13 Weeks Along (Friday, 8/15/08)

Saturday had drizzly and cold weather. We were sitting around doing nothing when we got a phone call from Katelyn’s parents asking if Rachel wanted to come up to East Jordan to spend a day with Katelyn. She was excited to go since this would be the last time she would see Katelyn before she left to go home to North Carolina until Christmas. We dropped off Rachel then went on the Ironton Ferry, circled Lake Charlevoix through Boyne City (which was really nice), then explored Charlevoix. We walked around and took pictures of all of the Earl Young storybook houses. I love them. Then we ate a late lunch at The Weathervane and went back to pick up Rachel. She had fun with Katelyn riding around the property on golf carts. Sunday we packed, cleaned, and returned home. I had to spend the week unpacking, cleaning, and getting ready for our Second Annual Rysso Family Luau.
Thursday I had my first trimester screening ultrasound and bloodwork to check for Down Syndrome. Since there was an ultrasound involved, Paul took time off work to come with me. The ultrasound was really cool. I can’t believe how much the baby has grown since our last one. They said that it is 3 inches long. At first the baby was sleeping on its side with its legs and arms stretched out in front of it. For the screening measurement, they needed a side view of the baby so since it wasn’t moving, they told me to cough to wake it up and perhaps it would roll over. It took a few tries but then the baby suddenly woke up and started flailing its arms around. It rolled over and they could get the measurement. The whole thing took almost a half hour. It was so cool to see the baby moving around in there. They said the heartbeat was perfect. I got quite a few good pictures. The bloodwork part wasn’t so fun because they lady had trouble getting the pinprick on my finger to drop properly on the paper. They had to milk the finger like a cow and it throbbed for hours afterward. They said that the ultrasound looked normal and it would take about a week for the bloodwork results to come back.
Friday I had the day off work to prepare for the luau. It was a really exhausting day and I broke down crying at one point because I had so much to do and no energy to do it. I ended the day way ahead of where I was the night before the party last year but I was completely beat and unable to stay up any longer to get any more done. That is such a weird feeling. I am used to being able to pull all nighters to get ready for anything with no problems; finals, packing for vacations, party prep, finishing a good book, whatever. Now that is impossible.

News from the womb…
The vocal cords have formed but the baby is unable to make sounds because sound travels through air, not fluid. The intestines have forming into folds and have becoming lined with nutrient-extracting villi. The liver has begun to secrete bile and the pancreas has begun to produce insulin. The baby’s hands are becoming more and more functional and it can move its thumb in opposition to the other fingers. The external genitalia of girls can now be clearly distinguished from boys.

12 Weeks Along (Friday, 8/8/08)

I got to spend another weekend frantically doing laundry and packing. I had to cut out a few things on my to do list because I was exhausted and it is physically impossible for me to stay up past 10pm. Sunday morning we left for our vacation at Higgins Lake. At least this time we had a much shorter drive although it was in the uncomfortable and not air-conditioned truck so it was torturous nonetheless. We had great weather with only a tiny bit of rain interference. We rented canoes for a 2 hour ride on the Au Sable in Grayling. Paul and I shared a canoe with Rachel riding along in the middle but halfway through, we switched canoes with my parents since my butt kept going to sleep in ours and theirs was much more comfortable. When we switched, Rachel stayed in the canoe with them and actually took over paddling duty for nearly an hour while my mom got to relax in the middle of the boat. How nice! She was pretty good at it. Having finally mastered riding her bike, she took it with her to the cabin and rode a few times around the block every day. We are really proud of all of her progress this summer. Most of the week was spent reading on the porch, lying in the sun, floating around the lake on innertubes, and roasting marshmallows over the campfire while looking for shooting starts. I shared my pregnancy books with my mom who was amazed at how much more they know now than they did when she was pregnant with me. In my opinion, knowing what’s going on in the womb makes that connection with my baby all the more strong.

