So I'm sure that everyone is anxiously awaiting the results we got on Tuesday....well, lets just say that as of now, I think I will get to be the designated driver for girl's night for the next several months! We have more bloodwork Friday and Monday just to make sure everything is moving in the right direction, but I feel very comfortable that all will be good. That mean ultrasound in just 2 weeks ot see how many are in there....always nerveracking to wait for that! But for now, I feel good that things are looking good. Talk about some pressure....I know that it wouldn't be my fault if it didn't work, but I know I would somehow feel like it was, and let me tell you, that's alot of pressure on yourself!! So, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief for now....and get ready for the roller coaster of pregnancy!!!
On another amazingly happy note, we officially sent in all of our paperwork (and a rather substantial chunck of $$) in to really get our adoption process started. Deep breath in, deep breath out.....I was shaking the whole time we were signing things and sending them off. I feel like this is the point of no return in this giant leap....and I can't lie, it's pretty scary, but also pretty awesome at the same time. It is really feeling like it might really happen now....a year from now we could have a daughter....wow....trying to let that sink in....just wow....so much has to happen before we can get to that point, but I still feel like we are on the track we should be, and it will happen just like it should!!
I had the awesome opportunity this weekend to give news to the parent's that I got a positive home pregnancy test last week (this was before the bloodwork). As we were talking over Skype, it really hit me that we were so much in a similar place. They are in this position of being so excited, but also still so nervous becuase so much can still happen and they don't want to let that guard down and get hurt if something does happen. But at the same time, it really is starting to feel real for them that they may be parents for the first time this year, and it is next to impossible to not be ecstatic when you feel like you are one step closer to that! I feel much the same way with the adoption. We are one step closer, and I really do feel like it is going to happen, but I'm still worried that for whatever reason it won't happen and I don't want to get my hopes up too much. Maybe that is why we get along so well, we can relate to each other so well!
I still cannot figure out how to put into words how blessed I feel to have so many amazing things in my life. I told my mom today that I guess I should be stressed with everything going on, but I just don't, and I guess it's because everything going on is so good, and I can't be stressed by that!!! Family.....good, Friends....good, Surrogacy....good, Adoption....good, School....good (I've gotten to use a speculum for the past two weeks, which is so exciting for a dork like me!) . It just is amazing how good life can be!!!!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Just a quick one...
Hello! Just wanted to jump on here quick to give an update....well, an update to let you know that there isn't really anything to update unless you are interested in waiting....which is what we are doing. We are in the dreaded "two week wait" or TWW for those of you who have been on message boards and things about IVF or surrogacy. That means, that between the IVF (we in the biz call it the transfer) and the date of the first blood pregnancy test ( the beta), there is about 2 weeks to wait. Luckily for us it's only 12 days instead of 14. You wouldn't think that two days would be such a difference maker, but when it comes to this stuff, every minute seems like forever! So, last thursday we had the transfer, and implanted 2-5 day blastocysts (I know, I'm going crazy with all the lingo, think of it as free education!), and they were AA and AB quality. In english, that means that the retrieved eggs were fertilized and then they let them grow for 5 days and then they implanted them directly into my uterus ( I know that's where they went because I got to watch it all on the ultrasound, prety cool). It really is pretty amazing when you think about all of it that they can even do this stuff, but it is such a miracle for some people that wouldn't otherwise have children! So....back to the TWW (you remember, the two week wait) that ends on Tuesday when I got get bloodwork really early in the morning and they tell us what the "beta" number is. The great advantage of the blood over the home urine test is that you get a number. Now, everything you will read and everything the doctor will tell you is that you can't tell how many are in there with that number. But you sure can do alot of guessing if it's high!!!
Normally there is a few days of bloodwork to make sure it's going up like it's suposed to, but technically anything over 25 is considered for real pregnant. So, as you can imagine, this is some very stressful and exciting waiting time! I know how excited I am, so I can only imagine that is just a fraction compared to what the parents are feeling. You want to be optimistic and think everything wil be perfect, but you also don't want to get your hopes up too high and have them be diappointed. So, right now......we wait.....and we hope....and we pray.....and there isn't much else to do.
Well.....except for those crazy little home tests that actually can come back positive before you get the bloowork......
TO BE CONTINUED
Normally there is a few days of bloodwork to make sure it's going up like it's suposed to, but technically anything over 25 is considered for real pregnant. So, as you can imagine, this is some very stressful and exciting waiting time! I know how excited I am, so I can only imagine that is just a fraction compared to what the parents are feeling. You want to be optimistic and think everything wil be perfect, but you also don't want to get your hopes up too high and have them be diappointed. So, right now......we wait.....and we hope....and we pray.....and there isn't much else to do.
Well.....except for those crazy little home tests that actually can come back positive before you get the bloowork......
TO BE CONTINUED
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Big Day!!
So the day of the IVF is here....I'll be leaving in about 45 minutes to head up to REACH to get pregnant....haha, that's not a sentence you hear every day! Unfortunately, the parents are heading back to Holland today too. They are at the airport as I type and hate that they are missing this day. Things took a little longer with the egg donor, and they thought that they would be able to be here for it, but it just didn't work out like that. But, I know that even though they aren't here, their baby(ies) will be here!
