38 Weeks and we have a Preschooler!

Declan officially became a preschooler this week!  He had a great week in his new class and was reunited with his buddy from his old class, Elliot, who moved up a few months ago.  From everything I heard from the teachers and other staff, Declan had no issues jumping right in and wasn't the least bit uncomfortable with the move.  (So different from his mom who worries and has a hard time with change!)

Here are a few pics of his week:

He worked on letters, numbers, shapes and cutting and did an awesome job with each of the projects they worked on.  I'm in awe at his vocabulary and each day he surprises me with new words and phrases he knows. It is still so unbelievable to me that my baby boy is so grown up and that in a few short days he'll be 3 and soon after that a big brother.

Speaking of being a big brother, next week is the big week.  I had my 38 week checkup yesterday and everything is on track.  It was my last checkup before my induction next week.  Connor passed his last biophysical profile and my cervical check revealed I'm 2.5 cm dilated and 80% effaced.  He's happily hanging out and I really haven't felt contractions that have prompted me to think I'm heading into labor anytime soon. I did decide to take a bump pic again...only my second for this pregnancy.  I've never really been one to track my bump each week, but with knowing this is my last pregnancy, I wanted one more pic to document this journey.

 It's been a whirlwind 9 months, but really it's been a wild 4 years starting this IVF endeavor. I remember feeling so down after meeting with the fertility doc back in September 2017, feeling so excited learning I was pregnant with Declan in February 2018, feeling nervous about trying again in January 2021 and then being excited again learning my last frozen embryo became a successful pregnancy with baby Connor.  The best way to summarize the IVF journey is that sometimes the struggles make us stronger.

Baby R #2 - 37 weeks and an almost 3 year old

Here we are 37 weeks into pregnancy with Baby Connor and I have so many mixed emotions -- happy, sad, anxious, nervous, all rolled into one going into the last few weeks.

Happy because we're about to meet our second baby boy.  The joy that Declan has expressed and how excited he is to have a little brother just melts my heart.

Sad because in just a few weeks I'm not going to be able to protect this baby from everything going on in this crazy world once he's made his entrance. (Yes, I'm that kind of protective mom.)

Anxious because even though I have everything ready physically (bags packed, room prepped, clothes washed), I still question if I'm ready for two kids and how I'm going to spread my time between Declan and Connor and give them all of the love and support each of them will need each day.

Nervous because I just don't know what to expect with this labor and delivery.  And really, I'm hoping it is a smooth as my labor with Declan but I fear the unknown.

I've been going to the doctor every Friday since the beginning of the month and everything is going really well.  I've had ultrasounds the last 3 Fridays as well just to ensure that Connor isn't in distress and is growing as he should given my age and going through IVF.  He passed his first biophysical profile on the 10th with no issues.  Last week, on the 17th, he was being stubborn and wouldn't roll for the sonographer, which is one of the requirements for passing the procedure, so I had to have a non-stress test.  He passed the non-stress test with no issue.  In fact, the nurse had to sit with me the entire time to get the monitors to stay on my belly because he was so active.  This week, the 24th, he passed again with no issues but already I know I will have another little boy that does his own thing on his own timetable.

This week the doctor also set up my induction date.  Because of staffing and the number of people due to have babies in the month of October (mid-October is a busy time!), the doctor scheduled my induction for 39 weeks exactly.  That means, my induction date is set for Thursday, October 7th at 6 am.  One week earlier than when I thought I'd be having Connor so now it's becoming very real how soon he will be here.  I know anything can happen over the next 11 days but, like with Declan, my first thought is I'll be headed in on my induction date.  With Declan, I actually didn't see my induction date though as he came at 39 weeks and 1 day, but being induced at 39 weeks now, I'm fairly confident I'll be seeing my induction date first.

Along with our upcoming arrival, Declan's turning 3 on October 5th.  He's so smart and is getting ready to transition to the preschool classroom at his school this week.  Over the last 3 weeks, we've been working on potty training and he's done a great job.  He's about 96% trained, with only having a few accidents with #2 and a couple of accidents overnight, but most nights he stays dry.  I thought it would be much harder given how much he was against it a couple of months ago, but he's been a champ through it.  It also helps that he has a friend at school that is also potty training right now so they take bathroom breaks together throughout the day.  We did have to go out and buy Paw Patrol underwear because he wouldn't train without them but that was one battle I was willing to lose, even if we did have about 10 other pairs of non-Paw Patrol underwear already.

We had his 3 year old assessment completed by our local school district this past week and they are impressed with his knowledge and skill level.  She mentioned he seems mature for his age and is well spoken for not even being 3 years old yet.  We're working on him getting himself dressed and some other small fine motor skills but overall, he's such a smarty pants.

It's going to be an exciting and crazy next few weeks for our family!

Baby R #2 - Week 20

 I haven't posted much about baby #2 since our IVF/FET cycle, but here we are 20 weeks into pregnancy and we're moving right along.  I was pretty nauseous and really tired my entire first trimester, but thankfully that has all subsided.  I've been going to the doctor every 4 weeks since March and everything seems to be on track. At my March appointment, my doctor again recommended the genetic testing (same that I had with Declan) and we went forward with it. We got the results back and also found out the gender of our 2nd miracle -- we are having a BOY and estimated due date is 10/14/2021.

In early April, we surprised Declan with the news he was going to be a big brother and at first, he didn't have much to say about it.  Now, a few more months in, all he talks about is his baby brother.  In fact, he's talked so much about him, Declan's preschool finally asked me a few weeks ago if we were having another baby.  Declan also has named baby brother and we're on board with his decision.  Baby boy #2 will be named -- Connor.  Or as he has been affectionally calling him, Baby Connor.  He is absolutely thrilled now to be a big brother and can't wait for Connor to get here so he can play toys with him and teach him how to play hockey.  He also wants to go to the hospital and get a slushie -- the same thing Daddy did when Declan was born.  His innocence is the absolute sweetest!

Besides our family, who we told back around Easter, we have stayed pretty quiet. I finally told my bosses two weeks ago and they were super happy for us.  I told my team last week and they also were excited.  Since that time I've been telling more work people that we're expecting and really it's been more apparent these last few weeks as my belly is pretty noticeable now.

I didn't intend to wait so long but with a lot going on at work (more companies, more stress) and losing Kinny, I just needed time to get through some things.  I also wanted to figure out what exactly my plan was for maternity leave.  With Declan, I took 12 weeks off.  I didn't know if I could manage the 12 weeks again but wanted to come up with a plan for my bosses and team.  In typical Lindsay fashion, I'm more worried about everyone else than myself.

