Ultrasound #2 8 weeks 3 days...

The Little Minion is growing fast and furious!!  Heart rate today was 171 and doctor said we're measuring right on target for a EDD of 4/27/14!  We've officially "graduated" to our OB and will have our first prenatal appointment on October 1st including another ultrasound!  We're gonna have an album full of this child before he/she even makes their appearance!  I'm still in absolute awe and wonder of this little miracle and can't wait to spend the next 7 months becoming better acquainted!  God is so very good!!

Most beautiful blob in the world...

...Officially introducing our "Little Minion"!!  This is the first picture of our little miracle at  6 weeks 2 days.  I told Bill it looks like I swallowed an engagement ring!  We got to see the heartbeat but our doctor said that doppler is a higher frequency wave than ultrasound and the jury is still out on the effects on baby of those higher waves.  They measured the little flicker at 106 beats per minute which he was happy with.  Honestly, we could have stayed there and watched that screen all day.  It was, by far, the most amazing thing I have ever seen.  Doctor wants us back in two weeks for another ultrasound and then he'll release us to our OB!!  Next picture update will be on September 18th! 

I just can't wrap my head around how great God is!

Beta #3...

...1760!!  We're tripling in 48 hours!  I had to do this blood draw at work since I worked 6:30am-7:00pm and couldn't get to the RE's office.  I went down to medical records and got a copy so I actually knew before my RE did!  They called when they got the results and schedule our first ultrasound for September 3rd at 8:00am.  

I'm five weeks and 3 days today and aside form sore breasts off and on and waves of nausea, I don't really have any symptoms.  I did start having some cramping & pressure over the past few days, but the What to Expect book says that's okay as long as there's no bleeding.  

We're still cautiously optimistic and praying that God sustains this pregnancy and our little bit grows strong and healthy for the next 8 months!  I'll feel infinitely better after the ultrasound...only 1 more week!

Beta #2....

....Drumroll, please.....528!!!  That's more than double my 177 from Monday!  It looks like Little Bit is sticking around!  I'll repeat blood work on Friday and after they get those results we'll schedule the first ultrasound.  I just breathed a HUGE sigh of relief!  God is so very good!!!

Beta Today...

...and I've been up since 4:00!  I know I didn't update after our IUI #2, but my summer classes were ridiculously time consuming!!  I just wrapped them up last week and have a week to relax before fall semester starts.  

IUI #2 went off without a hitch.  It ended up falling on a Sunday so we had to go to our RE's office in Rockville, MD which was a bit farther away than our usual Annapolis location, but Bill and I enjoyed the ride together and since it fell on a Sunday, he got to be there too!  Post wash count was 14 million which was double the last time if my memory serves me correctly.  

As far as symptoms go these past few weeks, the only thing that was new and unusual was back pain.  I really never get back pain during that time of the month and I thought that was weird.  I started testing on Friday morning...when I didn't see the line showing up right away, I tossed it in the trash.  When I woke up an hour later I swore I saw a line.  Tested again Saturday morning-definitely a line and a little darker.  Sunday morning- darker line that came up quicker!  Sunday evening- even darker and quicker!  I bought two First Response tests because the other ones were dollar tree cheapies and low and behold we got a super dark, super quick second line with that one!!  

We went for blood work at 7:15 and then to the gym.  We met my parents at Bob Evans for breakfast after the gym and decided to tell them.  My mom was waiting to go to the beach until she heard results and we knew it would be positive we just weren't sure how positive so we went ahead and told them.  They were thrilled and cried, of course!  Next stop was to drop flowers off to MIL with a card that read "I love you, Grandmom!  Love, Baby Buddy" (Bill and I call each other Buddy so this nickname seemed appropriate).  She squealed and cried so I'm sure the whole bank branch she works at knows.  Then we were off to my FIL's shop.  We had bought a little camo onesie and I asked him if he could have it embroidered with the shop logo and "Grandad's Little Buddy".  He just stared at me for a minute and said "That's a good thing, right??  That's good????"  

Our REs office called around 12:00 with results and said our BETA was 177 at 15 dpiui!!  They said they wanted it between 75 and 100 so they were very happy with 177!!  We have blood work again on Wednesday and Friday to make sure the numbers are rising and first ultrasound will be scheduled after we get those results.  

I really don't think it's sunk in yet.  I've been getting faint positives for 4 days and all I can do is pray that this little baby keeps growing strong.  I know it's still super, super early but I can't help but be optimistic this time!  God is soooooo good!!!

IUI #2...

...Well, yesterday was day 1 and I contacted my nurse to get this ball rolling again.  She's having me come in for monitoring on August 3rd and, hopefully, do the IUI the following day.

I think Bill is really excited again.  When he noticed that my cycle had started he made sure to remind me to e-mail the doctors office and let them know so we can get the IUI scheduled.  My cousin just had her baby a few weeks ago and I think it got his paternal clock ticking even louder.  I just turned 31 yesterday and he'll be 38 in two weeks so we really do need to get busy, so to speak.  

On an unrelated note, I passed my nursing boards and am now, officially, a registered nurse!  I'm hoping that now that the stress of nursing school and boards is over, we'll be successful with this next cycle.  I'm hopeful that this will be our time, but I'm remaining cautiously optimistic.  

Back again....

...in that place where it seems like this will never happen for us.  I had my beta this morning and although I haven't gotten the results, I'm 99% sure it's negative.  I started cramping on Monday, caved in and tested Monday evening and Tuesday morning (both negative) and my temp dropped this morning.  My RN said they would call before 1:00 this afternoon.  

The worst part of this is that for those first 1.5 - 2 years that we were trying, I was convinced it was me.  Then we found out that our problems lies on his end.  Now with two failed FETs and one failed IUI, it's me again.  My body is the one that isn't working.  I wonder if it would be better to know that it never would than to keep hoping that our outcome would change?  

Nursing school pinning is this evening and I'm going to try and focus on the success of that rather than the failure of this.  I just wish I new The Plan...