SUNSHINE

Why does the sunshine make us all feel better?   I guess the scientific answer is Vitamin D?  I know this past Wednesday was absolutely gorgeous for February in KY!  Have you ever noticed while driving on a sunny day how everyone around you is smiling and there seems to be less road rage!   I know it makes me feel better and drive better!  On the way home from work, I had to take a detour route by the lake.  We spend many wonderful days on this piece of water.  It's our getaway!  It's Cave Run Lake located in Morehead Ky, and the best thing is, it's only 10 minutes away from our house!  I needed a getaway!  My head was pounding and I think I was just stressed and overwhelmed with the world of BUSY and Anxiety of "Did it Happen"!  It was nice, BRIGHT and calm!  I pulled over just to hear the wind blow and watch the water move!  I think sometimes when you feel like all is coming down on you, I know for me, little things like enjoying the sunshine, makes it all better!  It was sooo NICE!  Letting the sun heat my pale face that hasn't seen the sun since July 4th weekend 2010 was a MUST Have today.  The wind was blowing my blues away for at least 15 minutes!  How I love the water and the sun so!  I've sure missed it these last couple of days!

(While I was driving, a song called "Sound OF SUNSHINE" came on--it was Perfect for the day)  click on the bottom of the playlist to hear!

Cave Run Lake --we love this place!

Well, I apologize, it's been over a week since I have blogged and so much has been going on.  I have been trying to keep myself busy so I don't drive myself crazy wondering if one of those little blastocyst's decided to burrow itself somewhere in my uterus!  I mean, it's so hard not to think about it!  I know something happened!  I saw my 2 little embryos.  I think the anxiety is even worse than "the old fashion way" this time I know a form of LIFE started, but the question is, --Did it continue?   OH HOW Monday can't get here fast enough.  I go for blood work that morning, then I have to hop on a plane to go to a meeting in the Sunshine state for 3 days!  YES!  Sounds like fun! --NO---I mean it's fun seeing all my friends and teammates and I do love my job, but it's work---so no laying in the sun by the pool like you would do on vacation!   I promise its all work!  It's still fun and we always make the best of it!   I work to go on vacation--hopefully we will do that soon!  I am excited about seeing some sunshine, even if it's through a window.
This past Wednesday I became really nauseous around 3:00 pm and had a major headache.  I had to call my awesome mother-in-law to help me with Colt once I got home.   I didn't think much of it, until that evening when I started craving gallons of water.  I live on regular Coke,  like almost IV hook up--so even my husband questioned by guzzling of water!   The next day no headache, (H2O is good) but nauseous the same exact time.   Today, the same!  3:00 pm, It's like raining, snowing--it's cold and I had the window almost half down taking deep breaths driving west on  I64!  This is the exact way I was in the early beginning with Colt, so I'm thinking something is going on.  I'm afraid to say!  I'm going to be heartbroken and disappointed if nothing happened, but I realize if things don't go my way, God has a better plan for me.

Well let's talk about some ALL THE TIME SUNSHINE___  COLT MATTHEW

Eating up all this SUNSHINE!

I must brag on my little man, MY SUNSHINE!  He is doing GREAT!  He tries to mimic everything you do.  My mother-in-law has taught him to pucker his lips and smooch!  It's adorable to watch!  Also, he loves to pat-a-cake! My aunt, (that would be Colt's GREAT AUNT) Sharon, bought him a lil bear that sings pat-a-cake while clapping it's hands.  He wasn't so sure about it at first, but it didn't take long for him to catch on and now he LOVes it!  We play with it every night!  Thank you GREAT AUNT SHARON

Wasn't sure about the Pat a cake bear singing Pat a cake  while moving it's arms

He Likes it

He also has discovered he can jump in his jumparoo!  It's hilarious to watch!  I will try to upload a video of it!  I'm still new at all this blog stuff!   You will have to see, he dances like a leprechaun!  LOL

My Mama is coming to watch Colt while I'm away!  I know she will so spoil him, but I would do the exact same thing if I was in her shoes!

Have a Wonderful Weekend!  Hope you see some SUNSHINE  and I Hope I have some xtra good news for all soon!!! :)

  

SIMPLY AMAZING

Our invitro journey is now in the dreaded 2 week wait!  Before I began telling you how yesterday went, Wednesday.  I have to take you back to every phone call that was made.  So, on Sat, the day after our egg retrieval, our IVF nurse calls and tells us out of the 29 follicles, they were able to work with 24 of them.  Meaning those eggs were of good size.  Each egg was injected with my husband's sperm.  This is a process called ICSI (icksee).  Trust me----Again, NOT my "Perfect Plan" of how we would conceive our next baby, but oh well.  You take what you can get!  Right?  Out of those 24--16 fertilized.  So at this point we are working with 16!  This was the information we found out on Monday.  From this stage is when the cells begin dividing and those that continue to divide will be genetic tested.  The #'s, at this point, were so positive our apt for a transfer was made, because odds are we would have something (all we want is 2) to be transferred.
WEDNESDAY--TRANSFER
Well on our way up to Cincinnati, our Nurse calls us with the genetic report.  We have 10!  10 embryos so far, had continued dividing.
Before we begin with the transfer, Dr Michael Scheiber informs us of more positive news.  He educates us on the cell division stage called "blastocyst'.  This is when the cells have divided hundreds and hundreds of times, and he described ours being at the last stage that can sustain outside the human body. He tells us, not every couple achieves this stage in the process and we are very blessed because we have 4 embryos that achieved this stage and we have more dividing!
A blastocyst is a highly developed embryo that has divided many times to a point where it is nearly ready to implant on the walls of the uterus. A blastocyst has come a long way from its beginning as a single cell


 Pics of our 2 embryos at the blastocyst stage!  And a Petri dish where the Action Happened!  Simply Amazing and so taken for granted!  You can see "hatching" (the smaller bubble outside the circle)--that means they are ready to implant!!!

