Half Time!

We hit the midpoint this past week - 20 weeks. Woo Hoo!!! The time seems to be flying by much more quickly than Casey or I expected. Everything seems that much closer knowing that 2009 starts this coming week, too.

• Babies weigh about 9 ounces and measure 5.5 to 6.5 inches (from crown to rump)
• Babies are the size of a small cantaloupe
• Myelin sheaths are developing on their nerves
• Epidermis and dermis are both forming

The babies movements have definitely increased over the past week. I can easily distinguish which one is moving and where they are located. Baby A seems to be the most active now, originally I rarely felt Baby A - now the movements last long enough that I can feel them from the outside with my hand, too.

Friday I felt pretty poor and could only describe the feeling as a hangover. After work I went to the station to see Casey and he took my blood pressure, it was pretty high. He sent me home and had me take my blood sugar which was also the highest its ever been. I took my blood sugar reading several more times that night and it eventually fell back down to a normal range. I didn't eat anything crazy over Christmas (not a big sweet eater) or feel stressed. Luckily, the rest I got Friday night seemed to help and my readings were all normal on Saturday. The blood sugar and blood pressure tests will be have to be a daily occurrence according to Dr. W. Hopefully it was just a weird day and won't happen again.

We had a great Christmas Day and of course the babies racked in lots of presents. Casey and I both got new cameras, but failed to take any pictures while visiting with family. Posting pictures will be my next goal...promise!!! Hope everyone had a great holiday and enjoyed the day as much as we did.

Gearing Up for Christmas

All has been quiet for the Turners. Our OB visit last week was great, everything is right on track and babies are doing well. We will have another ultrasound in mid to late January. Due to the crazy movements of the babies, the ultrasound tech wasn't able to get a couple of the measurements needed. The positive side to that is that we should definitely be able to find out the genders at thw next ultrasound appointment. Our OB appointment is January 16 and the ultrasound should follow within a week of that.

Since out last posting I had my first Braxton-Hicks contractions, they were quiet strange. Not uncomfortable or painful, just a very weird sensation when you realize that you have no control over whats happening in your stomach. Casey was of course concerned when I told Dr. W about them at our appointment. I didn't mention them to him beforehand since he would have hauled me straight to the ER (and it happened the night before my appointment so I wasn't worried). He now asks daily if I've had any more "John Deere" contractions. I've tired to correct him on the name and its a battle that's not worth fighting - so I'm sure my pregnancy is the first where "John Deere" contractions have occurred.

In an effort to start some new Christmas traditions before the babies arrive, we followed Lonnie and Jamie's lead and attempted to make Christmas cookies. This was a big deal last weekend, I even bought (and used) my first rolling pin and cookie cutters, along with every color icing and sprinkle you can think of. Both of us were pretty excited about our cookie activity....then after decorating about the 7th cookie, we decided we were over the excitement. Sure it was fun but lets just say I have whole new respect for those that are able to make "pretty" cookies. The few we completed were pretty sad, but tasted yummy. Since then Casey has been content eating the rest of our naked gingerbread men and snowmen - we'll try again next year.

I finally finished wrapping all our gifts this morning and am excited to see what Santa brings us tomorrow. I know we're both getting new cameras which will be put to good use with the blog. I think we have the only blog w/out pics...so those are definitely coming. I'll try to post some Christmas pics within the next few days. We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and still can't believe this will be our last Christmas as a family of 2!!

P. S. Merry Christmas to my Mammers, Goer and Aunt Karen. I hope you're all having a great time on your trip to Arizona. Be safe and I can't wait to hear all about your adventures - love y'all!!!

18 Weeks

We ended up buying "the mothership". Its a white GMC Yukon XL and will hopefully be exactly what we need. There's been a big learning curve for me in driving since I've gone from my 2-door Accord to a large land yacht. I was able to navigate The Woodlands Mall yesterday without incident (other than being flipped off at least 4 times), and the crowds were beyond crazy. I was very pleased with all the cargo space and filled up the back with tons of bags and Christmas gifts.

Friday was our "big ultrasound". This was the one to mark and measure each baby's anatomy and growth/development. We were really excited and counting down to when we'd find out the genders. The ultrasound took almost 2 hours - a little over 45 minutes for each baby. In the end neither baby would give us a peek between their legs. The tech said that one could possibly be a girl, but that she was really just guessing. The other baby she couldn't even attempt to speculate on. We were disappointed but happy that all seemed to go well. We'll get the official report on everything this coming Thursday when I go to my monthly visit with Dr. W. The tech was so great and said we could come back any Monday, Tuesday or Friday and do a quick ultrasound to see if the babies would cooperate, without having an appointment. I'm sure we saved a LOT of money yesterday by me not knowing the sexes while out shopping. So we'll see what we kind find out in a week or two. And now for the 18 weeks update:

• Babies measure between 5 and 5.25 inches, and weigh about 5.5 ounces
• Bones are beginning to harden
• Inner ear bones are working and babies can be startled by loud noises
• Babies are now turning, wiggling, punching and kicking -I'm definitely able to feel all this!!
• Fingerprints are beginning to appear
• Babies are able to yawn and hiccup

More to come after Thursday's appointment!

The Search for a Mothership

Casey and I have been battling back and forth over what type of vehicle we'd need for our expanding family. I was hoping that a Tahoe would be enough room, however after looking at vehicles and baby items we realized we would need something larger. I decided that a mini-van would be the best solution and Casey was being stubborn and saying a Suburban would be the best choice.
I have spent many hours researching SUVs and minivans on the Internet, so I decided I needed to began seeing the cars I was interested in person. Occasionally I'd stop by a dealership on the way home to check out the selection and look at seating and cargo space. It wasn't long before a Suburban became the clear winner.
We had agreed prior to starting our search that we did not want to take on another car payment. My Accord was paid off and Casey's truck will be paid off in less than 18 months. Earlier this year (well before starting IVF) we enrolled in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and had decided that debt free is the only way to live. Since financing was not an option we were willing to do for our new car, an even bigger obstacle would be price.
Last Saturday I was convinced I had found our new "grocery go-getter". It was a great Suburban with reasonable miles and a price that we could work with. I told Casey about the truck and we went to look at it Monday evening, he agreed it was nice and wanted to proceed. Tuesday we got the bed rest-curve ball, so that put us out of commission until yesterday. I went to the dealership after speaking with our salesman on the phone Thursday, to take the Suburban to a family friend that's a mechanic to have everything checked out. Of course wouldn't you know that our salesman was off on Friday and it was so sold by another person....so typical!!!
I went to tell Casey the news in person at the fire station and he was just as disappointed as I was. While I was there we started looking on the Internet specifically for used Suburbans and after awhile we hit the jackpot. Another family friend is the head of sales for a dealership in a town about 40 miles away. I had put off calling John due to the distance and travel involved, but once we saw the most perfect Suburban on his website, I immediately called him to say we were interested and I was headed his way. This Suburban was even better looking in person and super clean and fully loaded. After the test drive and talking to John I was sold. I asked to keep the Suburban until Monday night so that I could let Casey see it and drive it a bit more. I think this one is going to be a keeper. Casey was very impressed and so were all the guys at the station - I'm thinking I could be a professional car shopper! Casey will be bringing home the truck tonight and I'll return it to the dealership Monday night after work. At this point, I think I may be saying good bye to my beloved Accord (Black Betty) and returning home with our new family ride....the Mothership!