This Thursday, I had my 20 week anatomy scan and baby Connor is growing as expected and is perfect.  He weighs approximately 13 oz and its an active boy.  Throughout the scan he was moving all over and wasn't too happy with them trying to check all of his organs and appendages and made it clear with little punches in my belly, which we got to see in the scan.  He's an active boy and I've been feeling movement for a few weeks, again around Mother's Day, which was super special for me.

We're starting to get the nursery ready for Connor and also moving Declan to his "big boy" room.  I know Declan is going to be a great big brother and we're excited for the months ahead.

An excited Big Brother

Baby Connor

Oh Snow!

 What a week it has been!  If I didn't have to see snow or drive in it for the rest of my life, I think I'd be fine.  People that say they need the 4 seasons...pssssh...I'm over the snow and cold.  Declan and D may disagree though, Declan had an absolute blast playing in the snow a few weeks ago and asked to go out again.  Unfortunately with the extreme temps this week we had to keep him inside for this round.

Really though the weather this week wrecked havoc on our schedule.  We knew we were getting it Sunday into Monday, which was fine.  Declan was off of school for President's Day and my mom and Michael offered to keep him on Monday so he spent the night Sunday night so they all wouldn't have to get up super early on Monday.  I opted to work from home on Monday after a long debate with myself.  There was only a few inches at 7 am (when I leave), but we were expected to have 6 - 8 inches by the time it was all done.  I was nervous about driving home in that mess later that afternoon, so I took advantage of having a laptop and set up shop at home at my new desk. I knew if the rest of my team made it in, I'd probably have to send them home early so I hyper-focused on everything to make sure I could cover it and keep my department running.  At lunchtime, D and I tried to get a head start and went outside to shovel our driveway. By that time we had about 3 or 4 inches and with the two of us, it only took about 20 minutes. It continued to fall and as we headed back inside, it didn't look like we had even touched it.  Knowing how bad the weather was getting, we let the team at work go around 1 pm so they could get home safely.

Around 5 pm, I got a text from Declan's preschool telling me that due to the extreme cold and snow.  I hadn't checked outside since lunch so I decided to take a peak. We had another 3 or so inches covering our driveway again. I called my mom and asked if she wanted to keep Declan for Tuesday and that was a no brainer.  Declan was having so much fun at Nana and Papa's and could care less about coming home. (Warms a mother's heart for sure.) D and I went back outside around 6 pm and tried to shovel again and again, once we were finished, there still was a light coating from the continued snow fall.  Afterwards, with another kid-free night, we decided to work on our puzzle currently occupying our kitchen table. (We are an exciting couple!)

I was supposed to go to the Fertility Clinic on Tuesday for my first OB appointment but with the weather and still treacherous roads, they rescheduled my appointment to Thursday at lunchtime.  On one hand I was happy to not to have to try to drive to the doctor's office and on the other hand, I just wanted to see the progress of my embryo, but I completely understood and knew it was worth the wait.

I did drive to work the rest of the week.  Tuesday I waited until it was light out and it took me about an hour driving D's car.  I wanted to turn around about 5 times during that drive, but by 8:30 am I made it to the office.  Wednesday was a bit better and by Thursday, I was in good shape and glad I had moved my OB appointment to lunchtime that day.

My appointment went well on Thursday.  I had my first transvaginal sonogram where they took measurements of our embryo.  After reviewing my hCG numbers, the doctor wondered if I was having twins, but upon investigation he only saw one sac and yolk so we're having another singleton.  Everything looked good though.  I was told to stay on my regime of Prednisone, Estrogen (pills and gel) and Progesterone oil. I have to go back weekly for checkups until about week 9. And right before I left, my doctor gave me my due date.  As expected, my due date is 10/14/21 -- 3 days after Declan's due date.  I told the doc about how close that is to Declan's birthday and original due date and his response -- well at least it's not Christmas!  So true doc, so true. I go back next Thursday at lunchtime for my second appointment and another update.

With this crazy weather, this past week at work was a bit of an anomaly for me and our entire company. The snow hit nearly our entire service area and caused an interruption of service for most of our trucks. Texas doesn't know how to handle this sort of winter weather at all and a lot of our trucks couldn't move due to the snow and ice and customers were closed so no deliveries could be made. While it was nice to have a bit of a break after what has been pure bedlam since the pandemic started, it was eerie as well being able to get caught up on some things I've just not had a chance to look at in months. I'm hoping to have some sort of happy medium at least for a few weeks before things get crazy again (*wishful thinking*).

This weekend is more of the same for us with staying in.  The snow has left (at least it's not falling - we still have a ton on the ground) and now we're going to see rain on Sunday.  Puzzles, magnets and Declan creating artwork are two of our go to activities right now.  He's also taken up a liking to watching Saved by the Bell and The Pioneer Woman so I'm sure we'll spend time re-watching episodes of both of those as well.

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend!

Oh and since I didn't update or post these with our last snow -- here is Declan loving the first snow of the year back in January:

Two Week Wait Results

We made it through the two week wait from my FET and we received some positive news!  

Based upon my levels on Tuesday when I had my first blood test, I am pregnant.  I went back on Thursday to check my levels again and my hCG continue to rise so here we are expecting our second child.  It is still extremely early so we aren't saying anything to anyone just yet but it is exciting none the less.  I have my first checkup with my Fertility doc on Tuesday and this is where he we determine how things are going and set a due date.  Since my transfer was on January 26th, I'm expecting my due date to be set at October 14th.  This is 3 days after Declan's due date since his IVF transfer was 3 days before this one in 2018. 

My only concern if we are successful with this pregnancy, is possibly having kids with the same or super close birthdays.  I know whatever is going to happen will happen, but I'd hate for them to share a birthday.  Since this process isn't an easy one and I'm so very blessed to have one (and now two) miracles, I'd like for their birthdays to be uniquely their own, but really beggars can't be choosers can they?  We will work with whatever life throws at us.

We haven't mentioned anything to Declan yet and probably will wait for a few more weeks because he is at that age where he will tell anything he knows and while we're not ready to tell our families just yet, he may spill the beans for us before we're ready.  I am thinking about cute ways to tell him and then have him tell our families.

