tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37000544248327746192024-03-19T06:11:27.140-07:00Ova AchieverOur journey through baby-creating science.sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-49260121175135783002016-09-23T09:55:00.003-07:002016-09-23T09:55:45.974-07:00Watch This Space<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi friends. Long time, no see. Turns out I don't want to be a mommy blogger. SHOCKING! Ok, not so shocking. So, don't worry/I'm sorry, but I'm not going to post baby photos galore and tell you how amazing we all are doing (we are). <br />
<br />
Turns out, though, also, that I still have things to say in this space. Am working through some stuff (aren't we always) and am realizing that maybe sharing will, like it was in the beginning, be good for me and for you (whoever you may be).<br />
<br />
So, watch this space. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVTOmbGPClSYrjLAVqTpW6tGi3XKph14M2RW4-FpWt4x5MweptG_DIbnOY75zVTGP2j4wORC18ec5qpYQpYBQ-Je9LRHmqaYj7BTybyHXfpqVHK9EVM8sZVBuzgDn4KCIrt_21PbCxQk/s1600/working+through.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcVTOmbGPClSYrjLAVqTpW6tGi3XKph14M2RW4-FpWt4x5MweptG_DIbnOY75zVTGP2j4wORC18ec5qpYQpYBQ-Je9LRHmqaYj7BTybyHXfpqVHK9EVM8sZVBuzgDn4KCIrt_21PbCxQk/s640/working+through.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-7924207005278488102015-09-17T16:09:00.002-07:002015-09-17T16:09:48.029-07:00Two Months!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The longest shortest time, indeed. Sometimes it feels like I see them grow day to day, it happens so fast. The amount they've changed in two months is insane. Yet, when I think about being pregnant and them being brand new tiny newborns, it seems like a lifetime ago. Maybe the longest two months of my life!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/522/20094655966_e9e8e25772_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/522/20094655966_e9e8e25772_b.jpg" width="240" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLg4aZTufN8ugv_hSuKKKNSImdM9Mkj7OqqKmW47kLWY54nwtUimtpgQH8oRDUHBV45KAiPa0RhmDAawj5kWpzADB64JTS2F3AqO9eOA9yxpQOt1Mv3Szwa1u2mXUWMKlw6ByJw_BAGuM/s1600/IMG_20150917_090849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLg4aZTufN8ugv_hSuKKKNSImdM9Mkj7OqqKmW47kLWY54nwtUimtpgQH8oRDUHBV45KAiPa0RhmDAawj5kWpzADB64JTS2F3AqO9eOA9yxpQOt1Mv3Szwa1u2mXUWMKlw6ByJw_BAGuM/s320/IMG_20150917_090849.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Happy birthday, Lillian!</h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRgya7p0ufMQ47XaTAyaiLzaYvHhi_aH4TXuw4qouvQ-gE24LPb4emyune5RhXgmvnpnfMIuEY18fG-hzRpXJFluHgqvsMocnbAsFvEAsfbyb18RxeaOCUZf9XQm-O6Mv796RboZKV0I/s1600/IMG_20150718_213517258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRgya7p0ufMQ47XaTAyaiLzaYvHhi_aH4TXuw4qouvQ-gE24LPb4emyune5RhXgmvnpnfMIuEY18fG-hzRpXJFluHgqvsMocnbAsFvEAsfbyb18RxeaOCUZf9XQm-O6Mv796RboZKV0I/s320/IMG_20150718_213517258.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdy-WzyuM9WIPU_i6_NRe6fvZ9rJF5FiBjcadRWHclwNHhkykP4b5lBlbRU_nGgQtAh3RfHugmgnqnMsB8fhShkhvl82IWNlthArs8Sh-68B6cAY5w3RroINcJ72G1g8elPTT2nyTHUuI/s1600/IMG_20150719_124011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdy-WzyuM9WIPU_i6_NRe6fvZ9rJF5FiBjcadRWHclwNHhkykP4b5lBlbRU_nGgQtAh3RfHugmgnqnMsB8fhShkhvl82IWNlthArs8Sh-68B6cAY5w3RroINcJ72G1g8elPTT2nyTHUuI/s320/IMG_20150719_124011.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSESJPYeHS2Bzl8K2J5yGNIXETWdxDA7fh0cV4jtqR5uIzgERSPYdAfXgvitt5i-psKLyP11OTYC5xOzmapOq8SDG_-cyuZ_9ypHPwlk83LX0lsv4ncvpWNkQQtneJmMA4gPqT-ADqw_U/s1600/IMG_20150917_104236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSESJPYeHS2Bzl8K2J5yGNIXETWdxDA7fh0cV4jtqR5uIzgERSPYdAfXgvitt5i-psKLyP11OTYC5xOzmapOq8SDG_-cyuZ_9ypHPwlk83LX0lsv4ncvpWNkQQtneJmMA4gPqT-ADqw_U/s320/IMG_20150917_104236.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIg95RiOqNMefYPOyPQU1Uc8YZWZ_70uEA6U4dLiXhGsvBcwDD-EC9X1ZCYH52xtcGzQePCfuYxBV-6nUbKRuFsvO_ovO1X0vDSVUlmKCo3NKd8RJNmkxMVG89ylYPTVBC369OUj7PLI/s1600/IMG_20150917_104501-2+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIg95RiOqNMefYPOyPQU1Uc8YZWZ_70uEA6U4dLiXhGsvBcwDD-EC9X1ZCYH52xtcGzQePCfuYxBV-6nUbKRuFsvO_ovO1X0vDSVUlmKCo3NKd8RJNmkxMVG89ylYPTVBC369OUj7PLI/s320/IMG_20150917_104501-2+%25281%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Happy birthday, Matilda!</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3707/19523203694_d24ea0ef57_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3707/19523203694_d24ea0ef57_b.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKEtLcoTE2Fu947Z3t6XIXOjDN9wTit6KUfbSs6jAR5VFHO9muznxqjfLIBLalMgkGMNPaLEU_REAC6IoB-0cff-U7TU8jnSAGxHspqn_LuoNss9ay7vF8uUQTMy_5I3_Y7DKqprukmk/s1600/IMG_20150720_013601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKEtLcoTE2Fu947Z3t6XIXOjDN9wTit6KUfbSs6jAR5VFHO9muznxqjfLIBLalMgkGMNPaLEU_REAC6IoB-0cff-U7TU8jnSAGxHspqn_LuoNss9ay7vF8uUQTMy_5I3_Y7DKqprukmk/s320/IMG_20150720_013601.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARsmoKqRaLi2_EV36tXBTr1_ukcz9O4fnHyMWk0mZ4Or_5RCHAq3Mba7dHciqc_aWKxKQe6weKXBuRv5Bz5oXid15MztmH8fsQnD-0dHp0U2XBNQhZa_rlMSxo4fDgryKrGkmJnVmR5Y/s1600/IMG_20150917_104233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARsmoKqRaLi2_EV36tXBTr1_ukcz9O4fnHyMWk0mZ4Or_5RCHAq3Mba7dHciqc_aWKxKQe6weKXBuRv5Bz5oXid15MztmH8fsQnD-0dHp0U2XBNQhZa_rlMSxo4fDgryKrGkmJnVmR5Y/s320/IMG_20150917_104233.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C8dRGGJkqit645_xgtD2PAOcJY1WvMDVn8JP7cJ9LL_Zgk9eQy45H9QMHqwFFIYgUaqvk8qvP-V9pof32XF0fsPA8U2of1N3RuvQMX5jiGC73nCfH5kWsVESWmUr6v3kkr5shGyRu6w/s1600/IMG_20150917_104439-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C8dRGGJkqit645_xgtD2PAOcJY1WvMDVn8JP7cJ9LL_Zgk9eQy45H9QMHqwFFIYgUaqvk8qvP-V9pof32XF0fsPA8U2of1N3RuvQMX5jiGC73nCfH5kWsVESWmUr6v3kkr5shGyRu6w/s320/IMG_20150917_104439-2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
We had a day today. <br />
Some good:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ry5r57Levh8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ry5r57Levh8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Some not-so-good:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DOpH4ziTzwg/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DOpH4ziTzwg?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
(Imagine this for almost an hour. The only thing that settled them was being held by me a certain way that is absolutely physically impossible to do with both at once. If I set one down, screams. We finally all settled when I laid down on a blanket with both of them and hushed them for a long time.)<br />
<br />
It isn't always easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-16074275050593657372015-09-15T11:25:00.001-07:002015-09-15T11:25:22.935-07:00Cystic Fibrosis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Those of you who are friends with me in real life and/or on Facebook will not find this surprising, but it feels wrong to move on with this blog without mentioning it. This is mostly copied from an email sent out to people close to us, which was modified into a shorter Facebook post.<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">
We found out on Tuesday, August 11th, when she was 3.5 weeks old, that Matilda has Cystic Fibrosis. We had our first appointment at the clinic at Children's Hospital in Oakland two days later where we spent many hours finding out details and what this will mean for Matilda and for us. <span style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">The team there is amazing and we feel like she will be well-taken care of.</span><span style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">The tl;dr is that with the medication and treatments today, it's a chronic not fatal disease and there are new treatments being developed all the time. Basically it's likely to be a pain for us and probably for her but shouldn't prevent her from doing most things. It also means we will be extra crazy uptight parents about hand-washing, taking them places with a lot of people, and people not being around her when even a tiny bit sick, as a small cold can be disastrous in a child with CF. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">There is tons of information that we'll spare you in this email. :) </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">
If you are wanting to read more, we've been told again and again that the only valid source of info is the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, as the changes are rapid and they keep very up-to-date. <a href="http://cff.org/" style="color: #7e57c2; position: relative; z-index: 0;" target="_blank">cff.org</a> </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">
Anyhow, this was a surprise because as part of the whole fertility extravaganza we were both genetically tested for CF mutations, and <a href="http://ourcysticfibrosislife.blogspot.com/">because our nephew Lex has CF</a>, we were especially aware of the risk and were quite careful about this. I am a carrier, and Ian was told he was not. It turns out that they only test potential parents for about 20 mutations out of the 1800 that exist, and Ian carries an extremely rare mutation they don't check for routinely. It's most common among French Canadians and in the South of France. Luckily this mutation seems to be pretty mild, as far as mutations go.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">
Anyway, it was a huge shock, and we are still sort of processing it, but because of our nephew, we know more and are more prepared than most might be for such news. It's a lot less scary having seen someone close to us go through it - and to see that it sucks, but that he's growing up to be a great kid - causing as much trouble as he would have without CF.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 19.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div>
So, that was the email we sent awhile ago. In the meantime, we've had some more appointments and started nightly treatments for Matilda. We've learned a lot and have a lot of hope. There are medicines in trial right now that would treat each of her mutations and we have no reason to believe that this won't be virtually cured during her childhood. Gene therapies are being worked on. Etc. It is, though, also scary and heartbreaking and it makes me cry when I think about it too much. We have our first full official clinic appointment tomorrow, after which they will be once a month for her first year, tapering down after that to once quarterly for the rest of her life (or until things change). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8asZJWOPVHffKzgqhxOn0CCmv4GRdeKJU6LuO8WeGGD5Z604XQab49780IizWztvqqi8LAnhnoTd6NN3BESvShYBbSUYP32Ae641pmdyDjCjHe90_tCUv-AS68O2WEQ034Ft_OuJRrU/s1600/IMG_20150910_201909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8asZJWOPVHffKzgqhxOn0CCmv4GRdeKJU6LuO8WeGGD5Z604XQab49780IizWztvqqi8LAnhnoTd6NN3BESvShYBbSUYP32Ae641pmdyDjCjHe90_tCUv-AS68O2WEQ034Ft_OuJRrU/s320/IMG_20150910_201909.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the meantime, we are just doing AOK around here. Both girls are thriving. They are now about 8 and a half pounds, and we've graduated from weekly to monthly appts with the pediatrician. I love looking at their weight growth curve next to the 5th percentile growth curve. They started so far below it, and they are going to pass it any minute now (see below)! So, keeping them both happy and healthy is the goal, and we seem to be meeting it so far!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wnD6EPnSlFgKNELXEDwudGZWFDk66ttMb5pPftkIW3bdjCN9HXLKR5NH-REuCKwwJ5QEX1-AA6UgeTBp6lAZ64gYB1Pg1oorzFbe5Gu2RdBBPtMdQAZAwWoBhpHOIYUOegTJEf1a0dE/s1600/IMG_20150728_163057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4wnD6EPnSlFgKNELXEDwudGZWFDk66ttMb5pPftkIW3bdjCN9HXLKR5NH-REuCKwwJ5QEX1-AA6UgeTBp6lAZ64gYB1Pg1oorzFbe5Gu2RdBBPtMdQAZAwWoBhpHOIYUOegTJEf1a0dE/s400/IMG_20150728_163057.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
