5wks6dy - A sigh of relief for now!

I'm so thrilled to be able to come back w/ good news for ONCE!!

We saw 1 gestational sac, a 3mm fetal pole and a HEART BEAT!!! We got stuck w/ the older u/s machine which doesn't measure heart rate, but the u/s tech said it looked perfect. It was beautiful and I was surprised I stayed composed!

Met w/ Dr S afterwards and he walked in beaming. He said, "This is the ONE!". He compared our cycles and said this one is "MUCH better" and we only have a 5% chance of m/c'ing at this point. His complete demeanor was so much lighter than it ever has been after past u/s's...so it was great! He said we are measuring right on track, even a day early and that I can stop baby aspirin, schedule my 1st prenatal appt w/ my regular OB for 3 wks and I come back in 2 for another u/s w/ him. He also had my bw ckd to see if they can wean me off of my progesterone shots. I was so relieved to see more than a gestational sac...the heartbeat was just a bonus!!!

My next u/s is on Monday 11/7 @ 1:30pm. Looking forward to a healthy update w/ continued healthy growth and then I can exhale!!

5wks1dy

5wk Belly Pics

This pregnancy so far has been really wierd. For some reason I'm not as obsessed as I usually am. Maybe it's my heart trying to preserve me from any potential pain from a loss? Who knows.

Anyways, I noticed that my ta ta's were bigger last Friday @ 4 1/2 weeks. I also noticed that my nips didn't do the puffy thing regularly until about then as well. Other than that...I've felt great (as usual). So far I haven't been quite as tired or gassy as I was the last pregnancy (but I am off and on constipated, but I guess that's me regularly too)... I guess each pregnancy is different.

Brad and I are celebrating our 6 year wedding anniversary this weekend and we are staying at a hotel on Friday night. Our actual anniversary isn't until Sunday. And then we have our 1st ultrasound on Monday. He just asked me what I want as a gift and I told him just to get me some flowers like our wedding bouquet. He said he had planned on getting me flowers tonight anyways...but he's glad he asked cuz he had to look at a picture of our wedding flowers to be reminded. LOL

Also, we booked a Caribbean 7 Cruise for February 5th!!! I'm sooo excited! We are going w/ our neighbors/friends (Tom & Michelle, Jim & Cyndi, Scott, Jimmy, & Danny). It should be more than a blast! I should be 20 1/2 weeks then...so I won't be able to scuba dive or anything like that...but I figure I'll save us some moolah AND I'll save on the booze!! But, I get all the pop and non-alchoholic drinks I want for FREE! :)

BETA's are in...drum roll please!

And the results are (IVF#3):
10dp3dt (13dpo): 121 (progesterone 45.8)
12dp3dt (15dpo): 351
Doubling rate: 31.24hrs

They are very similar to my last cycle which was a twin pregnancy. My results last time were:
IVF#1
11dp3dt (14dpo): 137
13dp3dt (16dpo): 324
Doubling rate: 38.65hrs

IVF#2
10dp3dt (13dpo): 129
12dp3dt (15dpo): 372
Doubling rate: 31.42hrs

My RE's office just basically left the message of congratulations and the information, said the #'s look really good, and said they'd be in contact w/ further instruction. Usually they give more detail on what to do and when to set up the COP u/s...hopefully I'll hear from them soon, so I can schedule that.

edit: Just got a call from RMIA (actually my cousin was the one that called!)...My u/s is scheduled for 10/24 (5w6d and 1 day after our 6th wedding anniversary!).
I am to stop the prometrium & the estrace
Decrease activity
No vigorous workouts
No lifting over 20pds
No sex until after COP's
Continue w/ 1cc of PIO shots.

4w1d

Happy Sunday

My beta's are tomorrow and Wednesday. I'm excited to hear what my levels are.

I POAS again, of course...and the line was definitely darker.

Symptom check: tendor boobies (maybe starting to get a little bigger?), bloody noses (started last night), think nips are starting to puff out, slight cramping here and there.

Yesterday the boys and I went out for celebratory dinner (sushi!!!) at MOA. We told Mike the news. He smiled. Then we went to the Apple store so Brad could look for accessories for his Ipod and then bought Mike a new book he wanted.

Donna called us last night for updates. She knows I like to cheat. She's pretty excited. I told her this one's a keeper.

9dp3dt

BFP!!!

I tested again this morning and the line is light...but very visable and glaringly obvious!!!

It hasn't really sunk in yet...but I'm gonna be a new mamma again. God willing that this pregnancy stick...please God...please!

Some other really exciting news is that I opened the mail yesterday and got the bill for 2 wonderful totcycles at the frozen embryo storage facility. I won't know any details on the grade or quality of the embryos until I get official mail from RMIA, so I'm really excited to get that. I do know that they have very high standards on freezing eggs...so we had to have met those qualifications in order for them to have been frozen.

I'm thrilled beyond words!!

