Waiting for labs....

I was up at 6am this morning so I could be at the hospital by 7am to have my blood drawn. They are checking Progesterone (to see if I even ovulated this month), Beta HCG (JUST in case!) and a new one called AMH.
Now I sit & wait for a phone call. Sure, I can't help but think "what if I am pregnant???" Afterall, my crappy chart
shows that I am potentially 15 days past ovulation and my temperature is still high...I checked it this AM finally! However, I have been there, done that before....and it turned out that I really wasn't 18 dpo with super high temps, but only 8 dpo....and NOT pregnant. I am mainly hoping that 1. the AMH level is good and 2.they can prescribe something for me to start my period so we can get the ball rolling towards IVF. Of course, if the progesterone level shows that I O'd, then they will probably just make me wait it out.... Ugh!!!! I am so impatient.

Update: 2:25pm
Well, my progesterone is very low, so probably no "O" afterall, certainly not pregnant. They are calling in some provera for me to jump start my period, but it can take up to 10 days! Fun!

New swing set

This past Saturday hubby & his 2 friends set up Peyton's new swing set. Pretty amazing feat. Hubby would have NEVER been able to do this on his own. We had a few scares...for instance, 5 minutes into the set up, I got a call from him saying that all the pre-drilled holes were wrong and we would have to return the set to the store. "WHAT???? ARE YOU SURE?????" (I was fully expecting several calls like this from him....) He was wrong.....duh.....they just had the stuff backwards. Anyways, we had a few other stalls...needed a few bolts etc from Lowes (b/c they broke the one that was included) and we still have to put up the roof part...they broke one of the supporting pieces of wood, so we will need to get a replacement one...but otherwise, it is up! We still need to secure it down and do the mulch around it etc....but here are some pics:

One step closer...

Hubby went today for his "Pre-IVF" sperm analysis. It was at 1pm. At about 10am, I noticed a text message on my phone saying that he had left ALL the paperwork at home that he needed to take with him to the appointment. So....I had to hurry up, get out of my pajamas and into clothes, get Peyton ready & head downtown to meet him at the hospital. Grrrrr!!!! But it was all good. Peyton & I headed to Barnes & Noble to pick up a book for Meghan & I got a text saying that hubby was already finished with his,um, "task"! He then headed to the lab for his bloodwork. So, one appointment (and $577) out of the way. No turning back now! Not after paying all of that money for him to do his thing in a cup! Next up...the eventual arrival of my period and then my labs, ultrasound and one other test they need to do called a hydrosonogram. (google it if you really are interested!!) If my body cooperates this coming month, we could possibly be doing the embryo transfer around the time of hubby's 35th birthday on October 1st!

The waiting is killing me....

I swear, nothing is ever easy for me. We decide to have a baby (in July 2007!!!) and think it will be a snap! Ha! Big joke there! one month passes, no big deal...THEN....I start having 45 day cycles. Not the normal 28-30 day ones, oh no! Of course not. I decided to get pregnant & my body decided to act crazy. But, I take it upon myself (after finding out from the Dr that I am perfectly fine) to take "Vitex" and wa-la...after 3 months, it does the trick! I am pregnant. Then, 13 weeks later that ends. So, April 2008, back to square one! I buy a fancy-schmancy "Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor" and by June 2008, get back to trying....again. Now my cycles are wonderful....28 days long, ovulating at about day 13 to day 17.....but not getting pregnant. We keep this up for um....9 months more...then go see a new Dr in Feb 2009. She advises IUI with Femara and an HCG trigger shot...we do that in March, no luck. It costs us $577.00 b/c hubby's insurance refuses to pay to have someone wash his sperm!!!! So, we decided we do not want to spend $577/mo and opt then on to do the drugs and just do the sex part ourselves, no IUI. It doesn't work...... So, in June, I realize that "hello! My insurance will cover IVF"...duh!!!!!! I talk to my Dr on July 1st and she is all for the IVF. Finally!!! Progress...... But now it is a waiting game again. Tests have to be done, more sperm has to be washed, uterus' have to be measured and made sure that there are no polyps and such in the way....no biggie...I wait 28 days til my period shows, go in and do the tests...oh no! My body once again, when under pressure, decides it is best to have a 45 day (who knows, it may be longer, may be shorter, but you get the picture!!) cycle.....so here I am on day 38, not pregnant by the way, I checked this morning, and am still WAITING...... I just want to move on and be pregnant (preferably with twins...ok, I said it!! Lets hope hubby doesn't see that! (-: ) Take a look at this ridiculous chart...(for those chart savy people)