July 28th</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtaQQqe5Osm1Ecc8XuR4rtTPZyf_Jw4upVkNefcX-lTHUHk3HKTzHaAnPMNATMFflxnaaLRYvxUv8f4JDoYW1N2ymVoixigOavZ6VibdIvmeEENPG-SKgMwMqDnuSDRxgUrtkEBRJWlI/s1600/IMG_20150910_085443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtaQQqe5Osm1Ecc8XuR4rtTPZyf_Jw4upVkNefcX-lTHUHk3HKTzHaAnPMNATMFflxnaaLRYvxUv8f4JDoYW1N2ymVoixigOavZ6VibdIvmeEENPG-SKgMwMqDnuSDRxgUrtkEBRJWlI/s400/IMG_20150910_085443.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
September 10th</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WcfjuxTQix7W-GqoWvT6tWXbA1TuXgFCf_FBuWW7I0X1-9DgwDPH0ChzlUoFW2JKK5VRARTfEoQ74MTdsLmeQylIehhyHaVAocIFZHh3KHO6VhruOz7cb04ilpQ0JIdbvIfakY89uXk/s1600/Screenshot_2015-09-15-11-13-33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WcfjuxTQix7W-GqoWvT6tWXbA1TuXgFCf_FBuWW7I0X1-9DgwDPH0ChzlUoFW2JKK5VRARTfEoQ74MTdsLmeQylIehhyHaVAocIFZHh3KHO6VhruOz7cb04ilpQ0JIdbvIfakY89uXk/s640/Screenshot_2015-09-15-11-13-33.png" width="360" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsrb9YyP179maC5pOAbZEIMBAeBbvPcW5BUC34JEkGMlKEQeyFWOlGvJNJN8ZYZCf7qVYqPrkm8eFGlCSP4yqOrue2Xjk9V5dT2YFQtN-p1cZqQFBMsUldjuqvMKDDa_xgOmACr0ThNU/s1600/Screenshot_2015-09-15-11-13-40.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBsrb9YyP179maC5pOAbZEIMBAeBbvPcW5BUC34JEkGMlKEQeyFWOlGvJNJN8ZYZCf7qVYqPrkm8eFGlCSP4yqOrue2Xjk9V5dT2YFQtN-p1cZqQFBMsUldjuqvMKDDa_xgOmACr0ThNU/s640/Screenshot_2015-09-15-11-13-40.png" width="360" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next post will be more fun. I promise!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjYyC8cdVLHYnV0-9XvQsVwcLgUuBTo0Oxo-zI1Z6yPWuBXIHwTUciTyMicNOCSx0cntK9X57hJfNgpdQ64f6iEF3gBdX6Ua65JQrf6t5ttm7g2J3YmW8Icc2FD1UpIP_oxjo1KYKnZc/s1600/IMG_20150911_163501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjYyC8cdVLHYnV0-9XvQsVwcLgUuBTo0Oxo-zI1Z6yPWuBXIHwTUciTyMicNOCSx0cntK9X57hJfNgpdQ64f6iEF3gBdX6Ua65JQrf6t5ttm7g2J3YmW8Icc2FD1UpIP_oxjo1KYKnZc/s320/IMG_20150911_163501.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-pm5J1OZFUsDNqQXDypAaMiramq5wfkshQ0gaFrK5zzQSKRgkkPLfAr-0MGWYYGYL8XvDW-6PSuG_nuZN9nXR_lJ82mNNs01vItAAO5xLmdyFwI4oPgDLqY4e6XQubkRkdub1-bESiE/s1600/IMG_20150913_090949773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB-pm5J1OZFUsDNqQXDypAaMiramq5wfkshQ0gaFrK5zzQSKRgkkPLfAr-0MGWYYGYL8XvDW-6PSuG_nuZN9nXR_lJ82mNNs01vItAAO5xLmdyFwI4oPgDLqY4e6XQubkRkdub1-bESiE/s320/IMG_20150913_090949773.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUM5xFJUHEuo-j8IWtXBL-LhsSZyqWgzJsVE9hsR_Vmg6NWGtDBoy7Zw7kOi96MU5JNv2kk2WkF1TFs3xJRszU-cr88nlTJL6Ram-AcnwN73ddcQNJfYsdhWVunZjdthFQQZq8oLBFVl0/s1600/IMG_20150914_111445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUM5xFJUHEuo-j8IWtXBL-LhsSZyqWgzJsVE9hsR_Vmg6NWGtDBoy7Zw7kOi96MU5JNv2kk2WkF1TFs3xJRszU-cr88nlTJL6Ram-AcnwN73ddcQNJfYsdhWVunZjdthFQQZq8oLBFVl0/s320/IMG_20150914_111445.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
xxoo</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-71163183288030883992015-09-05T21:23:00.000-07:002015-09-05T21:26:14.698-07:00What's in a Name?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Soon after they were born, we sent an email off to our immediate families to tell them more about the names we've given our daughters. If you care for such details, here they are:<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lillian Ada - </span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lillian was my paternal grandmother's name, so our Lillian is named in memory of her. She and I were extremely close until her death when I was in my early 20s.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqk0efY-lZAr4UxjXfI-Sm80shuIKGQjvJNha3YJW3juOt6tMG2qs1iM5XhyphenhyphenBgYLvzmBjxaYj2OfnmLFQMqchiW2Z81tBaOwkKxJK_PUOz1RttrfQL8WZ-_5mW8aGI7sSgPx0SLftUyW8/s1600/187901760_8c3fcea074_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqk0efY-lZAr4UxjXfI-Sm80shuIKGQjvJNha3YJW3juOt6tMG2qs1iM5XhyphenhyphenBgYLvzmBjxaYj2OfnmLFQMqchiW2Z81tBaOwkKxJK_PUOz1RttrfQL8WZ-_5mW8aGI7sSgPx0SLftUyW8/s320/187901760_8c3fcea074_o.jpg" width="238" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ada, other than just being a name we like, is a great song by The National. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1aV0Ka-SSEU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1aV0Ka-SSEU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<span style="color: #212121; line-height: 20px;">It is also a reference to </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">Ada Lovelace</a><span style="color: #212121; line-height: 20px;">, the first computer programmer.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Matilda Eliot - </b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Matilda is named in memory of Ian's cousin Mathieu who was killed in a car accident in Peru in 2008. He was a passionate teacher and activist who found his calling in the indigenous community of Inza, Colombia. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHExoGL-W75cbv98zk0yvHqix-AkaYUMIBuvxlMLZIVjbeWMsZZtbo0ih4MuC_z5NQPCFMDRE8niNpDVzTfQubKdLiEB16VoOm23NBsPm81rrI7uaZtf70yMNdmSOx-AjRx_T1rkDUHk/s1600/440428185_1280x1034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHExoGL-W75cbv98zk0yvHqix-AkaYUMIBuvxlMLZIVjbeWMsZZtbo0ih4MuC_z5NQPCFMDRE8niNpDVzTfQubKdLiEB16VoOm23NBsPm81rrI7uaZtf70yMNdmSOx-AjRx_T1rkDUHk/s320/440428185_1280x1034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #212121; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">Eliot, like Ada, is also really just a name we like. With Eliot, we think of Elliott Smith.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S2bRVGOweRw/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S2bRVGOweRw?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #212121; line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.shmoop.com/hollow-men/poem-text.html">T.S. Eliot</a>.</span></div>
<div style="color: #212121; line-height: 20px;">
<i>This is the way the world ends</i></div>
<div style="color: #212121; line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Eliot">George Eliot</a>, who wrote under the name George at a time when women were not very publishable.</span></div>
<div style="color: #212121; line-height: 20px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My Great Uncle Ellie (his name wasn't short for Eliot, but the names are similar).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2638/4122403019_419f1bcff2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2638/4122403019_419f1bcff2_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #212121; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">We also decided to give the girls Hebrew names, as is traditional in my family. They don't have any religious connotation, but I just felt like if someday they felt like doing something Jewish-y (a bat mitzvah, a ketubah at their wedding) they would have names to use given to them by us that had meaning for us as a family. I also wanted to make sure they weren't super religious names or names that meant, like, "my brother is awesome" or "my dad is rad" or anything else so </span></span><span style="color: #212121;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">patriarchal</span></span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">. So.....</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Matilda's Hebrew name is Margalit Bracha (מרגלית ברכה). Margalit is in honor of Ian's paternal Grannie, Marjorie, who is still kickin' it at age 99! . </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1285/543472957_3bb0b4e5ab_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1285/543472957_3bb0b4e5ab_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bracha was the Hebrew name of my maternal Nannie, who died of breast cancer in 1980.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3075/3123094814_5cc2ef89ed_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3075/3123094814_5cc2ef89ed_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #212121; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lillian's Hebrew name is Nachal Rani (נחל רני). Nachal is a word for river in Hebrew, and it's a boy's name, but we don't care. River is in honor of Ian's Grand-maman, whose maiden name was Rivierre. (Ian's Mum's last name is River, as well). In addition, my parents met on a Kibbutz in Israel named Nachal Oz - which translates to strong or mighty river. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Rani is in memory of Roger, Ian's late stepfather who had been a lifelong family friend.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/30/90390498_cabca91c75_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/30/90390498_cabca91c75_b.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-38436823284160595512015-08-29T11:36:00.001-07:002015-08-29T11:36:55.951-07:00Lillian and Matilda<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Wow...so, a lot has happened since I updated, most notably that Lillian and Matilda arrived! They were born via C-Section on July 17th at 12:27 and 12:28 in the afternoon, just a day before 37 weeks. They were tiny - 4lbs 3oz of Lillian Ada McKellar and 4lbs 1oz of Matilda Eliot McKellar. They spent a few days in the NICU until they were able to maintain their own body temperatures, and we all came home on July 22nd. <br />
<br />
Yesterday they turned 6 weeks old and weighed 7lbs 1oz (Lillian) and 7lbs 4oz (Matilda) which makes them the size of an average newborn, which feels huge to us even though they are teeny tiny for 6-week old girls. :)<br />
<br />
There are some other things I'd like to post about - their birth story,their names, their health, how we are doing etc, but for now I'll leave you with some photos and the knowledge that we are all happy and cozy and adorable and well.<br />
<br />
