Oh man. It's been a little bit of a crazy day.
I got my period today, which was bitter-sweet. It was day 39 for me so I was thinking maybe I was pregnant, although I knew that I probably was just having another one of my long-ish cycles. It sucks not have a super clockwork cycle. I had even done a pregnancy test on Monday because I figured if I didn't use it now, hopefully I wouldn't have the opportunity to use it again. It was negative, but still...you still have the slight hope of being pregnant. I was hopeful, but still pessimistic.
Anyways, seeing as how getting pregnant naturally failed this past month (not that we were trying...because we weren't...but we also weren't trying not to), I pulled out my instruction sheet for a frozen embryo transfer. The instructions say "within the first few days of the menstrual cycle prior to your transfer cycle phone Genesis to advise the nurses that you will be starting treatment in your next cycle." So, I called the nurses and left a message indicating that I would be starting with my next cycle. A couple hours later, I received a call back from the nurse, who said "so you're starting your transfer cycle this month, right, and you took your Estrace already?" I replied, "umm...the instructions say to call the month prior, so don't I start next month?" Her response, "oh, it does! No one ever calls the month before! Did you want to start this month?" UMMM...YES! So...here we go! Day 1 of my hopefully successful pregnancy!
We have two embryos frozen: a day 3 (3 days old, so 3 days since fertilization) and a day 5 (5 days old, so 5 days since fertilization. Of all of our frozen embryos from our in vitro cycle, the best two day 3s were used and gave us Matthew and Kayla. The third best day 3 was frozen, and the rest were left to grow. Only one survived to be a day 5.
For this cycle, our plan is to use our day 3 first. If day 3 doesn't survive being thawed, then we will still be able to try to use day 5 this cycle. If day 5 doesn't survive being thawed then we've had a complete failure of a cycle. If day 3 thaws, then we will keep our day 5 frozen still to be used in the future.
This is the timeline/schedcule for my frozen embryo transfer cycle:
October 26-November 1 (Day 1-7):
2mg Estrace (estrogen supplement) taken twice per day (4mg total)
November 2 onwards: (Days 8 onwards):
2mg Estrace taken three times a day (6mg total)
November 13 - 8:30am:
Ultrasound at Genesis to measure my uterine lining
Sometime after November 13:
1 Endometrin tablet 3 times a day (vaginally), 2mg Estrace taken twice per day (4mg total)
November 20 or 21: Embryo Transfer!
December 6 to 8: Pregnancy test at Lifelabs
I can't believe that we're starting this month. This is crazy. And scary. And nerve-wracking. We'll be sending God some extra prayers this month, that's for sure!
P.S. We're obviously not keeping this a secret to our immediate and extended families, since it wasn't much of a secret that I had the miscarriage a few months ago and so people are expecting us to be trying again. Also - if you have any questions about it all, you can totally ask!
After struggling with infertility for three years, we were blessed with the birth of Matthew and Kayla in March 2011 (by in vitro) , Nathan in October 2013 (by frozen embryo transfer), and Olivia in August 2015 (naturally!). We are loving every moment (well, almost!) of our lives as parents.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
19 Months Old
Kayla:
- Has learned that pushing Matthew will move him away.
- LOVES coffee. With hazelnut cream in it or without - she doesn't care!
- LOVES eating corn.
- Doesn't like to wear socks and shoes. It's not uncommon to see her running around in bare feet. She gets frustrated when she's wearing tights.
- Likes to pull Matthew's socks off. She knows to stick her finger in between his ankle and his sock to get it started.
- Had her first hair "cut" (i.e. trimming her whispy hair behind her ears) just before church on Sunday, September 30th.
- LOVES walking around with her two blankets and her stuffed animal. If you ask her to put them away she knows that the knit blanket goes on the rocking chair, and her fuzzy blanket and stuffed animal go in her crib.
- LOVES walking around with my hairbrush, brushing her (or Matthew's) hair.
