no time like the present

I'm here to share some sneaks as well as some belly photos.


This layout was made using a Pinterest pin as my inspiration, just something fun all the designers are doing this month. I pin so much and so do the SC members, that we felt it was time to put some of that awesome inspiration to use! I used the Atlas add-on only on this layout.

This layout was made using the Narrative and Atlas add-ons. I was really at a loss on this one and stepped back several times before finally settling on this design. So glad I took breaks along the way because I do like the end result.

And, finally my favorite layout this month made with the main kit only - STORY HOUR. The pinwheel was a decoration I made for our gender-reveal party.

Kits go on sale at noon EST on the 27th for subscribers and midnight for everyone else. Happy shopping!

This was my 20-week belly with Claire and some of my thoughts at the time.

A couple things to note...

• There is no way i could fit into that hexagon shirt today.
• I already had a name picked out....and right now we got nuttin' for these boys.

Below, my current pics of my 20-week belly.

I think I'm at a 14lb weight gain. I didn't document it at this point in Claire's pregnancy, but I'm definitely bigger in the belly area this time around.

I have come to terms with the fact we're adding boys to our family. I have some ideas brewing for their room, but first on the list is moving Claire to the smaller room since the boys will share.

We had another appointment and ultrasound today. Everything looks great and the boys are progressing well. Thanks for all the well-wishes on my last post.

reveal night at my house

I had been pondering for weeks throwing ourselves a little gender-reveal party, but didn't know how I'd swing it between all the CHA hub-bub, Disney trip, and life in general. Then, when Claire and I both got sick this week, I definitely thought my chances were slim to pull this off.

So, instead of doing a major party (like mine tend to be), we decided to just invite a couple friends over for taco salad and desserts.

Here's the spread before everyone arrived:


The cakes were supposed to be yellow, but somehow the baker didn't see that in the photo I gave her, so they ended up white. (sigh)

A photo of Baby A. So cute, huh?

Pinwheels created on my silhouette and stuck on dowel rods.


Baby B. Another cute one, huh?








The pre-reveal ruckus


Claire showing off her snapping skillzzzzzzzz.



Cutting into the "Baby A" cake. Greg had already seen this one on the ultrasound...the little cheater, so I cut into this one.

The suspense.....


Finally....blue icing! A BOY!
To which Greg said, "You didn't see me, but when I got out of the ultrasound room, I did a fist-pump."

uhh.....Why did you tell me that?
(embarrassing)

Baby B cake.
The crowd awaits.

The crowd of 6...ha!

waiting....


More blue icing. Another BOY!


I'm in shock. See my face? And honestly, my emotions have stayed exactly like that since last night. I keep saying, "Two boys?"

We're excited for the adventure. Now who needs some headbands and baby girl clothes?

Double the thankfulness this year!

The short story: I'm pregnant again. And it's twins!

The long story: In September, Greg and I began another round of IVF. This time my protocol was changed, probably because the doctors thought my eggs were getting old as they gave me a test for ovarian reserve. That test came back fine, but nevertheless, they decided for a ganirelic cycle, which meant a month of birth control and other oral medications, but no shots, followed by a month of a crazy amount of shots.

By retrieval day, my cycle didn't appear any different than the two previous ones. I had a modest amount of eggs at each of my monitoring appointments, and the surgeon predicted less than 19 eggs, which was how many we got in our second cycle (Claire). Boy was I surprised when I woke up and heard the number "31." I was so loopy and asked Greg the whole way home if they had really said "31." He confirmed probably about 15 times before telling me to quit asking.

On transfer day, 5 days later, we had a few embryos to choose from. Always you want to put the best one in so you don't risk freezing and thawing to your best shot at pregnancy. Of the embryos, we had two A's. We've never gotten A's before and after talking with 3 nurses, the embryologist and the doctor, we finally decided to throw both of them in and see what happened.

On the day of my first beta (blood draw for pregnancy) nine days after transfer, my number was 479. Whoa! With Claire my beta # was about 170, and the pregnancy before that was 90. (Anything over 50 is considered positive for pregnancy). So, at that point we were fairly certain both embryos had implanted. That was a Friday. With betas, it's important that the number doubles every 48 hours. That signifies the pregnancy is progressing like it should. So, when I went back on Monday, we expected the number to have tripled over the weekend. It did not. Just shy at 1182. Immediate worry and panic ensued even though I was told that I wasn't in the "danger" category. Two days later was my 3rd beta, and once the number is over 1000, it doesn't necessarily follow the doubling rule. We were hoping for about 2200, and ended up with 2532!! Instant relief....at least for a few days until the ultrasound.