In the hospital:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGEoric2UlRk_7dXpgSO1eY6a1aXnxUjADe5SfuICV1EgcyiL_x5LDbaCCCR_noX9kfOY2wBmODZONU0h3Q7mJogUX1J5CfgX7U9sy0NKi0_MPobjehR-ycc1PYrv_HIRlcu-EfyCIiE/s1600/19957562068_3d201e2cf5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGEoric2UlRk_7dXpgSO1eY6a1aXnxUjADe5SfuICV1EgcyiL_x5LDbaCCCR_noX9kfOY2wBmODZONU0h3Q7mJogUX1J5CfgX7U9sy0NKi0_MPobjehR-ycc1PYrv_HIRlcu-EfyCIiE/s320/19957562068_3d201e2cf5_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Family Photo</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVSR9x_AQhJJ4YE-13z1JbFSc6XbYmmgLpm4_UwgIhWg-on77nC21kssdDgZ0lr4hzt55vsdlzSiauWYat2IVxMl8_zJJ2BiAPeKZ4-FKkIL6VvXEc2-RGmgrzx1DwHJczIheUmT4O4I/s1600/19958046860_0b82d3b0c8_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVSR9x_AQhJJ4YE-13z1JbFSc6XbYmmgLpm4_UwgIhWg-on77nC21kssdDgZ0lr4hzt55vsdlzSiauWYat2IVxMl8_zJJ2BiAPeKZ4-FKkIL6VvXEc2-RGmgrzx1DwHJczIheUmT4O4I/s320/19958046860_0b82d3b0c8_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Lillian and Matilda</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0w93Ii33Pr7kKVttEWRKbAzM6GWFtzpyDy7k_JbG24BAX4fZczw8fcKytxZtpiKu9-PElZ7yiLvf_Q6QKrOpDBKZL6GOibiz22r3cwHfJ9RGz-BjqF5ue4WlE_wDuQXCdXX7hI23OWUA/s1600/20137599332_cae2b86993_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0w93Ii33Pr7kKVttEWRKbAzM6GWFtzpyDy7k_JbG24BAX4fZczw8fcKytxZtpiKu9-PElZ7yiLvf_Q6QKrOpDBKZL6GOibiz22r3cwHfJ9RGz-BjqF5ue4WlE_wDuQXCdXX7hI23OWUA/s320/20137599332_cae2b86993_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Heading Home</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
First Days at Home:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL08jkp2Mxn2T_Ck0S38fXPPpblKsVYM2SjlYxYVEagFWdXizORMvRY1OnIwnwvgXrmXqvzGNdOCWvb_bdmIVtGzy4R7Sk5y0hw9E3hfeMiE8024wnwuSZbnAMapMflFThII_OiPuV9QQ/s1600/19960308779_40b2bb8e26_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL08jkp2Mxn2T_Ck0S38fXPPpblKsVYM2SjlYxYVEagFWdXizORMvRY1OnIwnwvgXrmXqvzGNdOCWvb_bdmIVtGzy4R7Sk5y0hw9E3hfeMiE8024wnwuSZbnAMapMflFThII_OiPuV9QQ/s320/19960308779_40b2bb8e26_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Lillian and Matilda</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52iNTbmggvOP6N0I2yQLdQCO_q3URzflebxU7lJOrvdfw6z5vYP8lYCJU9LUSn2uda_jRL7TxctvtgCpKlwwj5MI40Dge4gPuRZBKMwC-gVYrrZOO_Oacg7X0HTQS8Qcy-e0k-Qg_zC4/s1600/20120215776_2c0af5d941_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52iNTbmggvOP6N0I2yQLdQCO_q3URzflebxU7lJOrvdfw6z5vYP8lYCJU9LUSn2uda_jRL7TxctvtgCpKlwwj5MI40Dge4gPuRZBKMwC-gVYrrZOO_Oacg7X0HTQS8Qcy-e0k-Qg_zC4/s320/20120215776_2c0af5d941_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Matilda and Lillian</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdzFrWeAx_wizaLR0EspzBM7jk3eohzyg05LV2Pt9yC6XdDx9IVra_LCJIdET1lXie7EOYnLeCGaHnPeBO8QssWaE0XBO589OvTlAMby74DWDsHlnTCVIY3rXIc7ACVv_4pIAA9-IL8g/s1600/20152153661_0b989508fc_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdzFrWeAx_wizaLR0EspzBM7jk3eohzyg05LV2Pt9yC6XdDx9IVra_LCJIdET1lXie7EOYnLeCGaHnPeBO8QssWaE0XBO589OvTlAMby74DWDsHlnTCVIY3rXIc7ACVv_4pIAA9-IL8g/s320/20152153661_0b989508fc_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Lillian and Matilda</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
From our f<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dearanxiety/albums/72157657042119385">ancy photoshoot</a> by <a href="http://www.icarianphotography.com/">Icarian Photography</a>:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7023AmAaATfMGzuLXqgjasX5ZfRrVoJo55jPv21EMGkHBuJaprU8eDFWmSZj_ZtuXFQI5AO95glmKRAizwkPhKeHW-a6jFEdHSJ2qKZy44LpKnPGeIKSWuSLFg2IQm8THXM9M_0Hc__A/s1600/20257742468_45fe87904e_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7023AmAaATfMGzuLXqgjasX5ZfRrVoJo55jPv21EMGkHBuJaprU8eDFWmSZj_ZtuXFQI5AO95glmKRAizwkPhKeHW-a6jFEdHSJ2qKZy44LpKnPGeIKSWuSLFg2IQm8THXM9M_0Hc__A/s320/20257742468_45fe87904e_o.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
L and M</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnTc9Vl_jOe8Z2gOTg58lX3zTFtCi-rSyCQyNHZ8JqWEUOhgM-RpVmXGc0EotcVEsVZ_GwodnGJvhfjLtft3xLICAGZkzm-GujIQOBaJs_Dr4s7ZNQVeTk7R8oSR2usazHk4FqI6Fszo/s1600/20437052582_5e031ab1ff_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifnTc9Vl_jOe8Z2gOTg58lX3zTFtCi-rSyCQyNHZ8JqWEUOhgM-RpVmXGc0EotcVEsVZ_GwodnGJvhfjLtft3xLICAGZkzm-GujIQOBaJs_Dr4s7ZNQVeTk7R8oSR2usazHk4FqI6Fszo/s320/20437052582_5e031ab1ff_o.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
M and L</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXipzm8fxUERRxIlfmGLS1apa2KARDV6_KbqkjXM2khTV3c8FYl-AfEOtIlRdPC2jBIGa2Yy32d3fOat0SVWW2eozzYaOr0XfYYyn4XY-GuBD_Ty0GBdZV1gD-Xzv33JztHuH3l79t9Q/s1600/20445742725_03ffeed57b_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXipzm8fxUERRxIlfmGLS1apa2KARDV6_KbqkjXM2khTV3c8FYl-AfEOtIlRdPC2jBIGa2Yy32d3fOat0SVWW2eozzYaOr0XfYYyn4XY-GuBD_Ty0GBdZV1gD-Xzv33JztHuH3l79t9Q/s320/20445742725_03ffeed57b_o.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
L and M</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Getting Bigger:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjC6Gi6HE9uZsiU6yb2a2GICqN7_AFlQsKBfPJclnwewpbZtJVnYBzOhlrpT63oanDnCXzU3BWdbB4Xcse6Ta5dVWLsCw0Aaytb2FmHE1gGpyeGLm5N00aSVEhaGi3Wq2cOUNkX6Wijo/s1600/20659611922_01f34ee704_o+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjC6Gi6HE9uZsiU6yb2a2GICqN7_AFlQsKBfPJclnwewpbZtJVnYBzOhlrpT63oanDnCXzU3BWdbB4Xcse6Ta5dVWLsCw0Aaytb2FmHE1gGpyeGLm5N00aSVEhaGi3Wq2cOUNkX6Wijo/s320/20659611922_01f34ee704_o+%25281%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
M and L</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1z3-7Fdr72rwmnqWQHQqDF3-XF9DYpvWMHs7QyCrwqg1lB7dXGOyeG7UKcfu1HmJI8-3NuB5P38Of1NZiyvos-brttWmhh6BEjjo9ZTUwAIWTwll9ZMJ8XJ6Pp1mBpO_kNpFDxvpZC8/s1600/IMG_20150816_192002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1z3-7Fdr72rwmnqWQHQqDF3-XF9DYpvWMHs7QyCrwqg1lB7dXGOyeG7UKcfu1HmJI8-3NuB5P38Of1NZiyvos-brttWmhh6BEjjo9ZTUwAIWTwll9ZMJ8XJ6Pp1mBpO_kNpFDxvpZC8/s320/IMG_20150816_192002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
M and L</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Chubsters:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Tu-y0nUQOOeyA_LR8zajmR8ymcx73REQd4GurTZxlleWhbmXd2MyvJvM4RbCK0uttZSoYdHNXX8jAnwX_FPksavbhfUQ8Bfrh9_bqnU2Jr6fYjUeJdEyirP8-3TEtzuQ3XvBUsxLWyI/s1600/IMG_20150827_213549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Tu-y0nUQOOeyA_LR8zajmR8ymcx73REQd4GurTZxlleWhbmXd2MyvJvM4RbCK0uttZSoYdHNXX8jAnwX_FPksavbhfUQ8Bfrh9_bqnU2Jr6fYjUeJdEyirP8-3TEtzuQ3XvBUsxLWyI/s320/IMG_20150827_213549.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
M</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN12Xbp06GqY0eo1xBLfekCtwZ6328f-knuLI6KYginpCIwwQBfFPECTj2u1XIdUQIXIhxqv62w9LQ_E-ahjQRhe0t-Y6pKsQF7bxqW9KJOBUuFm5M7uXrMo80y3KhCLkfccziaEKm-Xg/s1600/IMG_20150828_043343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN12Xbp06GqY0eo1xBLfekCtwZ6328f-knuLI6KYginpCIwwQBfFPECTj2u1XIdUQIXIhxqv62w9LQ_E-ahjQRhe0t-Y6pKsQF7bxqW9KJOBUuFm5M7uXrMo80y3KhCLkfccziaEKm-Xg/s320/IMG_20150828_043343.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
L</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-6421152580896009752015-07-10T20:59:00.003-07:002015-07-10T21:01:52.937-07:00Baby Mama Drama<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Honestly, there is little that stresses me out like getting different information from different people at different times about the same situation. So, I am anxiously awaiting a return call from a doctor because I was told today that I didn't need any more ultrasounds from the specialists (neonatologists) because everything looks awesome and babies can come at any time now. Then hours later get a call from the non-specialist regular OB office who had just read my report and wanted to make sure I had another ultrasound scheduled with the specialist for next week. Of course I missed the call and only heard the voicemail and it is after hours on a Friday. Grrrr. Argh. I have a feeling that whoever called just doesn't know enough of the whole story and whatever, but it is annoying. If I don't get a call back tonight, I guess we'll figure it out on Monday when I'm in there for my 2x a week Non-Stress Test etc apptment.<br />
<br />
ANYHOW. Backtracking a bit, it has been a dramatic couple of weeks in twin pregnancy land. Just before 34 weeks my blood pressure started going up and up and up to the point that they almost admitted me right away. Instead I just got some steroid shots to help babies' lungs develop in case they had to come soon and was sent away to pee in a container for 24 hours (which I did while at a conference all day on Friday). Here is my doula, Amanda, holding all my pee supplies.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltlPtSHQ2NAF1gHuCsGx86CX50Rs61UzpDfNrSU4TFUw0-ArxyLQNcAsxvFaS-GLHST1fcmF4bQXMD_qzESjcBb880KZUGs039krwdJJvavR7YYJ9nGPnz9aY_v_8r4hgg9bMgIblJbE/s1600/IMG_20150625_133635783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltlPtSHQ2NAF1gHuCsGx86CX50Rs61UzpDfNrSU4TFUw0-ArxyLQNcAsxvFaS-GLHST1fcmF4bQXMD_qzESjcBb880KZUGs039krwdJJvavR7YYJ9nGPnz9aY_v_8r4hgg9bMgIblJbE/s320/IMG_20150625_133635783.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And my pee cooler as I carried it around the Moscone Center.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMrsdgCjhutQJYyTIYKXP4QlF5Cf2bOH1h9fwJsHRBKhkY3m2sEAtRt1w0OgiLGyRcfUyLx7rYiNjDHoQm_0Ku1d4fuA2ASG6lD20uzYMZ42YYp3ANO2IK1627lEHlNBrBRG4A4AVpVY/s1600/IMG_20150626_104830918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMrsdgCjhutQJYyTIYKXP4QlF5Cf2bOH1h9fwJsHRBKhkY3m2sEAtRt1w0OgiLGyRcfUyLx7rYiNjDHoQm_0Ku1d4fuA2ASG6lD20uzYMZ42YYp3ANO2IK1627lEHlNBrBRG4A4AVpVY/s320/IMG_20150626_104830918.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So, I brought the pee back and it turned out I did have protein in it (which is what they were looking for), but a small enough amount to not freak them out too much. Just enough that they said they would likely induce me at 37 weeks if nothing had happened sooner because of it = mild pre-eclampsia. At this point we are going to Labor & Delivery between 2 and 4 times a week and knowing that each time they might just keep me there. And the babies are going to be OK, but are little and would need to be in the NICU and I would have to deliver at not my hospital, but one with a better NICU etc. STRESS. <br />
<br />
OK. So, twice a week non-stress tests with lots of blood pressure testing as well as blood & urine labs and all of a sudden, after all this, my blood pressure went back down to more acceptable levels of high and has remained there now for 2 weeks and all my labs are coming back as normal. Yesterday we asked the doctor and he doesn't think they'd need to induce at 37 weeks unless I start showing other signs of pre-eclampsia (like my blood pressure going higher again). Phew. We really weren't sure I was going to make it past 34 weeks for a minute there. But I did!<br />
<br />
Of course with twins they won't let me go much past 38 weeks anyhow, so we're down to the wire either way.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow I will be officially 36 weeks, which is sort of what we've been considering my "due date" since it is when twins come, on average. Here are some things we know:<br />
<br />
1. The babies pass their Non-Stress Tests with flying colors consistently. <br />
2. The babies have a lot of chest movement and are doing lots of practice breathing in there.<br />
3. They still have plenty of fluid, each of them, in their sacs. <br />
4. They get the hiccups a lot.<br />
5. They also poke me from the inside a lot, making little hard bumps and sometimes making my whole stomach move around. This is from a couple of weeks ago. It's hard to catch on film and it is way crazier these days.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lLEHyx5CXKs" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
6. Baby A is appx 4lbs 10oz now (our goal was 4 lbs) and Baby B is appx 5lbs 2oz. They aren't going to be big! But that's still almost 10 lb of baby + 2 placentas going on in my gut right now.<br />
