Coloring books

One of my favorite things to do as a kid was color. I spent hours and hours on that activity.  I think it kept me out of trouble somewhat and probably why my mom liked me doing it.  (Probably a tactic I will use on our future child too...but not just for that reason of course.) 

Before leaving for California for our transfer, I was going to try and find some cool coloring books for B's kids, but couldn't seem to find any. Well, thanks to Apt Therapy's post yesterday that was a round-up of cool coloring books, the search is over. I'm so excited because there are so many here that I'd want to buy someone else's child, but also ones I kind of want for myself...or to squirrel away for our future little child to harness their artistic side.


These two in particular have caught my eye, and I think I'll run out today to buy a couple.  Some for B's kids as a little care package (as I already have the crayons to send along with it), and one or two for myself (ahem, I mean for our future baby).  :-)

Available at Sprout Home for $6.95

The Road to Rock Coloring Book via Etsy $12

Create Your Own Masterpiece via MoMaStore $3.95

I love them all.   So amazing that they have better coloring books than just the Little Princess stuff that I see in the stores these days.  I would have adored these as a kid.

2nd Beta Results are in!!

Our 2nd beta results are in...and we went from 130 to 350! Is this the time when we say we're officially pregnant?! Can't wait for that ultrasound in two weeks! Okay, now is the time to start hitting babycenter.com and following along with our pregnancy!

To other IPs out there: How have you explained your child's birth story to them?

Today as I was sitting on hold on the phone for my veterinarian's office, an ad for an NPR radio interview began playing instead of the normal elevator music. It was for a discussion about the "modern family" and how it's now created using surrogates, donors, etc. Well, OF COURSE my ears perked up and I HAD to listen to it!! Ultimately the main topic of the broadcast was how do we inform our kids about their genetics if we had to use a sperm/egg donor? Or tell them about the surrogate mother that carried them for 9 months? Or if they were adopted, their birth family?

It's something I'd already given a little bit of thought to, but not sure I had an answer for, especially as it relates to our egg donor. Even after listening to three sets of parents chatting during this interview, I still don't think I have a complete answer. So I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone had stories to share.

First, I want to say that we plan on being honest and forthright early on so it never turns into an identity crisis later. But still, I wonder about how (and when) to tell our future child about the fact that we had to use an egg donor and that they're not "biologically" connected to me. Will they wonder or fantasize about meeting that person? Will they wonder about their genetic history? After all, I enjoyed doing my own family tree on ancestry.com!! (And our egg donor was anonymous, of course.)

Anyways...I'm sure many of you other intended parents out there that have forged this path ahead of us have some great stories to share! Or books that you've read to your kids, etc. So please do share your insight and thoughts!!

Just because she couldn't resist one more HPT!

B sent me a text of one she "forgot to send me!"  So here's a pic of the HPT she took yesterday morning before our beta.  Ha!  So excited for tomorrow's results!!!!  Keep praying that the beta numbers double!

1st Beta Results are in!!!

B's HCG result came in at.....


























130! 

Witty commentary from the Dear Husband...

HIM:  "Hey babe, do you think we should have made a cd mix for B featuring R. Kelly's 'Pregnant.'?"

[cut to him singing smooth-jam style...."Hey girl, I wannnna git you preeegggggnant."] 

ME:  "Hmmm...yes, why didn't we think of that gift sooner."

8dpt - HPT results - BFP!!!

There's no denying that both the cheapie strip test and the FRER test are showing pink lines today!  So excited!  And our first beta results test is tomorrow!  I can't wait to update you all!

7dpt - HPT Results - Second line still there!

Well, it's now 7 days post transfer and B (our surrogate) is still showing a second pink line for the 1st Response brand HPT.  Yesterday, B used another brand and didn't get a line (not sure of the brand).  She tried both brands today, and says there is a very faint line on the second brand.  (I can't see it in the pics, but she assures me it's there.)  Meanwhile, the original 1st response brand second pink line seems to be showing a bit stronger than our 5dpt pics.

I'm trying to find out what the second brand of HPT is from the agency.  (They're the ones who sent them to her.)  Once I find out, I'll update the post.  At any rate, I don't like that new version b/c I have no idea what I'm supposed to be looking at.  UPDATE:  The second version is from www.early-pregnancy-tests.com

In the meantime, we have our first beta test on Monday.  It was originally Tuesday, but the RE moved it to Monday.

