25 Week Update

I had my 2nd growth ultrasound and the girls are measuring right on target – they are beautiful! They are about 12” each (estimated since they can’t really get a good measurement cuz their all squished up. LOL!
Taylor weighs 1lb 11oz., Leigha weighs 1lb 10oz., and Kaitlyn weighs 1lb 12oz.! This is really really great news again because it increases their odds of not having twin to twin transfusion. My OBGYN is SO happy with their progress! My cervix hasn’t changed at all which is also great news. I am still stable although they have put me on contraction meds just because the babies are getting bigger and they are running out of room.
We are so happy they are doing as well as they are – I can’t believe we have been so blessed and I thank God every night for this wonderful blessing! Our girls are fighters just like their parents and we couldn’t be prouder!
Love ya’ll!

First Milestone Met? Check!!!

I turned 24 weeks today which is a HUGE milestone for triplets!!!!!

Everything after today is only good news as far as their development and survivability is concerned. I opted to get the steroid shots today to help the development of their lungs and skin so that is a positive thing too. Other than that - the girls are doing great. I have 8 weeks until my target date and anything after that is gravy. We are praying for Valentines babies! LOL At the last growth ultrasound - they were measuring about 1lb each so I am sure they are all a bit bigger than that since it was like 2 1/2 weeks ago. Imagine a cellular flip phone opened and that is the size of our girls! Amazing isn't it?

The hospital staff has been really awesome here and I really can’t complain other than just having cabin fever and wanting to get out of my room more than allowed. Heck - I would even opt to have a blood draw at this point if it meant I could go down to the lab! LOL

They have a chat hour every Thursday and all the pregnant girls get together and talk about why they’re here and stuff. In the last 2 weeks I have met a girl who was pregnant with twins and they had twin to twin transfusion syndrome. Long story short – one of her twins died and now she has to carry the viable baby and the dead baby for another 15 weeks since they were identical. I couldn’t imagine having to do that knowing that one of your children was dead inside of you.
Then today I met a girl who is 19, she was diagnosed with malnutrition and brought into the hospital. Come to find out she has graves disease and it is so bad that she is on intravenous fluids and can’t eat at all. She is 20 weeks and they have been giving her so many meds and steroids that they don’t know if her baby is going to not have difficulties or mental retardation when it comes out. She is so terrified and cried the entire time we were all together. It just broke my heart to see her!
All of this came at the perfect time for me because I was feeling down about being stuck in here and felt like I was missing out on a lot of "pregnancy" related things like the shopping and setting up the nursery and stuff - but now I realize just how much worse things can truly be.
God certainly has an uncanny way of thumping us between the eyes when we need a wake up call and making us realize just how lucky and blessed we are.

To my girls: 8 more weeks minimum until you can come out to meet everyone and while that sounds like a long long time - it isn't. We all love you so much already and can't wait to meet you! Grow big, get strong, take up all the room you want - mommy will survive- and come out to meet us in your own time. Stay as long as you want - the room is available only for you, my sweet angels. Mommy and Daddy love you more than anything!

Holy Cow! Where to begin????

Ok ok -I know I know - I have been a HORRIBLE blogger and have not updated my blog in ages! So much has been going on that my head has been spinning!
First and foremost - We are ecstatic to announce that we are expecting 3 GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are very excited and of course nervous - but aren't all new parents? We have names picked out for all of them so far and have begun referring to them with their names. It is amazing to think that all those bumps and nudges I feel are our DAUGHTERS!!!!
Secondly, we have had a few complications in the last couple of weeks and that contributed to my lack of blogging for sure!
Apparently I have a weak cervix and it cannot handle the weight of the babies, so I had to have a cerclage put in and was put on bedrest. Well, I made it a week at home before I was admitted to the hospital for the remainder of my pregnancy.
We are praying that I can keep the girls where they are for another 9 weeks but have decided to have the steroid shots given in the next couple of weeks to help mature their lungs and skin. The longer I can keep them inside, the better chance they have for sure, but we did make it to a milestone as far as the doctors here are concerned which was 22 weeks. They have had a lot of success here with survival rates at this gestational age so that made us feel better - but we still are aiming for full term (32 weeks).
The girls are all weighing about 1lb a piece and the doctors are very happy about that. Since they are all right about the same weight - that is an indicator that they will not have TTTS (twin to twin transfusion syndrome). Since baby b and c share the same sac and placenta - they were concerned about that. I am sure that I have forgotten a ton of things, but that is the jist of what has been going this month.
I will be in the hospital for the next couple of months - so if I become a stranger again - you know why.
Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes! We are SO thankful for all of our friends and family! A special thank you to my mom who has been amazing since I have been put on bedrest. Anything I need, she has gotten for me and comes down at least every other day to see me. I am so thankful that she is my mom!

My first Baby Shower

My mom and my sister threw a baby shower for me in Pueblo at my Uncle's Restaurant in October. It was SO much fun! Almost everyone that was invited came! It was SO nice to see cousins and aunts that I haven't seen in months or over a year in some cases.
When we first drove up, my Uncle had put the "Florian Trumplets" on the restaurant sign that just made me giggle. That is what my youngest nephew, Sawyer calls them. LOL
Everyone was SO generous! We got a lot of onsies and recieving blankets, diapers and wipes, and some very special gifts as well!
We are very blessed and honored to know that so many love us and are as excited to meet our children as we are.
Thank you all SO much for not only your generosity - but for you love and prayers. We love you all!
Here is some pictures from our day!

Not sure what's up wtih my font....

Ignore the font in the last post - it's jacked and I can't figure out how to fix the darn thing!

I am officially on bed rest....

I am officially on bed rest at home. I went to the Dr on Thursday and they did a cervical check with the u/s and saw that it is opening at the top but when she did a manual exam the cervix was still closed – so they want me to limit my activities as much as possible and try to keep the pressure off of my cervix as much as I can. My back is already killing me from inactivity so this should be a fun time! LOL

Anyway – I am not too worried but concerned none the less. I only have 16 more weeks to make it to my goal of 32 weeks – but I only have 8 weeks left until the triplets have a better chance so we’ll see. I see my goal of staying out of the hospital until after Christmas slowly seeping out of my sites. Oh well – whatever it takes to bring the babies home healthy right?

I also had my shower last weekend in Pueblo and it was wonderful! Everyone was so generous! We are very blessed to have so many people that love us! As soon as my sister sends me the pictures, I will post some. Me, like a dufas, totally forgot my camera! What a dork!

