She finally knows!

Most (or all) of you reading this blog know who I mean when I mention my BFF.  We met our first day of kindergarten and became fast friends.  It's so crazy to think that we are both under 30 and have been best friends for about 25 years.  Our friendship definitely reaches beyond the norm.  Her family has become mine over the years.  Her sister Kate is the older sister I never had.  And her parents are amazing and have done so much for me (in fact, they were our master and mistress of ceremonies at our wedding).

Stephanie and I were fortunate to go to the same grade school and middle school (we had a short blip of a few weeks in sixth grade when she transferred to Rockford, but thankfully she quickly came back).  We went to the same high school and even decided on CMU together.  It came time for her to graduate and she went to the Detroit area while I was still at CMU for another semester.  Thankfully, my job would land me right back in her area :)  Luckily, there was a room for rent in her house and before we knew it, we were back together again.

Since then, things have changed with living situations.  We both got married and jobs have taken Stephanie and Jon to different cities (Chicago and now Cali).  But the most amazing part is that there is nothing different with our friendship.  True, I don't get to see her as often, but that just makes our visits even more special.  She's still one of the very first people I call with good news or bad.  We still talk and e-mail all of the time. 

I was finally able to break the exciting news to her last night and I could just hear her excitement :)  It was so nice to finally be able to tell her EVERYTHING.  And I apologized for lying to her for the past month and half about my fake doctor's visits and fake tests I was having run.  Thankfully, she forgave me ;)  I just can't wait to share this new chapter with her.  She's going to be the best BFF auntie ever.

Love you BFF!

BFFs

Reveal: Part 1 of ?

We finally told our parents this weekend!  I am so happy :)  We broke the news to my in-laws Friday night when we got into town and then headed over to my parents to tell them as well.  Aaron's parents were very excited.  My mom could not believe that I told Aaron before her :)  She was obviously kidding...I hope.  She got all teary eyed when she saw the u/s picture and asked for a copy of her own.  She kept saying all night how excited she was.  I'm so glad she finally knows.  She's good at snapping me out of a funk, and as I go through this pregnancy journey, I know I'm going to need that from time to time.


We also told my brother Saturday morning.  He has told me several times since just how excited he his, how much he plans to spoil this baby, etc.  We told my sister via iChat Saturday night and she was thrilled as well.  I really wished she lived closer.  


All of Aaron's siblings are in the loop now too.  We asked everyone to wait to tell anyone else for a few weeks.  


Tomorrow I'm going to call my BFF and pray that I hope I talk to her (I do realize that I'll live if it waits a day or two).  This secret is killing me!! :)  She's such a part of my "family" that it's so hard having the rest of the family know and not her.


For now, here is the link to our "reveal" video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24xrHb6JKWw

Week10: Prune

I feel like I'm looking more and more bloated in these photos :)  Aaron kept asking if I was pushing out (I told him when we started I didn't want to exaggerate).  I kept telling him I wasn't.  

How big is baby: The size of a prune.  I'm ready to move on from this week.  In first grade, I had a little issue with going to the bathroom and got quite backed up.  One of my mom's attempted remedies was making me eat prunes :(  To this day, I hate them and don't even want to look at them.    

Weight gain/loss:  1 lb

Stretch marks: No.

Sleep:  Sleeping very well and actually starting to feel like a human again.  I can actually make it past 9pm.  Granted, we're talking maybe only 9:30 or 10 but hey, baby steps right?

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Still not feeling fabulous late afternoon/at night.  I'm ok though as long as I snack.   

Exercise:  Doing much better here too.  Going to the gym, walking, etc.  I just feel so much better after I do it.

Gender: We'll find out in October!

Movement: No.

The belly:  It's definitely bigger at night.  I have certain work pants I can't even attempt to wear normally (i need to bust out the bella band more often).   

What I'm spazzing about:  The fact that we don't go back to the doctor until week 14, May 2.  That seems so far away :(  I know I need to get used to it though.  The appointments will only be monthly for the first 7 months.  I just have serious anxiety issues and always think the worst is going to happen.  I have to have faith that everything is going to be fine and there has been nothing so far that has pointed to there being a problem.  

What I'm loving:  No more spotting!  Knock on wood, but it's finally completely gone for now.  

Symptoms:  Tired, sick at the end of the day.   

What I'm looking forward to:  Starting to finally tell people.  Our parents are first up tomorrow night :)  I told Aaron the whole rest of the lineup after that.  

