Showers and showers of gifts

When you are pregnant with your first the world showers you with gifts.  People come out of the woodwork almost, and you get things you will never use, things you will use once, and things you will use ALL the time.  Its amazing how many thank you cards you go through.

But when you are pregnant for the first time after losses, and fertility issues, showers are not the same.  You are nervous, constantly.  Each present you open, you worry, will the baby ever use this? Will you ever get to see the baby wear this?  Will the baby make it here?  I know morbid, but thats what was going through my mind.  I was tearful each time I had a shower.  I had 3 too.  One in SC with his family, one at work, and one with friends here in town, a co-ed shower.
I also had one at work.  Overall it was a lot!  It was wonderful but you just worry that all this showering and happiness will be cut short.  You just are scared.  Its just the way anyone feels that has had losses, and have had trouble getting pregnant.  Its a terrible feeling and you want to feel excited and happy but you worry constantly.  Each cramp, each spot, each weird headache, all make you worry.

B's patients and random people were also so good to us.  We got more clothes and beautiful blankets, it was amazing how many people were so good to us.  We had a spoiled little girl who hadn't made her appearance and didn't know how wonderful life would be!

Everyone was so too to us!  

It just kept coming!  

And its a......

The day had finally arrived, the day that hubby and I would find out what we were having.  It had been 17 weeks, and every month we had had 2 appts, 2 docs to see.  An ultrasound each time, measuring, blood work, heartbeats, exams, we were ready to have the info on what we were having.  Was it a boy or a girl?   Naturally everyone wants a healthy baby, which is what we were ok with.  I would have loved my husband to have a boy, to play with, fish with, etc.  I also would have loved to have a girl, someone to play with and dress up with, maybe future shopping buddy.  But either way, we would be happy.  Our family was in hopes for a girl, only because hubbys family was full of boys, and Gigi would love to have a girl to spoil.  My mom of course, had tons of girls things, so a girl would be easy.

We went in, and started the appt.  Lots of pics, lots of measuring again.  Finally, it was time, the nurse had a screen shot, she said, are you interested in finding out?  We both said yes!  She said ok, here it is!  3 little lines!  Its a girl!  Think Pink was what she typed on the screen shot!  OMG!  I turned to B and said, well, Gigi is going to flip!  I think he was shocked, but not surprised at all.  We were excited, it was going to be fun.

So then I had to go to work, and keep quiet!  We told our family that we would tell them first, and then tell friends.  B went out after that and bought a pink shirt for work, so cute.  Then he baked a strawberry cake with white icing and made sure no pink showed through.  We would facetime later that night with both families.  And B's brother, wife and boy were also going to come over, it was going to be a big reveal!

It was pretty funny, we had 2 ipads, an an iphone working, so that my parents, his, and my sister all were on at the same time.  My mom even had my grandmother come over.  It was a family event!  We had dinner, and then made the calls.  I grabbed a knife, and a spatula, and started to cut.  I know I was taking forever on purpose haha!  Then the pink started to show and everyone screamed!  Its a girl!   YAY!

It was so fun to do that.  And the cake was delicious too.  We all were just so excited, a girl in the family finally.  I had no idea how much fun it was going to be.  

Always pink and purple skies!  

Summer of 2014

So here I was pregnant, and working on a large project, which required me to be on a construction site, and work long hours.  Go me!  I couldn't complain, the stars were aligning.

I went to our first OBGYN appt, week 9, and had an ultrasound.  Again, that beautiful heartbeat, and the site of a little bean inside me growing.  At this point, I started taking pictures of what size fruit it was and me.  Yeah that was short lived...my fatigue got the best of me, and the heat!  

It was just so la di da, in the doc's office, here is the heartbeat, here is the fetus, and see you back in a month.  Here is your appt to go to your high risk doc, thanks!  I guess I had been through so much, and this was so normal, that I expected fan fair, or something.  I mean we got a goodie bag, and coupons.  Oh well, people get pregnant all the time, not me though.  This was not normal for me, and I had been through the ringer to get here.  

