Monticello

Spencer's parents just got here and the first thing we did was go to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. It was so neat. The house is beautiful and sits on over 500 acres. The views were breathtaking.

There is a wonderful walkway lined in gorgeous flowers that wraps around the huge front lawn.

The grounds also include a large vegetable garden and fruit garden. I can't believe how immaculate this vegetable garden is. And look at the view in the distant....beautiful!

7 Weeks

Well, I'm still pregnant! I am 7 weeks today and things are going pretty good. This ultrasound was taken last week. Isn't our baby adorable! HA! I can't wait until I can see more on the ultrasound picture. We have our next appointment next week. I have definitely been sick. I haven't thrown-up yet, thank goodness, but I have been very nauseous. It comes and goes but when I do get it, it lasts all day. None of this "morning" sickness for me...it's "all day" sickness. In fact, last Sunday it was the worst day I have had so far. I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed all day but what-do-you-know...we were speaking in church that day! What a day. I put a small plastic bag in my purse just in case I had an "accident". I was SO sick! I am watching my weight closely and trying to eat right. I actually lost 2 pounds then I gained one back, so I am still down 1 pound. I guess my ovaries are still really big, which they are kind of concerned about. They will tell me more next week at my appointment. To be honest, I still worry about miscarrying. I am trying to be good and stick with the "no exercise" rule and just take slow walks. I can't wait until I am out of the high-risk pregnancy category.

Summer Job

Spencer finally got a summer job. He is going to be a research assistant for 2 professors on campus. This is a great opportunity for him to work on his research skills, because even out of law school at your first firm, that is basically all you do anyway. The 2 professors are going to treat it like a "firm" job and make him keep track of "billable hours", research real-life practical stuff (whatever that is. ha!) and do write-ups on cases and things like that. It doesn't pay as much as a firm would but it does pay so we are thrilled; any little bit helps. This job is also great for him because I can keep working at my job and we don't have to move or relocate over the summer.

IT WORKED!!

Yes, I am pregnant! We can't believe it. We couldn't be happier. I will be 5 weeks tomorrow and my preliminary due date is December 17th. Since we did In-Vitro it is still considered to be a high-risk pregnancy. The week of May 7th we will hear the baby's heartbeat, if that goes well then I won't be high-risk anymore and I can then go to my normal OBGYN. I think we are still in shock and it doesn't seem real yet. It has been a long and sometimes rough road. We have been blessed in so many ways and are so thankful for this greatest blessing of all!

A Blessing & A Miracle

You are not going to believe this. So we already feel so blessed that I was able to get into the study at Shady Grove Fertility Clinic because we only had to pay $5500 instead of about $14000. Yesterday Tasha, my nurse at Shady Grove, called and said she needed to verify my address. I gave her my address and she then said, "You heard about the good news, right?" I said, "What good news?" I thought she was talking about that fact that they were able to freeze 2 of our embryos. She then told me that the study has gone so well, way beyond their expectations that the medical group that is conducting the study has decided they don't want any financial burdens on the study patients and we are getting a 100% refund!! They are mailing us a check back for $5500! I just about died. Tasha laughed and said, "It's almost like winning the lottery." As soon as I hung up the phone I started to cry. I cannot believe how blessed we are! Spencer and I couldn't stop talking about it. We just can't believe that a medical company has decided to do that. You never hear of stuff like that happening and to us!! $5500 is a lot of money and a huge financial burden off our shoulders. We really feel this is a blessing and a miracle from Heaven! We thank God everyday for all our many blessings!

Freezing Embryos

They were able to freeze 2 of our embryos. That is very good news. Using frozen embryos are good and bad. They are good because I don't have to go through all those shots and the egg retrieval again, they are ready for implantation. The bad thing is that your pregnancy rate goes down to about 30%. They gave us a 65% pregnancy rate with our one fresh embryo. So it goes down a lot. Whether or not this pregnancy works we will be using both of our frozen embryos in the future. Because the pregnancy rate drops they will put back both at the same time. The price doesn't really drop that much with the use of frozen embryos. It only knocks off about $3000 of the total price, meaning it will be about $8000-$10000 to do another cycle. Ouch! Thank goodness for student loans! ha!

