Busy Time of Year

Well, hello!!

It's been a while. My apologies if you were waiting to hear from me sooner.

Since the last time we talked, we've passed Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. All of which, while busy, were very good for my family. I hope the same for yours.

For a while after our cancelled cycle, I didn't really have a lot to write, so I didn't. And then once I did, it was finding the time and energy to come and write it I struggled with. So, here we go.

After the eggs from the donor didn't work out (my IPs second donor), we got put on hold a bit until they had cleared a new donor. For a little while, it looked like we would transfer around Dec. 17. Then AF was mean to me and decided to be a week late. At that point, none of us knew whether or not we'd even transfer before the end of the year. The goal was to transfer before Christmas. Once dear AF came, it put us on track for sometime between the 21st and 25th. Yay! But then the donor didn't respond the way they liked and they thought there might be another delay. It was such a roller coaster.

Thankfully, the donor still had a few quality eggs to retrieve and they retrieved 10 eggs on the 16th, 5 of which fertilized. By the 21st, 2 were still good quality and 1 looked good enough to freeze the next day. We transferred a 4bb embryo and a 4bc embryo on Molly's 10 month birthday :)

After transfer, my IP's got me McDonald's fries (Surros swear by these!) and then they took me to my good luck charm and good friend's house to rest for the day. I had a relaxing evening and fun with my friend and then came home Sunday afternoon and took it easy the rest of the day.

I was asked by my IM not to test on Christmas morning. She didn't want me to ruin my day if it weren't positive.

However, all of Christmas Eve and Christmas day, I could feel it. I could feel that it worked, just the same as it did with Molly. So, Christmas night, 4.25 days after a 5 day transfer, I tested before I went to bed. When it turned up positive less than 3 minutes later, I literally jumped on my bed to show my husband the line. Woot!

OK Well, if you don't have "surro eyes" you might not know it, but that there is a positive test. A line is a line when it comes to pregnancy. You either are, or aren't. And I am. As the days have passed, I have enjoyed continuing to watch the lines get darker. I'm a bit of a POAS-aholic. I'll show you a few of them...

The tests above were the morning after the initial squinter line and then each morning thereafter. I did test in the evenings, but the lines weren't noticeably different than the morning's lines. The one on the bottom is from this morning.

I'm totally thrilled and excited! I am loving that my IPs are local and they were with me during transfer, and that IM and I got to go to lunch the other day. I am enjoying getting to know her! I also got a little congratulations gift for her, a snow globe with a quote about dreams coming true, from The Wizard of Oz, and it had the ruby red slippers inside the globe.

Beta #1 is on Tuesday, the 31st. I don't really know what to expect. Everyone, including myself, wonder if both took, since I saw the positive lines so quickly. I know they were not that easy to see on day 4 with Molly at all! We shall see!

I will take some time after we get beta results to blog again soon! Have a great week!

A non-update update... and a bit of TMI

Well, if you can't tell by the non-updating of the blog, our transfer didn't happen...

Here is what DID happen.

On the 18th, I went for monitoring. All was good- except nobody could get straight what day we were doing what, so after L talked to them and straightened things out- we were all set for a Monday, October 28 transfer if the embryos made it to day 5. Saturday if they needed to be transferred on day 3.

Except one thing. On Wednesday, the 23rd, the eggs were thawed to prepare them for ICSI (or injected sperm- fertilization). And didn't make it.

You can imagine the emotions we all felt. L was devastated, and rightly so. I know that to her it felt like 6 babies had died. We alternated, I think, between ticked off at the clinic, and just sad all around. It took a few days for me to get around it.

As of today, I am really not sure what is going on. L said they showed her a donor, and that donor was going to go through the hoops to see if she would be a good candidate. I guess we're just waiting on all that now, so we can do a fresh transfer.

The nurse didn't call me at all, L is the one who texted me the news, L and I spoke on the phone a few times, but I never heard anything from the clinic until I got an email Monday (the 28th) morning saying to stop all meds (I had stayed on the patch just in case they wanted me to 'hang out in limbo' til they were ready). But also to START another round of prometrium for 10 days so I could get a period and shed my lining. Newsflash. My period started the night before her email. So I emailed back and let her know. She said to keep taking it. I did, and what followed was the longest and heaviest 6 days ever. Sigh. Finally down to a drizzle now, thankfully, but I'm not even at day 10 yet. Am I supposed to get another period after that?? Necessary?