I went to work each day, trying to keep it together.  Amongst my morning sickness, meetings, walking all over the place, my stupid cravings, moods, not being allowed to carry anything, multiple appts. since I was high risk and soon, gaining weight, I was exhausted.  I came home each day and fell into the sofa.  I napped every day, sweetie barely saw me, or had a descent meal for months.  I felt terrible, literally, but I couldn't help it.  The first trimester is no joke, the fatigue was major.  The cravings were intense!  I ate an entire cantaloupe every other day.  He was going to the store all the time for those things.  I also couldn't get enough chicken tenders, and krispy kreme doughnuts.  Before I had had other cravings, like fudge sickles, pop tarts and plain lays potato chips.  All seemed yummy at the time, but I didn't want to crave what I did in the past for those other pregnancies.  Then came the cucumbers, and the steak and shake burgers.  It was specific.  

I then spent the remaining of the summer hiding my pregnancy from my boss as we traveled each week in the car for 2 hours to Orlando for our construction project.  I held in my pee, I drank fake caffeine, and took snacks with me saying I didn't have time to eat breakfast.  It was hard.  I needed to eat and I wasn't able to eat like I needed to during our trips.  She was on a major diet, and didn't want to eat anything.  I was always famished.  We would stop and eat, and I could have eaten that meal twice.  And I had to suck it up and make a grilled cheese or quesadilla when I would get home.  Not to mention it was hot out, it was summer in Florida.  It was loud on the site, dusty, concrete, on my feet, I was nervous as it was, this made it worse.

My clothes were starting to grow tighter on me, and I was having trouble hiding things or so I thought.  Apparently my co-workers suspected nothing.  But I saw my belly growing, and my hips getting wider.  I was also hot hot hot, all the time.  I had a fan on me most of the day, and gingerale at my desk.  Cheese and crackers were my friends, and I had to leave my desk alot to race to the restroom not only to pee, but to calm down when I would have cramping or spotting.  The summer was scary, the first trimester was scary.  And all awhile, I hid this pregnancy, my black and blue stomach from the heparin (which I was still on) and my backside was extremely sore from progesterone shots still.  I was worn out.  The year before, all the fertility, now the pregnancy, my crazy work schedule, it was hard.  But I was sooooo happy about the little bean inside.  I just wanted it to stay put.  And every so often something would comfort me to know it was going to.

Growing bigger as the summer drags on!  

The most beautiful sounds

We went a few weeks after our news, and had to wait to hear and see the baby.  I had a few scares, cramping sometimes, a little bit of spotting, and a lot of worry.  We were at week 6, and went in to see our doctor, the one that helped us get here.  We went in, and had the ultrasound, and immediately heard a heartbeat and saw the little bean moving inside.  It was a baby!  120 beats per minute, the most amazing sound we had ever heard.  It was strong, and on track.  There was the picture of the little one, small and beautiful.  Hubby and I teared up, we couldn't help it.  We had never been here before.  It was amazing.  I also knew we were only 6 weeks in, and we had a LONG way to go.  Anything could happen, but we were hopeful.  The funnies thing was the doctor said congrats its a girl!  HAHA, he then said he was right 50% of the time, wow he is a comedian.  We left there with a picture, tears of joy and an OBGYN's name to call.  We also were instructed to continue our meds, which at this point were beyond uncomfortable.  Sweetie had brought home some numbing spray to help my hind parts prior to the shots.  All in all, this was hard, everything was.  To keep quiet, to not worry, to continue medication, and to get through the next 34 weeks.  

I got home that night and went out to pick some flowers.  My hydrangea was purple/pink, not blue, and everything blooming was practically pink.  I guess that was my first sign, and I didn't know it ; )  Those flowers in my garden really knew a thing or two, I needed to trust them.  Little did I know....

Will May never end!

I know right another May post! I told you it was a long month.  Anytime you do anything with fertility, its long.  Its a process.  Nothing is quick, its a miracle really that anyone gets pregnant on their own.  The stars and moon and sun and the universe have to be just right.

