Grateful for the Preisthood...and GUESS WHAT!!!!!

Saturday night/Sunday morning at about 2 am I woke up with the most aweful cramping.  I woke Jeff up sobbing about the pain.  I have felt this pain every month for the past umpteen years.  I was devistated.  I asked Jeff for a blessing.  He gave me one of the most wonderful blessings.  I calmed down, the pain subsided and I was able to sleep.  This pain reassured him that I needed to be taking it easy - sitting or laying down.  He (and my Mom & Dad) have taken great care of me.

Well, today it all paid off!  I went into the doctor's office for a blood test and the results have come in... I'm PREGNANT!  The beta HCG came back as a 75!  To put this in perspective - the very first time we did this and they put 2 embryos in - it came back an 18.  To officially be pregnant you have to be at least a 10, to get a positive "pee" on a stick thing you have to be at least a 30.  I am a 75!!!!!  Today I am officially 4 weeks pregnant (you start counting from the first day of your last cycle. - in my case I had a 5 day embryo + 9 days = 14 days + the fake 2 weeks before)

So what's next?  Next Tuesday, Dec 1st (5 weeks) we do a repeat HCG test to make sure that the number is climbing and climbing appropriately.  It should double ever 2 days.  I believe it is week 6 or 7 that we will hear the first heartbeats...I have never made it this far yet...so please keep those prayers coming!

Jeff was so cute - we had decided long ago that we were going to tell everyone on Dec 1st the results - just to be sure... So I called him today told them to drag him out of the patients room, and gave him the positive result and the number... here is the conversation:

Jeff: "Ok...so can I tell my office now?"

Me: "No, we talked about it and we decided to wait until Dec 1st."

Jeff: "But they have been asking everyday and really want to know."

Me: "So does everyone else."

Jeff: "But what if they promise not to post anything on your facebook."

Me: "We cannot tell your office staff before we tell our families...If you want to tell them today, then we have to call our parents first...but we said we were going to wait for Dec 1st."

Jeff: "Go call everyone!"

I am so grateful for Jeff and his worthiness to hold the Priesthood.  I am grateful that him and my dad could give me a blessing before the procedure and Jeff could give me a comfort blessing when I was scared and in pain.  I am grateful for all of y'alls prayers and fasting!  I know this child for us is wanted by all!  Now don't y'all go spoiling the baby! :) 

We love y'all and again are grateful for everything!

A Most Joyous Day!

Monday night I received a mysterious text....It said to look out on my front porch before we left for the hospital Tuesday morning.

Tuesday morning, Jeff opened the door and this is what we found:

A beautiful boquet of flowers from the Shirleys.  They are the former Bishop and his wife.  It was a wonderful way to start a wonderful day!

We got to the hospital - the ARTS department (Artificial Reproductive Technology Services) - and they checked us in.  The embryologist came around and talked to us about the thawing process.  We had a day 5 (ideal) and a day 6 (an ok..but....) embryo to thaw.  Unfortunately, the day 6 embryo didn't make it.  They thaw the embryo and watch for growth, instead the day 6 one crumpled.  All this means is that we are definately not having quads or trips and the chances of twins is like everyone else...3%.

Jeff and I are very sad about the loss of the embryo, but we do remember when they were freezing them one of the embryologists said that they had frozen a day 6 that was not in the best quality, but she did it anyway on the off chance that it could be used.  We appreciate the efforts of that embryologist for giving us any and all chances to have a baby. 

Here is a picture of the embryo that was put inside of me - sorry that it is a picture of a picture - Jeff won't let me go sit at the big computer and scan it in and he has no idea how to scan something in.

This is baby's first photo!  How cool is that?  (It is fuzzy because of all the cells, not my photography skills.)

I now have the baby in me.  We came home, Jeff immediately set me up in bed.  He brought me some lunch, kissed me goodbye and went to work.  Now some of you might think this is heartless, but it was my idea for him to only take a half day.  I was fortunate enough to have my Dad come and stay with me yesterday.  We watched movies and he did his duties as watcher and scolded me if I sat up or got up too much.  We did get a knock on the door sometime in the afternoon.  It was a flower delivery man.

Mike and Jenn sent them!  Beautiful roses!  What a surprise!  I love them.

Jeff had some bishopric meetings last night, so Dad and I ordered a pizza and continued our videofest!  It was a very Joyous day!  Many people have called and shared some wonderful touching stories that happened to them yesterday too.  Jeff and I are so blessed to have such loving and faithful families and friends.  We are excited for what the next 9 months are going to bring!

Thank y'all for all your prayers and fasting.  I know that the Lord has heard all of our pleas and I know he will answer them!  We love y'all!

Tuesday, Nov 17th at 8:30 am

This is the time of our procedure tomorrow.  By 9:00am, we should have 2 babies inside of me.  I plan on going home, laying down and not moving for a very long time.  I will be concentrating on making at least one of the babies stick!  Just for precaution on Jeff & my part, I will be down for at least a week.  Then after a week, I can get up and walk around just a bit, not much, but mostly laying down or sitting.  No strainuous activities.  No chores for me....thankfully I have a husband who is awesome at helping out around the house!

So Sticky thoughts everyone!  This time it is going to work!!!!! (3rd time's the charm!)

We love y'all and are greatful for all the prayers and fasting. 

Mysterious ways...