15 weeks and going strong!

I got to see the Trips again on Wednesday and they are still doing wonderful! My blood pressure was 96/46 which they were happy with. I also have not gained anymore weight from the last appointment. I thought my doctor was going to get on me for that, but she didn't.
They are about 90% sure the identical babies are girls but we won't know for sure until 11/06 which is the gender appointment. Baby A (the one we think is a boy) was being shy and wouldn't show us the goodies. He kept turning his back to us and showing us his fanny! LOL Look at the 2nd pic from the top on the right - She is throwing up the "hang loose" sign! LOL We already got a rocker chick! Like momma like daughter I guess right?!
I go back in 2 weeks for another check up!
Also, my first shower is this weekend and I am super excited!!! Will post pics after the shower on Sunday!

Is that you or me?

Last night I went to bed around 8:30. Chris came to bed around 11:00. According to him- around 11:30 I poked him and told him to roll over because he was snoring. He goes "I'm not even asleep yet!!!" ROFLMAO
How pathetic am I? I wake MYSELF up snoring and blame my poor husband! At least he was a good sport about it and we got a big kick out of it this morning!
Oh my babies - You're making your momma looney! LOL

11 weeks 4 days

The Rock 'em Sock 'em Robot Babies!

We went to the dr on Wednesday and the babies are doing great! My blood pressure is really good and I have only gained about 9lbs! Yippee!!!! :)
Baby A (the one by himself) was dancing around and mooning us! He kept turning his back to us and didn't want to have his picture taken! He is a stinker I tell ya what!!! LOL
Babies B and C were boxing! Full on swinging arms and pushing the other away!! (Yes, it's already starting! LOL) They were So cute! The U/S tech called them the Rock 'em Sock 'em Robot babies! (Do you remember that game?!! LOL) They were just too precious!

Chris went with me and got to see them too and we both were just laughing at them. I am still surprised that I can't feel them with as much as they are moving - but I am sure that will happen soon enough!!! I will post the u/s pic below.

The latest Trips report!

My regular OB sent me to a specialist once we found out there were actually 3 babies and I love her!!!! I met her and the staff today and she is SO nice and very straight forward. I didn’t feel pressured by her to make decisions about the pregnancy that I were uncomfortable for me and I felt like her sole goal was to make sure that the babies and me were ok and had the best chance possible. All of the staff is really nice and you know how some doctors are so busy that they give you like 15 minutes and then boot you out? No such thing here.... I was there 4 hours!!!!

So - now onto the baby update!

The ones that are is the same sac share a placenta, so that makes the pregnancy a little more high risk because they share everything so if something happens to one – it happens to the other. The other one is just hanging out and not affected at all!

During the ultrasound as she was pressing on my belly to see them better – the one that is by him self pushed her away with his feet!!! Too cute! The two together were kicking each other!! They are already starting to box!! LOL

But – all in all – everything looks good! All of their heartbeats are above 150 which is normal and you could see their hands and feet! I wish they would have given me pictures of those – but they didn’t.

Sounds like I will be on bed rest around 18 – 20 weeks which means staying at home and being as “inactive” as possible, but I don’t have to stay in bed. She said that I would become the world’s best couch potato before this pregnancy is over! LOL She also said that somewhere between 22 and 24 weeks, I will be in the hospital. My goal is to keep the little ones in until at least 32 weeks but they won’t let me go longer than 35. So, keep praying that this pregnancy continues to go as uneventful as it has so far and that we can keep them in as long as possible!

Thoughts on becoming a mother...

I have lived by this poem for the last 5 years and it brought me a lot of comfort. I am still in awe at the wonderful blessing that we have been given and it renews my faith to realize that even in my darkest hour - God never deserted me. He never said - No, he just said "not right now". While I didn't understand that at the time and was often angry and sad - I now know that it was all in preparation for the wonderful blessing of Triplets.
To all of my friends who are still struggling - trust that God knows His plan for you and while it doesn't always match our own path - it is often so much better than we could have ever imagined.
I struggle, as many of my other friends do, with the fact that I have been blessed with this huge and wonderful blessing while others are suffering loses and failed attempts and I almost feel selfish talking about our pregnancy and 3 little blessings. My best friend, Amy, put it best - it's almost like survivors guilt. I know how it feels to be the only one left that isn't pregnant, I know how it feels to be left out, to not be able to participate in a conversation when the topic turns to children, I know how it feels to be a "freak" so my struggle now is not with infertility, but with the sensitivity to my friends who are still struggling. You all mean so much to me and I would never want to do something to hurt your feelings - so please know that this is now my struggle and I am trying very hard to continue to support you all and be a shoulder to cry on or arms to hugs you when you need them!

Thoughts on Becoming a Mother:

There are women that become mothers without effort, without thought, without patience or loss and they are good mothers and deserve and love their children.

I don’t believe that God never meant for me not to have children.

That's not my destiny; that's just a fork in the road I'm on.

I've been placed on the road less traveled, and, like it or not, I'm a better person for it.

Clearly, God meant for me to develop more compassion, deeper courage, and greater inner strength on this journey to resolution, and I haven't let him down.

Frankly, if the truth be known, I think God has singled me out for a special treatment.

I think God meant for me to build a thirst for a child so strong and so deep that when that baby is finally placed in my arms, it will be the longest, coolest, most refreshing drink I've ever known.

I will be better not because of genetics, or money or that I have read more books but because I have struggled and toiled for this child.

I have longed and waited.

I have cried and prayed.

I have endured and planned over and over again.

Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.

I will notice everything about my child.

I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover.

I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.

I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed them and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream.

My dream will be crying for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child.

Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to, I will not be careless with my love.

I will be a better mother for all that I have endured.

I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend and sister because I have known pain.

I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body.

I have been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.

I have prevailed.

I have succeeded.

I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort.

I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.

I listen.

And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely.

I have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth and when life is beyond hard.

I have learned a compassion that only comes with walking in those shoes.

I have learned to appreciate life.

Yes I will be a wonderful mother.

Shocked...Excited...Nervous...Thankful...

