Friday, December 30, 2011

IVF #3 Calendar

I had my IVF #3 calendar review with the IVF nurse today at 2pm via the phone.  Click HERE to see it.  I was so happy she didn't make me travel an hour to their office just to go over it.  It would be different if I'd never done IVF with them before or didn't know how to give myself shots, but I've become an "old pro" at it, and they just did this appointment by phone.

This is my first Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET).  Our first 2 IVF tries were from fresh cycles, but this time we are using embryos frozen from those previous cycles.  A friend pointed out the other day that I could have twins that were not conceived during the same cycle.  Never thought about it that way....

After looking at the calendar, all I can say is that my hip/bottom is going to be SO SORE from all the intramuscular shots this time.  Ugh....

3rd time's a charm, right???

Tell Me About Yourself Award



My blogger friend JJ nominated me for the Tell Me About Yourself Award.  I think this is a fun way to learn more about my fellow bloggers.  I read about your struggles with IVF everyday and I enjoy finding out about life outside of the crap we deal with.  Just like all the other awards, there are certain rules that apply in receiving this award:
  • Thank the person who passed the award on to you.  Thanks again JJ at A Journey of Emotions
  • List 7 things that people may not know about you. 
  • Pass the award to 15 other bloggers and don't forget to notify them as well.  Feel free to ignore my nomination if you received it from someone else :)  Please see my previous post about the Liebster Award.  These bloggers are amazing and you should follow them!  No need for me to list them again here.
 7 Things About Me You May Not Know:
1. I have a horrible sweet tooth - especially chocolate and cookies.  Which is only made worse by PCOS...
2. I'm a cat person.  I didn't know I was until we got a dog several years ago.  She's cute when she sleeps...
3. I am a pastor's wife.  I don't act the part and neither does Hubby.  We're not sure if it's more astounding that he's a pastor or that I'm a pastor's wife.  They broke the mold in either case...
4. I collect scrapbooking and card-making supplies.  I say "collect" because I don't usually have time to actually do things with them.  I just collect them and look at them and dream of all the cool projects I should be doing with them...
5. I love humor.  With all the crap that has happened to us over the last year (house robbed, car totaled, small business failed, job changes, diagnosis of CAVD & PCOS, 2 failed IVFs) humor is the only thing that gets me through sometimes.  It's either laugh or cry and I've done enough crying.
6. I feel pretty blessed.  I live in the house that I have loved since I was 9 years old.  It's required a total gut & re-do, but it's beautiful.  I have the car I have dreamed about since I was 16.  Her name is Sophie and she's a BMW Z3 Roadster.  She's beautiful as well.  I have a wonderful Hubby and he's also beautiful!  haha
7. Right now I'm thinking about going back to school to get a Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology.  I'm looking for some signs to tell me this is where I need to go.  I got confirmation that I need to move on.  I just need to figure out the next step.
(8.  You get a bonus!  Aren't you lucky?!) I am a Facebook Addict.  I use it for work to promote fundraising events and I put up funny stuff the kids say & do at my Youth Center.  I use it to stay in touch with friends and family across the world.  I put up pics of our life.  I've even put out a request (& received it) for a donation of a hand-me-down microwave because ours died.  I love facebook and love others who use it as much as I do.  I know that many of the IF blogging friends I have hate it when someone posts about their pregnancy on facebook.  However, I don't.  And I do plan on posting throughout the entire dang thing, if it ever happens.  I post about everything else in my life and the pregnancy thing has been a long time in the making.  WHEN it happens, it'll all be on there.  (Except naked preggo pics.  That's just weird.  I don't do naked pics now.  No way I'd do them when I'm ginormous.)

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Liebster Award



My fellow blogger friend, Browning2222 nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award.  Please check out her blog, I Think It Is Time, if you haven't already.  Her story is very similar to mine and after failed fresh and natural cycles, is pregnant with triplets from a frozen cycle!

 Liebster is a German word which means "dearest" or "beloved." It is also used to refer to as someone's "favorite" and the idea of the Liebster Blog Award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers that deserve more recognition and encouragement. So, this award is to share with those blogs that you love to love... you know... the ones that you can't wait to see a new post from because somehow, some way, the blogger seems to always put words to things in a way that really hits home. 