   So we transferred 2 and we had 2 frozen.  I have to say it was Painless, and very quick <15 min :) We were told we have over a 50% chance of being preggers at this point because our lil embryos have made it so far within the process!  We will have to wait 2 weeks!
I took off work today, to rest and really try to think positive thoughts!  I received a call this morning and the it was our Nurse!  She said we had 2 more to make it to the blastocyst stage, and asking me if we wanted to freeze!  Absolutely!  So now in basic terms....We have 2 in the OVEN and 4 in the FRIDGE!  Going to be a loooong 2 weeks!
Here is more info on blastocyst and I'm including the link of my AMazing Doctor!
http://www.ivf.com/blastocyst.html

http://www.cincinnatifertility.com/

Thanks for praying for us and hoping to share "xtra" good news with you soon!

Some HAPPY until next time!

LIVING  XTRA HAPPY-----

 

"HUMBLED"

I would like to thank all of those who shared your own challenges with me.  I am humbled, what more can I say.  It seems we all have our own challenges in life. BIG and small, but when it comes to our own life--no matter what--It's a BIG deal.  I think it takes time to find courage to share those challenges we face and I am so humbled you shared.  I have to say, it's very out of character  for me to share any of this with you, but you inspire me too.  I think we all need to hear (no matter what the challenge we face is)--It's okay and everything will work out.  YOU can Handle this!  You are CAPABLE!        
So, Here is a little quote I found for all of us,----------
Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.” --- Bernice Johnson Reagon


When I see my baby's blue eyes---I'm humbled of a LOVE so GREAT and I'm humbled that the Lord made me his MAMA!  I'm so thankful and I wouldn't change a thing!  

I wish I could turn off my green light on my camera--he stares right at it until it goes away!  lol

I

LIVING AND LOVING AS MUCH AS I CAN

A New Journey......

Since this is my first post, you will have to stop and read "About this blog" so you will know what exactly is going on with me.  This blog is a work in progress so bare with me!  I can't spell and I know I don't use correct grammar, but, I'll try!
Well, eventually, in the (Invitro Journey tab) I will go into detail about the physical and emotions going through invitro (IVF).  It honestly hasn't been that bad.  Which I have been so busy taking care of Colt, taking care of 2 dogs, housework, and trying to keep my head above water with work (if that is possible)!  Matt and I always said once we have children, we want them close in age.  Some people think we are crazy!  I don't!  We have friends that have twins, triplets, 17 months apart and 5-7 years apart.  They all do a fantastic job of managing daily activites.  I think whatever happens is what is best for you!  We are all different and love to share our opinions!  No one is right or wrong.  You may want to share because you may feel your experience is simply the best.. You know no other way for life to be, so we share!  Well--I'm 33, going on 34 this year and it took us 3 years to get Colt, so we are in the process of another.  I say I want a total of 4, but Matt will say 3 is the limit! Again, I'm trying to plan, but I guess we will see.
We have been so very blessed to have the love and support from our families and friends that it just feels right to have another so close.  Plus, I have to brag!  My baby has slept through the night since he was 4 weeks old and my labor and delivery was super easy!  My husband is great at taking care of C.  There are times when I'm gone for days, sometimes a week for work and we just do it.
I think that is what you do. You know no other way of life.  You learn to adjust to whatever situation and that becomes your routine.  I crack up when people say "Oh, I couldn't have another little one, it's just too much"!  Well, your situation is different from mine, and I want my little ones all running around at the same time!  It will be all that I know to do, plus we already have every single thing we need.  Colt has gotten so much stuff, he hasn't even used half of it.  Why not just get use out of everything.  If you wait too long, everything is outdated!  Oh well--just again, my opinion!  We all have our different logic's of why we do the things we do.
Today was Egg Retrieval for us!  Long story short, I've been taking injections since Jan 28th.  (If you are interested in my treatment regimen and all that stuff, just contact me.)  We have been patiently waiting for my follicles to mature.  Mature, means within a size that will sustain conception.  We needed a lot because we are going through PGD (genetic testing) as well.  So the embryos have to reach a certain cell division called blastocyst in order to be tested and then transferred back to me hopefully on Wednesday!   WE had Good news today --- we had 29 Mature follicles!  The more we have the higher our chances!   I find out tomorrow how many actually fertilized, so we will see.
No matter the outcome of this journey, I know there is a reason!  It amazes me how anybody can get pregnant so easily.  Every tiny detail has got to go just right, be the correct size, the exact amount and timing!   It makes me appreciate even more how we conceived Colt on our own!   So after sharing some GOOD news with my very BF this week.  She replies this............
.....So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you." (Luke 17:6)  

She knows me waaay to well----EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR AND BE REMINDED OF :)