Thursday we went for our second ultra-sound and got the shock of our lives..... There is ANOTHER baby! We are having Triplets! One of the embryos split after implantation so two of the babies are in the same sac and the other baby is in it's own sac.
We are very excited and shocked at the same time. We are still trying to take all of this in. We know that God has a plan and that He would not have given us this blessing if He didn't think we could handle it - but at the same time - what a SHOCK! It took us about a week to get used to the fact that we were having two babies and now to find out that we were having three really threw us, me especially, for a loop! We go back this coming Thursday to have another ultrasound to see if they can get a better look at the identicals.
I am feeling ok, not great. I am extremely tired and hungry all the time! But, on the bright side, I have not had any real sickness with this pregnancy. Just a small amount of queasiness if I don't eat soon enough.

7 weeks 4 days

Starting to get BIG!

Excitement overload!

As if we couldn't be excited enough to find out that we were expecting... we found out on Monday that we are expecting TWINS!!!!! I got to see both of them on the ultrasound and hear their heartbeats! It was such a wonderful moment - when I heard their heartbeats I started crying! One is very photogenic and loves to has their picture taken and the other is the opposite! Their heartbeats were 119 and 121 so that is perfect! We feel so blessed and just cannot believe that our prayers have been answered! God is truly amazing and he never leaves us even when we are at our lowest. He was always there with us giving us strength and hope.
Thank you again, Lord! We are so very thankful and honored with this blessing!

6 weeks!

This is me at 6 weeks... I feel like I look huge! LOL

Apparently I hit a nerve....

Ok - so apparently I hit a nerve with my last post!
To my dear friends... please know that I love you all and value your opinions even if I don't agree with them. I was mad and needed to vent.
End of story.....

Why do people say stupid things?

***Warning Rant***

I was asked on Friday if I was "out of the danger zone" yet. When I said that in a high risk pregnancy, you are never really out of the danger zone, the response I received was "Why are telling people then?"
That made me angry.
Why, after struggling for 6 years to get to this point, would we keep it a secret???
I understand that many woman choose not to tell anyone until they are out of their first trimester and that is great and wonderful - for THEM. It's not for me!
We have fought for many years and endured tests and procedures and answered just about every question regarding our sex life imaginable, and still we continued to fight for our dream even though at times we felt like giving up - but we never did.
I am not going to downgrade this pregnancy or make it seem any less than what it is by hiding it. This is an answered prayer for us and we are ecstatic to have this chance. We cannot wait to meet our little one(s) nor will we change our outlook on this pregnancy.
This is one of the happiest and exciting times in our lives and IF - GOD FORBID - something happens to this pregnancy we will deal with it at that time, but we refuse to live with a black cloud over our heads thinking the worst is going to happen. We lived in sadness for too long while we struggled with our infertility - and we refuse to allow that negativity to enter into our lives now.
So please - to everyone who has an opinion about the right time to "tell" people - remember that everyone has their own opinion about everything and to please keep it to yourself. Couples who suffer from infertility have to deal with comments that are hurtful all the time - raining on their parade after they succeed is just wrong. Please stop.
*steps off soap box*

4th beta back and other musings....

I went back to Dallas on Thursday and had another beta and some more blood work for the study. My beta number came back at 2873! If you don't know, the beta test measures the level of the HcG hormone which is the hormone that is produced during pregnancy. Dr's like to see it double every 48 - 72 hours. My beta's looked like this:
7/30 - 250
8/1 - 379
8/3 - 600
8/7 - 2873

My doctors are very pleased with how things are progressing! I go back on the 18th for my 1st ultrasound and am praying that we will be able to tell at that time if there is one or two! I have been comparing my beta numbers with my friend, Laura (who is the mother of twins) and they are very similar so that leads me to believe, along with the fact that I am already out of my normal pants, that we have a pair in there! I can't wait to find out!
On another topic, Amy and I went shopping today for bigger pants because I was very uncomfortable in my normal clothes the last couple of days. So, because I have an irrational fear of squishing the babies (LOL) we went to Motherhood today because they were having a sale. I got a matching set (top and pants) and pair of black slacks, another shirt and a tank top. I feel much better now that I have clothes that are more comfortable - even though many probably think it is way too early to buy maternity clothes - I don't care. I can't stand tight clothes and am uncomfortable walking around with my pants unbuttoned! LOL

It's official..........

We're Pregnant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I waited to post it on here until we got our second beta results back to make sure that the numbers are rising and they are!
My first beta came in at 250 (they consider anything over 50 pregnant) and my second came in at 379. I went for another blood draw today since it didn't raise as high as they would have liked, but all in all, things are looking great!
I can't believe that this finally happened for us! We have waited for SO long and tried SO hard to have a family and our chance is finally here! We are still in shock and still can't quite believe it.
We are overjoyed and so excited to meet our little one(s)! We have an ultra-sound in a couple weeks to find out if both of our angels stuck around or just one - either way - we are ecstatic!
More to come!

One day left.....

We have one more day until our beta! I am so excited! I am 12dpt7dpet. Which for all of you who don't speak BBC speak that means that I am 12 days past the trigger shot and 7 days past embryo transfer. Oh and a beta is a blood pregnancy test. Come on Team Florian! We are waiting for you!
Special Message to Abby and Kadabbie : The Wondertwins~
To our beautiful babies - we hope you have decided to stay with us for a while because we already love you so very much. We promise to play with you, support you, trust in you, and believe in you. We love you our babies!

Wide eyed


Wide eyed
and hopeful
that my womb
will bear
untold treasures

Wide eyed
and hopeful
that I will feel
the sweetness
of love

Wide eyed
and hopeful
but sure
that I will know
the dawn
of a new creation

The big day!!

Yesterday was the big day!!!!
We transferred 2 perfect blasts into my belly yesterday! They were the best they could have been and the embryologist was very pleased with them and the rest of the babies too! In total, we ended up with the 2 in my belly and 13 additional that made it to freeze. There are 3 rankings that the lab uses and each rank has 4 levels within that rank. The ranks are excellent, good, and fair. Out of the 13, 7 were excellent, 2 were a grade below excellent, 2 were good and the last 2 were a level below good!
The transfer was amazing! We got to see it happening! The nurse had the ultra-sound on my belly so that we could see right where Dr. Kevin put the Wonder Twins aka Abbie and Kadabbie (for my niece since she loves her!) When he was done he said "Well, it can't get more perfect than that - and - Well you're pregnant until proven otherwise!"
So, now we just wait for confirmation.... our pregnancy test is July 30th at 11:00!
Here is the first pic of the Wee Ones - (They are the white dots above the curser! LOL)

Now announcing....Team Florian!!

