No more Progesterone!!

Today was the first day since April  that I didn't have to use my progesterone suppositories!! I have been counting down to this day since about the day after I started them and for some reason I am less excited about not having them than I thought.  I am extremely nervous that my baby and my body will not produce enough progesterone on its own and something will go wrong. 

Everything I have read says the fetus should be producing everything itself now so I shouldn't worry, but it's so hard not to! I have been dependent on them.  In my head taking the progesterone equaled me having a healthy pregnancy so without them everything surely can't be ok.  I have to tell myself that my doctor is the best out there and got us this far and would not recommend something she wasn't sure was ok to do or not to do in this case. 

I guess I just have to trust my doctor, my baby and my body right now and hope and pray that we produce enough of the good stuff known as progesterone to keep a happy little home for my baby for at least 28 more weeks!

Ultrasound Pic

I just realized I never posted my ultrasound picture!



Normal?

My first doctor's appointment since being released from Kansas City was yesterday.  My appointment was at 9:30 a.m., so I didn't have to wait all day in agony! When we got there, I checked in right away and for the first time I was able to say "can I have a label?".  You see, all the pregnant women have to get a label after checking in to give a urine sample at the beginning of every appointment.  I was always jealous of the girls that got to get labels.  Who would think you would be jealous of women getting to urinate in a little plastic cup...I sure didn't.  So there I was, asking for my label, I walked back to the bathroom and was so excited to place that little cup in the stainless steal cabinet!

At the beginning of the appointment I just talked to the nurse and we all talked about how amazing it was to have gotten pregnant on the first try with Dr. Brabec! I then had to have a full exam with my doctor, it was a damn crowd in my room though, me, Joe, the nurse, nurse practitioner and my doctor, in the tiny closet they call a patient room.  He felt around, felt my stomach and said everything looked good.

The second part of the appointment was for questions...lots of questions. Can I go on a float trip? Can I work out? Can I eat lunch meat? Do you think I will deliver before the end of the year (taxes people, taxes! really January 6th? I mean I guess we'll take it, but really?)? Totally random, but all important to us!  With all of our questions answered and all warning signs of problems discussed, the doctor said he would see me back in 4 weeks and at that time we would be able to hear the heart beat on doppler.  He then shook our hands, said congrats and "everything is going great and NORMAL".  He said NORMAL! I haven't heard the word normal in almost three years...does this guy know who I am, does he know my family? Normal? Really???? Holy cow, epic doctors appointment for sure!

My next appointment is July 6th, this time at 8:45 a.m.!

In other pregnancy news...I have gained a grand total of 3.5 pounds and am extremely bloated, so much sometimes that I have to wear maternity pants (I need to get a belly band).  I have morning sickness all out now, hopefully it goes away soon! I am constantly tired, like I need 10 hours of sleep at night to feel good in the morning!!! Hopefully this ends soon too! Joe and I are both reading tons of books and trying to learn as much as possible with what is going on inside of me!

Today I am 10 weeks exactly and our little baby is now a fetus! Here is to being NORMAL...CHEERS :)

What a Weekend!

What a weekend! I am beat!! Before we get to that, let's start on Thursday.  Thursday was our first ultrasound in Kansas City with my fertility doctor.  We drove three hours there, we were there for 20 minutes, then three hours back, talk about driving! But
I guess what we got while we were there was worth it!

We got there, checked in and went back right away, we were even early, but they were ready for us! I got changed and went in for the ultrasound.  We saw the baby right away, I was so relieved!! Just one, Just one baby! My numbers were so high during the early blood work, there was a thought it may be twins, but just one! We only need one right now! After checking the size of the baby (1cm) which put me further along in my pregnancy than originally predicted, we got to hear the heart beat for the first time. 
Our little guy had a heart beat of 138 bpm, which the doctor said was very healthy! We left with a strip of photographic evidence of the bean and went on our way, released from the doctor in KC to my regular doctor in Springfield, no more road trips!!

We both went to bed happy and as relieved as can be, prepared to take the trip home on Friday to share the news with our families.

