The Polka Dot Package

Lovely Rita told me she was headed out with a polka dot package last week to send my way.

I was stumped as to what she meant by "polka dot package". 

Then a few days ago I was going through emails and noticed an attachment I hadn't seen before. It was Lovely Rita and her sweet little boy holding a polka dot package. Cutest picture ever!

I saved it to my phone and awaited the arrival of the polka dot package.

Guess what came today?

http://youtu.be/4lWBm17LEMs

I don't think I showed the chocolates. They were yummy!! I only had a small bite, but oh my gosh!

I haven't met my IPs yet, but to see her with the package and have it arrive with sweet notes & gifts was an awesome human connection. 

More Progress #Surrogacy #5 journey Vlog Update

Progress, a little at a time. Not too bad for this time of year.

Vlog update-

http://youtu.be/10g72Bfv8LQ

One more thing, I have my psychological evaluation set up for late January. (Earliest appointment available)

Hope I pass!

;-)

Also, IM has noticed these little things we have in common that are pretty cool, little coincidences. I know that I was meant to find this couple, or they were meant to find me. It feels so right! And as time goes on, I get to know my IM more and she is so cute and sweet. I can't wait to meet her in person, and her husband & son, which probably won't be until the transfer. I hope she's a hugger. I am. And I will be very happy to see them.

My new health insurance is in place as of December 23rd.

Sometimes it's crazy (in a good way) to think I'm in the beginning of another journey.

I think a lot of progress will be made by the end of January. 

A Christmas Video for my followers

http://youtu.be/16eHas00swo

More progress! So exciting!  

I remembered what I wanted to add-

I love how my IM is always on top of things and so thorough! It's awesome! And I appreciate it. She's been super busy getting all this set up to get to where we are now. I get so excited to see her emails and hear what the latest update is.

New beginnings (journey #5, #surrogacy Vlog update)

I believe that everything happens for a reason. I still miss my former IPs, but I've been blessed with a new match that I believe was made in Heaven. So many things are lining up nicely and falling into place. I am truly grateful and so excited for this new adventure. We are going to use my first and favorite RE. I think we are putting together a great team!  

So, this was on Tuesday, but IM called today and we'll be using a different clinic with better success rates. We were originally discussing a medical screening in January, now that has been moved up a bit.

(Her call totally made my day. She is adorable! I love how well we get along and how we truly work together as a team. I feel the trust and respect which is so important in a good relationship. I can't wait to meet them in person!)

Vlog update-

A New Journey #Surrogacy

I have talked to many great couples the past 2 weeks. A few have been interested in moving forward. However, sometimes life gets in the way or the couple just isn't quite ready or something just doesn't click. 

It came down to choosing between two couples, which honestly made my heart ache. It really sucks to choose one couple over another and have to let the other couple down. It wasn't an easy decision. I didn't know what would be the determining factor. I hoped for some sort of sign.

As I talked to my husband about both couples Wednesday night, he fell asleep on me. I should have known better, we were already in bed. He falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. 

But that's okay, because we had a 45 minute drive to Thanksgiving breakfast early Thursday morning. He was all ears. As I started talking to him I felt like I was starting to lean towards one couple.

After breakfast, I was chatting with my step sister in law who has struggled with infertility. She had asked what was going on in my surrogacy life so I told her about the two couples. She was just the perspective I needed. Again, it wasn't an easy decision, but I felt like I knew which couple to choose. 

I decided to send a video to the couple to let them know of my decision Thursday night. (Thanksgiving)

:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U7ggQz0ckA

I hope they don't mind me sharing.

Then I had to break the news to the other couple.

:(

And then I waited for a reply and started getting nervous. What if they changed their minds? What if________? 

I put myself out there, even though they had already shown interest. What if I was rejected?

But then I got a cute, sweet ecstatic email back and I felt good about my decision. 

We're still in the very early stages and they want to meet me in person. But so far, I think everything is lining up nicely. 

Black Friday #Surrogacy Books Giveaway and Sale

Giveaway- 

The Baby Chase plus Once Upon A Surrogate: The Stork's Helpers.

