With the exception of this afternoon (and I'll get to that), it's been a great weekend. On Friday night, we went up to Atlanta to visit Justin and Kate. Mama and Daddy were coming for the weekend too, but they were staying in a hotel near Justin. We had a great spaghetti dinner and enjoyed catching up with Justin. On Saturday morning, Mama and Daddy brought fresh bagels and cream cheese and it was so yum. We then met up with Chun and Patrick at Ruth's Chris steak house for dinner. That restaurant never fails in delivering a fantastic steak! After lunch, we went to the Super H Mart in Duluth to partake in the Asian shopping experience. Thomas and I have been before, but Mama and Daddy hadn't. My mom was in awe of all the different fruits, vegetables, and fish. After we left there, we went to North Point mall to kill some time before meeting up with Kate's parents for dinner. Mama was just itching to buy some baby clothes! We went to The Children's Place and she went a little nuts. I bought a few things too, but I stuck to gender-neutral stuff and only spent $16! I bought 5 items and they were all marked down to $2.99 each. Great deals! She, on the other hand, bought a girl and boy outfit of each thing she got. So, she spent well over $16, but hey...that's what grandmothers are for, right? A lot of people can't believe that we've already bought clothes this early, but we can't help it! We've been looking forward to this for so long! After shopping, we went to Greenwoods restaurant in Alpharetta and met Kate's parents.
We got home last night around 11:30 and Scarlett was so excited to see us! She stayed at home (since Justin's apartment is ridiculous and doesn't allow dogs her size to visit) and Kristen spent Friday night here dog-sitting. I went to bed shortly after we got home since I had to be at the doctor's office at 8 this morning for my repeat blood work. There were several people in the office when I got there, so I knew it was going to take longer than normal. But, once I got called back, it was quick. She called me around 10:45 this morning with my results and said that my hCG had gone from 124 to 279 and it only needs to go to 205. Yay body! We scheduled my first ultrasound for February 17th. They'll make some growth measurements and we'll be able to see the heartbeat at that time. So exciting! Keep the prayers coming!
Now, why this afternoon has been the exception to the great weekend. We got word on Thursday that two of my co-workers, Kent and Amy Hunter, found their 13 month old son, Garrett, blue in his crib. They started CPR and called 911, but they were unable to revive him at the hospital. The autopsy showed he had an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. His funeral and burial were this afternoon. There were so many family and friends, including co-workers at the funeral today. I cannot begin to imagine what they're going through. Having gotten our news this weekend, it especially hits home how fragile life is. I know they have a long road ahead of them, but with the help of family and friends, I think they and their son, Landon, will be able to make it through. Keep them in your prayers too!
More to come as it develops...
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Drumroll please...
But before I go on (ha ha!), I would like to ask for a favor. I haven't posted this news on Facebook or Twitter and I don't plan to for a little while longer. So, please don't mention anything on those sites yet! I just can't keep it off here since I know a lot of people are waiting!
In the words of my nurse Cynthia, I am "very much pregnant!"
Let me back up a few days to share some stressful moments! On Tuesday afternoon, I woke up from a nap on the couch with a slightly sore neck, like I had slept on it wrong. As the day went on, it got worse and worse and began to involve not only the muscles, but felt like my spine too. It even went down in between my shoulder blades. I called in sick to work on Wednesday because I had some cold symptoms too and they were making me feel very blah. By the time I went to bed, I was in tears because I was in so much pain and I couldn't take anything stronger than Tylenol in case I was pregnant. I had hoped that a good night's sleep would make it better, but I woke up about 7 AM because I couldn't get comfortable anymore. With my overactive imagination being what it is, I jumped to the worst possibility: could it be meningitis? I just have seen so many patients in the hospital who ignored symptoms and they ended up worse off than if they had come in earlier. And I didn't want to be one of those people. I considered going to the Med Stop, but I figured they might send me to the hospital ER any way if I needed x-rays or blood work. I went to the ER at the Med and there was not a single soul in the waiting room! I couldn't believe it. They took me back to triage quickly and got my vitals, which were all normal. The doctor saw me soon after and he told me I had the mild flu. Which was the last thing I thought it could be since I had the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. Other than my neck and some mild cold symptoms, I didn't feel that bad. I told the doctor about the possibility that I could be pregnant and he offered to do a test. We opted for the urine test first and the whole time I was waiting for the result, I was crying. When he came back in, he told me that he thought it was probably too soon for a urine test to show up and the nurse said she was expecting it to be negative even if I was pregnant. So that made me feel a little better, but I was still upset. The doctor said we could go ahead and do a blood test or wait until Friday when I was supposed to find out. We decided to just wait....what's a few more days??