Our fertilization report is here! Out of the 28 eggs that were retrieved - 22 of them fertilized! We are so excited! According to the embryologist, this is an awesome report and she was really impressed! We won't know how many are still alive until Monday when we go in for our transfer. It is scheduled for 12:30 on Monday afternoon. At that point, we will be able to see pictures of our babies and will hear what the others are graded. (Embryos are given grades based on certain characteristics and by how many cells they are - see below if interested.) On Monday, we will be able to watch them via ultra-sound implant the embryo's into me. I am really excited for that! That is going to be SO neat!!! We should have some embryo's left over to freeze to use again if we need to. Pray for our snow babies!

Numeric grading systems for multicell embryos usually have 4 levels:

Grade 1: even cell division, no fragmentation
Grade 2: even cell division, small fragmentation
Grade 3: uneven cell division, moderate fragmentation
Grade 4: uneven cell division, excessive fragmentation

Blastocysts are graded differently with a number and two letters.

The number refers to the degree of expansion of the blastocyst (1 is the least expanded, 6 is the most expanded). The first letter (A,B, or C) refers to the quality of the inner cell mass (the part of the blastocyst that is going to be the baby) and the second letter (A, B, or C) refers to the quality of the trophectoderm (the part of the blastocyst that is going to be the placenta).

Multicell embryos that recieve grade 1 or 2 often develop to the blastocyst stage, those receiving grade 3 or 4 rarely develop to the blastocyst stage.

As my niece says..... "All Done!"

Today was egg retrieval day! Yeah! They ended up getting 28 eggs! The embryologist was very happy with that number and said it gave them a lot to work with. She will call us tomorrow to let us know how many fertilized.
We went to the office this morning at 7:45 and I was in the OR by 8:45. The anesthesiologists asked if I was feeling anything and I said "No" and the next thing I remember I was waking up in recovery with cold feet! LOL
I am doing really well - pretty sore. We got back to the hotel about 11:00 and Chris went to get lunch. After I ate, I fell asleep for like 4 hours. It felt so good! I am still sore but the heating pad worked wonders!
Can't wait to see how many fertilized! Will find out tomorrow and also find out what progesterone I will be assigned for the study! Thank you to everyone who send me well wishes in email and texts! It meant a lot to know you all were thinking about me!

Lucky Number 16!!

It's official!!! We triggered (took the medicine that will help me ovulate) tonight and I will have egg retrieval on Wednesday! We are very excited! When I went into the doctor today the nurse kept saying "Oh honey..... bless your heart!" as she counted the follicles that I had. She lost count at 40!!!! Yes thats four zero!!! She also said "Its like another dimension in there! No wonder you're so miserable!!" LOL So.... needless to say... My ovaries LOVE Follistim. My E2 was at 2740. Over stimulation is having your estrogen around 4000 so I am in a good place!

Another thing that Chris and I figured out was that our retrieval will be on the 16th. This is wonderful for us! Although we are not superstitious - this is a great number for us!
Chris was born April 16th
I was born August 16th
and We got engaged February 16th
16 has to be a good number for us! YEAH!!! Will keep you all posted!

3rd Doctors Appointment

I just got the call...
My estrogen is 1042 and I have about 10 follicles that are growing good. I don't remember the exact numbers of all of them but I do remember that I had 2 @ 12 and 2 @ 11 plus numerous smaller ones measuring @ 9. My nurse wants me to lower my Follistim to 75 tonight and tomorrow and keep the same dosage of Menopur and Lupron and go back on Monday.
Things are moving right along!!! Yeah!

Second Dr Report

I REALLY REALLY hate these Menopur shots - they hurt something awful and then the site itches for like 30 minutes after the shots!

Well the news from my dr today was my E2 (Estrogen) was @ 297 and I have 5 follies worth measuring. I have 2 @ 7 on my left side and 3 on my right. 1 @ 8 and 2 @ 10. I wasn't responding as well as they hoped so they added the Follistim @ 150mi tonight and tomorrow and I go back on Saturday. I understand that Menopur is supposed to give you more mature eggs, but I am a little disappointed that I only have 5 at this stage - when I was doing IUI by this time I had at least 10 -12 worth measuring. *shrug* Who knows right? I trust this RE but it is SO hard not to 2nd guess them since I have been through injections so many times before you know? Ok - enough whining.....

Prayer Request

I am sending this prayer request out for everyone to please pray for a dear friend of mine.
She went into pre-term labor at 22 weeks and her son, Austin Robert was born on July 4, 2008. He lived a glorious 3 hours before he grew wings and went to be with Jesus.
Please keep her and her husband in your prayers as they work to get through this horribly difficult time.

The 3's.....

Ok I got tagged by Leann so here we go!

Let's have a little fun and get to know Sherry. Here is how it works:
List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 surprise facts about you & then 3 people you want to tag!

3 joys
1. My husband - I feel so lucky to be married to Chris. If you all don't know our "love story", its definitely one for the books. Long story short.... we met in high school, grew apart and went our separate ways and then found each other again years later and have been together since then. He is the only person in this world that I am comfortable with no matter what situation we are in. We can talk each others ears off or we can sit next to each other for hours not saying a word and be perfectly happy. I don't ever have to worry about him, he is where he said he will be and I know, in my heart of hearts, that he will NEVER lie to me. He is the love of my life, my angel....

2. My niece and nephews - I have THE cutest niece and nephews in the entire world. Granted, I am sure that I am certainly biased but I can't help it! They not only bring great joy and pride to my life, but they are so loving and I can't help but watch them and day dream about what our children will be like.

3. Family - I have come to realize in the last couple of years how important family is and what my definition of family is. My definition not only includes my immediate family, who I love and cherish, but also several of my friends who have stood beside me and been there for me through the hardest times in my life and I love them.

3 fears
1. Losing control - I have this great need to be able to control things. The joke between me and my best friend is that I am a typical 'Leo' however, while I don't have the need to control EVERY thing that is going on, there are certain things that I do need to control. For example, we have not been able to connect to the internet for about 4 days and I have not been able to get online and check my email at work. It gave me great anxiety not to be able to do something that I said I would be able to do. Once we were able to finally get online today, I could take a deep breath. Stupid I know, but it is what it is... I have a way of doing things and I know the people that cover for me at work don't do it that way and it bothers me so I have a hard time letting it go.

2. Spiders, bugs, moths - They freak me out to the point where I have actually gotten into a car accident because a bug landed on me! I can't stand them! They freak me out!!!