Best moment of the week:  Seeing the baby again!  The OB's u/s machine wasn't as high tech as the RE's so everything looked a little smaller.  But we were able to have an abdominal u/s which means baby is getting bigger!  She was kicking her little legs away like crazy again :)

We LOVE our new OB office.  There are 4 doctors and 1 PA that you rotate between.  The doctor we saw yesterday was so nice.  She was very thorough, made sure to answer all of our questions, and did not rush us at all.  I know we are going to be really happy there.

Week 9: Olive

I was really tired here...I feel like this isn't the best picture :) oh well

Month three! And she’s no longer an embryo -- now she’s a fetus. Basically that means she’s becoming more and more baby-like. 

How big is baby: The size of an olive.  

See those little legs?? :)

Weight gain/loss:  0 lbs

Stretch marks: No.

Sleep:  Super tired...I sound like a broken record.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Starting to feel worse.  I'm ok in the mornings (besides the whole teeth brushing thing).  But come the afternoon, I feel sick, I'm starving, I'm exhausted...can I complain anymore? :) 

Exercise:  I made it to the gym once last week.  I have also gone on a few walks.  I really need to do more.

Gender: We'll find out in October!

Movement: No.

The belly:  I feel like the bloat is getting worse by the end of the day.  The 9 week picture and the 8 week picture were taken at the same time of the day and I feel like my stomach is definitely a little poochier.   

What I'm spazzing about:  Well, as you can see, we had an unexpected u/s this week.  I had spotting again on Monday and my RE told me to come in just to ease my mind.  We saw our little shrimpy kicking her legs like crazy.  Again, I worry for nothing.  

What I'm loving:  Seeing the baby look more like a baby :)  

Symptoms:  Tired.  Minimal spotting every once in a while.   

What I'm looking forward to:  Same as last week :)  Our first OB appointment on April 4 at 10 weeks.  And telling our family on Easter.  

Best moment of the week:  Seeing the baby again!  And seeing those little feet kick away.  I really wish they made in home u/s machines... :)

Photo Shoot

As I've mentioned numerous times, I'm dying to let the cat out of the bag.  I have never in my life kept a secret from my mom or my BFF for this long.  Thankfully the weeks have been going by more quickly than I though.  In the meantime, we've been contemplating how to break the news.  I think I mentioned the iMovie in the last post.  Here are a few outtakes.  I'll try to remember to post the full video once Aaron has finished it.  His latest idea is to put in scary Halloween music at the end with a Halloween picture since baby is due either the day before Halloween.

We didn't want Wally to feel left out :)

+ 1 !!!!

Funny picture to show us freaking out...obviously it's a joke.  We are so excited!

And as of now, we've decided to nickname baby "Shrimp" because Aaron thinks that baby looks like a shrimp in the latest ultra sound.  The second nickname (which I find way more funny) is "Eva" after the movie Wall-e.  His friend in the movie is "Eeev-a" (my best attempt at writing how it's pronounced).  And well, this baby will be Wally's friend.  I do realize that we have no idea if the baby is a girl and we don't plan to find out until our due date...but it's just too cute.  Hopefully, if it's a boy, baby will forgive us :)

Week 8: Raspberry

How far along: 8 weeks.  You can't feel it yet, but she's moving those arms and legs like crazy!  Her fingers and toes are now slightly webbed, and her tail (yes, she had one) is gone.  Baby's taste buds are now forming.

How big is baby: The size of a raspberry.  Aaron said baby was the size of a little shrimpy.  I think she's a little smaller than the shrimp we normally eat, but I'll go with it :)

Shrimp aka Eva...looking more and more like a baby!

Weight gain/loss:  0 lbs

Stretch marks: No.

Sleep:  Still really, really tired.  I can usually push it to 10 on the weekends.  My in-laws are coming Saturday and I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to stay up so late!

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Still not sick to my stomach.  I crave pizza just about every day.  I have a hard time brushing my teeth in the morning now without gagging.  If I use the electric toothbrush, I'm good, but I really have to divert my attention if I use my regular one.  Seems very weird. 

Exercise:  I've been walking almost every day.  I think this week/weekend I'm finally going to venture back to the gym and do the elliptical.

Gender: We'll find out in October!

Movement: No.