(And 25% off my book Once Upon a Surrogate: The Stork's Helpers!)

I let you sleep in for this Black Friday deal. Giveaway ends December 6th, 2013!

I have 2 surrogacy books up for grabs-

The Baby Chase by Leslie Morgan Steiner

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 2013

From the New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Love comes a riveting new narrative about surrogate pregnancy from both sides of the equation—the parents and the gestational carrier.Once considered a desperate, even morally suspect option, surrogacy is now sweeping headlines, transforming the lives of celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Nicole Kidman and Elton John, and changing the face of the American family. But how much do we really know about it? And is it really as easy and accessible – emotionally, financially, legally and physically – as magazines make it out to be? We often hear about successful outcomes, but little about the journey – about the precious hope that starts it all, the ups and downs of finding a surrogate, the heartache and obstacles, the risks and expenses at every step, or the unbelievable joy when years of determination pay off. In The Baby Chase, acclaimed writer Leslie Morgan Steiner weaves three stories together — of a nurse, a firefighter, and the Indian gestational carriers and doctors who helped them — to provide one intensely personal look at what makes surrogacy so controversial, fascinating, and in some cases, the only ray of hope for today's infertile parents-to-be.

Rhonda Wile and her husband Gerry struggled for years with infertility. With perseverance that shocked everyone around them, they tried every procedure and option available – unsuccessfully – until they finally decided to hire a surrogate. While surrogacy was being touted as a miracle for hopeful parents, for Rhonda and Gerry, it seemed an impossible and unaffordable dream. Until they came across the beaming smile of a beautiful Indian woman on the internet… and, within a few short months, embarked on a journey that would take them deep into the emerging world of Indian carriers, international medical tourism, and the global surrogacy community.

Moving, page-turning, and meticulously researched, this complex human story is paired with an examination of the issues—religious, legal, medical and emotional—that shapes surrogacy as a solution both imperfect and life-changing.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Baby-Chase-Surrogacy-Transforming-ebook/dp/B00DA6XKF8/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_i
(I noticed Amazon is offering 30% off books until December 1st. Enter code BOOKDEAL at checkout. Restrictions apply)

Once Upon a Surrogate: The Stork's Helpers by Jill Hancock Reeder (aka ME)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9887291-once-upon-a-surrogate

4.45 of 5 stars 4.45  (stars out of 5)·   rating details  ·  11 ratings  ·  10 reviews

Have you ever wondered what is like to be a surrogate mom? Jill Hancock Reeder describes what it is like to be a “helper”- a stork if you will in children’s terms. Jill has been a surrogate before. She knows what it is like. Illustrations for the book are created by none other than her own children! It is simply beautiful!

If you or your children have ever wondered what is like to be a surrogate, I would highly recommend this book. You can catch a small glimpse of what it is like to be an incubator to someone who can’t have any children of their own. You can teach your children there is more than one way to have children.
And if you yourself are struggling to have children perhaps surrogacy might be the answer for you!

Order your copy or learn more including reviews and blog posts at http://surrogacybooks.blogspot.com

At this time, the book can only be ordered directly through the author at the above address. If requested, you can receive a signed copy. Thank You.(less)

Learn More about Once Upon a Surrogate: The Stork's Helpers-

http://surrogacybooks.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Surrogacy-Books/164401093599033

https://twitter.com/SurrogacyBooks

www.cafepress.com/storkhelpers

25% off for a limited time with this special link-

The above button doesn't seem to be working, please use this link-
25% off Once Upon a Surrogate: The Stork's Helpers

How to enter the Giveaway-

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanksgiving Thankful Vlog

A Thankful Thanksgiving Vlog for you!

I'm kinda shy and quiet sometimes. I had a heckuva time uploading this, but hooray for actually posting it ON Thanksgiving! Better late than never.

I forgot to mention I am thankful for music! It brings me so much joy.

Especially the Beatles.

Anyone up for sending me a video reply of what you're thankful for?

#Surrogacy Interview Last Weekend

I am always flattered when asked to do an interview about surrogacy. I don't accept all offers though. I am pretty picky with who I'll talk to and what their focus is.

