Embryo Update!!!

Well, I am on day 3 of bed rest and so far so good! I've been meaning to do an update on the embryo situation for 3 days now and haven't so here goes! On Friday the 20th the Embryologist called and told us that 16 of the 21 eggs fertilized and 12 of them were dividing quite nicely! We were very excited. He then said to come in on Monday morning for the transfer! Monday morning we were handed this beautiful picture of the two prettiest Embryos and given the latest update. Now out of the 12 that were dividing nicely there were only 8 that were looking good. Although all 8 looked excellent. We were still very excited! So this is a picture of the two best embyos that they transfered into me that day. Aren't they cute? Anyway, they said that they were the best quality embyros we have ever produced on any of our IVF cycles! We were very excited! They asked if we wanted to transfer in one or two. We both responded quickly with two although they seemed a little supprised and told us again what good quality they were. They also told us that we have a 60% chance of getting pregnant and a 50% chance of having twins. We also have a 5% chance of having triplets and less than a 1% chance of having quads! In the end I know we are crazy but we would love to have twins and in realily if we are suppose to have 4 kids they better come together and right now because I am about done with this wonderful phase of life! Thanks again for all your phone calls, child care, food and emotional support. We love you all and couldn't do it without you! By the way, we ended up with only 3 Embryos left to freeze which is good for two more frozen cycles if needed!

Egg Retrieval (the best part of IVF!)

Hello all! I have no picture to show of this part. I really should have brought my camera so that you all could see what an egg making machine I am. The Doctors said that most people produce about 13-15 eggs per cycle. I, on the other hand was ready for egg retrieval 2 days before schedule and produced a whopping 21 eggs! I was so proud of all my hard work. I had 20 with Ethan and 18 with Mylie so this was the best yet. This was the good news! The bad news is that this retrieval sadly was more like Ethan's retrieval which was painful. I don't want to scare anybody out there that may be going through this part of IVF in the future. Most people feel no pain at all as the drugs work as they are suppose too. Oh well, I am glad that it is over with! Now we just wait to see how our little embryos grow in the next 48 hours. We have 21 of them growing in a lab at the U and they will call us on Friday to tell us how many fertilized and how good all of them look. If they all look good should I transfer them all in so that I can make the news too? :)Embryo transfer is scheduled for either Saturday or Monday depending on how they are doing. I hope it's good news! Thanks for all your support! You all are wonderful friends and family and I couldn't ask for anything better at this moment!

IVF update

All my medications arrived! Look how many nasty medications I will be pumping into my body over the next several weeks. The big red sharps container is usually full by the end of the IVF cycle! I have been doing 3 shots in my belly every night since monday the 9th. One of the shots leaves a welt each time which makes me feel like I was kicked. It's way fun! This will continue until our ultrasound on monday the 16th. On this date they will probably have me continue the three shots until friday the 20th which is the projected date for my egg retrieval. I have mixed feelings about the egg retrieval. The first one that I had, that resulted in Ethan, was horrible. I wasn't given enough drugs and ended up being basically paralyzed and able to feel most of the procedure. If anybody is wondering how they retrieve your eggs it goes like this. They insert a long needle into me and puncture each follicle in both ovaries and drain all of the fluid to obtain as many eggs as possible. I usually have between 13-17 follicles on each side that are drained. This results in a very sore abdomen as you can imagine! It was not pleasant to feel each puncture the first time. The second egg retrieval, resulting in Mylie, was very nerve racking. Knowing that you are going in and possibly being paralyzed again to endure a painful procedure is not fun. I requested more medication this time and they obliged! It was wonderful! I spoke with my friend Amy on this topic (who has also had the pleasure of doing IVF) and agreed that the drugs are heavenly! I have already requested the same amount of medication be given to me this time! Oh happy day! Now some of you may be feeling sorry for us as you think to yourself, wow when I decide to get pregnant it is usually somewhat of a pleasurable experience. Well let us just fast forward a few years when our children are asking us how babies are made and where they came from. Your conversation will be awkward and embarrasing while ours will be easy as we tell them about the friendly doctors at the U that take a part of mommy and a part of daddy and make a baby to stick in my tummy. Ha ha! Just something we joke about to make our situation less annoying!

Fun Times!

Mylie loves to lay on Ethan! This is an odd moment that he is actually smiling about it. Usually he gives her a quick hug and then pushes her away as she is saying, "I hold you bubby." (nickname she has for Ethan) She always wants to hold him as if he were a baby. So cute!

