NT scan report!

We had the NT scan today to look for signs of Down's Syndrome and the babies passed with flying colors! Both babies had nice, flat necks. They were both measuring a few days ahead and had heartrates of 154 and 155 bpm. Here are the 3D pics. The sonogram was just too cool today! We of course have another sonogram in 2 weeks, that won't be 3D. I'm hoping that the PA will look for little pee-pees or little vaginas. :)

Baby A- (not cooperating well and didn't get great pics)


Baby B (trying to deflect a head-butt from Baby A)


And the 2 babies together-Baby B on left and Baby A's head on right.

Growing!

I haven't posted in awhile so I figured I would update everyone with some pics too. Both babies are doing well. We go for another sonogram on Wednesday and it will be a 4D one. We're hoping to get a peak at the sexes of the babies but it will be pretty early! I'm doing well, feeling great but always tired. Anyway, onto the pics...

7 weeks 1 day



8 weeks 1 day



babies at 8 weeks 4 days (B on left, A on right)



9 weeks 1 day



No 10 week pic for some reason...

11 weeks 1 day



12 weeks 1 day



And updated baby pictures to come on Wednesday! ~~Carrie

TWINS!

What more can I say, we're having TWINS!

Obviously the ultrasound went wonderfully yesterday. Right away they saw both babies. Baby A (or Ethel) is measuring a day ahead and has a heartrate of 130bpm. Baby B (or Fred) is measuring right where he or she should and has a heartrate of 120bpm.

The estimated due date is May 22, 2008. That is 40 weeks and there is NO WAY I'm making it that long! Remember Raegan was a BIG baby. I can't imagine what my body will look like in May!

Anyway, Bryan and I are very excited about the news but rather nervous at the same time. We are not telling Raegan for at least 3 more weeks so please don't let it slip to her!

5 weeks, 1 day and feeling great!

Nothing much to report other than a little bit of sore ta-tas and being tired. I feel great otherwise. I went in yesterday for my second beta. Numbers look great! 19dpo=1523. Still in the range for multiples but only time will tell. My ultrasound is scheduled for Oct. 4th and I don't think I can stand the wait! I also made an appointment with a regular OB for Oct. 11th. I hoping I like her as I didn't have great luck with my other OB, mainly her office staff.

I'm off to play with Raegan and get ready for soccer practice!

I finally Peed On a Stick!

I couldn't resist the urge to do it since I know I AM in fact PREGNANT! Aren't those 2 lines beautiful!

OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!

I got a positive blood test today! I am in utter shock as I have no symptoms really. NOTHING like when I was pregnant with Raegan or the miscarriage from November. I had really lost all hope earlier this week because I was spotting and just not feeling anything. But I got the news this afternoon that I am DEFINITELY pregnant! I can't believe it. My HCG count was 306. So now the next step is another blood test on Tuesday to check HCG and progesterone. Hopefully at that point I will be able to stop the PIO shots. Then a sonogram probably around 7 weeks to see if 1 or 2 of those embryos implanted.



Whhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww! This has been a long and stressful event but it all turned out great so far!

Transfer is done! Babies are hopefully in place!

Well the transfer yesterday went really well. We transferred 2 Grade B Expanding Blasts, both very excellent quality. Nothing special to the transfer. I did have to lay on the bed for an hour afterwards. Of course I had to pee like no other. The nurse offered me a bed pan. WTH! I'll just hold it!

One embryo was frozen yesterday but it's unlikely that they will freeze anymore today. The lab we used is SUPER picky about freezing. They say that they don't want to freeze something that is not going to turn into a baby. I guess that's great but I was hoping to freeze at least 2. BUT, I was one of the lucky 20% of ladies that even gets to freeze!

So, onto the long wait! I will find out on Thursday, Sept 13th if one or any of the embryos found a place in my body. Everything is crossed! Here is a pic of my embabies! (It's a pic of a pic so ignore the blurriness)

First Progesterone Shot~~~DONE!

Hey everyone. I'm happy to say that the first PIO (Progesterone in Oil) shot is done. I got the shot ready to give then went to ice my butt. Remember I've been saying all along that I didn't think Bryan would be able to give me the shot. Sure enough, he came in the bedroom all red and sweaty saying he couldn't do it. So after talking about it for a second, I picked up the phone and called a neighbor. She came up and gave me the shot. My butt was so numb from the ice that I didn't feel anything. And I got up and walked around for awhile afterwards (as suggested by the nurse). No pain at all! I was so relieved. And after seeing Kim give me the shot and how easy it was, Bryan has assured me that he can do it tonight. We'll see!

I should have an embryo report today to share. GROW BABIES GROW!!!!!!!!!

Fertilization Report!