May 19th, hubby and I had to know.  I knew if I waited till the 20th, and it was negative, I would be devastated.  He wouldn't be with me, he would be at work when I get the call.  It was like the times before, we checked the day before to help me get through this.  Again, no romance, no happiness, when you pee on a stick after a fertility treatment.  Its pretty much a holding of your breath, and hoping you can breathe.  Again, it takes forever for the stick to turn too.  So I did it, and hubby stayed in there with me, and I handed it to him.  We waited, I couldn't look, but then I wanted to, and we just looked together.

Positive!  We started crying at this point.  It didn't mean we were out of the woods, it was the beginning of who knew what.  It just meant, I would go in and feel good about my May 20th appt to give blood.  And then, we would have to wait 2 days for another test for levels to rise or fall.  So that second test would be the day of our cruise.

I went in the following day, for a screening, and then I would have to wait all day long for the results, a phone call.  They would call before 4:00.  And they called, at like 3:30, to tell me it was positive.  A 179, which was good.  It needed to double or more in 2 days.  I went home from work, nervous, excited for a minute, but nervous.  I started packing for our cruise which was in less than 2 days.  

Another day at work, and I had to keep quiet.  I mean I would be keeping quiet for weeks if this took.   I  finished packing that night, and in preparation, I took pads and liners, worrying that I would start to miscarry on the cruise, and I would need heavy flow gear, along with my bathing suits.  All my suits were one pieces, as my stomach and butt were pin cushions, and looked as though I had been in several odd fights.  I was black and blue, and swollen.  One pieces are in style, why not right!  

Friday came around, and we went in first thing in the morning.  We were told we would get called by the afternoon, and knowing our afternoon, I needed to have the call prior to us leaving port.  We would be leaving around 4 pm into international waters, with no cell reception.  Can we get any more complicated!  

We made it to the port, unloaded the cars, and started our journey to the ship.  Sweetie wouldn't let me carry much, so it was getting obvious to family what was going on.  His parents knew but my brother and sister in law did not.  We started to relax onboard, unpacking and changing into our cruising gear.  Sweetie and I explored the boat, and tried to be alone if we could.  I knew if I got that call and it was bad news, I would not be doing well.  We waited, and waited.  I finally called about 2:30 wanting to know the results, and I was told I would have to keep waiting, they would call me.  Soon, we were called to our muster stations for practicing an evacuation and we were told all cell phones to be off.  I think not!  I am about to find out some of the most important thing in my life I will keep my phone on thank you very much.  I started to get very anxious and panicked.  It was almost 4, and we were jammed packed in the muster station.  I will never forget this as long as I live, here we were, surrounded by Indian folk, it was hot, I was short around all the tall men, it was loud, and there wasn't a breeze.  Hubby stood behind me, I gripped my cell phone in my hands, and it rang. In the middle of the hot, uncomfortable muster station, surrounded by strangers I was going to get my news.  He grabbed the phone, as my heart sank to my feet, and raced through the crowd away from me to answer it.  I was alone, and I couldn't see him.  I was literally surrounded by hundreds of people and I was alone.  I started to cry under my glasses.  I couldn't see him, where was he.  Why is this taking so long, I know that was the call.  I strained my neck and stood on my toes, no sign of him.  He ran away with my fate.  OMG!  I can't take this, I am crying at this point, and praying I can get through whatever is coming my way.  I am praying to stay calm, to keep cool, I was praying for a breeze at least.  All of a sudden, arms wrapped around my waist, and he whispered in my ear, 440.  440!!!!!!  I grabbed his hands, and he kissed my neck, I kept crying.  It doubled and then some.  He had made our first ultrasound appt for June 4th.  We would get to see the baby and hear the heartbeat. I was over the moon.  Around those people, we were the only ones, I heard nothing more, but him talking to me.  We had made it farther than we did in the past, with high numbers.  Now, to make it through the weekend.  Now to make it to June 4th.  Due date, estimated was January 25th.  Now we could celebrate, at least this one victory.  We were not out of the woods yet.  

May continues....it seemed to be a long month!

The days leading up to May 9th seemed to be the longest days.  It was the anticipation of another FET.  I had so many emotions, I was nervous, scared, happy, worried, excited, and so forth.  There really isn't words to describe how you feel when you are going through fertility treatments, and the days leading up to a procedure that would change your life, no matter what the outcome.  Thats the crazy part, no one really talks about the way you feel.  Of course, I can't even describe it.  And thinking back, it was like 2 days before Mother's day, of course thats like the worst time to do it.