Fast-forward to today....
Thomas had to work last night, so I wanted to wait until he got home to take my test. I wanted him there to share the excitement and to be there for me to cry on if it was negative. When he got home, he gave me the sweetest card that talked about how this pregnancy journey has strengthened our relationship and how he's looking forward to the baby strengthening our relationship even more. I'm about to cry now just typing it! Needless to say, I bawled my eyes out after reading that this morning...and it was BEFORE I took my test!
So 3 minutes after I took my test, I went to look at it fully prepared to see the one reference line. I've seen it so many times before. But there was a faint second line there and that I'd never seen before. So of course we're like, "Now what?" I called the doctor's office and luckily Cynthia was available to talk. I told her what it said and she said that a faint or bold line usually means positive. She said to come in for a blood test and I told her we'd be there as soon as we could. We got there about 10:30. I took my home test (in a ziploc bag for freshness!) and she said it was definitely positive.
She drew my blood and said she'd call me in 2 hours with the results. We had already planned to go to one of our favorite brunch restaurants, J. Christopher's, while we were waiting for the phone call. My mom was already meeting us, but my dad surprised us by showing up too. Before my mom got there, Cynthia called me (less than an hour after we left) and said that my numbers looked very good and I was "very much pregnant!" She told me to continue my Prometrium and come back in Sunday morning for another blood test to make sure my numbers continue to go up. If everything looks good, they'll schedule my OB scan. My mom had picked up some roses for my dad to give me. So sweet! They're a dozen yellow roses and they're beautiful.
It's still very surreal. I know we're in the very early stages, but I'm trying to keep positive thoughts. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!
How Far Along: 3 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain: I don't plan on getting on a scale until I have to
Maternity clothes: None yet. Clothes still fit fine.
Sleep: I'm tired at work in the mornings and when I get a chance to sit down at work...which is rare
Best Moment this week: Finding out our amazing news!
Movement: None yet
Gender: I'm guessing boy or girl
Labor signs: None and I hope not to see any for a long time!
Belly button: Innie
Cravings: Nothing yet
What I miss: Nothing. I can tell you what I don't miss: wondering if it will ever happen!
Stretch Marks: No new ones
Weekly wisdom: Things do work out and the power of prayer is amazing.
What I am looking forward to this week: Telling people and seeing their reaction
In the words of my nurse Cynthia, I am "very much pregnant!"
Let me back up a few days to share some stressful moments! On Tuesday afternoon, I woke up from a nap on the couch with a slightly sore neck, like I had slept on it wrong. As the day went on, it got worse and worse and began to involve not only the muscles, but felt like my spine too. It even went down in between my shoulder blades. I called in sick to work on Wednesday because I had some cold symptoms too and they were making me feel very blah. By the time I went to bed, I was in tears because I was in so much pain and I couldn't take anything stronger than Tylenol in case I was pregnant. I had hoped that a good night's sleep would make it better, but I woke up about 7 AM because I couldn't get comfortable anymore. With my overactive imagination being what it is, I jumped to the worst possibility: could it be meningitis? I just have seen so many patients in the hospital who ignored symptoms and they ended up worse off than if they had come in earlier. And I didn't want to be one of those people. I considered going to the Med Stop, but I figured they might send me to the hospital ER any way if I needed x-rays or blood work. I went to the ER at the Med and there was not a single soul in the waiting room! I couldn't believe it. They took me back to triage quickly and got my vitals, which were all normal. The doctor saw me soon after and he told me I had the mild flu. Which was the last thing I thought it could be since I had the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. Other than my neck and some mild cold symptoms, I didn't feel that bad. I told the doctor about the possibility that I could be pregnant and he offered to do a test. We opted for the urine test first and the whole time I was waiting for the result, I was crying. When he came back in, he told me that he thought it was probably too soon for a urine test to show up and the nurse said she was expecting it to be negative even if I was pregnant. So that made me feel a little better, but I was still upset. The doctor said we could go ahead and do a blood test or wait until Friday when I was supposed to find out. We decided to just wait....what's a few more days??
Fast-forward to today....