All Done

We had the embryo transfer on Monday at 12:15pm. Everything went well and they said that the embryo was high quality. We don't know yet how many they are going to be able to freeze for future use, they will call us with updates about that. We are home now and I am actually at work today. I feel okay, still bloated from the large ovaries but doing well. Our next appointment is April 16, they will do blood work and an ultrasound to see if I am pregnant. Thanks for everyone's prayers, love and support through this whole process.

IVF Fertilization Day 3

I didn't have the transfer done today. They called me this morning and pushed it back until Monday, at noon (day 5). I have an appointment tomorrow morning to check for infection and fluid build-up from the egg retrieval. I haven't been feeling well and have been in a lot of pain so they are going to have me come in so they can make sure I am still doing okay. They said they pushed me back to a Day 5 transfer because we have a lot of embryos still doing very well. It is a good thing to do a Day 5 transfer because you have strong, robust embryos and pregnancy rates are higher on a Day 5 transfer. They will only transfer 1 embryo on Day 5. If we would have had a Day 3 transfer they would have put back 2. We are almost there...can't wait for all of this to be over. What a roller-coaster week and experience this has all been!

IVF Fertilization Day 2

Today they called me and said that about 7 are at the 4-cell stage, 5 at the 3-cell stage and 7 stayed at the 2-cell stage. They scheduled me for a Day 3 transfer, which is tomorrow. My appointment is at 2pm. They still might call me in the morning and change to a Day 5 transfer depending on how they grow tonight. They kind of leveled off a little bit. Almost all of their transfers are Day 3 transfers anyway, so it's not a big deal. They say our embryos still look good.

Below, I added a picture of the needle I use for my bum shots. As you can see, it is bigger than the other needles I have used. It is wider and longer. The medicine is actually an oil based medicine so the needle has to be wider so the oil can fit. Anyway, everything is still going great.

IVF Fertilization Day 1

Today they called me and said that 19 embryos have made it to the 2-cell stage. Tomorrow they expect about 9 to make it to the 8-cell stage. All embryos that implant (which means I'm pregnant) do so at the blastocyst stage regardless of the stage of development at which they are transferred. So even if they do the transfer on Day 3 (Saturday), the embryos wouldn't implant into the lining of the uterus until they are at the blastocyst stage. That is why the pregnancy rate is higher if you transfer on Day 5 (Monday), they are ready to implant immediately. Last night I started my bum shots. Spencer and I went to an injection class on Tuesday and I think he feels more confident and understands more of how to give me the shot. He is doing a great job. I usually ice the spot for about 20 minutes beforehand and it really helps. It really isn't that bad...honestly it isn't. I know some of you are probably thinking..."yeah right", but it's really quick and I barely feel it. It hurts worse afterwards because I am supposed to rub the spot for a while to massage the medicine deep into the muscle. Then the next day it is a little sore, kind of like a bruise. We switch sides every night to even it out.

I am still recovering from the egg retrieval; I still have some abdominal pain and cramping. The pain medicine really has helped a lot.

IVF Egg Retieval

This morning was my egg retrieval. Everything went very well. We couldn't believe it when they told us but I had 28 eggs!!!! I knew I had a lot of eggs because the last day or so I have had bad stomach pains and cramps and I was bloated; but I had no idea it was going to be that many. The nurses and the doctor were surprised as well and kept saying, "you had a lot of eggs." I guess my body was loving that medicine. The procedure took a little longer than normal because I had so many eggs, and I feel a little more pain because of it too. I am on a low does of Vicodin which helps the pain. I slept a lot today and finally got up and I have been walking around. I do feel better but I know it will take a while for the pain to go away completely. Spencer has been taking good care of me! They will call us tomorrow and let us know how many they fertilize and how they are doing.