The belly:  Normal size in the mornings and gets rounder at the end of the day.  I know this is just bloat at this point :) 

What I'm spazzing about:  Well, today was graduation day.  I'm excited but nervous at the same time.  It's the same time we'll see our little shrimp every week :(  We have a tentative u/s on April 4 at our first OB appointment, but I'm not getting my hopes up.  It was just so nice having that reassurance every week.

What I'm loving:  Seeing the baby get bigger and bigger!  And hearing the heartbeat :)  It was at 169 bpm today which is right on track.

Symptoms:  Tired.  Still minimal cramping (that's almost gone now) and spotting.   

What I'm looking forward to:  Our first OB appointment on April 4 at 10 weeks.  And telling our family on Easter.  This morning, I really really wanted to go home this weekend so we could share the news.  I have a hard time keeping secrets from certain people :)

Best moment of the week:  Seeing the baby again!  And we made a short iMovie on Sunday that we are going to use to tell our family.  Now if Easter were only sooner than 2.5 weeks away...

Fun Things

This weather has been AMAZING for March in Michigan.  I am loving it!  We already have our winter "cleanup" yard work done.  We've already had our first walk to get ice cream of the season.  I even had to roll my pants up on one of our walks because I was so hot.  This is crazy for the middle of March!

Wednesday I had a client meeting for most of the day and got done a little early so I decided to go home and enjoy the weather.  This is what my temperature gauge said.  And we're projected to have more of the same for the next week at least :)

A few years ago, my BFF introduced me to Lill.  At my first visit, I made a cute clutch which I have since taken to almost every wedding I've been to :)  When I went to visit her in the fall, we went again and I fell in love with their Lexi style.  You can wear it across your body or over your shoulder or as a backpack type purse.  I've been looking every where for a cute over my body purse.  Now I could design my own!  I soon got an e-mail for a coupon and then Aaron bought me a GC for my birthday.  I finally made the purse about a month ago and it arrived this week.  I love it!  It's perfect for spring/summer and it even goes with tomorrow's St. Patty's festivities as my BFF pointed out.  I can't wait to use it :)

Week 7: Blueberry

Our appointment went great again today.  My numbers are fabulous, baby is measuring at 7w and the HB is up to 132!  Yay!

I have a reminder on my phone to take a few photos of me this weekend to document my progress.  I think I have the starting of the bloat, at least towards the end of the day.

How far along: 7 weeks.  She's generating about one hundred new brain cells each minute.  Not only is her brain becoming more complex, but her heart is too.  Also important: She's developing a permanent set of kidneys.  Her arm and leg joints are now forming.


How big is baby: The size of a blueberry.  Baby measured 9.31 mm today to be exact :)

Length of baby measuring 9.31 mm.

Compared to last week...definitely bigger!

HB measuring at 132 bpm

Weight gain/loss:  Still haven't weighed myself...

Stretch marks: No.

Sleep:  Super tired!  I still go to bed at about 9 every night now (yes, even the weekends).  

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Still not really feeling sick.  Sometimes at night when I get up to go the bathroom I feel a little off.  But nothing too bad at all.  I find that one minute I have a huge craving for something, then I eat it and have no desire to be near it again.  We had Anita's on Friday and it was amazing, but wanted nothing to do with the leftovers.  We had Thai on Saturday and Sunday I couldn't even stand the smell of the leftovers.  Aaron is definitely benefiting from this since he gets to eat all of my leftovers :)  

Exercise:  Still not really :(  With the cramping and bleeding, I've been trying to take it easy.  I'm still just taking Wally for walks.  We ordered a heart rate monitor for me to use at the gym (the doctor said to keep my heart rate at or below 120).  I'm just patiently waiting for that to arrive.

Gender: Still leaning towards being surprised.

Movement: No.

The belly:  Nothing noticeable besides the bloat look at the end of the day.

What I'm spazzing about:  The cramping and bleeding are still the big ones.  I had a big scare Tuesday morning.  The doctor reassured me again that it's completely normal and the baby was perfectly fine.  However, I would really just like the bleeding to stop for my own peace of mind.

What I'm loving:  Seeing the baby and hearing the HB every week :)  And seeing how fast the baby is growing!

Symptoms:  Tired.  Minimal cramping and spotting now.  Hungry all of the time, but then I get full really fast once I actually eat something.  

What I'm looking forward to:  Graduating from the RE next week.  Although, I guess it's also something that I'm slightly not looking forward to since I won't get to see the baby as often then.

