8.20.2013

Not so much flutters as elbowing your stomach from the inside...

So a lot of people asked me if I felt the flutters (the baby's first movements). Well, I think I felt them once while we were in PA...in Walmart...buying...ammo.

I did however feel my first kick on August 15th.

I was talking to my friend Kelly about my 20 week which was the next day. I was telling her how the sonograms always make me nervous because I am always scared they will say that they don't see anything or that something is wrong.
So she tells me to eat something, lay flat on my back and wait. And I did...hands placed firmly on belly. Then suddenly....THUMP! I jumped up...and texted her - OMG! I think I just felt the baby kick!!!

She said eating or drinking gets them moving and laying flat tightens everything up so you are more likely to feel something especially at 20 weeks. It was so amazing! It really feels like being elbowed from the inside in the stomach.
Now...I am starting to feel him more even when I am sitting depending on my position. He doesn't seem to like it when I sit leaning forward.

Every might when we go to bed, I lay flat and have Billy put his hands on my belly so he can feel too. Sometimes he talks to my belly to try and get him to move more. XOXO

20 week sonogram...

Our 20 week sonogram was really cool. It takes about 60 to 90 minutes because they are looking at and measuring everything. AS the nurse was getting images of his face and head, he started yawning which was amazing to see. Then..he brought his hand up to his face and started chewing on his thumb.

Little man's profile...


...and a better than the 12 week 3D of little man sucking his thumb!

...and a few things for mommy too!

My Living Locket from Origami Owl..


My bracelet from Brighton...started by my good friend Lita!



Gotta represent my little boy!!!

Just some of the goodies that await little man...

Daddy had to start the NY Yankee's collection early!


Front..


Back..


..and a baseball hat collection too!



All daddy's favorites..


Billy searched through HUNDREDS of shirts to find this one..


If nothing else...be Superman!



..more Yankees!


Representing the fire department..




..and police!


Yo Adrian!


Closet is getting FULL!!!




The day we had both been waiting for....Verifi Test Results Day!

First..let me explain what the Verifi test is.

They take a blood sample from you through your arm and the genetic material is tested using a technique called DNA sequencing. It measures genetic material (or DNA) from your blood to look for too few or too many copies of chromosomes in you and the baby. Missing or extra copies of chromosomes are referred to as “aneuploidies” and may be related to conditions in pregnancy such as trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), or trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome). Those are the 3 big genetic abnormalities that doctor's look for.

So we go in to see Dr. B on June 27. They take my blood and told us it takes about a week to get the results. Well, a week turned into July 10th!

I had to wait until after 10 in the morning to call. The nurse puts me on hold. Billy gets frustrated telling me that I will probably be told to call back tomorrow and goes into the bathroom. I am sitting on the steps in my foyer. The nurse gets back on the phone and tells me that the test came back negative for all chromosomal abnormalities...then nothing. So I ask - And the sex? She laughed and said - Oh you wanted to know? UMMMMMMM..YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's like the only reason we did the test. She said - What did you want? Now..everyone including my mom told me it was a girl. So I told her I thought it was a girl. She says - Nope. Boy!

I was in shock at that point and started giggle-laughing. I called out to Billy who was still in the bathroom and said - Babe, it's a boy!
Billy couldn't control his excitement and clapped his hands while screaming - FUCKING AWESOME!

I admit...it took me a few seconds to wrap my head around it being a boy. I had kinda prepared myself for a girl. But once it sunk in, I looked at Billy and just said (all teary eyed) - Oh my God babe...we're having a boy!


So I left off on Beta Day....

Well...the nurse was right. They did have good news for me. Dr. L called us at about 2:30 in the afternoon. I could heard the smile in his voice as he said to me - Arge, I have very good news. You are pregnant.

We were at the garden center..lol...so I had to limit my jumping up and down to just falling to my knees. Billy came over and I was just nodding my head. It was incredible.