Well, out of the 21 eggs retrieved, 20 were mature and 17 fertilized! That is an awesome percentage and much higher than expected. The RE only expected to see 14 fertilize. So my chances of having lots of eggs to chose from are higher now. So for the time being, those little embryos are just chillin in their petri dish and hopefully growing like crazy! I'll get my next report on Sunday and will let everyone know how it goes.


Now for the fun part. So Bryan tells me that I had a nice long conversation with the doctor, as reported yesterday. APPARENTLY I told the doctor that I was going to get a shirt that says "My Doctor Knocked Me Up!" Can you believe my druged up self had the nerve to say this to this poor doctor. I'm completely mortified and embarrassed to see the doctor again on Tuesday. Hopefully he's heard worse!

Report from the Chicken...

Yep, I'm a damn chicken. They retrieved 21 eggs this morning. The IV went in well. The procedure was quick. Bryan was able to give his sample without any problems (thank you portable DVD player and "Lucky Bastard"). I'm a happy but sore lady!

So apparently right after the procedure my doctor came in to talk to everyone. Bryan and my mom said I asked him like 10 questions but I don't remember a thing! I don't remember what I asked or what he answered. They said I was very articulate and was asking good questions. Hmmmm......

I've been sleeping the majority of the day. I will have to say that I did not think that I would be this sore. But apparently the more eggs you take out, the more sore you are. So with 10 eggs being the average number at retrieval time, I guess my soreness is understandable.

We'll get a fertilization report tomorrow. So nervous but excited about that. It's unlikely that all 21 eggs will be mature enough to fertilize. But, my original goal of 12 still looks very attainable! I'll post the report as soon as I get home tomorrow. Everyone keep everything crossed and think positive thoughts about my embryos growing well!

Quick Update...

Yesterday's ultrasound went fine. They say I have 16 follicles to work with. I think that one of those is the cyst at this point. So, I'm still hoping to make my goal of 12 mature eggs being harvested. The ER is Thursday at 7:30 am. I have to be there by 6:30 am. I did my trigger shot last night at 7:30. OK, off to work I go. I have got to get something accomplished at my own school today!

I have a date!

I went in for another follie check this morning. After a little road rage and arriving late I had another u/s. I was so frustrated that I didn't get specifics like last time. But I have 2 at 20mm (one is most likely the cyst) and a bunch around 16-18mm. And that's all I remember :)

My Egg Retrieval (ER for you non-IVFers) is going to be Thursday! I'm so relieved that it's Thursday and not Friday (Bryan's birthday). I'm sure leaving your sample in a cup wouldn't be a great way to spend a birthday. LOL!

The Egg Transfer (ET) should be on Tuesday of next week. I can't believe the ER and ET are here already! I'm getting really excited. I do go in one more time tomorrow morning for another ultrasound and bloodwork. So, one more night of stimming shots and tomorrow I will trigger ovulation! AND the BEST thing, I'm going to make Bryan stop on the way home from the ET and get Season 4 of Nip/Tuck. It will be a Nip/Tuck Bedrest Party on Tuesday! Woohooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quick Follie Update- It's a good one!

Bloodwork looks great. Estrogen level is doubling like it should and it only took one prick again to draw blood! YAY!

Ultrasound looks AWESOME! I have 15 follies all measuring around 12 mm. I have one at 16.5mm that will most likely be too mature at retrieval time and one at 8.1 mm that will most likely not catch up to the others. I am so excited! The nurse and u/s tech were both very pleased with my progress. The nurse thought that Thursday or Friday would be the day for the retrieval but we'll know more on Monday at my next u/s. YAY for growing follies, and LOTS of them!

OHHHHHH- Nip/Tuck Season 4 comes out on DVD on September 4th. So excited!

Grow Follies Grow!

Today I had my first follie check! As I said before, I was pretty nervous about how things are developing around my ovaries. But things went great. To begin with, the nurse only had to stick me once! There was this poor lady in there at the same time as me and she was repeating what I had to do last week. I watched as each nurse went over and tried to find her veins. I hope they were successful!

The ultrasound exposed 7 follies on the right side. This is the side with the cyst and the tech felt that the cyst was probably covering some other follies. Moving to the left side he found 4 or 5 follies. The tech felt like he would see more on Saturday when I come in. But 11 or 12 is a great start and all of the follies were within the ranges that they want. They ranged from 7.5 mm to 12.5 mm. Good deal! Grow Follies Grow! I've set a goal of retrieving at least 12 follies. I hope my ovaries can meet the goal :)

So the next ultrasound is Saturday. For the next 2 days I will continue with the same protocal for meds, 3 total shots. I'm getting pretty used to it but Bryan still looks at me like he's going to pass out. He is insistent that he will be able to do my progesterone shots that are intramuscular. I think I'll have my mom here as a back-up. I can totally see him passing out after he puts this long shot in my butt. I'd be freaking out!