3. Never being a mother - Chris and I have struggled with infertility for almost 6 years and while I have great hope that this next round of treatment will work - there is always this voice in the back of my head going "But... what if....what if...." I hate that voice and try to ignore it, but it is strong and loud and sometimes I can't block him out.

3 goals
1. Finish my Masters Degree - I don't know how long it will take, but I would love to get my MBA. I just graduated with my Associates in Business Management and it was one of the proudest days of my life! I am now onto the Bachelors so I am on my way!!!

2. Visit Italy and Ireland - I will see Italy and Ireland before I die. I will look up my ancestors and tour the castles. I will complete the journey that my grandfather always dreamed of but never was able to do.

3. Learn Italian - I want to learn to speak Italian fluently. I really believe in family heritage and passing down traditions and family stories and wish that was something that my grandparents deemed important enough to pass onto my mother because I know she would have taught us the language if she knew it.

3 current obsessions/collections
1. My Space / Baby Center / Blogging / Texting / IMing - I have an obsession. I need an intervention. Its a serious problem. :D

2. Paranormal - I am very interested in the paranormal and read and watch anything that I can on the subject. I have always been curious about it since I had an experience as a child that scared the bejeebies out of me. Since then, I have had several other "visits" from my grandparents, mostly my grandma Betty, and I am not scared anymore. I find it wonderfully interesting and impressive. One of these days I want to go on a real paranormal investigation. It is said that there are several haunted places in our hometown.

3. Carousel Horses - I have been collecting carousel horses for years. Ceramic, snow globes, wooden, glass - it doesn't matter. If its a carousel horse, I want it!

3 surprise facts about me
1. I can be very judgmental - it is something that I work on daily and I try really hard to be very cognizant of this shortfall.

2. I want twins - I have always wanted twins. I know they are a lot of work and some people think that they get cheated because they never have their own "spotlight" - but I want them and hope and pray for them. However, I will be ecstatic with whatever God chooses to bless us with.

3. I believe in aliens and believe that they are already on Earth with us - I think its pretty arrogant to believe that in the billions and billions of years of evolution that we are the only species in the universe.

3 bloggers to tag
1. Cece
2. Chelsea
3. Joy

Don't be a party pooper...pass it on!

Endo's, Wheelies, and a Police Chase...

Last night Chris and I were driving around trying to decide what to eat and got the surprise of our lives!

We were driving down Brown Blvd. and saw a cop sitting in the driveway to an apartment building. So of course, the first thing you do when you see a cop is slam on your breaks and look at your speed which is exactly what Chris did. So after our hearts stopped slamming in our chests we look over and this motorcycle comes flying up behind us really fast and slams on his breaks so that he does and Endo. Now, if you don't know what that is - it's when the motorcycles back tire comes off the ground and the rider balances on the front tire only.

Of course I'm bouncing in the front seat going "Oh Oh Oh!!!!" Well, the motorcycle rider realizes that the cop is right there so he stomps on the gas and does a wheelie on the bike and runs the red light. At that point, the cop takes off after him and the chase is on. We tried to catch up to them and see if the cop caught them and saw the cop searching for the motorcyclist so obviously the bike lost him.
You just don't see stuff like that at home! It was like watching Cops!!
Bad Boys Bad Boys whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?

Hitchhikers may be escaping inmates

What a comforting thought right?! LOL This was a sign that we saw on our way to Dallas yesterday and it totally cracked us up!!! This isn't a picture we took (I found it on the net) but will take a picture on the way home! Gotta love Texas!
On the bright side - we're here! It took us about 12 1/2 hours to get here with all the stopping for Cassie - and me (I was dealing with AF blecht!!!!) Cassie was WONDERFUL in the car. She whined EVERY time she needed to get out (even when her tummy was upset and she needed to purge) so she didn't make a mess in the car at all! Momma's VERY proud of her furrbaby! LOL She is great in the hotel too - has only barked one time and that was because Chris was talking to her and she was talking back! things are going great - I start stimming tomorrow! I am pretty excited! I will be starting with two viles of Menopur (which I have never used this medicine before so we'll see how I do on it).

Last Day at Work...

it just hit me - this is my last day at work before we leave - its possible that the next time I step foot in this building that I will pregnant! Holy Cow! What a wake up call THAT was! LOL
I am SOOOO excited - a little nervous but only about forgetting something that we will really need - I am NOT nervous about actually going through this process at all. I can't wait to REALLY get started honestly!
The Lupron is treating me pretty good - I am having some headaches but I don't know if those are the L-Demon or just stress. I did, however, wake up on Sunday morning unable to move my neck! It was horrible! Chris rubbed it, I took a hot shower, I laid on the massaging pillow that I have and I tried warming cream- NOTHING helped! So yesterday after work I tried a new massage place recommended by my girlfriend (Thanks Stac!) and LOVED it! And the best part?! It's cheap! Wahoo!!! You all know thats my favorite word! So, needless to say, I feel A TON better today - not 100% but I can move my head and turn my head! Yippee! I doubt that I will have time to post anymore until we get to Texas - so ta ta for now - Will update once we get settled!

Last BCP and onto Lupron

I took my last BCP today! Yeah!!!!
I went to the Dr. on Wednesday and got the go ahead to start the Lupron! I have been taking it since Wednesday and have no side effects so far - good news!!!!

The trip to Texas was interesting to say the least. The flight down and getting to the Dr's office was quite uneventful. I had to spend the time until my flight took off which was about 6 hours. I went to a movie and saw The Love Guru.... Holy Cow what a STUPID movie!!!!! Usually Mike Meyers is pretty funny, but this was just unbelievably lame. Then I spent the rest of the day shopping and checking out the area that we will be staying in while we are down there. I was bored and decided to try to get on the earlier flight to go home so I went to the airport about 5:00. Waited to see if I could get on stand-by which was a no go so I waited for my flight. It was late - OF COURSE. So finally, we board the plane about 30 minutes late and taxi out to the runway for takeoff when low and behold - a lightening storm rolls in. UGH! So, we sat on the runway for almost 2 hours waiting to take off which was annoying by itself but made even more so by Lolly Laughs A lot behind me and the Iraq War Profit in front of me! UGH!!! This womans laugh was SO annoying and the guy in front of me just thought he was the Einstein of the war! I swear - something is wrong in this world when your IPod full blast can't block out annoying people! LOL Thank God we don't fly the next time - not looking forward to the13 hour drive, but happy that I don't have to deal with strangers who laugh like witches!