7. Hence the size of my gut (this was 2 or 3 days ago....trust me when I say that it is noticeably bigger already).<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZveNOqEKKi9AbEXasvifOP1oyYFQPmDSJogFpYJME7VXj72dokYPR3NZqTbdAkn1z4YjtETxsRUSzW2QPqiCqowiRxQaNlBwP6tL7OMnXk1myv9C8pF-FZLru0l_wwnO67-x2HTav6Vk/s1600/IMG_20150706_210016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZveNOqEKKi9AbEXasvifOP1oyYFQPmDSJogFpYJME7VXj72dokYPR3NZqTbdAkn1z4YjtETxsRUSzW2QPqiCqowiRxQaNlBwP6tL7OMnXk1myv9C8pF-FZLru0l_wwnO67-x2HTav6Vk/s320/IMG_20150706_210016.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOS0NGzMmHDPvYQjpvcqUX-fkLOB_TRJBV5gkLoGWnyvBh12tJ9Q-KxtoQTwul6GzeDu1xtRcHqbXq0gkrj2_926_2DlojCbgnmJB477VYeOCgDEFNlvvd8e9v85Hy-ZQ26u3Qi3_17o/s1600/IMG_20150706_205933999-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXOS0NGzMmHDPvYQjpvcqUX-fkLOB_TRJBV5gkLoGWnyvBh12tJ9Q-KxtoQTwul6GzeDu1xtRcHqbXq0gkrj2_926_2DlojCbgnmJB477VYeOCgDEFNlvvd8e9v85Hy-ZQ26u3Qi3_17o/s320/IMG_20150706_205933999-2.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
<br />
8. They are both head down, which is excellent news. They are hanging out facing each other in there, which is neither useful or not, but is pretty cute. <br />
9. I am sort of terrified of just "going into labor". I just have so no idea what to expect. I'm still hoping that this will happen (vs an induction). <br />
10. Just got a call back from the doctor an he wants an ultrasound next week just to be overly cautious because of the possible pre-eclampsia, and because twins + discrepancy in their sizes. He was completely pleased with today's results, in particular the doppler (which shows blood flow from placenta to baby, which is the biggest concern with Baby A). He is just more cautious than my normal doctor (who is on vacation this week and who I TOTALLY trust and is the head of the department) or than the specialist, but sure... Better safe than sorry? I'm OK with that and at least it's an answer and I'm not just totally confused. So, I'l make an appt when the office opens again on Monday. Baby A is only in the 7th percentile for weight, so ya know. A wee one.<br />
<br />
So, basically, twin pregnancy is no joke, and there's been a lot of drama lately, but I think we'll all be OK and they will be here soon. </div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-85485471825663681592015-06-16T16:45:00.000-07:002015-06-16T16:45:04.231-07:0032 Weeks Looks Like....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Twice a week <a href="http://americanpregnancy.org/prenatal-testing/non-stress-test/">non-stress tests</a>, due to marginal cord insertion (just have to make sure she continues to get enough blood through there), high blood pressure (not yet <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/preeclampsia/basics/definition/con-20031644">preeclampsia</a>) and other such un-fun stuff. A lot of making sure everyone is doing OK in there and that I am doing OK out here. An abundance of scheduling appointments, reminiscent of the land of IVF that got us here in the first place. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7GDL-EyCqgup6oP2hT22CiPPmHsOOE505F6y4j0DOWxU7CT3hHCVxKFxYesZYSxspWG3LOo7Ce7a7O8b9TlRhrZpYG2UqvVUuXbYwhFm9VLGagDLITgT7T812c3816ktptIaFmwCGyg/s1600/IMG_20150616_113006-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7GDL-EyCqgup6oP2hT22CiPPmHsOOE505F6y4j0DOWxU7CT3hHCVxKFxYesZYSxspWG3LOo7Ce7a7O8b9TlRhrZpYG2UqvVUuXbYwhFm9VLGagDLITgT7T812c3816ktptIaFmwCGyg/s320/IMG_20150616_113006-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
(Babies were great and responsive, as of today, but keeping a close eye, so we can get them out of there if we need to, but I want them in there as long as possible.)<br />
<br />
A big belly.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O6cyEABRqpRU4jbhGTullWWnu0RFyysXb0NXE1I4zQV_RfVPXP1zCCAF9WxBJi4J0aiXvaTRPpelpZtYy5igdIH_7XCQRJo9eFfO8nnzTK-U6zBfgEYf8ng5wXabBrEepsq05l-MJE4/s1600/IMG_20150612_190231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1O6cyEABRqpRU4jbhGTullWWnu0RFyysXb0NXE1I4zQV_RfVPXP1zCCAF9WxBJi4J0aiXvaTRPpelpZtYy5igdIH_7XCQRJo9eFfO8nnzTK-U6zBfgEYf8ng5wXabBrEepsq05l-MJE4/s320/IMG_20150612_190231.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>
<br />
A full backseat.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzxhKezgHt90iQbxBqhtFVWP2naFm5iuIxnzlhi1b2-1IfoLXHjbmlNia8mdqhB8b0JEjyCCNE7leTNh1Te-mqBMkZMfTXA5JFr2zo6g8ZPEQ9yJMt22BzcQ-7Wz_OLVeglKx7QddvyM/s1600/download_20150616_161414.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzxhKezgHt90iQbxBqhtFVWP2naFm5iuIxnzlhi1b2-1IfoLXHjbmlNia8mdqhB8b0JEjyCCNE7leTNh1Te-mqBMkZMfTXA5JFr2zo6g8ZPEQ9yJMt22BzcQ-7Wz_OLVeglKx7QddvyM/s320/download_20150616_161414.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A final week of work.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And planning to spend a weekend getting EVERYTHING ready, just in case.</div>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-5476547242106648762015-05-28T11:15:00.002-07:002015-05-28T11:15:39.846-07:00Still Here - Third Trimestering Along<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi everyone! I'm still here. Not too much to report, but if you want to see pictures of my belly, I guess this is a decent place to show them off. <br />
<br />
Haven't been to the doc in 3 weeks, but I go back on Tuesday. Doing all of the things - prenatal yoga, hypnobirthing classes, getting massages, meeting with our doula. The nursery is pretty well ready, since we were told to be ready by 30 weeks with twins, just in case. I'll be 30 weeks as of Saturday, but am hoping these girls hold tight in there for at least another 6 weeks.<br />
<br />
Tired all the time again and definitely feeling large and in charge. Status of stretch marks: NONE. Status of belly button: STILL AN INNIE. Status of nipples: YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW. <br />
<br />
My last day of work will be June 19th. Then I will nap all day and all night until the babies arrive.<br />
<br />
This is what a 29 week belly full of twins looks like on me:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQh-3DYNarcFuH5Pc4EsZYh2OziacBdvnks2ZH7K6eRlsZEZCoMCttqU1vXESN4TDuVUMKq2Y7ay_SXd5DHhiaH_BDAv4RLTsmNsxfqVqH-HNyJQBs-SPg66CkreufS_Fk8Ct_CnQLxk/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQh-3DYNarcFuH5Pc4EsZYh2OziacBdvnks2ZH7K6eRlsZEZCoMCttqU1vXESN4TDuVUMKq2Y7ay_SXd5DHhiaH_BDAv4RLTsmNsxfqVqH-HNyJQBs-SPg66CkreufS_Fk8Ct_CnQLxk/s320/image.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Official 29 week photo</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HZmeegctYHgSJH2SlHbJ_naOs9Vdw8xwJkO4LFJmIltr-1nKIg0uKwdhIU7hvizNEqlDb3h6L4NJ9GHJEWRigi5ziP5LVHoQ0cyHulRiVHQc5Y3IUZVxhGvgY1QfXJ7NXWXYnGPnQH8/s1600/image+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HZmeegctYHgSJH2SlHbJ_naOs9Vdw8xwJkO4LFJmIltr-1nKIg0uKwdhIU7hvizNEqlDb3h6L4NJ9GHJEWRigi5ziP5LVHoQ0cyHulRiVHQc5Y3IUZVxhGvgY1QfXJ7NXWXYnGPnQH8/s320/image+%25281%2529.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Squeezing into yoga clothes</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is what it looks like when the cat finds the pile of stuffed animals:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOLvDEnxfKv83uEjBy6oOIQtcdUQf7K9-bdf-VpS9viQNaZaW3WymtnFg3nt_PG29x5dVvsAjBICtOEQx5Gx6FamiotVxc1MRmCv-79GBYG8-eagaYvvHESw0U4VFu9kLcnecdfbwIKM/s1600/image+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOLvDEnxfKv83uEjBy6oOIQtcdUQf7K9-bdf-VpS9viQNaZaW3WymtnFg3nt_PG29x5dVvsAjBICtOEQx5Gx6FamiotVxc1MRmCv-79GBYG8-eagaYvvHESw0U4VFu9kLcnecdfbwIKM/s320/image+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Some other pictures of the room in progress, including a blurry photo of the best nursery art EVER:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXvazYOoCzNAYyThXy-b1FED2lDARpiLRuZwgpVRnM7PT0DFObTQxoBPVOkGlKDihRVjyLseuYDVe72L3T4XZeh34NsCvWawZCj_l8kdy8UlUdQD0ZwiV1dnHmh1gwiIm-bpLV0Mi-To/s1600/image+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXvazYOoCzNAYyThXy-b1FED2lDARpiLRuZwgpVRnM7PT0DFObTQxoBPVOkGlKDihRVjyLseuYDVe72L3T4XZeh34NsCvWawZCj_l8kdy8UlUdQD0ZwiV1dnHmh1gwiIm-bpLV0Mi-To/s320/image+%25283%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSP7zjMf6-4EevvFOsPiWgkO3_Ooe7ouwZHbzIe7jTal5ksNP81ogu0bETtIXH5BKZk4KV6JdGIyLfYXmbfrEJr9bki4CCPo-H7eexkHbT0ioMhQbtZ4uuc_5PPMY552BEHX-tpYmlf1U/s1600/image+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSP7zjMf6-4EevvFOsPiWgkO3_Ooe7ouwZHbzIe7jTal5ksNP81ogu0bETtIXH5BKZk4KV6JdGIyLfYXmbfrEJr9bki4CCPo-H7eexkHbT0ioMhQbtZ4uuc_5PPMY552BEHX-tpYmlf1U/s320/image+%25284%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JGqoQScCtC6GHS_0CjeC5WiiLR9zU5bCdXfElgQIhY2UryFsoYwBBsHpkdPntTKcFXgSHcWIIGTP4IQ6F0sLkKs2pqGGkKP5x6zRhq5_-r1ypN3_rAaaVstr8YmYTHoijU0WdqpD36I/s1600/image+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JGqoQScCtC6GHS_0CjeC5WiiLR9zU5bCdXfElgQIhY2UryFsoYwBBsHpkdPntTKcFXgSHcWIIGTP4IQ6F0sLkKs2pqGGkKP5x6zRhq5_-r1ypN3_rAaaVstr8YmYTHoijU0WdqpD36I/s320/image+%25285%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-18399920271834361462015-04-20T16:15:00.002-07:002015-04-21T08:28:22.509-07:0024.5 weeks - A Long Update<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sorry that I haven't posted in awhile. I'm still here! We're all still here!<br />
<br />
So, hmm...where to start. I think it has finally really settled in that this is happening and is going to be OK. We've had some scares along the way and I think I really wasn't able to process this (I'm still not able to fully process it, if I'm honest) until pretty recently. I find myself bursting into tears for little reason in the past few days, and I think it's just really actually hitting me that there are two humans living inside of me and that they are our daughters and they really exist and will be part of our lives from now on. They are going to be babies and then they won't be babies anymore and they are going to be sisters and they are going to be cousins to my nieces and nephews and they will have personalities and will look like people and I am so unbelievably grateful and I don't think I can even begin to explain how unreal it still sometimes feels. <br />
<br />
I have been able to feel them squirming around inside of me for a couple of weeks and can occasionally feel them from the outside when they are especially pokey. That has helped make it real. They are also reaching the point of viability, which makes me feel safer even though there is no indication that they want to come out any time soon. (I get my cervix and fluid checked every two weeks - although I'm about to graduate to every month - and nothing has changed since day 1. Everything is holding tight.) <br />
<br />
<b>The Scary Less Fun Things</b><br />
<br />