IVF Update

I took my trigger shot last night at 8:45pm and boy was it intense for a few minutes. At about 8:25pm I went upstairs to get ready and then realized that no one told me how much to give myself of the medicine. I started to panic. I called Tasha and she didn't answer so I called the Shady Grove Emergency Hotline. They said that a Dr. will call me back in 30 minutes. I told her that I didn't have 30 minutes and I was supposed to give myself the shot in 15 minutes. She said that is all she could do is page the Dr. on call. I hung up with her and Tasha called me back. She gave me the proper dose amount. I was so relieved. Then as soon as I hung up with her Dr. Saffan called me and told me the amount as well. Whew! I quickly got the needle ready. Spencer was kind of nervous...afterall it was his first time being a nurse! He did a great job. The shot was quick and not too bad. I iced the spot for a few minutes beforehand and I think it helped. Today, Tuesday, I don't have any Dr. appointments and I am done with all my stimulation medicine...yes that means I didn't have to give myself a single shot today! Yeah!! I can totally tell a difference in how I feel though. I have constant pain in my lower abdomen, like cramping. I mean I have like 10 large eggs instead of one so go figure! I have to be at the office tomorrow by 7:15am to start the prep work for the egg retrieval. I am put under for the procedure, afterwards I have to stay in bed there for about an hour to wake up and get oriented again. Then I go home and rest all day...I will be on pain medication as well. They also said that I need to start a high protein diet with lots of Gatorade for the next couple of weeks...at least until the pregnancy test. So off to Costco for cases of Gatorade! Well, wish me luck for tomorrow.

Below are pictures of us with my nurse Kelly Lee and with my doctor, Dr. Saffan! They are so great! We couldn't have asked for better people to work with!

IVF Stimulation Day 8

I am progressing nicely! I now have 8 that are over 1.7!! I am so excited. I didn't trigger last night but I am for sure triggering tonight! They will call me around 5pm and tell me the exact time to take my trigger shot; my egg retrieval will be Wednesday morning.

IVF Stimulation Day 7

This morning they took 2 vials of blood and did an ultrasound. As you can see from the print-out I now have 3 that are over 1.7! And a few more that are really close. The next step is for me to take my "trigger" shot. I have to take this special medicine exaclty 36 hours before my egg retrieval called my "trigger" shot. So they might "trigger" me tonight, which means they would do the egg retrieval Tuesday morning. If I take my "trigger" shot at 9pm tonight, then my egg retrieval is at 9am on Tuesday (36 hours). I know...very confusing! Everyday I ask so many questions so I can understand all of this. Tasha has been so great and understanding! The clinic will call me tonight between 4-6pm and let me know if they are going to trigger and at what time to take my (shot) medicine. If I don't trigger tonight then it will be for sure Monday night! I can't beleive how far I have come and that this whole process is almost over. Spencer is coming up Monday night and I can't wait to see him.

IVF Stimulation Day 6

Well, I wasn't supposed to have an appointment today but yesterday Tasha called me and said that my estradial level was high and so she wanted to see me today. Everything is fine...she just wanted to monitor me some more. She dropped my daily dose of Follistim to 150 instead of 200. I now have 2 follicles that are at a 1.7! This is very exciting. Just a few more and then they can do the egg retreival.

IVF Stimulation Day 5

I started Ganarelix this morning. It is a daily shot in my upper thigh. It is a drug that is used to prevent premature ovulation. Since the dr's are manipulating my body and its normal processes, they can't let me ovulate until a certain time. The shots are okay, it stung a little but wasn't that bad. As you can see the needle is small like the other one. I also had another Dr's appointment this morning. They took 2 vials of blood and did another ultrasound. The ultrasound tech said that I was the perfect study patient. She said all my tests and ultrasounds are perfect. Tasha gave me a print-out of my follicle growth (see below). The column heading that says "mean" is what they look at. There is a check mark above that column. Tasha said that when I have at least 4-5 that are at least 1.7 then they will do the egg retrieval. Starting Sunday the 25th, they will do daily ultrasounds to monitor the growth.