No matter what though, I like to do what I can to shine a positive light on surrogacy, to share an honest, positive perspective. I felt that this was one of those opportunities.

Liz actually flew in from New York to interview me in person last weekend. I was a bit more nervous than usual because this was my first in person interview. I decided I wasn't even going to "study" or rehearse. I was just going to be my open and honest self. (I'm always open and honest, but I usually like to prepare myself for the harder questions that might come up)

We met at Starbucks and I brought along my husband for support. (And quite honestly because I was meeting a stranger) My 16 year old son was also with us. I felt like I may as well involve my family since they are involved with the surrogacy journeys right along with me. I also wanted my girls to be there, because I figured the topic of my book might come up and they are my illustrators. I also wanted to give Liz a signed copy of my book and they usually sign as well.

My girls had spent the night with my mom, so she brought them a little after the interview had started. My husband and my mom both chimed in and had things to add. I think my husband may have said too much on some topics. It was nice to hear my mom being so supportive of surrogacy. (Not that I doubted her) I was happy to really see just how much my family supports me.

I think the interview went well. Liz was fun and easy to talk to. She asked a range of questions and has been reaching out to military wives who are surrogates. My first few journeys were as a Navy wife. My first surrobaby was born in a Navy Hospital. John got out of the Navy when I was barely pregnant with my Surrotwins.

For me personally, I think being a military wife in a way prepared me to be a surrogate. I knew plenty about sacrifice. I was stronger because I was a military wife. It made me a better person, a better version of myself and so did surrogacy. I think everything happens for a reason and I think one thing has certainly led to another in my life.

To read Liz's post about the interview, go here-
http://lizbziff.blogspot.com/2013/11/baby-steps.html

And learn more about Liz and her project here-
http://lizbziff.blogspot.com/

What happened after the 3rd transfer?

Hello. I have been MIA on here. It's just too darn easy to update on my FB blog page.

I apologize. I haven't updated on here what happened after the 3rd transfer with my awesome couple. I didn't even blog about the transfer itself which was amazing really. We had everything stacked in our favor. We even did acupuncture which was awesome and helped me obtain a super thick, comfy cozy uterus. I did the whole pineapple thing before and after. Colored my hair purple and green for good luck, painted my nails to match, made us all new t-shirts, etc.  I felt extra close to my couple the 3rd round and we all felt really good about it. Only 1 of the 2 remaining embryos survived the thaw.

I of course took a "few" pregnancy tests at home which were all positive.

The beta was positive but low, so we played that game for a little bit.

I figured I'd get raw and real and Vlog about what happened.

P.S. I wish nothing but the best for them and can only imagine how they are feeling. My heart aches for them.

NSR: I need to get back to writing, creating

NSR: (non surrogacy related)

I need a live in housekeeper/cook. I don't have a room for you and I can barely pay you, but I need you nonetheless. 😉

My creativity is sitting on a shelf creating dust. I have a book to publish, and working on 3 more. I have more surrogacy design ideas too. (I guess this is slightly surrogacy related- ha! Plus most of my books are about surrogacy. Lol.)

But there are too many "important" things to do each day:

Laundry, dishes, more laundry, put away the laundry and the dishes, preparing meals, cleaning up after meals. More dishes. Cleaning, vacuuming, dusting. Mom duties, wife duties. My kids are older, yet I call it a good day to shower and get a few things checked off my list, mainly dishes, laundry and dinner. The kids are helping out more thanks to Chore Monster. (Google it, get the app, it's awesome!)  I feel guilty to set aside time to write, to create. (Yet I find time for FB, etc. on my phone here and there 😞) 

I'm not very good at organizing or time management. I'm not a morning person and I spend 3 hours each morning getting kids up and off to school. They all leave one hour apart. It sucks!!  I might be able to squeeze in some time there while my more responsible child gets ready. I have to poke and prod the other 2. My hubby has hardly any time off and gets home late. So when he gets home, it's dinner and time together. I spent plenty of time without him when he was in the Navy. I'm proud to say I enjoy spending time with my husband.

I've even neglected my blog. But here I am, so I guess there's hope for me yet!

😉

How do surrogates get pregnant?