Speaking of Declan, he's had a fun week at school preparing for Valentine's day.  We got his treat bags and Valentines ready early in the week along with a box of chocolates for his teacher.  He was so excited to bring his gifts to his class and asked each day if it was time for his party.  He had spirit week and there was a theme for each day which he loved as well.  He's growing and talking by leaps and bounds and I couldn't love this boy more than I already do.  He brings so much joy to me and really he kept me from getting into my head too much over the last few weeks.  Our nighttime cuddles and singing Brown Bear and the ABCs to him before bedtime are two of the little things I cherish right now.  He's growing up so fast!

Here are a few pics of Declan's week:

My smiley boy enjoying "Sports Day" at school

Passing out Valentine's Treats for his friends.

I saved this for the caption. He has the sweetest heart!

So excited to open his Valentine's Box from GG and G-pa Roberts!

Enjoying a cookie pizza for National Pizza Day!

Transfer Day 2021 - Day 19

Today is Transfer Day! 

Such an emotional day for so many reasons but I'm happy to report that we were able to transfer our one remaining embryo first thing this morning.  Similar to the morning of transfer day in 2018, I got up and did a 30 minute workout.  Rather than hitting the gym, I went downstairs and hopped on the Max Trainer. It was nice to be able to get some sort of activity as I was anxious and I hadn't actually been able to sleep very well.  I showered, D administered my progesterone injection and then we got Declan up for school and went along with our typical morning routine.

My appointment was scheduled for 8 am so we dropped Declan off, came home and gathered my meds and paperwork and headed off to the FP office.  Because of the pandemic and medical facilities being extra precautious, D couldn't go into the office with me but I did want to have him there for moral support so he sat in the hallway throughout the process.  I sat in the waiting room for about 10 minutes until they called me back to get changed and prepared for the transfer.  I was the 2nd transfer of the morning so my Fertility Coordinator went over the paperwork and told me to sit tight and continue to drink my water until the 1st transfer was complete.  I was nervous about my water consumption. The last transfer my bladder wasn't full enough by the time it was my turn and then it was too full, but I drank as much as I could and I was feeling really uncomfortable.  I said it the last time and I'll say it again, that is the possibly the worst part of this whole process.  I got used to the injections, transvaginal ultrasounds, and back in 2018 the egg retrieval but the feeling that your bladder is going to explode from so much liquid is insane.  Thankfully, when I got situated onto the table and my Coordinator checked my bladder, it was exactly where it needed to be. Whew, that's exactly the news I wanted to hear!

While she went to get the doctor for the transfer, the embryologist Michelle reviewed my name, birthday and confirmed we had one embryo to transfer.  She informed me that they did assisted hatching with the embryo before the transfer which could help with implantation. She then went to prepare the catheter while the doctor came in to complete his pre-transfer checklist and set the outer catheter for the implantation. And when that was all complete, we were ready for implantation!  I watched on the screen as the doc, set everything in place and implanted my lone embryo.  I sat on the table for another minute or two and the doctor again warmed up his hands, placed them on my abdomen and told me to be positive.  This whole process is such an exciting and emotional experience! I was in the Transfer room for about 0-15 minutes and then I was free to empty my bladder and get dressed. Once dressed my Coordinator told me that the next step is to wait these two weeks and see what happens.  I have two scheduled blood draws on February 9th and February 11th and from those we'll know if our family will be expanding.

I met D out in the hallway and we headed down to the car to spend the rest of the day together, trying to be positive but also realistic.  I had one request for our ride home.  We needed to stop at Chic-Fil-A for chicken biscuits.  It was our after transfer snack in 2018 and I wanted to keep with tradition.  We hardly ever go out and get breakfast and we hadn't had a chicken biscuit from Chic-Fil-A since our transfer in 2018.

Once home, D wanted to go to the gym and since the doctor told me to stay active today, I decided to go and walk on a treadmill for another 30 minutes.  Nothing strenuous but just something to keep myself moving.  This afternoon, we're going to try to tackle a few things around our house.  It's very rare we have a day off at home without having our schedules booked.  I wasn't able to take any time off of work around Christmas and the two days we had at Thanksgiving were filled with holiday preparations so today will be our day to just do some random stuff we've been meaning to do for months.  Ultimately we need to keep our minds going and just hope and pray for the best.

Here are a few pics from the morning:

My Transfer Day Selfie (pandemic style - that's my mask on my neck) --

Our sweet little embryo preparing for transfer --

Our transferred embryo (the dates on the ultrasound are from my patient file, the actual transfer date is 01/26/2021) -- 

Finally, I'm jotting this down here and quite possibly I've mentioned this before but I know some people will question why we decided to do this during the pandemic and I know I don't have to justify our decisions, but I'm going to explain why we decided to do this now rather than wait.  The biggest reason for moving forward now is due to my age.  I'm not getting any younger and if I want for this transfer to at least have some sort of shot with working, I knew it was now or never.  Never was not an option as we knew we would try to use whatever viable leftover embryos we had from 2018 when we completed our transfer in 2018.  After implanting 2 to have Declan, we had one remaining embryo of a decent grade.

Pregnancy is not easy on anyone but being of "advanced maternal age" or having what is considered a "geriatric pregnancy" is a risk in itself.  If I could go back and change the timeline of my life, maybe I wouldn't be pushing 38 and attempting to have a second child, but I tried to be responsible and it took me some time to find someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and actually have a family with.  If people ask why didn't I wait to get the vaccine until we started this process and here is my answer for that -- I'm at the bottom of the list for the COVID vaccine, as I should be as I'm fairly healthy and even though I work in an essential industry, I can keep to myself in my office which not many people can say they can do.  Waiting for the vaccine, could have added another 6-9 months to this process for me and with age/time not on my side, we jumped at the chance to get on our Fertility office's calendar.  While I can't say I'm protected against COVID, I've tried to take as many precautions as I could to ensure we could go through this process.  Do I hate that my husband couldn't be at any of my fertility appointments and couldn't watch the transfer today?  Yes, but my hope is that if we do end up pregnant, we can have a somewhat normal labor and delivery in 40 or so weeks.

So there is my explanation and some people will choose to disagree with me but again I'd remind these people that they are not living in our shoes and they probably don't realize we gave this so much thought before even calling the FP office to set up the visit to talk about our options.

Anywho, I'll update again soon!