News from the womb…
The baby’s skin is sensitive all over and any type of touch will cause the baby to move. The brain now has the same structure it will have at birth, it’s just a smaller size. The baby’s olfactory system is developing. The thyroid, pancreas, gall bladder, and bony part of the palate have completed their development. The tooth buds for the permanent teeth have begun to form as do the membranes that will become the vocal cords. The pancreas has begun to secrete insulin. The intestines are now fully contained in the abdomen. The muscles in the wall of the baby’s digestive tract have become functional in order to begin practicing the movements required to push food down the tract. The urine that formed in the baby’s kidneys has been excreted into the amniotic fluid. The baby is now 50-61mm (2.5 inches) long and weights about 1/2 ounce.

11 Weeks Along (Friday, 8/1/08)

Saturday we packed up and left the resort fairly early in the morning to begin our 14 hour car ride home. This time we drove straight through. We didn’t get home until really late then got up the next morning to go to Lapeer to Grayson’s 5th birthday party. I wasn’t as exhausted as I thought I would be and the party was fun so I am glad that we made the effort to go. We picked up Betsy from my parents who had been dog-sitting then went back home to attempt to do some unpacking and laundry before work on Monday.
Wednesday I had my first appointment with OB. It actually wasn’t with my OB doctor but with the nurse practitioner instead. She is the same person that I see for my annual pap smears (what fun). The visit was to basically familiarize me with what was ahead. I did get a quick audio (not visual) ultrasound and could hear the baby’s heartbeat again. That is such a wonderful sound. When I left, I set up all of my visits right up to my due date. It made that day seem all that much closer!

News from the womb…
The baby’s body continues to straighten. The legs are completely vascularized. The skin begins to thicken and become less transparent. The iris of the eye begins to develop. The eyelids temporarily fuse shut. Ossification centers establish in the skull. The bones and muscles grow rapidly. The body proportions begin to resemble those of a newborn. The baby has doubled its weight to between 1/4 and 1/3 ounce. The baby is now 5cm (2 inches) long and stands as high as the short side of a credit card.

10 Weeks Along (Friday, 7/25/08)

Saturday I had Cate’s wedding shower then a lot of packing to do to leave on our vacation to South Dakota on Sunday. It was a really busy weekend which made me even more tired. We spent the week at Roy Lake Resort in Lake City, South Dakota which is near where Maureen grew up. We shared a condo with Debbie and Jack across the hall from the condo shared by Paul’s parents and his brother, Mike, and family. I was grateful to be in the quieter, more relaxed condo but not grateful to be awakened at 6 every morning by little Jack. As everyone keeps reminding me, I better get used to it! Many of Paul’s cousins stayed at the State Park which was adjacent to the resort so it was really pleasant meeting all of them. They are such nice people. The week was pretty relaxed. We mostly just sat around and visited while the guys fished. Paul and I took a number of drives around the countryside to take pictures.

News from the womb…
The retina of the eye is now fully pigmented. The external ear and tongue are completely formed. The bones of the palate are beginning to fuse and the taste buds are beginning to form on the tongue. The fingers have lengthened and separated. The toes become unwebbed and lengthen. Fingernails, toenails, and hair follicles have begun to appear and the soles of the feet are visible. The limbs are now capable of purposeful movement. The head is rounded and disproportionately large, making up almost half of the baby’s length. The neck region is established. The legs are now at their proper location and proportional in size for this stage in development. The shoulders are present and have rotated out to place the arms at the sides of the body instead of touching in front. The legs have rotated in and the knees point up to the face. The ectoderm which has covered the baby is being replaced by a layer of flattened cells which will become the surface layer of the baby’s skin. The intestines have begun to migrate from the umbilical cord into the body cavity. The external genitalia are developing but do not yet look distinctive of either gender. The baby assumes a more upright posture. Midweek, the baby was 22-24mm long from crown to rump, as wide as the face of an American quarter. This is 4 times as long as the baby was just one month prior. At the end of the week, the baby is 29mm long and weighs about 0.04-0.11 ounce.