I had been feeling pretty safe, since I get an ultrasound every two weeks, but we did have some not so fun moments. Most people have to wait months between ultrasounds early in the pregnancy, so I think I was feeling safe because we saw them every two weeks and they always seemed AOK. But, we found out, at our big mid-pregnancy ultrasound when they really looked closely at everything, that baby A has a marginal cord insertion (and was thus almost a week behind in size) and a <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/AboutCongenitalHeartDefects/Ventricular-Septal-Defect-VSD_UCM_307041_Article.jsp">VSD </a>(a particular kind of hole in her heart). We were rushed to get fetal echocardiagrams and to talk with the cardiologist, a geneticist and the same neonatalogist who had done our reduction. At this point I was about 18.5 weeks and felt some real fear that one of the babies was not actually going to be OK. It was pretty much the worst. An appointment we exptected to take a couple of hours ended up taking all day and we just had to roll with it and figure out what was up. Part of the fear was figuring out if the VSD was a sign of bigger issues - a more major heart defect or syndromes that would cause all sorts of other potential problems. <br />
<br />
Long story made very short - it seems that everything is fine. She is continuing to grow, so the marginal cord insertion is not causing her to be so small that it will be an issue. She will be smaller than her sister, but that's OK. I'm smaller than mine, and we are fine. :) The VSD is still there, but it is tiny and not life-threateneing and may not ever even need treatment and there is nothing that indicates that anything else is wrong. We have a follow-up Echocardiogram on Thursday where the cardiologist will double check that everything is still fine.<br />
<br />
We also had a less experienced tech at one appointment think that I perhaps had <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/placenta-previa/basics/definition/con-20032219">placenta previa</a>, but that does not seem to be the case, thankfully. Another scare for me, though.<br />
<br />
The Gestational Diabetes thing isn't the most fun, but I'm managing it. My first trimester was so awful and I lost so much weight that I am just now passed my pre-pregnancy weight by a couple of pounds. I definitely look pregnant now, but I haven't really gained weight anywhere but my gut, and even my gut isn't as huge as I expected with two babies in there. So, that's been nice. It is growing at a rapid pace now, so we'll see. These babies have to grow to 4x the weight they each are now before they come out, so I guess that means I will have 4x as large a belly. <br />
<br />
In the meantime I'm feeling pretty good...don't sleep super well, and have pain in my feet (my heels), but have very very little to complain about. <br />
<br />
<b>Due Date Schmue Date</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
My "due date" is August 8th (which = 40 weeks), but twins tend to come on average at around 36 weeks and at 38 weeks we start talking about inducing, so the due date is even more meaningless than normal in this case. Expect to see babies in early-mid July, I'm guessing.<br />
<br />
We have names that we are pretty confident about, but we aren't telling until after they get here, so feel free to get your guessing on. For now, we call them Mary-Kate and Ashley. Or just A and B (since that is how they are referred to in all medical settings). Baby A = Ashley. She is on my left side (my right side if you are looking at me) and is currently head down. Baby B = Mary Kate. She is on my right side and has her butt RIGHT in her sister's face. They are each in their own sacs and have their own placentas, but the membrane between them is thin and apparently they can interact. <br />
<br />
<b>Some Photos, Perhaps?</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
About a month ago when I was super psyched to realize that the Ryan Gosling shirt still fit. YAY! (It still fits, actually, but it is getting snug.)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlZG8MqjELbe0oQsjei9goRmBXuEBh79KVZN9Kg7SnfVVl2gas_QxgtcWwZqReoKGIPUsheNoX3UucZ6TTHlOpM3gJbjGFIvmmBVq9vpapzpAUSNkdJ4Oqm02abroUwBfkrVYQ1hmadE/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlZG8MqjELbe0oQsjei9goRmBXuEBh79KVZN9Kg7SnfVVl2gas_QxgtcWwZqReoKGIPUsheNoX3UucZ6TTHlOpM3gJbjGFIvmmBVq9vpapzpAUSNkdJ4Oqm02abroUwBfkrVYQ1hmadE/s1600/8.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
24 week photo. Ignore my face - I look like a total dweeb. Anyhow, this was Saturday morning.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyK7W5y8QOf9Wcnj11crsldem4wtn5WN6NDYSiIXwcOkS46QYjC0iGvW4a9Zg4pQr_xvOG0vtsXSKHyNeD5-86YZhD-e9iLWxDN0CzcsP3Je1dF-8EU6jmyk-gLmDp_3ec5L5Zlri24ig/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyK7W5y8QOf9Wcnj11crsldem4wtn5WN6NDYSiIXwcOkS46QYjC0iGvW4a9Zg4pQr_xvOG0vtsXSKHyNeD5-86YZhD-e9iLWxDN0CzcsP3Je1dF-8EU6jmyk-gLmDp_3ec5L5Zlri24ig/s1600/1.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Do people go to Palm Springs for reasons other than hunting down amazing vintage caftans? Hmmm. Confusing. This is what I wore to a wedding on Saturday and felt pretty good about it.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDJTavoeyHKfY4ZqARSHIr17Sl5gvpqQCxuevV2KOIEBPkHTllhF0uhpntWuFBI45z7Ki7S7VNXTze67G-Kzmz41JRzdOzw38IezpJdp-jzWCrIyGxHCA_YQHFoYII6hzuzrcQd2Bot4/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDJTavoeyHKfY4ZqARSHIr17Sl5gvpqQCxuevV2KOIEBPkHTllhF0uhpntWuFBI45z7Ki7S7VNXTze67G-Kzmz41JRzdOzw38IezpJdp-jzWCrIyGxHCA_YQHFoYII6hzuzrcQd2Bot4/s1600/2.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The room that I've finally stopped calling the "As Yet Unconceived Baby Room" is actually two rooms and this is the little back part, which the cat is testing out. We're getting there. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYSuhzzxZq1kKQjdjN9mZcPm1ekpHyPM_DBe0SveqUP7x4rhUhUCA8ExCrKhEth6ZLtPolEf4v6OHYC0SCeqegQL1NX2nncciQui1qdwpOuKbn1gT9Pd3V6WVNygWkLPyQz0nPwkN4eI/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYSuhzzxZq1kKQjdjN9mZcPm1ekpHyPM_DBe0SveqUP7x4rhUhUCA8ExCrKhEth6ZLtPolEf4v6OHYC0SCeqegQL1NX2nncciQui1qdwpOuKbn1gT9Pd3V6WVNygWkLPyQz0nPwkN4eI/s1600/3.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The bigger front room will be full of cribs and dressers and such and it is just getting started. It is further along than this now, but I had to show off the triangles we painted cause we are so DIY. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-cPaRuij6kpNe_mr-rHhnsaUrHvi40NrTKNebbxRwEytDaR6NrqdRPK_ZrIoO4ncU9u8QVNa0sJCkEHXChlwuQ2cvNLcy-gfS12URVlGYtdCXB9a4ZODMb7r9lbEi88rG8le5uqxBwE/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR-cPaRuij6kpNe_mr-rHhnsaUrHvi40NrTKNebbxRwEytDaR6NrqdRPK_ZrIoO4ncU9u8QVNa0sJCkEHXChlwuQ2cvNLcy-gfS12URVlGYtdCXB9a4ZODMb7r9lbEi88rG8le5uqxBwE/s1600/6.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It's getting harder to get pictures of them because they are big and squished in there. But here's a bit of a profile of Baby B aka Mary Kate from about a week and a half ago. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsIn3HzKAgoXtnDKkhrveFGc4Cs8z3ZZFmBa1teJvoNgr4OwSFfjLYRpNCwuP0CW-wyUchzM62dOxWxluYH0Y1t6HWDdO7I7RQJwSAWvEcnwmb7T9e0fgw05Jcwg2Ae5cnNYb-48G4tQ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsIn3HzKAgoXtnDKkhrveFGc4Cs8z3ZZFmBa1teJvoNgr4OwSFfjLYRpNCwuP0CW-wyUchzM62dOxWxluYH0Y1t6HWDdO7I7RQJwSAWvEcnwmb7T9e0fgw05Jcwg2Ae5cnNYb-48G4tQ/s1600/5.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It is futile to try to resist the temptation of tiny pants. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQP2BXNCKKqbGSgWao7uuEUZtINRacKDfTBKZKfrdMRGh6y2MAALv-5dN4YZ3of2UhYFfqgMyCimCVCr-wpgT8MGaDRIpHd_Nfoen5cA27KZ4MxDAFn0I-R9XUcv14ouvcKI-S0FaTEGk/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQP2BXNCKKqbGSgWao7uuEUZtINRacKDfTBKZKfrdMRGh6y2MAALv-5dN4YZ3of2UhYFfqgMyCimCVCr-wpgT8MGaDRIpHd_Nfoen5cA27KZ4MxDAFn0I-R9XUcv14ouvcKI-S0FaTEGk/s1600/4.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTXbYJu_ajV0Iseiytks8VtXNXGclsp5SNDiKQ_xTX3XbZI5A92MD0XyOkNbOUflGuAGdiCdr8AQ_Vyiye6iOHBzWDb9CG4Z3xVqVSpr544-eMTG2raTAPUpDRKfVq0ZMXtrRx9nT6JM/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTXbYJu_ajV0Iseiytks8VtXNXGclsp5SNDiKQ_xTX3XbZI5A92MD0XyOkNbOUflGuAGdiCdr8AQ_Vyiye6iOHBzWDb9CG4Z3xVqVSpr544-eMTG2raTAPUpDRKfVq0ZMXtrRx9nT6JM/s1600/7.jpg" height="239" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTXbYJu_ajV0Iseiytks8VtXNXGclsp5SNDiKQ_xTX3XbZI5A92MD0XyOkNbOUflGuAGdiCdr8AQ_Vyiye6iOHBzWDb9CG4Z3xVqVSpr544-eMTG2raTAPUpDRKfVq0ZMXtrRx9nT6JM/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWX87ZmqkYzwTmkW-F0jKhKjlvWQXc_LL1JtW8JRzAIEX8xU9_XxiadjrGUUTxLX1twSMY1k8vP1wAv103Udl8AHieRWqCqFPN88NhlrBEj40IvyRA6-iE8bV9GKs4EUwW1LtMKsG2tQ/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWX87ZmqkYzwTmkW-F0jKhKjlvWQXc_LL1JtW8JRzAIEX8xU9_XxiadjrGUUTxLX1twSMY1k8vP1wAv103Udl8AHieRWqCqFPN88NhlrBEj40IvyRA6-iE8bV9GKs4EUwW1LtMKsG2tQ/s1600/9.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-38146704373049344342015-02-25T13:02:00.000-08:002015-02-25T13:45:02.658-08:00xxxx<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, Ian is officially hella outnumbered in our house, cause we've got two girl fetuses! Ian will soon have one wife, three hens, a ladycat and two daughters.<br />
<br />
Today we just got a quick peek at them and only two photos. A double brain photo and a thumb sucker. In two weeks we have the big appointment where they measure everything and really make sure everything is AOK. So far they look good, though.<br />
<br />
Every day my gut grows larger. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRyuCAdCoRrCaPYn3c0PJO4VEFOQWrdJpHXQJsVCR5Wkk3XwnGZIbsyIuU9adIz82ZnGGZF5amP0nZbyRjq8kOec7HFne2f4CZDl6dSjUcWIfMlGB_JjF4lieZvQq33NiCjoUHesW_ws/s1600/IMG_20150225_125323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRyuCAdCoRrCaPYn3c0PJO4VEFOQWrdJpHXQJsVCR5Wkk3XwnGZIbsyIuU9adIz82ZnGGZF5amP0nZbyRjq8kOec7HFne2f4CZDl6dSjUcWIfMlGB_JjF4lieZvQq33NiCjoUHesW_ws/s1600/IMG_20150225_125323.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Ignore the mullet - it's getting chopped on Saturday. Ignore the giant nasty chin zits. I assume they'll go away eventually after I give birth someday. Ignore the stupid face and cat shirt. That shit's never going away. Have you met me?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZf5L1godYaW3U-k8-Y9zezXmtaM9YKoUXM_eBxxLcsiGQJ-dhXGRESN5bEVcOU-2PzzcQxt_gnmxqHijCGXGsIuB_iBTuzMfqaAWnMRz0LfajW8J7KuOlYgO1N2QmqRvt4Ns7rHfnIA/s1600/image+(21).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZf5L1godYaW3U-k8-Y9zezXmtaM9YKoUXM_eBxxLcsiGQJ-dhXGRESN5bEVcOU-2PzzcQxt_gnmxqHijCGXGsIuB_iBTuzMfqaAWnMRz0LfajW8J7KuOlYgO1N2QmqRvt4Ns7rHfnIA/s1600/image+(21).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24bRPLTqqwL4-_2-JgrBpoVQ7ri68pDdm0QrpPFsJ8OTHb6GBNMGoLHFP8JjV0cneoQNm5ysIpHnpF99SsXlL2iLOjKauMoPljsFTMXASxTQPD5kyq0wKblJ6HKF_TJx9jyDnDx2krkE/s1600/image+(22).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24bRPLTqqwL4-_2-JgrBpoVQ7ri68pDdm0QrpPFsJ8OTHb6GBNMGoLHFP8JjV0cneoQNm5ysIpHnpF99SsXlL2iLOjKauMoPljsFTMXASxTQPD5kyq0wKblJ6HKF_TJx9jyDnDx2krkE/s1600/image+(22).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-67600640139090242872015-02-10T11:57:00.001-08:002015-02-10T11:57:14.565-08:00Now what?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Is it dumb/boring/disrepectful to those still suffeirng if I keep posting pregnancy crap here? Should I start a new page?<br />
<br />
I had more scans today, and everything still looks good. This tech thinks they look like 2 girls. The last thought it was one of each. I was gonna go with #brendaandbrandon, but now it might not be so accurate!<br />
<br />
