Ben's Baby Blog

We're Moving!

2008-03-16T13:47:00.002-04:00

No, not in real life. I have a new blog. Please take a minute to check it out and enter my contest:

http://wvmountainmama.wordpress.com

I'm going to keep this blog posted, but it will no longer be active.

Another Milestone: Ben can roll from side to front!

2008-03-12T05:43:00.006-04:00

It's another milestone! Ben is 21 weeks today...

Ben has been getting close to this for a couple weeks now but he couldn't quite get his lower arm out of the way to complete the transition. Yesterday evening, he was laying on the floor and pulled himself all the way over from his side to his front using the leg of the coffee table. He did it twice.

Now, I have to preface this next part by saying we have been putting Ben to sleep on his side for the past couple weeks, a fact that will be explained in a future post. The night before last, he woke up without crying and I could hear him "playing" on the baby monitor for 40 minutes! This morning at about 4 he wanted to play again, so I put him back in his crib awake. About 30 minutes later, he began crying so Tim went to check on him. He was on his belly! We tried to feed him but he wanted to play so we put him back in his crib. About 10 minutes later he cried again so Tim went to check on him- he was on his belly again!

So, it's not technically "rolling from back to front." However, I think that's just a technicality. After all, he can roll from back to side and now from side to front. It stands to reason he can do a full roll- we just have to "catch" him doing it!

As for the disturbing trend of wanting to play in the middle of the night, here's hoping it's just a fluke!

Enrichment Clusters

2008-03-10T20:09:00.004-04:00

OK, so this is totally not Ben-related, but it's on my mind so I'm putting it out there:

My principal wants to try the Renzulli model of enrichment clusters. Basically, the entire school is taking one entire day and doing this. It's going to be a Friday in May. She is asking teachers, "what would you do with children if you had no curriculum and no testing and deadlines, etc.?" For the entire day, all students will get to choose (ahead of time) 4 different enrichment clusters to visit. "Regular" classes will not be held. Some clusters will be facilitated by teachers, and others by community volunteers. Of course all the "traditional" teachers are FREAKING out. I think it's kind of neat, but I'm having a hard time coming up with "different" things I could do. After all, I already teach my favorite subject!

Here are my ideas:

Knitting
Crocheting
Introduction to Guitar (they would have to have their own)

Obviously, the above ideas are for older kids. So here's my question, teacher friends:

What would you do with kids if there was no curriculum and no set subject matter and the only limitation was time (and, well, money)?

Blog Business

2008-03-08T20:38:00.008-05:00

When Tim and I did in vitro fertilization, my good friend sophanne kept a digital scrapbook of the entire thing. It was before I knew much about blogging and she offered to do it so I said sure! I really can't say how grateful I am that she did this for us! I emailed her updates after each appointment and she posted them online. We now have a record of the entire thing- and looking back, it's amazing how quickly little details get lost.

Now that I have my own blog, I thought it would be nice to have those posts be a part of this blog. So, over the next several days, I am going to be copying those posts to this blog. I just wanted to give my dear readers a heads up that "new old" posts would be showing up.

P.S.- The IVF posts are going to show up in the archives since I'm putting their original date (2007) on them. But, if you use a feed reader, they will show up as "new."

What feed reader do you use?

2008-03-07T19:36:00.001-05:00

We interrupt the regularly scheduled baby blog to ask input from our readers:

What feed reader do you use?

I use Google Reader but for the past couple days, when I click "all items" (to scan through everything new), I get an error message. So I have to click on each feed individually. Which is a drag.

Thanks in advance for your input!

2008-03-06T02:53:00.001-05:00

A rare Ben and Mommy pic (I am usually behind the camera):

That's not going to happen to MY baby! Part II: The Bald Spot

2008-03-02T07:47:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, when Ben was a newborn, I saw a 4-month old baby out in public. The back of her head literally looked as if it had been shaved. At first glance, that is what I thought had happened. Upon further review, however, I realized that this baby was experiencing something I had read about in the baby books: The Bald Spot.

In case you haven't read the latest baby books, the bald spot happens when babies rub their fine, delicate hair off by laying in the same position. My parents told me I had less hair on one side because that was the side I preferred to lay on.

Well, I thought, that's not going to happen to MY baby! That only happens to babies whose parents let them lie around all the time and never hold them. Boy, was I naive! At about 2.5 months, I was washing Ben's hair and noticed that there was hardly any hair on the back of his head! At first, I was mortified that my son was suffering from such neglect! Then I realized all the opportunities Ben's fine, delicate hair had to get rubbed off: he sleeps on his back, his head lays against his little chair, and the back of his head rubs against his swing, his carseat, etc. This phenomenon didn't happen as much in the "old days" when babies slept on their stomachs. Ben gets held plenty.

Luckily, Ben's bald spot isn't too noticeable since he has blonde hair. That little girl's spot was super-noticeable with her dark hair. And, it's not completely bald. He has some fuzz growing there. It just doesn't have the chance to get as long as the rest of his head.

Ben's 4-Month Checkup

2008-03-01T16:18:00.000-05:00

I plan to post the 2nd installment of the "That's not going to happen to MY baby!" series later on this weekend. But in the meantime, I'm going to post about Ben's 4-month visit to the pediatrician.

Here are his stats:

Weight: 14 pounds, 14 ounces (50th percentile)
Height: 25 inches (50th percentile)
Head Circumference: 16.5 inches (50th percentile)

As you can see, Ben is refreshingly average, physically. Phew! I try not to focus on the numbers, but I do want him to be "normal." It isn't an indicator of future stature anyway. He hasn't quite doubled his birth weight but he has grown 4.5 inches in length!

The pediatrician commented, "He has very distinctive features. He's very cute." See, even the professionals think he's good-looking. ;)

Everything checked out fine and he took his shots like a champ. I had a choice between a combo vaccine, which would mean less needle sticks but one extra dose of hep B vaccine that he didn't need, or separating them out, which would mean 1 more needle stick but no extra vaccine. The doctor told me 85% of people opt for 1 less stick and 1 extra dose. I decided to be in the minority on that one. Why inject him with a vaccine he doesn't need?

That's not going to happen to MY baby! Part I: The Binky

2008-02-16T21:28:00.001-05:00

Ben is only 4 months old (tomorrow!) and already there are several examples of things I swore wouldn't happen to MY baby... that happened to my baby.