Something's Going to Fall Out

This past Monday night I had a terrible time trying to sleep. I wasn't able to find a comfortable position, no matter how I adjusted my body or pillows. If I did manage to doze off, I was awake within 15 minutes with either a numb arm or leg. I was thankful when the alarm clock went off so that I could start my day and stop the tossing and turning. I felt good when I got up, other than being tired and went about my morning routine as usual. Once I began to get dressed I noticed some really low back pain and figured it was from all my movements during the night, so wasn't really concerned. When I left our bedroom to pick up the house before leaving, I suddenly realized I wasn't able to walk very well. I was having low abdominal pains and a very real sense that "something was going to fall out". I felt like I needed to keep my legs closed as tightly as possible when walking, and even then it felt like gravity had a crazy hold on my uterus.
Casey and I decided to call my doctor's office before hours due the intense pulling. My doctor's partner returned my call and said that she was concerned my cervix could be compromised and I needed to come to the office ASAP.
I headed to the office and was of course quite stressed and worried about the constant pulling and the struggle to walk. Dr. S checked my cervix and assured me that it was still thick and very tight. She then noticed my scar from my surgery in May and remembered that I had a presacral neurectomy. She said she was concerned with the pain and pulling since all of the nerves in my uterus had been removed, as this would not allow me to feel if anything changed for the worse. She decided I needed to be on bed rest for the remainder of Tuesday and all of Wednesday and Thursday. She said if I could return to work on Friday, if I promised to take it easy over the weekend. She also requested that I purchase a maternity belt due to my uterus growing so quickly and to ease the pushing of my uterus onto my cervix and wear it until at least Saturday. I was NOT excited to be put on bed rest, but I understood the reasoning behind it and why it was needed in this situation.
So I survived the 3 days of prescribed bed rest and it was easier to do this time knowing I had 2 little ones counting on me (and my Casey). The last time I had to do 3 days of bed rest was after the embryo transfer with Dr. Gill. At that point we weren't certain in vitro would even work and I felt I could lay for 3 days and not have a successful implantation. This time I was able to relax and know that I had made it through 3 days before and could do it again. The maternity belt really helped and made me quite comfortable at work on Friday, too. It really helps to have it on when I'm mulling around the house or running errands and isn't able to be seen under normal clothing.
Everything has been going well since last week and our next big event is on Friday. We have our big ultrasound that afternoon and can't wait to learn the sexes of our two sweet peas!!!

Because He's a Pimp

The day after Thanksgiving I managed to leave the house at 3:30 am to hit all the big sales. Casey was working and I figured I may not have the energy to participate in the door buster sales next year. I picked up several items for family and a few things for Casey, too. I have a really hard time saving gifts for Christmas Day and I promised myself I would not let Casey know that he had presents in my car.
Casey got off work that evening and of course he asked if I had picked up any "toys" for him. I tried to play it off but he could see right through me. The next thing I knew he was sitting in the living room with his eyes closed and hands out, while I was handing him his unwrapped gifts. I was so excited to share my purchases with him and he loved them all. He was especially excited about his new HD camcorder. He's a gadget/electronic geek and this was a gift he wasn't expecting.
This morning I realized that he totally scammed me out of his Christmas presents and now I had to go shopping for him all over again. I called him at work to see what he was up to and ask him if he was still playing with his stuff. Of course he was still figuring all the features on everything, but my favorite thing was when I asked him how he managed to score all of his Christmas presents the day after Thanksgiving? In classic Casey style he simply responded with, "because I'm a pimp".
I had no rebuttal to that. He's a pimp.

Daddy's Home and Babies Are Great

Long time, no blog. Casey made it home safely from his New Mexico hunt. He ended up having a severe case of strep throat and headed home 3 days early. The friend he went with ended up getting a mule deer the morning after Casey went to the doctor, so they were both ready to pack it up and head back to Texas. I was more than excited to see him and take care of him when he returned.
Since Casey came back early he was also able to make it to our OB appointment the next day, too. This was his first time meeting Dr. Westmoreland and he likes her just as much as I do. Our appointment went well and everything is on track. We were hoping to learn the sex of the babies, however neither would position themselves so that we could get a peek between their legs. I had even drank a small cup of coffee prior to my appointment so that they'd hopefully be moving around enough for us to see a "cheeseburger" or a "turtle", but no luck. They were definitely dancing and partying away though. Casey couldn't believe how much they had grown and how they really looked like babies on the ultrasound. My blood work and urine were great and no concerns for me or the kiddos.
We will be going for our big ultrasound on Friday, December 11. This will be when they measure and rate the babies growth and development. We should also learn the sexes on this day, too. We're really excited since the news will come just in time for Christmas. My next appointment with Dr. W is a week after the big ultrasound, and we look forward to another visit with good news.

14 Weeks and Missing Our Daddy

Casey left for New Mexico at 3 am Thursday morning. I think I started missing him around Monday or Tuesday before he left. I'm use to Casey being gone a lot for work, but I know he's just a phone call or short drive away and I can see or talk to him whenever I want. New Mexico is a bit different than him being at the fire station. He and his buddies are staying in a cabin in the middle of no where and there's no cell phone reception there either. He has to drive to the top of a mountain or into town in order to make any cell phone calls. So far he's been calling 2 or 3 times a day, depending on what the guys are doing that day and their hunting schedules.

I don't think trip is going as well as he had planned. The first full day they were there he had a flat tire and it ripped the fender off of his truck. Then he called today and said he thinks he has the flu! He didn't even leave the cabin to hunt this morning because of being so achy and feverish and he plans on staying in for the rest of today. He drove into town with his friend to call me, but said it may be the only call today since he feels so rotten. I feel so bad for him and hate that I'm not there to take care of my sweet boy. He did say that he found a doctor's office in town and plans on going tomorrow to see if they can do anything or if nothing else, just confirm its the flu. I think both of us are anxious for the trip to be over and for him to be home!

14 Weeks Update

• Official start of second trimester
• Babies measure 3 and 1/4 inch to 4 inches from head to bottom (about the size of a fist)
• Babies weigh almost 1 oz now
• Babies now rely on the placenta as their full support system
• Hair is beginning to grow on their heads
• They can bend, flex and twist their fingers, hands, wrists, legs, knees and toes
• They "practice" the movements of breathing in and out to prepare for life outside my uterus
• Eyelids, fingernails and toenails continue to develop
• Necks have grown and their chins no longer rest on their chests
• Lanugo, the body hair that keeps them warm, has developed

I really can't wait to see them on Wednesday, I just wish my Casey would be able to be there, too. I scheduled my appointment before I knew the dates for his trip and with his work schedule and Thanksgiving, I couldn't find a time where we were both available. Now I have to go prepare for the coming work week and another Monday....

What's Happening at 13 Weeks

I've decided to do weekly updates on whats happening with the babies for each week of their development. I have stacks of pregnancy books on what happens each week, each month, each trimester...you name it. Thought it would be fun to post so that later we can look back and see what was going on with us and where the babies were developmentally.

• End of the first trimester (hallelujah!!!), development of vital organs and structures complete
• Vocal cords are developing (I can only imagine the crying we'll soon be hearing)
• Babies are 2 and 2/3 inches to 3 inches long from crown to rump (about the size of a peach)
• Babies weigh between 1/2 to 2/3 oz each
• Intestines are beginning to move from inside the umbilical cord into the abdomen
• Necks are fully formed and can support head movements
• Babies are starting to sense sound through vibration receptors on their skin
• Liver is now secreting bile and pancreas is producing insulin

I can't wait to see them in my ultrasound next Thursday!