My hCG level were as follows -

April 26 - 36
May 1 - 284
May 8 - 3921
May 15 - 11790

So I was definitely pregnant!!

On my next visit, I was going to have the sonogram which would tell me whether or not I was have 1, 2 or 3. It was 1 (a singleton as they called it). Don't get me wrong...Billy and I always said that we would be happy with 1 and we were.

5 week sonogram


6 week sonogram


7 week sonogram


9 week sonogram


12 week sonogram Finally looking like a baby!!!


At 8 weeks pregnant, Dr. L released me to the care of an OBGYN - Dr. B. It was kind of exciting and kind of sad. I love Dr. L and the entire staff. I mean they made this happen. How do you even begin to say thank you for something like that?

At my first appointment, Dr. B made us feel at ease. He was funny and cracking jokes. Billy asked when we could find out the sex. Dr. B said - Well when she gives birth I will be able to tell you 100% whether its a boy or girl. We laughed....
He discussed with us about Down's Syndrome because I am what they call - Advanced Maternal Age..that magical point in life where you are over 35. He told us about the Nuchal Translucency Test, where they do a sonogram at 12 weeks to measure the thickness of the skin behind the baby's neck, a test called Verifi, where they take my blood, which contains the baby's chromosomes to see if there are any abnormalities (PLUS...you get to find out the sex...8 weeks early!!) or an ammnio. We voted against the ammnio.
He sent us to MFM in Paramus to do the Nuchal Translucency. Everything looked good. They look for a thickness of 3mm or higher. The baby's was 1.5 so it was normal. Thank God!!

When we went back to Dr. B, he asked if we wanted to do the Verifi test, just to be certain. I admit...we were pretty certain with the Nuchal, but we were DYING to find out the baby's sex so we said yes!



6.11.2013

And I'm back...

So after a looooooong and torturous (just about) 3 months....we FINALLY broke the news! I am pregnant!!

I have a lot to post and update everyone on so I promise...there will be what I am guessing will be some pretty long posts tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone for their love and support and to my husband Billy for being my everything. I love-ed you babe!!

4.26.2013

Beta day....

So after a very long 9 days, my beta was this morning. We saw Dr. L in the waiting room. He had a huge smile on his face when he saw us and asked if we had our fingers crossed. I laughed and said we had everything crossed.

There was a small mix up at the office. They couldn't find my file. I said the St. Anthony prayer and it was found...lol! Good ol' St. Anthony!!

We were called in for my ultrasound first. Dr. L said that my uterus was nice and thick, about 14mm which meant Billy was giving me my progesterone injection correctly. My ovaries are still a little enlarged but he said that it was normal and will take a few weeks to go back to normal size.

Dr. L is too cute. He said that the office was thinking about me all week.

We went back into the waiting room and I was called in to draw my blood.....the moment we had all been waiting for. The nurse was sweet. She agreed that the wait is the worst part. Then joked that when ever she draws blood....it's always good news.

Well.......let's hope she is right!!!!!!!

4.23.2013

2WW......SUCKS!!!

Well technically, it is a 9DW (9 day wait not 2 week wait).

My friend Kelly, who has seriously been my IVF angel, sent me this really great link from the NYU Fertility Center in NYC. It gives a really awesome timeline for 3 day transfers and 5 day transfers. I am a 5 day transfer so the earliest hCG will show up anywhere is Friday which is, coincidentally, my beta blood test anyway. So again....waiting SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



?

To hpt or not hpt.....that is the question..................

4.22.2013

All I have to say is....

....thank goodness for Cheerios and Preggy Pops as I continue my love/hate relationship with prenatal vitamins...

Transfer day..

On the couch with Dumbo and my 3 embryos...


And Billy made me chocolate chip cookies...



What progesterone is like

Cold pack to numb my ass...


Progesterone...


Needle, all set to go!


Not as much as the other shots...


DONE!

