Synchroneity

Main Entry: syn·chro·ne·ity
Definition: the state of being synchronous

Main Entry: syn·chro·nous
Definition: happening, existing, or arising at precisely the same time

This is exactly what is happening for us! Yesterday S's BBT dropped to 97.05. Everywhere we have been reading shows that it is common for BBT to drop just prior to ovulation and to rise just after ovulation. Well today's BBT was 98.03. Unbelievable. The cosmos have collided! We did our second insemination yesterday and have now begun our waiting game. Looks like we have all the parts in the right places at the right time! Now all we need is for the sperm and egg to collide like the cosmos and then implant. Only 13 more days till we know.

I can't believe how well this is all going. We are trying to keep our emotions in check but this is the best chance we have ever had! Come on babies!!!!

The meeting

We got back from Michigan yesterday just after noon. We ended up going in to get S's blood drawn early for her Estradiol and come back at 3 for the ultrasound. While S was having her blood drawn they said they could do the ultrasound early if we wanted. We decided to go with it as we woke up at 6 am to drive the 5.5 hours back to Madison. Gladys (our dog) was in the car but we figured better to get it all done now and spend more time with her back at home.

Well, the ultrashound, blood work, and day went wonderful! We for the first time ever have all the ducks falling into a row. Granted we aren't getting too excited but things are looking good. Our NP consulted the triage nurse from home and told her to go ahead with the HCG shot. S had 2 (19x24 and 18x20) great follicles and one other that might be ready. Her Estradiol was up to 385!

We walked over to the pharmacy, got the hCG, had it injected and went home. I spent the evening talking to the little ladies and asking them to release soon. We scheduled inseminations with a different NP in our NP's office (ours is out for vacation)for Wed. and Thurs!

This morning S's BBT was up a little and we are hoping it will spike tomorrow morning. We went to the appointment and I had the pleasure of pushing the plunger of the syringe in. While doing so our luck seemed to have run out. the catheter end of the syringe can disconnected front the syringe and Bernard got loose!!!! We did get most of it in but some of the escaped. We'll surely get'em all in there tomorrow! Fingers crossed....for the little ones to meet up.

Rum PA pum pum

So we honor him, per rum pa pum pum, rum pa pum pum, us and his sperm! S ordered our latest donor! He is our third selection since starting this process! In the beginning we were concerned with reading every answer and detail provided by the donor. Now we look for a few key things, read the essay and make quick decisions. Our main criteria are blue eyes, tall, thinner, some Irish, and mainly willing to be contacted by the child after age 18. It is not to say we are going to push our child to contact him but that we think our child should have the option if they so want it.

Anywho, we decided to try a new on and I read this one (we have named him Bernard pronounced Bur-nerd) and we did not need to go any further. He is 75% Irish, blue eyes, brown hair, thin, tall, smart, and kind. I am nearly 100% Irish, blue eyes, brown hair, not tall or thing (traits we would like to give that I never could). Since S will be carrying the baby we decided to go for a donor that had many of my physical traits. It is a match made in heaven and probably one that will be lucky!!!! (fingers crossed)

Well, Bernard arrives at the doctor's office tomorrow (at least his vials filled the second most important ingredient in baby making)! We are set for our ultrasound on Tuesday at 3:00pm. This is causing us to cut Christmas at my dad's short but he sure doesn't mind if it means a grandchild might arrive in 9-10 months!!! Our NP is coming in on her vacation on Wed and Thurs to inseminate and then the waiting beings again. We plan to get the hCG shot this time to force the ovulation. S is on a double dose of Clomid and everything seems to be running as it should.

Here we go, decking the halls....fa la la la la, la la, la, LA!

Let if flow, Let flow, Let it flow

Nothing like the beginning of a period to get your in the holiday spirit! AF came last night setting us off on a joyous evening of laughter, smiles, and cheer not to mention hope. Like with every new year every period during a bout with infertility brings hope and disappointment. This time around we are filled with hope as we already knew we were not pregnant but were stuck as we couldn't move forward with out AF. She is here and let the next try begin!