FET Update - Day 16

 We're 16 days into the FET process right now and this journey is as emotional as I remember it was 3 years ago.  I had my 2nd monitoring appointment on Tuesday morning and the doctor again checked my lining measurement and various hormone levels with a blood draw.  My lining again was where it needed to be given the amount of meds I've been on so they kept my steroid and estrogen dosages the same but added the progesterone injections starting on Wednesday.  Not having to do shots as much as before, I was a bit nervous to start them on Wednesday morning but D and I watched a YouTube video to refresh ourselves on the basics of giving the shots.  I remember when researching everything the last time that many women hated the shots saying they hurt or caused lumps or were hard to inject since the progesterone is in oil but so far, it's gone fairly well.  Even when we did the injections 3 years ago, I just kinda went with them -- they weren't horrible and I knew any discomfort would be worth it.  This time I feel the same way.  And, after giving birth to Declan nearly completely naturally (since my epidural didn't have time to work), these progesterone shots seem like they are a breeze.  At one time I used to be so afraid of needles I wouldn't even get a flu shot but now after IVF, pregnancy, childbirth, and FET, I just turn my head and let the doctor/nurse/phlebotomist/D do their thing.

When I left my appointment on Tuesday, my fertility coordinator told me that she'd text me by the end of the week and give me details on when to come into the office on Tuesday, the 26th for my transfer. I was bit anxious when I drove away because I like having my plan in place but I had faith in the process and went on to start my day at work.  Yesterday mid-day my coordinator sent me a text and told me to be at the office at 8 am on Tuesday morning in my loose clothing with my bottle of water and have a mostly full bladder.  So....transfer day is set!  I'm still not sure if D will be able to be in the room for the transfer and I failed to ask at my appointment but I'm hopeful that he can be there with me.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be going through an FET during a pandemic but with my 38th birthday in just 6 days, it's pretty much now or never for us.

I know I don't know what the future will bring but I'm staying positive and I know that whatever happens happened for a reason and I'm lucky to have the life I do with a family that I love.

Oh and before I end this post, I found this meme online and I had to laugh because it is so true!

A Holiday Update and So Much More

 Oh what a month we've had....we made it through the Christmas and New Years and have been trying to figure out what's in store for 2021.

Let's recap our Christmas first -- we again stayed home for Christmas and celebrated at our house. Christmas Eve we "Zoomed" with Dustin's family and made pizzas.  We opened the gifts we shipped to each other on our Zoom and made the best of our holiday apart.  We set out our cookies and milk for Santa and waited patiently for Christmas morning.  Christmas morning, my mom and Michael got to our house early so that they could see what Santa brought Declan.  We ate casseroles I prepared for breakfast and then opened our family gifts.  Overall it was a day where we just relaxed and played with our new toys.  Santa brought Declan a tent, garbage truck and a Mr. Potato Head.

We celebrated Christmas with my dad's side on the 26th and while we were hesitant to all get together for Thanksgiving, we decided to have a semi-outdoor socially distanced Christmas together in Aunt Kathy and Uncle Steve's heated garage.  We hadn't seen everyone since Declan's birthday back in October so it was good to get together. Declan has so much fun playing with Abigail and Henry and showed off just how smart he's gotten lately.

Christmas with my dad's side also allowed me to catch up with my sister-in-law. While Kahla and I don't get much of a chance to talk regularly, I cherish the times we do get the time to talk.  I trust her and know I'm lucky to have her as a confidant. We sat away from the rest of the fam and talked about the last few months, including how she was feeling after a COVID-19 diagnosis, how married life is going for both of us, and our fertility journeys. I also filled Kahla in on something I'd been holding onto for weeks....we went back to our fertility clinic to see about the options for using our remaining frozen embryo. 

Back on October 20th, we set up an appointment with the FP office to talk to the doctor.  The doctor and embryologist reviewed my chart and thought that if I wanted to use the embryo, I probably could.  They could not be sure that it would result in another child but if we wanted to implant it, we were free to do so.  The embryo has a quality of BB and with me being 34 when it was frozen, it may be of better quality that if the decided to retrieve additional eggs at 37. We made the decision to get on the list for the next open FET cycle, which happened to be January.

So we started the protocol in December with more birth control to get my cycle regulated and on January 8th, I started the fertility meds for the FET.  The thing that is different with the FET (frozen embryo transfer) compared to the egg retrieval and fresh transfer I went through back in January 2018 is that I don't have to do the stim shots as I did before. This time, I'm on a steroid (Prednisone) and two Estrogen hormones (pills and gels).  I had my first monitoring appointment this past Tuesday (01/12) and met with my fertility coordinator and the doctor. My ultrasound showed that my lining was where it needed to be and in the words of my doctor, my uterus is excellent.

I go back for a second monitoring this Tuesday (01/19) and start my progesterone oil shots and we're scheduled for the FET on Tuesday, January 26th.

Again, besides talking to Kahla about deciding to pursue the FET, we haven't said anything to anyone.  We're going to wait awhile to see how everything turns out and then tell our families about our journey. Personally, I am fine with whatever happens.  Just like when I went through this journey with Declan, I know everything is in God's plan.  I'm so grateful and lucky for my miracle son.

I'm hoping to be able to update more on the FET process over the next few weeks but it all depends on how much time and energy I actually have to do so. Life with a 2 year old and my full time job can be absolutely insane somedays and by the time I sit down, I'm usually asleep 5 minutes after that.

Day 31 -- The Results Are In!

The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl Champions! Can you believe it?!? We ended up hanging out at our friends house for the whole game with our friends while eating Mexican food and had a blast watching the game and the commercials.

But I'm guessing the results of the game aren't really important right now are they? The results we've been anticipating for two weeks are finally in as well.
Monday I got up and drank a ton of water before getting to Quest at 6:35 in the morning. Took a second to get my veins flowing but thankfully we didn't have any issues getting the vial filled so they could check my hCG and progesterone levels. I anxiously awaited the results and finally at 1:47 pm my Fertility Coordinator called and asked if I was feeling pregnant. I responded, "well I'm really hoping I am!" She told me that according to my levels I am pregnant. My hCG was at 1569 and my progesterone was at 86.0. I was so happy at the news! It's exactly what we've been waiting to hear for months! She explained I still needed to go on Wednesday to check my levels again but that the doctor wanted to start my regular OB appointments to check on everything. I set up my first appointment for next Friday, Feb 16th at 1:15 pm.
After my call with my Coordinator, I walked into the hall and called D and gave him the exciting news.  He was equally as elated hearing that we're pregnant!  I wish I could have seen his face but I'm also glad I didn't wait until after work to tell him. When we got home, we gave Kinny the news too -- D picked her up and we told her, "Kinny, you're going to be a Big Sister!" I'd say she was pretty happy too.