Best moment of the week:  Seeing the baby and the reassuring HB :)

Moms

I am very fortunate in that my mom is not only the best mom, but one of my best friends.  I can honestly say that I don't think I ever went through that common teenager phase of hating my mom either.  Don't get me wrong, we fought and we still get in arguments, but they never lasted more than a day (my mom may feel differently :) ).

Yesterday, I was driving home and singing to the radio and a song came on that just had me completely in tears.  I can't even remember what the song was.  I just started thinking that, "Oh my gosh.  My grandma (mom's mom), died when my mom was 18 and was very sick for quite a while before that."  My grandma never saw my mom graduate from nursing school, and later get her BS degree.  She never got to meet any of us grand kids.  Any time my mom just needed to vent to her mom, she couldn't.  Any time she wanted to share some amazing news, she couldn't. 

And I just thought how incredibly fortunate I am that my mom is still here.  My mom is always one of the first people I call whether it's good news or bad.  She always sets me straight and tells me how it is.  She has the biggest heart.  And she truly has sacrificed so much for all three of us (dad too - I don't want to leave him out).  And there is no one else who will play endless games of Skipbo with me :)

Not telling our family and close friends has been one of the hardest things about this pregnancy.  I know that it will come soon enough...Easter is just around the corner.  But it's so hard for me to grasp that my mom never got to see the joy on her mom's face when she found out she was pregnant.  But my mom is here and I know she's going to be so incredibly excited when she does finally find out.

She's going to be the best Babushka ever ;)  I think it should stick, right mom?? :)

Edited: My mom informed me that Babushka means scarf in Polish.  Apparently I meant "Busha" or something like that :)  Oops!

Week 6ish +

As you can see from the title, I'm a little confused how far along I actually am.  I thought the doctor had said one thing, but then the ultrasound picture said another.  I'm going to confirm next week when we go back.  I was too excited about the visit that I didn't even think to reconfirm.  So, I'm going to hold off on the true weekly posts until I get it straightened out exactly where I am.


My blood levels are holding strong.  My beta was close to 30,000 (!!!) and my progesterone is holding steady in the 20s.  Still some very light spotting and mild cramping.  The doctor said he wasn't concerned as long as the spotting is light.  He said to just listen to my body and take it easy if I notice it getting any worse.  


The BEST news of today...we heard the heartbeat!  It's holding strong at 105 (which is in the very normal range for how far along we are) and the fetal pole is measuring at 2.77 mm.  So everything is looking great!  We go back in again next week (I love these weekly ultrasounds).  I was having a lot of anxiety last night so I feel so much better today.  We both left the office all smiles :) :) :)


And for your viewing pleasure, here are some pictures of last week's and this week's ultrasound.  It's still so crazy to think that this is real and we are actually having a baby :)

This is from last week (February 29, 2012).  Everything looked exactly as it should.

This is from today (March 7, 2012).  It shows that the fetal pole is present.  Everything still looks great!

And the picture showing the heart rate.  We both agreed it kind of sounded like white noise to us, but I'm guessing it will become more obvious once we are further along :)

Scared....

I have a very anxious personality.  All of my friends know that I worry ALL.OF.THE.TIME.  And being pregnant is no different.  I often wonder if I'd worry so much if we didn't go through what we went through back in the late fall/early winter.  I'm sure I would still worry somewhat - it's my personality.  But I find myself going to the bathroom every 30 minutes just to make sure everything is ok.  I have to do relaxation techniques when I start to feel crampy or have a backache. All of the normal pregnancy symptoms make me feel like I might be miscarrying.  I am so thankful we see the specialist so often.  Going one week seems like an eternity.  I can't imagine having to wait several weeks.  Wednesday we go in again to hopefully see the heartbeat.  I know that everything at this point is out of my hands.  I have been trying to think positive thoughts and have been praying a lot.  I just wish I could stop worrying.  Only one more day until the appointment...let's hope it goes by fast.

Week 6: Sweet Pea

I know that some people find the weekly updates long, and not so interesting.  But I want to make sure I document as much as I can for my own sake.  So feel free to just skip these posts if they bore you :)

How far along: 6 weeks.  Obviously, she's growing like crazy!  She's also circulating blood with her increasingly more sophisticated circulatory sytem.  She's about to get cuter too, since she's starting to sprout a nose, eyes, ears, chin and cheeks.  And she might even be wiggling her (paddle-like) hands and feet.