Last Wednesday, we learned that we had two good heartbeats and both babies are measuring at 6weeks 2days, the exact same that Claire measured at this point.

On Saturday, I started spotting, so we went back to the doctor on Sunday. We learned that both babies are still doing well, but there's a place where the placenta attaches to the uterus that is bleeding. So, I'm on bedrest until the bleeding stops and modified bedrest until my next ultrasound on December 5. My doctor has jury duty next week, and I really think the greater civic duty would be to let him give me an ultrasound this Wednesday instead of waiting another torturous 5 days. But, that's not what the state of Tennessee thinks, so I have to wait. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind if a prayer (or two, or twenty) were said on behalf of our babies.

It's a ton of trouble for us to get pregnant, but that hasn't stopped us. Really, I can't imagine it any other way! Plus, I won't have to answer any embarrassing "How did you get pregnant?" questions from my kiddos later on..... We're just beyond excited and anxious to welcome these two precious souls into our home. I'm due July 7, but full-term for twins is June 9, so that's the day I'm counting down to.

onwards and upwards

Today, I watch those busy hands scaling the side of the coffee table.



Today, I'm fascinated watching Claire discover the world around her.


Today, I love that my baby looks over her shoulder to gain my approval.


Today, I see her smile at the sound of my voice.

Today, I'm amazed by how quickly a child can learn.

Most of my day is spent with daily and necessary activities: folding clothes, washing diapers, unloading the dishwasher, working on the computer, answering emails, conference calls, washing diapers, making the bed (sometimes), feeding Claire, did I mention washing diapers?

But, for a brief moment each day, I try to soak in the moment Claire is in knowing that it is so temporary. Whatever she's accomplishing today is old news tomorrow.

I try to take in all her smiles, coos, activities, all while teaching her about the world in which she lives. Teaching her there is a time to play, there's a time to sit, a time to eat, a time to read, a time to sleep. Boy, is there at time to sleep!

There's no shining trophy or certificate to tell you, you're doing a good job as a mom. But, there is the happiness you see in your child's eyes, the obedience they begin to show, and willingness to please you that's so priceless.







Yep, that's my girl.

And, seeing these photos makes me want to go wake her up from her nap so I can give her a squeeze. almost.

happy family

In the past, I haven't really thought of scrapbooking as a way of documenting my memories. I've thought of it more as an artistic outlet: a way to use pretty things in pretty ways and then justify buying more pretty things to use in other pretty ways.

After becoming pregnant through IVF in the summer of 2009, I was hesitant to start putting any of my pregnancy thoughts on paper (scrapbook paper, that is). It felt odd to put such personal feelings "out there" and seemed risky to me, even though I didn't mind blogging about the feelings I was having. Something about the words being ON PAPER just made them more permanent.

So, in the fall, when the Studio Calico Yearbook Kit was about to be released, I began working on this layout.

I listed many of Greg's traits (good and bad).

I listed many of my traits (good and bad)

I pondered what our baby would inherit.

But in the 4th column, I listed all the things I knew that would be true about our family no matter who that little person was that we would soon meet.

The layout was constructed in its entirety except for an ultrasound photo, which I had ordered and was waiting to receive in the mail. In the meantime, I learned about our miscarriage.

Even though I loved the layout and the thoughts behind it, I couldn't even think about posting the layout in the gallery, neither did I want to look at it myself.

Now, a year later, I feel so much differently. I'm glad I never affixed that original ultrasound photo to the page, because today, I was looking through my old album and found this layout. I read it and had all the same thoughts as I did before, only this time, it was about Claire, the baby who's been kicking me and causing me to swell for the last several weeks. That's the baby I will meet and get to know and discover.

I know whatever type of person she is (hopefully a punctual one and one that closes cabinet doors), I will love her and she will be part of our family.


So, a little bit about the layout construction. All of the journaling was done with a typewriter. Of course a 12" sheet of cardstock won't fit through a typewriter, so I cut the page in half. Then, I cut 4 strips of patterned paper into 3" strips and punched with a 2" square. Those were lightly adhered to the two 6" sections of kraft and fed through the typewriter. After that, I stitched around each square and added the photos and embellishments.

Let me know if you have any questions!