- LOVES pulling a toy boat around the house. I had bought the boats at the end of last summer so that Matthew and Kayla could use them in Penticton/Cultus this summer, but they didn't really understand what to do. Since summer has ended they now understand what to do, and can always be seen pulling random toys around the house in their boats.
- Knows how to go "cheers" with her cup (thanks to Candice)
- Can touch our door knobs and can pull the door open/closed, but doesn't know how to turn them.
- Loves jumping on the trampoline
- Loves playing with mega bloks
- Loves playing with dolls and barbies.
- Had her nails painted (by me) for the very first time on October 14th.
- Words: Ma (Matthew), Ba (Ball), Buh (Button)
Matthew:
- His feelings get hurt when Kayla pushes him away or takes his toy. His cry is so sad!
- Still keeps his last bite of food in his mouth. I had given Matthew and Kayla a thin slice of raw red pepper the other day while I was cooking (yes, I was cooking, not Jon!). They took it and went back to playing on the deck. A few minutes later I hear crying and saw that Matthew had fallen backwards off of the kids picnic table. I picked him up, and noticed the front of his tongue looked chewed up. My first thought was, "Oh shit, he bit the front of his tongue off!" I quickly brought him inside, and then he started to cough due to his sobbing...and then out flew a chewed up red thing onto the ground. My first thought was, "Oh shit, his tongue is on my floor!"...but upon closer inspection I noticed that it was just his last bite of red pepper, all chewed up but not swallowed.
- Knows how to nod his head to say, "yes", but only when prompted to.
- Did a summersault on his own on October 4th.
- Loves to give open-mouth kisses.
- LOVES pulling a toy boat around the house. I had bought the boats at the end of last summer so that Matthew and Kayla could use them in Penticton/Cultus this summer, but they didn't really understand what to do. Since summer has ended they now understand what to do, and can always be seen pulling random toys around the house in their boats.
- Walked down my parents two steps (from the kitchen to the family room) without holding on to anything/anyone on October 12th.
- LOVES walking around with my hairbrush, brushing his hair.
- Can touch our door knobs and can pull the door open/closed, but doesn't know how to turn them.
- Loves jumping on the trampoline
- Loves playing with mega bloks
- Will willingly play dolls or barbies with Kayla
- Will imitate my "fire truck" sound
- Loves the lawn mower. As soon as he hears Jon or my Dad on it he whines for a ride.
Our schedule:
7:15am Wake Up & Breakfast. I gave them cheerios in milk for breakfast, and they ate so much. Ever since, they have been even worse at eating their baby cereal. I think it's time to stop doing baby cereal.
7:45am Bath time. I typically wait for Matthew to have done his morning poo before giving them a bath :)
9:45am Snack - some sort of finger food.
12:00pm Lunch - between half to a whole slice each and then a fruit of some sort.
12:45pm Nap Time
3:00pm Wake Up & Snack Time - typically yogurt or a smoothie
5:30pm Dinner. Jon and I have set some new rules about dinner time, after Jon was quite embarrassed over Matthew and Kayla's refusal to eat at my parents and constant whining at the table on October 12th. Now, they MUST eat all of the food on their plate before they can leave the table. Matthew's protested this once or twice, but quickly realized that once we finished all his dinner then he could play. Kayla, on the other hand, likes to protest it at every meal. Eventually, she ends up eating it all...even if it's an hour later. If only one of them has finished by the time we leave for my parents' for a cup of coffee, then only that one child gets to come with me, and the other stays behind until they've finished. I'm hoping they'll become great eaters out of this (and by great I don't mean that they have to eat a lot...they just have to eat it all)...and maybe they'll put on a few extra pounds? :)
6:30pm To my parents' for a cup of coffee
7:45pm Bottles, Teeth Brushing, and Books
8:00pm Bed-time.
- Has learned that pushing Matthew will move him away.
- LOVES coffee. With hazelnut cream in it or without - she doesn't care!
- LOVES eating corn.