One more day

I have one day left until I start Lupron. I fly to Dallas again on Wednesday to have my baseline ultrasound and then I start the injections. We will be leaving the following Thursday for Dallas. I can't believe that we are already at this point! It seems like I still have weeks and weeks to wait, but I will be stimming in about a week! Whoa!!!

How old am I?

I have decided that I am reliving high school. These BCP SUCK! LOL They are giving me THE worst acne that I have ever had!!! Thank goodness I don't have much longer on them! Ahhhh.... joy joy! Acne, fatigue, gas.... OOO am I attractive or what?! ROFL

"You think I'm gorgeous... You want to kiss me... You want to hug me... You want to love me... You want to smooch me... You want to hug me." ROFL (From the movie Miss Congeniality for those of you who don't know!)

They're here!

I got my medicine and my IVF calendar. The meds are a little intimidating as I have never taken any of these brands before and the needles look A LOT larger (they aren't of course) than the ones that I have used before so my anxiety is peaking about now - but I can do it. I will do it!
So, I have my baseline ultra-sound on Wednesday, June 25th and at that point I will start taking the Lupron (the medicine that keeps my body from ovulating). My first appointment is the 4th of July to make sure that my ovaries are "quiet" and then we will start the stims. We will be leaving for Texas on the 2nd of July and will be down there all month. Thankfully - My brother in law is staying at our house while we are gone so I don't have to worry about our house! I can concentrate on just relaxing and letting the medicine do its job!

Happy Fathers Day

Dreams

Some dream of big houses
Or shiny new cars,
Ours is to someday
Hold a baby that’s ours.
Some dream of more money
To hoard and to keep,
Mine is to someday
Rock my baby to sleep.
Some dream of careers
In buildings so tall,
His is to someday
Toss his kid a baseball.
Some dream of great power
To be strong and tough,
Ours is to someday
Have a child to love.
Some dream of things
Such as silver and gold
Ours is of the day
Our child we’ll hold.

~Susan Reardon

These are a few of my favorite things....

This blog is not only about our trip through IVF, this is a blog about the thoughts and feelings that go into that journey. Today I am nostalgic and thankful. I have these mood swings quite frequently (poor Chris) so maybe by sharing them here I can save my poor husband some of my drama. LOL
I am so thankful for my husband and feel very blessed to have him in my life. So with that said..... this blog is about what I am thankful for~

Our engagement picture....
I am so lucky he wants to spend the rest of his life with me!


Getting married....
Our Oldest nephew, Stephen... he was SO cute this day! Talk about stealing the show!


My favorite picture from our wedding....



My Family at Our wedding....


Our furrbaby, Cassie...


My sister, Shelly and brother in law, Scott.
I am so thankful to have a sister who stands up for me and is there to listen to my ranting and a brother in law who is more like an actual brother versus my sisters husband.


Our niece, Shalyn... she is one of the funniest little girls I have ever met and no I am not partial or anything! LOL


Our youngest nephew, Sawyer (I love this picture! This is his "I don't care" face! LOL)


My wonderful in - laws...


Our best friends renewing their vows...
Chris and Amy have been there for us through thick and thin and we love them.


Our God Children, Samantha, Coby and Alyssa and our other best friends, Gary and Nikki. We are very blessed to have such wonderful friends!


Our friends.....



My beautiful friend, Vonetta who has been there for me and I love her more than she knows.


My beautiful friend, Laura and her twins Jackson and Abby. She has been a constant source of strength for me and helps to keep my spirits up.


My friends Jenn, Joe, and Gayle. Thank you for keeping life fun and not letting me wallow in my own self pity! You all rock!

And to the rest of our beloved friends and family who I don't have pictures of - I love you all!
You are a constant source of strength for me!
I love you all!

My Meds

I finally got THE call yesterday. The pharmacy called and confirmed my prescription for all the medicine that I will need for our IVF cycle. I was initially supposed to be on Menopur and Follistim but I found out that my doctor only wants to start off with the Menopur and then based on my reaction to that medicine the Follistim may or may not be added in. I am a little concerned about that because I don't know how I react to this medicine but I am putting my faith in the doctors that they know what they are doing.
The one good thing about not using the Follistim is that the meds were much cheaper than I was thinking they would be so that was a pleasant surprise. I had them shipped to Amy's house since she was going to be home all day and could sign for them, so I would like to publicly thank Amy for being my dealer. LOL Love you girlie!
As for the other meds, I started birth control pills (BCP) on Tuesday and am doing ok so far on them. The brand name is Portia which I have never heard of before - but so far so good. 9 days left! Yippee!
I hope to receive my IVF calendar soon so that we can start planning the trip back to Dallas. Think that I will start the Lupron on Friday but not sure....

And so it begins....

I got the call from my nurse today- everything came back normal on my test so I start the BCP tonight! Yeah! Holy cow - we're really starting!!!

My name is Sherry and I am a spoiled brat!

What is it about your own home that just makes everything better? Neither Chris nor I slept well last night, both woke up feeling icky and both had headaches. Chris was miserable on the flight home because he got stuck in the middle and the guy in front of him put his seat back, so my 6'6" husband was slammed into an airline seat that wouldn't have even been comfortable for me who is a foot shorter! So on top of already feeling icky he also had to deal with pain in his hip which for a normal person wouldn't be a huge deal, but for someone who has had hip replacement surgery - not a great thing to be stuck in one position for an extended period of time. Thankfully the flight was only an hour and half so we weren't miserable for too long. Once we got home, everything felt better. Our headaches went away as did our general malaise. The only lingering complaint we have is fatigue which is expected....
My father - in - law came and picked us up at the airport and wanted to run an experiment on our pooch. He wanted to see what Cassie would do if he came in and let her out like he has been doing for the last 10 days and then while she was outside Chris and I would come in. So, Dutch came in and let her out and Chris and I snuck into the house and sat on the couch. Dutch let her back in and she went running straight for the cookie room (mud room to normal people) and then noticed me sitting on the couch. She ran into the living room and then turned around and ran back into the kitchen by the cookie room! She barked at Dutch and then looked over her shoulder back at Chris and I and barked at us. She was so confused she didn't know what to do - so she just sat down in the kitchen and barked at us! LOL Crazy dog!!! Gosh I missed her!
So, after being gone for 10 days and living in a hotel I have come to the (not so surprising) conclusion that I am a spoiled brat! I miss my couch, my sleep number bed, my extra large garden tub and shower, my refrigerator with the water and ice in the door - I miss it all. Could I live without all of those - undoubtedly - Do I want to? Heck no! Will I? You bet I will because its for a wonderful opportunity and cause - but don't think I won't whine and complain that I want my things!!!! LOL

