We hear you, baby!

We are "oh so excited" to have gotten to 13 weeks with a healthy heartbeat of 163! That was the coolest part of the appointment.... Besides that, we did not get an ultrasound (these pictures are from last appointment). We basically went over the history of my IVF schedule and everything that has already happened. We haven't seen the doctor yet, but we got familiar with the nurse practitioner (who used an app on her iPhone to calculate the due date.) I am hoping our doctors appointment in the next two weeks will be awesome. It wasn't a bad appointment, just less exciting than I built it up to be in my mind. 

I just have to say...man, our specialist, Dr. Krause, spoiled us. We were going every two weeks, getting ultrasounds every visit and scheduling appointments around our jobs...well that seems to have ended. 

The next appointment we have, I will be in the second trimester!! Crazy, right?!?! We are hoping to wait a few weeks and then get an early gender ultrasound... we will see how it goes. 

 Here's a collage of the ultrasounds so far, from the embryo that we transferred to six and a half, eight and a half and then eleven weeks. 
Just enjoying the journey! Looking forward to September! 

If you have a "Think Positive" shirt and think about it, snap a picture and I will get a collage together!

Love, love, love!

It's all good. :)

It has been too long since the last update!! Simply put, it's all good. 
We couldn't be happier to hear the doctor tell us last week that everything is normal. We are now at 11 weeks. (ELEVEN WEEKS!?!?!?!?) So close to celebrating the "lime" sized baby. Currently Baby Bratcher is the size of a Brussel sprout or kumquat.... 

We went to the specialist for the last time. It was so tough to think I will have to start over with a new doctor at our next appointment but it was sweet to know that we had graduated because Baby Bratcher is big enough to move to a regular doctor. I am a special case pregnancy but not high risk, so we are hoping to keep hearing the word "normal" from here on out. 
At our ultrasound, we could see limbs! Baby B was waving arms around and kicking feet up. It was the coolest! Matt also took a quick video of that crazy baby swimming upside down and trying to turn a somersault. Our doctor commented that baby "sure is active!" We loved hearing that. <3

A HUGE update to our lives is that I don't have to do shots anymore!!!!! Shots were getting oh so painful and I've got these unexplained, unpredictable hives that made putting ice on the area more painful than before. I also get to stop taking one of the prescriptions and the daily aspirin. It's been fantastic to not have to get the shot every night, but I would do it again in a heartbeat if that's what it takes to get to this point. I consider myself lucky because I have not gotten sick at all! Tired, slightly moody, nauseous- yes. But I haven't gotten sick and I know lots of women have to deal with that. 

It has been a very sweet Valentines weekend! We even took a quick trip to Tennessee this weekend and it was awesome! 

Also, I have had so many people ask me how its going and being so super awesome and supportive. I cannot thank you enough! I love to tell about this adventure and your concern just melts my heart. This baby is already so lucky to have so much love surrounding us. 

From poppy seed to grape!

Here we grow! 

     We visited the doctor Thursday evening for a progress report and we are doing well!  We are exactly where we need to be for eight and a half weeks. We got an ultrasound picture that really looks like a blob.....but you can almost make out the head and body. That gummy bear was snuggled up in the top of my uterus, all comfy cozy. 

   I can't even justify with words how nervous I was for this appointment. This was the appointment with the last pregnancy (8 weeks) that we found out our hopes and dreams were no more. The anticipation was almost too much. Even in my head knowing that we had transferred a healthy, stable embryo- it was still hard on my heart. 
In the spirit of thinking positive, we went in ready for great news and great news is what we got! 
      So far, symptoms have stayed at a minimum.....I feel lucky that I haven't gotten sick at all! I will say, I feel nauseous just about every evening after 6:00pm. And I get SUPER tired. Like, "I don't even care if I've eaten because everything smells terrible and I have to find a place to crash." I felt like an olympic champion for making it up the stairs one late night (8:00!!). Poor Matt gets to hang out with me for a little while after work and then BAM, I'm in bed.  I wouldn't say I've been moody....except maybe that one day at basketball practice when a student was dribbling too hard- I mean, was she mad at the ball?!?!?!?!? 

     I am still taking progesterone injections every night. That is part of why I feel so mopey in the evening. The great news about shots is that I just ordered my LAST vial of progesterone (#7) and I only have to take injections until we get the "okay" at ten weeks. :) I will also stop taking the progesterone pills and low dose aspirin so my pill count will go from 11 to 9! This is a small change but I will appreciate it so much. The last few weeks, taking pills has turned into the worst part of my day. Although I am not getting sick, taking the medications may just get me there.
    I will be sad about leaving my doctor at ten weeks.... We will have graduated from the program but I will miss her dearly. She has been through all of this adventure along with us. She "puts them in but doesn't take them out." I will be switching to a regular OB-GYN in New Albany that won't know about our history at first-although I will gladly give her every single detail. A new doctor won't see me nearly as often...and I really enjoy these progress reports. But it is good news in the sense that this is not a high risk pregnancy- for that I am so thankful. 

    We have one more appointment with my specialist in two weeks! I am looking forward to seeing this little grape grow into a prune. When we get to week 12 and we have a baby the size of a lime,  we will also be looking into finding out the gender....! Stay tuned! 

Our Happy News!

So it's been a cra-zay week! Between school, tutoring, basketball, PTO meetings  and an interview for the news....I am just now getting this together. (I love every busy moment) 

Short and sweet, we had an ultrasound on Wednesday and we are exactly where we need to be! We are at six and a half weeks, and we couldn't be happier. 

We aren't in the clear yet but we had a moment that we've never experienced before. 

We were able to see the flickering heartbeat!! It was the COOLEST. Matt had a better seat for viewing and spotted it as soon as the doctor mentioned it. It took me a minute, but I'll never forget that moment. 