IVF questions, answered

It's been awhile since I've posted about IVF, so if you've happened upon my blog recently, you may not know all Greg and I have been through to get pregnant in the first place. Here's a link to my (almost) daily journal of my IVF process.

Recently, I've received some questions via email and would love to answer these for others that might have similar concerns. And, if you have any other questions (there's no dumb question) that you'd like me to answer, feel free to email me at the link to the left or leave a comment in the section below.

How did you tell your families that you were trying to have kids, and going through the IVF procedure?

Both Greg and I definitely didn't want a lot of attention brought into an already stressful situation, but we knew it was in our best interest to tell our parents, friends, and co-workers about the procedure we would be going through. The main reason we needed to tell was because the clinic was an hour away and there would be numerous trips there in a short period of time, not to mention the amount of pharmaceuticals that I would have had to hide. Several of the injectibles had to be refridgerated, so I would have been afraid to ask someone to get the butter if they didn't know I was using hormones! Also, there were a ton of syringes and containers for disposing of them in my bathroom that eventually took over the counter. Had we not told those close to us, they might have thought I was deathly ill with all the trips to the doctor. Better to tell the truth than them worry about me.

To make it easy on both of us, Greg and I each decided we would tell our respective families. I didn't feel the need to tell my parents the ins and outs and the whys and why nots and all the rationale behind our decision. After our second failed IUI, however I talked to my mom about my consult with the doctor. It was at that time Greg and I had debated whether to try a 3rd IUI (10% success rate on a procedure that cost $700) or bite the bullet and go with IVF (55% success rate, but much more expensive at $11k, not including pharmaceuticals). In my discussion with mom, I explained that Greg and I were going to proceed with IVF in order to become pregnant. I told her we didn't know why we weren't able to become pregnant, and through all the testing, everything seemed great in our favor for a successful IVF cycle. I also explained that there would be many doctors visits and drugs to take, but that I didn't know all the details yet. Even though infertility is a very personal issue, this was not a hard subject for me to discuss with her. Matter-of-fact, it opened a door and I knew I had her support. She even had to give me some of the injectibles when Greg was out of town, so it was nice that she knew in advance what was going on.

For Greg, it was easier for him to tell his dad, which he did around the same time. I wasn't listening in on that conversation, but both of us told our family and friends that what we were doing was not a secret. We were fine with other people knowing we would be doing a cycle of IVF and we were open to donations (ha!).

I thought letting that part of my life become public would be difficult, shameful and scary, but in the end, it wasn't any of those things. It was easy to open up because after much research I learned that 1 in 7 experience infertility. I wouldn't hide a diagnosis cancer, I would treat the problem. I viewed it no differently than that, so it wasn't shameful. And, as more and more people found out and I learned more at my clinic and from friends (both online and in real life), the scariness of it all just dissipated. Instead, I was left with throngs of supporters who were all wishing the best for me and praying every step of the way.

How many appointments did you have in a cycle of IVF?

In total, I went to the clinic for either blood work, ultrasound, or a procedure 14 times during the 2 month process. That's a lot of driving since our clinic was an hour away, but keep in mind you can count your mileage as part of your medical expenses on your taxes (hey, every little bit helps!). Those appointments do not include the initial consult, the pretesting or anything else, only the appointments related to our 2nd IVF cycle.


Did your husband go with you to every appointment?

In a word, "no."

I know many women would want their husband or a friend with them for their doctors' appointments, but in reality, it just wasn't feasible for Greg to take off that much work. Nor, was there a real reason to do so.

Many of the appointments were for a blood-draw and ultrasound to check follicle growth. Most of the time, I was in and out within 15 minutes. Other times, it took longer, but in all they were very quick and I'm thankful my clinic worked very efficiently.

Also, had Greg tagged along, I might have caught grief for my KrispyKreme reward that usually followed.

8 weeks 5 days

Sorry I've been MIA lately. Everything is okay, I've just been very nauseous in the afternoons and it gets worse the later it gets, so I've had to work as much as I can during my feel-good hours instead of blogging. I'm making a concerted effort this week to do better. I have ultrasound pics to show you, plus cow stories, and house photos, so a lot has been happening.

I went for my second ultrasound and my how our baby has grown since just 2 weeks ago. Here s/he is measuring 5.3mm and about 6w2d (I was actually 6w4d at this point.).

It's a tiny little thing in the right of the big black spot in between those little x's.


Then, at the most recent ultrasound, s/he has already tripled in size, measuring 19.3mm and 8w3d, so it's played a little catch-up, which I don't mind at all.