My recovery room posse...



My mom and Billy.....and my bag of needles.

Change of plans....

Sorry about the lack of posts. I have been off from work since Wednesday and I am not fond of posting from my lap top or phone.

So at around 8:30 am Wednesday, as we were waiting for my mom to get to the house, the phone rings. It's Dr. L. He tells me that 4 of the embryos didn't make it and the remaining 5 were a little slow and not perfect........so he wanted to transfer 3 not 2. I am not sure what upset me more...the fact that I only had 5 surviving embryos or that the remaining embryos weren't perfect. I try not to go on message board or read too many articles on the internet but while looking up information on other subjects, I do run into the occasional message board post....and almost all of them mention "perfect embryos". I guess something about the words "not perfect" and "slow" just make you think that they won't take and all of your hard work and worry and tears will be for nothing. And how do you try again with an optimistic open-mind after a failed attempt?

But anyway. I hung up with Dr. L. Billy was in the basement so he didn't know that Dr. L had called me so the first words out of his mouth when I told him what he said were "You're lying". But I wasn't. 3 embryos were put into my uterus.

If you aren't familiar with the embryo transfer part of IVF..they use a catheter to put them back in and the entire process takes like 3 minutes. You are required after that to lay flat for 30 minutes. Oh...and you go in with a full bladder. That part scared me the most...feeling like I would explode on the table. It really wasn't bad at all. I drank I glass of water an hour before...then another glass on my way there. The best part was, I got to take Valium!! Valium is nice....very nice.

My mom and Billy were allowed in the recovery room with me, which was great. The nurse came in and showed Billy how to give me the progesterone shots. Progesterone is the worst shot out of all of them. You have to inject it in your ass and the needle is big.

So Friday is our big day. This is the worst part....the waiting. If I get into all of my worries, I will cry and I am trying to hold it together for my own sanity's sake.

What is that saying? Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.....


4.15.2013

Update..

Yesterday at around 4:00 pm, Dr. L called me to see how I was doing. Billy was really impressed that the doctor called me himself on a Sunday afternoon. I have to admit, I was really nice and did make me feel like I wasn't just a number.
He told me to call today at 8:30 am to see how my embryos were doing and if they were doing very well, he would think about doing the transfer today.

So at 8:15 am, I was sitting in the dressing room...Billy was laying in bed. I started to fold laundry waiting for 8:30. I hear "You do the jitterbug"....and I look over at Billy who was playing music on his phone. He looks at me and says - "This will be the last thing you hear before you get the embryo results". Ummmm...really? Thanks babe. LOL!!!

So 8:30 comes and I call. Dr. L gets on the phone. He said that we really did well. Most people do not get 9 embryos on a cycle..4 or 5 at the most. 2 of our embryos were a little slow but the other 7 were strong and looked great but he wanted to let them grow in the lab for a few more days so Wednesday will be our day. He also said that not all the embryos will make it to Wednesday but that was okay because we really want the strong one to transplant.

I was and still am a little bummed about the 2 embryos. And yeah I know..God's will and all but they are still embryos. MY embryos. 2 tiny pieces of Billy and I. The beginnings of 2 lives. I never really thought I would feel that way about them. It's strange and amazing at the same time.

Rockin' the blue hospital gown...



This was taken after I came out of the procedure room...
....and still high as a kite!!

4.13.2013

And the final number is......

9!!!!!! We have 9 embryos!!!!

Out of the 18 eggs...15 were mature and they split them...6 they did where they inject the sperm in each egg (ICSI) and all 6 of those took. And 9 they did where they let the sperm figure out on their own what to do (in-vitro) and 3 of those took.

We are ecstatic! Thank you God!!!

4.12.2013

High as a kite...

I just got a call from Dr. L to check up on me and see how I'm doing. He said I made him laugh because I was really enjoying my anesthesia!!! What can I say....it was really good stuff! LOL!