One of Mylie's latest fashion creations! She also has several pairs of pajama pants and underwear on!

We had the pleasure of having Tayler hang out with us the other day while Chelsea tried to clean some more of her house. Seeing that he decided to start his regressing, due to the new baby coming, at our house (in the form of 4 piddle accidents :) we decided that a fun cousin tubby was in order. They had lots of fun although cute little Tay refused to smile in any of the pictures. I think that he was a little overwhelmed by his crazy and very loud cousins. Thanks for playing with us Tay!

We had cute little Kira and Jada over the other day and decided to play hide and seek. This has now become a favorite everytime they come over. On this day the big kids decided to hide in our closet up on the shelves behind the clothes. The little kids thought it looked like fun so we let them join in. Here is Mylie and Kira trying to do silly faces!

Jada and Ethan's silly faces!

All four! This was suppose to be smiling but Kira decided to keep the silly face!

Sick of being Sick!

We are so sick of being sick in our house. We are especially sick of STREP THROAT! I wish it didn't exist! Jeff has had strep once, Mylie and I have had it twice, and poor Ethan has had it a whopping 4 times since Thanksgiving! Every time we have spent hours and hours stripping all the beds including comforters to wash in hot water and disinfecting every surface and door handle possible in the house. We have also thrown away all of our toothbrushes and toothpaste each time! On our last visit to insta care which seems to be the place we always have to go due to weekend illnesses the doctor said that we are probably being exposed to this from Ethan's preschool and that there may be someone there who is just a carrier of strep that can't be treated. Come to find out Ethan's teacher knows of a kid in the class that is a carrier of strep! YUCK! I think because of Ethan's slightly lower immune system, due to his asthma, he catches everything that flies his way. So now we are trying to decide what to do. I hate to pull him out of preschool because he loves it and has lots of fun things coming up including his special Birthday spotlight and field trips! I believe we are going to try to stay in and wash him profusely everyday after preschool in hopes that we can stay in another month. If it gets it again though we are out of there!

A Walk with the Dino's by Weston and Brandon

Weston and Brandon were so nice to surprise Ethan and Tayler with tickets to Walking with Dinosaurs for Christmas! I'm late to post this but it couldn't be forgotten. They loved it! Ethan was a little spooked and after seeing the pictures I can see why! Thank you Weston and Brandon for the fun night out!

Waiting for Trax with Brandon

Cute cousins!

I'm sure riding Trax was a highlight as well!

I didn't put in the gory pictures of dinosaurs eating other dinosaurs (yuck, thanks Weston). For those who missed it here is a cool picture! Thanks again guys! Ethan still talks about it!

The Decision

Well after lots of thinking, talking, planning, debating, friendly fighting and opinions from outsiders we have finally decided to do in-vitro again! I know that anybody I talked to during my last pregnancy will remember me saying that I would NEVER EVER do in-vitro again but I think that the magic of my forgetful memory is allowing me to think that it was not that bad. I have now decided to do it again and not only do it but also keep track of what goes on during the process. Therefore, if it doesn't work or works for a while like last time ending horribly I won't have to rely on my memory if it comes down to decision time again. I'm 99% positive this will be the last attempt to bring more children into our lives. Yes, I said children. Jeff wants two more and on numerous accounts I have said if we are meant to have 4 kids the next two better come together. I absolutely hate in-vitro and don't love being pregnant. So this is it! After a much needed break in the form of a fantastic vacation to Cancun we are now ready. (posting for Cancun will be later) Thank you so much mom and dad for watching the kids! Words cannot express how grateful we are for your EVERYTHING you do for us! We returned home from Cancun on Sunday the 25th of January and started lupron shots that night. Welcome home and back to reality! The in-vitro process starts first with being forced to go on birth control pill. I hate birth control pills. I always gain 5 lbs and get really moody. (ask Jeff, he too would say he hates this part too :) Ever since the 25th I have been taking birth contol pills and Lupron shots sub Q in my belly every night. We celebrated on saturday night the 31st of January when I took my last birth control pill! We seriously went out to dinner. Jeff was very happy. Now just Lupron shots every night until Mylie's b-day the 16th of Feb where I will get to do 3 Sub Q shots in my belly every night! Side effects so far are nausea, extreme temperature issues and lack of desire to do anything! Fun stuff I tell ya!