*Fingers Crossed for good numbers!!*

5dpt - Home Pregnancy Test: Early Results!

 

Do you see what that is right there?

A FAINT PINK LINE!!! 

Do you want to see it a little bit closer?!  

Yep!  It's really there!!  I know it's only 5dpt (5 days post transfer), and a lot of things could go wrong, but this is the first step towards a BFP (Big Fat POSITIVE)!!!!  OMG...so happy!!!!  :-)

And let the waiting begin...

Waiting is the hardest part of this whole process.  Now that we’ve had our first transfer, all I can do is sit here and [im]patiently wait for time to pass.

First it was for our surro to feel better.  (She got a stomach bug almost immediately after our transfer and felt terrible.)  Thankfully it lasted only 24 hours, and she feels better now.  Our RE said that it shouldn't affect the embryo transfer.  We're hoping that's the case!!

Then it was for her to get back to the airport and be safely on her journey home.  

And now it’s for enough time to pass for her to be able to take her first home pregnancy test.  *Fingers crossed for a positive!*

Oh god, the waiting portion of this whole process is excruciating.  Especially this first bit…although I’m sure all of it will be tough.  Not much to do but sit and be anxious.  I try not to be, but it’s definitely hard, especially after having read so many other people’s stories.  I know all the things that could happen. 

***********

And as an update on our embryos for anyone else going through this type of thing and want to know...today I spoke to my RE and he informed me that we have a total of 23 embryos from our original 33 that made it to freezing stage…or “cryopreservation.”  (Saying that sounds so sci-fiction.)  Of course, we’re hoping that we won’t need to use any of those 23 until a potential later date for a sibling.  (Assuming we could ever afford to do this again.)   *Praying that we’re lucky on the first try!*

One little egg

Here's our precious 5 Day Blastocyst we transferred this morning!! Our SM is doing well and resting.  I was a complete bundle of nerves all morning, but after a glass of wine and a milkshake (great combo, right?), I feel much better.  Ha! 

Our RE told us it was a Triple Grade AA.  I told him he said that to all the embryos.  He claimed that wasn't true.  I'm choosing to believe that it wasn't just to make this IM feel better.  :-)

Pray for us that this little singleton sticks!!

Guess the number?

T.h.i.r.t.y. T.h.r.e.e.  We have 33 little embryos!  Out of our over-40 eggs retrieved, 33 fertilized!!!  HOLY CRAP!  I never would have guessed.  Now we're waiting until Thursday to see how they're progressing, and how our RE grades them.  I'm astounded!  I pray for lots of blessings for our egg donor.  What amazing ovaries she has!!!!!  :-)

Egg Retrieval Day: I couldn't resist a post!!

We got over 40 eggs on our retrieval today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our RE said our egg donor was amazing!  So excited!

Leaving tomorrow on a jet plane!

We leave for California tomorrow, and our retrieval is on Monday!  The patient care representative emailed us tonight to let us know that our egg donor is doing extremely well and growing a lot of eggs.  So far it looks to be over 30 for the retrieval based on her ultrasound today!  We're so excited!!  Woohoo!

N has decided that we should both go "off the internet" for at least several days to try and really enjoy ourselves with our friends in CA as well as actually try to relax without a computer screen in front of our faces.  Difficult considering we both have smartphones and are constantly playing with them.  So, "off the internet" means no instagram, no facebook, no blog reading for me, and no email.  I'll do my best.  ;-)

Wait, did I say it looks like we're going to retrieve over 30 eggs!?  Wooooooot!!  *Send positive thoughts our way*  After the egg retrieval we're going to need sticky thoughts to make sure that one little single embryo STICKS!   :-)

Gifts for your Surrogate on Transfer Day?

Hey there, I know there are VERY few of you reading this, but in case anyone is and wants to give any thoughts, I'd love to know what you have either a) given your surrogate or b) received as a surrogate from your IPs when you go in for transfer day?  Just thinking that we'd like to do something.  I already got some cute stuff for her kids, but wanted to get her something too of course.  :-)