Baby update: I am feeling more bloated and not as comfortable in my regular pants and it's not so comfortable to pull my knee up to my chest when I sit on the couch or at the computer. Those are my indicators of growth because I still don't really see a big difference with a baby bump or such. Also my bras are starting to not fit so well again...seriously? So annoying and I already hated bra shopping.
Cookie Tossing Count: This is pretty much gone.
Cravings: I don't really find myself wanting to eat anything particular. Sometimes I have no desire to eat. I love milk. Also we went to Zupas last night and I got the mushroom soup and chicken chop salad...the mushroom soup always hits the spot even in non-pregnant times.
Symptoms: Just more bloat feeling and annoying enlarged breasts. No real weight gain yet still. I still think this is a balance of gaining baby weight but losing some with hormones in being in balance.
Movement: I don't think so yet. Occasionally I'll feel very small twinge type stuff where I think it would be but nothing convincing yet.
Day to Day: Energy is starting to come back. I tried to clean house yesterday. Managed to shift some things around in the spare bedroom/nursery. We're moving our make-shift office into our bedroom until further notice (blah! but it may be a while as the basement will need finishing before it can really go anywhere else).
The Girls: Kendall and Seren are adorable. They make small mentions of "baby brother" on their own now...like when they see me taking my vitamins or see other babies. They are so fun and smart and sassy. Seren loves to say "you silly" now when she corrects your or tells you what to do. Kendall still loves to raise her voice and say "right now!" when asking for something, which just gets chuckles from us (occasionally time outs when she goes overboard). Kendall is still a very tender heart. We bought twin by twin bunk beds for them recently but haven't fully put them together yet.
Next appointment: May 1st.
Friday, April 25, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
Frozen Embryo Decisions
The decision was made on this a couple weeks ago. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be to make. I would still have loved to donate them to another couple but in the end we felt this was the right decision. We originally had arranged to donate our remaining embryos to another couple during our first frozen cycle. A week before the transfer we received news they had experienced a chemical pregnancy and would be trying on their own for a while at advice of their doctor. We held off on looking for another couple and experienced a failed cycle. I didn't think that I would want to but I found myself wanting to give it one more shot and a strong feeling that fate had stepped into the process to allow us to make that decision, as we originally planned to donate them as soon as the transfer was complete. We decided to give it one more go at a frozen cycle and here we are 14 weeks pregnant (yep kind of feeling fate/God wanted this baby with us).
We learned more about the ratings and quality of our frozen embryos during this process of attempting to donate. They weren't as great as I remembered. In fact we only had a couple early blasts and mostly morulas frozen. Granted the ones we did thaw ended up reaching blast stage in time for transfer but still they left a lot to wonder about odds of success. The remaining four embryos in one straw were supposedly the poorest of the bunch. We didn't like the idea of giving someone poor odds and a strong possibility of great disappointment, especially after experiencing our failed cycle. We also didn't want to take the choice away from the couple we originally offered them too. So I contacted them again and offered the remaining embyros to them with explanation of odds and frozen quality. They asked for time to consider it and after a week or two they contacted us again with their decision. They turned them down. They weren't comfortable with the idea of a possible failure at that time in their lives and didn't want to be holding onto them hoping that a time would come when they would be. With their decision made we came to a decision on our end as well. We agreed that we didn't believe there were great odds with these embryos and would likely not wish to try again ourselves even if the worst were to happen with this pregnancy. We didn't want to spend more money freezing them and looking for another recipient we would feel as good about as the first. So with that we signed paperwork to have them discarded.
It's both nice and somewhat sad to have that chapter and option closed. We look forward to having our family complete and welcoming this little one though. So good things are still to come.