Here, it's turned sideways and the right x marks the hiney the left x marks the head. It never would show us anything but the hind end, so we couldn't get a good picture. I hope that stubbornness doesn't continue long, since if you recall I had placed an order for a baby that doesn't spit-up and a teenager that doesn't talk back.

So, I go back to the doctor in 2 weeks for another ultrasound and then I'll feel like I can breathe a bit easier. I miscarried at about 9 weeks last time and if I can make it past that point, I'll be relieved to say the least.

More blogging this week, I promise!

final IVF calendar + synopsis

I've posted before about how important calendars are in the IVF process. They keep you on track, help you remember what shots to give at what times, at what dosages, and on which butt-cheek. You laugh, but it's hard to remember if the shot the day before went on the right or left.

My calendar helps me to remember appointments, milestones, and most importantly, helps me in counting down the days to the pregnancy test, the ultimate end of the cycle.

I debated whether to make my calendars pretty, whether I'd want to keep them if my cycle didn't end the way I had planned. In the end, I decided making them pretty was important to me this time. If all went well, I'd have something to look back on that would fit in my scrapbook, and if not, they wad up and fit in the trash just as well as an Office Depot planner.

This is the final version of my pages. I may go back and add photos later, but for now, all the important information that I would otherwise forget is here. Enjoy!





I thought it would be helpful to link all my previous IVF posts in one place. Nice for me to reference, and nice for you, too, if you've come in mid-story.

My posting began back on day 20 of my IVF cycle, but this was my second experience with IVF. Because of this, I was better educated, more determined, and poorer. Nevertheless, it's a story with a happy ending (so far) so here's the links to read about the process of us getting pregnant. If you're expecting a romance novel, you're looking in the wrong place. This story is less about candles and rose petals and more about needles and doctors' appointments.

• IVF Day 20 - The saga begins. Here, I discuss the reasons why I'm sharing this personal process and the basics of IVF.
• IVF Day 21 - One of my favorite posts for anyone, fertile or infertile. This post is all about vitamins. Is it weird that I get excited talking about vitamins?
• IVF Day 23 - Another exciting post...this one about Folate versus Folic Acid. It's riveting!
• IVF Day 30 - Want to see a self-administered injection right in the gut? This is the place for you. A simple Lupron injection.
• IVF Day 34 - The importance of a calendar in the IVF process.
• IVF Day 37 - This post explains egg follicles, how they're measured and why they're vital in the IVF process.
• IVF Day 39 - My meds are explained in great detail...down to the opening of the box. The Pioneer Woman may take the best food-in-process photos, but my skills at photographing syringes and meds is second-to-none.
• IVF Day 42 - How I fit all these shots into my daily routine.
• IVF Day 44 - Confessions. This was my most read/commented post thus far. If you haven't read it yet, you might find this one interesting.
• IVF Day 45 - Trigger day. My follicles/eggs are close to being ready for retrieval.
• IVF Day 46 - Egg Retrieval Day = Surgery. Lots of good photos here...heehee
  
• IVF Day 47 - Fertilization Report.
• IVF Day 48 - Another Embryo report.
• IVF Day 51 - Transfer Day. This is the day we see our embryos for the first time and decide how many to transfer.
• IVF Day 52 - Good news! An unexpected totsicle.
• IVF Day 58 - Nasty progesterone shots.
• IVF Day 59 - Needle comparison. Clearly I've run out of things to discuss and the wait for my pregnancy test has become unbearable.
• IVF Day 60 - Pregnancy Test!!! Should I give away the ending?
• IVF Day 64 - Ethics discussion. Not the best essay, but I'm writing with pregnancy brain...so just coming up with the word "ethics" is a big deal.

And, that my dears, is the IVF synopsis. Hopefully I won't be writing about it again for a long time.

I'm alive and kicking

Sorry for the absence from my blog this past week.
I've felt pretty blech lately, which is a good thing, but counterproductive to blogging.

Ready for my beta numbers?

• Friday, March 12: 157
• Monday, March 15: 684
• Wednesday, March 17: 1444

Before the numbers reach 1000, it's imperative that they at least triple over a 3 day period and double in a two day period. As you can see, mine did just that, with a doubling rate of 1.4 days between Friday and Monday, and 1.7 days between Monday and Wednesday.

These numbers show that everything is going as it should.
And if I needed any more proof, I just get a whiff of any food and instantly become nauseous. Actually, I don't even need a sniff. During the Kansas (ahem, Northern Iowa) game I caught a glance at a Gordon's fish commercial and that was enough to do me in. Gag.