I got out my trusty journal and counted backwards. Yup exactly 14 days ago S said she was sure that she ovulated. This was day 31 and we inseminated on the believed ovulation day which was day 9! Yup, looks like was used $800 worth of good sperm 22 days late! Shit. Anywho, we also realized that it seems like all of S's long cycles (this one 43 days) are when the left ovary is the one producing follicles. What does this mean....I'm sure we will not get a definite answer unless they give S an autopsy. So, we will just stick it in our journal and hold that knowledge closely with all the other conflict bits.

I may sound jaded but I'm actually excited. It looks like her BBT was consistent (even though she was sick with a fever during the cycle) with ovulation 14 days ago. This makes me see that if we keep tracking the BBT, doing the blood tests with the NP, and ultrasounds we may just get it right after all. I think the next step is to make an appointment with the NP to tell her about our new findings and develop a plan for the coming days.

Unfortunately it looks like if Clomid works right, and it is the right ovary we will be looking at an insemination date of 12/24/06 or 12/25/06. Even if we weren't going to be 380 miles away from the NP....do you think they charge more for IUI insemination on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? I'm glad God is being picky about finding the perfect baby for us but come on....give us one break!!!!!!

Where is the clock's pendulum?

It seems to me that we are always searching for the clock's pendulum. Not becuase there is one but because everyone seems to have a different idea as to where to look or how to look. The other day I was trying to read up a bit more on the whole basal body temp (BBT) stuff and found a suggestion to take the temperature vaginally. I have also always read that the person is not to move at all for fear of raising the temp even slightly. Answer me this...how would I ever get S to lay still at 6 am while trying to take her BBT vaginally? This is absurd. Needless to say we continue to take it every morning at 6am orally!

Still there seems to be no consistancy in how we can actually tell if she is ovulating. We had three months (Aug., Sept., and Oct.) that her cycle was 28 days exactly with a good estrodial reading and an ultrasound showeing follicles that were "almost" the right size. Our Clear Blue Easy Monitor never peaked but then we were told that she definately ovulated. This month we are on day 43 with no period, negative preg tests, and statements such as "you may not ever get a peak on the monitor due to the PCOS". That all coming after always being told to use the montior!!!! GRRRRR......

This was our first IUI after 8 ICI trys. S has been on Clomid since June 2006 with no absolute positive no nonsense ovulation. We thought we had that but now we aren't sure. Our NP is now suggesting IVF. We have our expenseive consultation in Jan. to hear our options! Yeah us.

Let's just pray for Aunt Flow to show and get the next try going!

And the other was inspired...

Sara's got it right when she says that the "if you build it they will come" entry on the http://uterusx2.blogspot.com/ blog gives a compelling argument toward bloging. I also think the theraputic nature of expressing your experiences to others and with others seems invaluable. I feel better when I read others and can talk to people that have been in our shoes or are in our shoes. The doctors, nurses, and 8,000 other people invovled in the process don't really suffice for that camaraderie I'm looking for. So here we are a humble midwest couple looking to have a baby and writing a blog about it...who knew...

Inspired

Yesterday, Erin was turned onto a blog called http://uterusx2.blogspot.com/. I, of course, quickly jumped in and read every single post. Carey's first point about blogging may be the most compelling reason to do so: because if you blog long enough, a baby is sure to come along!

And so you have it, we were inspired to start writing as well.

Background:

We have been trying to have a baby for nearly two years now. We started when I was still in grad school. We tried ICI (donor sperm, turkey baster method) then took a break for a bit. Encountered some problems late last spring, had some polyps removed this summer and started clomid this fall. we're on our fourth cycle now and my body is all out of whack again. Our NP (nurse practitioner) says after this, she has one more step, and then we will have to move to the infertility clinic.

We had dreamed of announcing a baby at Xmas... not so....