It started when he was about 2 hours old and suddenly a pacifier appeared in his hospital bassinet. I have no idea how or when it got there. I had already "decided" that we would not give our baby a pacifier- we would "meet his needs" rather than "plug him up." I thought, "if his needs are met, he won't need a pacifier." I was a little groggy from the surgery so I didn't do anything about the offending pacifier. I think I thought it was decoration- how cute! The baby sleeping in the bassinet, all bundled up with his little hat and the pacifier laying there next to him...Awww! Then he cried and a nurse put it in his mouth. The horror! I reached into his bassinet and grabbed it right out of his mouth. "We aren't going to use a pacifier," I said to the nurse. "OK," she said, smiling, with just a touch of sarcasm. I thought for sure that nipple confusion would set in right away and he would never be able to breastfeed again after taking that pacifier.

2 weeks after bringing Ben home from the hospital, I bought my 2nd 2-pack of pacifiers. Only by then we had a nickname for them, thanks to his pediatrician: Binkies. We now have one in the crib, one in the pack and play, one in his little chair, and one in his carseat. Plus the original hospital floats around the house as a spare. It's not like he sucks on them constantly, but there are times when they really...well...pacify him! And he is still breastfeeds like a champ!

One footnote to this story for any expectant mommies reading this: a couple days after coming home from the hospital, Ben developed a red spot on the tip of his nose that eventually scabbed over. It took a couple days for us to realize the culprit: that little "Soothie" binky from the hospital was too big for him and it was rubbing his nose! So he had a sore nose for a while and I experienced my first "mommy guilt." You can see it in the picture below.

THEN we tried binkies we had been given as gifts- they were butterfly shaped and didn't rub his nose, but they were too big and he couldn't keep them in. So we bought "newborn" binkies at Target and they did the trick (he's still using them). The binky in the picture at the top is one of the big ones. I don't have a pic of the newborn ones, but they are a lot plainer than that one. Oh, and he's gotten big enough now that the Soothie doesn't rub his nose!

Sleepyhead

2008-02-13T09:04:00.002-05:00

Ben has been sleeping really well this week! Our bedtime routine seems to be working:

6:30 pm*: feed Ben
7:00 pm: give Ben a bath- This seems to be his favorite part of the day. As soon as we start undressing him he starts smiling and looking around. Even if he is crying, he stops crying when he realizes his bath is coming. He smiles in his bath and looks at a little rubber ducky toy. Sometimes he tries to grab the toy but isn't coordinated enough to do it yet.

7:15 pm: feed Ben until he falls soundly asleep- By "soundly asleep," I mean he doesn't wake up when I sit him up and burp him!

Then I put him to bed and he sleeps until about 4 am. This morning I put him back to sleep after that and he slept until 8:15 or so! Usually he wakes up again at 5:30 or so.

Yesterday we had a "bonus" day together, thanks to the "Potomac Primaries." Today, we have another "bonus" day, thanks to the weather! Even with the weather yesterday, I took Ben in to see Tim. Tim wanted to show him off at work now that he's "interactive." I dropped him off at the CAC and did a little shopping. Tim said after a couple of minutes talking to each new person, Ben started to stick out his lower lip like he was going to cry. Is the the beginning of stranger anxiety?

Ben continues to enjoy watching TV! Right now we can just turn him away and he forgets about it. Soon "Law and Order" will become a thing of the past in our house...

One other thing to note is Ben's journey towards finding his thumb (or first finger, or both!). He started several weeks ago putting his knuckles in his mouth. Then he started last week putting his thumb and pointer in together. Now, he sometimes puts his thumb OR his pointer in individually. Sometimes he still puts both in. And just when I think he's showing a hand preference, he changes it up again! The point is, he's self-soothing a bit, and that's a good thing.

*All times are approximate

Hmm....

2008-02-06T05:20:00.001-05:00

(This picture is not Ben, but this is kind of what he looked like Sunday night playing with my computer. Except he was sitting on his dad's lap).

I think when Ben was playing with my computer, he must have read all the bragging I was doing about him sleeping for so long and decided he was being too easy on me. This week he has gone back to 5-hour stretches. Hmm... Ben, if you're reading this, Daddy and I want you to know that it's OK for you to sleep through the night again. There is nothing that says a baby has to wake up in the middle of the night.

Our little computer whiz...

2008-02-03T18:31:00.001-05:00

This evening Ben was sitting on Tim's lap on the couch. I had left my laptop sitting open to a news website on the arm of the couch (don't worry, it's a wide, flat arm). Ben started looking at the screen (a habit he's gotten into lately- watching TV and looking at the computer) and touching the keyboard and touchpad. Suddenly a little box appeared on the screen and then disappeared. Then, a video started to load. Somehow, unassisted, Ben managed to play a video! First, a Swiffer commercial came on (which he watched with rapt attention). Then a video about hosting a tailgating party came on. Soon he'll be downloading an Elmo video.

As I write this, Ben is watching the Superbowl...

Welcome to Lake Wobegon...

2008-02-01T05:43:00.001-05:00

...where all the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and the children are above average....

Well this has certainly been a good week. Much better than last week. I actually felt like a functional human being most of the week! Ben hit a new sleeping record last night! 8 HOURS straight! He still usually only takes 20-minute naps during the day.

We took Ben to meet our neighbors (they have a vacation cabin and only come once in a while but they are very friendly and sent a gift when he was born). They were oogling over him and we were bragging about him and Tim mentioned that he could roll over. She said, "isn't that early?" I said, "yes, and he started doing that at 11 weeks, which was REALLY early." Then I smiled and sort of sarcastically said, "of course, Ben is very advanced." The husband said "Welcome to Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above-average." We all got a good laugh, but I secretly wasn't joking.

Ben got to visit me at school Monday evening, which was great fun. I had parent-teacher conferences and had to stay until 7:30. Tim brought him at 3:30, after I was done with bus duty, and we visited (and nursed) until about 4:10. Tim got mega-double brownie points for bringing him in. All the teachers were impressed with his thoughtfulness and super-impressed with Ben. They have seen him before, but I had to show him off again. I'm so proud. One of the teachers said, "I'm not kidding, Laura, he's one of the best-looking babies I've ever seen!" See, it's not just me. Other people can tell how wonderful he is too!

Of course, he's not perfect. Yesterday at about 5pm he had such a major diaper blowout, he had to be stripped immediately and placed directly into the bath. My advice for anyone who hasn't had a baby yet: You will know they need a bath when they have poop in their hair.

Ben's 1st Concepti-versary!

2008-01-30T08:22:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was Ben's first "concepti-versary"! January 29, 2007 was the day he was conceived. We know the exact date because we did IVF (read all about it using the IVF Blog link on the right of this page). We were too busy to celebrate though.

