Estrogen Patches... Here I come!

So this morning I put on my first of many Vivelle estrogen patches. I started out with one today. Every other day I'll take the old off and put on new adding one more until I reach four patches. I continue wearing these even after we have the pregnancy test confirming pregnancy until my body begins producing enough estrogen on it's on. Remember, the Lupron injection I'm administering stopped my natural cycle completely. That's exactly what the Fertility Dr.s want. Then they slowly start adding me on meds that jump start my body before the IVF transfer and keep me on them until my body catches on and begins caring for the pregnancy on it's own. Here is a picture of the Vivelle patches.

Run Run Run!!!!

So tonight was Missy's first at home injection ever. Like me, she'll be on Lupron for a few weeks and it's injected with a 28 gauge (diabetic) needle into your choice of the upper thigh or into your "belly fat". Not a big deal at all. But for someone that has a phobia of needles and pretty much anything related this was WWIII!!!! I received a call earlier this afternoon and you could hear the nervousness easing out with every word she said. I do sympathize... that was once me three transfer cycles ago. The fear of the unknown is the worst! I gave Missy my word that this injection does not hurt at all. At 9:17pm she calls me while Jaren is getting the syringe ready insisting Missy and I missed something Barb said during her teaching visit for medication. "Mr. Medicine" kept saying we were dulling the needle and blah blah.... :-) Been there and done that Jaren. Just stick her and get the injection over with. :-) They're going back and forth saying this and that and I have a smile on my face the entire time remembering how Tim and I bickered the first transfer cycle. Once you've taken a dip in the fertility pool you realize things are soooo different. Missy and I hang up shortly after she calls me with an "okay, call me as soon as your injection is done." from me. So.... I waited and waited thinking what in the world are they doing. My Lupron shot from set up to disposal time takes maybe 2-3 minutes. Then I start to worry. Then Tim tells me she might have forgot to call me to just come to bed. Ugh! At 9:38pm the phone rings! Yes! "Did you cry?" was the first thing that came out of my mouth! What was I thinking? In my defense I so saw Missy crying with this injection. She's been SO freaked out about the injections and cringes every time she needs blood work. See, I'm not evil. :-) Now it gets entertaining.... she starts to tell me that Jaren had the injection ready and the site on her belly they were going through was numbed with ice. As Jaren tried to give her Lupron injection she started to run from him! They did a dance around the dining room table until he finally grabbed the back of her pants and held her there to get this first injection over with. Can you just pictures that!!!! Too funny! I envision Lucy running from Ricky... hehe haha. We are all so telling their child(ren) about this one day! Be braver then your Mommy little one(s)!

Oh the joys and pains...

Missy called me this afternoon while I was watching the kids run around the backyard after school. Not easy to find the time to sit and catch up lately but we fit in phone conversations as often as possible. Summer is almost here!!!! She told me how sick she's been on Birth Control Pills (BCP). Nausea, vomiting, headaches, sore breasts.... you know I think this might be Mother Nature's way of giving Missy a taste of the first trimester. :-) Not that I don't feel for you Missy because oh have I been there. She is for sure putting in her time as far as the pains go to get to the gain! I must admit I told her all my discomforts as well. This particular BCP is causing me to have slight headaches, a few pounds weight gain and sore breasts. The list can always go on with fertility meds! Oh the joys we go through to have children. :-)

Not much longer for you experiencing all the discomforts Missy. You can stick with it... especially knowing this could very well lead to having your hands full this time next year, God willing!

Injections have started!

This morning I took the first of my Doxycycline (antibiotic) as Jaren is taking as well. We're both on this med AM and PM for about ten days. This evening I took another Doxycycline along with my first Lupron injection. While preparing the syringe for my first injection I went along with the motions as though I never stopped. It was weird how the process felt so natural and routine. But something I didn't expect to feel took me by surprise. As I held the syringe up every little detail flashed through my mind from my first injections with AJ & Daniel to the moments delivering Maggie and August in about 5 seconds flat. Such a crazy whirl wind moment. I then injected my belly with the little needle (don't worry - it's less painful then an ant bite!) while Tim watched with no hesitation or worry. When I told him what just happened he asked if I was nervous or wanting to rethink it all I said no, of course not. It was just a strange sensation. After putting everything away I said to myself as I looked in the mirror "This is it.... here we go!"


Set up I'll see every evening the next 4 weeks.


This is really happening.... we're on our way!


My in-home pharmacy for the months ahead.

Missy & Jaren are off to Costa Rica

Lucky ducks Missy and Jaren are in flight as I type this to Costa Rica until Saturday! Oh I cannot wait to see those pictures! I hope they have a wonderful time!!!! Meanwhile I'm here at home with Makenzie and Mason home from school. No we're not sick but our school district was closed down due to the Swine Flu. They've now been home since Monday, April 27th. Looks like we'll be home next week too. But whatever stops this spread of this nasty flu is worth it.

Spending a night with my Surro Twins & HIVF Appt

The opportunity presented itself and I jumped on it! Tim found out Thursday afternoon he was able to go into work later on Friday so he can take Makenzie and Mason to school.... I packed an overnight bag and left to spend the night with our friends, AJ and Daniel (and first Surro Twins & Family)! Felt like such a loooong trip into Houston. Ugh! Talked with Missy along the way, thank goodness, listening to all she had to do that evening. (Crazy life for a teacher the last few weeks of school.) Arrived at AJ and Daniel's with margaritas awaiting! Daniel grilled fajitas while I had fun catching with AJ, her niece Sherry and Daniel's sister Gidget. Of course before that I indulged in playtime with Maggie, August and Davis! Whew what a night! We all let lose and had fun. We don't get to do that often enough.