We learned more about the ratings and quality of our frozen embryos during this process of attempting to donate. They weren't as great as I remembered. In fact we only had a couple early blasts and mostly morulas frozen. Granted the ones we did thaw ended up reaching blast stage in time for transfer but still they left a lot to wonder about odds of success. The remaining four embryos in one straw were supposedly the poorest of the bunch. We didn't like the idea of giving someone poor odds and a strong possibility of great disappointment, especially after experiencing our failed cycle. We also didn't want to take the choice away from the couple we originally offered them too. So I contacted them again and offered the remaining embyros to them with explanation of odds and frozen quality. They asked for time to consider it and after a week or two they contacted us again with their decision. They turned them down. They weren't comfortable with the idea of a possible failure at that time in their lives and didn't want to be holding onto them hoping that a time would come when they would be. With their decision made we came to a decision on our end as well. We agreed that we didn't believe there were great odds with these embryos and would likely not wish to try again ourselves even if the worst were to happen with this pregnancy. We didn't want to spend more money freezing them and looking for another recipient we would feel as good about as the first. So with that we signed paperwork to have them discarded.
It's both nice and somewhat sad to have that chapter and option closed. We look forward to having our family complete and welcoming this little one though. So good things are still to come.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Update: 13 weeks
Baby update: Our appointment was on Monday, April 1st. Kendall and Seren came with us to the appointment. Everything checked out to be just fine. I was a little worried still as I have such small bloat feeling but all was well. The baby measured 13.5 weeks. There was a second of worry with one leg but the image was off due to leg/ankle crossing. So as of now everything is fine and on target. We heard the heartbeat again with the girls and they were excited and seemed to understand a little better about the baby idea.
Cookie Tossing Count: This is getting better. I switched to gummy/chewable prenatal vitamins. I only really want to gag when I cough too much from the extra mucus going on. I have to take my thyroid medicine in the morning and not eat for an hour after so that's not really helping the morning ick but it's starting to be better.
Cravings: Salad with ranch dressing, black cherry soda (not too much) and chocolate muffins.
Symptoms: More stretchy cramps and a little more bloated feeling. Not showing though really just my lovely POF/POI spare tire. I have been losing a little weight...I'm sure due to the nausea but I also think because my hormones actually are "normal" during pregnancy so it's easier to come off.
Notes from appointment: We were given pretty good odds that this little one will be a boy.
Day to Day: I'm starting to feel like I can clean and do laundry again without nausea. Now I have just developed bad habits of not doing so over the last few weeks haha. I'm starting to gather girls clothes and things to donate or sell once we know for sure. Jeff started a new job. He is no longer in a conflict of interest with his new job so he can start his investment management business. Excited for him.
The Girls: The girls were both not initially happy at hearing the gender news (although the first thing Kendall said when asked what mommy had in her tummy was "a boy" before we even got to the baby explanation). We asked if they were okay with a brother and they both shook their heads no. They have warmed up to the idea a little though and proudly announced to their different grandparents over the phone about a "baby brother".
Next visit: May 1st.
Cookie Tossing Count: This is getting better. I switched to gummy/chewable prenatal vitamins. I only really want to gag when I cough too much from the extra mucus going on. I have to take my thyroid medicine in the morning and not eat for an hour after so that's not really helping the morning ick but it's starting to be better.
Cravings: Salad with ranch dressing, black cherry soda (not too much) and chocolate muffins.
Symptoms: More stretchy cramps and a little more bloated feeling. Not showing though really just my lovely POF/POI spare tire. I have been losing a little weight...I'm sure due to the nausea but I also think because my hormones actually are "normal" during pregnancy so it's easier to come off.
Notes from appointment: We were given pretty good odds that this little one will be a boy.
Day to Day: I'm starting to feel like I can clean and do laundry again without nausea. Now I have just developed bad habits of not doing so over the last few weeks haha. I'm starting to gather girls clothes and things to donate or sell once we know for sure. Jeff started a new job. He is no longer in a conflict of interest with his new job so he can start his investment management business. Excited for him.
The Girls: The girls were both not initially happy at hearing the gender news (although the first thing Kendall said when asked what mommy had in her tummy was "a boy" before we even got to the baby explanation). We asked if they were okay with a brother and they both shook their heads no. They have warmed up to the idea a little though and proudly announced to their different grandparents over the phone about a "baby brother".
Next visit: May 1st.
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