The day after I wrote the last post about the new record, Ben set a NEW record of 7.5 hours of straight sleep! His average is still 6 hours though. Not too shabby for a 3.5 month old!

Other new things he is doing include purposely using his hands to gesture at an object he's looking at (he hasn't learned to purposely grab things yet, but he holds on to things you put in his hand), arching his back when laid down on his back, and scooting when put down on his belly (he moved 2 feet forward the other day!). My parents gave him an Elmo stuffed animal, which he loves to look at!

12 good eggs

2008-01-29T19:28:00.000-05:00

I got home from the egg retrieval at about 12:20 and went right to sleep for a couple of hours. I'm still pretty tired and sore. I was out cold for the entire procedure, so I don't have any details about it. The main thing is...They got 12 eggs!

An Official Record!

2008-01-25T21:07:00.000-05:00

Last night Ben slept 7 hours STRAIGHT without even needing a binky! He's starting to get the hang of things...

A New Record!

2008-01-24T21:35:00.000-05:00

Last night Ben set a new personal best time: he slept 7 hours in a row! His previous record was 6.5. Around December he started sleeping consistant 4-4.5 hour stretches, and around New Year's he started sleeping 6 hour stretches sometimes. Lately 6 hour stretches have become the norm. He goes to sleep at about 8:30, wakes up at 2:30, eats, goes back to sleep, wakes up at 4:30, eats, goes back to sleep, then wakes up at 7, eats, then I leave for work. He's been fairly consistant, which is nice. Last night he slept from 8-3! He cried a little at 2 and I gave him his binky and he went back to sleep for an hour (I do that sometimes so I think it still counts as a 7-hour stretch). When he finally did wake up, it was strange. Instead of wimpering and grunting for a while before fully waking up, he suddenly let out several loud, panicked cries. He was probably hungrier than he'd ever been since that was the longest he had ever gone without eating.

Now we need to get him to take naps consistantly. Sometimes he sleeps for 2 hours in a row during the day, and sometimes he only makes it 15 minutes at the most.

Speaking of sleep, I need to get some now while I have the chance!

Phew!

2008-01-21T18:49:00.001-05:00

Well, I basically haven't posted since my 2nd day back to work. WORKING FULL TIME WITH A BABY AT HOME IS HARD WORK!

Ben tends to get fussy in the evenings and we think it's laziness- after taking a bottle all day, he doesn't want to work at the breast. The first full week back was the worst- he was screaming for a couple hours each night. We took him to the doctor thinking he was teething or something. He's not- he's just lazy. The evening fussiness has improved somewhat, so hopeully he's getting used to everything.

Despite the challenges, Ben is thriving. He loves bath time and his Elmo book (Elmo is red, Ben's apparent favorite color). We enjoyed the long weekend together!

Ben's First Christmas

2008-01-04T13:12:00.001-05:00

OK, so this is a little out of order, but here is a picture from Ben's first visit with Santa...

He had a nice first Christmas, with visits from both sides of the family.

A Big Day for Ben; Not a big day for Mom

2008-01-02T13:08:00.000-05:00

Today Ben is 11 weeks old! It was supposed to be my first day back to work, but Mother Nature had other plans. We've gotten about 8 inches of snow (my guestimate- it's hard to say since it's been blowing so much) and it's still falling!

This morning Ann (Tim's mom) was holding Ben and he was really active- "throwing his weight around." I suggested this might be a good time for some "tummy time." We put him down on the floor on his tummy and he lifted his head 90 degrees! He started rocking side to side a little and I said something like, "are you going to roll over, Ben? I think you are!" Ann said "it might be soon too!" RIGHT after that, he rolled over for the first time! Tim, Ann and I all got to see it.

Laughter is the best medicine

2007-12-20T06:52:00.000-05:00

This week was Ben's 2-month appointment. He weighed in at 11 pounds, 5 ounces (50th percentile), his length was 22.5 inches (25 percentile) and his head circumference was 15 inches (25th percentile). So everything was "normal" and right on track. The pediatrictian must have seen a look in my eyes when she told me his length was in the 25th percentile because she was quick to reassure me that it's not an indicator of adult height and it is in line with the rest of his growth. I have to admit I wouldn't mind if Ben got Tim's "height genes" as opposed to mine. But we'll absolutely love and adore him either way! The main thing sis that everything checked out fine! He got his first big round of vaccinations, which he took like a champ. He cried when they gave them and then stopped after about 10 seconds. He didn't spit up or choke when they gave the oral one, which the nurse warned me ahead of time almost always happens. He DOES continue to spit up at least 50% of his meals, however.

The other big deal this week is that Ben started laughing!!! Real belly laughs! Sometimes he laughs at us, but he really likes to laugh at lights, the color red, and the stair railings. He also laughs at the little bear mobile hanging on his pack and play. We are going to try to find a battery-powered mobile for him for Christmas. That and some kind of a mirror toy.

I wish I had more time to write but this is a busy week! Our adventures include going to my great friend Becky's Winter Program, going to Rt. 40's Band and Chorus Concert, going to Accident's Christmas Program, and going to Accident's Band and Chorus Concert. Obviously, I am insane, but these are all things I really want to do! Not to mention regular Christmas preparation.

Ben's so cute when he cries...

2007-12-13T15:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Tim went on about how cute Ben is when he cries. I have to admit I was thinking the same thing... His lower lip sticks out and his brow gets crossed. Not that I *want* him to cry, but still...

A little while after Tim told me how cute Ben is when he cries, Ben started to cry. Tim said, "he looks like you when he makes that face!" I'm not sure how to take that...

My Second Biggest Accomplishment This Semester

2007-12-10T10:00:00.001-05:00

Things I've Done This Semester (in order of importance):

1. Had a baby
2. Finished my Master's degree
3. Turned 30

It's been a busy Fall! And, yes, he actually did spit up on my gown!

I'm graduating today!

2007-12-09T08:52:00.002-05:00

Ben's happy for me. He can't wait to spit up on my gown and hood. Actually, it's a fake graduation- they don't confer degrees for a couple weeks. But still... FINALLY! I'll have to get a picture holding Ben while wearing the regalia [and spitup].

Ben's First "Words"

2007-12-06T18:24:00.001-05:00

What a difference a few days make in the life of a young baby! I definitely know what a "coo" sounds like now! Ben says the following "words:"

Hey
He
Who
Hoe
Ha

Notice a pattern? These breathy sounds are his coos!