We got to my parents house Friday night where they were having a bbq with friends.  We hadn't done Mothers Day yet, so I gave her the present first from Bath & Body Works and then gave her a tin to open.  Inside the tin was a poem Joe wrote wrapped in a onsie, announcing the good news! She looked at me and said "Really?!" and then cried a little.  My dad was super shocked, I can't remember exactly what he said, but he was really excited and gave us both hugs.  My mom then announced the good news to her friends, who then harrassed her about being a grandma now!  It was a really long night of great food and games, so we went to bed prepared for the big day on Saturday!

Saturday was my little cousin, Mandi's graduation party (maybe she isn't so little anymore, now that she has a big girl job and all).  The entire family was going to be there, so I figured it would be best to tell them all together so no one would feel left out.  We had gotten there and set our stuff down, all except my purse, which had ultrasound pictures in it.  My cousin Sara noticed I wasn't setting my purse down and bugged me about it.  She then looked at me and said "Are you pregnant?" .  I didn't want anyone else to hear, so I just shouted "Um guys, I'm pregnant!".  My aunt looked at me completely expressionless and said "are you really?" I said yes, and everyone errupted and asked a million questions.  When my other aunt and grandma Nonnie got there, I told them the news! Everyone gave me great advice, and we are super excited to have a little one in the family soon!

We left Mandi's graduation party and went to Joe's parents house that night where his sister was staying the night as well.  We got there and gave his mom a little present, which was the same as my mom's (the poem with a onesie) And she looked at my father-in-law and said "you know what that means, right?".  Mom started crying and dad said congrats.  Joe's sister Alicia was super excited and we started talking about baby showers right away! We had to keep quiet until the morning when we would tell his other sister!

Sunday morning Joe's sister showed up bright and early to do Mothers/Fathers day breakfast.  When she walked in all the kids sat on the couch and mom was taking a picture, right before clicking the picture, she yelled "Heather and Joe are having a baby!!".  Trisha couldn't believe it at first, but we assured her, we were serious! We then took the picture, for real this time! We then had breakfast with everyone and left early afternoon. 

We got home, dumped all the stuff in the kitchen and took a 3 hour nap, we were pooped! Then got up, made dinner and dealt with the terrible tragedy of the tornados in Joplin, Missouri, and made sure they weren't coming towards us.  We are fine, the house is fine, no tornados for us.  But prayers for the families in Joplin would be greatly appreciated, the town was leveled and lives were lost. 

Hope everyone has a great week! I will be a lot less stressed now that everyone knows the news and we aren't hiding anything! So excited to begin this journey!

My First Mothers Day!!

It was so great to be able to celebrate my first Mothers Day! I may not have a baby in my arms, but I am growing a baby, so that counts! We went to church and then a play at the Little Theater called "The Foreigner".  Then we went to El Maguey, which I soon regretted with the lovely indegestion, but I seriously wanted some mexican food!!

Joe got me a card and a super cute picture frame that I will be able to put our first ultrasound picture in, which we will get on May 19th! It was a great day and I went to bed super early, which was nice!

Overall my first Mothers Day was a great success.  I can't wait until next year when I will have a baby in my arms celebrating the day with us!

And I didn't forget about my mother on this day! I am so grateful for everything she has done for me, words cannot even describe it.  She is so supportive and always seems to understand! Also, a shout out to my two aunts, who are such inspiring moms and my grandmas, who raised the people I love!

Also a happy Mothers Day to my mother-in-law who raised my amazing husband! I wouldn't be where I am at today if it weren't for her as well!

Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there!

Blood Results

I had blood drawn on Friday, April 29th and got my results the next monday.  My level was 130, which confirmed the pregnancy.  My doctor said the number was good, but the most important number would be the one we got on Tuesday.  I got more blood drawn on Tuesday, which was 4 days after the last, that means my levels should have doubled twice.  They are supposed to double every 48 hours in a "healthy" pregnancy.  So, they should have been 520.   I had convinced myself everything was already going wrong (for no reason), so I told myself anything over 400, I would be happy.

My nurse called me at 8:30 on Wednesday morning (thank God I didn't have to wait all day!) and told me my number was....are you ready?....891!!!!!!!!! I was so elated! We scheduled an ultrasound for May 19th, I will be almost 7 weeks, so we will be able to hear the heartbeat.  If everything is good with the size of the baby and it's heartbeat, I will get released from my doctor in Kansas City and will begin seeing my doctor in Springfield.  