Teeny tiny blueberry baby. 

We have another appointment in two weeks. I feel like I'm a VIP with so many ultrasounds because those who conceive naturally usually have less ultrasounds spread much farther apart. We are keeping a close eye on this precious blueberry. 

Rewind just a bit to Wednesday morning, I was super excited that we had an appointment since it had been two weeks since our last progress report. I had a camera man and a news anchor in my classroom interviewing me about using exercise balls as chairs in my classroom-a pretty good distraction to keep me busy. ;) It aired on Thursday evening. 

If you missed it, check this out. 

WLKY January 14th

We went to the doctor today...

Teaser title... I know....

So I can breathe now. Which is am improvement from this morning. I woke drenched in sweat with my arm numb and my neck stiff from sleeping like a maniac. I quickly pulled it together, picked Matt up from work, drove over to Louisville and sat patiently (yea, right) with a full bladder because I knew the doctor needed that. 

First step, empty bladder-check.
Next, get blood drawn-check.
Then, doctor walks in with a urine test strip and says, "I have good news."

That's when my body decided to function normally. All the sudden, breathing was easy, my muscles relaxed even though I didn't consciously know I was tensed  up. 
We started talking about immediate next steps such as ordering more progesterone injections (I've never been so excited about shots) and scheduling the next blood test to ensure my HCG (pregnancy hormone) levels double and then in 2 weeks or so, an ultrasound. 

We are ecstatic, but cautious. You see, we've had a positive pregnancy test before. We've even had an ultrasound before with blood work that proved my HCG levels doubled. We've never heard a heartbeat though. So when week 10 or 12 comes around, when that poppy seed grows into a lime-we will be the wildest, craziest, celebratory people you've ever met in your entire life. Right now, we are happy...so happy.  
We are technically at 4 weeks right now, just to put in perspective how early this is... most women who conceive naturally don't even know they are pregnant at this point.

We simply couldn't have made it this far without all of the love, positive thoughts, prayers and support from near and far! This is amazing. We also need to ask you for "controlled celebrations." :) We're talking golf clap, nod of the head, acknowledgement but no ALL CAPS CONGRATS....because we are taking this in, loving every moment- but also accepting that this plan is not written in stone and things can (although I'm positive they won't) change. (Feel free to record your happy dances and we will compile them into a video to show the baby, just wait to send them to me for a few weeks.) <3

Just for more perspective, here is a picture of the injections I've already done. Two years ago, I may have hyperventilated just from looking at this picture. And the medications I take every night. Funny how you think you couldn't handle something until you do.

Sorry about the teaser title too, I just know how hard it is to read pregnancy announcements on Facebook and that's why I decided the blog would be super helpful.

 I love you all and thank you for your continued support and positive thinking! 

So what's going on now?

I'd love to tell ya. 

So after three days of being allowed to only move from the couch to the chair to the bed.... I'm a free woman again! As long as I'm not horseback riding, I'm allowed to live life as normal. It's great timing too, with all the Christmas errands and winter break relaxing going on. My doctor couldn't have planned this any better! 
I'm having a good time waiting. I thought it would be tough, but I love it. It's a magical time of limitless possibilities!! I can Pinterest and dream until my heart is content. I can get wrapped up in the magic and distraction of Christmas!  I can think about the future with no one to tell me no. My dreams.... Those have been interesting- save those for the dream journal. ;)  Honestly though, it's awesome to think of all the great things that are going to happen in my body in the months ahead. I am still being realistic though, I have been making plans in case it doesn't work also. Those plans consist of waiting two months and trying IVF again. (Doc approved) So mostly I'm been thinking about how life will change with that positive test. :) 

The only tough part is the pesky progesterone injections. I'm running out of room with all the bruises on my hips. When we get that positive result, I get to keep getting injections!  They also make me feel a tiny bit weepy, like "cry to a sad song in the car, what is happening to me, I never used to cry" kind of weepy. But I'm fine *sniff,* I'm fine. 


I found the CUTEST book at Target while finishing up some Christmas shopping. It's about wishing for a child but it's written as a children's book. Here's a peek.... 

Here's the science of what is happening! I found the best explanation and I really like the details, so if you are into the science of this amazing process- check this out! 

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & Think Positive! 

My people are amazing.

I am the luckiest girl in the world! 

     I reached out about our struggle and my people, they made it their job to lift me up. I have the most supportive and patient husband in the world and right behind him are my people. YOU are my people.The positive attitudes, the hopeful encouragement, the prayers and happy vibes sent my way- I was never told this journey would be easy, but with all of this love, its been awesome! 

#ThinkPositive

     We have completed the transfer! It was smooth and everything went exactly how it should have....well after we figured out the new Lincoln Bridge on the way over to the doctor's office (apparently you cannot get to 64 yet). My doctor was amazing and made the process so simple for us. I was awake and aware and it really took about 5 minutes. My instructions after the procedure include, "You are to rest at home for three days with minimal amount of activity. You are to be resting on the couch or in a recliner." Sounds nice, right? I'm feeling great, so it's not the easiest thing to do nothing, but I got this. 
     Some other awesome news is that because we had more embryos than we used we will find out tomorrow how many we can freeze- Isn't science cool?? When we want to try again, we won't have to start at the beginning! 

So I'll be out of school for two weeks over winter break and those two weeks I will wait patiently (HA!). I have an appointment on December 29th for a test to see if it worked. I know it will. 

I will be honest with the hesitation to share the results. I will need your love and support if it is negative (because we WILL try again) and if it is positive....I'll need you to delay the celebration until we are farther along. I will lose my mind with happiness but also have the shadows of what-ifs that we lived through last May.. Such a complicated and emotional situation. 

It's a good thing you all have my back. <3