His smiles are increasing in frequency and duration and sometimes are accompanied by the above words. It is so sweet! I hope he continues to be this happy and carefree for as long as possible...

What does a "coo" sound like?

2007-12-03T07:22:00.001-05:00

According to What to Expect the First Year, by the end of the second month, babies should be able to do everything on the following checklist:

Smile in response to your smile [check]
Follow an object in an arc about 6 inches above the face to the midline [check]
Respond to a bell in some way, such as startling, crying, quieting [check]
Vocalize in ways other than crying (e.g. cooing) [hmm...]

He's got the first 3 down. But my question is, what does a "coo" sound like? He definitely doesn't make any sound that sounds like "coo!" The past couple of days he's made what seems to be voluntary sounds (as opposed to involuntary crying, vocalization when stretching, etc). These fleeting noises are very brief and sound something like, "eh." Is that his first attempt to talk to us? If so, what is he trying to say? He interacts with us a tiny bit more each day!

Here is Ben hanging out with his dad, who seems to grow more in love each day. Aren't they just the handsomest pair?...

Ben's First Smiles

2007-11-30T17:20:00.001-05:00

Ben turned 6 weeks on Wednesday. This week, he started smiling his first real smiles! I snapped a bunch of pictures, trying to capture one, but it's hard because his facial expressions change so fast! Here is one of the better ones. His eyes are open all the time and he loves to look around. He really likes looking at the lights, and he has started looking at the "toys" hanging above his chair. This evening, he followed Tim with his eyes as Tim walked back and forth across the room. Later, his ryes followed me as I crossed the room! On Wednesday, I had a meeting at the CAC, so Tim got to take him and show him off for an hour. Everyone thought he was so cute!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

2007-11-26T14:40:00.000-05:00

Ben's Birth Story

October 17, 2007

Warning: slightly graphic

On the day Ben was born, I woke up just after 5:00 am to get ready for work like normal. It was a Wednesday, and Ben wasn't due until the next Monday (10/22/07). I was getting very big and uncomfortable, so I was hoping he would come early! My friend Becky, my Grandma, and one of my 6th grade students had all predicted he would come on the 17th, but there were no signs of impeding labor. The only change I had noticed was the day before, Ben's movement pattern changed. Instead of feeling lots of movement in the upper left-hand side of my belly, I felt most of the movement on the upper center part of my belly.

Warning: too much information ahead...When I went to the bathroom at about 5:15, I heard and felt a pop in the right side of my back as I was peeing. At the time, I thought it was a kick from the baby, but looking back, it definitely felt different than a kick. I peed longer and stronger than usual, but then I stopped suddenly. I had a fleeting thought that my water had broken, but since it stopped suddenly, I discounted it. However, the water in the bowl wasn't clear yellow like "normal" - it was cloudy. I told Tim I was going back to bed until 6. He was in the kitchen making coffee and didn't hear what I said. He came to the bathroom and said, "what?" As he got to the bathroom door, I felt a strong gush of water. I sat back down on the toilet and sure enough, water was rushing out! Tim didn't realize what was happening at first. I said, "my water just broke!" He just said, "really?" We could hear the water hitting the toilet and it sounded like I was just peeing. I said, "I'm not peeing, my water broke!!! That isn't pee!" At that point it dawned on Tim and he said, "wow, this is it!" At some point I said, "we're going to have a baby soon, because once your water breaks, they like to deliver within 24 hours." I also remember Tim saying, "I guess you're not going to work today."

I sat on the toilet for about 10 minutes, as water drained. Tim called my parents and told them the good news. They were really excited. I must have been in denial, because I told them not to take off work! Luckily, they didn't listen! Then Tim called his mom and told her the good news. We decided not to "rush off" to the hospital right away. I got up and emailed Becky at about 5:30 to tell her she may be right about Ben coming on the 17th! After that, I decided to get a shower. When I first got in the shower, I felt what I thought was a contraction. Halfway through the shower, I felt what was definitely a contraction and yelled at Tim to start timing. As I got out of the shower, I felt another contraction. This one was painful. It was about 4 minutes after the previous one.

At 6:00, I called my principal on her cell phone. She must have had my number programmed into her phone, because she answered by saying (in an excited voice), "are you going?" I was still very calm, cool, and collected as I told her what was going on. We checked my suitcase and decided to head to the hospital since my contractions were so close together. I grabbed a banana on the way out.

The ride to the hospital was very interesting! Almost immediately after getting into the truck, the contractions got very painful. I do not remember what I said or did, but I do remember noticing that Tim was driving 90 mph on I-68! Apparently, at some point along I-68, my contractions changed from 4 minutes apart to 2 minutes apart! When we got into Morgantown, I remember being surprised at how heavy the traffic was, even before daybreak! Tim, of course was cussing at the traffic and at the crossing guard directing traffic in front of the hospital! As we turned onto Easton hill, I thought I was going to be sick. Tim told me to roll down the window and lean out of it- I don't think he wanted to stop. He even passed cars on the Mileground, using the turning lane! I didn't realize it at the time. Luckily, I wasn't sick in the truck!

We got to the emergency room and they checked me in quickly and took me upstairs. When we got to the 6th floor, they put me in a little "triage" room. A nurse told me to undress from the waist down and give a urine sample. As I was trying to do that, a resident walked in and introduced herself. I immediately recognized her, but I wasn't sure from where. She said, "you two look very familiar." Then I realized that she had been a bridesmaid at our friends' Sarah and Brad's wedding. Then she remembered us, too. Her name was also Sarah.

Once I got into the little triage room, things got very painful very quickly, and as a result my memory is a little hazy. Throughout this time, I was hooked up to fetal monitors and checked occasionally. When I first got there, I was dialated 4 cm. I was absolutely starving but they wouldn't give me any food! My midwife was on the floor and the nurse got her permission to give me "clear fluids." They brought in a little tray and I got to have a some frozen orange ice. It was SO delicious! At the time, it was the best thing I had ever had to eat! I only had a little before my next contraction came and I couldn't stand to eat anymore. Tim fed me spoonfuls between contractions after that. I remember that a stupid cartoon program was on the TV and we never turned it off. One of the character's names was Timmy, which I thought was funny. Then SpongeBob SquarePants came on. It must have given me something to concentrate on besides the pain because it didn't bother me. At one point, the phone rang and a nurse answered it. It was for me! It was Becky calling to wish me luck. At another point, Tim's cell phone rang and it was the worst sound in the world to me! I couldn't stand the sound and made him turn it off. At some point I felt sick again and luckily, Tim found a trash can in time. Up came the banana and the orange ice!

