When Life Gives You Lemons.....

Last week was really tough. I still have lots of baby stuff around the house. A lot of my friends have said to put it all away but it is a reminder that we WILL have a little girl here.  I have not hidden it because it gives me hope that my dreams will come true.

We have thought about trying another round of in vitro but I don't know if I can handle it right away. It takes an emotional and physical toll on your body and mind. And, it is not guaranteed to work. There are many women who have to go through the process many times until she is pregnant.

We have thought about private adoption and have been told its $30-50,000. You can go all the way thru the pregnancy and the birth mom can decide to keep the baby and you will not get your money back.

We have considered foster-to-adopt. This is the best choice for us right now. We are going to go to an orientation meeting tonight to get more information. I am aware that not every little girl placed in our homes we will have the chance to adopt. One of my friends has been thru this process and ended up adopting two beautiful boys. She told me "Even though I might not have been able to keep every child, for the time there were here, I knew they were clean, fed and loved". How inspirational that is to me.

It seems like it doesn't matter which path you choose there is a risk. We could do ivf again and not get pregnant or we get pregnant and have a miscarriage, we could go thru private adoption and not get a baby, we could go thru foster care and have to give babies back. Every avenue can lead to heartbreak. At least with foster care we will have a baby here. And I know that baby will be clean, fed and loved!!!

Results are in...

The test results came back today. It was negative. I have been an emotional wreck all day. I know it will get better, God has a plan, it wasn't meant to be, something better will come, you just have to be patient.

It sucks and nothing can make me feel better today. Its not fair.

I have contacted Dr. Pablo to see about fertilizing the eggs we have frozen. More bad news... They used all of Niks sperm so he will have to go back for another operation to get more.

Since we had to stay an extra week last time we were there, we are now over our 90 days allowed per year in Ecuador. We will have to see if we can get an extension to be allowed back in the country. As it is now, we will have to wait 9 months before we can come back.

Now we are just going to have to pray that we are granted an extension so Nik can go and have his operation. Then we will have to fertilize my eggs and hope we have a healthy baby girl.

This has been the single worst thing I have ever had to go thru. I wouldn't wish it on any woman. We are not going to give up. We will keep trying until we succeed.

Tomorrow is the big day!

Tomorrow is the day when we find out if I am pregnant. I will go in tomorrow morning for the quantitive blood test. Its hard to say how I feel. I am nervous and anxious.

Having my own little girl is something that I have wanted for so long. I was the little girl that loved baby dolls, I am the woman who loves seeing little girls with their moms at nail salons and loves all things girl. I love getting my nails done and dressing up. I love accessories and shopping. Every time I am at the mall and see the little girls section, I long to be able to shop there for my own daughter one day. I am dying to have sweet little girl birthday parties and sleepovers with makeovers.... I was meant to have a little girl. I love being a mom to my son, Trey, but I ache for a baby girl. Having her would fill a missing space in my heart.

I know that God has a plan and that it is important to have faith. I know all of this, but I feel like I have been waiting my whole life for this moment. I am SO close. I can see the finish line. I feel like the timing has never been more perfect. A few years ago, Nik would have never agreed to us having another child. He is even excited. I have prayed for so many years for God to open his heart to us having another baby. I remember him reading about "gender selection" so many years ago and thought that was so amazing but not something that we would ever be able to do. When I was in the operating room and Dr. Pablo implanted my embryo, Ava, I cried as if I just heard her heartbeat.

As I sit here now writing all of this, I have tears streaming down my cheeks. I pray that God will give us positive news tomorrow and we will be one step closer to completing our family. Please remember me tomorrow and pray like you've never prayed before.

Waiting, waiting & more waiting!

There hasn't really been much to report over this past week. I have been reading everything online and taking home pregnancy tests. Dr. Pablo says that every test I take will come out negative until Monday. He is correct. I have taken 3 hpt and all have been negative.

I have had a few symptoms of pregnancy: sensitive breasts, twinges of cramping, excessive bathroom breaks, and bad taste in my mouth.

I am hoping that all these symptoms are due from a growing little girl & not side affects of all the medicine I am on!!

I will continue to take these hpt every day until Monday.  I have read online that lots of pregnant ladies had their hpt say negative even on the day they took the blood test. This gives me hope!! Its not over till the blood test says so!!!!

I just ask that all my friends & family continue to pray for us. There is nothing more important to us right now than this baby. I believe God will deliver her to us!

Feeling normal (almost)

There really haven't been any new symptoms over these last few days. I am still having the lower back pain but it comes & goes. According to my chart, today she attaches deeper into the uterine lining and begins implantation.

We got back home from Ecuador today. We were greeted at the airport by Mariel then went to lunch at my favorite: Cantina Laredo. When we got home, my girlfriends had the front porch decorated with balloons, a big sign (with lots of notes from everyone), red tulip flowers, and decorations!

 Then Stephanie brought over a homemade cake! Her cakes are the BEST! It was the best homecoming ever. I feel truly blessed to have these wonderful ladies in my life. 

