2009...

For the past 2 New Year's Eves, I have written a post that was stoic, sad, depressing and down right ugly. This year is something so different. 2009 became my year of hope. We had so much loss in 2008 and 2009 started out with an exploratory surgery to determine if I had endometriosis or not. The surgery went well and the endo was attacked and conquered.

We decided to take a break from the workings of Trying to Conceive and ended up in Florida not once, but twice, for a total of 3 fantastic weeks. 1 week was with Tyler's sister and her girls and 1 week was with my brother and his wife and 1 week was us on our own, always loving the beach. We had a wonderful time. We celebrated 5 years married with a wonderful yacht ride on the ocean and even better food at one of our favorite spots. We tried to watch the Space Shuttle launch but failed twice.

In July, we headed back to our RE for more treatments. With the endo gone, we were confident that this would work. Life had different plans. Another failed transfer was behind us but I was ready to push onward. This year was going to be it for us. And it was. After IVF #5 (Fresh #3), we got our BFP on October 12th. For the first time in my life, I got to see a positive test and hear the wonderful words from my Nurse that I was actually pregnant. We waited out 2 betas to make sure the numbers were going our way and off we went to tell our parents and families. They were thrilled.

Time moved on and I became sicker and sicker, but it was all in jest. Weirdo me didn't mind puking, knowing that little Petri was just wreaking havoc on my system.

November came and went and now the end of December is upon us. I am 15 1/2 weeks along and looking forward to meeting our OB next week and finding out what Team Petri will be on at the end of January. Blue or Pink, we don't really care. Extra fingers or toes, I can even handle that. All we are wishing for this year is a healthy, happy baby in June. Our hopes and dreams have been answered and for that, I will be eternally grateful.

My thoughts are with the Women of my IF board who continue on with their journeys and I hope for them that 2010 can be a miraculous year. I wish you all the best and will be there rooting you on all the way. Lots of Love,

-Lindsay

15 Weeks!

Baby's now the size of a naval orange!
Continuing the march toward normal proportions, baby's legs now out-measure his arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably can't feel the movements just yet.

This morning I went ahead and called the MFM to see if they had my blood results from the NT scan. I hadn't heard back from Dec. 11th and they let me know there was a back-up....which was completely reasonable with the Holidays. The Nurse let me know that everything came back normal and I am so grateful to have that news. Now I won't have to have an amnio, which was freaking me out!

Christmas was a little tough. I think I had some residual feelings from the years of negatives on that big day and it just weighed me down. I was so sad for those who hadn't gotten their positives and I just couldn't really get over it. I am feeling better today and more hopeful as time goes on and more good news comes in. Things are good and I am finally feeling like the other shoe is NOT going to drop this time.

Today is the 21st... which can only mean....

Petri is due in 6 months! Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and our little Miracle is scheduled to arrive on the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Really feeling the excitement today! Expectant Couple ornament is hung on the tree. Friends from the Bump are getting their BFPs and it is just a good time. Getting ready to wrap presents and get ready for our week away. Happy Monday!

14 Weeks!

Baby's now the size of a lemon!

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine, and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys, and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over her body for warmth.


This week is a busy one. Heading home for the Holidays to Tyler's parents. Our Lady of the Snow on Tuesday night, shopping in St. Louis on Wednesday and everyone together on Thursday. Should be good times. Petri is doing well. Our meet and greet with the Doctor is on the 5th and then we will be scheduling our big ultrasound. Can't believe we are getting to that point. All of our pre-natal classes are scheduled for the Spring and things are chugging along.

You know, it took so long for this to happen, and now that it has happened, it is going so fast. Who knew!?

13 Weeks!

Baby's now the size of a peach!

Your fetus is forming teeth and vocal cords...savor this, their nonfunctional phase. Baby is approaching normal proportions, with his head now only one third the size of his body. And intestines are in the process of moving from the umbilical cord to baby's tummy -- much more convenient.


This week has been a good week. Belly is starting to pop now and things are fitting a little differently now. Belly Butter is a must as the itchies are coming out in full force. Not much else is going on. Things are settling down nicely and I am in the Second Trimester! Yay!

NT scan was Thursday!

This is where they check for the nose bone to be grown in (and it is!) and they measure the fold of the neck to check for Down Syndrome. Everything looked good.

We had 3 scans. Petri was being very stubborn... this really is our child and would not lay on its back. So we went in for the first.... got some cute shots and couldn't get the neck measured. Went around to walk for 10 minutes. Came back... same thing.

Went up to my NP appointment and did the glucose thing (post metformin) and then went back down to MFM and finally got the money shots. It was great being about to see Petri so much. It was like the Baby was giving us a gift of making the u/s 3x longer than it should have been :) Everything looks good and now we are on the 4 week rotation of NP then Doc.... kind scary, but nice to be normal!

12 weeks!

As you move into the second trimester, baby shifts into the growth and maturation stage. After weeks in the critical development stage, almost all of baby's systems are fully formed.

Our 1st OB appointment!

Can I tell you how weird it was walking into a room of pregnant women and then slowly realizing that I was one of them!? We met with a Nurse for our Orientation and got all the details of making our way through OB. Packets, phone numbers.... it was like signing for a mortgage again... maybe a few less sheets of paper and signatures.

The Nurse we met with was very nice and it was reassuring coming from such a one-on-one atmosphere to a place where there are so many others like you. We are normal.... *sigh*! I went ahead and did my 1st 1 hour glucose test and will repeat it next week to see how I am doing without my Metformin.

Oh, and did I mention I am off all of my meds?!?! Well almost all of them. I am obviously still taking my pre-natal vitamin and then I am staying on my extra Folic Acid, which we changed from 4 pills down to one super pill :) So I go from 14 pills a day now down to 2, and 4 if I take Tylenol PM.

So that is what is going on for now. We go in Thursday for our NT scan and first NP appointment. Things are moving along!