Other than tired...I am a little crampy but nothing too bad.

Egg retrieval...nailed it!!!

So this morning was my egg retrieval!! I admit...I was nervous. I tried to be all brave but inside I was shitting a brick.

We got to the office at 9:50 am and checked in. Our nurse Allison came out to get me. We walked into the procedure room and I changed into my sexy blue gown complete with blue booties and
cap...LOL! Allison went over all of my instructions and took my vitals. Dr. L came in shorty after that then the a anesthesiologist. He set up my IV and we walked into the procedure room.

Everything after that is a blur. I remember getting a sedative to help me relax which made me laugh uncontrollably. When I woke up, the first thing I said was "But I'm awake."....LOL! Then I asked if I was snoring...LOL! They said a little. Then I asked how many eggs they took. The nurse said 18!!!!! 18 eggs!!!! Crazy!!!!!
I walked into the recovery room and Allison came in with Billy. Dr. L had spoken to him after my retrieval. I was feeling so happy at that point.

So...here we are...just resting comfortably. They will call me tomorrow to let us know the fertilization results. Praying for good embryos!

4.11.2013

hCG Trigger...done!

So last night was our big night...the moment we have been waiting for...the most important night so far...the hCG trigger shot! NAILED IT!! LOL...

We had both of our alarms set for 10:20 pm so that we had enough time to prep and get ready. We walked into the kitchen, both of us with these huge smiles on our faces. It was actually the only time we walked into the kitchen at injection time with smiles. Billy prepped the needle as usual. He had a second alarm set for 10:30 pm so he knew exactly when to give the shot. I was busy texting people back..lol..thanking them for their well wishes.

10:29 pm came...and there we were...standing there...skin pinched and needle aimed at my extremely sore and ridiculously black and blue abdomen.
10:30 pm...the alarm goes off and Billy realizes that he didn't turn the high-hats on, only the chandelier so he can't really see...LOL! He runs over to the light switch, turns it on - LIGHTS! Awesome! Then came the most painful shot to date. OUCH!!! Because my skin is so bruised, Billy had a hard time getting the needle in. No biggie...he did it and I survived.

Next up...retrieval day tomorrow! Let's pray for good eggs and even better embryos!!! XOXO

Alarm is set...


May I have the envelope please...


hCG shot...ready to go!


1 final alcohol swab...


Kiss for good luck...


EMPTY!! WooooHoooo!!!!


The tiny aftermath..lol!

When I least expected a laugh...I got a big one!

My phone was going off like crazy between texts and alarms and facebook. As I am updating my friend Tara, my text alert goes off again. It was a friend of Billy's from work.....probably one of my favorite friends of Billy's from work....LOL! The text took me by surprise and I couldn't stop laughing. It really made my night to know how much support we are getting from everyone. We are so blessed. Truly.

4.10.2013

hCG trigger tonight!

We went for my final ultrasound this morning. Dr. L said my estrogen levels were perfect and my uterus looks great. He looked at my ovaries to see what my follicles were doing and took measurements. We have 3 @ 22mm, 3 @ 20mm, 2 @ 19mm, and 2 @18mm and a lot of smaller ones. So Friday is definitely my day! We also got my hCG shot and our instructions. We do that tonight at 10:30 pm EXACTLY! Apparently everything rides on this shot. Miss the shot time...you are screwed til next cycle. The good thing is Thursday is my "Injection Vacation"! I don't have to take any meds or shots at all Thursday! Ahhhhhhh.....

Follicles in my right ovary...


My hCG trigger shot!!!

Final Follistim, Ganirelix and LH shots!!

This morning was our final Follistim, Ganirelix and LH shots for this cycle. Can I get a WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!

Poor Billy looking exhausted!


Waiting in line...


Needle prep...


My last 3 stim shots...



The aftermath!


Follistim - 375 units - 4/10/2013
Ganirelix
Low Dose LH - 20 units