And, I forgot to mention that Raegan started PreK Pals this week. She absolutely LOVES it! She talks about her new friends and her teachers. She loves the indoor playground and playing in the gym in the mornings. I'm so grateful for this program. I know she'll have a great year and I'm excited for her! Here is a pic (if I can master posting a pic) of her on her first day. Isn't she the cutest? I'm so ready to have another little one to spoil rotten!

Still Stimming, Still Getting Headaches!

I've had a tough few days. Not complaining, just stating the facts. Afterall, I did sign up for this IVF rollercoaster!

I've been stimming since Sunday, August 19th. The shots are going fine. One stings quite a bit and leaves welps on my body. But all and all, no big deal. The headaches however are driving me nuts! They never go away. Morning, middle of the night pee-pee time, driving home from work, going to bed. They are there ALL THE TIME! Monday night was the worst by far. I'm not sure if it's the fact that I added all the drugs the night before or if things were just catching up with me. But I was so sick that I threw up 5 or so times. Fun, fun, fun. Of course throwing up made me feel so much better. I popped a vicodin (prescribed that night by the on-call doctor) and went to bed. Again, woke up with a headached but not near as bad. No puking lately, life is grand!

Tomorrow is one of the big days! My first ultrasound to look at how many possible little eggs are hiding in there. I'm so excited but very nervous that I won't have a great number. I keep telling myself that quality is better than quantity in the life of the IVFer. I'm trying to stay positive!

On another note, things at work are going well. It's my 2nd week back. I have a mentee again this year and that makes me happy that I'm trusted that much and my boss feels like I do a good job. So, I've been busy helping her as NOTHING is going on at my schools. I've already finished Raegan's 2 year scrapbook and watched numerous episodes of Nip/Tuck. I'm looking forward to Season 4 coming out on DVD but have been unable to locate a date that it's coming out. Can anyone find out for me? I'm also anxious to see what Season 5 in LA is going to look like! Oh how I love my boys, Sean and Christian!

Well, off to sleep I go.

Human Pin Cushion

Yes, that's me! I am beginning to feel a little used lately! Between the several (6) pricks before finding a vein and the ultrasound wand, I feel abused. LOL!

Well yesterday, I think reality hit. My bloodwork and ultrasound were great, aside from the several pricks. The cyst on my right ovary is now just part of my anatomy, I think. My hormone levels look good even though I feel like a walking time bomb. I paid my first big bill, the RE's fee. (The lady in front of me was paying her RE fee for the 3rd time! She kind of freaked me out a bit but after looking at her a little closer I realized she is significantly older than me. So, age is a great factor in infertility and I'm positive this will work the first time for me.) I got my med schedule and the schedule for the next 4 ultrasounds. This IVF thing is really happening! I can't believe it is all coming so quickly.

Blogging- totally new concept to me!

Well I keep reading all of these wonderful blogs and decided, what the hell, I can try this. So here I am. :)

I guess I'm here to share my story of trying to conceive and all the wonderful things that go along with it. It sucks! I really hate the 3 little words, trying to conceive. They are code for getting bored with sex. We are currently in our 16th month of this wonderful process and it's a load of shit. We are tired, exhausted, and just down right frustrated with it at this point. Isn't this supposed to be a good time? I must not have gotten the memo.

So, here's where we are. On July 20th I made my routine visit to the reproductive endocrynologist to have another wand shoved up there to check for cysts. And to my surprise Steve found not only the original unwanted party guest on my right ovary but now I have added 2 more to my left ovary. Wonderful. Let's sit out another month while they go away. At this point Bryan and I decide that we've had enough (well I really decide) and we make a consult to talk to the RE about IVF and start on birth control pills because we know it's part of the IVF journey. So flash forward to July 30th- the IVF consult. The RE goes with my plan. YAY! Something is going my way. Meds are ordered and pre-authorized. Now we're just waiting until August 7th to take a look at those cysts.

So, I head to the beach to relax. I wake up every morning and take my wonderful BCP as if I'm trying NOT to get pregnant. LOL! The beach was great. I got to drink! Woohoooo, I found a perk of NOT being pregnant! The kids had a blast and I got a nice tan.

August 7th- The dreaded ultrasound to look at the cysts. Again, I get something lovely and warm shoved up there. I swear this ultrasound wand has been inside me more than my own husband at this point! Left ovarian cysts are gone- POOF! Right cyst is still partying with the ovary but is getting much smaller and is inactive. YAY! The 2nd time something goes right! So, I make a trek to Frisco to pick up my meds (of course they weren't to be delivered until Wednesday because I was out of town). Man I'm stocked like a freaking pharmacy!

So, let's start with Lupron-August 7th. Not too bad of a shot. It makes me a bit itchy but nothing I can't live with. My IVF plan is now in place and moving. I can't believe it! They plan on retrieving the eggs the week of August 26th, the first week of school. I'm such a great employee. Yeah, I'm going to be gone a few days the first week of school, you guys alright with this. Ummmmmmmmm......