Something I did different this time, was I went the night before for a massage.  I figured, you know, it wouldn't hurt to be extra relaxed.  I also painted my toes and nails, plucked my eyebrows, I could at least look good doing all this to myself.  It was for a good cause, it was a gamble but the gamble could produce a beautiful baby one day.  That was a gamble we were willing to take.

Waiting.....

We went in, like normal.  I drank a ton of water prior to the procedure, as part of the protocol.  That way your uterus is in the right position.  And I sat in the waiting room with other couples, doing the same thing, drinking water, and waiting for their fate.  Its the worst wait, having to pee, and waiting to get pregnant.  Its not romantic at all.  They give you a time to come in, so they can thaw out the little popsicles, and get things ready for the transfer.  No romance at all.  And to top it all off, you feel just empty.  You have been taking medication all month to shut your system down so that you don't ovulate or have your period.  But you aren't alone, the waiting room is full of others in the same boat. Thats how I would get through things.   Then called back, about to pee in your pants, having to gown up and get ready.  Having to pee that bad is bad enough as it is, when you know you are about to have about 5 people look at your private area, stick a probe inside and hope for the best....its the weirdest feeling really.  I was getting used to this, but you never get used to wondering if you are pregnant or not.  Thats the worst.  Then in 10 days, you go back in for a blood test to see if its positive or not, then 2 days later to check your levels, to make sure they double.  So you wait for 2 weeks in agony.  Oh yes, this was how it was going to be.  

We went home, feeling hopeful, ready to rest for the next two days, on my back really.  And then for 2 weeks just relax and not do alot of activity.  Only one girl at work knew I was going through all of this, that way if I needed her to carry something for me or help me in general get through a day of spotting or bleeding, she was there.  I had to think the worst, I knew nothing else.  

The cruise was coming up.  That was something to look forward to.  However, I counted the days, and 2 days prior to the cruise was the day I would find out, and then the day of the cruise, I would have to go in for another blood test.  Then I would not have any access to phones for the entire weekend.  It was Memorial day weekend and our anniversary weekend.  Oh good grief!

The busiest month ever, May 2014

The winter was sort, but thats the way it is in Florida, short and sweet.  I was busy with work, trying to get one of the biggest projects I have worked on underway, a healthcare clinic.  For once I had a project that was high level!  I was busy with Etsy, since all I had been doing was crafts to keep my mind off of everything going on in our lives.  My marriage was strong, and we were happy.  I was even happy with my weight, which was something I spent the entire year of 2013 on due to PCOS.  Overall I really had things good, the only thing missing was the start of our family.  But, May was coming and that was when we were going to do another FET, end of the month.  I got a all end of March, the nurse said they had openings on May 9th, and she wanted to encourage me to take that day instead.  I was hesitant but I figured it was a sign I should say yes.

Hubby booked the annual cruise with the company, it was on our anniversary weekend, which would include his parents, brother and sister in law and their 18 month old son.  So here I was counting days till the FET, and realized that after May 9th, we would wait 2 weeks and find out yay or nay.  That would be about the time we would be going on the cruise.  So I could have a fabulous time with good news, or bleed the whole time on my period or miscarry along with an 18 month old by our sides.  Boy I couldn't wait!  Of course after our misfortunes we had had, I thought the worse, I didn't want to get my hopes up.  And it was our 4 year anniversary, so I guess I just had to keep moving and not think about it too much or it would consume me.

We started medication, this time, I added heparin shots every day since I had a clotting factor, and progesterone shots, which I taken before, but this time I was determined to take them the whole time, for a month, rather than switch over to the cream.  I was told that the shots were more effective.  I had a long spring ahead of me, well us!  Tons of shots, and medication.

This was a rose from our rose bush, one of 2 that we planted for our past miscarriages.  Oddly enough, both rose bushes bloomed the week of our FET, along with 1 purple Iris from hubby's grandmothers yard, and a white lily.  I really think it was too ironic, don't you think?