Today I went back to Quest for my second round of bloodwork. Again getting there at 6:35 and while I again drank so much water beforehand, the phlebotomist had to massage my arm to get my vein flowing but I was in and out fairly quickly and made my way to work. At 11:19 this morning my other Fertility Coordinator called and even though I had my phone sitting on my desk, I missed her call. I called her back quickly and got more good news! My hCG has more than doubled to 3970 and my progesterone level is at 96.4. We're moving in the right direction...yeah!! I texted D with the good news and he again was thrilled.

It's been hard to concentrate at work waiting for the calls and thinking about our future but I'm beyond excited to see what is in store for us! We have had one change this week that I'm working through -- D is out of town for a few days at a conference and I can't give myself my progesterone oil injections so I had to get a few suppository samples from the doctor's office in order to get my required progesterone each day. This morning was the first day without my injection and I have to say, I actually prefer the shot over the suppositories three times a day. Who knew...the gal that is afraid of needles actual misses her daily injections. I almost think I could give them to myself but I'm still not sure I could look at the needle puncturing my skin....knowing me, I'd probably still faint. Luckily D is back on Friday so we'll restart my injections bright and early on Saturday morning.
I'm still feeling really good, no real symptoms to speak of so far and I'm maintaining as much positivity so that my body continues to respond the way I need it to.

Day 27 -- Only a few more days of waiting

We're still in our two week wait but it is quickly ending. I go in for blood tests on both Monday and Wednesday and we should finally have some answers. I've read articles that say you shouldn't be too positive or too negative about the IVF process and the outcome but I don't know if I agree with that, I'd like to hope that being positive will have a positive result in my body.

I'm still feeling really good. Occasionally I will have some cramps in the evening time, especially over the last week or so but otherwise I'm feeling fine. I've taken Ibuprofen a few nights when they've become too much of a nuisance. Last night was possibly the worst night of cramps and as I got to thinking about it, I have a feeling it was more of constipation pain than regular cramps (TMI, I know...sorry!). That's the main side effect I seem to be experiencing from the progesterone oil. I drank some apple juice this morning and we also picked up some prunes today and I'm hoping this will do the trick.

My 35th birthday was on the 29th and I can honestly say, it was the first day in about a month that I've let the stress and my emotions overtake me. It was an extremely busy day at work with our yearly audit starting, along with it being a Monday and having conference calls and meetings pop up all throughout the day. I decided early in the afternoon that rather than working out with some of my work friends, I'd just come home and relax. I needed some time to decompress and hitting the gym was the last thing on my mind. I got home around 6 pm after having a less than stellar day and put together some random dinner, which may or may not have been the healthiest. I, honestly can't remember what we ate. D mentioned something about not cooking and eating healthy and it triggered something in me. While he didn't mean that I don't cook the healthiest all the time, that's how I took it and I spent the rest of my night upset and crying in bed. So much for a happy birthday.
The rest of the week got better and I seemed to find a way to keep my emotions in check since then.
I was really happy to see the weekend come and have tried to use this time to "recharge my mental batteries."

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday and we're heading to spend a few hours with friends tomorrow night to watch part of the game. I need to stop into Quest for my blood work before heading into the office Monday morning so we're not going to make it a late night and as much as I typically like the Super Bowl, I'm really not into this year. Guess I've got bigger things on my mind more important than a football game. :)

Day 22 -- Still in the 2 week wait and someone's having a birthday

We're up to day 22 and 5 days into our two week wait but I'm feeling really really good! We received one final call from Ryan, the Embryologist on Wednesday afternoon who gave us the final word on our last 2 embryos. As expected, one embryo failed to continue to progress and had to be discarded but the other embryo progressed beautifully and we were able to freeze that embryo. It was also rated as a BB, which was music to my ears.
Right now the anticipation is keeping me going and I'm so hopeful that our two implanted embryos continue to grow. I've tried to maintain pretty much the same schedule as I had before the transfer with just a few slight adjustments. We're working out 5-6 days a week, mostly cardio but I'm not going as intense and weight lifting as much as before. D has still banned me from the squat racks due to my daily progesterone injections but I've still managed to use some of the weight machines at the gym. Overall, I'm also listening to my body and if I need to rest, I'm taking the time to do so. I've heard that the progesterone injections can make you tired, so I may be sleeping a bit more than normal, like going to bed at 8:30 or 9 at night. Of course, if you talk to D, this is normal every night Lindsay behavior, so he doesn't truly think we're seeing any of the side effects from the progesterone.

I'm really looking forward to filling everyone in about our journey but it's also one of those things that I want to make sure of our progress before telling both our families. I debated about telling my mom and step-dad today about our past few months since we were celebrating my birthday today but we held off. Ultimately, if all pans out, I'd really like to surprise all of our parents and this was my main reason for staying quiet today.
So my birthday....tomorrow I turn 35!!!  35, what the heck!! Where are my 20s, where are my early 30s?  I'm now at my mid-30s and I just can't believe it. We had a great time celebrating today. D and I got up early to give me my progesterone shot and then went to workout. We stopped for groceries on our way home so that D could pick up a few ingredients to make me breakfast.  Chef D made pancakes and sausage for us.

We went to HuHot Mongolian Grill for lunch with my mom and step-dad, where I loaded up on veggies and lean meat and had it all cooked in front of me on the teppanyaki grill. We came back to our house for cake and to hang out for a bit. I also got to open my card and birthday present, which was a gorgeous magnetic bracelet that is also known for keeping you healthy.

Thank goodness my mom didn't add 35 candles!

So pretty and 2 of my favorite colors!

Overall we had a great day and I'm ready to spend the rest of my evening catching up on some of the shows we missed throughout the week and getting ready for my work week ahead. It will be the first week in a few that I should be there all 5 days and I've got auditors visiting as well as month-end close and my birthday so it will be a crazy full week!

Day 17b -- Embryo Transfer Complete!

I've been home for a few hours right now and I'm on such a high from our embryo transfer this morning. We have officially transferred the 2 best embryos and we're well on our way!  It's been such an emotional but awesome day!

The procedure was actually fairly easy and I was able to watch the whole placement of both via the ultrasound. Probably the hardest part of this whole IVF journey was having such a full bladder so that they could place the embryos in the best possible spot for growth. The injections haven't bothered me, the transvaginal ultrasounds haven't been bad, the multiple blood draws have been bearable, egg retrieval day was a breeze and even the implantation today was no problem but having a full bladder and feeling like I was going to explode was the killer!

