We're Done!

Adam gave me my very last Progesterone Shot about a half an hour ago. HOORAY! We are both so relieved to have this part over with -- Adam because he hates giving them to me, me because I hate getting them! We're not sure what we'll do with ourselves every night at 9:00 now that we don't have a shot to give, but it will sure make life easier and happier! It's been a great Christmas Day and this final shot makes it all the better. Now we can start treating it like a normal pregnancy. HOORAY! Here's a picture we took Tuesday night when Santa came to visit...we wanted all the kids to have a turn on Santa's lap...including the baby! :) HOORAY!

"7 Days" Was All She Wrote...

Only one more week of shots! Wahoo! Last night DJ wanted to give me my shot again. Sammy wanted to see how it all goes down, so Adam, DJ, Sammy and I all crammed into my parent's bathroom to feed my little baby. DJ did really well, and I could tell he felt more confident than he was the first time he did it. I'm not sure what Sammy thought about it, but she didn't pass out, throw up, or scream, so I guess that's a success. :) I have my first appointment scheduled with Dr. Dewey on December 31st. Hooray!

Progesterone Shots....sure do stink!

But I only have to take them 17 more times! The last few nights have been pretty rough with them, we hit a vein, I've bled like a stuck pig and a have bruise the size of a golf ball on my hind-quarters. (And those are all three separate incidents!) We've taken pictures of Adam giving me the shot, and of my amazing, deep dark bruise, but I'm afraid it shows a little too much Misty, so you can use your imaginations there. On second thought, don't even go there. Please. For all of our sakes. However, here is a picture of the needle we have to use to inject the Progesterone.

To give you an idea of it's size, the needle itself is almost the length of the lid on a Sharpie. See?

Adam is a brave man for giving me these every night...the needle has to go all the way in, in to the muscle and the Progesterone is thick thick so it takes a while to squeeze it all out...but it's totally worth it. At least, that's what we'll keep telling ourselves for the next 17 days. It gives a whole new meaning to "I can't wait for Christmas!"

The Cat's Out of the Bag

Yesterday was the big day, and now both of our families know. We thought it would be fun to tell them on Thanksgiving, so we bought shirts for AJ & Aaron that look like this:

It took both families a little while to read the shirts and then to make the connection, but it was a lot of fun, and AJ & Aaron got to be the ones to break the news. Our Ultrasound is next Wednesday, where we will get to see the heartbeat. I'm so excited!

I've been feeling pretty sick these last few weeks. Really sick to my stomach, drained of energy, and T-I-R-E-D! But it's good, because that means I'm pregnant!! I've really been trying not to complain, and have just tried to be grateful that I get to have this experience. I'm already getting a little belly, so it helps to keep me excited, even when I'm feeling sick.

When we ask AJ where the baby is, he'll pat my stomach and say "Baby! Baby!" It's so much fun.

And last night, DJ gave me my progesterone shot. He's going into nursing, so when we were talking about my shot, he was like "I'll do it." He did a good job, even though he was pretty nervous. It's fun to have both families so excited for both of us, and wanting to be involved in the IVF process. We are so blessed to have such amazing support!

The Results Are In...

WE'RE PREGNANT!!

We woke up early this morning to go to the U for my blood test. (The boys stayed at Grandpa & Grandma's for the night.) We got there before 8:00, they drew the blood, and said they'd call us around noon to tell us the results. We talked with the nurse, Jennie, about our little scare and told her that we were hoping for the best but were prepared for the worst. She said she would call us and would hope for good news. We were out of there at 8:13.

Because we had missed the first part of church, we came home to eat and shower and then went to the third hour. I had my cell phone in my hand the whole time, but it never rang. As we were walking out of the church, my phone started vibrating, and I knew it was her.