Thomas had to work last night, so I wanted to wait until he got home to take my test. I wanted him there to share the excitement and to be there for me to cry on if it was negative. When he got home, he gave me the sweetest card that talked about how this pregnancy journey has strengthened our relationship and how he's looking forward to the baby strengthening our relationship even more. I'm about to cry now just typing it! Needless to say, I bawled my eyes out after reading that this morning...and it was BEFORE I took my test!
So 3 minutes after I took my test, I went to look at it fully prepared to see the one reference line. I've seen it so many times before. But there was a faint second line there and that I'd never seen before. So of course we're like, "Now what?" I called the doctor's office and luckily Cynthia was available to talk. I told her what it said and she said that a faint or bold line usually means positive. She said to come in for a blood test and I told her we'd be there as soon as we could. We got there about 10:30. I took my home test (in a ziploc bag for freshness!) and she said it was definitely positive.
She drew my blood and said she'd call me in 2 hours with the results. We had already planned to go to one of our favorite brunch restaurants, J. Christopher's, while we were waiting for the phone call. My mom was already meeting us, but my dad surprised us by showing up too. Before my mom got there, Cynthia called me (less than an hour after we left) and said that my numbers looked very good and I was "very much pregnant!" She told me to continue my Prometrium and come back in Sunday morning for another blood test to make sure my numbers continue to go up. If everything looks good, they'll schedule my OB scan. My mom had picked up some roses for my dad to give me. So sweet! They're a dozen yellow roses and they're beautiful.
It's still very surreal. I know we're in the very early stages, but I'm trying to keep positive thoughts. Please continue to keep us in your prayers!
How Far Along: 3 weeks and 5 days
Total weight gain: I don't plan on getting on a scale until I have to
Maternity clothes: None yet. Clothes still fit fine.
Sleep: I'm tired at work in the mornings and when I get a chance to sit down at work...which is rare
Best Moment this week: Finding out our amazing news!
Movement: None yet
Gender: I'm guessing boy or girl
Labor signs: None and I hope not to see any for a long time!
Belly button: Innie
Cravings: Nothing yet
What I miss: Nothing. I can tell you what I don't miss: wondering if it will ever happen!
Stretch Marks: No new ones
Weekly wisdom: Things do work out and the power of prayer is amazing.
What I am looking forward to this week: Telling people and seeing their reaction
Thursday, January 21, 2010
My bubble has been burst...
So I've been having breast tenderness since Sunday or Monday and I was hoping it was a good thing. I know you can have that as soon as a few days after conception, but it can also be birth control pills or your period about to start. Mine usually start hurting a week before I start, so I was hopeful it meant the conception thing. Until a few minutes ago when I decided to look up the side effects for Prometrium, the medication I'm taking every night to thicken the uterine lining for implantation. And one of the most common side effects: breast tenderness. Lovely. I wish I had never looked it up. I wasn't having any weird side effects that I didn't already know about, so why did I go looking for info? Blah.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Let the countdown begin...
But first, let me update you on the past 2 weeks....
We celebrated our third wedding anniversary on January 6th with dinner at the Downtown Grill in Macon. It's always a great meal! I had to return to Dr. Butler's office on Friday morning for another ultrasound and bloodwork. When Cynthia called me in the afternoon to let me know the results, she said that my estrogen level only went up a little, so they were increasing my Follistim dose from 100 to 125. I was concerned, but she said everything was fine. I had to return on Sunday morning and there was a developing follicle on each ovary, both measuring about 10 millimeters. (18-20 mm is considered mature). My estrogen level had gone up nicely, so they kept me at the same dose. I returned on Tuesday and the follicle on my left ovary had continued to grow, but the one on my right had not. I asked her if that meant we only had one shot this time and she said yes. So that, of course, had me worried. I can always find something to worry about! But, at the same time, I also realize there's nothing else I can do but what they tell me to.
Since the follicle on my left ovary was almost mature, I had to go back in on Wednesday morning to make sure my estrogen level was high enough. It was and I was told to give myself the Ovidrel injection that night at 10:30. This medication is human chorionic gonadotropin (hcG) and it matures the follicle and makes you ovulate. They want you to give it 36 hours before the scheduled insemination so that the timing can be perfect. Because this medication is hcG and a home pregnancy test detects that level in your urine to confirm pregnancy, I would have had a false positive had I taken a test the day after giving myself the shot. I almost wanted to take one anyway just to see what positive looked like! But, I didn't. I didn't have to give myself anything on Thursday night and the insemination was scheduled for Friday morning.