French Fries are deadly weapons

I think we are slap happy on cholesterol and fast food from eating out for 10 days! LOL
I think the fat got to us this morning and we got into a French fry fight! LOL
Chris went to get lunch and while he was gone I took a shower. He got home just as I was getting out of the shower and was getting dressed. Well he went to set the bag of food (or what some places are passing their crap as - but more on that another time) and the bag tipped over and dumped his fries all over the table and on the floor.
So instead of being an adult - because we all know that isn't any fun - he grabbed them off the table and started throwing them at me. Of course, not to be outdone, I started throwing them back and the war started!!!! :D
Now, if you know anything about me, you know that I 1) have NO hand/eye coordination and 2) throw COMPLETELY like a girl and have NO aim and 3) am scared of the ball!!! (or whatever is being thrown at me).
So, while we are bombing each other with fries, I was pleasantly surprised that several of my fries landed where I intended them too!!! Long story short, while I was celebrating at my ONE well landed shot, Chris chucks another one at me and hits me right in the face with it!!!! And of course, I closed my eyes and jerked back onto the couch because we all know how deadly French fries are!!!!!! Thank God I had my glasses on and I was protected from the vicious attack!!!! LOL Best part - I had a perfectly shaped grease mark on my glasses that looked like a French Fry!!!!!!!!!!!!! ROFLMAO

"Its all fun and games until someone loses an eye!"

Beautiful Aunt Rose....

Friday, June 06, 2008

Rose (Paglione) Merrill

June 06, 2008 05:12 am

Died after a brief illness on Tuesday, June 3, 2008. Born June 26, 1923. Preceded in death by her mother, Lucia Paglione; father, Antonio Paglione; brothers, Louis and Richard; and sister, Jennie. Survived by sisters, Anne Koncilja and Frances Paglione; and brother, Jim Paglione. Also preceded in death by her husband, Eugene; and her beloved daughter, Linda Sue Humphrey. Survived by grandson, Andrew Humphrey; son-in-law, David Humphrey; and stepson, Dave Merrill. Rose was a 1941 graduate of Pueblo Central High School and a graduate of Midwest Business College. She was a lifelong Democrat, a 60 year patron of Patti’s Restaurant, and a proud and dedicated member of Sacred Heart Cathedral. She was the longest continuously employed data process clerk at the CF&I, working 51 years in the same department. Rose enjoyed life and will be remembered for her playful personality and happy demeanor. She leaves many loving nieces and nephews, lifelong friends and co-workers.

Last test.....

Finally we are done with the tests! Yippee!
I got my BCP pills today and am just waiting for the results of my 2nd PAP to come back before I can start taking them. It is probably going to push our timeline back a week or so - but that is fine with us because we didn't want to miss 4th of July at home - so this works perfect! Thank you God - for another open door!
2 more days and we get to go home! Yeah!!!!

The latest...

It occurred to me that most of the people who are reading (hopefully I am not just talking to thin air LOL) this don't really understand the process that we have to go through for IVF so here is a VERY watered down rendition of what our process and time line looks like.
This trip was to complete the testing that was required by the study - it consisted of blood work for both Chris and I and a semen anti-body test for Chris, which we have never done before so I had to research. Basically - this is what it is:

Antisperm Antibody Test

An antisperm antibody test looks for special proteins (antibodies) that fight against a man's sperm in blood, vaginal fluids, or semen. The test uses a sample of sperm and adds a substance that binds only to affected sperm.

Semen can cause an immune system response in either the man's or woman's body. The antibodies can damage or kill sperm. If a high number of sperm antibodies come into contact with a man's sperm, it may be hard for the sperm to fertilize an egg. The couple has a hard time becoming pregnant. This is called immunologic infertility.

Good news!!! Chris's test came back negative and all of the other counts came back normal so he's fine!
I have to re-do my PAP tomorrow because it came back inconclusive, so that will probably put us back a week on our time line, but a week is better than a month so we are staying positive.

So, now we wait for the results to come back on my PAP, if they come back normal (which I am sure they will - I just had one in January and it was normal), I will start birth control pills for 14 days. After the 14 days, I will start Lupron which is an injectible drug that I will take once a day to shut down my own hormones. This ensures that the only hormones in my body are the ones that I am injecting and give the doctor more control over them.
I will have another ultrasound at that point to make sure that I don't have any cysts and everything looks good and then I will start the stimulating drugs. I will be on Follistim for this study, which is a drug that I have already taken so I know the side effects and know how to take this medicine. It is a shot that I will take in my stomach daily.
Once I start the stims, I will have ultra-sounds every other day until the follicles reach the correct size. Based on my past history with this medicince, I usually produce anywhere from 10 -15 follicles on each side. A mature follicle is about the size of a golf ball, so try to imagine what 20 golf balls in your abdomen feels like. Good times!
Anyway - after my follicles mature, I will take a trigger shot which will force my body to ovulate and the doctor will go in and retrieve the eggs from the follicles while I am under general anesthesia. The doctor will combine the eggs and sperm sample from Chris and hope and pray that they fertilize! Based on how they grow and divide, we will either do a 3 day or a 5 day transfer where they implant the fertilized eggs back into my uterus.
I will start taking progesterone at that point to feed the embryo until the 2nd trimester when the placenta takes over (assuming I get pregnant).
The study that we are participating in is a different way to deliver the progesterone to the mother - whether it is a ring that will be inserted into the mother or a gel that the mother used daily.
After the eggs are transferred back to me, we enter the dreaded two week wait where I will obsess about every little twinge and feeling that I have. ROFL

I get A LOT of comments when people find out that I have to take the shots in my stomach. It amuses me actually. Most of them are in the range of "How can you do that?!" Its amazing what you will do when you want something bad enough.

Many people ask us why we have gone to the lengths that we have to try to conceive and it was summed up in one sentence that I heard this weekend. I was watching “Steel Magnolias” and there is a part in the movie where Julia Roberts’s character, Shelby, tells her mom, Sally Fields character, that she would “rather have 3 minutes of wonderful versus a lifetime of nothing special.” That pretty much sums it up for me.

Sawyer is 6!