Anyway, onward and upward. We have gotten the hurdles out of the way. The doctors are apologetic, the head one is the one overseeing our whole cycle now. Hopefully that was the last of the issues and our best is yet to come!

I'll write more when I have more.

Til then,
Have a great week :)

Trial Transfer

Yesterday was our trial transfer and it went great!

L and I met up at the RE's office for the appointment and got some chat time, which I always love, while were waiting.

Then the Dr. came in and did some trial transfers...Yes. Not one. Not even two, but 3 trial transfers. And he was rough. It was more than slightly uncomfortable and definitely more painful than my past transfers or trial transfers have been. I think they thought ahead on that, though, because before the transfer they had me take some ibuprofen. It worked alright til it wore off. Last night I was ready for some more. I've also been spotty since then. Ick.

The nurses said we could transfer either the 25th or the 27th, depending on the embryos. If we transfer on the 25th, they will be 3-day embryos, 5-day on the 27th. I don't know which to hope for, honestly. I've only ever transferred 5 or 6 day embryos and I'm not sure the qualifications of transferring a 3-dayer. I guess my only experience with 3-dayers is hearsay, and usually it's because they were afraid the emby wouldn't make it to day 5 if they didn't transfer it then, I think. So I'm torn. Do I hope for the 3 or 5 day transfer?

After the appointment, L and I went to lunch! Yummm! We went to Mi Cocina. I told her my funny story about having Mexican food before my screening appointment back in 2011 in El Paso. We had a laugh about it. No Mexican food before doctor appointments! While we were at lunch, she gave me a really sweet gift, I really love it!

(A collectible measuring spoon set that has really cute/sweet sayings on each spoon, and an angel in the hollow of the spoon - because I like to bake, Godiva chocolate - mmmmm, and a wine glass that says "wine is cheaper than therapy" which relates to my family and the multitude of therapies we visit each week for the boys, and my love of wine and wine glasses)

I love the bag, too. She's got me pegged! Thank you, L!!

We did take a selfie pic, but I really look like a giant next to her... I'll post it, but y'all need to know I'm NOT this huge! haha She's standing tucked under my arm or something, and hiding next to me, and I'm standing closer to the camera than she is! (pfft)

Thanks for reading! Next appointment is a monitoring appointment on the 18th! Til then, have a great week!

Go!

Christmas morning for a surrogate....

And we're off!

Oh sheep! Really?

My title is a little different today. But maybe you'll understand when you read my post.

OK So alllllll this time without a blog, we have been waiting on me. On the witch. Aunt Flo. Alright, this is a blog that talks about everything that comes with childbirth. We're adults here. My period. There.

This has been a long wait. Seriously. Forever. There were days when I worried DH and I had screwed up some how. There were days when I thought I was definitely going to start soon. I had every symptom of PMS imaginable. Oily, pimply skin? Check. Need for chocolate? Check. Headaches? Check. Soreness? Check. Bloat? Check. Moodiness? Oh yeah, check that one off. Well she didn't come on her own. A couple weeks ago I called the clinic to find out what they wanted to do, and they put me on progesterone to get things going. I took it for 10 days, and then I was supposed to start within 10 days. Well, you know... Aunt Flo doesn't like due dates. She made us wait longer, of course. The entire time, I've been PMSing.

On Monday, I spotted a teeny bit. Thought for SURE she'll be here Tuesday! By Wednesday morning I had grown tired of analyzing my every PMS symptom and wondering if I were pregnant or waiting on period still. I purchased a pregnancy test. Knowing pretty full well I wasn't, based on everything. But still, they say you take a test, your period starts. No sooner had I purchased it and was walking out of the store that I got a text from L asking if it's possible I could be pregnant. I told her it wasn't likely but that I did buy a test to make sure. I took it as soon as I got home. Thankfully, stark white negative. So we had nothing left to do but wait.

Wednesday afternoon, spotting was a little more than on Monday. YES! She is DEFINITELY on her way.

Thursday- I woke up singing the Hallelujah chorus. She had arrived. I called and scheduled my appointment as soon as they opened.