At about 11:00, they moved me into a "real" room. I remember being horrified that I had to walk there, because I was in so much pain (it was just down the hall). When I first got to this room, I was about 6 cm dialated. I don't remember much about this room for the first hour or so. I was in so much pain I couldn't open my eyes. It really was absolutely blinding pain! Tim tells me I told him, "get out there and tell them I'm dying!" Apparently I was very insistent that I was actually dying. I remember a doctor came in and tried to talk to me during a contraction and I ignored him and screamed. My arms went numb and my face started going numb and I got very scared. I felt like I was passing out. The nurse told me I was passing out and needed to slow down my breathing. That was something I could not do. At that point I asked for some pain medication, so they gave me Nubain. It relaxed me enough that I could open my eyes a little and it took the edge off of a few contractions. However, I was soon in a lot of pain again. At that point I asked for the epidural.

As soon as I received the epidural, it was like someone flipped on a light switch. I could open my eyes again, I could hold a conversation again, etc! I was like a different person! I couldn't believe it was noon already! In another strange coincidence, the anesthesiologist who supervised the epidural was the very same anethesiologist who anesthetized me for the IVF embryo retrieval in January! I recognized him immediately. He said this was the first pregnancy he had been involved with from conception to birth (besides his own kids)! He also joked that we could show our gratitude by naming the baby after him: Richard. Umm, I didn't think that would be a good idea, given our last name!

After recieving the epidural, I was able to sleep for about an hour. Tim got some rest as well. A little before 1:00, the midwife came in and checked me... I was 9.5 cm dialated! Soon it would be time to push! The midwife said that since things had moved quickly all morning, we would probably have a baby soon! They wheeled in the baby warming pod that they put babies on after they're born. Right around that time, my parents and grandparents arrived. Just in time for the action! At about 1:00, they asked my parents to step outside so they could check me again. I started pushing right away.

I pushed on my back, while Tim and a nurse held my legs, but my epidural was mild enough that I was able to move to a squatting position to push so I did that for a while. It was a LOT harder work than I thought! I pushed and pushed as hard as I could! At one point I felt sick. Tim didn't get a trash can in time and I tried to hold it in... bad idea. I threw up juice all over my face and my hair. Tim told me later he thought I was throwing up blood since there was red stuff all over my face! In yet another coincidence, a new labor nurse came on duty- she was the aunt of 2 of my students. I threw up again a little while later, but this time they got me a trash can in time.

After a while the midwife brought in a mirror so I could see the baby's head. I could just barely see it. I pushed while looking in the mirror but he didn't get any closer... At about 3:00 (after 2 hours of pushing), the midwife said she would give it about another hour, but usually if babies are going to come "naturally," they do it in 3 hours or less. That last hour was the most frustrating time. I was getting more and more exhausted but I felt like I was "under the gun" to get the baby out. The closer it got to 4:00, the harder I tried to push but the more exhausted I was. I really felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head. At 4:00, the midwife said I could keep pushing if I wanted, but she really felt a c-section was necessary. At that point I was so utterly and completely exhausted I didn't think pushing any more would be effective. I found out later that, instead of facing my back, he was turned almost completely towards my front ("sunny-side up"), making it harder for a "natural" birth.

Once the decision was made to go ahead with a c-section, things moved very quickly. My parents, grandma, and Tim's mom came back in and visited for a few minutes while they made preparations. Tim was given scrubs to change into. They wheeled me into the operating room and the anesthesiologists came back to get my epidural up to a surgical level. Before I knew it, the operation had begun! Dr. Holls and Dr. Cuppett were the surgeons. When I found out they had begun cutting me open without Tim, I was upset, but apparently that is customary because the first part takes a little while. Finally, Tim got there (in plenty of time). It was frustrating not being able to see what was going on, even though I know why they put the screen up! I heard a commotion at one point and later learned that Dr. Cuppett had burned her finger with the little iron they use to burn the blood vessels closed! Tim held my hand but also stood and watched the operation. When it came time to pull the baby out, he was stuck! The midwife had to push his head up to help him come out, since he had gotten pushed partway down!

Finally he came out! Tim got very excited watching this and actually squeezed off a picture! I heard a little squeak and I knew my son was born! It was 5:08 pm, almost exactly 12 hours after labor had started. They showed him to me for about 2 seconds and then took him back behind the curtain. After that, I didn't hear anything and got worried that something was wrong. Everything was fine- they had taken baby Ben to another room to clean him up and weigh him, etc. Soon they invited Tim to come with Ben while they sewed me up. I got very cold and shaky right after the birth. I also got sick again! After a few minutes, Tim came back and showed me some of the pictures on the camera. I told him to go back to be with his son while they finished me up.

After what seemed like an eternity, Tim brought Ben out to me. He was bundled up in a white blanket and he was wearing a white hat with a little blue pom pon at the top. I immediately burst into tears! I said, "he's a real baby!" Tim held him up to my face so I could kiss him and I cried some more.

That night, I stayed awake, staring at my baby boy. I didn't sleep longer than 15 minutes at a time. I couldn't stop staring at my beautiful baby.

we have a frog

2007-03-27T11:57:00.000-04:00

This morning we had our last appointment at the Reproductive Center. It went really well! We saw it move! The way it was moving it's legs, it looked like a frog! It was incredible. It was so clear! We also saw it move its arms and looked like a real baby! Then I realized that it IS a real baby! It was really active. I think I will be smiling for the rest of the day. They "graduated" us to the care of a regular OB.

Ultrasound

2007-02-17T11:54:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of the exact moment the embryos were transferred to me. On the right, you can see a straight white double-line- that is the catheter inserted through my cervix. At the left-hand end of the catheter, there is a cloud of whitishness- that is the fluid containing the embryos! We could actually see it go in- it was pretty cool.

(untitled)

2007-02-13T11:53:00.000-05:00

Anticipation

2007-02-13T11:50:00.000-05:00

Talk about anticipation! I'm wide awake at 4:30! If we have school, I won't find out until after I get home. I am having them call Tim with the results. He is planning on coming home early, so if we have a snow day, I won't have to wait all day. He is bringing flowers if it's positive and wine coolers if it's negative (his idea). It's started to snow lightly but it's not even enough for a delay yet. I can just see Garrett County bringing us to school and then sending us home early in the middle of it!

Progesterone schmogesterone-Look at that NEEDLE!

2007-02-10T11:49:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of the needle I have to use to take the progesterone. It is really thick and it is an inch and a half long! I have to warm up the area with a heating pad before and after the shot and it still is sore the next morning.