- Doesn't like to wear socks and shoes. It's not uncommon to see her running around in bare feet. She gets frustrated when she's wearing tights.
- Likes to pull Matthew's socks off. She knows to stick her finger in between his ankle and his sock to get it started.
- Had her first hair "cut" (i.e. trimming her whispy hair behind her ears) just before church on Sunday, September 30th.
- LOVES walking around with her two blankets and her stuffed animal. If you ask her to put them away she knows that the knit blanket goes on the rocking chair, and her fuzzy blanket and stuffed animal go in her crib.
- LOVES walking around with my hairbrush, brushing her (or Matthew's) hair.
- LOVES pulling a toy boat around the house. I had bought the boats at the end of last summer so that Matthew and Kayla could use them in Penticton/Cultus this summer, but they didn't really understand what to do. Since summer has ended they now understand what to do, and can always be seen pulling random toys around the house in their boats.
- Knows how to go "cheers" with her cup (thanks to Candice)
- Can touch our door knobs and can pull the door open/closed, but doesn't know how to turn them.
- Loves jumping on the trampoline
- Loves playing with mega bloks
- Loves playing with dolls and barbies.
- Had her nails painted (by me) for the very first time on October 14th.
- Words: Ma (Matthew), Ba (Ball), Buh (Button)
Matthew:
- His feelings get hurt when Kayla pushes him away or takes his toy. His cry is so sad!
- Still keeps his last bite of food in his mouth. I had given Matthew and Kayla a thin slice of raw red pepper the other day while I was cooking (yes, I was cooking, not Jon!). They took it and went back to playing on the deck. A few minutes later I hear crying and saw that Matthew had fallen backwards off of the kids picnic table. I picked him up, and noticed the front of his tongue looked chewed up. My first thought was, "Oh shit, he bit the front of his tongue off!" I quickly brought him inside, and then he started to cough due to his sobbing...and then out flew a chewed up red thing onto the ground. My first thought was, "Oh shit, his tongue is on my floor!"...but upon closer inspection I noticed that it was just his last bite of red pepper, all chewed up but not swallowed.
- Knows how to nod his head to say, "yes", but only when prompted to.
- Did a summersault on his own on October 4th.
- Loves to give open-mouth kisses.
- LOVES pulling a toy boat around the house. I had bought the boats at the end of last summer so that Matthew and Kayla could use them in Penticton/Cultus this summer, but they didn't really understand what to do. Since summer has ended they now understand what to do, and can always be seen pulling random toys around the house in their boats.
- Walked down my parents two steps (from the kitchen to the family room) without holding on to anything/anyone on October 12th.
- LOVES walking around with my hairbrush, brushing his hair.
- Can touch our door knobs and can pull the door open/closed, but doesn't know how to turn them.
- Loves jumping on the trampoline
- Loves playing with mega bloks
- Will willingly play dolls or barbies with Kayla
- Will imitate my "fire truck" sound
- Loves the lawn mower. As soon as he hears Jon or my Dad on it he whines for a ride.
Our schedule:
7:15am Wake Up & Breakfast. I gave them cheerios in milk for breakfast, and they ate so much. Ever since, they have been even worse at eating their baby cereal. I think it's time to stop doing baby cereal.
7:45am Bath time. I typically wait for Matthew to have done his morning poo before giving them a bath :)
9:45am Snack - some sort of finger food.
12:00pm Lunch - between half to a whole slice each and then a fruit of some sort.