IVF Stimulation Day 4

Today's shot was much better than yesterday. I think the key is to go slow. I leave this afternoon to go back up to DC. My next appointment is tomorrow (Friday) morning. Also, tomorrow I start my leg shots.

IVF Stimulation Day 3

Today was the first day that Spencer watched me give my shot. He was so proud! This mornings shot stung a little and I bled a tiny bit where the needle went in. It's probably because Spencer was watching and I was showing off a little! ha! I feel fine though. Tomorrow I will be more careful. I still don't feel any different...I think by the end of the week and beginning of next week, Tasha said I will feel a little bloated and maybe some slight abdominal pain. We will see!

IVF Stimulation Day 2

This morning I gave myself the tummy injection and it went smoothly. I am already a pro and it's only been 2 days! I shouldn't brag quite yet because Friday, Day 5 of stimulation I start leg injections! Stay tuned!

IVF Stimulation Day 1

Today, Monday March 19th, I start my injections, they call this Day 1 of stimulation. Everything now counts up from today. Today they took 4 vials of blood, did a transvaginal ultrasound to measure my follicles and they took my height, weight and blood pressure. Today I start a low-dose of aspirin (81mg), I take daily for a few weeks. So I have to say that my injection today wasn't bad at all. I was REALLY nervous and thought it was going to hurt. As you can see below the needle is so small and I swear...I can't even feel it going in. So this is my routine. First I have to use an alcohol wipe and wipe off my skin (on the left side of my belly button about down 1 inch). I let it dry. Then I attach the needle to my pen, turn the knob at the bottom until it is at 200. I then pinch a section of my skin, put in the needle, let go of my skin and then push in the end of the pen, that injects the medicine. That's it! It is so quick and easy!
My next appointment is Friday March 23rd and will start daily monitoring. I will stay up there until about April 1st or 3rd. My appointmenst are in Rockville, Maryland which is about 3 hours north of Lexington. I am staying with my sister's in-laws. They are so nice and very generous. I will give daily updates and let everyone know what is happening next.

IVF Office Visit #1

My first office visit was Sunday March 18th at 11 a.m. I was so excited and nervous. Today they took 3 vials of blood and a urine sample. They did a transvaginal ultrasound and measured every single follicle (unfertilized eggs develop in follicles located in the ovaries) and they also did a pelvic exam. Then they took my height, weight and blood pressure. I then met with Tasha Newsome. Tasha is the Clinical Research Coordinator. Most of my appointments will be with her. Below is a picture of us together. She is so nice and very encouraging. We talked about what to expect and all my injections. Yes injections. I know some of you didn't know that I have to give myself daily injections. The first medicine I start with is Follistim. This medicine is a follicle-stimulating hormone, which basically means it will help me produce more than one egg...by the end of a week or so, I should have about 10-14 eggs. I use what is called the Follistim Pen. It comes with preloaded vials of medicine and all I have to do is attach the needle and turn the dial to my daily dose wich is 200 IU. It seems pretty easy but I hope it doesn't hurt. We will see on Monday!

Finally, A New Oven

Our old oven finally died. I have been waiting for this to happen and was so excited that our landlords bought us a new oven. Using our old gas oven was a process. You had to turn it on...not knowing to what temperature, wait about 10-15 minutes then open the oven door and using a flashlight look at the hanging internal thermometer, then adjust accordingly. And it was always fun and a surprise when I would think I was cooking dinner and only to find out that mid-way through cooking the pilot light had gone out and the temperature had dropped, ruining dinner. Arghhhh!
I love our new oven! Isn't it pretty? I had no idea how much I could love an oven! HA!