I started my nice (said sarcastically) progesterone shots on Wednesday.  The shot is an IM shot, or a butt shot for short.  Needless to say it hurts!  When Thursday came around and it was time to do the 2nd shot, I couldnt handle it.  This is a necessary evil.  My body needs these shots so that we can be pregnant.  I will be taking these shots up until about week 10.  This would mean that I would have to have about 58 shots in all.  I had only taken 1.  It hurt and I couldn't imagine having to do this again.  This is the 3rd time I have had to put my body through this.  The first one I took shots until week 7 (about 35 shots) that amounted to a miscarriage and the 2nd time I ended up not pregnant at all so I took about 14 shots.  Here I was starting all over again.  It was more than I could take.  The pain of 57 more shots.  I started weeping, sobbing.  I was mad because I was having to go through this AGAIN - I was mad because my body was being tortured.  I yelled at Jeff - He doesnt have to go through anything.  Jeff was the good husband and said, "If I could take these shots for you I would."  -I am sure he would, but not something I wanted to hear or believed at the time. I eventually calmed down, got my painful shot, and crawled into bed.

It is amazing how the Lord works.  Jeff got a little sick on Thursday and worse on Friday.  He ended up having one of his nurses give him a shot of antibiotics...you guessed it, in the butt.  This is the text I received:

Jeff:  "I got a shot in the butt"  "I think I must suck at shots"

Me:  "That's good to hear!"

Jeff:  "Didn't really feel it."

Jeff was able to get some tips on butt shots and Friday night when it was time for my shot again, I was a bit calmer and then amazed because I could hardly feel it.  Thinking it might be a fluke, I held my breath on Saturday night, and I could barely feel it then too. 

I am grateful that Heavenly Father not only answers tradtional prayers, but He hears us when we are sad and upset and crying and he answers those prayers too.  I am still not looking forward to the rest of the shots, but I know that somehow He has guided Jeff to help lessen the pain and make it a more bearable task.



In case you are wondering what the tip is....you make your left hand into an upside down "L" shape and put as much pressure around the area that the needle is going into.  This confuses the nerve receptors and you don't feel the needle as much...so if anyone has to take their little ones in for a shot, you can pass the tip onto the nurse giving the shot to help lessen the trauma for you kid.

And the verdict is....

I had another doctor's appointment today.  Today was a sonogram to measure the thickness of the uterine lining.  I have been on a form of estrogen for the past 2 weeks to "thicken" the lining and make it condusive for embryos to attach.  It needs to be at least 8 mm.  If it is not, they up my dosage and we try again the next week.

I am proud to say that my lining was a 9.5!  (No, not a perfect "10" but I don't need 10...I just needed at least an 8.)  The sonographer started the ultrasound and without measuring - just looking - knew that I was ready.

So tonight I start the fun progesterone shots....the "butt" shot.  eeeek!  If all goes well, I get to have them for the next 10 weeks...I am looking forward to it!  (This will mean of course that I am pregnant...that is the only reason I am excited about them!!!!)

Tuesday, November 17th will be the big day!  We will know the time on Monday.  I am cutting myself off from everyone after the ward temple night on Friday. - We are trying to limit the opportunities for me to get sick.  We want my body to be in the best possible shape for Tuesday.

I have my stack of books by my bedside already.  I am getting my dvd's ready....laptop ready.  What more could a girl want?  ... oh yeah a "Sonic Diet Coke".... but don't worry - I am cut off from those as well!

For the past two weeks or so, I have been "concentrating" on a thickened uterine lining, the sonographer said it worked, so now I will be "concentrating" on the embryos attaching.  I am too excited, nervous, everything.  In just 5 days Jeff & my lives will change!   9 months after that we will be "parents"...what a weird concept.  Our very quiet home will not be quiet for 20 years or so.... Right now we have people come over and they bring their kids and it is great, and it is loud, but then after a few hours they go home and our house is quiet again...."Quoth the Raven, nevermore.."

Always check your coat pockets....

Jeff wears "pajamas" everyday to work.  When he gets home, he gets into his "comfy" clothes - t-shirt and shorts.  He dresses up for work maybe once a month, but it is usually a nice dress shirt, no tie, and slacks.

Jeff has lost about 45 lbs since the beginning of the year.  He no longer fits into his suit - it falls off him.  He equates his suit with his mission - he has been home for 14 years, but hates wearing a suit or white shirt & tie cuz he thinks he looks like a missionary.  I dont think anyone has told him that he is "old" and he will not be mistaken for a missionary anymore.

So Jeff decided to wear his suit today to church.  He put his coat on and felt a lump in the coat pocket.  It was a banana...from Mike & Jenn's wedding...  GRROOSSSS!!!! (not Mike & Jenn's wedding..just the fact that they got married July 25th and it is now Nov 8th.)

Moral of the story:  Always check your pockets before you hang it up...you never know when you will wear it again.

I think I will be buying Jeff a new suit.  Not just cuz of the disgusting banana in the pocket, but also because he will now get to wear one every Sunday.  He has just been called to be the 2nd Counselor in the Bishopbric.  He was sustained today and set apart as a High Priest.  My Dad was able to set him apart as a High Priest.  It was a really nice blessing.  Jeff will be joining a wonderful Bishopbric.  Our Bishop was released today after 5 1/2 years of service.  The rest of the Bishopbric was moved up one spot and Jeff was moved from the Exec. Secretary spot to the 2nd C.  Jeff is really excited for the new calling and new challenge and to be working with the other bretheren.