I am so relieved, excited, and am feeling utterly blessed at the moment.  Maybe three years was worth the wait, if I am going to have a stellar little baby growing inside me! 

*Blessed beyond words*

Prayers Answered

Thursday morning, April 28, 2011, I wasn't supposed to be taking a home pregnancy test for another day, but I knew Joe would be talking about it that night, so I decided to take it that morning.  I was half asleep when I took the first test, so I don't think I administered it correctly, the test just remained blank.  I kind of expected the test to be negative just becuase we have never had any luck the past 2 1/2 years.  I decided to take a shower and see if I would have enough pee to take another test before I went to work.  I did...so I took it.  Two lines, right away.  One lighter than the other, but two nevertheless.  I didn't cry, I didn't laugh, I think I might have smiled, but all I could think is that we have been here before.  I soon shook that feeling and was so relieved that God decided that we were ready and blessed us with this miracle.

I set out a little onesie, my postive test, and a note I wrote to Joe all on his pillow, I knew he would be home to go to sleep shortly after I was at work. 

Sure enough, on my way to work Joe texted me "Are we taking a test tonight or waiting until tomorrow", I knew he would ask! I said whatever he thought and left it at that.  About an hour later I got a text from him saying I tricked him and that he was crying and couldn't wait to see me...I guess he found my surprise!

I took another test Saturday morning for 2 reasons.  1 to make sure it was still positive and 2 to make sure the second line was indeed getting darker.  The hpt measures hcg and hcg is supposed to double every other day, so the second line should be twice as dark as it was on Thursday. Much to my relief, it was! The second line was almost as dark as the first.  I am so relieved!

I got blood work taken on Friday and will get the results on Monday and am getting more blood work on Tuesday to make sure my numbers are going up like they are supposed to. 

All I have to say is, thank you God for allowing me to experience you and this miracle. I am so excited to share this journey with my husband and continue to grow in my faith.

The two week wait...

Here is a little update of what has been going on the past few days...We went to the specialist in Kansas City on Thursday morning (after I threw a fit and cried about having to give myself the Ovidrel shot on Wednesday night, which I did end up administering myself!).  We got there and checked in, then had to wait about an hour for them to get everything "ready".  We then went back and met with the nurse and verified all of the information on everything that was going to be used, then we were about to start the procedure.  I figured everything would just go as it had the other two times I had gotten IUI, but soon I realized this was not the case! We were going to have to WORK to get this baby!!!

I layed there for about 15 minutes while the nurse poked around trying to get the catheter into my uterus.  She couldn't get it, and said my uterus wouldn't sit still.  She tried a clamp which was terribly painful, so she took it off.  After about 30 minutes of attempting to get my uterus to cooperate and open she decided to give me a rest while she tracked down another nurse to see if she could get my uterus to cooperate. 

In came the second nurse who asked if I had any problems before, I told her that we didn't have any problems in the past. She said she could get the catheter in somewhat but wasn't sure it was in far enough.  Then the light bulb went off in my head.  Is this why the other two attempted IUI's didn't work?  Did my last doctor in St. Louis just give up becuase my uterus wasn't cooperating and administer the washed sperm without the catheter being in the appropriate position? It was then that I decided to just shut my mouth about what hurt and let her do what she needed to do to get that dang catheter in where it needed to be! I was praying over and over to God letting him know that I was ok if this wasn't meant to be, if we weren't meant to be getting this procedure right then, to just let me know and I would tell them to stop. Right then, the nurse said, ok, we are all done! She got it! We did it! 

I then had to lay there for 15 minutes to make sure everything stayed in and to give the little "swimmers" time top get to their destination and then we were off...back on our 3 hour journey home.  I was obviously not the most comfortable sitting in the car, so Joe drove for about 2 hours to let me have some rest (even though he had only slept for about 2 hours in the past 24 with his work schedule) and then I took over and drove the rest of the way home.

I was crampy the rest of the night and just felt like all I wanted to do was lay around.  I was crampy all weekend, which we read could be a good sign of success, so we have our fingers crossed!

Today I started the Progesterone suppositories, that is not the most awesome thing in the world, but it's not so bad.  I have more blood taken on Thursday to make sure my progesterone levels are good and then can take a pregnancy test on the 29th.  We are just hoping everything goes great and my body decides to cooperate this time. 