9 Weeks Along (Friday, 7/18/08)

It was another busy weekend for us. Saturday we went to the LaVictoire family reunion. That was fun. We haven’t been able to go for the past few years. Rachel had fun with her cousins. She won the bean on a spoon race and the triple sack race. Sunday we went on the LaCasa garden tour. This was less impressive than in years past but I love going because it gives us great inspiration for our gardening projects. All of the wandering around in the sun pooped me out, though.
Wednesday I had the day off of work because Janet and Bill were in from Austin, Texas and we planned that day to meet up. Last time I saw her, we were 6 months into our infertility journey and I was getting pretty frustrated. Little did I know that it would take 19 more months and a whole lot of patience to achieve pregnancy. Janet, Amy, and I had a girls-only lunch while Bill watched Brayden, Cooper, and Rachel at the Imagination Station. We then went back to my house and hung out until Wynn arrived with Austin and Mya and Paul returned from work. We had dinner at Zukey Lake Tavern. It was nice getting to spend so much time with them. We have all come a long way since college but I am glad that we have remained friends through the years and miles.
Friday we went to Art Fair. We took Rachel and Katelyn, her best friend who had a sleepover at our house that night. Remembering how we ran all the way across Art Fair last year to get to a booth before it closed to how I kept having to rest this year, I definitely noticed a change in my energy level due to pregnancy. I was very glad that the girls were quiet and didn’t keep me up all night like they did at their sleepover in December.

News from the womb…
The baby now displays a reflex response to touch. The upper lip, elbow, toe ridges, and indentations where the knees and ankles will be have formed. The nose, tongue, and eyelids have begun to form. The arms have lengthened and now bend at the elbow. The fingers and thumb appear short and webbed. As connections continue to improve between the baby’s brain and tiny muscles and nerves, the baby’s trunk and limbs have begun to make spontaneous movements. The baby’s body proportions begin to change as the trunk begins to elongate and straighten. The surface of the baby’s brain has developed characteristic rounds and fissures. Primary ossification centers appear in the long bones. These direct the replacement of cartilage by bone which starts in the upper arms. The baby’s heart is beating strong, the stomach can produce some digestive juices, the liver can manufacture blood cells, and the kidneys can extract some waste products from the baby’s bloodstream. The baby is now 16-18mm long and weighs about 0.033 ounce, about as heavy as 1/5 teaspoon of water.

8 Weeks Along (Friday, 7/11/08)

We spent the rest of the weekend in Traverse City and Lovells. We went to the Cherry Festival Air Show featuring the Blue Angels on Saturday. We watched it on the roof of Debbie’s work building downtown with her, her husband, and Paul’s parents. Debbie and I shared in our pregnancy experiences. It’s like I finally got to join the club! It is cool that she is due only 3 months ahead of me. All weekend, I kept dwelling on my boss’ chilly reception to my work restrictions. It shocked me but did not quite pop my balloon of delight on Friday. But the more I thought about it over the weekend, the more I became incensed at her lack of respect for my and my baby’s health. Since she still had me scheduled to do the testing that I was restricted from, I felt my only way to be listened to was to send an email to her, her boss, my other supervisors, the doctor who wrote the note, and human resources. Their response was that the doctor’s orders had to be obeyed no matter what and in the end; I was put on the proper restrictions. I felt bad that I had to go over her head but I had no other option. Now I am under the microscope as I have upset the balance of power.
This week I was supposed to get my hair cut and highlighted but I cancelled the appointment. I keep reading contradicting things on whether coloring your hair is bad for the baby or not. Most things I have read cannot come to a conclusion and therefore recommend waiting until at least the first trimester is over to get it done since this period is so critical to baby’s development. I know that it is selfish to be concerned about my hair but I hate the grays!
Overall, I have been a little less tired this week but still pretty bad. I can’t believe that two months have passed. It hasn’t been all that long, though, considering that you spend the first month clueless about the pregnancy!

News from the womb…
The pituitary gland, trachea, larynx, bronchi, external ear, upper lip, facial muscles, tooth buds, gonads, nipples, eyelids, and diaphragm have begun to form. The intestines have begun to form in the umbilical cord because of shortage of space in the baby’s gut due to its massive liver and all the sets of kidneys. The palate continued its development. The eyes look pigmented even though the color won’t be established until after birth. The baby’s head is much larger than the trunk and is bent over a bump of tissue that contains the developing heart. Now the neck and trunk have begun to straighten and the hand plates have developed ridges indicating where the fingers and thumbs will be. The eye muscles have completed their development. The trunk of the pulmonary artery has separated from the trunk of the aorta in the heart. The kidneys have begun to produce urine as they start their ascent to their final position near the small of the back. The arms are now at their proper location and proportional in size for this stage in development. The cartilage that first appeared during week 5 has begun to harden into bone. The lower limbs have developed foot plates and indentations have formed where the knees and ankles will eventually develop. Near the beginning of the week, the baby was 8-11mm long, having doubled in length in just eight days and could fit within the perimeter of a dime. By the end of the week, the baby was 11-14mm long and could fit within a peanut shell and weigh less than the whole peanut in that shell. The growth rate is so fast that if my baby grew as fast right after birth as it is right now, it would be 15 feet tall by the time it was one month old!