It is always interesting to hear what people think about surrogacy. Most people have a different understanding of how surrogates get pregnant.

(This is my 3rd attempt at this blog post, the other two disappeared on my phone. They were brilliant, just so you know)

My most recent encounter-

Them: "So, will they extract all your eggs and replace them with the Intended Mom's eggs?"
Me: "No. They have embryos and they will transfer the embryos to my uterus."

Interesting thought though. Later I thought, "And what about the sperm? It takes more than eggs. What did they think they do with the sperm?"

I am not making fun of anyone's interpretation of the process. I find it fascinating because I never thought about it before I lived it. I wonder what I would have thought if someone had asked me before I learned about surrogacy and became a surrogate. Surrogacy is my life and I am here to help people understand it better.

What I don't like is when someone thinks that surrogates get pregnant "the old fashioned way". Nope, at least most of us don't. There are unfortunately some wackadoodles out there and TV and movies would like to think we do. There are Traditional Surrogates who use their own eggs AND carry the pregnancy. And I'm pretty sure in the old days, they did do it the old fashioned way. The absolute worst is when someone compares surrogacy to prostitution. Those people are purely ignorant!!

So then, how DO surrogates get pregnant?

I'm not an expert, but I have gone through 6 embryo transfers and I am preparing for a 7th. What I know is what I have experienced.

Gestational Surrogacy: Fresh  and Frozen Embryo Transfers

With gestational surrogacy, the surrogate is only a carrier, she does not contribute any genetic material.

 

The protocols vary, but for the most part, the surrogate will take a combination of medications, shots and/or suppositories to prepare her body and uterus for pregnancy. It is important to prepare the uterine lining for embryo implantation. If the Intended Mom is using her eggs, the surrogate and IM will usually take birth control pills to sync their periods before starting the other medications. If an egg donor is used, then the surrogate and egg donor will sync their cycles. Surrogates are monitored through ultrasounds and blood draws to make sure their body is reacting to the medications like they should. The eggs are retrieved as well as the sperm and embryos are created. The embryos "grow" for 3-5 days and hopefully get to the blastocyst stage before transferring. If the surrogate's uterine lining is nice and thick with no issues, the embryo(s) are transferred into her uterus through a catheter. Usually 1-3 embryos are transferred depending on the embryo quality. 

The surrogate is usually placed on bed rest for 24-72 hours. 

This varies by doctor/clinic. Some surrogates don't do any bed rest, some do light bed rest, others do strict bed rest. Approximately 2 weeks after the embryo transfer, the surrogate does a blood test (HCG/Beta) to see if she is pregnant. If she is, she will stay on medications/shots a little longer to sustain the pregnancy. If not, she will stop medications and if all parties agree, they will start over and try again. 

For a frozen transfer, the embryos are created the same and then frozen at day 3-5. The surrogate will not need to sync up with the IM or egg donor for a frozen cycle.Typically frozen transfers are faster in preparation. The embryos are thawed a day or two before the transfer. Not all embryos survive the thaw. Some people say frozen transfers have a higher success rate. Sometimes a fresh transfer is done, but there are leftover embryos which are frozen.

Traditional Surrogacy

I don't know a lot about the process, sorry!  The Intended Father's sperm is used to inseminate the surrogate. I don't believe shots are involved, but maybe a few medications. (?) Some surrogates inseminate at home with a simple turkey baster, but it is more common now to be inseminated at the Dr.'s office or fertility clinic. 

So, now you know how we really get pregnant. If you need more pictures and simpler terms about surrogacy , I have a book for that!  

:-)

Once Upon a Surrogate: The Stork's Helpers

Let's talk surrogacy!

The other day I was invited to join my friend Dawn Marmorstein on the premiere of her radio show. I rarely turn down an opportunity to talk about surrogacy and shed some light on the subject. (Especially when it's with someone I know and respect.)

I had a great time and hopefully we helped answered a few questions for those who want to know more about surrogacy. 

You can listen here- 

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dawnmarmorstein/2013/07/13/introduction-to-surrogacy--how-i-entered-this-industry

Two down one to go

Unfortunately the pregnancy is no longer progressing. I should be between 8-9 weeks but have been measuring 5 weeks 6 days for the past 2 weeks.