Anyhow, here are a couple of photos of babies and my gut. Baby A would only show its brain, not its face. Baby B was showing off everything! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4WUgyR_FNR3oKT_eOkEYlfOK-C3hZAC-hq0FhTI_MUdzXAozw6YtJJaM4-d2lXydjYs8Cug1fE7voqZERVszeoBEnN8kdvmf7Re8og0qoCOrcIgxTMwXQyzofzIQrdo2BX7ghDDKmuo/s1600/2-10-15_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj4WUgyR_FNR3oKT_eOkEYlfOK-C3hZAC-hq0FhTI_MUdzXAozw6YtJJaM4-d2lXydjYs8Cug1fE7voqZERVszeoBEnN8kdvmf7Re8og0qoCOrcIgxTMwXQyzofzIQrdo2BX7ghDDKmuo/s1600/2-10-15_5.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJb73SYcCYtcg1nvXZS0KF2aw69Q9MRPpKjTwUiSpbJcg0iR4dBUoBNX89JEvk-xsBOqMqistuGNsaIPx-fNJXA5wP6HlvAQ7LiWgQ6GtBrGs__l-dIPUdm0Twuf_LScRlv21BCz-2fQE/s1600/2-10-15_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJb73SYcCYtcg1nvXZS0KF2aw69Q9MRPpKjTwUiSpbJcg0iR4dBUoBNX89JEvk-xsBOqMqistuGNsaIPx-fNJXA5wP6HlvAQ7LiWgQ6GtBrGs__l-dIPUdm0Twuf_LScRlv21BCz-2fQE/s1600/2-10-15_6.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaR78rF0_zhwuQt656T7kSsMdfbPT4GE5xNcJ69hH4X8XJHcI4U7El_FZ7Ua76ODw04kSPlkKNrE0_e-Br9cFViB3vX89KJVcI0lEi8VMFfmfIMtb6gIgPw17F6D7AxpYKMx_tyROyM_s/s1600/2-10-15_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaR78rF0_zhwuQt656T7kSsMdfbPT4GE5xNcJ69hH4X8XJHcI4U7El_FZ7Ua76ODw04kSPlkKNrE0_e-Br9cFViB3vX89KJVcI0lEi8VMFfmfIMtb6gIgPw17F6D7AxpYKMx_tyROyM_s/s1600/2-10-15_10.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgPzFKRZWsn37HIPHF9A5B1OylIU5Q4YUBRUYXx_OQJHgDGx7CSXdfnDOaKOfCKeo03IEUCczRY7S7Okje4FdCksymhBzllTXvayEarR-Z657jQqkt4olNuJz1EDHuDJK2H1Ca7Fp6N4/s1600/14+weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixgPzFKRZWsn37HIPHF9A5B1OylIU5Q4YUBRUYXx_OQJHgDGx7CSXdfnDOaKOfCKeo03IEUCczRY7S7Okje4FdCksymhBzllTXvayEarR-Z657jQqkt4olNuJz1EDHuDJK2H1Ca7Fp6N4/s1600/14+weeks.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I really do want to hear if people would want me to keep posting stuff here or not.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-20457692963734163392015-02-04T13:03:00.001-08:002015-02-04T13:03:27.130-08:00Almost 14 Weeks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Just wanted to give a quick update. I'm at 13 weeks and 5 days and everything is looking good. We have ultrasounds every two weeks at this point, so I'm never going to have to go very long without getting reassured that these guys are doing AOK.<br />
<br />Our reduction was successful and complication free and I am happy to talk about it in more detail to anyone who is curious or facing a decision about such things. I now have two healthy looking fetuses growing in there. Today they were waving their tiny little arms all over the place at us! Saw my beloved Dr. Norrell and talked about all the ways the birth of these twins might go, so we're getting ahead of ourselves in a good way! <br />
<br />
I lost a lot of weight in the first trimester (which I am technically in for another week or so) - was pretty awful sick all the time, but am finally feeling better and am able to eat. Overnight between Saturday and Sunday my belly suddenly became unfamiliar to me. Basically I look like I have a little beer belly, but it isn't! <br />
<br />
Twin pregnancy is definitely different than single pregnancy. I have a LOT of appointments, and am with a doctor more often than a midwife. TWO BABIES WOAHS! <br />
<br />
I spent most of the past week in Chicago having one of the most amazing experiences of my life as a member of the <a href="http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal">2015 Caldecott Committee</a> and now am back home and getting back to normal.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfFdR8AMXeRwEM-UoFYpECbVjhLSry-Psr7HImUaTDfLrK73ts3Q0fHua3RqFe1x46E5B0MlySXxiT__DIHKw0C1XopzmnSDbultw52Ko32hwMUV1ELsYtbCF9wBxkNxUqtYvko0xYuM/s1600/beekle+butt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfFdR8AMXeRwEM-UoFYpECbVjhLSry-Psr7HImUaTDfLrK73ts3Q0fHua3RqFe1x46E5B0MlySXxiT__DIHKw0C1XopzmnSDbultw52Ko32hwMUV1ELsYtbCF9wBxkNxUqtYvko0xYuM/s1600/beekle+butt.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYc0RRqsu3Cl5w-4LW1dJv70Hx5zyiuAupkzDCKPuuVoH1m6nyyEPmmARODyqbZTNZlHn_QlUC5-Nn9t1iag2jeFRrCAdrDTw_EXwyWBw9dT8oRXa7urz94FGGQZG_5EuUUeiyPNh5Si8/s1600/committee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYc0RRqsu3Cl5w-4LW1dJv70Hx5zyiuAupkzDCKPuuVoH1m6nyyEPmmARODyqbZTNZlHn_QlUC5-Nn9t1iag2jeFRrCAdrDTw_EXwyWBw9dT8oRXa7urz94FGGQZG_5EuUUeiyPNh5Si8/s1600/committee.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-23162489434737997502015-01-08T12:00:00.000-08:002015-01-08T12:01:24.025-08:00You Take the Good, You Take the Bad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I don't have a ton of time at the moment, but I'm hoping to find people to chat to who have dealt with either of the following things, both of which I am dealing with.<br />
<br />
1. A reduction. Mine is scheduled for the 21st of January. I have 0 qualms about it in terms of the decision, but am scared of it in terms of the needle through my stomach and 3 days of bedrest. <br />
<br />
2. Gestational Diabetes, which I am apparetly *already* being diagnosed with. Hurray? I won't have details until the 20th, when I have an appointment, but I'd love to chat if you had this. Especially if it was diagnosed so early in pregnancy. It sort of freaks me out. <br />
<br />
<br />
Anyhow, other than these scary things that = too many doctor's appointments in the next 2 weeks, me feeling quite overwhelmed and me dealing with needles constantly, everything is AOK. The little ones are officially fetuses now instead of embryos and they are moving around waving their little arms and their squirmy jellybean bodies looking almost like very miniature humans. I think when I start to feel better and get through all this initial bullshit I will begin to feel a bit more excited. <br />
<br />
SO. If you wanna chat reduction or diabetes, let me know. You can email me, if you don't want to post publicly. dearanxiety at gmail. xo</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-76705439914330594362014-12-30T10:39:00.000-08:002014-12-30T10:41:56.641-08:00Going Public<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today I am 8 weeks and 3 days pregnant. The last time I was pregnant, 8 weeks was the ultrasound where we found out our embryo was no longer alive. That did not happen today, so we are feeling pretty confident that things might actually work out.<br />
<br />
So, there are three of them. Yes, you heard that right. All three fucking embryos implanted and have continued to grow and have heartbeats. !!! No, I am not having triplets. It is not an option for us for a variety of reasons. One of the three is about a week behind in growth and development and with each ultrasound we think he will likely have gone away on his own. He hasn't yet. There is still time. <br />
<br />
I have graduated, as of today, from the fertility clinic and am working on getting an appointment with my regular OB as well as a referal to a perinatologist in case we need to deal with that third little guy at the end of this trimester. <br />
<br />
So, twins??? Maybe? If everything continues to actually go well. I'm still not holding my breath, as things continuing to go well hasn't really been how it has worked out for us so far. But ya know....it's seeming somewhat likely and good at this point.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, these three make up one evil looking demon that makes me feel like shit at all times. I'm trying to embrace the bad feelings, though, as best I can. Three babies = hella hormones = so tired and ill feeling at all times. (This photo is actually from a week ago, today they almost actually looked like tiny peanut humans, and less like a creeepy awesome evil ghosty.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehTVO54ZUqbOF86t3NGnNdD3kEonEUQu-v1mmlJwEwhXKrutVioD4oBHY7f51aWg0VOMHHzXVIP7XNlnjTvKX21zAwi1WNvF8QN83PxhJ0SXby2vtC3bH5v2S_720kG6ck7OCPqVQfo4/s1600/demon+spawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjehTVO54ZUqbOF86t3NGnNdD3kEonEUQu-v1mmlJwEwhXKrutVioD4oBHY7f51aWg0VOMHHzXVIP7XNlnjTvKX21zAwi1WNvF8QN83PxhJ0SXby2vtC3bH5v2S_720kG6ck7OCPqVQfo4/s1600/demon+spawn.jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Also, PS, HOLY SHIT TWINS OMG HELP US!</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-53023607050236317432014-12-08T09:39:00.000-08:002014-12-08T09:39:02.987-08:00Zine <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've made a zine version of this blog and just wanted to let you all know. It is much shorter than reading the blog start to finish, obviously - more of a self-contained story. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/214147127/ova-achiever-excerpts-from-my-ongoing?ref=shop_home_feat_1">If you are interested, it is available on my etsy shop</a>. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsw4wVXXtQtyVYX1Pwy5E0dCjWYgdo2R30TtvrmCKfsHWjfQVSE1C3lxiyEnRq2qGw-4wc3hPwob829StCPYGHD6slNprYbUhIsqIZM48F1Gw6DvkWqlx5maEWznW39qyr3DksdVTWxQ/s1600/IMG_20141205_100405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsw4wVXXtQtyVYX1Pwy5E0dCjWYgdo2R30TtvrmCKfsHWjfQVSE1C3lxiyEnRq2qGw-4wc3hPwob829StCPYGHD6slNprYbUhIsqIZM48F1Gw6DvkWqlx5maEWznW39qyr3DksdVTWxQ/s1600/IMG_20141205_100405.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-67212802255385525692014-11-15T18:28:00.003-08:002014-11-15T18:30:10.488-08:00This is It.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Haven't posted in ages - just haven't felt like writing lately - have mostly just been living and enjoying life and figuring out, on our own, how to process what we will do when this is all over, which will be soon. Everything else has just been too awesome to focus any more energy on Infertility than I have to.<br />
<br />
Our final FET is soon - transfering the three healthy blastocysyts we have frozen. I can't really bear for everyone to be following along as closely as before, so I'll update you again someday and let you all know how it all went. If you have questions or want to know more, you can ask me in more personal ways in more personal places. If it doesn't work, I'm not sure what our plans are, but we have made an appointment to talk to someone who can help us figure it all out.<br />
<br />
It's been a long motherfucker of a journey and I'm very tired.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-88380629491137781532014-07-31T14:59:00.001-07:002014-07-31T14:59:10.710-07:00The Latest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
1. I am not pregnant. I don't want to talk about it. I don't feel sad. I don't really care. But I also don't want to talk about it or be consoled. Got it? Cool.<br />
<br />
2. The three embryos we sent off for testing are all healthy. <br />
<br />
3. There is nothing else that I know or really want to share.<br />
<br />Thanks for caring. (Not sarcasm. I know, it's hard to tell with me sometimes.)</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-61643837268187633252014-07-24T07:28:00.000-07:002014-07-24T08:00:03.751-07:00Numbers (A List of Lists)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Plan:</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
</div>
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<ul>
<li>Do an egg retrieval.</li>
<li>Take resulting embryos and the three frozen embryos we have leftover and grow them until they are 5 days old.</li>