In the meantime, we are still waiting to hear back from Joe's job opportunity in Kansas City and we have Servolution next weekend at our church.  We are super pumped for the week ahead, so hopefully that will help the time go by because neither one of us are looking forward to the 2 week wait!

Third time is the charm! (hopefully)

Today was the day...to see if the medicine worked and continue treatment or learn the news that it didn't work and we would have to start over next month.  My doctor here in Springfield has been doing all the labs for my specialist in Kansas City to minimize the number of trips and time off work.  So, I went to my doctor here to get an ultrasound to see the follicles and get them measured.  I have one good and large follicle in my right ovary and a 4 smaller ones and then a bunch of smaller ones in my left ovary.  I kept asking the tech for the measurements of the follicles and the measurement of my lining and she wouldn't tell me! She kept saying "I don't know what all of that means or what they are looking for".  I said well I do, so just tell me...she wouldn't! I was so frustrated because I would have to wait for her to send the results to my doctor in Kansas City and then wait for my doctor in Kansas City to call me with the results.  After the ultrasound was done and the tech left, I snuck a peak at the ultrasound pictures that had printed out and saw that the large follicle said 2.28cm.  I wasn't sure how to convert cm to mm, so I had to wait to get to the car to get on the internet.

I knew my follicle needed to be between 18-24mm and mine was 22.8, so I thought that was pretty good, but I was still upset that there was only one follicle. I thought I would have like 3 or 4 of them, but no, just 1 follicle.  I got back to the office and was upset about the one follicle, so no one really asked me any further questions.  I emailed my doctor in Kansas City to tell her that I had the ultrasound and asked her to call me when she could.  I don't think time could have krept by any slower, but I suppose it could have.  3:20 came around and I saw the "913" area code ringing on my phone, I was so excited!

After the specialist told me she hadn't gotten the results and we tracked down my ultrasound results she told me that the follicle was actually bigger than I thought coming in at a whopping 25 mm!!!!!! She told me she was surprised that I hadn't already ovulated because it was so big and gave me instructions to give myself the Ovidrel shot tonight between 8-10 pm and that I needed to be in Kansas City in the morning for an appointment at 10:30 am to start the process of the IUI.  I can't believe it is so soon! 2 weeks ago I would have told you this would take forever, but it's already here!

This will be our 3rd attempted IUI. Since the last IUI I have lost 40 pounds, taken a stronger medication, took a z-pack, had another round of blood work and am giving myself the Ovidrel shot, so hopefully all of those things add up to SUCCESS!!! Most researchers say it takes an average woman 3-6 tries at IUI before a live birth, so here is to hoping 3rd time is the charm! 

Nature Center Hike

The past few weekends have been so nice outside, we have been hiking at the Nature Center in Springfield to get in some good exercise and be outside! We usually do about 2 1/2 to 3 miles of walking/hiking and we get to see some great wildlife!  Today, was an exceptional day for wildlife and I wanted to share some fantastic pictures! It was a great hike, nice breeze and tons of animals!

There were 3 wild turkeys all calling for the 2 females that were across the water!

This is one of the females

This little guy was trying to get across the gravel walkway, Joe helped him shorten his trip!

Cute little turtles getting some sun!

This is one of my favorite spots on the trail.  Water flows right over the rocks you walk on, it is so serene and beautiful, I just love to watch it!

I love it so much, I wanted our picture in front of it!

This little box turtle was just trying to hang out and enjoy his day, until we came along, we scared him back into his shell...oops!

Even caterpillers were out!

Look closely, deer is in the center of the picture.  He knows where it's safe!

This floating bridge is pretty cool, but no animals were there!

Loved the pink tree, of course! So pretty!!

If it's nice tomorrow, we will probably head out to the Nature Center again! It really is a great place, and we love getting the exercise!

What is meant to be will be

Last night I drove Joe to work so that I could pick him up in the morning and just have one car in Springfield when we left for KC.  I drove most of the way while Joe slept.  The entire way there all I could think about is whether we would find out if our world is going to change.  We both knew deep down we wouldn't get all of the answers today, but we both secretly hoped we would.  We stopped at Subway at about 9:30 AM for Joe to eat his "dinner" and change into his interview attire.  While there, a worker accidently set of their alarm and it was sort of funny and broke the tension we both had, all you could do was laugh! He ate, changed and off we were to Raytown, Missouri (a suberb of KC) where KMBC is located for Joe's interview.


