11 Weeks

Well, last Thursday marked 11 weeks. 

On Tuesday we had a ultrasound to see if everything was progressing as it should and everything looked perfect.  Bean was measuring 2 days ahead so they changed the due date to Feb 7th.  We used skype during the scan and Bro and SIL got to see bean's kicking legs and waving arms :)  It was really awesome. 

I have been feeling so much better the last week.  I only occasionally get nauseated and I haven't been taking naps even if I have the time!

Here are some ultrasound pics from the scan:

It's is starting to look like there's an actual baby in there!

I love this one of his/her little feet!!!

The whole family is headed to Seattle to see Bro and SIL next week.  We are all really excited to get to squeeze them!  It has been almost a full year since I have seen my brother and after using skype to talk last week it really made me miss him even more!

Until next time :)



And we have.....

One healthy baby!

SIL and I met at the RE's office yesterday morning for our 6w5d ultrasound.  SIL flew in from Seattle and I made the 3 hour drive to KC.  It had been 9 months since we had seen each other and it was great to get to squeeze her! 

The nurse took us right back and set us up for the scan.  Dr. Stewart came in and we told him how excited we were to find out if it was going to be one or two.  He did his thing and there was one little bean in there measuring right on track with a very strong heartbeat.  (I forgot to ask what the heartbeat was but he said it was "perfect")  We even got to hear the heartbeat.  That was about all we could take and we both cried. Finally tears of joy for SIL after all these years :)

He then gave us a 90% chance of everything progressing normally and meeting this little bean on February 9, 2013!

He said I could stop all the medications at 10 weeks and I could taper off if that made me fell better, which I probably will.

After we left the office we were both calling and texting like mad everyone who was anxiously awaiting the good news.

We went to lunch and then spent the rest of the afternoon shopping.  I got some new clothes that should work for the next couple months since I always grow out of my normal clothes way too early for maternity clothes :\  It has been especially bad this time because of all the hormone's I am on.

I then took her back to her car and she gave me some stickers for belly pics.  They begin at 8weeks so I guess I will have to start taking pics next Saturday :)

MIA

So sorry I have been MIA for so long!  It has been crazy around here :)

To catch up....

The transfer took place on May 24th.  Everything went perfectly.  The embryologist thawed 2 embryos and they were both hatching by the time we transferred.  Dr. Stewart kept saying "I hope you are okay with twins!"

On Monday 5/28 I starting testing using my 50, yes I said 50, tests I bought on eBay and continued testing and stressing about the negatives until on Friday 6/1 I got a VERY faint positive.  So of course, I tested again and got another one.  I had to actually pull a negative test out of the trash to compare to make sure I wasn't loosing my mind and seeing things!

I called SIL and she was in total shock.  She didn't even know whether to be excited or scared. LOL

The next day I went and got 3 First Response tests to use over the weekend, just to make sure the line continued to get darker.  I even got a digital so I could send SIL a picture of the word pregnant.  Which made it seem even more real!!!

On Monday 6/4 my first beta at 10.5dp5pt was......................................... 288!!! 

A very strong number for a singleton, but still a slight chance of twins.

On Wednesday 6/6 my second beta at 12.5dp5dt was.......................................................955!!!

The nurse said that puts us at a 50/50 chance for twins!!!  SIL and I are so very happy!!!  My BRO is not sure how he feels about twins, but I think he needs twins!  His life is too organized right now!!!

Our first ultrasound is scheduled for June 20th and SIL is flying in from Seattle for it!  I am so excited she will be there the first time we see the heartbeat(s)

Stay tuned!

Free!

Okay, this is awesome news!

SIL called me yesterday to tell me that she finally got to talk with the Risk Management Department at the RE's office and they told her that they are going to do the transfer in May for............. FREE!! 

Then she told me that if it doesn't work the first time they will do another transfer for FREE!

They told her that they wanted to "make it right" due to the delay from the lab contamination. 

I am so happy for them, they so deserved a break in this long, expensive process of starting a family :)

Back on track??

Okay it seems that we might be back on track.  I made the 6 hour round trip to KC on Friday and according to the ARNP my lining is just thin enough to start estrogen.  I don't have any clue how that could be because they built up my lining for 3 weeks in March and then I never had a period so obviously the estrogen didn't do it's job or my body isn't cycling properly yet.  BUT the ARNP said to start the estrace and we would reevaluate on May 10 at my next ultrasound and if my lining isn't thick enough to start Progesterone we will have to delay.  I would rather delay now rather than delay after 3 more weeks of hormones, but I have no control over this process (which is VERY hard for Miss Control Freak here)  so I will do as I am told and pray for the best results. 

I talked to SIL on Friday night and we had a good long talk about how long and drawn out this whole process is.  More for me than her, because they have been through multiple IUIs AND the domestic adoption processes over the last 9 years.  So I will just remain patient.

Until the 10th.....

Ramblings

I am writing this post with a lot of emotion today.  I have been very, very, very frustrated the last couple of weeks.  I still have not started my period. I stopped all medications almost 3 weeks ago and still no period!  I am scheduled for my first ultrasound Friday and I am very frustrated because I feel like the trip to KC will be for nothing, again.  I have already made 2 trips for the cancelled cycle and now I am making another one.  I really want this to happen and I feel like we have been waiting for so long already. 

I am also very frustrated with myself.  I am jealous.  There I said it.  I love reading other surrogacy/embryo adoption blogs and there is one that transferred this month (the day after our transfer was supposed to be) and now they are pregnant.  I am soooo happy for them because it has been a long journey for them as well, but I am also jealous.  I can't help it. 