I just sent Brad an e-card letting him know (he had to open the store this morning) and he called and is excited. Naturally...he's like, "One hurdle down...". I said, "So, where are you taking me to celebrate tonight?"...and he's like, "Guess I'd better take you to get some sushi, huh?!"...he knows I LOVE sushi! I'll just need to eat cooked fish in it...but I can't wait!

8dp3dt

Ever sooooo slight line

I can't help myself really. I HAVE to pee on those damn sticks!

Today I got an ever soooooo slight, barely visable 2nd line. I won't even show it to Brad because i'ts only noticable because it's supposed to be stark white...and you can see it's not.

Brad asked me when I was going to start POAS and all I could do was start laughing. He knew immediately I had already started. He said it was way too early to see a bfp...but surprisingly he didn't take my stash from me. I guess he knows me too well and knows I'd likely spend more $ for more.

It makes me feel a little less worried about having to deal w/ a negative cycle...but I sure wish that line was darker, so I'd know the BETA's will be high next week. It's really all so complicated...I'm not sure why I think I am qualified at analyzing it. LOL!

My PIO shots have been pretty messy and left nice bruising this week. But, if we get a healthy baby out of this...entirely all worth it.

Mike is going to his 1st 8th grade dance tonight. He has suddenly become a little social bug and found the teenage addiction to the phone. He's no where near how bad I was at his age...but he's been getting quite a few calls lately. A couple girls too. Katie is the new girl in the picture. He claims they are just friends, but she called twice last night and he talked to her for quite awhile the night before.

I'm trying to not become the overbearing mom that my parents were. We all know where that got me. But, I also want to make sure he keeps the right head on his shoulders. It will be interesting to see what he has to say after the dance. :)

Symptom check: so far no cramping today (although it's only 10am), sore boobies

7dp3dt

Patience? What is that?

Today I'm technically 9dpo. I took another hpt, although I know it's too early, and it was negative. I got a slight + this time last cycle...but the line did not show up until much after the test time. I think I'll probably wait until either Saturday (11dpo) or Sunday (12dpo) to test again.

I'm really trying my best to try to stay busy and not think about this waiting...but it has been really difficult this time.

Symptom check: off and on cramping (it was more prominant around 5-6dpo and now it is just off and on during the day), constipation, boobs getting slightly more tender. I haven't noticed the puffy nip thing yet...but I think that usually shows up around 11-13dpo.

I made reservations at a hotel and ordered our wedding anniversary cake for the weekend of 10/21 (Friday). Our anniversary isn't really until the 23rd, but that falls on a Sunday. It's hard to believe that it has been 6 years now that we've been married. We've been together since 95'...so It feels like we've been married for much longer.

I've been craving sushi like crazy...I'm tempted to call my cousin and see if she feels like going to get some w/ me for lunch...but it's freezing today...so I'm not sure that I really want to leave the house or not. Decisions...decisions.

6dp3dt

Waiting waiting...just keep waiting...

My cramping has subsided (although they kind of kept me up a little last night). I'm not really sure what that was all about.

I'm trying to do a good job at keeping pre-occupied but this can be a difficult feat when you work from home and have a lot of time to yourself to think.

I'm still trying to decide if I will cheat and POAS on Friday (which will be 10dpo).

So far my symptoms are fairly minimal, but I usually don't start noticing major symptoms until about 10/11dpo.

Symptom check: sensitive nips, on & off cramping, constipation & gassy.

Brad hit a gusher last night w/ my PIO shot and it bled like crazy. And my right side is soooo sore now. OUCH...it actually woke me up a couple of times when I rolled over on that side.

4dp3dt

Implantation day?

I've been reading a lot of things on the net that says that implantation takes place on day6, so possibly this is the day that our little embies are getting all comfy and cozy?

I've had a little cramping off and on today and just have this "full" feeling in my tummy, but nothing major. I remember cramping with both of my previous cycles.

It's hard to believe that I can try an HPT as early as Friday. I'm still trying to decide if I want to wait it out or cheat and do one. I have SIX tests waiting for me...but we'll see.

Other than the off and on cramping...I haven't noticed any other symptoms. It's still pretty early though. I'm pretty tired...and have been sleeping really well at night, except for having to get up to pee several times a night.

We shall see...

3dp3dt

Off bedrest...kind of

Today I am officially off bedrest!

Although I slept until 10:30am, showered, ate a little, and then took a nap until 3pm. LOL!

Brad did an awesome job of taking care of me and even though he hates to eat in bed....he brought up all of my meals and ate with me. He's so sweet.

My stomach has gone down and isn't bloated or sore anymore.

I've been a little crampy here and there...but I'm not sure if it's gas or something else.

Other than that...no major syptoms to report. My boobs are sore off and on...but they've been like that ever since I started my stims. Which I don't remember w/ the other cycles.

I'm excited to hear if we have any TOTcycles left to freeze.

2dp3dt