So here's a rundown of our morning....
We woke up at 5:15 am because I wanted to get in a quick workout at the gym.  I again didn't get too crazy and just did 31 minutes on the stride elliptical. We got home, D gave me my progesterone shot and we got ready for the day.  We got to the FP office at 8:05 am. I signed in and within minutes was taken back so that they could get my weight and vitals. Once that was complete, I changed into my gown and waited for Ryan, the Embryologist to tell us how our embryos were progressing. A few minutes later Ryan came in to talk to us, originally we had 11 eggs retrieved, 6 were mature but only 4 were normal once they were fertilized. Those 4 had been incubated and monitored since our retrieval. As of this morning, we had 2 embryos that were blastocysts and ready for transfer. One was rated a BB+ and the other was a BB. Out of the 2 remaining embryos, 1 was still progressing and could possibly be a blastocyst tomorrow and the other was unchanged. Should the 1 that is still progressing improve tomorrow, the doc will freeze it for potential later use.
I was elated by the status of our 2 embryos that were going to be transferred! Ryan even gave us a pic of our "babies."

We were the 2nd transfer of the day, so I had to wait for the couple ahead of us to have their transfer completed before we went in. D and I took a selfie and I continued to drink the water necessary for filling my bladder to the max.

Around 8:45 am, the Fertility Coordinator came to get us and we headed for the procedure room. In there, I hopped up on the table and got situated in the stirrups. My Fertility Coordinator checked the status of my bladder via the ultrasound and found that it wasn't quite full enough for the transfer so she made me down another cup of water. I already felt like I was going to explode and this just added to that pressure. After what seemed like an eternity of a full bladder, the doctor arrived and found out that my bladder was way too full, so they sent me to slightly empty it. Whew...what a relief!  I came back and got re-situated in the stirrups and we got the transfer started. The doctor prepped and added solution to make sure that everything was sterile and then inserted the catheter. Once the "outer" catheter was inserted, the embryologist brought the "inner" catheter filled with our 2 embryos to finish the process.  We slowly watched the fluid with the embryos inserted and within a few seconds the implantation was complete!
I was so overjoyed!! I have never had this much happiness. The doc flipped me upside down on the table for a few minutes while they printed a couple pictures of the implantation -- one for my file and one for us to take with us.

That white spot is the fluid and our 2 embryos!

He turned me back up and talked to D and I about the 3 things needed to make sure that we are successful with our implantation -- the science, remaining happy and having fun and the magic/prayer. The doctor warmed his hands and placed them on my abdomen and told me the power of prayer could do wonders to keep us positive through this journey. Right now, I couldn't agree more!
My instructions for the rest of the day was to take it easy but stay active...walk around and keep myself going. Obviously I'm off of work but the doctor doesn't want me to spend the entire day lounging around as that's not good after implantation.
We walked out of the procedure room and I headed directly for the bathroom again to empty my still extremely full bladder and then got ready to come home.  I hugged both of my Fertility Coordinators as I left and told them I'd text them if I had any issues and that I'd be sure to get my followup bloodwork completed as scheduled.

D and I left and were on our way with our implanted embryos! On the way home we stopped at Chick-fil-a for chicken biscuits and then to Walgreens to get Ibuprofen in case I need over the next few weeks. Once home, D prepared to head to work and I tried to figure out what do to with myself. I decided that in order to keep myself occupied for a bit I'd clean out the pantry and re-organize it. I also have a load of laundry I need to finish up.

So what's up next for us.....
Right now I'm currently PUPO (pregnant until proven otherwise) and we're in the TWW (two week wait) phase. On February 5th, I'll go to the lab for my first blood test to determine my hCG and progesterone levels. hCG is the main hormone that determines whether or not I'm pregnant.  I'll have another blood test done on February 7th and we should know where we stand. It will be an exciting and nerve-wracking 2 weeks but we're so looking forward to growing our family!

Day 17 -- Transfer Day!!

Today is the BIG day!!  It's embryo transfer day! We're getting ready to head to the FP office in a few minutes. We're supposed to be there at 8:15 am again to get prepped for today's procedure.

Thankfully my boss has been super understanding with the last minute days off I've taken over the last few weeks and hopefully we'll have some exciting news to share with everyone in the coming months.

I'm drinking a lot of water to make sure my bladder is full so that the procedure is a success. And we're super hopeful that we still have 4 healthy growing embryos available for today's transfer. Obviously we won't be transferring all 4 but our goal is to transfer 2 and freeze the other 2 for later use.

I'm on Cloud 9 right now. I never imagined feeling this overjoyed and excited for anything in my life. Our engagement and wedding was exciting but it doesn't even compare to the joy I feel today.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and continue to send good vibes our way!

Day 14 -- Embryo Status

It's been an exciting 2 days and while I wanted to update yesterday after my phone call with Ryan, the Embryologist, I thought I'd hold off until I had more information from his call today.
He's monitoring our embryos, watching the growth and making sure everything is going as planned for the transfer. Yesterday he called a little after 11 am and let me know that out of the 11 eggs that were retrieved, 6 ended up being mature. The 6 eggs were fertilized and 4 ended up being normal upon fertilization. They had been graded as "Good" which was the best grade they could get after 24 hours. The grades they use this early on are "Good," "Fair," and "Bad." He told me that he'd continue to monitor the embryos and call me on Saturday with an update and my transfer day. The transfer could be as early as Day 3 (Sunday) or it would be on Day 5 (Tuesday).
I had a lot of hope and in spite of the work issues I faced yesterday, I was so happy as I worked through the rest of the afternoon.

D and I got up early this morning in order to stay consistent with the time of my progesterone oil injection. We headed to the gym for a workout -- me only walking on the treadmill for 45 minutes as to not get too carried away. Typically my Saturdays are meant for squats and other leg and butt exercises but D has put a limit on that until we get through IVF and hopefully the first few weeks of pregnancy. Ultimately, I'd like to keep working out as much as my body allows as I think it will help me physically and mentally. I've heard that women who workout during pregnancy have easier labors and staying active helps overall immunity of both the woman and baby.