I have to say, the last couple of weeks have been really busy with work, school, kids, and getting to see the parents while they were here. It's been so awesome to really get to spend time with them and get to really know them better. We haven't gotten that much time with any of the other parents, and so I really look at it as a blessing! Not only did we get to know them better, but some of our friends as well! I can't believe that after a cookout at our house with what seemed like 100 kids running around that they still want to go through everything! I think if that didn't scare them off, they should be fine. I'm so ready for them to come back in a few months when its time for that mid-pregnancy ultrasound and we can see them again! I'm also going to continue to work on getting them to move over here....always great to have more friends close by!
So...we won't know anything really until after the dreaded "two week wait" for a pregnancy test. Even then, we won't know much for sure for a bit after that. But, I'm going to just go ahead and assume that all will be good and in about 9 months they will be parents!!! How awesome to be able to give them that....it really is exciting and amazing to think about.....I just have such a hard time putting into words what this whole thing is like. I'm also glad that I have this blog to be able to share this journey with so many other people, I think all of this can really make you realize how lucky you are to have your children, no matter how they get here! And speaking of that, we are still working on the adoption stuff, just kind of in the holding pattern until we get the tax return and can send them some money to get started. You know, working on that patience stuff....I think that will be a work in progress until I die! I was trying to get the boys going this morning to get them to school, and Noah told me, "patience, patience, mommy" at least they get it....
So, don't forget if you live around Fort Mill that we will be having the garage sale March 3rd and still need your stuff! Also, we are still selling the tshirts and they are really good looking shirts! Thanks again for reading!!
I have to say, the last couple of weeks have been really busy with work, school, kids, and getting to see the parents while they were here. It's been so awesome to really get to spend time with them and get to really know them better. We haven't gotten that much time with any of the other parents, and so I really look at it as a blessing! Not only did we get to know them better, but some of our friends as well! I can't believe that after a cookout at our house with what seemed like 100 kids running around that they still want to go through everything! I think if that didn't scare them off, they should be fine. I'm so ready for them to come back in a few months when its time for that mid-pregnancy ultrasound and we can see them again! I'm also going to continue to work on getting them to move over here....always great to have more friends close by!
So...we won't know anything really until after the dreaded "two week wait" for a pregnancy test. Even then, we won't know much for sure for a bit after that. But, I'm going to just go ahead and assume that all will be good and in about 9 months they will be parents!!! How awesome to be able to give them that....it really is exciting and amazing to think about.....I just have such a hard time putting into words what this whole thing is like. I'm also glad that I have this blog to be able to share this journey with so many other people, I think all of this can really make you realize how lucky you are to have your children, no matter how they get here! And speaking of that, we are still working on the adoption stuff, just kind of in the holding pattern until we get the tax return and can send them some money to get started. You know, working on that patience stuff....I think that will be a work in progress until I die! I was trying to get the boys going this morning to get them to school, and Noah told me, "patience, patience, mommy" at least they get it....
So, don't forget if you live around Fort Mill that we will be having the garage sale March 3rd and still need your stuff! Also, we are still selling the tshirts and they are really good looking shirts! Thanks again for reading!!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Been a little while...
Hello again! I've gotten a little busy and haven't gotten a chance to post anything new for a while...I actually started a post about 2 weeks ago and got about 3 sentences in and got busy doing something else and never made it back! I had two group projects due last week (which are 100 times harder when you've never met your group), and then was in Missippi for Jeremy's brother's wedding last weekend. Needless to say, it's been a little crazy!! So, this week I only have two tests and regular school, work and kids stuff...so I may actually have a few minutes to breathe! Today I have a few minutes before I need to get Noah to school and head down to Columbia for a clinical lab at school, then back to Fort Mill to do my clinical from 1-9...busy busy busy!
Enough about that, here's what is really going on around here (well, the interesting stuff anyway)...The parents of the baby(ies) that I will carry are in town from the Netherlands. They got here last week right before we left for MS, but I did get to spend a little time with them right before we left. They also came to see the boys do karate and are coming for dinner tomorrow night at the house. It's been really great to get to spend time with them like this. I never really got to spend that much time with the other couples, and I feel like we are really getting to know each other, which is really great! It's going to be sad when they have to go back home and we are back to just email and skype! Why are they here, you may ask??? Well, sometime this weekend the egg donor will be ready to retrieve the eggs and then 5-6 days later we will have the IVF for me to get pregnant!!! Woohoo! I'm ready to be at that point so I'll be a little closer to being done with medications. As of now, it's not too bad, just some shots, patches, and pills...but soon it will move into the bigger shots...which is never fun, but it has to be done. So, hopefully within a couple of weeks, we should have a pretty good idea if it worked or not. I'm just going to assume it's going to work (and that it will most likely be two babies :), and they will be parents somewhere around Halloween!! Yes folks, do the time line...that will put me close to the end of pregnancy during the heat of the summer....awesome...great timing this time...so let me apologize in advance to those around me who will have to listen to me complain!! I will definatly keep everyone posted on how things are going with all of this (well, once we know something for sure, I don't want to jinx it!)