4/24/09
I said my goodbyes to Maggie, August, Davis, AJ and their Nanny, Mirna before heading to Houston IVF (HIVF) for Missy and my appt. I went in for my oh so enjoyable swabbing for cultures with nurse Barb while Missy was arriving. Then she got to go through it too! Oh joy. :-)
We sat with Barb and had Missy's teaching visit for all her medications before running to Subway for some lunch. We were starving by then! We had to pretty much eat and run since Missy had to get back to school for cheer leading auditions and I needed to get on the road back home. The next step from here is to start our meds! I start my birth control pill as well as Missy while she and Jaren are on their trip to Costa Rica.

First Overnight Trip To Houston

We headed to Houston when Tim got home from work on Friday to knock several items off our list. We met Missy and Jaren at Ellen's office first to sign the final contracts. So nice to be be officially done with the contract process! Remember what I said... we're now on to bigger and better things! We headed to Houston IVF after that to get lab work done on all four of us following with a teaching visit for the fertility medications Missy and I will take and inject. Yep, those lovely injections once again. We wrapped up at Houston IVF and headed over to Leslee's office for the counseling session for all four of us. That wasn't but an hour of our time and went smoothly and quickly. Leslee agreed we are all four really on the same page and have a wonderful journey ahead of us.

Tim and I followed Missy and Jaren to the hotel after leaving Leslee's office. Their guest room wasn't up to par as Missy claims so we got a room at a hotel not far from their house. Had about two hours until they came back to pick us up for dinner and a night out together. So Tim and I ran to DSW shoe store and walked out with four pairs for me and two pairs for Tim and only spent $120! Not bad at all. They picked us up and we headed to Flemmings for dinner. Ooo was it yum! The food, the drinks, conversation and the desert. Oh the desert was to die for good!

From there we went to The Lot and met Jaren's best friends, Alex and Adam. Not too long after Missy's best friend, Keeley, arrived. We chatted while listening to music from the early 90's and 80's and enjoyed a few drinks.

Finding out Keeley's birthday began at midnight we headed next door to Pearl Bar see many dancing away to some great music. We had a good group walk next door and toasted with a Yeager shot at midnight to celebrate Keeley's 29th birthday. Good time was had by all!

Tim and I found our way to the Glass residents around 10am this morning. We played with their dogs, Skye and Maddy, before heading out for breakfast. Mmmm it was good too! Hit the spot after a night out. Went back to their house afterwards and played with their dogs outside for a bit before hitting the road. We had a blast this weekend hanging out with our newest good friends. Neither Tim or I could ask for a better couple to become friends with and make such a wonderful journey together with. I'm not excited about the soon approaching fertility meds but I sure am ecstatic about the soon approaching IVF transfer!!!!

Meeting with Leslee and the MMPI Test

Today I drove into to Houston for my counseling session with Leslee and then I had to take the MMPI test. I cannot recall what MMPI stands for but I nicknamed it "the crazy people test". It's a type of personality test and would you believe I passed with flying colors!?!? :-) Part of the beginning process is meeting with a counselor, taking this MMPI and then a counseling session for all four of us (Jaren, Missy, Tim and myself) soon. I enjoyed Leslee and my almost hour and a half talk. She's very friendly and made the fact that I had to take this MMPI again so much easier. No scantrons this time. I was able to take the test on the computer and completed the 540 question test in about 30 minutes. Missy and I met across the street for a late lunch at Panara Bread (Yum! Hopefully we'll see these opening up near us!) before I headed home. Another check off our list.

Night out with Missy and Linda

Missy and her Mom, Linda, drove in from Houston and got a room on the Riverwalk. We decided to meet for dinner at Mi Tierras, just the four of us. Tim and I dropped Makenzie and Mason off with his parents, Jay and Ricki, then headed downtown. Dinner was good and we had great conversation but Tim and I never thought to check what was going on this weekend. Some kind of Tejano concert deal. Stages were everywhere you turned with music going. Parking was tough but doable. After dinner we went back to their hotel, La Mansion, for drinks in the bar. After a drink or two Missy suggested we walk to Swiggs on the Riverwalk for a martini. I tried my first chocolate martini and tasted Missy's apple martini. Mmmm Mmmm! Tim enjoyed what he said was a good cigar but personally I thought it smelt awful. We had a good time "people watching" and just relaxing with good conversation once again. Walked back to the hotel and said our good byes before Tim and I headed home. Fun fun!

We met Jay, Ricki and the kids at Grumpy's for breakfast Saturday morning with Missy and Linda following shortly after. They were able to meet Tim's parents along with Tim's Uncle Mark (Jay's brother) and of course our kiddos, Makenzie and Mason. Missy and Linda also experienced a "Grumpy Sized" breakfast but oh is it GOOD! Should have taken a picture of breakfast for a the blog. Maybe next time! :-) We chatted for a bit after everyone took in the last morsel of food they could find space for. We walked out together and said long goodbyes planning our next moves. Sure wish Jaren could have come in town too but he simply could not get out of work this time around. We'll have plenty more opportunities though. The future is looking good!

The Contract Phase - Dun Dun Dun.....

January 11, 2009 was the first time the four of us talked over the phone about the contract together. Going line by line agreeing on each little subject. Would you believe this wasn't the last of it. Not that we weren't agreeing just that between us, Missy & Jaren and Ellen (the attorney) we had to fix wording or change out whose name went where. Always seemed to be something. All four of us are tired of reading this contract! I'll be so glad when it's all done and over with. Move on to bigger and better things.