Thomas had to drop off his sample at 9:30 and we had to return at 10. They washed and spun down his sample and placed it in a solution that "jazzes" the boys up and makes them work faster. They also look at the count (average is 20-50 million) and his was 60 million! He credits all the PowerAde he's been drinking lately. Ha ha! They put me in this reclining chair that tilts you back almost upside down. The procedure took less than 5 minutes and it wasn't painful, just really uncomfortable. It's a small price to pay though! Because he was able to pass the catheter through my cervix easily, that meant that the timing was perfect. For those that don't know, when you ovulate, your cervix opens. Once the catheter has passed through the cervix, they deposit some of the sample at the top of the uterus so it can travel into the fallopian tubes for fertilization. They also deposit some at the cervix so they can migrate also. It's kind of a 2-for-1 shot. Once they were done, they sat me up a little, turned off the lights, and left me and Thomas alone in the room to relax for about 15 minutes. Cynthia then came back in to give me some follow-up instructions. For the next two weeks, I have to take Prometrium (progesterone) capsules that thicken the lining of my uterus to allow for implantation to occur. My mom wanted to see me that day, so she and my dad came to the house and we fixed spaghetti for dinner. She brought me three red roses and a card that said "It's a Boy!" and one that said "It's a Girl!" It was so sweet.
On Friday, January 29th, I have to take a pregnancy test if I haven't started my period. I have to call the office regardless of the results, but if it's positive, I have to go in for a blood test to confirm it. It's going to be a LONG two weeks, but I'm trying not to think about it as two weeks. Just a few days here and a few days there. It will be here before I know it, I'm sure!
I've had so many people praying for us and that definitely helps! Keep the prayers coming and your fingers crossed that we'll have good news in a little while!
We celebrated our third wedding anniversary on January 6th with dinner at the Downtown Grill in Macon. It's always a great meal! I had to return to Dr. Butler's office on Friday morning for another ultrasound and bloodwork. When Cynthia called me in the afternoon to let me know the results, she said that my estrogen level only went up a little, so they were increasing my Follistim dose from 100 to 125. I was concerned, but she said everything was fine. I had to return on Sunday morning and there was a developing follicle on each ovary, both measuring about 10 millimeters. (18-20 mm is considered mature). My estrogen level had gone up nicely, so they kept me at the same dose. I returned on Tuesday and the follicle on my left ovary had continued to grow, but the one on my right had not. I asked her if that meant we only had one shot this time and she said yes. So that, of course, had me worried. I can always find something to worry about! But, at the same time, I also realize there's nothing else I can do but what they tell me to.
Since the follicle on my left ovary was almost mature, I had to go back in on Wednesday morning to make sure my estrogen level was high enough. It was and I was told to give myself the Ovidrel injection that night at 10:30. This medication is human chorionic gonadotropin (hcG) and it matures the follicle and makes you ovulate. They want you to give it 36 hours before the scheduled insemination so that the timing can be perfect. Because this medication is hcG and a home pregnancy test detects that level in your urine to confirm pregnancy, I would have had a false positive had I taken a test the day after giving myself the shot. I almost wanted to take one anyway just to see what positive looked like! But, I didn't. I didn't have to give myself anything on Thursday night and the insemination was scheduled for Friday morning.
Thomas had to drop off his sample at 9:30 and we had to return at 10. They washed and spun down his sample and placed it in a solution that "jazzes" the boys up and makes them work faster. They also look at the count (average is 20-50 million) and his was 60 million! He credits all the PowerAde he's been drinking lately. Ha ha! They put me in this reclining chair that tilts you back almost upside down. The procedure took less than 5 minutes and it wasn't painful, just really uncomfortable. It's a small price to pay though! Because he was able to pass the catheter through my cervix easily, that meant that the timing was perfect. For those that don't know, when you ovulate, your cervix opens. Once the catheter has passed through the cervix, they deposit some of the sample at the top of the uterus so it can travel into the fallopian tubes for fertilization. They also deposit some at the cervix so they can migrate also. It's kind of a 2-for-1 shot. Once they were done, they sat me up a little, turned off the lights, and left me and Thomas alone in the room to relax for about 15 minutes. Cynthia then came back in to give me some follow-up instructions. For the next two weeks, I have to take Prometrium (progesterone) capsules that thicken the lining of my uterus to allow for implantation to occur. My mom wanted to see me that day, so she and my dad came to the house and we fixed spaghetti for dinner. She brought me three red roses and a card that said "It's a Boy!" and one that said "It's a Girl!" It was so sweet.