Wrapping Up Our First Trimester

Friday marked 13 weeks for Team Turner. The blog has been neglected while we worked on trying to get into some type of routine. It seems like everything has been put on hold while we navigate through the remainder of my first trimester. After the morning sickness got just too overwhelming I called my doctor and asked if we could try another medication. She agreed it was time and the new med seems to be working much better. The waves of nausea are still there but the vomiting has slowed tremendously.
I know I'm ready to get back into a normal sleep pattern, too. It feels like all I do is sleep. Last night I was in bed and crashed out by 7 pm. Casey has been very accommodating with my fatigue, but I know he'd like to have another person to interact with when he's home. I'm hoping some of the tiredness wears off in the next week or two.
Everything else is going well. I go back to the OB in about a week and a half. Casey will be leaving this week for his annual mule deer hunting trip in New Mexico. He'll be gone for 8 days and I know I'll miss him like crazy. We agreed he needed to take full advantage of this year's trip because he may not be able to go next year with 2 five-month old infants. We haven't really done much more on turning Piper's room into the nursery, I'm hoping once some of my energy returns I'll be more motivated. This past week I also got several random belly pats so I guess the Turner Twins are slowly starting to show. Everything has been so exciting and we can't wait too see else the future holds!

We Have a New OB!

The blog has been neglected for the past week, Team Turner has just been busy. Last week I went to my appointment with the new OB we wanted to try out. She is fantastic - we'll definitely be sticking with her and dumping the other one. She agreed that the CVS test was extreme and way too risky for our situation, that was relief. She also said that with my glucose results she didn't feel I needed to do the 3 hour test and I could make the call on how we wanted to proceed. Otherwise we'd do another glucose test at 20 weeks or if anything changed - another good news item! We got another ultrasound of the babies and they looked great, everything is on track. I was excited to learn that my new doctor actually had twins herself so she completely understood the ongoing nausea battle we've been facing. My next appointment will be on November 19th.

On Thursday my worst bout of morning sickness ever started while at work. I decided to eat a salad at my desk for lunch and evidently thats NOT what the babies wanted. They gave me back every bite of salad then some. I think this episode finally cured of my ranch dressing addiction, too. I finally had to leave work and spent the rest of the afternoon draped over the toilet here at home. The nausea and vomiting continued through early Sunday morning. On top of all that I began to get a migraine and my blood sugar was at 200. Needless to say, I was feeling pretty rotten. I called Dr. W about my glucose level and she now has me monitoring it 4 times a day, so far all of the readings have been well within the normal range. We're hoping the scare on Saturday was just from me being so sick. I really think it was just a big hormone surge because overnight my facial skin began to resemble that of a 15 year old boy. Even today at work I had 2 people ask me what happened to my eye. You lose all pride when your only response is that that its just zits. I didn't have acne in high school or jr high so I'm guessing its payback time now.

All in all the babies are doing well and today was much better than the few day before. Hopefully all of the nausea will start winding down with my first trimester wrapping up soon. Its pretty crazy to think we'll be 3 months along on Friday! Where does the time go?

More Testing....

We got my test results back from last week. My urine test was good, but my glucose test was outside the normal range and within the range for gestational diabetes. Dr. Everson is having me do a 3 hour glucose test with fasting as soon as I can fit into my schedule. Tomorrow I have a crazy day of meetings at work, and Wednesday morning I have my appt with the other OB we're interested in using. I'm hoping to be able to fit the glucose test in either Thursday or Friday.
According to Dr. E's office, I'll fast beginning at midnight the night before and arrive when the lab opens at 8:30. They'll take my blood prior to me drinking the glucose then I'll drink the glucose and have my blood drawn every hour for 3 hours afterwards. I really think everything will be fine - just sucks that I have to spend 3 hours chilling at the lab. I know there are worse things, so we'll do the test and keep plugging along. I also went and picked up a copy of all my lab results today so that I can take them to the other OB's appt and she can see where we are.
One of my concerns w/Dr. E is that she's requesting a Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS). According to my paperwork, the CVS is done between 10-12 weeks. A needle is placed with ultrasound guidance through the abdomen or cervix, and a biopsy of the placenta is performed. Its suppose to determine the chromosome count for each baby - so I'll have 2 needles through the gut. I'd really like to avoid the test since even if we were to have a baby with Downs Syndrome we wouldn't terminate the pregnancy - so I'm not really seeing a benefit worth the risk involved. This will be once of my first questions for the other OB. As of now our CVS appointment is scheduled a couple of weeks from now, but unless we hear some more persuasive facts we think we'll be canceling. Either way, we'll see how everything goes and keep praying for the best! More to come after Wednesday's appointment.

A Quarter of the Way There

We hit the 10 week mark yesterday - woo hoo! In the past week I completed my 24 hour urine test, glucose test and some additional blood work. We should get the results early next week. This coming Tuesday I have an appointment with an OB that specializes in the delivery of twins and we're going to see how her pregnancy plan compares to Dr. Everson's. I'm happy to say I've been feeling better this week, the vomiting has subsided and the nausea has been easier to deal with, too. I still get amazed at how tired I can become in just a matter of minutes - I know this is normal but it seems like I should have completed a marathon or have at least cleaned my house from top to bottom to feel this type of fatigue.

We have officially graduated from Dr. Gill's office. No more in vitro visits and no more shots. Hallelujah! In our last visit on Thursday the babies put on quiet a show for us. Both were upside down, waving their arms and kicking their legs. I'm pretty sure one of them was doing the sprinkler, so we can safely say Casey's super-deluxe dance moves have been passed on to the next generation of Turners. We got lots of pics and got to hear the hear beats again. They came in at 166 bpm and 170 bpm. We will miss getting to peek in on the babies since we won't have ultrasounds as often, but we know our future ultrasounds will be that much more special.

The nursery is slowly progressing, Piper's bed and the desk are now completely disassembled. My goal today is to work though some of the papers and miscellaneous piles of treasures that are stored in there. Last night Casey and I went and picked out pumpkins and carved a jack-o-latern for each of us. Its pretty crazy to think next year we'll have 4 pumpkins sitting on the front porch. So fun!

And last but not least, my Mammers celebrated her 80th birthday yesterday. Happy birthday, Mamms! The Turner Twins will have the best great-grandmother ever!!!

Little Bits of Happy News

• I only have to take my progesterone shots every other day, instead of every day (woo hoo!)
• No more estrogen patches or pills
• Only one more visit to Dr. Gill's office
• I picked out our stroller and car seats today (just need Casey's approval)
• I picked out our cribs today (Casey's approval required, too)
• Goer (my grandfather) says I'm having 2 boys - he's been accurate on all 8 grandkids and 5 great grandkids
• Piper's (our cat) room is slowly being cleared out in preparation of becoming a nursery
• I have a spotless house today, thanks to Maids on the Lake
• We'll be getting ready to sell my car in the coming weeks and purchasing a "grocery go-getter"- if only my mom still had her big station wagon with the wood paneling and jump seats in the back...I miss the Dragon Wagon!
• I'm carrying my Casey's babies - makes me smile EVERY time!

Reality Check (long posting)

