would continue with the transfer for Tuesday, August 3rd. That is a good thing too, a Day 5 transfer. I did not realize that until the other day. They had just been saying Day 3 or Day 5 transfer. If they have to do a Day 3 that means that the embryos are not developing on there own so they want to get them back in you, they have shown to do better growing inside your body than outside in the incubator. But we are good and everything looks great!
Oh yeah, progesterone shots...are you kidding me! When I updated last Casey had given me my first injection. It was fine, didn't really hurt, I was thinking "what was everyone talking about?", well now I know. You have to give it about an hour, your butt begins to burn, feel sore, and ache! Oh it is joyous! We have to alternate checks, so know both sides just hurt. I really hope I do not have to do these for 10 weeks, but if I do I will take them knowing that this is just the beginning of some of the sacrifices you have to make in being a parent!
We will not know anything else until we go in tomorrow morning. How exciting!!! I will most likely post again tomorrow, but then maybe not for a while, or not any updates, but it will just be a waiting game. I know I have said over and over how thankful I am for your love and support. You all have been so wonderful. Casey and I have talked about our journey and how nothing has been typical, but we are still not sure how to tell people when we are pregnant. We will find out two weeks after the transfer, meaning I will only be 4 weeks pregnant. I am sure you will know a lot sooner than they typical 8 to 12 weeks people typically wait, but we are not 100% sure when we will tell?  I guess I do not want to sound mean, but please do not call, text and email on the two week day, I PROMISE we will tell you! and we cannot wait to share this wonderful news with you all. I am not exactly sure how long it will take for the blood work to come back? maybe later that day or then next day depending on my appointment time. I actually have to go in for blood work,no peeing on the stick, well they do not recommend it, because I have been giving myself FSH injections and FSH is what the pregnancy sticks read, therefore you could have a false positive; then I am assuming we will have an ultrasound sometime soon. I know that I will be with the fertility doctors until 10 weeks and then I will be released back to my OBGYN.
I love your hearts, your friendship and your time in prayer for us. You are amazing! I am blessed to know you all. Hugs and Kisses!