I want to do this for Bro and SIL, but there are so many other things going on with my family right now that all of these 3 hour trips to KC are really starting to take their toll.  We are in the process of trying to sell our house and looking for another one at the same time and if we can't find one we will probably build, which is a huge undertaking.  I guess I will just have to try and stay positive :)

I am done rambling for today.  Thanks for listening, if there is anyone actually listening...

Crazy week!

Well it has been a crazy week as the title says!  It started with our trip to KC for my lining check and ended with a one month delay :(

Thursday morning my mom, my daughter and I made the 3 hour trip to KC for some shopping before my ultrasound, which was scheduled for Friday morning.  We were almost to our first destination when I received a call from the RE himself with some bad news.  He said that there had been a contamination at the lab and we were going to have to delay our transfer until next month.  He stated that administration had contracted a roofer to tar the building and the roofer was supposed to notify them before he started work so they could seal the lab.  But the roofer did not notify them and the fumes from the tar leaked into the lab and contaminated all of there equipment and all of the embryos culturing at the time.  Thank goodness that BRO and SIL's embryos were still frozen because we were a week away from transfer so they didn't loose any, but all of the embryos that were out had to be discarded due to the fumes have been known to cause chromosomal defects.  That would be devastating news to someone!  What if it was there last two from a cycle, what if they had used an egg donor and now have to start over?  How horrible!

So I was instructed to stop all meds and notify them when I start my period and we will start over.  I was initially pretty bummed, but I know that it could be a lot worse and I am just praying that May is now our month :)

Long trip, short appointment

Well I made the 3 hour trip to KC on Thursday evening.  The ultrasound took all of 1 minute and the results were great.  My lining is sufficiently "thin".  They started me on estrace 3 times daily which is causing some mild cramping, but no other side effects so far :)

My next appointment is March 30th for another ultrasound, this time to see if my lining is sufficiently "thick".   I am planning on taking my mom and Nia with me and going to the American Girl Store.  

Not much else to report.  I will update after the next ultrasound.

Julie :)

This is getting real!!!

Well we finally got our schedule and it is starting to feel like this is actually happening.  For so long it was "February" then "March" and then finally "April" I was starting to wonder if it was ever going to really happen. 

So the plan is to stop bcp on 3/3 (I will have to fill a scrip for 3 pills, darn it but it is worth it)
Appointment for ultrasound on 3/9
Start Estrace on 3/10
Appointment for ultrasound for lining check on 3/30 and start progesterone.
If lining is ready transfer on 4/5.
If lining is not ready ultrasound on 4/5 and transfer on 4/12.

So that is "the plan".  I am such a planner that this is like a warm cozy blanket to me.  I know it can change, which I can roll with (hubby has an ever changing schedule as a pilot) but just seeing it on my calendar makes it seem like a reality.  I know that I can work around my kids' activities and school schedules and make it work!

I am so, so, sooooo excited!

Julie

Contract signed and a transfer date!

Okay, I am a bad blogger.  I know.  I can't seem to get excited about blogging these days.  I really want to chronicle this journey, but it is hard when it seems all you are doing is waiting.  But from all of the other surrogacy/embryo adoption blogs I read, it seems waiting is the name of the game.  Always waiting for something.

On to the contract....  We tried really hard to go ahead without a contract between us and Bro/SIL but the doc would not do the transfer without a signed contract.  So Bro & SIL bit the bullet and paid for their and my attorney so we could get a contract signed.  Monte and I had our consultation with our attorney over the phone on Friday and then had the contract signed, notarized and mailed on Saturday.  I wasn't gonna be the one holding things up!!

Also, the embryos have shipped and will arrive at the clinic on March 5th.  When the clinic receives them, they will send me a detailed calendar.  They also set a tentative transfer date of April 5th.  I have no clue how they can know that yet, but I am trusting they know what they are doing :)

As soon as I get a calendar and it all lines up I will cash in some reward points and reserve a hotel room for April 4th & 5th.  Hopefully my mom will be able to go with me, since Monte will have to be home with the kids.

So that is the plan for now, but as I have learned plans change all too often!

Delayed

 We are delayed again.

This is becoming a pattern.  :(

The social worker wasn't able to come til this week for the home study update and it will take 2 weeks the complete the report. Why does it take that long to write a 1 page report??  

So.... that will put us to the end of January, then a mock cycle in February and then the real thing in March.  

The good news is that I will get to go skiing with the family the end of February, which I am super excited about.  I missed our trip in December to stay home with Kye because he was sick :(

But on the other side February has good mojo for me because it is the month Kye was conceived.  I was hoping for a dejavu pregnancy.  But I will continue to think good thoughts about March. 

Wait, I just remembered that March 30th is my Bro's birthday so maybe we can have good news on his birthday :)

First part of the testing is done!

I got an email from the clinic this week that said they had received all my testing and now we are waiting on embryos to ship.

I have to say that the saline sono was way more than I thought it was gonna be!  I figured it was just an internal ultrasound.  This is probably TMI but they inserted a speculum and then they inserted a catheter into my uterus and filled it with saline, then they took out the speculum and inserted the "dildo cam" and looked at the lining of my uterus to make sure there weren't any polyps and that my ovaries looked good, then they drained the saline.  It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable. 

They did say that my uterus was clear of any polyps and there were no cysts on my ovaries.  So that is all good news :)  But we already knew it was gonna be beautiful, right!

I am anxiously awaiting the home study update and then we can start transfer protocol!