7 Weeks Along (Friday, 7/4/08)

This weekend Rachel came home for the summer. It is so great having her back. We decided not to share the good news with her yet as she tends to not be so good with secrets quite yet. Monday I was nauseated for the first time but never threw up. I just had a general distaste for food. Paul reminded me that I said that I would never complain about morning sickness because it meant that I was pregnant. That made me smile even though I would hardly classify this as morning sickness. I had my prenatal blood test that was ordered by OB. Everything looked good as far as I can tell. My white blood cell count was a bit high but I think it is usually that way. On Tuesday, my sister-in-law, Debbie, had her 20 week ultrasound and found out that she is having a girl. Now that I am pregnant I am definitely less bitter toward pregnant people but I still found myself jealous that she got pregnant so easily twice and gets her dream of one of each. How come it is so easy for some people but not for me? I guess I will always feel the pains of infertility no matter my outcome. Wednesday I had my phone meeting with the OB nurse. It was basically just about 10 minutes of questions about my health history.
I thought that I was going to burst in anticipation before my ultrasound on Thursday but I made it. We still hadn’t decided how to present the whole thing to Rachel so we found ourselves in the waiting room of Reproductive Endocrinology at 7:15 a.m. with her completely clueless! When I checked in the clerk saw my family sit down and asked if my daughter was excited about becoming a big sister. I had to admit to her that Rachel had no idea because we still hadn’t figured out how to tell her yet. I had both of them come into the exam room with me. As I sat on the paper in my gown with the ultrasound machine next to me waiting for the ultrasound tech, I finally said to Rachel, “so, you’re probably wondering what we are doing here…” and told her. She was really excited. All she could talk about all day was how she wanted to help name the baby, take care of the baby, and most importantly help decorate the nursery. The ultrasound went well. There was only one baby in there. Paul was thankful for that. It was attached right in the perfect spot which relieved my fears greatly. I had been having a few side pains isolated on my left side so I was paranoid that the baby was ectopic. The best part was that we got to hear the baby’s heartbeat. It was so fast! I was so glad to hear it because I read that once you can hear the baby’s heartbeat, the risk for miscarriage drops significantly. I got some pictures with a little blob and an arrow pointing to it that said “baby”. I called my mom and told her to spread the word but she said that it was up to me. She shares in my excitement that everything is going well. When I got back to work I was so-o ready to spill the beans. I told Lois first, then Kim, Cate, and the rest of the gang. Everyone was really happy for me, even my coworkers who seem like they wouldn’t give a hoot. The only damper on the day was that before I told my coworkers, I handed my boss the doctor’s note about my pregnancy-related restrictions and she told me that I could do the testing without risk even though the note said otherwise. What a nice way to say congratulations. I called and set up my first OB appointment for 7/30/08. When we got home from work, I called my best friend, Amy, to share my news then we packed our bags and headed up to Paul’s parents’ house. We didn’t get there until after midnight. When we saw them the next morning we joyfully shared the news of the pregnancy with them. Having told the most important people, I then went on to their internet (dial up by the way, painfully slow!) and composed an email to all the other important people in my life sharing the news. Then we went on up to Mackinac Island where I immediately called my grandma then got flooded with congratulatory phone calls. Apparently my mom received a lot of them too. It was a little difficult to do our traditional 8 mile bike ride around the perimeter of the island with my fatigue and my phone ringing constantly. It was a joyous day spent at one of our favorite places on earth.