<li>At five days, see if they have become blastocysts.</li>
<li>At five days if we have 3 or fewer blastocysts, just tranfer them then without genetic testing.</li>
<li>At five days if we have 4 or more blastocysts, send them for testing and freeze them, doing the transfer in a different cycle.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</h3>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Reasons for plans to grow Embryos to Blastocyst instead of transfering at day 3 as we usually do:</h3>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>I only wanted to do ONE MORE transfer. Over this. So over it. </li>
<li>To maximize chance of pregnancy and minimize risk of miscarriage. See following bullets.</li>
<li>Would like to test embryos before transfer to transfer only healthy ones, making another miscarriage far less likely.</li>
<li>Blastocysts have slightly higher chance of implantation than 3-day embryos.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Risks of this plan:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Many embryos will not grow to blastocyst outside the body, so you will always lose some.</li>
<li>The ones you lose are not necessarily "bad ones" that wouldn't have worked at day 3.</li>
<li>The one time we tried to do this before none of our 6 embryos made it to blastocyst.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
</h3>
</div>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
How it Went</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
This Egg Retrieval:</h3>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>20 eggs</li>
<li>16 mature</li>
<li>15 fertilized</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Eggs Retrieved from my ovaries so far:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>16</li>
<li>20</li>
<li>20</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Eggs Retrieved from my ovaries so far that have become human babies:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>0</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
This cycle's embryos on Day 3:</h3>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>15 fresh +</li>
<li>3 frozen and thawed =</li>
<li>18 day 3 embryos</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Embryo Quality on Day 3:</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Fresh:</h4>
<div>
First number = scale of 1-4 looking at fragmentation. </div>
<div>
1=excellent, 2=above average, 3=average, 4=below average</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Second number = number of cells, with at least 6 cells being a great number.</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>2 8</li>
<li>2 10</li>
<li>2 9</li>
<li>2 8</li>
<li>3 6</li>
<li>3 8</li>
<li>2 8</li>
<li>2 8 </li>
<li>3 5</li>
<li>2 6</li>
<li>2 8</li>
<li>4 7</li>
<li>2 8</li>
<li>2 8</li>
<li>4 5</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Thawed:</h4>
<div>
"excellent" with the following numbers of cells</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>6</li>
<li>6</li>
<li>9</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<h3>
Stages for an embryo to go through before becoming a blastocyst:</h3>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>plain old embryo</li>
<li>morula</li>
<li>early blastocyst 1</li>
<li>early blastocyst 2</li>
<li>blastocyst</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
What stage embryos need to be in to be genetically tested (by Day 6) OR to have a decent chance of resulting in a pregnancy if transfered on Day 5:</h3>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>blastocyst</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Embryos morning of day 5:</h3>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>8 - morula</li>
<li>8 - early blastocyst 1</li>
<li>2 - dead/plain old embryo/not mentioned so who knows</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Difficult decision:</h3>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Transfer the three best that afternoon, although a very low likelihood of resulting pregnancy, and a risk of genetically unhealthy embryo becoming a pregnancy. If we wait, there may be none to send for testing, and we would get not a single transfer/chance. Dr. feels unlikely any will make it to blastocyst. This retrieval was particularly painful (still in pain a week and a half later) and I would regret not even getting one try out of it or at least knowledge that they aren't healthy and thus aren't worth transfering.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Best 3 embryos at time of transfer on day 5:</h3>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>blastocyst!</li>
<li>blastocyst!</li>
<li>early embryo 2</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Difficult decision 2 of the day:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>go through with the transfer anyhow because still not enough to make it worth genetic testing and still not looking promising that more will grow. A gamble, with the downside being that we, again, still don't know about the genetic health of embryos, hence risk another miscarriage. </li>
<li>Transfered 3 embryos - Friday July 18th - day 5</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Embryos morning of day 6:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>3 = blastocysts - sample cells sent off for testing and then embryos frozen and waiting</li>
<li>12 = not blastocysts -sent to wherever bad embryos go</li>
<li>3 = in my uterus so who knows</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Final Thoughts:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Of course, had I know that 3 more would be champs, I wouldn't have had the transfer on day 5. Would way rather have sent 5 or 6 off for testing and tranferred only healthy ones in one transfer.</li>
<li>But we made the best decisions with what we knew.</li>
<li>If the ones inside me do not result in a child, and any of the 3 sent for testing are healthy (we will know in about a week) then I will likely do another fucking transfer.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Next Steps if None of that Works:</h3>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>We have a lot of thinking to do and I don't feel like sharing publicly where we are with all of that yet, as we are really in a state of flux in terms of where we want to go next. Far less sure than we felt before about further plans.</li>
<li>If you know a good Bay Area therapist who specializes in Infertility, let me know. </li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-42325877813257935492014-06-10T11:19:00.001-07:002014-06-10T11:19:51.159-07:00Shifting Focus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ugh. I am feeling totally over talking about this these days. I just am. There is plenty of more interesting stuff going on my life. <br />
<br />
Anyhow, I'm about to start up this one last (I really hope I mean it this time) egg retrieval and transfer. The transfer is up in the air as to if it is fresh or frozen, 3-day or 5-day etc because it depends on what we get and how they grow. Nothing like a little more up-in-the-airness in the midst of the most horrific up-in-the-air ongoing process ever.<br />
<br />
So, here's my schedule, including such excitement as:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>First Lupron shot the night of my 20 year high school reunion when I'm not only out of town in Columbus, but out of town from Columbus in Bellville. (Ohio, that is.)</li>
<li>First night of a all the stim shots when Ian and I are staying in a delightful treehouse in the Santa Cruz Mountains.</li>
<li>Blood draw at 11am during our weekend away in Santa Cruz, which = a two hourish drive in each direction so that a needle can be quickly stuck into arm.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Yay.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7afQWx79QhrAxWR1hZhUIYZw-zggyGPmcC_3ENRKZK0mrFdK6J_Ir099x3YTY82eS0EipFP-36dInwPFqVA7xL4Ar-TVvczfnGd7gxH6aIDtbsKTCS9VLciqP1GKpgLEMNVxQDz5cTw/s1600/McKellar_Sharon_OCP_Demihalt_June_2014+(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT7afQWx79QhrAxWR1hZhUIYZw-zggyGPmcC_3ENRKZK0mrFdK6J_Ir099x3YTY82eS0EipFP-36dInwPFqVA7xL4Ar-TVvczfnGd7gxH6aIDtbsKTCS9VLciqP1GKpgLEMNVxQDz5cTw/s1600/McKellar_Sharon_OCP_Demihalt_June_2014+(4).jpg" height="640" width="494" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-53546380999958133332014-04-25T08:31:00.002-07:002014-04-25T08:31:16.208-07:00I'm Still Here<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm still here. This week is National Infertility Awareness Week, and it also happens to be the week that I am ready to deal with this stuff again. Convenient. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLVZesDKzAMwA-l0o9-kNDFiT1oJlPSJdklI-rZHFPFcf_wLsErTuSZB6p7Q_1mdE5l7dcEFCYJnZ-vC5Ogty3d9xA_hkpJcNfF5twHEYkDJF9oIiT0iKTKK3AkwK4QQpVeR6F_mVGuw/s1600/niaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLVZesDKzAMwA-l0o9-kNDFiT1oJlPSJdklI-rZHFPFcf_wLsErTuSZB6p7Q_1mdE5l7dcEFCYJnZ-vC5Ogty3d9xA_hkpJcNfF5twHEYkDJF9oIiT0iKTKK3AkwK4QQpVeR6F_mVGuw/s1600/niaw.jpg" height="235" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Anyhow, it has been a nice couple of months where I decided not to decide anything and not to do anything. Sort of blissful, although with a clock always ticking just out of sight.<br />
<br />
Now, we've decided. We started filling out our homestudy paperwork and have dedicated some time each week to working on it (as of this very week). We also are moving forward with another IVF cycle this summer. It will be my 3rd egg retrieval and 6th transfer. Fuck. Anyhow, our intent is to grow all embryos to day 5 (including the two leftover from last time) and to do genetic testing on them. Worst case, none make it and/or none are genetically normal. Best case, some do and are and we transfer them.<br />
<br />
If we don't end up with a successful pregnancy from that cycle we will move forward with adoption (beyond the homestudy) and also talk about donor eggs as an option and go from there.<br />
<br />
I've started being able to talk more about the miscarriage. I'm guessing that is healthy. </div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-88037871332659162942014-02-19T17:30:00.001-08:002014-02-20T10:18:39.108-08:00How Am I Doing?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
How am I doing? I don't really have an answer to that question. Happy about my life. Sad about my situation. Done crying. Still bleeding (literally and metaphorically, I guess). <br>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, and thank you to everyone who has sent kindness my way in any form. I have felt completely overwhelmed by all the love. Even though I have not wanted to talk about it and may not have replied to you, each kindness has lightened my burden. It makes it hard to be anything but happy about my life and the amazing people that fill it. I don't know what I've done to deserve the support of so many incredible incredible people, and I'm not always sure that I do deserve it, but I am so so grateful. </div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