I dropped him off at the door of the station at exactly 10:09 for his interview which was set to start at 10:30.  I then parked the car in their parking lot and waited, and waited, and waited.  I was becoming so anxious I was texting one of my friends and co-workers almost the entire time to get my mind off what was going on inside those doors. And then read 2 magazines, started a book and waited and waited and waited some more!


TWO HOURS later, I saw Joe walk out the two black tinted doors at the front of the building with his head down, he cracked a smile when he saw me intently watching him walk to the car.  I was so anxious I wanted to jump out of the car and start talking, but I contained myself and waited for him to get to the car.


He got in and said everything went well.  His writing was great, they liked his work ethic and he thought he would fit in with the rest of the people.  Joe was in awe of how big and advanced the station is compared to where he is now and he can see a great future with the station.  But then we got to the part about whether he got the job or not.  It wasn't a no, but wasn't a yes.  It was a "we'll be making a decision in the next few weeks and will be in contact".  For anyone that knows me, they know waiting is not my strong suite, so I guess we will see how these next few weeks go. 


We just have to continue to tell ourselves what is meant to be will be.



KMBC-TV



Where to start?

So I gave in and decided to start a blog.  My best friend has one and I love reading all about her life and what her daughter, Olivia, is up to, so I figured my family would like to be able to read about what's going on in our neck of the woods too. 

Most everyone knows, Joe and I have been trying to conceive for almost three years now and have suffered through two losses.  We have been seeing fertility specialistS for almost two years now and have gotten no answers, not even a "you're too fat lose some weight".  Nothing. Just nothing.  We have done it all, ultrasounds, clomid, ovulation tets, basal body temperature, I have had my tubes checked, Joe has been checked, everything comes back A Ok.  Not such a great answer for someone who wants a REAL answer.  So we decided about a year ago we would just leave it up to God.  About that time we were moving to Republic for Joe's job and we had hope with a new city would come new doctors and new opinions.  I had an appointment with a regular OB/GYN to see what he thought.  He said all my tests looked fine and recommended us to the Reproductive Resource Center in Kansas City.  We went, they did an ultrasound and found I have polycystic ovaries, not the full blown syndrome, my ovaries just produce a lot of little eggs, never big enough to rupture and be fertilized.  They have a rigorous plan including letozole, ovidrel shots, ultrasounds, and IUI.  We have done IUI twice before, this is our third attempt, however we are confident it will work this time, the doctor is too.

I have lost a totalof 41 pounds in 4 months, per the doctor's request an we are now about to embark on the journey of our 3rd attempted IUI.  I have been on my letrozole for two days now, and feel crampy after taking the meds.  Joe and I are both on Z-packs to rid any infection there may be, he has gotten his blood drawn for the final tests for infection and I get mine drawn tomorrow.  I have an appointment next Wednesday for my ultrasound to see if my eggs are large enough to get my shot of ovidrel to trigger ovulation.  We will then go to Kansas City to get the IUI.  Cross your fingers this works, for REAL this time, so we can have a blessing in our arms, at last!

In other news:  Joe has a 2nd job interview this Thursday in KANSAS CITY, MO! He was contacted by the Exeutive Producer at KMBC asking him to apply for the mornig show producer position they have available.  He sent in his resume and a show he recently produced.  The EP called him and said his stuff is being sent to the morning show EP and that she would be in contact with him.  Monday, the morning show EP called and wanted to see him ASAP for an interview and to meet the staff. If it all goes well, we will be packing up, leavig Republic and my best friend, and embarking on our new life.  The financials of this new job are amazing and his salary would nearly double.  I already contacted my old boss at Millsap & Singer and she may have a position for me in their Leawood, Kansas office, which would be awesome.

SOOO....fingers crossed! This month is huge to us.  We could potentially be moving 300 miles away and be expecting our first child all in one month! The thought of being able to pay off almost all of our debt by the end of the year and be deliverying our child at the end of the year is amazing and scary all at the same time.

WISH.US.LUCK.