News from the womb…
Thirty-eight pairs of somites (what forms the bones and muscles of the head and trunk) have formed by now. The brain has differentiated into the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain with the cerebral hemispheres well marked. Rapid brain and head growth continue throughout the week. The hypothalamus, mouth, larynx, jaw, mammary tissue, spleen, cerebellum, palate, and muscles that control the eye have begun to form. A primitive version of the mouth is now present and the trachea and esophagus have separated. Nerves and muscles have started growing in the arms and legs. The arms, then the legs, begin to look less like flippers and more like paddles. The hand plates have appeared and the elbow and wrist regions of the arm are identifiable. The third and final set of kidneys has formed and will begin to function in about a week. Near the beginning of the week, the baby was 5-7mm long, about the size of a small coffee bean. That is 15,000 times bigger than at conception in only thirty days. Quite a fast growth rate! Near the end of the week, the baby grew to 7-9mm long. Now my baby weights about 0.001g which is about as heavy as an eyelash from my lower lid. Amazing that something that tiny is so functional!

6 Weeks Along (Friday, 6/27/08)

This week I visited with many friends and family. It was so hard not to tell anyone but we still want to keep the news to ourselves until we have the ultrasound and confirm that everything is okay with the baby.

Tuesday I could no longer contain myself in waiting for my 6.5 week ultrasound. I pathetically begged one of the OB nurses at Brighton for an early ultrasound but she said that I am already getting one as early as possible to see or hear anything. Darn! I was still tired this week but not as bad as last week. I attribute that to Paul and me exercising for an hour every day. I am very proud of us. Instead of eggs, I now crave Chinese food. I experienced some pain when laying down in bed and stretching to the side but then I read in one of my books that it is just round ligament pain and is normal but usually occurs in the second trimester.

News from the womb…
This week the baby’s aorta, intestines, gall bladder, stomach, pancreas, tongue, nasal pits, lymphatic system, eyes, and lungs all are beginning to form. The thyroid is still developing. The liver has formed. The top of the tube that protects the spinal cord is closing and the heart has begun to beat. Limb buds for the arms are legs are now present with the arm buds becoming more prominent and looking like flippers. The first two of three sets of kidneys have appeared but never becomes functional. The baby is now 3-5mm long and can fit on the eraser end of a standard lead pencil.

5 Weeks Along (Friday, 6/20/08)

Monday at work I called my Reproductive Endocrinologist’s office to tell them the good news. I was glad to be able to share it with someone. They ordered a confirmatory HcG blood test. I went and had my blood drawn as soon as I could get away at 10:30 then checked Careweb every few minutes for the results. Finally at 12:15 they were up. 25 mIU/mL and higher is positive for pregnancy. Mine was 292. Yeah! The nurse called me later in the day to congratulate me again. She said that we would repeat the test on Wednesday to confirm that the numbers are rising as they should. Then I will have an ultrasound at 6.5 weeks and if everything is okay, they will release me to the care of a regular OB. My due date is 2/24/09.

Wednesday I had my second HcG blood draw today at 10:18. Wade totally guessed that I was pregnant since I kept sneaking off to have blood draws. I didn’t want to lie so I told him to keep it hush hush. I am not quite good at this secret thing after all. The results were up at 11:49 and my levels have risen to 575 mIU/mL. Yeah! The nurse said that my HcG levels were good so we didn’t need to repeat the test anymore. I shared with her my concerns about exposure to Methacholine and having to do DLCO carbon monoxide testing on myself at work. She talked to one of the doctors and agreed that I should not be doing those things. They wrote a letter to my supervisors and faxed it to me. I think I will wait until I absolutely have to give it to them since they are not receptive to limitations or any happy news in general.

Paul is hoping we only have one baby in me but I am not so secretly hoping it is twins. There is a good likelihood for twins since I had two good eggs release for the insemination. Maybe a boy and a girl but I will really settle for anything as long as the baby is healthy. I still don’t feel pregnant but I sure am tired. I went to bed early every day this week and have been craving eggs like mad.

