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
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
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)
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)
Friday, July 18, 2008
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.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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!
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!
Monday, July 14, 2008
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!
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!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
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!
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!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
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.....
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
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!
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!
Sunday, July 6, 2008
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!
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?
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?
Friday, July 4, 2008
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).
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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!
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)