Twinges

2007-02-08T11:47:00.000-05:00

This morning I called the IVF nurse about the pain I was having. I ended up feeling really stupid because I couldn't describe it. She said it was probably implantation- most women describe having twinges. I looked up "twinge" online and it is a sudden pinching or a sharp pain. My pain could be described as that but it has been more "on" than "off." If my test Tuesday is negative, I must be crazy.

Knock Knock

2007-02-06T11:45:00.001-05:00

Who's There?
Embryo.
Embryo who?
Embryo attaching in you?

I am having intermittent sharp pains in my uterus! I am so excited! I don't know what it could be besides implantation! The timing is right and I have read on the internet that sometimes women feel that. I really don't know what else it could be! It is different than pms cramps. I know it is my uterus that hurts because of all the things it has gone through recently. It feels sore like it did after the transfer, but it is off and on. I am going to assume it is implantation.

Attach, embryo, attach!

2007-02-06T11:45:00.000-05:00

The week of the transfer, Tim had to go out of town to tune for the WV Symphony. It was a really crazy week, schedule-wise! If the transfer had happened earlier in the week (as originally forecasted), it would have made things a lot easier, but que cera cera...

On Tuesday night, 1/30, Tim left for Charleston. He came back late Wednesday evening. Wednesday evening, my mom also came to help. That was the night of my first progesterone in oil shot. My mom reluctantly did it- the needle is thicker and twice the length of the needle I used earlier in the cycle! I also had specific bathroom instructions to follow that night. At 9pm, I had to empty my bladder completely. Then, between 9-9:30, I had to drink 8-10 oz of any liquid, and between 9:30-10 I had to do the same. THEN, I had to HOLD IT until after the transfer! I already had a "full" feeling when I went to bed.

Thursday morning, the big day, my bladder woke me up. My appointment wasn't until 10 am, so I was extremely uncomfortable for the entire morning. To make matters worse, I got very thirsty. That was a strange feeling. I ended up having to drink a little bit on my way to the appointment because I was so thirsty.

My mom drove me to the appointment and Tim met us there. Because the Symphony happened to have a concert in Fairmont that day, he was able to be there for the transfer. I was glad that worked out.

The worst part of the transfer was the fact that they used an ultrasound wand to push down on my full belly. The fact that I was so tense "down there" made the whole process really painful. There was 1 doctor there to run the ultrasound, 1 doctor to perform the procedure, 1 med student there to watch, 1 nurse, 1 embryologist, and 1 student embryologist. Plus Tim. And me with my legs in the stirrups, bearing it all.

The transfer itself was neat, because we got to "see" it on the ultrasound. They put a catheter through my cervix and positioned it just right using the ultrasound. Then the embryologist came in with another catheter containing the fluid with the embryos. She put that catheter through the catheter already installed in my cervix. There must have been a little "pump" at the end that she used to push the fluid into my uterus. You could see it go in on the ultrasound screen! There were tears in Tim's eyes, which made me tear up. And, we got an ultrasound picture of the exact moment!

Next, the embryologist examined her catheter under a microscope to be sure none had gotten stuck. While we were waiting for that, I said, "so they're in there now?" The doctor running the ultrasound said, "yep. Can't you see them?" It made me laugh, which was really painful because all the "equipment" was still installed!

The next part was interesting... I had to lay in bed for an hour with my hips elevated, but I also had to empty my bladder! So I got to go in a bedpan. It was really really hard, because even though I had to "go" badly, I couldn't relax enough to make it happen! I got the job done though.

After the transfer, Tim requested that my mom be let back to see me, which was fine. Then, the embryologist came in with a slide show of our actual embryos, and talked us through every stage in the process. It was extremely cool, and I was happy that my mom got to see it.

I tried to relax for the rest of the day, but that proved difficult. My mom got her car stuck in our driveway when we got home. Luckily, our neighbor, Tom, came and dug her out.

When we got home, Tim's mom, Ann, was there. She stayed the weekend to help me out. Tim didn't get home until Sunday evening. The only other moment of note was early Saturday morning, when my toe got caught in the cuff of my pajamas at the top of the stairs. I toppled over and fell head-first down the stairs. I was fine, just bruised, but worried for the rest of the day that I had ruined my chances of getting pregnant. Luckily, it was too early for the embryos to be implanted, so they couldn't have been affected. Becky said it may have been the first example of the baby dropping the momma on the head instead of the other way around!

Day 1

2007-02-02T11:41:00.000-05:00

This is from Tuesday, Day 1. This is how they can tell if they are fertilized. The two circles in the middle are pronuclei. One contains DNA from me and 1 contains DNA from Tim. You can see the little dots in each circle moving towards each other- they are getting ready to mix with each other!

This is the big cell division pic! It's from Wednesday. This is the one that grew to 7 cells (and therefore our best candidate). You can see in the nuclei that they have DNA from both of us now

This is one of the 4-cells, taken yesterday morning before we transferred it (we transferred 2 4-cells and 1 7-cell)

This is it, the 7-celled embryo that I am very hopeful for!

Let the dividing begin: Day Zero

2007-02-02T11:38:00.000-05:00

I am SO glad I came home early. I am going to try to be stress-free today (yesterday was kind of stressful) and I am going to send the baby positive, sticky vibes. Tim is convinced that we will have 2, but I am convinced that we will have 1. At least we are both feeling positive about the outcome!

On the right is my egg and on the left is the needle with the sperm in it, prior to the injection. You can see a little blip about 2/3 of the way into the needle. That's the sperm! They pinch off the tails for this process. I saved it as a low-quality jpeg. The background was affected by this (probably because it's out of focus already). But the egg picture-quality stayed exactly the same

Here is the next in the sequence, when the needle is just penetrating the egg. You can see the sperm right next to the edge of the egg.

January 30 and 31

2007-01-31T19:30:00.000-05:00

I can't remember if I told you this, but they told us yesterday that 10 is the average # of eggs collected, so I was really happy with 12! Also, the girl in the bed next to me had her transfer yesterday and they told her that she could "ride a pogo stick." So now I'm really torn about Friday.

5 fertilized!!!

It is totally blowing my mind that Tim and I have created 5 embryos.

I really can't concentrate on anything except the embryos. I am good for nothing this evening!!!

Yes, they can freeze "extra" embryos but it's unlikely that there will be enough. Most likely, they won't all continue to divide. We'll get a report on how they are dividing tomorrow. I have absolutely no self control. I can't think of anything else!