"Hi, Misty. This is Jennie. How are you? I have some good news for you...YOU'RE PREGNANT!" She was so cute and laughing and excited...she said she was expecting bad news and was so glad she could call us with good news! She asked if Adam was there with me, and I said, "Yes, he's right here, looking at me with a quizzical expression." She said "TELL HIM!" "We're having a baby!" I said. "We're pregnant!" AHH! :D

She said the number they look for is 100 -- 100 is a positive pregnancy. My level is 388.9, so it's a GOOD positive! I asked about the number compared to the boys with our first IVF cycle, and she looked back through our file and said the number with the boys was 1300 (!) so it's most likely a single pregnancy, but nothing is ever for sure. I need to call and get a refill on the progesterone, but my last progesterone shot will be on Christmas Day. We'll have a Viability Ultrasound between December 3 and 10 (Wahoo!), and due date is July 23!!

Adam and I are so amazingly happy and grateful. As soon as we got home, we said a prayer to thank Heavenly Father. God is so good! We also called Scott and Angie with the news and to thank them (especially Scott) for helping with the blessing the other night. We've been smiling and dancing around ever since. :)

Unknown

Can we go back to when the week was dragging? Now it's a step below that. I've been really tired, today...exhausted to the full extent of the word. My mom was up here earlier, so I got a short nap, which helped. Then tonight, out of nowhere I started having cramps. Honestly, one minute I'm feeling fine, the next, not so hot. About 30 minutes after the cramps started, I went into the bathroom to find out I was spotting. Not a lot, but enough to freak me out. I left to take AJ & Aaron for their drive to get them to sleep and called my mom. I told her what had happened and asked her if I should be worried. She told me to call the U. I debated...I didn't want to call them if it was something silly or stupid, but I didn't want to not call them and wish I had. I finally scared myself enough to call and leave a message with the answering service.

Dr. Hatasaka called back about 10 minutes later. I told him we did the Cryo-transfer on the 4th, that I was scheduled for our pregnancy test on Sunday and that I started cramping and bleeding this evening. His response? "Oh, shoot!" Not the most reassuring. But he was great, asking me a bunch of questions and telling me not to freak out just yet....this could be a sign of something bad or a sign of ... nothing. He said to keep going with the progesterone and estrogen and to come in for the pregnancy test still on Sunday. He said he would be there Sunday, so we could talk to him then with any more concerns. He was so nice, reassuring, and personable. Before we hung up he said, "I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and we'll see you on Sunday." What a great doctor!

I've still been cramping, but not bleeding too bad, so I'm feeling a little better. I asked Scott and Adam to give me a blessing, which they did. Can I just say I love the Priesthood? It was so nice to have these Priesthood holders anoint me and give me a blessing. (Scott anointed, Adam sealed.) In the blessing, I was reassured that Heavenly Father is mindful of me and my situation. There was a lot of talk of trials and strength in opposition, a lot of talk of staying faithful no matter what the outcome, and a lot of talk of the great role of Motherhood and how important it is for me to teach AJ & Aaron the gospel. I was reminded to read my scriptures, be humble and repent when needed, and to trust that the Lord knows and sees what we cannot. It was a very peaceful blessing, but not a very reassuring one. :) I wanted to hear "don't worry, everything will be okay." But I was (and am) filled with peace and feeling very calm. And that worries me a little.

Adam and I have talked this whole time about how this is in the Lord's hands, and it has to be according to his will. It's hard to realize that we've done everything we can, and now have to wait to see what the Lord has in store for us. Like I said, if I thought the week was dragging before, what is it now? Just a few more hours....

Time is Marching On...

Well, we're still waiting waiting waiting. We go up for the blood test on Sunday, and this last week has been D-R-A-G-G-I-N-G! I'm a little nervous, because I don't "feel" especially pregnant. I'm sure I'm always expecting the worst, but I just don't feel the way I thought I would, if that makes any sense. Although, I have been incredibly grumpy and exhausted, so who knows.

A few fun highlights: On the way to Idaho, we stopped at some tiny gas station so my dad could give me my shot on time. But it was awkward to go into the men's or women's bathroom together, so late at night, with NO other customers there (so the employees were just checking us out wondering what we were up to). I chickened out and we went back out to the parking lot to do it there. It was FREEZING, it was dark, and cars kept pulling in and out, so I'm sure they were wondering what we were doing. Good times.