How big is baby: The size of a sweet pea.  Baby measured 8.9 mm today to be exact :)

Weight gain/loss:  Not sure.  I should probably weigh myself sometime soon.

Stretch marks: No.

Sleep:  Super tired!  I go to bed at about 9 every night now (yes, even the weekends).  Getting up for work at 6am has been rough.  I've definitely been hitting the snooze.  It was heavenly being at home this weekend and being able to sleep until 9 or 10 with no interuptions.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions:  Not feeling sick really at all (yet?).  I do get hungry quite often so I have to remember to bring snacks for work. 

Exercise:  Not really :(  With the cramping and bleading, I've been trying to take it easy.  I've taken Wally for a few 30 minute walks.  I'm going to reevaluate after out ultrasound next week.  I'd like to still do the eliptical and walk on the treadmill.

Gender: Obviously, it's way to early to tell.  And I'm leaning towards being suprised in October.

Movement: No.

The belly:  Nothing noticeable.  If anything, I feel like it's smaller since I'm so hungry all the time. 

What I'm spazzing about:  The cramping and bleading are the big ones.  Seeing the sac today made me feel a million times better.  But now I'm worried about getting to that next step next week of hearing the heartbeat.  I have a feeling this is going to be a SLOW week.

What I'm loving:  Seeing the little baby on the screen in the right place this time!  I can't tell you how much of a relief that was.

Symptoms:  Tired.  Minimal cramping and spotting now.  But it was definitely much worst a few weeks ago and last week. 

What I'm looking forward to:  Next weeks ultra sound where we should hear the heartbeat.  Baby steps right?

Best moment of the week:  Seeing the baby :)

Our little miracle

That's right!  I'm pregnant with Baby #2 :)  Here are the details....

After the specialist gave us the go ahead, we decided to try on our own.  We both figured nothing would happen.  We had tried 8 months on our own and the only time things actually worked, I was taking clomid.  My last cycle started January 18.  I used my OPKs and finally got a positive well after the "normal" day 14.  Shortly after that, I started spotting which is my typical cycle.  So I waited, and waited, and waited for my period to start.  Nothing.  Just spotting...yes, heavy at times, but definitely not what I typically expect.  I counted the days and realized that I was past the 28 day mark.  Finally, I decided to take a test on Sunday, February 19.  And this is what I saw....

Was I excited?  Yes!  Was a I scared?  YES!  The spotting was exactly how things with Baby #1 started.  And obviously, that didn't go well.  I called my RE's after office number and spoke with the nurse.  She told me to come in for blood work the next day and we'd go from there.  She kept reassuring me that 40% of women spot and have healthy pregnancies.  So Monday morning I went in for my blood work.  Beta was 80+ and progesterone was at 42!  That is awesome for me.  I have a history of very low progesterone.  Wednesday came and the second round of betas were at 180+ and progesterone still holding strong at 28.  I was then scheduled for my first ultrasound the following week (today). 

Well, the weekend didn't go so well.  I started cramping really badly.  Friday I had quite a bit of blood (at least it was a lot to me).  I called the RE and they said there wasn't much they could do but I could go in for blood work Sunday to ease my mind.  My betas were at 1400+ and progesterone at 30+.  So everything looked great.  The nurses response, some women just bleed.  It's just another way those babies like to make us nervous.

Today was the first ultra sound and we saw that little pea :)  Everything measured great.  We now go back next Wednesday to hear the heartbeat. 

This is real...our baby is in the right spot this time and growing.  There is still so much uncertainty and I know we aren't out of the woods just yet.  But I'm still grinning from ear to ear :)  And Aaron said he can finally sleep.

Waldo's World (and weekend update)

Thankfully, Wally has been rather tame lately :)  No new crazy stories to report.  He was lucky this weekend and had an extra long weekend because Aaron took a sick day on Friday.  Based on this picture, he was loving life :)  This is his favorite pose...he's not shameful at all.

Sunday night Aaron had a soccer game and Wally loves to play soccer.  Aaron has since regretted showing him how because he now always steels the ball.  I think it's super cute.  Aaron is more worried about him putting a hole in the ball :)

The rest of the weekend was so much fun!  I surprised my mom on Thursday.  She was COMPLETELY surprised.  Friday we went to lunch with my BFF's mom and grocery shopping.  Friday night was the first lenton dinner at the church I grew up at.  Saturday, my mom and I got mani's before I headed back to Detroit.  It was nice to be home without Wally to worry about.  I love him tons, but sometimes it's nice to just relax and spend time with my parents.  It's crazy to think I probably won't see them again until Easter.  That seems so far away!