Wednesday afternoon Casey and I headed to our first appointment with my new OB in The Woodlands. We were both anxious to meet the person who would be taking over Dr. Nebgen's role and to learn more about our babies and what to expect in the coming months. The office visit started out with meeting Dr. Everson and going over my medical history. She did my annual well woman exam and then sent us for some tests and said she'd meet back with us and we'd have the big "pregnancy conversation".
Our first stop was the restroom for a urine sample. I had peed right before leaving work so I was only able to provide literally 2 drops of pee. It was so little that I was actually embarrassed to turn in my urine cup. After urine we moved on to the ultrasound - this was the best!!!
Our babies are now officially known as Twin A and Twin B. Both fetuses were quite active and put on a show for us. Twin A was in a more upright position and moved around every now and then, Twin B would curl up in ball and root around at the bottom of his/her sack. Casey got to hear both heartbeats for the first time and it was obvious he was just as moved as I was the first I heard them, too. The twins are both on track developmentally and growth wise. The best part of the visit came when the Ultrasound Tech suddenly changed the ultrasound screen to the new 4D view. It was unbelievable!!! You could see so much detail and it really made the Turner Twins come to life. We could see eyes, nose, arm buds, leg buds, backs, heads...everything. I think all we could do was gasp as we were able to peek in on our little miracles. They looked just like the little babies on my blog counter! We got lots of pics and even one of the 4D ones to take home, too. Casey and I will definitely be doing the full 4D ultrasound package later on - it was just tooooo fantastic.
After all the ultrasound fun, Dr. Everson met us back in an exam room and thats when it felt like the fun ended. She was very blunt (which was good) and said she had some serious concerns about my pregnancy, not for the babies but more for me. She said that my urine already had protein in it and my blood pressure was high, both are signs of pre-eclampsia (toxemia). She stated that my weight was also a concern (I explained it wasn't my plan to get pregnant while fat) and that with carrying twins I'd need to be closely monitored. Bottom line.. once you're told you're fat, pregnant with twins, have protein in your urine, high blood pressure and have a high risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia- your day will pretty much suck from that point on.
Next week I'll be completing a 24 hour urine test, glucose test and additional blood work. Dr. E is sending me to specialist down in the medical center for another test in about a week or two and then possibly another specialist a few weeks later. We were finally given a due date of May 15th, however she said I'd probably only make it to mid or late April due to the concerns with my pregnancy. She said it would also be a good idea to start preparing for the babies now, as it was very possible I could be on bed rest at 20 weeks. This was when my stomach dropped - 20 WEEKS?!?!?! I struggled for 3 days on bed rest - I can't imagine 3 weeks, much less the entire second half of my pregnancy! I assured Dr. E I would do whatever was necessary to remain as healthy possible and avoid bed rest.
Since our visit I've made some diet changes and Casey and I are walking daily. I'm really working on my water intake and I've cutout sugar all together. Sugar has never been a big thing for me, so this has been easy. I love the creamy, cheesy and greasy stuff like pizza with ranch dressing, fettuccine alfredo and cheese of any kind - these foods have been eliminated, too. Today I tested my blood sugar, just out of curiosity, and was very happy to see it was 98 after eating. This news also helped Casey relax a bit more, too. I really didn't expect any of the news we received on Wednesday, but Casey and I have agreed to take it in stride and do whatever is necessary to not make things any worse. It just seemed like so much to absorb in our first OB visit and to only be 9 weeks along - I thought getting pregnant and the nausea and vomiting would be the hard part - not so. Good news is the babies are great and with the changes we've made hopefully I will be, too!

5 Years and Counting

Saturday, October 4 we celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. I can't believe we've been married for that long. Time has a way of flying by, but at the same time we've done so much in that time, too.
We picked my grandfather's 78th birthday to be married on, so Saturday was also his birthday. My Aunt Karen had a big gathering at her house where we celebrated my grandfather's (Goer) 83rd birthday, my grandmother's (Mammers) 80th birthday, my grandparents' 61st Anniversary and my Uncle Bob's birthday, too. It was quite a celebration and everyone had a really great time. My favorite part of the whole day was all of the women in the family gathered around the pool, relaxing with their feet in the water. Even my Mammers joined in and we sat and talked for the longest time, just enjoying each other's company. So fun!!!
I stopped by the fire station to see Casey Saturday night after all the festivities were over. We haven't decided what we're going to do to mark our anniversary just yet. We have a couple of ideas in mind, just need to find the time to actually plan something. I kept thinking that if you had told me 5 years ago all that we've done since our wedding and all that we've accomplished, I'd have never believed it...then add in the expecting twins part and I probably would have called you a liar. But nope...its all true and what a ride its been. I love my Casey more than ever and can't wait to see what the next 5 years holds. I know its gonna be lots of fun!!!

Loud and Clear

Last Thursday I had my last twice a week appointment at Dr. Gill's office, and it was one of the best so far. Casey wasn't able to go due to his work schedule and I assumed everything would be as usual. I was so surprised when the nurse turned the sound on for the ultrasound machine. The entire exam room filled with a loud pumping sound...it was a heartbeat!!! Of course the waterworks immediately started and I wanted my Casey there with me. I should have known that by him not being able to come I would be in for a momentous appointment. The only other appointment he missed, I got see the heart beating for the first time. Let me tell you, actually hearing it is a whole different story.
Our first twin measured in right at 7 weeks, 6 days (the exact length of my pregnancy as of that day) and the heart rate was 166 beats per minute. The second twin measured in at 7 weeks, 4 days and was 160 bpm. The nurse explained that is was common for one baby to be smaller than the other and the difference of 2 days in size was nothing to be alarmed at. I was given the usual ultrasound pic of each and I also got printout of the heartbeats, too.
From now on I only have to go weekly to Dr. Gill's office and the nurse said the growth we'd be able to see at the next visit would be remarkable - can't wait!!! Wednesday is my first appointment with my new OB. I've also heard fantastic things about another OB in the same building that deals specializes in twins and multiplies, so I made an appointment with her later in the month. I really want to be comfortable and like whomever we choose so we want to check out both options. Casey will be attending both appointments this week and I can't wait for him to hear the heartbeats, too.

Guac-Tarts

Our Tuesday appointment went very well. After tomorrow's appointment we'll only be going in once a week for an ultrasound and blood work. I know my veins will love the break. I look a heroin addict with track marks due to being stuck so much.
I am happy to say the morning sickness has subsided quite a bit. I'm able to get out of bed and actually function now, whereas a week or two ago I spent at least 45 minutes just trying to stop the room from spinning. I'm still working on eating every 1-1.5 hours to keep the nausea away. This afternoon I wasn't able to eat anything for about 4 hours, it ended up taking about 2 hours to feel better after I finally did eat.
The other day I invented my new favorite snack. We had some leftover guacamole in the fridge and no chips. I thought long and hard about what food I could use in place of a chip. Sure we had pretzels and even some crackers...but what pantry item really caught my fancy? Cherry pop-tarts - the ones that are iced and have sprinkles. Nothing like a warm, sweet, crunchy, toasted pop-tart dipped in cool creamy guacamole. I'm sure you're all gagging - but don't knock it until you try it. I'm telling you its absolute bliss!!! Something tells me the pop-tart company won't be too quick to create this new flavor for mass production, but I'm okay with cooking up my own "Guac-tarts" at home!

So Much To Do!!!

Its 4 am and I can't sleep!!! I've been up since a little before 3 am and my brain will not turn off. I think its finally hit me how much work we have ahead of us in the next 7 or 8 months. We have so much to do and I feel like I don't even know where to start.

• Turn Piper's room into a nursery
• Clean out the crazy closet in Piper's room
• Organize garage to handle all the madness from Piper's closet
• Cribs
• Dresser
• Changing table
• Highchairs
• Double stroller
• Car seats
• New car (since 2 car seats don't really fit in a 2 door Accord)
• Diapers
• Wipes
• Bottles
• Clothes
• Diaper bag(s)
• Toys
• Diaper Genie
• Boppies
• And so much more!!!

I was hoping that by writing some of this stuff down it will help me stop adding to the massive to do list that seems to be growing in my head each day...we'll see! I know I'll be miserable about 2 or 3 pm this afternoon, but laying in the bed for the past hour wasn't working for me either.

Today is also my usual Tuesday appointment at Dr. G's office, Casey and I are looking forward to seeing our babies again. Next week I have my first appointment with my new OB. I know I'll miss Dr. Nebgen, but driving to the Medical Center all the time just would not be fit with my work schedule, not to mention the toll roads, valet parking, gas and traffic.

I think I'm feeling a bit more relieved, guess I'll check out last night's Hills episode on the DVR, somehow the Heidi and Spencer drama always makes me thankful for my simple little life!

Sweet Boy!