There are rules for receiving the Liebster Award:
  • Thank the giver & link back to the blogger who gave it to you.  Thanks again, Browning2222!
  • Reveal your top 5 picks & let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.  OK, I chose 9.  And please just ignore this if you've already received it!
  • Copy & paste the award on your blog.
  • Hope that people you've sent the award to forward it to their top 5 favorite bloggers & keep it going!
Now the hard part.  I have to pick the top five favorite blogs that I follow.   Here is my list, even though I know there are many more of you who should be on here, too.  In no order:

1.  Lost In Translation has a blog called We Way IVF, They Say FIV.  She is currently pregnant and has given me hope that I can have a BFP someday, too.


2.  ADSchill has shared her emotional journey of recently losing twins on her blog MissConception.  Our IF community needs to pour out all the love we can on her.


3. Mommy-In-Waiting has her blog, Waiting on Our Miracle.  She has shared her experience with PCOS.  


4. A Miracle 4 Us has a blog by the same name.  She just received a BFP after failed IUI's, fresh cycles, and lots of heartache.


5. I just found Erin's blog the other day after she posted on mine.  Her blog, Never Surrender, started as a weight loss blog, but has turned into her own IF therapy.  Right now I'm the ONLY one following her blog, which is astounding.  She's real and honest.  She just poured out her heart about losing a child on her blog and needs our support.  


6. Kelli at Cinderella Wore Glass Slippers is sharing her experience of adoption.


7. Marianne at My Violet Thoughts just had a beautiful baby after many years of trying to conceive.


8. Lissie at Lissie's Luck is enjoying being pregnant.


9. Brave IVF Girl is as sassy as me and I look forward to her point-of-view on her blog, Braving IVF.

10.  Sara at Empty Whole blogs about accepting infertility and IVF.  She's made a New Year's Resolution to blog more often and I'm looking forward to it!

11. Laura at Wishing & Hoping & Dreaming & Praying for a Baby is making her way through finding out why, after TTC for several months, she has had no luck. She only has TWO followers, which is surprising for how honest and open she is on her blog.

12. Amber at Somewhere Only We Know lost a child almost 2 years ago and has a heart that is still hurting for that little child.  Her posts are raw and real. 

13. GlitterandRainbows1 at Glitter & Rainbows is hoping for a Christmas IUI Miracle.  I soooo hope that she has good news to share with us all soon!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Christmas Update

I am looking overdue on updating this. You all can scold me - I deserve it!

In November, CD1 didn't happen until Nov 13th (a week late). I have read OHSS can cause a woman to be late for at least 2 cycles following OHSS. I had a 2nd acupuncture appointment when I finally started. Work had been hell difficult that afternoon and I arrived very stressed out. She said she was putting the pins in that day in a way that was supposed to clean out my body. This time there was 1 in the middle of my forehead, 3 on my abdomen, and 4 down each leg and onto my foot. Then she put a heat lamp on my belly and another on my feet, turned on some soothing music, turned the lights down and left the room. What a small gift from God! I don't think I fell asleep, but I came pretty darned close!

I paid our deposit at the beginning of December. Because we are doing a frozen cycle, it's cheaper. Also, there are many tests I don't have to have done because we've just done 2 cycles. Plus, we had money left in our account with the Doc from the first 2 IVF's, so it was even cheaper than I anticipated! Clearance babies? I'll take 'em!"

In December, CD1 happened on Dec. 23rd (another week+ late). I think my bod is confused...it doesn't know whether to start, look for a shot, or grow multiple eggs for another egg hunt! My periods have been a bit more painful the last 2 months as well. I suppose it has the right to file these complaints with me. I have demanded a lot from it lately!

I called my Dr on CD1 and began taking birth control pills in CD3. Merry Christmas! You wanna have a baby? Here, have some bcp's! I got a call from the IVF nurse today saying she'd send out my calendar and we'd go over it via phone on Friday at 2pm. I love that they let me do things over the phone rather than driving 65 miles to their office when I don't have to! She said I will start my 1st Lupron shot on Jan. 6th. Bring on the hot flashes!. I'll need to call the acupuncturist as well.

On another subject, I am thinking of a career move. Leadership changed at my job in July and I have not been happy about it. It was supposed to be a temporary change, but has become a more permanent thing. More on that tomorrow.