12:45pm Nap Time
3:00pm Wake Up & Snack Time - typically yogurt or a smoothie
5:30pm Dinner. Jon and I have set some new rules about dinner time, after Jon was quite embarrassed over Matthew and Kayla's refusal to eat at my parents and constant whining at the table on October 12th. Now, they MUST eat all of the food on their plate before they can leave the table. Matthew's protested this once or twice, but quickly realized that once we finished all his dinner then he could play. Kayla, on the other hand, likes to protest it at every meal. Eventually, she ends up eating it all...even if it's an hour later. If only one of them has finished by the time we leave for my parents' for a cup of coffee, then only that one child gets to come with me, and the other stays behind until they've finished. I'm hoping they'll become great eaters out of this (and by great I don't mean that they have to eat a lot...they just have to eat it all)...and maybe they'll put on a few extra pounds? :)
6:30pm To my parents' for a cup of coffee
7:45pm Bottles, Teeth Brushing, and Books
8:00pm Bed-time.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Update on Us
I realized that my posts lately have been so focused on Matthew and Kayla that I should probably do a general update on Jon and I!
Jon started out the school year TOC-ing every day (yes, teachers do call in sick on the first day of school!) and is now in a what-we-think-will-be-permanent teaching position at North Surrey Secondary School. Administration was not happy with the previous teacher and so they are trying to "get rid of her". Meanwhile, Jon's taken over her entire teaching load - two Science 9 classes and two Math 9 classes. We're hoping that he can be in that position long enough to guarantee himself a contact/full-time employment for the coming semesters! He loves having his own class, but is now super-busy with planning and marking. The one thing nice about TOC-ing is that you only work from 8:30 - 3:30. Now he teaches from 8:05 - 2:10, stays at school until 4:45, comes home and eats dinner, and then does more school work until 9:30pm. I've even helped him with marking when I have time.
Nothing is new with me. :) I had my appointment at Genesis for a hysteroscopy on September 28th, and that went well so we have the 'go-ahead' to proceed with a frozen embryo transfer. I love how they allow you to watch the computer screen as they look at your uterus with the micro-camera. The doctor could still see where the placenta of my miscarried baby was attached to my uterus, and so she poked at it a bit to help speed up the process of it flaking off. She said it was completely normal and was nothing of concern. So what does this mean? Well, on the first day of my October period I call in to Genesis to tell them that I am going to start with the frozen embryo transfer with my next cycle. They ask for a month's warning so that they can double-check my file/records to make sure that all of the necessary testing has been done. So, we could start as early as November...which would give us a due date in August. Jon thinks he wants us to wait a month so that he would have a September due date, but I'm not sure I want to wait. We'll see. I'm sure I'll win :) haha.
Anyways, that's what is new with us. We are busy, busy, busy!
Jon started out the school year TOC-ing every day (yes, teachers do call in sick on the first day of school!) and is now in a what-we-think-will-be-permanent teaching position at North Surrey Secondary School. Administration was not happy with the previous teacher and so they are trying to "get rid of her". Meanwhile, Jon's taken over her entire teaching load - two Science 9 classes and two Math 9 classes. We're hoping that he can be in that position long enough to guarantee himself a contact/full-time employment for the coming semesters! He loves having his own class, but is now super-busy with planning and marking. The one thing nice about TOC-ing is that you only work from 8:30 - 3:30. Now he teaches from 8:05 - 2:10, stays at school until 4:45, comes home and eats dinner, and then does more school work until 9:30pm. I've even helped him with marking when I have time.
Nothing is new with me. :) I had my appointment at Genesis for a hysteroscopy on September 28th, and that went well so we have the 'go-ahead' to proceed with a frozen embryo transfer. I love how they allow you to watch the computer screen as they look at your uterus with the micro-camera. The doctor could still see where the placenta of my miscarried baby was attached to my uterus, and so she poked at it a bit to help speed up the process of it flaking off. She said it was completely normal and was nothing of concern. So what does this mean? Well, on the first day of my October period I call in to Genesis to tell them that I am going to start with the frozen embryo transfer with my next cycle. They ask for a month's warning so that they can double-check my file/records to make sure that all of the necessary testing has been done. So, we could start as early as November...which would give us a due date in August. Jon thinks he wants us to wait a month so that he would have a September due date, but I'm not sure I want to wait. We'll see. I'm sure I'll win :) haha.
Anyways, that's what is new with us. We are busy, busy, busy!
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