D headed out soon after for a guys' day with my brother and uncle but he left with the instruction to text him if I heard back from the Embryologist. Around 12:30, Ryan called with more good news! We still have all 4 embryos and all of them are currently 4 cells, which is to be expected 48 hours after retrieval and fertilization. They are all still in "Good" status also. The doctor has decided to transfer the embryos on Day 5, Tuesday.  I have to wait for my fertility coordinator to confirm transfer time but it should be somewhere between mid and late morning on Tuesday.

I texted D with the exciting news and we're both so elated!  I went from feeling broken and defective back in September to confused and upset in November to scared and unsure in December to now happy and excited and looking forward to where this journey takes us. I know we still are not out of the woods and we still have a long way to go but I'm so glad we've chosen to give IVF a shot!

Day 12b -- Egg Retrieval Complete!

You know I'm starting to think that my positivity is paying off for this journey!! As anxious, nervous and scared as I was going through egg retrieval this morning, I feel really good. Just some minor cramping but it went extremely well!

We arrived at the doc's office at 8 am this morning, I made a quick beeline for the bathroom. I wanted to make sure I didn't have an incident during the procedure. I signed in and waited to be called back. My fertility coordinator had another couple before us so we sat in the waiting room watching Fixer Upper for a few minutes. Chip and Jo are always fun to watch so this helped ease my mind a touch.
My fertility coordinator then came back to talk to us and go through our consent forms and make sure I hadn't eaten since last night. She took my weight and then I was put into an exam room for pre-op prep. In the room, I changed out of my clothes into a gown and laid back on the examination table, just taking everything in and keeping my thoughts positive. The Anesthesiologist, Mike, came in and prepped my IV and again did a small pre-op interview to make sure I had followed the protocol for surgery. Once he was complete, he sent in the Embryologist, Ryan, who gave us a rundown of his responsibilities during the retrieval. He's the one who would be evaluating the oocytes retrieved and inseminating them. He told me that once everything was completed today, he would call tomorrow letting me know how many viable embryos we had and also let me know that there are 3 options once the oocytes are fertilized -- they are either transferred, frozen or discarded depending on how healthy they are.

Since there were multiple patients having egg retrievals and there weren't enough beds in the surgery prep area, I had to walk down the hall from the exam room to the gurney in the prep area which was closer to the surgery room and spent a few minutes getting relaxed there before it was my turn for retrieval. Soon after I was in the surgery prep area, they whisked D off to complete his part of the process.  As I laid there by myself, I overheard the couple next to us as she was wheel back in after her retrieval and she had 4 eggs retrieved, 3 being mature and 1 that was not viable. I had no idea what to expect but I was hopeful that we'd have at least that many or more.

Before D got back, my fertility coordinator came to get me and told me it was my turn and off I walked into the surgery room. In the surgery room, I had to get situated on the table with my legs in the stirrups, my thoughts staying positive and hoping for the best. Mike, the Anesthesiologist, came back in to administer my sedation drug and put the oxygen mask on my face. He told me that I'd be out soon and as I laid there, I just slowly drifted to sleep. I remember having a dream of some sort and soon after I felt my fertility coordinator and Mike waking me up telling me that everything was complete and to move back on the gurney so they could wheel me to recovery. I honestly did not feel a thing!
In recovery, they brought D back and I started telling him how parched I was and how much I wanted to eat. I asked if everything went ok for him and we just sat there with him holding my hand. Mike took out my IV and bandaged my hand and soon after, another fertility coordinator and 2 other patient techs came in to explain how to administer my progesterone oil. First, the fertility coordinator drew a heart on each one of my buttocks and then she showed D how to get the oil out of the bottle, into the syringe, where to inject and then how to massage the area so that I don't get knots. After that, I was free get dressed and get ready to go.
They put me in a wheelchair and got me ready to head out and as they did that, I realized I hadn't found out how many eggs were retrieved. Come to find out, I had 11 eggs retrieved and 5 of them were mature already!  Woo hoo!! I was so elated! We still have to wait for the final report from Ryan, the Embryologist, tomorrow but to me this was the best news I could hear! All of the injections did their job and for someone who had a low AMH and a diagnosis of Diminished Ovarian Reserve, I'm glad we gave this a chance.

Tomorrow I'll learn the grades of the embryos and find out when I'll be ready for a transfer. It could be as early as this Sunday or Tuesday. I'll continue to have to take the progesterone oil for quite some time just to make sure my body stays in the best shape possible for getting pregnant and staying that way. Once we know the final grades on the embryos, D and I will make the final decision on how many we'll transfer too. Right now, we have an idea but our final decision will really depend on tomorrow's results.

 We ended up getting home around 11:30 this morning and the first thing I did was grab a drink of Gatorade (recommended to get my electrolytes up) then I went to lay on the couch. I really didn't feel bad but I was still a bit tired.  Before nodding off, I texted 2 friends who had been praying for us on this journey, letting them know I was home and everything went well and that I'd keep them posted. D made me a bowl of soup and half a sandwich and we ate lunch together before I decided to take a nap for a couple hours. I woke up feeling really good and I still feel pretty normal. I have the slight cramping every now and again but honestly, it's not even as bad as when I have period cramps! I've spent the rest of the afternoon/evening catching up on some reading and watching a bit of TV. As long as I continue to feel this way, I'm confident I will go to work tomorrow and then will take it easy over the weekend.

Today was such an exciting day. As nervous as I was to start this journey, I realize now that I can handle more than I thought.

Day 12 -- Egg Retrieval Day

Today is Egg Retrieval Day! I'm nervous, anxious, excited and just about every other emotion in between. We administered my trigger shot at 9:30 pm on Tuesday night and that started the clock for today's procedure.

Yesterday, for the first time in 11 days, I had no injections, which seemed a bit weird since I had started getting used to them every day but it was a nice break. After work last night, we went to the gym and worked out since we didn't have injections at 6 pm and then had dinner. After dinner, I took a relaxing bath and just tried to ease my mind a bit. D and I caught up on this week's episode of The Good Doctor on DVR and then I had a bowl of ice cream and 2 glasses of water before I was cut off from eating at 9 pm.
Since I'll be put under anesthesia today, 9 pm was my deadline for food and water and I made sure to make the most of it with my ice cream.  I ended up going to bed around 10 pm, hoping to get a decent amount of sleep and thankfully my brain cooperated.

As for this morning, I wanted to get a small workout in to help my anxiety about today.  Working out always seems to ease my mind so D and I woke up at 5:30 am and headed to the gym. I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical but I didn't push myself too hard....it just felt good to get some exercise in.
Right now, I'm dressed in my comfy clothes and getting ready for what's ahead. We have to be at the FP office at 8:15 am where I'll be prepped for the retrieval which should happen soon after.
I'm not sure what to expect this afternoon but my plan is to relax and sleep and take care of my body.
Since I haven't eaten today, I requested pizza for dinner. Given everything we're going through today, I figured the splurge was worth it.