Everything was going so well. The first ultrasound showed a sac and a bleed. No big deal. 2nd ultrasound showed a yolk and fetal pole. Yay! The Intended Parents flew in for that one. We were hoping to see a heartbeat. That's when we started measuring a little behind. 5 weeks 6 days when I should have been about 7 weeks) The bleed didn't seem to be an issue. I had no cramping, no bleeding, no signs of miscarriage. We checked my hcg levels. They were still rising, but slowly and not quite as high as they "should" be.

No reason to lose hope. Pregnancies measure behind sometimes in the beginning. The clinic figured the embryo must have implanted late.

I went in for another ultrasound a week later. I wasn't impressed with the local fertility centers' ultrasounds. Every time they thought something looked off, the CA clinic thought things looked fine. I decided to go to my ob/gyn. They had been with me for all but one pregnancy.(my first surrogacy when we lived in San Diego)

They did my monitoring for my other surrogacies. I wanted another opinion, someone I could trust.

They didn't clear anything up. I was still measuring 5 weeks, 6 days. But then again, we were comparing two ultrasounds from two different places. They were bound to be off a little. Still no heartbeat, but babies and heartbeats sometimes hide, especially if you have a tilted uterus. (which I certainly do)

But the CA clinic said we didn't have a viable pregnancy and to stop meds. 

:(

I was sad and prepared to miscarry. I even had some cramping after the ultrasound and thought ok, this is it.

Amazing Grace had already asked if I would be up for a 3rd try. Of course!

But I felt like we should give this one more shot. What if things were still ok, just a little behind? I still felt more and more pregnant and I wasn't bleeding or feeling like I was miscarrying. (I had miscarried before but it was so different)

What if we had a misdiagnosed miscarriage? 

I had come across so many stories of similar situations that turned out alright. Sometimes a week or 2 later the heartbeat was found and all was well.

 We agreed to give it a few more days, a definite diagnosis.

Well that came today when I went in for another ultrasound. Last week the ultrasound tech was optimistic. Today she immediately could tell there was no change, no growth, still measuring 5 weeks, 6 days.

I don't regret waiting a little longer. We were still prepared for the worst. I was able to be neutral, but I sure felt pregnant and had a glimmer of hope. We know we did our best, really gave it a fair shot. I won't wonder what if.

So now we move on and can hopefully try again soon.

My body didn't exactly know what to do with my last miscarriage and I ended up bleeding for 2 months and needing 2 d&c's. This time I might skip the drama and do the d&c right away so we can move on. I am meeting with my Dr. on Thursday. We may end up doing it then or schedule it for Friday morning.

I'm super bummed for my IPs but we felt good about making it farther this time than last time. (Last time we had a chemical pregnancy, basically a super early miscarriage)

Hoping 3rd time's the charm.

It's Beta Day Hip Hip Hooray! (5/21/13) Journey #4

*I apologize that I did not get this finished and posted on actual beta day. (yesterday) In my defense it was a long day and I was gone and driving half the day and also pretty tired.
So this starts out with my pondering in the morning before the beta and then what we found out.
-

I am starting to think that I'm not the kind of girl that has high numbers. My beta was 60 with my first surrogacy- singleton and about 324 with the twins. So I have no idea what to expect, but hoping for 100.

If you're part of the surrogacy/IVF world, you know most of us are POAS (peeing on a stick) addicts. In other words, we test at home.

After the embryo transfer you enter what is called the 2ww- The 2 week window, or 2 week wait, or the dreaded 2ww. It can be torture waiting and waiting and wondering. Some of us pee to pass the time.

For me it has been helpful to know what's going on. I do better when I know what's going on. It doesn't always mean anything though because anything can change at any time. Last time I tested at home and got positives, but they were on the light side. It ended up being a chemical pregnancy.

It's not like when I got pregnant with my own kids. I only tested at home once with my own pregnancies and then would do a follow up blood test at the nearby lab to confirm. Easy peasy. With IVF and someone else's genetics, you never know what will happen. You could be pregnant one day and not the next. That's why it's so encouraging to see the lines keep popping up and getting darker each time. That's usually a good sign! Either way, I'm always nervous to get too excited at first, even when I see the positive results.