Just Us

Since we don't have children to fill up our blog with pictures...you get to see some of us. During our snow storm a few weeks ago, Spencer and I went outside and played in the snow for a little bit. It was so cold, we didn't stay out long. Then because of the ice storm on Feb 13th, we were without heat, water and power and, of course, miserable so we skipped/missed Valentine's Day, so Spencer bought me roses a couple of days later. The last picture was just taken a few days ago right before church.

Ice Storm

We had a BIG ice storm Tuesday, Feb.13th! It rained and rained and then froze...over everything. Tuesday night we didn't sleep at all. Twice during the night large branches broke off from trees and hit the house, sending us through the roof! It was pretty scary; they couldn't take the weight of the ice. All night we could hear branches breaking and falling through the woods. When the wind blows it sounds like little chimes because of the ice on all the branches. The power, heat and water went out at midnight and has been out for 2 days. It has been miserable to say the least. We had to go to friends to shower. We bought blocks of ice and put our food in coolers and bought tons of water. At least our stove works because it is a gas stove so we can boil water and I have managed to cook dinner. I didn't go to work on Wednesday and Spencer didn't make it to class. On top of all this, Spencer is getting really sick. We have to keep the fire burning all day and all night so the pipes don't freeze. At night the temperature drops to single digits. It has been so cold! Despite the horrible conditions we are living in...we have managed to take some great pictures. When the sun shines the trees look like crystal. It is so pretty.

More Ice Pictures

The tree tops look grey because of the ice. Below, Spencer and I are bundled up by the fire early in the morning. Poor Spencer is trying to be diligent with his homework and continues to read.

First Snow

We finally had our first snow. It snowed about 7 inches in one night.

Stuck

With all the snow, we have had our fair share of problems. The first day we made it into work/school just fine but on our way home was another story. We couldn't make it all the way up our driveway. We were stuck. This picture shows you how far away we still were from our house. We just left the car there and walked home. The next morning we were still stuck and tried several times to manoeuver the car around. Spencer finally got it to move and we backed down the entire driveway and barely made it out and then on the way home we got stuck again and just left the car in the middle of the driveway and walked up to our home. We have been able to come and go the last few days but not without spinning the wheels a lot. It has been a struggle. What an experience!

Gathering of Friends

Our friends had a little get-together at their house about 2 weeks ago. We just hung-out and talked about...you guessed it Law School. All the spouses are law students so what else is there to talk about. We had a lot of fun playing with the kids. They are so fun.

Cold Nights

One evening it was so cold, I wasn't sure our heating was going to cut it. Spencer made a great fire in our fireplace. It warmed the house right up. It was so cozy!

Dirty Water

I have been trying to explain to people how dirty our water gets after a storm so I took this picture to prove my point. This is a completely clean toilet and we had just had a big rain storm. See how gross it is. I can't do laundry because the water is so brown. Even when it hasn't been raining the water looks a little weird. We buy all our water for drinking and cooking.

Christmas with the Allred Family

The Allreds like to play games! Starting from bottom left: Josh (Steph's boyfriend), Crystal, Kyle, Ryan, Holli, Steph, and Lori.














This is Christmas Eve and Brandon (Heidi's brother) and Becky's house. It's tradition for us to act out the nativity story with towels, bathrobs and mom's old jewerly! The little kids (and some big kids) really have a ball with this!

Christmas with the Jarvis Family

Spencer and I flew home to Utah for Christmas. We had so much fun being with our families. We missed them so much! Here are a few pictures of our Utah adventures.

We spent a whole afternoon with Spencer's family, playing games and of course, eating! Spencer's mom and dad are retired and I guess bored as well, because they made this spit-ball gun out of pvc pipe! Crazy! Spencer's dad filled it full of wet marshmellows and started blowing! Spencer got it! Below is my neice, Hannah. She is so cute. We had a lot of fun playing with her.