3 are 2-celled, rated "good"
2 are 3-celled, 1 rated "fair" and 1 rated "poor"

This is what a 2-cell looks like!

It's getting closer

2007-01-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

The doctor's appointment yesterday went well. There was no blood-drawing drama this time. I had 18 good-sized follicles! 7 on my right and 11 on my left. The weird thing was that they couldn't find the big follicle from the previous day. It might have been hiding or it might have been a measurement error. The smaller ones are starting to catch up. Based on my bloodwork, they decided to give them one more day to catch up. So, the retrieval is now scheduled for Monday! They assured me that it would not be pushed back any further and it WILL be Monday. I go back in for 1 more day of monitoring this morning, and then tonight I take the shot that will trigger ovulation. I am disappointed that I have to miss 2 full days of school next week (Monday for egg retrieval and Thursday for embryo transfer), but I am glad to have 2 days this weekend to work on the Field Study.

Hi! I really can't think about anything but IVF right now. I am not exaggerating when I say that all I can think about is ovaries, procedures, fertilization, implantation, babies, etc. I never expected it to consume all my waking moments. When I try really hard and manage to think about something else for a few minutes, my ovaries start hurting and bring my thoughts back around to IVF. I was planning on working on the field study today but I don't see how I can. I am going to try though. I think, rather than putting a lot of pressure on myself to get done a ton of work on the FS, I will park myself on the couch, turn on the TV, and work intermittently on the FS. If I plan to do that, then anything I do get done will be a bonus.

Last night Tim gave me the "trigger" shot, which triggers ovulation in 36 hours. (I go in 34 hours later for the retrieval- they catch the eggs before they get released naturally). I have to be at the clinic Monday at 8 am. Today is my first shot-free day in a while. I'm not sure when I will start taking the next round of shots. Yesterday, the doctor told me he is really glad he pushed the retrieval back another day. Now I have many more big follicles- 7 on the right and 16 on the left! Based on those numbers, he hopes to get 12 mature eggs!

My mom is going to come up Wednesday evening and take me to my Thursday appointment. That way she can be involved as well as my mother-in-law. Tim's mom will come on Thursday night and stay through the weekend. I am really happy that Tim should be able to make it to the transfer.

I am convinced of the need to take Friday off. I don't want to take another day off, but it is too important. Tim finally convinced me when he said that this is probably the most important thing I have ever done. Everyone will survive without me. I am sure my ST will be disappointed but she will be fine. I can come back the next week and be super-teacher again.

oo oo that smell...

2007-01-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

Time to update the blog! I've had some adventures lately I need to fill you in on...

It all started Sunday, in the midst of heavy snow, when I had to go to the POA meeting. I tried to get out of going, but Tim insisted I come. As I was leaving the meeting, I couldn't see out of my rear window at all and I had to back up in an unfamiliar driveway. So I lowered the rear window (it is electronically operated). Afterwards, I couldn't get it raised and we determined that it was off its tracks. So we taped it closed. The condensation on the window kept making the tape come off and we've retaped it a couple of times. I have to take it to the shop and leave it just to figure out if they can fix it or not! Last night, by the time I got home, it was 6 inches down. Tim and I went out and retaped it together.

This morning, we couldn't find Petie, our wonderful little cat. We searched the house, and Tim went outside and looked and called, but he was nowhere to be found. Tim checked my truck and it was locked (which it never is). As it turns out, Petie was inside! He had come in when we were fixing the window and he must have stepped on the lock button as well. Anyway, that was a huge relief, because we were really worried about him.

I left early for my doctor's appointment because of the snow. When I was almost to Bruceton Mills, I started smelling cat pee. By the time I got to Bruceton Mills, I could feel it on my seat. Petie had peed on my seat. It soaked through my pants and my underwear! I didn't have time to go home and change, so I headed to Wal-Mart. I had never been to that Wal-Mart before so I got completely turned around in the store and panicky about being late. I bought the first pair of pants I saw that were my size and matched my sweater, a pack of new underwear, and a towel to put down on the seat.

I was a few minutes late to my appointment, but it didn't matter because they were running behind. I changed in the bathroom at the office. When the nurse drew my blood, she didn't hit the first vein she tried. Then, on the second try, she couldn't unscrew the little cap at the end of the needle (that hooks into the vial). Three different people tried to unscrew it, while the needle was in my vein. Finally they gave up and tried a 3rd vein (it worked).

The ultrasound showed lots of growth, so that was good. On the right side, I have 7 measurable follicles plus 2 smaller ones. On the left side, I have 10 measurable follicles plus 5 smaller ones. That is 17 good follicles!!! The biggest one is 21mm, and they are considered mature at 20mm! The rest aren't that big though. They had to wait for my bloodwork to come back to decide whether to schedule the retrieval for Saturday or Sunday.

The nurse called this afternoon and told me that I'm scheduled for retrieval on Sunday! YAY! They are giving them 1 more day to grow since my bloodwork revealed that my progesterone level isn't too high. I have to go back in for monitoring tomorrow morning. Tomorrow (Friday) night, I will take the hCG shot, which will trigger ovulation 36 hours later. Tomorrow will be the last day of my stimulation shots as well. The embryo transfer will be Wednesday!

It's been quite a day!

signs

2007-01-25T22:04:00.000-05:00

Tim has seen several signs this week that the IVF will be successful... I few mornings ago he spilled coffee on the counter and said it looked like a woman. Then he spilled more coffee and it turned into a pregnant woman. He also saw a nursing mother in the shadows on the ceiling the other morning.

Yesterday Melinda emailed me to say she had had a dream that I came to school to tell her I was pregnant with a baby girl.

Tim just told me he saw a big set of breasts in the shadows on the ceiling this morning. I'm not sure what that's a sign of...

It only takes one good egg

2007-01-23T21:06:00.000-05:00

Tim couldn't make it to this morning's checkup, which was fine, because there was a lot of waiting around. I had 2 big follicles and 5 smaller follicles on my right side, and 5 big ones (about 11 mm) and 11 smaller ones on my left side. The doctor told me that I'm "not responding like a 29 year old," which was really disappointing. He said I'm doing OK, but not what they would like to see for someone my age. They hope to get 20-30 eggs, and there are only about 7 that are looking like they will mature. He said there might be 7 perfect eggs in there though. I go back for more monitoring on Thursday morning. They are guessing that the retrieval will be Saturday and the transfer next Tuesday (but that's just a guess). Later today I will get my blood test results and find out if they want to change my dosage. I'm trying hard not to cry.

Double shots for LKD!