All this waiting is getting the best of me. I want to take a pregnancy test so bad. I think I may cheat tomorrow and buy the early detection kind.?.? I wish I could peek in on Ava and make sure she's growing like she should be!! It sure would make my life so much easier. 

While walking through the airports today I was checking out every stroller strolling by. The moms probably thought I was stalking them. I kept trying to get close if it was a model I thought I liked, I was trying to scope out the brand name!!

You know how when you are looking to get a new car & you start seeing the same model EVERYWHERE. Thats how I feel with Ava. I am seeing all these cute babies everywhere and I keep checking them out! I'm looking at the outfits they have on, if they have any cute accessories and definitely their shoes! I saw the most adorable baby today with little black maryjane slippers. I am going to try to track those bad boys down online!! A definite must have.

IF I can muster up the courage to take the test. I will let you all know! It's like reading a book. you want to know the ending but know if you wait, it will be that much better. Unless you are Mariel, then you just wikipedia it all before you even read the book because you can't stand surprises!!! Love you Mariel!

How I'm feeling

Things have been going according to plan so far! I had slight cramping the day of & the following day after the transfer. From what I've read online it seems like this is normal because of everything you just put your uterus through.  I have had a little lower back pain that comes & goes today.

I've also been a little tired but that could be because I'm up late every night reading blogs, forums, articles & anything else I can about ivf and how I "should" be feeling! What I've come to understand is that pregnancy & menstrual cycles BOTH have the same symptoms. How lovely! There is no choice but to wait it out until the blood test.

Tomorrow Ava should be implanting herself. It's like a mind tourture. I want to know what's happening with her, then I try to see if what I'm feeling is a symptom!!! Plus, having been pregnant before, every little tinge feels like a baby kick & she doesn't even have legs or arms yet.

Ahhh the 2 week wait!

While I've been resting, I have been researching lots! I've found these following items I'm going to buy: crib, changing table, bassinet, baby bag, and stroller. I have purchased crib bedding & still need to find a dresser. I've found all this in between pregnancy, ivf transfer, and 2ww information.

What is happening with Ava now?

After the transfer Nik & I checked into a hotel and watched about 4 episodes of Sons of Anarchy. We are hooked to this crazy show! The next day we boarded an airplane to come back to Salinas where we will be over the next 4 days. I am not supposed to be on total bed rest (Thank goodness!) but do need to take it easy.

Its funny how so many things were forgotten that I am remembering about pregnancy. When I found out I was pregnant with Trey, I was constantly reading about his development and what to expect during pregnancy. With Ava, it has been no different. I have been spending hours online making sure that I am doing everything right!!

I wish there was a magical way I could be assured that she is growing and developing the way she should be. I find myself rubbing the area of my belly where she is and praying (constantly) that she is doing just fine!

I found a chart from a fertility center website that lets me know whats going on with her over the next 2 weeks:

3-Day Transfer

Days Past Transfer (DPT)	Embryo Development
One Feb 19	The embryo continues to grow and develop, turning from a 6-8 cell embryo into a morula
Two Feb 20	The cells of the morula continue to divide, developing into a blastocyst
Three Feb 21	The blastocyst begins to hatch out of its shell
Four Feb 22	The blastocyst continues to hatch out of its shell and begins to attach itself to the uterus
Five Feb 23	The blastocyst attaches deeper into the uterine lining, beginning implantation
Six Feb 24	Implantation continues
Seven Feb 25	Implantation is complete, cells that will eventually become the placenta and fetus have begun to develop
Eight Feb 26	Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) starts to enter the blood stream
Nine Feb 27	Fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted
Ten Feb 28	Fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted
Eleven March 1	Levels of hCG are now high enough to detect a pregnancy

http://www.nyufertilitycenter.org/ivf/embryo_transfer

I have been told from Dr. Pablo that I need to have a blood test on March 3rd to make sure that we are pregnant. The period between the transfer and the blood test is known as the dreaded "2 Week Wait - 2WW". From everything I was reading online last night there is really no way to know if the symptoms I am feeling are from the monthly menstrual cycle or the beginning of a pregnancy. It is all so confusing! You go on one website and it says if you have this list of symptoms, you are pregnant or about to start your monthly cycle. I am going to TRY not to obsess over every little change in my body over the next 10 days. Then I will take an at-home pregnancy test on March 1st and the blood test on the 3rd, this will be the only true way to know if she implanted and is growing!

Transfer complete! We are officially pregnant.

The day is finally here! We had the embryo transfer today. I came into the office, had to drink a ton of water and walk around a lot before we could get started. They wanted a full bladder before the transfer so it is easier to see when they perform the transfer. 

After about 5 mini ultrasounds to check the progress of the size of my bladder, we were finally ready! Dr Pablo came in, explained the process. He was super sweet by letting Nik come into the Operating Room. He said they don't usually allow anyone in or video record. 

It was a little painful at first but once the catheter was in, there was no pain. Nik started recording & we got to watch Dr Pablo get her from the incubator & insert her thru the catheter. 

At this time, WE ARE PREGNANT!!!! He said it was a "perfect transfer". It took acouple  minutes for me to process everything. Then I just started crying!