Weekend Recap

Finally, a weekend in Detroit again!  Friday, I spent a few hours after work cleaning.  I hadn't done it for two weeks so the house was in desperate need.  Then we went to dinner with friends at a new restaurant in Ferndale.  It had an EXTENSIVE beer list.  The food was decent.  The wait took FOREVER though.  I think we'll wait to go back once the hype dies down a little.


Saturday, I ran a bunch of errands and bought all of the food for my mom's surprise.  That night, Michele, Amy, and I had a girls' night out.  We went to Emagine theater in Royal Oak for dinner and a movie.  Dinner was running a little late, but don't worry, you can bring food AND drinks into the theater!  What a great concept.  So all three of us ate our salads while watching The Vow.  Such a great movie :)  And to top off the night, I came home and watched Friends with Benefits.  Two girly movies in one night.  I don't usually get such a luxury :)


Today (as mentioned) was full of cooking.  Now, I'm trying to relax a little before getting things around for work tomorrow.  Why do the weekends always go by way too fast?

The menu at the restaurant lit up once
you opened the cover.  How cool!

Susie Homemaker

A day full of cooking.  That was my Sunday.  My mom is having surgery this week (nothing major-thankfully).  She sent an e-mail to all of us kids letting us know the date, reminding us to send flowers, and making sure we were coming home.  She meant the e-mail as a joke (maybe partially serious?? :) ).  But it got me thinking.  My mom ALWAYS takes care of us when we are sick.  She held back our hair and rubbed our backs countless nights when we had the flu.  She always made us chicken noodle soup or buttered toast.  She made me milkshakes when I had my wisdom teeth out and saved Christmas dinner for me until I could actually eat it.  But who takes care of my mom when she's sick?


So I had a great idea.  I have plenty of vacation, so I'll take Friday off, head home Thursday night and surprise my mom.  What's better than flowers?  Home cooked meals that you just have to heat up and your oldest daughter on your doorstep in for the weekend!  So I spent my day making several things for my parents to enjoy this week...lasagna, chicken noodle soup, chicken pot pie, and banana bread.


I've been dying all week to tell my parents, but I know seeing my mom's surprise will make it well worth it :)  Now if Thursday would just hurry up and get here!

Our kitchen was a mess but I know it will be well worth it!!

Sometimes...

Sometimes, I let this infertility roller coaster get the best of me.  A lot of days, I'm ok even great.  Especially now that we have a plan in place and have an amazing team of doctors and nurses.  But some days, I just don't want to deal with it anymore.  I don't want to have to watch the calendar, take too many pills per day, remember to call the nurse when my cycle starts, make doctors appointments for monitoring multiple times during the month.  But I know it will all be worth it in the end. 

Yesterday was a VERY long day at work and I was mad that I had to work so late on Valentine's Day.  Our takeout was cold by the time I finally got home.  And I had to remind Aaron to make his doctor's appointment again (to be fair, he's been super busy at work, and it's not really an appointment he can schedule around other people).  So I snapped at him and ruined the whole hour and half I was home on Valentine's Day before I went to bed.

Today, I have a new outlook.  I get to leave work at a normal time.  And a run at the gym is definitely in order.  Today will be better.



From imgfave.com



The Loss of Music Icon

Saturday, it was announced that Whitney Houston had passed away.  The next day I immediately went on to iTunes and purchased her greatest hits CD.  Seriously, every single song (well the older ones at least), hold some type of memory from my childhood/teen years.  I listened to The Body Guard Soundtrack on my walkman (on tape) every single day while waiting for the bus.  I know she's had some problems in recent years...but you can't deny that she was an amazing artist.  My BFF and I cranked her music and danced our hearts out to many of her hits.

Weekend Update

We went to celebrate my birthday in Rockford with my parents and Aaron's parents this weekend.  I was so excited to go home and feel good and be able to eat anything without feeling sick.  And my two families did not disappoint :)

Friday I left work early for the sole reason that I just wanted to be home with my parents.  Little did I know, that the weather was going to decide to dump 5 inches of snow along our drive.  Thankfully, we left early...it took us over 4.5 hours to get there.  My mom had burritos ready and waiting for us when we walked in the door.  Then we had ice cream cake for desert.  We finished up our night with a few rounds of Skip-bo (or dumb-bo as my dad refers to it...he hates the game :) ).