I wasn't 100% sure if I was going to test this time. It sucks to get excited and then to lose the pregnancy. However, with my 3rd couple we had a failed transfer and I didn't get any positives, so it was nice to be prepared that way as well.

Here are my tests this time around:

(this is just what I started with before the transfer... the collection grew)

I am only posting the ones you can see... not every single test. So be grateful!  

:)

You can always skip ahead if you're not interested...

I know you're not supposed to trust blue dyes (and yes it's light) but hubby found these on sale for me at Walgreens and I couldn't tell him no. I loved that he had accepted and possibly even encouraged my addiction.

The digitals are always nice to see. Do you notice the pink lines getting darker?

I believe these were 7 days also. Aren't they cute? Pink and purple. Only oops, the pink one is an ovulation test. It looks like there's a line on the pink one, but it's a shadow. LOL.

Getting better all the time!

Oh my gosh! Look at those lines!!!

These cheap tests are 88 cents at Walmart. They're great to get it out of your system (literally, ha ha) but for some people (like me) the lines don't get very dark. They did however get dark(er).

I started getting excited!  

It's a good thing the Dollar Tree test provided this caution!

This one gave me butterflies with how fast it showed up and how dark! Great test the night before the beta.

The morning of the beta. Not bad for the cheap tests!

Just hanging out, waiting for results after getting my blood drawn.

I was hoping that Amazing Grace would call to tell me the news.

And then later Amazing Grace called with our number and I was super happy!

 (5/21/13 11dp3/5dt =62)

The clinic was happy and thought 62 was a good number. We're pregnant!

We have gotten over the first hurdle- the two-week window and now we know that we have a good number that indicates a pregnancy. Next step is for the number to double and then in about three weeks we should be doing an ultrasound to look for a heartbeat. And then we pray that we have a lovely uneventful pregnancy for the next 9 months.

Itchy bruised, knotty, sometimes sore bum/hips (from the progesterone), but a small price to pay and well worth it. 

Oh and sometimes you prick your finger..

I have been extra tired the past week. I could easily take 2-3 naps a day. I wonder if that means anything. Maybe it's just my body doing everything it can to protect the embryos and make them nice and comfortable and stress free.

I know I was super tired with the twins, but I don't remember if it was this early. Maybe I'm just getting old.
I also started feeling pretty nauseous today. Hmmm...

Please please let the numbers continue to rise and let us incubate a healthy baby or 2 or 3...

I go back tomorrow and the number should be around 120.

*Update- 2nd beta was 140! Woohoo, we're pregnant!

Embryo Transfer Update 2nd try #4journey #surrogacy

Hello. We had our embryo transfer yesterday. I would have updated last night but I was on bedrest (still am) and hubby never brought me my laptop. LOL.

First of all, I've been taking Baby Aspirin and Prenatal Vitamins for a few weeks. I started Estrogen patches about 2 weeks ago.

I started Progesterone (PIO) shots Sunday. I did them all by myself. It wasn't my first time, but the first time in about 5 years!!

For good luck I got a manicure and pedicure from my friend on Tuesday. I had her paint my nails and toes purple and green for good luck. (Green is supposed to be a lucky fertility color. Purple is just my favorite color and a happy, magical, spiritual color. It also represents peace of mind.)

I also colored my hair green and purple.

Thursday morning hubby and I hopped on a plane. I wore my "on my way to the transfer" shirt.

 

I was having some anxiety because hubby and I weren't able to get seats together on the plane. We were at least able to be in the same row. I was hoping that someone would switch seats with us.

When we were at the gate ready to board my name was called. They got us seats together without me having to ask. The lady that helped us had the same name as Amazing Grace. *not her real name* 

I wondered if maybe Amazing Grace had called the airline.

We were so excited to sit together!

When we landed it took forever for the rental car shuttle, but finally we were on our way to meet a surro friend for lunch. I knew her online, but this was the first time meeting her in person.