As we prepare to head to the doc, I'm keep positive that we'll have a successful retrieval today!  I'm also keeping the attitude that I can get through anything as long as I stay strong.

Day 9 -- We have a retrieval date

I had another doctor's appointment this afternoon and my body has progressed extremely well and so well that we're on schedule for my egg retrieval on Thursday!

At my appointment today, the doctor saw 15 follicles and a thick uterine lining. He was pleased with how well the injections have been working and how my body has responded given the fact that my AMH level was so low to start. In fact, he told me today that given the fact that my AMH was so low, he's certain that no other fertility clinic would even attempt to let me try to improve my condition with the fertility drugs but he is confident he will be able to harvest viable eggs for us.

So what exactly is up next for us leading up to the retrieval...
Today was my last day of taking my baby aspirin, so I'm officially off of that until told take them again. I also had more bloodwork today to check my progesterone and estradiol levels one more time.
Tomorrow I'll take my last Follistim, Ganirelix and Menopur injections -- my 2 injections in the morning and 2 injections at night.
Also, my FP coordinator will give me the instructions for the exact time I need to take my trigger shot Ovidrel tomorrow night. I have exactly 36 hours from the time I take the injection to when they will complete the egg retrieval. I'll get more details tomorrow for the time of my procedure.
In total, I'll have 5 injections tomorrow...oh my poor yellow and purple tummy!

Wednesday is the low-key day before. No injections, only my vitamins and supplements and then no food or drink after 9 pm. I'm also supposed to take a relaxing bath and enjoy some quality time with D.

As for Thursday, I'll arrive and be prepped for the egg retrieval procedure -- no makeup, no contact lenses, no hair products, just plain me in loose fitting clothes. D has to be my designated driver and provide the necessary sample to fertilize the eggs. I'm supposed to then take it easy the rest of the day. Thankfully after my appointment today, I was able to schedule the day off of work no problem and D will be taking the day off as well. I told my boss that depending on how I feel I may or may not come into work on Friday. My hope is that I feel well enough to work so that I can save my much needed time off for when we really need it -- the implantation, etc. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the pain and discomfort will be limited.

And tonight, we're both just full of anticipation and excitement and looking forward to what happens next.

Day 7 -- Just plugging along

We're at day 7 of our IVF journey and things are going well. I started the Ganirelix injection yesterday morning so now I have 2 in the AM (Follistim and Ganirelix) and 2 in the evening (Follistim and Menopur) until I go back to the doctor on Monday. Last night, D picked up the rest of my meds that the doc ordered, which *fingers crossed* are the last for awhile. This included my trigger shot, Ovidrel and the Progesterone oil for after the retreival.

I have to be one of Walgreens best customers. It was another $2,490.62 for the rest of my meds. I'm glad we didn't buy them all at once. I may have had a slight anxiety attack last week if we had.

So far I'm still feeling good. I haven't seen any real side effects from any of the meds I've been taking. At my appointment on Thursday, my doc asked if I've had any weird dreams lately, because apparently that is one of the side effects but I haven't as of yet. I think I had more weird dreams before going on the meds that I have since taking them....go figure!

Other than that, I'm just trying to stay as stress free as possible and make sure I'm reading up on as much IVF information as I can so I'm prepared as we move forward on this journey.
We're headed out for a night of fun at the casino this evening with my bro, his girlfriend and Nicole as a delayed celebration for Nicole's 21st birthday. We went to Fast Eddie's on her actual birthday but we wanted to take her out as cousins to celebrate her birthday milestone.  It should be a great time and maybe we'll have some luck tonight!

Day 5 -- We're on track

I had another visit with my fertility doctor today and we're moving right along!

Today, my ultrasound displayed 5 follicles on the left side and 7 follicles on the right and my lining is 7 mm. The stims are working!! Yeah!  All of my levels from my blood work on Monday were also on track and my doc was happy with the progress. He even high fived me for the good report after my ultrasound.

Tomorrow I start another injection in the morning, Ganirelix.  This goes along with the Follistim injection in the morning and my Follistim and Menopur injections at night.  We'll keep this up until my next appointment on Monday when the doc will tell me how many more days of injections I have and when we're scheduled for egg retrieval.

After my visit with the doc, I met with the Fertility Coordinator again and got my instructions for filling the rest of my meds with the pharmacy and then headed off to have more blood work done. Today, the office didn't have a phlebotomist on site so I drove down the street to visit the clinic.  Thankfully again today I drank PLENTY of water and they had no issues getting what was needed to check my levels again.  Hopefully, I'll be exactly where I need to be to move forward!

In other news, St. Louis is getting sleet and freezing rain tonight.  Both D and I made sure to get home before that junk started lining the roads. After our debacle last winter where it took us both 4+ hours to get home, I'm not about to mess with that again anytime soon.  Plus, we have bigger things to plan for in the future and we're not about chance it for this weather. :)

Day 2 -- Just call me a pin cushion

Official day 2 of our IVF journey!

Today I had another injection of Follistim in the morning and injections of Follistim and Menopur this evening. In between all of this injection fun, I had an appointment at the FP office. At my appointment, I had all of my vitals taken and then had to have an ultrasound so the doctor could see exactly what he would be working with. According to the doc, I have 7 egg follicles right now, 2 on the right side and 5 on the left and my lining is about 4 mm.  The doctor wants me to come back on Thursday for another checkup and will determine what the next plan of action is once he's able to see my progress. He's considering a frozen embryo transfer but he will be able to make a better determination as he continues to track my progress.

After my ultrasound, I had to have more blood drawn and considering all of the issues that I've had in the past, I decided to do my best this morning and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Apparently all of the hydration worked and the phlebotomist had no problem getting what he needed today. Yes!
Of course, this did cause me to use the bathroom 4 times this morning but it was definitely better than having to be stuck more times!
I met with Fertility Coordinator who told me to keep up my current injection regime and bring in my Ganirelix with me to my next appointment in case I need to start that.

Overall, it wasn't too bad today. I'm starting to get the hang of everything and D & I have our system down for the injections and my vitamins and supplements.  Like the doctor said to me today, my blood type should be my attitude through this journey -- B Positive....and positive I will be!