This past Wednesday was pretty rough for Team Turner. As mentioned in the previous posting, we were waiting to hear if we had triplets or a tear, and I was put on modified bed rest until my next appointment. This day my morning sickness and nausea also decided to kick in to overdrive. While working from home I had to excuse myself from my computer several times due to feeling so ill - not a fun day.
Casey had the day off and when not making me Sprite or lemon water and crackers he spent the morning running errands for his dove hunting trip. Since his job requires him to work 24 hour shifts I'm always excited when he's home, however on Wednesday I understood that he needed to get ready for leaving on Friday. In addition to feeling rotten I also had my first day of being weepy. Looking back on that day and my behavior, I'm sure my Casey was probably more excited about leaving for that hunt than for any other hunt!
Case had several stops to make and would call and check on me periodically while out taking care of his to do list. I got worried when he wasn't home within a reasonable amount of time and called him. Of course feeling the way I was he was able to easily sidetrack me in our conversation and made me forget that the whole reason I called was to find out where he was. By the time Case got home I was feeling better and working in Piper's room (yes, our cat has her own room I can't even imagine how spoiled the twins will be). My sweet boy came in and handed me two bags and told me had picked me up some surprises. The first bag was from Bed, Beth and Beyond (not exactly a store I've known Casey to shop in, other than when we registered for our wedding), so I had no idea what to expect. I was really hoping it wasn't a cleaning gadget or vacuum attachment, either would not have gone over well that day!
Inside was the neatest pair of slippers I've ever seen. They're almost like booties but instead of being able to walk in them they're for lounging. In the sole there's a sack of cloves, cinnamon and eucalyptus that you microwave and insert back into the slipper when warm. They're so soft and comfortable and are suppose to help with swelling, too. Such a sweet boy!
The second gift probably rates right up there with my engagement ring, as far as thoughtfulness and surprise when thinking of all the gifts Casey has given me over the past 12.5 years. Casey had gone and picked out the cutest, sweetest, most precious baby book ever! I absolutely loved it and of course cried and blubbered as I opened it. Its just perfect and the fact that he went and picked it out makes it even more special. I still can't imagine my Casey, the burly fireman, browsing through baby books for his soon to be babies! He only bought one book since he wanted to make sure I liked it, so we'll have to go back and get the second one for the other baby.
My sweetie-peetie will be the best Daddy ever, its obvious just by the way he takes care of me. No one else can make me so happy and laugh until my stomach is in spasms. He's a keeper for sure! He took a yucky day and made it happy. I know in the future I'll only remember his thoughtfulness and caring rather than all the not so fun stuff on that day. I love my Casey!!!

The Tear Scare

Casey and I went this past Tuesday to Dr. G's office for my usual ultrasound and blood work. This would be Casey's first time to see the heart beats and my second, so we were both really excited.
As the nurse was doing the ultrasound I kept noticing a third spot on the screen. The more she maneuvered around, the more obvious the third spot became. The longer I looked at the screen the more it began to look another embryo, too. The only words I could mutter were, "What's that third spot? I mean SURELY its NOT.....". About the same time I said this I could see the area had also peaked the nurse's interest, too. I kindly explained that if its a third baby, I would be needing an ambulance. Casey then requested that she call two ambulances if it was indeed another baby.
Due to the placement of Ike and Tina, she wasn't able to get a good view. She finally admitted that the third spot definitely had the potential to be a third embryo and we'd have to wait until the next visit to be for sure. I was in panic mode by this point. She said the other possibility would be for it to be a tear in the lining of my uterus. She said I needed to take it easy, do as little walking and moving around as possible and pretty much just chill out until my next visit.
This little office visit scared us both so much. I think my biggest question was how would we care for three babies when we only have two arms?
So today I returned for my next appointment. Everything looked great, Ike and Tina are trucking along. After checking on them, the nurse started to investigate the mystery spot from my last visit. Turns out it was just a tear (whew!). There had been a large amount of healing since Tuesday's visit and we were so glad to hear that we were back on track. Evidently uterine tears are pretty common for in vitro patients and don't pose any big harm when they're monitored and the mother decreases her activity dramatically. So all is well and we're continuing on our normal routine. Still doing the daily progesterone oil shots, estrogen pills and estrogen patches. This will continue everyday for at least another 2 weeks. Casey still does a great job with giving me my shots. He'll be dove hunting all this weekend and my second favorite shot giver, April, will be taking his place.
I think I may actually break down and invest in a new scanner this weekend, too. Each visit to Dr. G's office we get new ultrasound pics and I'm anxious to post them and share with everyone. So stay tuned, Ike and Tina Turner may be making their internet debut this weekend!

Ike and Ike and Tina

So as most of you know, Casey is super zealous when it comes to safety, hence his nickname of "Safety Steve". Well, Safety Steve has become much more relaxed this hurricane season. Casey and I are both known for being weather nerds. We're the freaks that sit on the front porch and watch the storms roll-in, we always know what the weather radar is showing and often argue over who the best meteorologist is. When Ike was forecasted to head this way we both thought he'd make a hard right turn to Louisiana, boy were our predictions wrong. Ike headed straight up I-45!
We had only done minimal preparations. We had some bottled water, flashlights and batteries, a little food and of course cat food and tuna (for the cats). Next time we'll be prepared! We just got our electricity back on late last night and the internet came up about an hour ago...it was 4 days of misery. I was bounced around like a refugee and spent time at my in-laws, some friends, the fire station and even a night at Casey's fire chief's house. We made it through safely and have a whole list of how next time will be different. Casey's mom kept me fed and made sure I had plans and some where to stay every night that Casey was working.
I was able to go to Dr. G's office on Tuesday, since they had electricity down at Willowbrook. It should have just been a blood work visit, but since their computers were down I thought I'd see if we could sneak in my first ultrasound since the transfer of the embryos. I even went and picked up Casey from the fire station and had him come so that hopefully we could see who we had living in my uterus, if anyone.
My plan worked and we were able to squeeze in the ultrasound. My favorite nurse was even at the Willowbrook office that day. Before starting the procedure she said all we'd be looking for was one dot since it was still less than 3 weeks from when since the embryos were placed inside. I was so nervous but felt certain one of them had attached due to my nausea and fatigue. As soon as she started she said the best words ever........"You have TWO dots!!" I just started crying and asked her to repeat herself while Casey kept repeating "two dots, two dots, two dots..." and smiling so big! It took a minute to two for us to fully realize we had just been told that we were now expecting TWINS!!! Casey and me - parents of twins?!?!?!? It was so amazing and we've been beyond happy ever since.
Back at the time of the transfer Casey referred to the dots as Ike and Tina (like Ike and Tina Turner), we couldn't believe Ike and Tina had latched on and even lasted through Hurricane Ike. Our dots/babies are now known officially as Ike and Tina and we were given an ultrasound photo of each of them. They are the most precious things ever. Tuesday was so exciting and such a whirlwind. All of our family is so thrilled and so are we. We can't even explain how blessed we feel with this being such a phenomenal outcome. When I went to drop Casey back off at the station, all the guys came running out to hear our news. Casey was so proud to say we we're now expecting twins!
Today I had another appointment for blood work and headed back down to Dr. G's office by myself. After my blood draw I was told that they'd also be doing an ultrasound today, too. I was excited but also sad that Casey wasn't with me since I didn't know I'd be doing all that today. The babies changed so much since just 2 days ago. I was able to see the yolk sack and the baby along with the tiny heart beating!!! I so wished my Casey had been with me. I'll be going to the doctor twice a week now, every Tuesday and Thursday for ultrasounds. I can't wait for Casey to see the heart beats and see how much they develop by next Tuesday.
Team Turner will be adding two new team mates and we can't say thank you enough to everyone for their support and prayers!!!

First Bout of Morning Sickness?

