The results are in

Finally, after beginning this process back in September, I am pregnant! So excited, so happy, so thrilled to be able to help this couple. They have suffered so much heartache and are such deserving parents. Bloodwork on Monday confirmed that my Hcg levels (the hormone that indicates pregnancy) are through the roof, which means this is a good strong start to this pregnancy. I go back Wednesday for more bloodwork to check those levels again, at which point they should have doubled. Prayers being said that they will. I feel fantastic, not sick, just a little tired. According to the nurse, I am considered 5 weeks pregnant as of Wednesday; calculating the due date is a little weird since already fertilized embryos are transfered.

I got to deliver the good news to the parents and obviously they were thrilled, almost in tears. I couldn't stop smiling and jumping around while I was talking to them :) Thank you all so much for following my journey and for all the love and support you have given me. This is such an amazing experience and I am truly blessed to be having it.

Hurry up and wait

In exactly one week I get to go have a pregnancy test (yep, more bloodwork) to determine if the embryo(s) have taken root. I am DYING of curiosity. I really really am tempted to buy a home pregnancy test just to see what it will say, but I don't want to be disappointed. It could be positive, which would be great, but what if that changes in the next week? Or it could be a false negative if enough of the pregnancy hormone didn't show up in my urine. This is why the doctor said to wait 2 weeks, so we have an accurate answer. But, as I have stated before, patience is not my strong suit. I've been behaving this week as if I know that I am pregnant: no alcohol, no caffeine, taking it easy. My best friend says she KNOWS I'm pregnant because I was extra snippy with her this week :) Could be; but I think it is more a combination of exhaustion and emotional overload. I'm excited and nervous and preoccupied. So it isn't so much the pregnancy as it is the THOUGHT of pregnancy and all it entails.  Plus my hubby and I have decided to sell our house to move to a better school district, which we never thought we'd do. Yep, we decided this the night before the embryo transfer, so I've got a lot on my mind. I tend to do better when I have about a million things going on in my life, so this isn't unusual. But combine the possibility of 2 life changing events in such a short span of time and I'm pretty sure I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve these days :) I'm a tough chick though, and I'm ready to handle it.

So Charlene, I promise, I'll be nicer to you :) I love you tons and besides my hubby, you have been my major supporter and cheerleader (ha!) this past year. When push comes to shove, we've always got each other's backs. Now if I can just make it through this week of waiting!!!

Transfer Complete

Today was a big day. For those who are interested, here is a step by step explanation of the process.

I was told to arrive with a "moderately full" bladder because it helps with the procedure. As I have to pee every 30 minutes anyway, that was not a problem. After taking my blood pressure, the doctor placed the image of my uterus on a screen so we could watch the procedure. On a second screen, there was a picture of the two embryos, just for inspiration sake :) Next, a catheter was inserted into my uterus and the nurse brought in the actual embryos in a tiny syringe. They were then injected into the catheter tip (ha! just the tip) and implanted into the uterine wall. That part was super cool, because although the embryos are too small to see on the screen, you could see the actual liquid they were resting in at the exact moment of implantation. Soooo cool! Then I just had to rest for 5 minutes and then go pee (finally). That was it. The mom and dad were in the room with me for the transfer; Russell had to wait outside :( The parents were also given a picture of the embryos, which I thought was amazingly sweet and thoughtful. For the next 24 hours, I have to rest and take it easy. After about 4 days, I can return to normal activity. I feel great, just a little tired. And in 2 weeks, I go in for bloodwork to determine if I'm actually pregnant. Eeeee!!!! Thank you for all of your support and prayers and love; I think that sort of thing helps. I'll keep posting...

Embryo transfer eve...

I am all aflutter with nerves and anticipation and excitement for the embryo transfer tomorrow.  Sometimes I felt like this moment would never get here! Now as I'm about to go through with it, it is a little surreal. But amazing. I'm feeling a little emotional as my babies are crawling all over me and giving me kisses and snuggles; because it makes me happy when they do that and also because I'm thinking of the mom and dad whose journey into parenthood could truly begin tomorrow. What a crazy thing to KNOW the exact moment that pregnancy begins! When Russell and I were trying to have our babies, we were super lucky and got pregnant the first month we started-both times. And we have a pretty good idea of when each of those pregnancies happened :) But to know that tomorrow at 9:15am two embryos will be implanted with very high hopes is a little trippy. I am feeling really confident and feel certain that my prayers will be answered, but there is a bit of pressure as well. This couple has had so much heartbreak, so many losses that I am really hoping that this works the first time. I'll post tomorrow about how it goes...

The Final Countdown

Well, here we are, one week away from the proposed embryo transfer date. I can't believe it! This next week is really pivotal. I have had my final clearance to be ready to receive the embryos, but we are waiting (quite anxiously I might add) to make sure the eggs are ready to be retrieved. This depends on the egg donor's response to the latest round of hormones. If all goes well and her hormone levels check out, the eggs will be retrieved on Friday and fertilized. Then they gestate and if they do what they are supposed to do, Monday they will be transferred to my uterus. Once the eggs are taken from the donor, I will be notified so I can start the last of the hormones I have to take, Progesterone. This one I have to take via intramuscular injection (in the booty) every day in addition to the Delestrogen I currently take every 3rd day. (By the way, I am starting to get tiny little bruises at the injection site each time I get a shot. Oh well, at least no one except the hubby is seeing them :) ) Hoping everything goes according to schedule! Weird and exciting to think that Monday I could be pregnant; I mean, I've never known the exact day I was going to be pregnant before.

I have a big night out planned for Saturday as a last hurrah before I am unable to enjoy my wine :) I want to go out with my friends in celebration of the momentous change that is about to occur in our lives. It is a celebration of hope and friends and love, of relationships that already exist and of those to come. Feel free to join us :)