Our youngest nephew turned 6 yesterday! We are missing his birthday party on Sunday since we will still be in Texas, but wanted to wish him a very very happy birthday!!! I watched that little shit being born! Wow! Time sure flies!

Good bye Aunt Rose

We lost my Great Aunt Rose today. I will always remember her spirit and sense of humor but most of all - I will remember how she cared enough to remember mine and my sisters spouses names when others in the family didn't care. How she always remembered my nephews and niece and was so sweet to them. She was a very caring person who will be missed greatly. My favorite memory of her is when she was turning 60 years old and we asked her what she was going to do for her 60th birthday and she said "Ohhhh I don't know - maybe I'll shit 60 gold bricks!"

I love you Aunt Rose and I will miss you. Go dance again with grandma and grandpa!

Until That Day

© Chris Belden

Until That Day

Until that day I'll think of you, the love we shared, the memories too.

Until that day I'll think of you, I'll try so hard in all I do.

Until that day I'll find out why, you had to leave with no "goodbye".

Until that day this is so, your family misses you, more than you'll know.

Until that day You'll be with him, your God, your Savior, and new best friend.

Until that day I see you there, you're in my heart, you're everywhere.

Until that day.

The singing Mariachis

This is the 4th day of our trip to Dallas and we have met quite a few interesting folks this time in the Lone Star State. From the mother who entertained her child in the seat behind us on the plane by allowing him to kick my chair the entire ride to Dallas, to the adorable little girl in the shuttle to the car rental area who kept petting my leg and saying "Hi!", to the guy at the front desk of the hotel that couldn't speak very fluent English and when I asked him how to get to our room he just smiled and nodded and said "Yes Yes" (LOL), to the dancing dude that was crossing the street last night. He was just jamming to absolutely nothing while waiting for the light to change! I was trying not to stare - but it was so hard NOT to! LOL
I think we have hit an all time high tonight though.... let me introduce.... Ta Da Da Da!!!........
The Singing Mariachis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have a group of guys in the room next to us who sing and sing and sing and sing. I will turn the tv off to listen to them and it sounds like they are singing old Spanish Mariachi songs - like the ones that go "Aiii IIII yiiii yaiiii" and based on the banging on the walls - I can only assume they are dancing too. *shrug* I want to go out in the hallway and listen at the door but I sure that behavior would be "frowned upon". :D ROFL
On a funny note - Chris decided he wanted to join the band and started singing "We are the World" really loud and they shut up!! ROFLMAO! He cracks me up I swear!

7 viles... yes I said 7 viles of blood!! UGH!

By the time we landed and got off the plane it was around 6:45, picked up the rental car, got our luggage and FINALLY made it to the hotel around 7:45. Well we realized once we got to our hotel that we booked at the wrong one. Right hotel – wrong location so now our Dr is like 45 minutes away! UGH! Dallas traffic is SO much fun too - Wahoo! LOL.

It is HOT as all get out here! We are dying! I forgot how muggy it gets here! Other than that – the hotel is nice – NOT grand but nice! The only thing that I can complain about is the cheap toilet paper! SO not cool with AF! I am almost tempted to go buy real tp at Wal-Mart which is like right next door! LOL However, we went there last night at like 9:30 on a Thursday and it was PACKED! I guess that’s all there is to do in Garland TX on a Thursday night – hang out at Wal-Mart and the Sonic! There was like 800 motorcycles at the Sonic! I was pi$$ed too cuz I wanted Ice Cream darn it! ROFL!

As for the Dr - I gave 7 viles of blood today - BLECHT and had a physical exam - assuming everything comes back good (no infectious diseases) then I will start BCP on CD 10 for 2 to 1/2 weeks and then start the Lupron and I will have to come back down here in like 2 -3 weeks again - but this time we are driving down and bringing my pooch - I miss her!! How am I ever going to last another 9 days?! LOL

On our way!

Well, we're all packed and ready to go! It's starting!!!!!

Mood swings anyone???

Oh boy.... it's already starting... and I haven't even started the L-Demon (affectionately called by my friend Susy). The other day poor dh didn't replace the tp in the potty and I went to use it after him. By the time I realized that he didn't replace it - I was already done. So I opened the door and screamed "Replace the GD TP!!!!" and he just started rolling. His reply to my outburst was "Here comes my exorcist wife!" ROFLMAO Now - what makes this hysterical is the TP is stored UNDER the sink in the bathroom so I didn't even have to go out of my way to replace it!! BUT - in my defense... neither did he?! LOL Oh boy.... how much longer do we have to go on this Molatave Cocktail? :D

4 days and counting....

I can't believe that we are leaving in less than a week to go to Texas! I know I have said this many times before - but it still seems so surreal that we have been accepted and are actually going through this.
I keep thinking and telling Chris whenever we have an event to go to "Maybe next year if this works we'll have a little one to add to the kiddie conundrum." It is very difficult for me not to get my hopes up about this and I hope that if it doesn't work that I am not destroyed - but at the same time - I don't know how to not be excited about it! Awww - the back and forth is killing me... I just wish it was August already and I knew if it worked or not! LOL
No obsessing here right? *rolls eyes* :)

Stephens 10!

Man! I can't believe that my oldest nephew is now 10! I remember teaching him to crawl! He is such a cutie pie and becoming such a handsome young man... not that I am partial or anything! HaHa
Happy Birthday, Stephen! We love you!

Flight? Check - Hotel? Check - Appointments? Check UHHHH maybe not...

Well everyone - things are moving right along – I started my Provera (which helps my body start its cycle) 3 days ago and am praying every night that I calculated right and got the dates correct! I called and talked to the scheduler today and she said that she had to check with the study nurse before she could book my appointments for next week.

When I asked her why – she said – well she is going on vacation for Memorial Day! I was like WHAT?!!!! And she goes – oh no worries – the other nurse will be here – I just need to know what nurse to book you with! I almost had a heart attack you guys! So, I am waiting to hear back from the doctor tomorrow and hopefully I will have a date! ACK! I almost made history – I can see the headline now! “33 year old dies of heart attack while talking to her RE! “ ROFL :) Good grief! So much stress - I swear!

Other than that bit of excitement today (Ok lets be truthful here- panic was a better word for it! HaHa) - things are falling into place nicely - so we just keep walking through the doors!

Thank you, Lord for another open door!

On a personal note - Good luck Bree and Kerry - you have big days coming up!!! I am praying for a BFP for you, Bree and an easy ER for you Kerry! Thank you for your friendship! I treasure you!