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/1cc08e

The way I understood it to be, I still have to wait for yet ANOTHER period after this one (the one that is nowhere in sight) before we actually start the IVF cycle. I am dying here!! Not to mention, on a more selfish note, my girls weekend to Vegas with my high school friends that is tentatively scheduled for October 2nd...well, that is pretty much out the window now....hopefully we can all agree on a long weekend later in the fall....where I will be pregnant & glady sit back sipping water while they drink all the free alcohol they can hold! (-: Sorry for the rant....but I do feel better!

Our newest family member...Tux!

Mandy the Cat passed away earlier this month at age 16. We were so sad to see her go....I would post a picture, but all the good ones are in my other computer which is out of commission currently..... Me (being the "animal hoarder" according to my hubby) just had to get another cat...I wanted one that was older & needed a good home...think shelter cat or one that someone no longer wanted....so, hubs did some searching on his favorite spot, craigslist.com, and found Tux! His owners were moving to Colorado & did not want to take him along. He is about 3-4 yrs old, neutered, declawed, and fat! (11 lbs) He is a true sweetheart.....

I need to get my butt in gear.....

We decided to pursue IVF (in vitro fertilization) about a month ago and although things are progressing SLOWLY....it is quickly approaching! SLOWLY, as in my period will be taking about 41 days to show up this month as opposed to the normal 28 days, but I can't do anything about that....yet quickly, as in the hubby goes in on July 27for his 1st big appointment and his bloodwork. I will not probably go back in 'til early August. In either case, we are probably just a month shy of THE START! I am so excited and nervous at the same time. I just want to do everything I can to prepare my body & have the best outcome possible....I am exercising regularly (which I know will have to be curtailed during the actual IVF procedure), doing weekly acupuncture, taking my daily multivitamin & folic acid, hubby is taking his daily vitamin & Vitamin E.......I looked up a bunch of "tips and wivestails" yesterday from veteran IVF'ers and jotted down quite a few good ideas: Nightly foot soaks...I have heard of this, part of chinese medicine, soaking your feet for 20 min every night in warm water. So...check! Started that last night! (that foot soaker/massager we have finally came in handy, glad I didn't sell it at the yardsale!!) Walking for 30 minutes a day...Check! Took Peyton out last night for a 30 min walk around the neighborhood, even though I had worked out at the gym earlier in the day, I am going to walk for 30 min at home every night. Several of the other tips require a trip to the grocery store and/or google'ing on the netz......at least one whey protein shake daily, drink Organic whole milk, eat fresh, organic pineapple (especially the core) starting on day one of stims...helps with the lining....drink gatorade, 2 liters of water per day, get extra protein into your diet, CoQ10 daily (120-200mg), Pomegrante Juice (antioxidants, like wine) and DHEA 25- 75mg daily. I of course will need to check with my doc on some of this.... Also, the strangest one yet, and I saw it mentioned twice...a McDonald's Egg McMuffin! One person mentioned eating one on the way to their egg transfer.

Trains!

Peyton & I were in Waxhaw today, so I took him up on the "train bridge" as he calls it....a big ol' wooden bridge that goes over the town's train tracks. Our luck....a train was coming! It went right under us, it was so cool! I was actually a tad scared....I mean, hello, a loud ass train was just feet below us!

Here we go.....

Nobody really reads this anyways...so.....IVF here we come! In August/September! More to come!!!!