While its still quite early, I think I may have experienced my first round of morning sickness. I woke up and felt unbelievably nauseated within 5 minutes of being awake. I never actually vomited but it felt like it was right at the top of my throat for about 4 hours. Every time I'd try to walk or stand I'd get so dizzy and the nausea just go worse. I wasn't able to even make it to the shower.
Since I felt so lousy, I had to work from home today. I even had to move my appt at Dr. G's office to the latest they had. By 10:30 am I was able to shower and dress, but was still moving pretty slowly. By the mid afternoon I felt pretty close to normal, just really tired. I keep telling myself it was a stomach bug, but I think my HCG levels increasing may have spawned all my trouble.
The bright side of all this is that my HCG levels continue to rise. Today I was at 814. Dr. G's office said today's number would be my new baseline and from now on its super important that they double every appt. I go back on Friday and get tested again, by then my HCG level should be over 1600 and at 3200 on Monday. This means we could start ultrasounds on Wednesday. How fun is that?!?! Can't wait to actually see the newest Team Turner addition!
Tomorrow I'm going to try eating some crackers before I even get out of bed. Several friends and coworkers have made this suggestion to me, so it definitely can't hurt.

Really? For Sure? No, Seriously?!?!?!

True story.......we're pregnant!!!! The results of my blood work today were undeniable. My HCG level increased from 92.9 to 635!!! That's right six hundred and thirty five - and here we were thinking Wednesday would be the magic day. Dr. G's office called and the first thing the nurse said was, "you're definitely pregnant!"

Casey and I are both ecstatic. I didn't call Casey from work to tell him, instead I stopped on the way home and picked him up a couple of gifts. I bought the cutest camouflage bib and the most precious baby ball cap that is camo and says "Daddy's Little Hunter". When I got home I just told him that I had bought him a little surprise over the weekend while he was gone and had forgotten to give it to him. He was curious, but fell right into my game. As soon as he opened it he got a big smile but of course said cautiously, "Erica, I hope all this isn't too premature". I tried to say it wasn't but all that came out was a bunch of blubbering and tears. He couldn't believe the news either. He was so excited and had the same reaction I did - "really, for sure, are you positive?!?!?"

We're so happy and have shared the news with our family and friends this evening. There are still many more phone calls to be made - but this type of news just doesn't get old. I'll go Wednesday for blood work again. Once my HCG level gets to 2,000 then we can do an ultrasound to see just how many new team members Team Turner will have. We're so happy and I really can't believe we did this on the first shot. We both realize how blessed and fortunate we are...of course all the thoughts and prayers of everyone just make this time even more special!!! Good Times!!!!

More Good News

Today was a great day for Team Turner. When I went in for my blood work I found out that after the transfer last week, we had 4 more embryos reach the right stage in development. Dr. G went ahead and froze the remaining four, so its great to know that we still have a Plan B.

Even better than having a Plan B, is having great test results today. On Tuesday my HCG level was 9.2. According to all my research HCG levels should generally double every 48-72 hours. Well today my HCG level was a whopping 92.9!!! The nurse said this was "great". We're really encouraged by today's results but are still being cautious and realize things can change. My next blood test will be on Monday and the big test will be on Wednesday. Its not even Friday and I've never wanted it to already be Monday so bad!

Today was the hardest day so far. I felt like I had to peel my self off the sheets to get out of bed and it took me forever to actually be able to function. I slept like a rock last night but the fatigue is always there and seems to be increasing quickly. Even several of my coworkers commented about how tired I looked. Today's HCG increase definitely helps explain why I'm so sluggish! Hurry up Monday!!!

One Week

One week from today we'll know the results of all our hard work. I'll have my pregnancy test next Wednesday. All is well so far. I had blood work done yesterday, Dr. G's office said all was good and no changes. I specifically asked about my HCG level, the nurse said it was a 9.3. When I asked what 9.3 was she replied with, "just a number". NO KIDDING!!!!! Maybe its just all the hormones pumping through my veins, but I'm pretty sure I could have identified 9.3 as a number and not say...oh a preposition?!?!?! So I had to be more specific and ask what the 9.3 meant in terms of how much HCG my body was producing. She she then changed her tone and said it was too early to tell if the number was due to the HCG shot I had 2 weeks ago or if my body was beginning to produce its own HCG (that would be a most excellent sign). So tomorrow I plan on asking what my HCG level is since I now have a baseline as to what my level was on Tuesday. Until then we just continue to wait and hope and pray the Turner Twins have implanted and are hanging on tight.

Oh and one last hurdle, I would normally start my period tomorrow so I'll be curious to see if I'm late and if I'm still late next Wednesday. That would be the best ever!!!

The Transfer

The transfer is complete, the bed rest is over and bathing has resumed - hooray! Everything went very smoothly. We arrived at the hospital on time and all was underway within 30 minutes. I took my ibuprofen and Valium at 10:30 am and drank the required amount of water. We were all surprised when Dr. G showed up before 11, since he's always running late.

C got to suit up in his "Dr. Turner" outfit prior to going back in the surgery room with me. Once we got back there everything happened really fast (too fast for the Valium to kick in). I was situated on the table in the stirrups and the ultrasound was started. Dr. G said he'd be placing 2 embryos in and there were 3 or 4 others they were still watching. The others would be frozen, depending on their outcome, in the next couple of days. He showed us a picture of both embryos to be implanted - they were beautiful!!! Most fabulous little balls of cells I'd ever seen!

C sat up by head on a stool and held my hand the whole time. He was very supportive and encouraging. The procedure felt very similar to a pap smear and we were able to view everything on the large ultrasound screen. The embryos were implanted with what looked like a syringe with a pliable catheter on the end. Once they were placed, we got an ultrasound picture of "The Turner Twins" to take home. I layed in kind of an upside down position for a few minutes in the procedure room, and was then moved back to the regular in vitro patient rooms where I hung up side down for another hour or so.

We left around 12:30 and headed home. C sent me straight to the bed and I remained there for the next 3 days. Occasionally I'd move out to the couch or love seat, but spent probably 90% of my time in our bedroom. Bed rest is soooo hard. I didn't feel sick or tired so it was hard to stay so still. C acted as a warden and kept me in line, I even ate most meals as close to horizontal as possible. He gave me some of my shots while lying down. A couple of times I pleaded to please let me stand up for them as I was afraid my legs would forget how to walk.

The hardest part was definitely the no showering or bathing part. C was super sweet and agreed that he'd stick to Team Turner rules and not shower with me...what a trooper!!! Lets just say that Saturday morning our water bill probably spiked three-fold! It was so nice to be clean again and have clean hair. I was constantly changing clothes during the no bathing period in an effort to try and feel "normal". Bathing is a beautiful thing!

Everything is back to normal now for the most part. There are a few limitations as to what I can do like no heavy lifting, no strenuous exercise, etc. I have been super tired over the past 24 hours or so and have had waves of nausea. Both of those can be side effects from the shots and hormones. I've started estrogen patches on my abdomen that get changed every 3 days and some estrogen pills that dissolve under my tongue 3 times a day. Tonight I'll go the fire station for C to give me my progesterone shot. That one is intramuscular in my hip and isn't one I can do myself. He's the best shot-giver ever!!

I'll go back for blood work on Tuesday morning and we'll continue the estrogen patches, estrogen pills and progesterone shots until its time for the big pregnancy test. That should occur 14 days after the transfer date - so a week from this coming Friday. Until then we just keep praying that "The Turner Twins" have latched on and continue to grow!!!