I wanted to at least post and let everyone know about the results of the tests that were done on the "product of conception" aka our baby that was never to be our baby. We found that he or she had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patau_syndrome">Trisomy 13</a>. Many of you are familiar with Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome. This is a different Trisomy with far more devastating affects. </div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
Obviously this is not good news in any traditional sense of the words "good news," but it is good news for us at this point for a variety of reasons. It means that we lost this pregnancy not because of something wrong happening in my body/uterus, but because it was never truly viable. We are glad, knowing this information, that what happened happened...it is a better outcome than the other possible even more devastating outcomes we could have had (finding out later etc.). This kind of chromosomal issue is one of the reasons that so many pregnancies end during the first trimester. It also is the first time in this entire process that we've had an answer at all as to What Went Wrong with anything that has not worked or gone wrong. You have no idea what a relief this is to us. We know now that I *can* get pregnant, and we know why we lost our pregnancy.</div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
While the loss is sad and painful, the knowledge is a bit of hope for us. </div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
Where we go from here is still an unknown. We have a few options in terms of further treatment and in terms of adoption, and we aren't quite ready to decide, although we are ready to take some next steps in each direction. I am not going to undergo any further treatments for the next 6 months or so. I just don't want to and I'm not ready. </div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
I loved being pregnant.</div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div>
And Ian and I, we are in this together, forever, no matter what happens.</div>
<div>
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqLIdkfUy5e4s8xMBO3hr9JlHQLogPJZCJK1rCAv5CGVbX9wI2I4-DZ1zaCz9agSkdkNYX2XxhlVardZD-HGQbHNIF0-EcIuaZHkxZRAAsPliDWwJWAeJ5j5u9xUJsiv5CqtLWuxBYas/s1600/together.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqLIdkfUy5e4s8xMBO3hr9JlHQLogPJZCJK1rCAv5CGVbX9wI2I4-DZ1zaCz9agSkdkNYX2XxhlVardZD-HGQbHNIF0-EcIuaZHkxZRAAsPliDWwJWAeJ5j5u9xUJsiv5CqtLWuxBYas/s1600/together.jpg" height="400" width="300"></a></div>
<div>
<br></div>
</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-24390896191425042122014-01-22T16:33:00.002-08:002014-01-22T16:33:59.518-08:00The End<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Our appointment did not go well today...we lost the baby. It has no heartbeat and will be removed hopefully tomorrow. <br />
<br />
This is one of those times where I really wish everyone would just know and no one would really talk to me about it, so I'm hoping that if you see this you will share the news with anyone who might've known, so I can avoid people who don't know accidentally asking me how it is going. I'll post this to my regular Facebook page too.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I am going to go cuddle with my husband. He and I will be OK, but it sucks.<br />
<br /></div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-71982262298795766692014-01-15T13:40:00.003-08:002014-01-15T13:47:57.387-08:00Hematomas Aren't Fair<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If there's one serious lesson I've learned from Infertility, it's that life isn't fair. I know...I know...this was drilled into my skull (not literally, don't worry) by my parents through my whole childhood and it should not be a shock. Infertility, though, made me face the truth of it in a way that has been different than anything before. I don't know about everyone but I know that I have a tendency towards a sort of bargaining with the universe as well as a way of providing comfort to myself by thinking about things in terms of "fairness". <br />
<br />
Like,<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>"If I do this, that will happen, because I'll deserve it."</li>
<li>"It's my turn for something good to happen."</li>
<li>"2012 sucked, so 2013 is bound to be better"</li>
<li>"I did everything right this time, so the outcome will be different this time."</li>
</ul>
<div>
Anyhow. I just think we are naturally inclined to want to see some rhyme and reason in the world. It makes us feel safe. The problem is, though, that there isn't really rhyme and reason and life isn't always fair.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I want to tackle the fears I have in this pregnancy with all kinds of reassuring thoughts like, "I deserve an easy pregnancy" or "there's no way I would miscarry after it took almost 4 years to get pregnant" etc, but it's just not true. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I had a pretty bad scare the other night. We were sleeping over at the home of friends and after dinner I went to the bathroom and had a gush of bright red blood along with some cramping. Ian called the 24-hour line of the clinic while I frantically googled on my cell phone, and for once The Internet was a slight comfort to me. Luckily I knew I had a hematoma from my previous ultrasound and it seemed like, while far from normal in general, this is a relatively common occurrence for women who are diagnosed with hematomas and can have a totally fine outcome. I was actually calmer about this than I had been about the tiny dots of brown spotting from the week before, I guess just because a body can only have so much fear and because I at least had a little knowledge this time.</div>
<div>
<br />
Anyhow, the on-call doctor called me back and asked a lot of questions about quantity of blood and severity of cramps and concluded that I needn't go to the emergency room. She told me to pay attention to increasing blood flow, strong cramps, fever or chills, but that we did know of a source of blood and likely everything was OK. She also, comfortingly (not), pointed out that if this was something worse there was nothing that could be done about it. She guessed that Dr. Tran would not want to see me before the ultrasound scheduled for next Wednesday, but that she would email him right away and let him know what was happening.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The bleeding pretty much stopped - it was the one gush and then some remnants from the one gush when I used the bathroom the next few times that night and first thing in the morning. Nothing came out in the night while I slept and the cramps subsided. I actually slept pretty well in my friends' closet! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The next morning, once we were home, the same on-call doctor called me back to check-in and seemed quite pleased with what I told her. She also let me know that Dr. Tran did want to see me and I had an apptment for Tuesday (yesterday) at 2pm. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Dr. Tran seemed even more nervous than Ian and I, but all was well. Our little embryo has grown from 5mm to over 9mm in less than a week and had a heart rate of 119 which Dr. Tran assured us was all well within the range of normal. Ian was able to see the heart beating right away - I was at a funny angle and too nervous to really be able to see anything well. I'm so glad he was able to be there with me. We have another picture, but I won't post it unless someone really cares to see. It just looks like a slightly bigger speck blob thing. Still there, though, and still alive. </div>
<div>
<br />
Also, this size:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9Si1k0wSd_-Iy3L7nTCCHxE3iKLJMbk5o2_ff6bCAE5NFssQY7buDa4E4F_j-dxW87zNZ2ocmMW5GafXuk5DB7IICtzIeNy4KzZIDjfYY6oeOOOtWe0d5WBX93gdfcHcwN4ay0V6nCU/s1600/chickpea_beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9Si1k0wSd_-Iy3L7nTCCHxE3iKLJMbk5o2_ff6bCAE5NFssQY7buDa4E4F_j-dxW87zNZ2ocmMW5GafXuk5DB7IICtzIeNy4KzZIDjfYY6oeOOOtWe0d5WBX93gdfcHcwN4ay0V6nCU/s1600/chickpea_beans.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
I may bleed again. Dr. Tran said to call him if I do, that I get special treatment and he will want to see me. He also says all is well and we are in the same boat we were in last week and in fact that we are better than last week because bonus ultrasound = knowledge that the embryo is growing appropriately and still looking good. So, I'll take it! I go back next Wednesday, as was originally scheduled, and assuming everything is still on track I'll graduate to my regular OB then. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, day by day by day we are trucking along inching towards a healthy positive outcome. Sure, it would be awesome if I didn't have to have the kind of pregnancy that involved bleeding from the vagina, but hey, life isn't fair. </div>
<br />
<br /></div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-88602143042679985422014-01-08T12:11:00.002-08:002014-01-08T12:11:30.745-08:006w2d<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
All is well, so far, everyone. Thanks for all your support. The comments directly on the blog and on Facbeook, as well as the texts and phone calls I received really made me feel better.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We are, so far, so good! We have a 5mm embryo with a 120 heart rate! Obviously not out of the water yet, but each step is a step in the right direction. Next ultrasound 2 weeks from today, in the afternoon. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Dr. Tran saw a small hematoma which explains the spotting, and isn't a cause for concern. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm at work, so I'm not going to do a big long post, I just wanted to update everyone, as I know people have been thinking about me this morning! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here the tiny creature is! Yeah, it's that little speck. Were you expecting something more?? ;) </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgms5pKi7xKUoO-Q5C-60TsXrZzlh7qSX_ab_uYh8s7jycNJAWcrjk7lkVC1YAOajrnbBPhB4CrKts7TZ27vbToQSQ_uGiS-beOsgjN_yu9VbYqwsd74AaGn0xJGbSFURwrJ0H7zQlHBb4/s1600/tiny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgms5pKi7xKUoO-Q5C-60TsXrZzlh7qSX_ab_uYh8s7jycNJAWcrjk7lkVC1YAOajrnbBPhB4CrKts7TZ27vbToQSQ_uGiS-beOsgjN_yu9VbYqwsd74AaGn0xJGbSFURwrJ0H7zQlHBb4/s1600/tiny.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3700054424832774619.post-15365082741821544172014-01-07T07:01:00.001-08:002014-01-07T07:29:20.200-08:00What fear feels like<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr">
I have had some minor brown spotting since last night and some cramping. I fear it is over. I barely slept and can barely breathe. Not sure how I will get through today. Will know for sure at the ultrasound tomorrow. </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Edited to Add: I also just puked (up nothing since I hadn't eaten dinner last night) after brushing my teeth. The teeth brushing made me SO nauseous. In a weird way that gives me a little bit of hope. </div>
</div>
sharonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13310905438413460018noreply@blogger.com7