Saturday my mom and I got up and walked Wally in the freezing cold...she kept warm by wearing the most non-matching articles of clothing she could find :)  At least she was warm though.  Then we got ready and headed to the mall to shop for my b-day present from my parents.  Of course, the day was all about my mom and not me :)  Just kidding!  My mom and I have this outstanding joke that every time we shop for me, she's always the one that finds everything and I walk away empty handed.  My parents ended up getting me an Amazon gift card so I can buy books for my kindle.  At night, we went to church and then to a great Chinese dinner.

Sunday, Aaron and I went to his parent's for brunch with his parents and my brother and sister-in-law.  It was great to see everyone I was so grateful for the delicious breakfast and fun presents!

Then it was sadly time to head back to Detroit.  I love living here and love all the friends we've made, but I definitely wish we were closer to family.  My parents currently think we aren't coming home until Easter.  But, my mom is having minor surgery at the end of this month, so I'm going to go home and surprise her and stay for a few days.  I plan to do some cooking this weekend that I can freeze and take to them for meals.  I'm going to call my dad the day before to give him as little time as possible to spill the beans to my mom.  Fingers crossed the surprise works!! :)

Our Consultation

First, iIf anyone ever reading this is in need of a fertility specialist in the Detroit area, I highly highly recommend RMA of Michigan.  Now, about our appointment...

Dr. Wolf came highly recommended to us by a friend.  We met with her first.  We talked about what happened at the end of last year.  We talked about my chances for a recurring ectopic.  We talked about what could have caused it, etc.  She had a couple of concerns. 

• In 2007, I had a D&C due to irregular bleeding.  In that report, there was something found that could mean that I have an infection in my uterus.  Nothing life threatening for me, but it could make my uterus "hostile" for an embryo to implant causing our pregnancy to go back up my tube to find a "safer" place.  I should have been given antibiotics and wasn't.  Obviously, I was upset when I heard this. 
• She's also concerned that I could have some type of blockage in my right tube.  She did say that a lot of women ovulate more out of their right tube (very interesting) but there is medicine to help the left tube along if the right one is no longer viable.

She was so helpful and so nice.  We talked about our next steps.  She's a no nonsense kind of doctor and gets that we've already had a shitty road and we don't want to mess around anymore.  I really appreciate that.

I have to take those antibiotics for 30 days.  During that time we can try on our own.  They won't hurt a pregnancy if we conceive on our own.  Also, I'll have an HSG run this month as well to check for blockages.  As long as everything goes well, we'll then move on to 100 mg of clomid in March. 

Dr. Wolf also did a brief exam just checking my heart and lungs.  When she finished up, she looked directly in my eyes, grabbed my hand, and asked me how I was really doing, asking if my stomach was healing ok, etc.  That was the first time other than the ER and OR staff that a doctor really seemed to care.  I know my OB/GYN has a rushed personality, I've figured that out over the years.  But it was nice to see that she really cared.  I have a lovey-dovey, I need attention type personality and it was nice to feel that from Dr. Wolf.

We then met with our nurse, Chris.  Each patient is assigned a nurse who seems them through all of their treatments.  She'll be the one calling with test results, getting me ready for my next treatment, etc.  How great to have someone so familiar with your case at all times?  She was also incredibly knowledgeable, nice, caring, and funny.  I can tell we'll really like her.  She went a little more in depth on everything.  She mentioned that with the clomid, we'll also receive a trigger shot which helps to release the egg.  We won't jump into IUI just yet.  Fingers crossed that we this all works.  Chris also kept stressing that they are open 365 days a year which is awesome.  Like she said, your cycles don't care what day of the year/week it is, so we want to make sure we give everyone the best chance of success.

Lastly, we met with the financial person who deals with the benefits.  She gave us a cost breakdown of everything before insurance.  Everything was right in line with what I thought it would cost so we are on track there (I'm a numbers person).

I left feeling 100% better.  The only two things hanging over my head now are these antibiotics and then the HSG test and results. 

Maybe we'll get lucky and be able to do this on our own this month...although I'm not counting on it, it still would be a very nice surprise.

We're finally moving forward and it feels great!