Today is the Day

I don't think Casey or I slept well at all last night. Both of us seem to be filled with excitement and nervousness as we think of how one of the biggest changes in our lives will put in motion today. There's also some fear and wondering about what if this doesn't work? We're both trying to stay as optimistic as possible and place our fears and worry in God's hands, however those occasional "what if" thoughts do creep in.
My stomach feels like total ball of nerves. We'll be leaving the house around 9 am and head to the hospital. I think the part that hits home the most is that just the 2 of us will be leaving, yet I'll come carrying at least 2 more Turners....that's just jaw dropping to me. We're both anxious to hear about the status of embryos and to of course learn how many will be implanted today, too.
I keep thinking of those Johnson & Johnson commercials where they say "a baby changes everything". While we're just starting on our journey, we can already see how true that statement is!

Oh and one last thought before I go bathe for the last time for the next 3 days (yuck!)............Lonnie and Jamie, I talked to Casey last night about Lonnie's suggestions for names. (This was our first conversation about names). Casey really got a big laugh about names Lonnie had chosen: Lonnie and Sergio. His favorite was by far the suggestion for the name Sam!!!! Good times!

I'll be carrying Casey's babies later today.....woo hoo!!!!

The Transfer is Coming

Dr. G's office called today. The transfer of the embryos will take place on Wednesday at 11 am. That means by 11:30 am, it should all be over and I should be knocked up!!! We still won't know Dr. G's recommendation on the number of embryos or the rating of each embryo until right before the procedure.
The progesterone shots are going well. I've had 2 so far and have had no soreness or knotting. C is quite the expert shot giver and takes time rub each injection site for several minutes after the shot is done. I'll be on complete bed rest for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so no blog updates until at least Saturday (unless I can convince C to do a posting for me). I'm really looking forward to the next posting when I can officially I'm pregnant. How fun is that?!?!?!?

Fertilization

We got the call from Dr. G's office to say we had 11 successful fertilizations!! Way more than we were expecting. We are completely over the moon about the outcome of everything so far. Even the nurse said this was a wonderful number to be working with. The fertilized eggs/embryos are doing quite well, so we'll do the transfer on Wednesday. By waiting for Wednesday the eggs have a better chance of reaching the blastocyst stage which means the embryos will be stronger and more stable, and on track to becoming the next Turner! Holy nuts...can you believe it?!?!?

We'll get a call on Tuesday to let us know what time the transfer will be on Wednesday. I don't think we'll know the number of embryos that will be put back in me until the day of the transfer. We are so excited I honestly don't know how to put these feelings into words.

I will be off shots until tomorrow. Then I'll start daily progesterone injections and taking steroids. Blood work will continue every other day until its time to take a pregnancy test. That should be 10-14 days after the transfer. We're so happy and can't wait to see the outcome of the future pregnancy test. We just want one physically and mentally healthy baby - anything more than that will just be gravy!!!

Team Turner is ecstatic!!!!

The Retrieval

The retrieval went well today. We arrived at the hospital at 6 am and everything was underway by 7 am. We were excited to learn we had 15 follicles retrieved. All of the eggs should have been fertilized by now. Its pretty amazing to think that right now our future baby is waiting in a petri dish to be implanted in me next week. I was sore while in recovery but feel pretty good this evening - just tired from the anesthesia.
We should get a phone call tomorrow from the lab to tell us how many eggs were fertilized and if the transfer will take place on Monday or Wednesday. I'm not sure if we'll discuss how many eggs will actually be returned prior to the day of the procedure or not. That is the scary part for us right now.
C and I were discussing how many successful eggs we thought we'd end up with earlier today. My bet was 9, his bet was 4. So we're both anxious to learn more about how today's activities went. We have enjoyed not having to do any shots for the past 2 or 3 days, too. The short break has been nice. We have appreciated all the phone calls and text messages today, too. I'll update again tomorrow once we hear back from the lab....so excited!!!!

Woo Hoo Wednesday

Friday will be the big day, or I guess the first big day of several to come. We'll be doing the egg retrieval at 7 am on Friday. My blood work was good and my ultrasound was even better. I just got home from the fire station. C gave me my HCG injection since it was the first IM shot.

Friday afternoon I'll come home and rest, then on Saturday we should get a call to tell us if the embryo transfer will be Monday or Wednesday. That means I will be "knocked up" by this time next week. Who'd a thunk it (as my grandfather would say)?????? And best part....no more shots for a couple days....It really was a woo hoo Wednesday!!!

Still Cookin'....

Yep, I'm still making eggs. I had a really good ultrasound today. I have 8 eggs that are considered "mature" and measure over 18 mm. I have at least another 5-7 eggs that should mature to 18 mm overnight. No change to my meds and I have another ultrasound and blood test tomorrow. Hopefully then my hormone levels will be good and we can schedule the harvest for Friday. I know Friday isn't far, but if you think about each egg being about the size of marble and you have have 15-20 of those suckers filling your ovaries, you get a bit uncomfortable. More tomorrow....

Egg-cellent Progress

We had some egg-citing news today. My eggs made tremendous progress over the weekend. Even Dr. Gill's nurse was amazed. I had one 18 mm egg, a lot of 17 mm eggs and quite a few 15 mm eggs. At my last visit, I guess I got confused (not surprising on all these hormones) and thought the eggs were full size at 10-11 mm. False! The preferred range is 18-22 mm so we're really coming along. The nurse took a lot of measurements and had a long print out of all my eggs made.

My next appointment was suppose to be on Wednesday, however she said I'd probably "trigger" tonight or tomorrow night. I'll be going back tomorrow for another ultrasound and more blood work. She estimated we'd be ready to harvest possibly as early as Wednesday, no later than Saturday. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Making Eggs

Yep, thats what we've been doing...making eggs. Happy to say all is going very well. I've had several ultrasounds and blood draws done this week and all is good. It was quite exciting to see my eggs for the first time on the ultrasound.

As of the last count I think I had 6 eggs on the right side and 4 eggs on my left side. They are about 6-7 mm in size. Harvesting usually takes place when they reach about 10 or 11 mm. They grow approximately 1 mm per day. At this rate, it looks like next week we could be doing the harvest.

All of my blood results have been good and on track. I haven't had to change any of my medications, so we're continuing with 4 shots a day. Casey is really involved with everything. He rushes home to give me my shots whenever possible. This morning I let him sleep in since my shots are done between 5:30 and 6 am, and he gets to sleep in only one or 2 days a month. I think he was disappointed when I told him I had done them myself. He's been so hands on and caring with everything. He's even tolerating my mood swings quite well.

My shots don't really hurt, however my stomach is pretty bruised up just because of having to do 28 shots per week, (you kinda run out of room - even in my current state of fatness). I think everything on my body is swollen, too. My rings no longer fit and my fingers look and feel like hot dogs, and my toes feel like those nasty, canned Vienna sausages. Everything just feels supersized right now. The nurse told me it was just a side effect of all the hormones and it will more than likely increase, especially once I start to receive my HCG injections.

I am super excited to say I've had no pain - not even with the ultrasounds. I would have never believed I would be pain free during this process. It does feel weird in my stomach, the only way I can describe it is as a coffe perculator. My ovaries just feel bubbly and big - feels like I'm making eggs! My next appointment is Monday morning and the nurse said we'd see a huge difference in the egg development and size, so I can't wait to see how things progress over the weekend. Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and prayers and support. It is very much appreciated.

Microdose Lupron - Day 1

I started my first round of injections today. I only had to do one shot in the morning and one in the evening.

Casey was such a trooper and got ready for work early so that he could be the one to stick me the first time. He did a great job and there was no pain or blood. Casey has become quiet the mother hen and has decided our kitchen table will be "mission control". All injections are orgainzed by supplies needed, time needed and syringes/needles needed. I believe his process will work quite well.

It felt really good to get that first stick under our belts. I had some plans for the rest of the day with a close friend from work (hi Kia!) today. We went and got hot stone spa pedicures, then ate at Shogun in Conroe. Kia is forever teaching and coaching me on how to improve my poor cooking skills. This evening she prepared a full meal for Casey and I to eat tomorrow. She made steak, rice and gravy, honey pepper greenbeans, banana pudding and the best Kool-Aid concoction I've ever had.