She was adorable! So sweet and easy to talk to and lunch was delicious. I was excited when she gave me a hug. You never know what people will be like in person. What's cool is, not only is she a surrogate too, but she also wrote a book about surrogacy. (like me) It wasn't a children's book, but it's a great book!!! I reviewed it awhile back on here. She also runs an agency.

Time to check into the hotel.

As we're standing in line to check in I spotted something behind the counter...

Do you see what I see? Check this link to see why it made me smile and laugh- http://mormonsurrogate.blogspot.com/2013/02/embryo-transfer-update-4journey.html

We upgraded to a Jacuzzi suite for the first night. (After the embryo transfer and throughout the pregnancy I cannot take baths or play in Jacuzzi's)

I thought this is going to be so nice after my shot! 

Very nice!!

Ready for bed the night before the transfer.

 Yay, it's transfer morning! Eating my lucky, yummy pineapple. It's supposed to help with implantation.

Then we went down to the lobby and ate a waffle breakfast.

Beautiful morning view from the hotel!

John colored his hair green. (we found a funky kit at Target) He is wearing our lucky transfer shirt. The cute Kokopelli guy is a Fertility God.

I had to empty my bladder and then fill it up.

After about 10-15 minutes, Amazing Grace and I were taken back to the recovery area where I got into my lovely gown and was given a Valium. Then when they were ready for us, I was wheeled into the operating room. (not that it's an operation, but it IS a procedure)

I didn't think the Valium had really kicked in yet, but this picture proves it had. LOL. Amazing Grace had found some purple and green beads for both of us to wear. (She borrowed them from Spunky Monkey... Shhh!)

About 10 minutes later Big Daddy and my husband were brought in.

That's when they filled us in about the embryos.

2 embryos were thawed the day before the transfer. (Thursday) They didn't make it.  :-(
So 3 more were thawed this morning. (Friday) Actually I think one was thawed the day before and was in addition to the 2, so one DID make it. Now we had 3 and 2 out of 3 were good. (As far as I understood) 1 blast (blastocyst), 2 early blasts. We transferred all 3. I believe there was some assisted hatching as well with the early blasts so they can attach better. Cool! We were also told that they had a better chance of becoming full blasts in my natural incubator. Yay! Sounds good to me.

I was told to bring some warm, comfy socks. I wanted to find green fuzzy socks and I found green AND purple. They are aloe infused and SO comfy!!!

The Dr. checked my bladder and wanted it fuller. By the time he was comfortable with how full it was, I was super uncomfortable.

Into position....

The transfer itself was kind of awkward. There were some uncomfortable (physical) moments where I didn't know what the heck the Dr. was doing. I didn't know what was going on the whole time. I've never had a bad transfer experience, and I don't want to say it was bad, just awkward.

Amazing Grace was sweet and put her hand on my shoulder. After a while, I held her hand. Hopefully she didn't mind.

Then after what seemed like forever the Dr. showed us on the ultrasound this bright light of fluid where the embryos were. I didn't know they had been transferred.

I had to stay laying down for 30 minutes. I had to pee SO BAD! Worse than any other embryo transfer.

Finally I was able to get up and pee. Wow, was my bladder full!! I changed back into my clothes and they wheeled me out in a wheelchair.

We were all starving. My husband had noticed a Dickey's truck earlier so we looked it up. We love that place and decided to introduce Amazing Grace to it. She loved it! I got pulled pork, waffle fries and potato casserole. Yum! (supposedly fries are lucky to eat after the transfer and may also help with implantation.

We came back to the room and ate.

 I was pretty tired and soon fell asleep. I slept for about 3-4 hours.

Hubby picked up Smashburger for dinner. Love that place too.

Time to get ready for bed and into my lucky transfer jammies.

;-)

Johnny gave me my shot.

John woke up at 6:30 this morning, which woke me up too. He went downstairs to get us breakfast. Can't complain about breakfast in bed.

Today (Saturday) Hubby went to get ice cream and a movie and an ice cream cake for Amazing Grace and I for Mother's Day! 

Crossing our fingers that at least one of these lovely embryos sticks around for the next 9-10 months!