One year.

Today is a sad reminder of how far we have come.

One year ago today, we lost our first baby from IUI #3.

One year later, we are 22 weeks pregnant with our twin boys.

What a difference one year makes.

(Miss you, Little Buddy)

IUI #3.

IUI #3 was this afternoon.

DH had 32 million post wash. Not bad, eh? Last time we had 24 million and no clue about how many eggs since there was no u/s last time. This time, 32 million and three really good eggs.

We figure that's pretty good odds.

If for some reason we get bad news in 2 weeks (which we won't) I will be completely clueless as to what the issue is. HOW MANY MORE SWIMMERS DO YOU NEED EGGS!??!@?!? I WANT TRIPLETS DAMNIT!

Anyways, believe it or not, this part of the 2ww is my favorite. Fresh optimism, no sign the AF cramping yet, and we get to name the eggs. I have begun calling it/them a variation of zygote. . . "Za Goat". I'm a big fan. In fact, it makes me happy just typing it. :)

Next week, they will be blastocyst and embryo. Kinda boring, right. I like this week.

EEK! IUI#3 tomorrow!

Quick update before bed:

I got my LH surge this afternoon! (I tested around 3pm, so not sure what time between 7am and 3 it occured. . . )

Either way, I have my RE apt for IUI#3 tomorrow!!!

DH apt is at 1pm and I head back in at 3pm!

I am excited! Really hoping third time is the charm!

WIsh us luck!!! (GO three eggs!!!. . . GET FERTILIZED AND GROW!!! STICKY EMBABIES!!!)

Few updates.

Here's what I know:

We have scheduled my u/s (ultrasound) with my RE for 6/28 (CD 12) around 9am. Problem is, I also begin a grad class that day. . . at 9am. . . WTF. They don't offer ANY other times. How incredibly inflexible can they be?

This most likely means I will be having IUI #3 a day or two later. (CD 13/14).

Here's what I don't know:

I've been hearing some talk of people using "mucinex" for helping the issue of hostile mucus. Haha- I still love that phrase. While I don't know if that's what I have, and IUI supposedly bypasses that, I'm still curious about taking it for other times during the month. . . you know TI times.

Secondly, there is a new drug the nurse told me about yesterday. I could begin talking it next cycle (if needed) instead of clomid. The reason being clomid can sometimes thin the uterine lining. That could cause the embryo to be unable to implant in the uterus because the lining isn't thick enough to support it. (Ie. I can't stay prego). What is this mystery drug called?

Letrozole (AKA Femara).

Sounds good to me--but again, hopefully I won't have to look into next cycle. :)

New look, New cycle.

Sorry for the major delay in posts.

I am now going to give you a list of excuses.

1. End of the school year wrapping up.
2. Beginning a new teaching job.
3. Vacation.
4. Selling a house.
5. Deep down, feeling like I need a break from chats and blogs for a while.

Yep, I felt like I maybe needed to try IUI#2 without too much jabbering about it. Sometimes it's a stress relief, other times, it stresses the Hell out of me. And NO amount of stress is good for trying to make baby.

However, now that I know IUI#2, too, is a BFN (Big Fat Negative), I will recap for those of you playing at home. . .

The IUI was my first at the new RE. To make along story short, When DH went in to make his "deposit" the woman who took us to the room was soooooo bizzare that I'm not sure if I could ever really explain her.
She began by explaining in her VERY fast high pitched voice how she was sorry she was late (45 minutes) that she gets lost all the time and that even her younger daughter has to tell her how to find her way around. She was about 40 years old, skinny, had braces, and was the biggest boner-killer --EVER.

Inside the room, they supplied much more than the OB's office. She explained not only did they have a TV with VHS and DVD player, they had "The cabinet 'o porn". When she finally left, I began to poke around. . . Inside was a stack of magazines : Playboy (with a UFC ring girl on the cover), Low Rider (for the more bashful types), and some DIRTY A$$ girl-on-girl action editions. Yep. But that's not all folks! They also had the DVD and VHS collection. . . the names fail me now but I do remember that the VHS was "volume 12" of 'something or other'. Blech.

Thankfully, we needed none of that and DH had 24 million post wash.

Around 10:30 I went in for the IUI. (Scheduled for 9:45am, they were late-- AGAIN). The nurse asked me if I minded if the med student that was shadowing my RE could "come in". I said, "Sure, why not."
When my RE and the doc-in-training came in I thought nothing of it. I was back in the stirrups again, ready to go. But then she sits down in the chair, NOT my RE.

WHAT?!?!? WTF!?!?! I paid the SAME price (800 bucks!) to have this TRAINEE do this?!?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!? That is NOT what the nurse said! "Can she come in" is NOT the same as "This chick who still doesn't know what the F#%$ she is doing is going to stick this up your uterus!" NOT. THE. SAME.

But being shocked doesn't put me into action. So this chick did the procedure. Uncomfortable as always and now second guessing how 'accurate this has been'.

Clearly, this whole scenario didn't pan-out the way I was hoping.

Yesterday, I got up in the AM on CD28. I POAS and waited. The brightest SINGLE pink line shows up. I had been feeling crampy for a few days but not as strong as it has been in the past, so I figured I had a decent shot.

I can't blame this on the Trainee, or my RE, or myself. It's just the way it went last cycle.

Onto cycle 12.
At the end of this cycle, we will have been trying for a year. Both with medical help and without. I'm not exactly sure what the next step will be. I remember when we first visited my new RE, he mentioned we would think about moving onto IVF after IUI#3. Well, this cycle IS IUI#3. . . does that mean I am staring IVF/ZIFT right in the face? I'm hoping my RE will give me the tests that are normally done on CD3. He has never done any, yet questions the results from my OBGYN. Strange.

All I know is I feel like I'm doing what I can to get this baby to make it's first appearance in my UTE. IVF is a scary thought, both monetarily, physically, and emotionally. Not to mention the lengthy amount of time it takes. I hope this summer brings me a stress-free pregnancy. But just-in-case, I've begun reading "The Complete Book of International Adoption". One can never be too prepared. . .

Updates when I hear 'em.