Even with all my "Cooking with Kia" lessons going on, I still managed to complete my second injection all by my self. I was quite proud!!!

Tomorrow Casey will be off for 24 hours and we'll be gearing up for the ususal 4 injections a day. Sure makes the process so much easier when you have such trust and faith in your husband. I know Casey will be so caring, gentle and loving with a teeny, tiny Turner just by the way he handles me.

Boy oh boy, did I get a keeper!!!!

Holy Nuts, I Started!!!

Yep, that's right - I started. Today I unexpectedly started my period and I officially started my invitro cycle. We were more than surprised by all of the events of today.

The morning started off by my mother-in-law texting me to say my meds had arrived at their house. Such a relief. I had been distracted with so much going on at work that I didn't call Dr. G's office to let them know everything had arrived. At lunch with my coworkers (while laughing hysterically) I started my period, and immediately called Dr. G when I realized today was the day!!

The nurse told me to come in ASAP so I could get my ultrasound and blood work done today. I was so excited to call Casey and tell him we were really starting. Theres been so much discussion, planning and anticipation, so to say "we're starting" felt SO GOOD!!!

I was back at work within 30 minutes or so and the drs office called not long after. My blood work looked good, and I start my micro-dose Lupron injections tomorrow morning. The other injections will start Sunday. My next office visit will be early Wednesday morning, this appt will be the start of my every other day ultrasounds and blood draws.

Casey is headed home now - he's picking up my meds from his parents. I can't wait to see him, he was is so excited. Tonight we'll sit down and get everything lined out for the injections to start tomorrow.

I do have to admit I cried like a baby while waiting for the nurse to do my ultrasound today - I just couldn't believe that a process we had talked about for months was really getting underway. What a great Friday afternoon surprise!!!

Can't wait to see my Casey!!!!

Frustration

C and I are very eager to start our IVF cycle...problem is we don't have all the meds just yet. Due to the fantastic benefits my employer provides, invitro is covered by my medical insurance at almost 100%. Getting the pharmacies that specialize in infertility to believe that I have full coverage is another story.

I actually had one pharmacy tell me that I could pay $2,300 for one injection or they could maybe run it through our insurance and see if it was covered. Gee......hard decision: $2300 for just one med or a $30 copay. Even the pharmacist just kinda blew me off when I explained in detail the medication was a fully covered benefit under my medical plan.

We now have half of the meds - just waiting on the actual injections. We have received 6 or 7 bottles of pills, a sharps container, some hormone patches and alcohol preps. The other stuff should be delivered today.

I was quite happy to receive the first delivery so I know I'll be even more pumped to receive the rest. I actually held the box over my head and shook it as I ran down a row of coworkers sitting in their cubicles at work. Thankfully we're a close enough group that most were just as excited as I was. Three of the other women I work were all successful at having babies with the assistance of Dr. Gill. One is even carrying twins (sadly she had triplets, but lost one of the babies recently)!!!

I took my last birth control pill last night and now we'll just be waiting for me to start my period. Once that happens it will be Operation Baby full steam ahead!!!!

The Scan and Eduardo

Today was the appointment for my scan. Not sure why its called that, was really just a vaginal ultrasound to check on my uterus and ovaries. Ummm..... yeah......I think I've already broke the record for number of times the the word "vaginal" has been used in a single blog.

We got good news - everything looks good - no cysts. This means all systems are go!!!! The next minor hurdle is Eduardo....the tropical storm lurking in the Gulf. All of my medications are suppose to be delivered on Wednesday, barring no major incidents due to the nasty weather being predicted.

Once my shots arrive, I'll stop taking the pill and should start my period 3-4 days later. Once I began my cycle, the shots, bloodwork and ultrasound fun will begin.

Its pretty amazing to think there could be a new Turner growing in my belly by the end of the month!!!!

Testing and Teaching

So we spent last Wednesday being tested and taught. It was overwhelming to say the least. We went into the appointment knowing there would be daily shots along with frequent blood tests and ultrasounds - boy was that an understatement!!!!

I'll have to have a minimum of 4 shots a day. Later on additional shots and pills will be added. Casey will have to take antibiotics, too. We spent well over an hour with the sweetest nurse ever. We focused on learning and absorbing as much information as possible. I became pretty well educated on IVF in preparation for our first cycle, yet it was still soooooo much information. I'm very fortunate to have Casey be in the line of work that he is. Learning to inject myself on on top of keeping all the meds and injections sites straight would be a lot. After my many rounds of Lupron, Casey is comfortable "shooting me up".

Once the injections begin, I'll have to go in for a blood test and vaginal ultrasound (good times!!!!) every other day. This process will also take place over weekends and holidays. We'll know a day and half before the egg harvesting is scheduled. It should be a 20-30 minute procedure done in the hospital under general anesthesia. C will provide his specimen on this day, too. The rest of the day I will just rest at home. Then 3-5 days after the harvesting, we'll return to the hospital for the actual implantation. This procedure only requires a valium and is suppose to be similar to the mild discomfort felt during a PAP smear. Two to four embryos will be returned to my uterus. After the implantation I'll be on strict bedrest for 3 days. I'm only suppose to leave the bed/couch to go to the restroom. Even bathing and showering is strictly prohibited!!!

The injections will continue even after the implanation. Blood tests will also continue. A pregnancy test will be administered approx 2 weeks after the implantation. I really hope we're successful. Dr. Gill was very clear that he felt we only had one shot at this, given my prior gynecological history.

I really feel good about what our future holds. Even if my pain returns due to the injections, I'll do everything I can to continue with our plan. At least this time, I'll know why I'm hurting and that the pain can ultimately lead to a little Casey Adam running around the house.

Oh to hear the pitter patter of little feet.....

We're Getting Closer...

So I've decided to start blogging. I originally started this blog in order to post a comment on one of my favorite blogs. Since that time, Team Turner's place in cyberspace has just been sitting vacant. I've decided this will be a good place for me to document our journey to hopefully becoming parents.

Casey, my most unbelievably charming and funny husband, and I have had a long road just to get this far. I've had multiple surgeries, lots of tears, more pain than can be imagined and many laughs along the way.

This past April, we were 2 days away from our "testing appointment" for invitro and got sidelined, yet again. My OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist both agreed I needed to go through another round of Lupron injections. Lupron is Satan's drug, I am convinced!!!! After Lupron didn't work, my OB/GYN called to say she had a new idea. One that she had only heard of previously that week, yet she felt it would be our "Hail Mary" chance at avoiding a hysterectomy.

On May 28, I had my uterus suspended and the bundle of nerves that supply my uterus removed. Since then life has been a cakewalk. The only downside has been the cute "C-section" type scar I now sport on on my bikini line (severe pain vs. scar....no brainer). Tomorrow I will be pain free for 2 months and counting. Life without pain and pain meds is fabulous and there's not a day goes by that I don't stop and thank the Lord (and Dr. Nebgen) for changing my life.

Even more exciting is that next Wednesday, Casey and I finally get to go to our "teaching/testing" appointment at our invitro doctor's office. The following Monday, should all go well this week, I'll have a scan of my ovaries done and stop my current birth control pill. As of our last consultation, Dr. Gill expected us to be done with process and hopefully pregnant by the end of August. Did I mention that August starts next week?!?!?!?

So thats a super short version of where we are and where we're going. Casey and I are really looking forward to being parents and hope that the coming month will be filled with some highly anticipated joy.

My dream is that one day this blog will serve as baby-blog book for our child. He or she will be able to sit down and read each entry knowing how much their parents wanted to be family with them.

So here we go..........we're getting closer..............