2007-01-20T21:02:00.000-05:00

The IVF nurse just called my cell phone. I am "not having an exhuberant response" to the meds, so they are doubling my dose. Good thing I practiced last night because she told me to give myself another injection now. It didn't go as smoothly. There was a lot of blood involved. Anyway, now they want me to come back Tuesday instead of Monday, which works out better for me.

counting eggs

2007-01-20T19:15:00.001-05:00

The appointment went well this morning. I am still waiting to hear from the nurse on my blood test results. They measure my estradiol level and depending on how high or low it is, they might make a medication dosage change today. I have 1 decent sized follicle on my right and 5 other smaller ones, and 1 9mm follicle on my left and 11 smaller ones. It is kind of cool how I have felt more pain on my left and I have more eggs there. I have to go back Monday morning for more monitoring. It stinks that I have to miss my student teacher's first morning but it can't be helped.

meeting the next hurdle

2007-01-20T19:08:00.000-05:00

Retrieval is a much more invasive procedure than transfer. They put me under "concious sedation" (they say most women don't remember anything) and use a catheter to retrieve as many eggs as possible. They hope to get 20-30. That's why I'm on this medicine now- to stimulate a bunch of eggs to mature as opposed to the usual 1. Then, that day, they fertilize the eggs using a microscopic needle to actually inject 1 sperm into each egg. Over the next 2 days, we will get a report on how many fertilized successfully, how they are growing and dividing, what quality they are, etc. Then, they will pick the best 2 to transfer (if, for some reason, they are *all* low quality, we would transfer 3, but that is the only scenario in which we would transfer more than 2). That procedure is a piece of cake but I will have to lay around for a couple of hours before I go home- to give the embryos time to get settled. I won't actually be pregnant until one or both implant, which could take a couple of days. I won't know if they have implanted until about 10 days after the transfer, when I go for a blood test.

Yesterday I fretted a lot about Tim being away for the big needle bum shots. Melinda offered to do it but she lives 20 minutes away, and I don't really feel that comfortable bearing my arse for the neighbors. So Tim suggested I see if I could inject myself. Granted, this is a tiny needle in the belly and easy compared to the later shots, but I gave it a try. It was actually really easy and it didn't hurt at all! Then he suggested I stick it in my rump to see if I could do that and that was easy too! So my plan will be to give myself the shots, and if it doesn't work, I will call Melinda.

all the eggs in one basket

2007-01-19T19:04:00.000-05:00

The IVF retrieval procedure will most likely be 1 week from today! The embryo transfer will be 3 days later (Monday 1/29 if the retrieval is Friday). They won't really know for sure until it gets closer to that time, but the goal is for it to be Friday. It stinks because I can't line up a sub- I don't want to have to cancel on them at the last minute.

Give it a stab...

2007-01-18T17:32:00.000-05:00

Tim got to stab me last night for the first time. The needle was 5/8" long. He said it really seemed official now that he was giving me a shot. It hurt a lot more than the one the nurse gave me! I could "feel" the medicine going in. I couldn't watch. I think I felt a couple more twinges where I think my ovaries are.

I think Tim is getting excited about the whole process. He is talking about it and bringing it up a lot, which is nice. Having him excited makes it seem more real to me. With this field study "cloud" hanging over my head, I can't focus on the IVF as much as I would like to. I also can't focus on the FS as much as I would like to! I hope I get it done but it is starting to seem less important already. Maybe that's a good thing.

When I asked for a "shot" of something, I'm not sure if this is exactly what I meant....

2007-01-17T14:22:00.001-05:00

How many eggs in your basket?

2007-01-17T08:25:00.001-05:00

I forgot to mention that Thursday morning at 8:30, we have to see a social worker specializing in reproductive issues. Tim was worried that we had to get "approved" by her but they assured me it is not an approval-process. They just have to have documentation that we were counseled by a social worker. I have a feeling she will want to talk about the risks involved with carrying triplets or higher.

shots are for babies- pills are for not babies, that's why

2007-01-16T10:00:00.001-05:00

Hi! The doctor's appointment went well, but it was a little anticlimactic. First, I had my blood drawn. Then I had an ultrasound that was uneventful- everything looked fine. It's a little hard to get used to the med students that come in to observe these procedures though. There was only one, but still... Then we went into another room and talked to the doctor and the nurse. Basically the doctor just told us everything looked good and we could go ahead and start the ovarian stimulation phase! Then he asked if we had any questions, but we couldn't think of any! After that, we went into the nurse's office and she showed us how to mix the medicine and put it into the syringe and then... I GOT MY FIRST SHOT!!! I thought they would show us how to do it and then we would start tomorrow, but we got to start today! That was really exciting! The next shot won't be until tomorrow evening though. These shots go into the belly but there is one later on that will go into the bum (with a really long needle). It didn't hurt too badly, but I am glad I have Tim to give them to me. The nurse gave me the shot today. On my way to school I thought I felt a couple of twinges where I think my ovaries are, but then I thought I was imagining it. I go back on Saturday for bloodwork an ultrasound. This is it! I have got to try not to obsess about it. I thought of a question though: why does the medicine have to be in injectible form? Why can't it be made into a pill?

Tim had to give injections to a cat for several weeks and it's actually about the same! The nurse showed him how today. :)

I couldn't shoot myself either

2007-01-15T20:59:00.000-05:00

Tim will be administering the shots. I don't think I could do it either. He seems fine with it though. I don't know yet if they will be in the bum or the belly.

prepare the batter

2007-01-15T20:57:00.000-05:00

My appointment is at 9:20 tomorrow morning. They told me to bring all of my medicine (which means they will teach us how to do the shots). It's really starting to happen!

Aunt Flo arrives- the process begins

2007-01-14T17:49:00.001-05:00

Hi! Aunt Flo officially came yesterday, so that was exciting! I couldn't help thinking about how that might be her last visit for a while. Pregnancy "dating" is done from the first day of your last period, so yesterday was an important day.

I decided to postpone my oral exam until the fall. Then I can just focus on the FS this semester and (hopefully) get it done. I can study for the orals over the summer. It's pretty disappointing but it makes sense so that's what I'm doing.

The ironic thing is that I knew we had infertility issues a long time ago, but I waited to go to the infertility clinic until September, to give me time to finish this degree before any babies would be born. Now that's probably going to happen anyway. Oh well. I'm ready to move on with my life. Another ironic thing is that if we didn't have infertility, I would have gotten pregnant much sooner and not finished the degree anyway.

Tonight on the National Geographic Channel at 8, there is a special called "In the Womb: Multiples" if you're interested.