On Friday, January 29th, I have to take a pregnancy test if I haven't started my period. I have to call the office regardless of the results, but if it's positive, I have to go in for a blood test to confirm it. It's going to be a LONG two weeks, but I'm trying not to think about it as two weeks. Just a few days here and a few days there. It will be here before I know it, I'm sure!
I've had so many people praying for us and that definitely helps! Keep the prayers coming and your fingers crossed that we'll have good news in a little while!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
It's a Party!
In my uterus! Or there will be soon. I know, TMI. But seriously folks...it's a good thing! I started my cycle on Sunday, so I went in this morning for my baseline ultrasound and estrogen level. The nurse (Cynthia) didn't think the cyst would return in the few short days since last Thursday, but I was nervous about it because that's just my luck (and my body's reputation)! But, it was still gone and everything looked great on the ultrasound. There were even several follicles on my left ovary just waiting to be stimulated (which is what the medication I'll be taking will do).
She had to draw some blood to check my estrogen level and was unsuccessful on the first stick which resulted in a beautiful bruise and now makes me look like a heroin addict. She got it on the second try in my right arm, so I think we'll stick (no pun intended!) with that one from now on. She told me that she would show the results to Dr. Butler and call me later with the dosage I'm supposed to give myself and when to come back.
I'm on call today, but Francine (a great co-worker of mine who knows what's going on with us and has offered to help me at work if needed) took the first few hours of my call this morning so I wouldn't have to worry about getting called in before or during my appointment. I called her when I was done to make sure she hadn't gotten called in, and she hadn't, so I met up with Mama and Aunt Charlotte for some shopping and lunch at Olive Garden. Yummo!
Cynthia called shortly after lunch and said that Dr. Butler saw my ultrasound and estrogen level and everything looked good. She said to give myself 100 units of the Follistim injection tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday night. I'll then go back in to the office on Friday morning for a follow-up ultrasound and bloodwork to see how I'm responding. The only thing I'm really worried about at this point (and I know I shouldn't be) is getting to the office on Friday since I have to work. I've been assured several times that people at work will help me out and my supervisors know how hard I've been trying to get pregnant. I just don't want to put anyone out and have them to resent me for leaving work and possibly causing them to do more work. I know I shouldn't worry about what people say or think and I should just focus on this important thing we're doing, but I can't help it. It's just who I am.
Tomorrow is our 3 year wedding anniversary and I'm so glad we're both going to be off work so we can enjoy our special day together. It's been a great 3 years and I can't wait to see what this next year brings for us. I'm so lucky to have this great man in my life!
Happy Anniversary to Us!
She had to draw some blood to check my estrogen level and was unsuccessful on the first stick which resulted in a beautiful bruise and now makes me look like a heroin addict. She got it on the second try in my right arm, so I think we'll stick (no pun intended!) with that one from now on. She told me that she would show the results to Dr. Butler and call me later with the dosage I'm supposed to give myself and when to come back.
I'm on call today, but Francine (a great co-worker of mine who knows what's going on with us and has offered to help me at work if needed) took the first few hours of my call this morning so I wouldn't have to worry about getting called in before or during my appointment. I called her when I was done to make sure she hadn't gotten called in, and she hadn't, so I met up with Mama and Aunt Charlotte for some shopping and lunch at Olive Garden. Yummo!
Cynthia called shortly after lunch and said that Dr. Butler saw my ultrasound and estrogen level and everything looked good. She said to give myself 100 units of the Follistim injection tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday night. I'll then go back in to the office on Friday morning for a follow-up ultrasound and bloodwork to see how I'm responding. The only thing I'm really worried about at this point (and I know I shouldn't be) is getting to the office on Friday since I have to work. I've been assured several times that people at work will help me out and my supervisors know how hard I've been trying to get pregnant. I just don't want to put anyone out and have them to resent me for leaving work and possibly causing them to do more work. I know I shouldn't worry about what people say or think and I should just focus on this important thing we're doing, but I can't help it. It's just who I am.
Tomorrow is our 3 year wedding anniversary and I'm so glad we're both going to be off work so we can enjoy our special day together. It's been a great 3 years and I can't wait to see what this next year brings for us. I'm so lucky to have this great man in my life!
Happy Anniversary to Us!
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