Today, Friday... I went to the appointment and had my baseline sonogram. Where the doctor pronounced my uterus beautiful, and could he have it's number to give other couples ... for next time? Not kidding. He asked me how many times I wanted to do surrogacy, and I said my usual, 'Til my uterus falls out!' answer. And then he asked if he could give my information to other couples once I was ready to start again.

Then I had a meeting with the nurse. She showed me a page with a list of days in October. With notations next to several of them. Halfway down the page, the notations stopped. So I asked, what happens here? (pointing to where the notes stop). She said that that day when the notes stopped, I'd have blood tests and an u/s to see if I was ready, and then I'd start progesterone and transfer in a few days (depending on the embryos at that point). Note--- ALL these dates were still in October. The 31st was at the bottom of the page.

She's talking... and it hits me, She's saying we're transferring on October 25!?!?

And now this was when I actually almost said something else... but corrected to "Holy Sheep!" before anything bad came out.

Here I was thinking I was holding us up from a November transfer, we'd likely be somewhere in December before we transfer, etc. And they're telling me now, on Oct. 4, that we could be transferring in 21 days? (Provided the meds and monitoring go well.)

So yeah. Meds arrive tomorrow. It's a non-injection protocol.

I think L was pretty shocked to learn the date, too! So now starts all the excitement!

On to insurance stuff pretty quickly now. Pray, send awesome thoughts, wish us luck, what have you. It's ON!

I might try and post a pic of the meds tomorrow when they arrive. The Fed Ex guy will think he's Santa for how excited I may be.

Can't forget!

I just realized I never updated here about Miss Molly!

The week before Labor Day weekend, Katie called to tell me they were coming to visit on Labor Day weekend! I was SUPER excited. I think my whole neighborhood heard how excited I was!!

They got here on the Thursday night before LD, and stayed til early morning. We really enjoyed spending time with them and loving on Miss Molly!

Here are a few pics!

Miss Molly getting some lovin' from mommy when they first arrived.

Jack, receiving his gifts with a smile!

Miss Molly in her new outfit from us!

Me and sweet Molly

Miss Molly chewing away on her new toy

Photobombed!! (and a pic at a really bad angle haha)

Sweet baby girl

Spending time with Shane

Jack enjoying his parents while Molly is occupied

Snuggles

Play time!

I love watching these two together

I'm pretty sure this was her first time ever sitting up!

Playing with Shane

 

 

Some Legoland fun!

Snuggles with Micah

And Shane

Playdoh!

The best part of the weekend? Snuggling Miss Molly, myself!! 

I so enjoyed their visit and it makes me so happy that they came to see us!

Micah is so enthralled with our "add-on" family, too. He wrote about Miss Molly in his journal this week...

Thank you to Katie and Family for coming to see us. It means the world that you think of us and keep us updated on you all, and that you came to see us on a weekend you could have done anything else! 

We love you!

Waiting...

After a frustrating few weeks, the clinic seems to finally be getting their stuff together. They've really been a scatterbrain from the start. My records were apparently faxed to them several times, yet mysteriously they never got them. I sent them my psych evaluations and she forgot. They send me to 'screening' that wasn't really a screening, see last post, had to be reminded that they needed my husbands bloodwork, and even managed to fumble things with IM via e-mail. They need to work on their organizational skills and short term memories!

The donor did her retrieval on the 9th, I believe they got 6 eggs. Unfortunately IF was unable to come in and do his part, because he had minor surgery that same week. They froze the 6 eggs and will fertilize them before we do our transfer, from what I can tell. The nurse can't even keep it straight that they only have eggs and don't have embryos.

I quit pumping the weekend before my boys started school, and only pumped once after that weekend. I've dried up pretty well, but still haven't gotten Aunt Flo yet. So the nurse called me in a prescription for progesterone pills. I'm taking those the next few days, and am expected to get Aunt Flo within 10 days of the last pill. Hopefully it does it's trick and we can get started soon.

Really that's all we are waiting for. Contracts were done and signed a few weeks ago.

From what IM has said, if everything looks good on day 3 of my cycle, we will go ahead and get started. It's a non-injection protocol- I'm not sure whether that excites me or not. Sticky patches all over my midsection or one and done shots every day? I'm used to the shots, though, so I'll have to get used to the patches. I'm curious to see what I like better after having tried both.

Anyway, so that's my 'nothing's happening still' update. I hope to have more to update you with soon!