News from the womb…
The baby has turned from a flat embryonic disc into three distinct layers of tissue. The endoderm will eventually form the glands, lining of the lungs, tongue, tonsils, urethra and associated glands, bladder, and digestive tract. The mesoderm will eventually form the muscles, bones, lymphatic tissue, spleen, blood cells, heart, lungs, and reproductive and excretory systems. The ectoderm will eventually form the skin, nails, hair, lens of the eye, lining of the internal and external ear, nose, and sinuses; tongue, mouth, anus, tooth enamel, pituitary gland, mammary glands, and all parts of the nervous system. This week the top cells of the ectoderm form a thickened area called the neural plate that will form the baby’s head. The rest of the ectoderm has compressed to form a groove called the notochord that will give rise to the vertebrae. The cells on the periphery of the notochord have begun to fold inward to create the baby’s central nervous system. The primitive version of the baby’s heart has been forming all week and by the end of the week it will have divided into all four chambers and will have begun circulating blood cells throughout the baby’s body. As the circulatory system forms, the mesoderm on either side of the spinal column divides into blocks of cells called somites which will eventually form the bones and muscles of the baby’s head and body. About eight pairs of somites have formed this week and the neural tube (later called the spinal cord) has begun to form between them. The thyroid gland has begun to form as well. The baby’s growth this week is quite rapid. At the beginning of the week, the baby was 0.4mm long and two or three babies the size of mine could fit into the space occupied by a printed period. By midweek, the baby was 1.0-1.5mm long and was tiny enough to rest on the point of a ballpoint pen. By the end of the week, the baby was 1.5-2.5mm long and was about the size of a sesame seed.

How I found Out

I expected my period on Friday, June 13 but it never came. I was anxious and excited but I didn't want to get my hopes up as I had faced disappointment so many times before. Plus, I messed up on my meds and took 2.5 mg Femara instead of 5 mg on days 5-8 and corrected myself on day 9. I completely didn't expect this IUI to work. I was still too chicken to take the test on Saturday. Plus I thought I had cramps and/or a UTI so my hopes were not high. On Sunday (Father's Day), I finally got up my courage and peed on a stick. It was positive! I was pregnant! I was completely dumbfounded. I believe what I said to Paul was, “Oh my God, It’s positive”. What a great Father’s Day present! We spent the day cleaning the house before my parents came for Father’s Day dinner but I snuck out to the store for another test and a last minute present for my dad. When they arrived, I was taking the second (different brand) test in the bathroom and it was positive too. I kept the secret until I had my dad open his last gift which was a bib that said ‘I love Grandpa’. He looked thoroughly confused until I shouted “I’m pregnant!” My mom then burst into tears and there were a lot of hugs. I told them that it was very early and that we should keep it to ourselves for the time being. Although I wanted to shout it on the rooftops, I also wanted to confirm with my doctor that it was real.

What I've Been Through

Last pill 8/9/06
1) 8/26/06 (25)
2) 9/7/06 (10)
3) 9/18/06 (32)
4) 10/21/06 (30)
5) 11/21/06 (26)
6) 12/17/06 (26)
7) 1/12/07 (26)
8) 2/7/07 (31)
9) 3/10/07 (25) first consult with reproductive endocrinologist 3/20/07
10) 4/4/07 (30) Clomid 100
11) 5/4/07 (32) Clomid 50
12) 6/5/07 (24) Clomid 50
13) 6/29/07 (32) Clomid 50
14) 7/31/07 (31) Clomid 50
15) 8/31/07 (28) Clomid 100, IUI #1
16) 9/28/08 (26) hybrid (5/75), IUI cancelled due to high risk of multiples
17) 10/24/07 (25) Femara only, no IUI or Gonal-F due to 17 mm ovarian cyst
18) 11/18/07 (23) hybrid (5/33), IUI #2
19) 12/11/07 treatment break begins
20) approx 1/1/08
21) approx 1/29/08
22) approx 2/26/08
23) 3/24/08 (28)
24) 4/21/08 (26)5/17/08, hybrid (2.5/75), Ovidrel 5/28/08, IUI 5/30/08 SUCCESS!!!!!

The Sweet (and Slightly Nauseating) Smell of Success

Hi! I know it has been a long time since I have posted and for those of you who know me, you know that my infertility journey has finally led to pregnancy. We are overjoyed every day in saying those words. "I'm pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant". Now that all of the proper people have been informed and the craziness of the summer has started to die down, I will begin updating my blog with entries from my personal pregnancy journal.
Warning: It may take me a while to catch up.