Back to beta numbers. On the 9th day post day 5 transfer (also considered the 14th day after ovulation), if the beta is above 50, there's an 80% chance of having a healthy baby. Last year, my beta on this day was a 91, and albeit good, I fell in that sad 20%. This time, I'm hoping I'm in the 80%.

I'll be back with a summary post on my IVF experience as well as my final calendar. Greg is also threatening to talk about IVF from his perspective.

ivf - day 64 - ethics

The title says IVF day 64, and technically it is, but it's also "pregnancy day 32." I'm a little over 4 weeks with a due date of November 19 and so happy to be saying that. So, in discussing the ethics behind IVF, I must admit I'm biased. Without IVF, my chances of becoming pregnant are slim to none.

But, I don't think I'm different than any other woman. No matter how well your career is going, how much your social life is booming, it's in a woman's nature to have the desire get pregnant and have a child.

My basic premise is this: if it's "natural" to want to have children why is it unnatural to seek treatment to do so?

By definition:
Natural: existing in or formed by nature

It's interesting to me that critics of IVF lean on the argument that it's "unnatural." Sure, at first glance, it's odd to give daily shots, have almost-daily ultrasounds and bloodwork, and fertilize eggs in a petri dish. But, the entire process of IVF mimics the way the body should work. Hormones have to be at certain levels to produce mature eggs. The uterine lining has to be at a certain thickness and quality to support growth of an embryo. Fertilization still occurs. IVF ensures the body does what it should do in the "natural" way.

IVF doesn't change the way babies are made. All one has to do to see this is watch an IVF pregnancy and you'll see it progresses the same as a non-IVF pregnancy. The success/failure of pregnancy is almost identical. And, the difference in the statistics could be attributed to the fact that many women undergo miscarriages and never knew they were pregnant under normal conditions. They might just assume their period is a little late. This is unlikely in the case of the IVF patient since they're so closely monitored in the early stages.

Even the fertilization process of IVF mimics the body's selection process. The strongest, best sperm make it the long pathway to the egg and are able to break through the outer barrier for fertilization to occur. In the lab, similar techniques are used. Sperm are examined for quality and motility and the best are used for fertilization purposes. Still, there is nothing artificial in this process. Even in the lab, one sperm and one egg are needed to create one embryo. Same as in the human body.

After the sperm and egg come together, fertilization isn't a sure thing. If it does happen, it's up to that embryo to properly divide. Many stop growing as they should. There are many chromosome issues that just cause the embryo to arrest. But, there are a few that survive, that hatch and implant in the uterine wall, which is when pregnancy occurs.

What many people don't realize is that your body makes decisions every month during a cycle. It makes the decision which egg is the frontrunner, which will ovulate. Once sperm enters the picture, and fertilization occurs, the embryo has to divide at the proper rate or it will miss the opportunity to implant, because it needs perfect uterine conditions to do so. Many times an embryo is formed and passed and a pregnancy never occurs, whether a chromosome issue is to blame or the uterine conditions aren't conducive. Most of the time, a woman never knows this decision making process is occurring in her body month after month. We go on blissfully unaware because it's not us making the decision, it's our bodies. We don't feel guilty if a pregnancy doesn't occur, because we don't know why the pregnancy didn't occur. We don't know if an embryo was formed or not.

Just because the IVF patient and doctors are making decisions throughout the process doesn't necessarily infer they are "playing God." God set in order the natural process of how a baby is formed. One sperm and one egg are needed, fertilization must occur, the chromosomes have to be just right, the uterus has to be ready, and the hormones have to sustain the pregnancy. Researchers have worked to understand God's process in order to give a couple the chance of becoming a parent. It's a chance, that's all it is. The researchers can't create an egg or a sperm. They can't wave a wand and form an embryo. They work within God's parameters and laws of nature to treat a condition.

When a researcher studies anything they look at the normal process and how it *should* be. Think about a cancer researcher. They look at normal cellular processes and try to understand what goes wrong in a cancer patient. They treat the medical problem, but they don't work miracles. They work with the natural processes of the body, administer drugs to regulate the body, and even do surgery to remove the problem.

An infertile couple is no different. They are infertile for a medical reason. They seek medical treatment for their condition.