In other areas...we have kind of been in a holding pattern for the adoption stuff because of the money. We needed a chunk to send in with the contract and to get the home study started so we were waiting until we could do our taxes and get that back. Good news!! I did the taxes this week and we will have enough to get started. So, I think we are going to try to get our stuff notorized this week so when we get our stuff back we can get everything sent it. So....no turning back after that!!! We are really going to do it!! The boys have already moved into a room together and surprisingly they are actually sleeping, and they love it. We have lots of work to do to get the room ready for a baby, but I think right now we will wait until we get a little closer. It's pretty exciting that we are really starting!! Keep praying for a smooth process for us!
So....that's where we are. Seems like this post was a little boring...I am sorry for that and will try to do better next time...As a recap: gotta get through two tests this week, work, kids stuff, then I get to have my last unpregnant girl's night (woohoo), last minute put together cookout on sunday, then gotta get pregnant next week, get paperwork in for the adoption, and whatever else gets thrown in there. I have to say, I know it all looks crazy and overwhelming and trust me, some days it is. But, it is all such awesomely good stuff, that it would be impossible to give up any of it! It's probably a good thing that I don't have any extra time to sit and think about all of it because I would probably go nuts. It's all about taking things one day at a time, and that's about what I can handle, so it works well. I am so incredibly blessed with pregnancies, children, work, the opportunity to go to school that I can hardly stand it. Does it get any better than this life in our little tornado? Even if some days I do feel like that cow spinning in the wind??
One last thing, don't forget to get yourself a great tshirt!!! Visit our site at www.adoptionbug.com/asherussia. They are really great shirts!!! Also, we are having our fuundraiser garage sale on March 3rd, so we need your stuff, and we need you to come shop!!! Let me know if you are in the area and we will be happy to come pick stuff up from you. Thank you for your prayers and support! I will try not to wait so long to post next time, but I can't make any guarantees on that one...
Enough about that, here's what is really going on around here (well, the interesting stuff anyway)...The parents of the baby(ies) that I will carry are in town from the Netherlands. They got here last week right before we left for MS, but I did get to spend a little time with them right before we left. They also came to see the boys do karate and are coming for dinner tomorrow night at the house. It's been really great to get to spend time with them like this. I never really got to spend that much time with the other couples, and I feel like we are really getting to know each other, which is really great! It's going to be sad when they have to go back home and we are back to just email and skype! Why are they here, you may ask??? Well, sometime this weekend the egg donor will be ready to retrieve the eggs and then 5-6 days later we will have the IVF for me to get pregnant!!! Woohoo! I'm ready to be at that point so I'll be a little closer to being done with medications. As of now, it's not too bad, just some shots, patches, and pills...but soon it will move into the bigger shots...which is never fun, but it has to be done. So, hopefully within a couple of weeks, we should have a pretty good idea if it worked or not. I'm just going to assume it's going to work (and that it will most likely be two babies :), and they will be parents somewhere around Halloween!! Yes folks, do the time line...that will put me close to the end of pregnancy during the heat of the summer....awesome...great timing this time...so let me apologize in advance to those around me who will have to listen to me complain!! I will definatly keep everyone posted on how things are going with all of this (well, once we know something for sure, I don't want to jinx it!)
In other areas...we have kind of been in a holding pattern for the adoption stuff because of the money. We needed a chunk to send in with the contract and to get the home study started so we were waiting until we could do our taxes and get that back. Good news!! I did the taxes this week and we will have enough to get started. So, I think we are going to try to get our stuff notorized this week so when we get our stuff back we can get everything sent it. So....no turning back after that!!! We are really going to do it!! The boys have already moved into a room together and surprisingly they are actually sleeping, and they love it. We have lots of work to do to get the room ready for a baby, but I think right now we will wait until we get a little closer. It's pretty exciting that we are really starting!! Keep praying for a smooth process for us!
So....that's where we are. Seems like this post was a little boring...I am sorry for that and will try to do better next time...As a recap: gotta get through two tests this week, work, kids stuff, then I get to have my last unpregnant girl's night (woohoo), last minute put together cookout on sunday, then gotta get pregnant next week, get paperwork in for the adoption, and whatever else gets thrown in there. I have to say, I know it all looks crazy and overwhelming and trust me, some days it is. But, it is all such awesomely good stuff, that it would be impossible to give up any of it! It's probably a good thing that I don't have any extra time to sit and think about all of it because I would probably go nuts. It's all about taking things one day at a time, and that's about what I can handle, so it works well. I am so incredibly blessed with pregnancies, children, work, the opportunity to go to school that I can hardly stand it. Does it get any better than this life in our little tornado? Even if some days I do feel like that cow spinning in the wind??
One last thing, don't forget to get yourself a great tshirt!!! Visit our site at www.adoptionbug.com/asherussia. They are really great shirts!!! Also, we are having our fuundraiser garage sale on March 3rd, so we need your stuff, and we need you to come shop!!! Let me know if you are in the area and we will be happy to come pick stuff up from you. Thank you for your prayers and support! I will try not to wait so long to post next time, but I can't make any guarantees on that one...
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