Also, the other night, I was particularly grumpy, and was arguing with Adam while we filled up the progesterone. I think he took a little too much pleasure in sticking me that time. It was kind of funny, in a not-so-funny way. All of these hormones wreak havoc on my moods, and even I don't like being around me some of the time. I'm grateful to have a hubby who understands and who is VERY patient. He reminds me why we're doing this in the first place, which always seems to help. 3 more days. 3 more VERY LONG days...

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is the big day -- the Transfer. I'm really excited...but really nervous.

We've let my dad in on the secret...partly because we figured he already knew (he can put two and two together), and partly because we need him to give my my Progesterone shots next weekend when we go to Idaho for Holly's birthday. (Adam has a camp out with the Young Men, so he won't be there with us).

There are things about the Progesterone that I didn't remember until I started taking it again. For example, it makes me really sick to my stomach. And I'm a BEAST with all my hormones messed with! I have been so edgy, so inpatient, so grumpy! I'm trying really hard to remember that I'm feeling that way because of the hormones, but it's hard. And AJ & Aaron have been particularly difficult lately...I don't know how I'll be able to take care of them AND another baby (if it works). But I really feel like this is what Heavenly Father wants us to do right now. My mom says she thinks it's Satan's way of trying to stop us. I don't think that makes me feel much better! :)

There are also some hard things that I didn't really think of...like not being able to explain to people that my bad complexion is coming from all the drugs in my system, or that I'm not limping because I'm old, out of shape, and sore, but rather that I've had a 2.5" needle shoved into my hip muscle. Oh well, those things are pretty small, really, compared to the joy of adding to our family. More tomorrow.

Progesterone

Last night (10-29) was the first day for my Progesterone shot. I remember them sucking from last time, but not this bad. It was awful! The actual shot was okay, Adam does a really good job at keeping me calm, but after he pulled the needle out, I got really hot, light headed, sick to my stomach, and started having a hard time breathing. Adam had me sit down on the bed and breathe while he fanned me with our IVF folder. After a few minutes, I started to feel better, but it was kind of scary there for a minute...I didn't want to pass out like I did last time!

I knew Adam was in the right spot when he gave me the shot because it hurt so stinkin' bad. Right in the muscle on my hip..ugh! I've been pretty sore all day today, but have tried to walk it out...it's going to be the other side of me after tonight, so I'd better get used to it! And they gave us smaller needles to try this time, which helps with the pain, but is a lot harder to squeeze the medication through, so it takes a LONG time.

All in all, it was pretty good. Every time I bump my hip or lay wrong and I remember that I had the shot, I remember WHY we're doing it, and that certainly helps the pain. The transfer is in just a few days!!

Ultrasound!

Today I had my ultrasound with Dr. Gibson to see how the meds are working. He said I'm looking really great and right on track. He said we have two really good embryos frozen, and 7 other ok-looking embryos. I have two straws total containing the embryos, but they don't know which straw has which embryos in it. So, I had to decide if I want them to thaw both straws to see which embryos are the best, or to only thaw one and hope we get some good ones. I decided to have them thaw both straws...a bit scary! It's basically all or nothing, and if it works this time (and if we want to try again) we'll have to start at the very beginning again. If it doesn't work this time, we'll have to start at the very beginning again. But this is the scenario that sounds best to me.

Dr. Gibson said our chances of having a successful pregnancy are "significantly higher than 50%". That sounds good to me! :) I also met with the nurse (Gail) who reviewed the timeline with me. I have my last Lupron shot tonight and then start the Progesterone injections. She gave me some smaller needles to try since I have such small hips (her words) and also helped me find the spot to have Adam inject me. I left feeling pretty good! I will get a phone call from them on Monday telling us when to show up Tuesday for the transfer. WaHoO!