What many outsiders fail to realize is that infertile couples seeking treatment aren't looking for a blond-haired-blue-eyed baby. They are looking for the opportunity to become parents. Me, on the other hand...I put in my request for a baby that doesn't spit up and a teenager that doesn't talk back. What's wrong with that? I'm practical.

(kidding)

Of course, there are lots more issues related to IVF I could discuss (ie. PGD, when an embryo has rights, stem cell research), but frankly I don't feel adept to do so. If you're struggling with these issues, I highly recommend A Case For Life by Bo Kirkwood. The cover isn't the prettiest, but it's a quick-read, and makes complicated material simple for us non-scientists, all while keeping a God-centered view. One aspect of this book that I found particularly interesting was the discussion of "conception", which is a non-scientific term and difficult to pinpoint. Something I had never thought of before, but am now keenly aware.

As an update, my bloodwork is doing well. I go back tomorrow for my final beta and will report here when I get my test results. Still on those progesterone shots, too :)

ivf - day 60 - pregnancy test

Let me start this post by saying I'm so thankful for this news. I feel lots of things: blessed, surprised, relieved, excited, nervous, happy....and I could add another 50 adjectives to this list, I'm sure.

Greg and I knew going into this that it could go either way. Actually we were coming home from church Wednesday night and I looked at Greg and said, "Do you think I'm pregnant?"

He said, "What do you think?"

I said very seriously, "Well it could go either way."

Why yes it could April. Very profound!!!! I'll blame that on pregnancy brain, too.

But seriously, it really could have gone either way. The stats weren't as much in our favor this time. What you might not know is that every IVF clinic has to report their stats to the government and publicly, which usually means on their website. These stats are published by age group, they show pregnancies, births, singles, twins, triplets. They show lots of criteria. And, if you're considering IVF, you definitely need to investigate every clinic you can (within reason).

In our age group, about 55% become pregnant and 53% carry to term. So, basically our chances of getting pregnant were 50/50. Like I said, it could go either way :)

But, when you look at embryo quality, you can further delineate who has a better chance of pregnancy. Our first round of IVF in 2009, we were sitting at about 70% likelihood, but this time, we were closer to 40%.

I was scared, nervous, I couldn't sleep.

I can't even begin to explain the thoughts that went through my head during the 9-day waiting period. Lots of talk about what to do with our frozen embryo in the case this round didn't pan out. On that same car ride, Greg even brought up selling his car and being a "one-car-family." But, that really would only net us about $3000, so that wasn't the best idea. And, he can't blame that on pregnancy brain.

Anyway, there's a point of no return with IVF and pursuing infertility. It's a fine line and one we didn't want to cross, but found ourselves on the verge of making a decision we didn't want to make.

So far, we're pregnant and focused on that. No, we're not out of the woods.

My beta today was 157, which tests for HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). It needed to be above 50, so we're on our way.

I'll be checked again on Monday and Wednesday to make sure it's multiplying like it should, which would indicate a normal pregnancy. I'll continue the progesterone for several more weeks, provided the pregnancy continues.

Just because I'm pregnant, doesn't mean I'm done talking IVF. I plan to discuss some of the ethics next week (hoping not to stir up too much controversy) and anything else that comes to mind. Please let me know if you have any questions. I'd be happy to devote a post entirely to questions as well. I'm open to anything, which you should know by now. If you don't feel comfortable leaving a question in the comments section, feel free to email me april@studiocalico.com

Thanks so much for all your prayers, well-wishes, support, following my story. It means so much to know there are others out there who are interested in our struggle and were hoping for a wonderful outcome along with us. I can't say enough about the support you've shown.

ivf - day 59 - big needles

Just look at that progesterone.

That's P-R-O-G-E-S-T-E-R-O-N-E with a "G"

Definitely not a "J." Why would anyone think such a thing.

These are some of the needles I've used over the course of this process. The one on the right was for my Follistim, and it's the same size as the ones for my Lupron (I used insulin syringes for those) and for my Ovidrel (which is HCG to trigger ovulation before my egg retrieval).

The needle on the left is for drawing up the progesterone. It's pink. PINK = PAIN. That's my way to remember to not use it for injection. That and the fact that it's the size of my pinky.

The middle needle is for my progesterone. It's gray. GRAY = GIVE.

Just to give you another shot, look at the size of that opening!

So, I draw up the PIO (progesterone in oil), and it really looks like vegetable oil, with the pink needle.

Then, I switch out the top to the gray needle for injection.

Tomorrow's my big day...the day of my beta test to see if I'm pregnant.