Here is a pic of Ava:

We were able to take video but I'm not sure how to upload it to the blog. I will try to figure this out later today. 

Nik & I are staying at a hotel tonight then fly back to Salinas tomorrow, then back to the states Sunday!!!

Green light for Tuesday!

Today was the l o n g e s t day ever!!! I was in a bumpy cab for 6 hours, in an airport for 4 hours and riding airplanes for 2 hours. All of this travel for an doctor appointment that literally lasted less than 20 minutes..... I had to fly into Quito for the ultrasound to check my endometrium. In order for you to get implanted, you need to have a thickness of 6. I had a thickness of 7.83 so we are all set to get implanted Tuesday!!

I got the results of all the embryos genetic testing.

There are 3 different chromosomes they test for to make sure you will have a healthy baby and also testing for gender. They take the embryo and biopsy one cell and from that one cell they get all this information! In order to have a perfect baby, you should have 2 of each of these chromosomes. If you have less or more, it will not be healthy.

Here are the chromosomes they test for:

Chromosome 13 for Patau Syndrome: Patau syndrome /ˈpætaʊ/ is a syndrome caused by a chromosomal abnormality, in which some or all of the cells of the body contain extra genetic material fromchromosome 13.  The extra genetic material from chromosome 13 disrupts the normal course of development, causing multiple and complex organ defects. Like all nondisjunction conditions (such as Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome), the risk of this syndrome in the offspring increases with maternal age at pregnancy, with about 31 years being the average.^[1] Patau syndrome affects somewhere between 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 21,700 live births.^[2]


Chromosome 18 for Edwards Syndrome: Edwards syndrome (also known as Trisomy 18 [T18]) is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 18th chromosome. Edwards syndrome occurs in around one in 6,000 live births and around 80 percent of those affected are female.^[2] The majority of fetuses with the syndrome die before birth.^[2] The incidence increases as the mother's age increases. The syndrome has a very low rate of survival, resulting from heart abnormalities, kidney malformations, and other internal organ disorders.


Chromosome 21 for Down Syndrome: Down syndrome (DS) or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21.^[1] It is typically associated with physical growth delays, characteristic facial features and mild to moderate intellectual disability.^[2] 


Out of all 8 embryos tested the ONLY ONE who came back with a perfect score of 2,2,2,XX and   this was embryo #6. Not only did she have perfect amount of chromosomes, she also was scored a Grade A embryo. There are 4 categories of A,B,C & D.

For now the doctors orders are to continue on these Lindisic patches until the 10th week of pregnancy.  On Feb. 16th I will start taking 3 more different medicines:
Progesterone ( a steroid hormone that supports gestation) twice a day until the 10th week of pregnancy.
Metilprednilolona: Once daily for 4 days (After egg retrieval for a cycle of in vitro fertilization, methylprednisolone may be prescribed to prevent the body from rejecting the embryos being transferred, up to the time of implantation)
 Azitromicina: Just 2 tablets for 1 day. This is an antibiotic that prevents bacteria from growing in my body.

I'm still taking a baby aspirin once a day, fish oil and my prenatal vitamins. This is a lot of stuff to take & I hate taking pills! But its all in the name of Ava, so I won't complain!!

I hope to be able to take a video of the doctor implanting Ava on Tuesday. It will be so cool to be able to get it on film!!

I am feeling fine, still not crazy, but who knows how I will feel after the 16th after taking all those pills?! Trey has been such an angel. Last night he said a special prayer just for Ava. I love it when he does stuff like that on his own!! My boys are getting excited and it is so awesome to know that I have so much support from all you guys. Please continue your prayers that everything goes great for Tuesday and that we have a successful implantation!

All we needed was one perfect embryo

Today I found out the results of the genetic testing. We tested 8 embryos. Out of the 8 we have: 1 perfect baby girl, 1 fragmented girl embryo (healthy but the nucleus is not whole), 2 boys with abnormal chromosomes & 4 very abnormal embryos.

I cannot believe it.... We have ONLY ONE perfect baby girl. Out of this whole process it has bothered me "How will I choose which girl to implant?". God has a plan for us. We don't get to choose, there is only one option!!!!

Originally we were going to wait until Day 5 to implant. Since there is only one perfect baby girl, we will implant her at Day 3 stage. The mothers womb is the best incubator! If we would have had more embryos we would have waited until Day 5 and been able to see which ones made it. Since there is only one, we can't take the chance that she won't make it to Day 5 outside my womb. We are going to implant her February 17th.

I go back to Quito to have an ultrasound February 13th to check my endometrium. I believe I will also start another medication to get ready for implantation.

This is a true test of faith. There is only one baby girl. I pray that she makes it all the way thru to a perfect baby girl. Please include us in your prayers. Everything is on Gods hands! I believe he will deliver us a beautiful baby!!!

The date is set..... I will OFFICIALLY be pregnant!

The big day is quickly approaching! I will begin taking these hormone patches tomorrow. I will place 6 patches of Estradiol on my stomach for 5 days, remove then repeat on my lower back another 5 days. I will have to keep rotating these patches front to back until Feb. 20th.

I will fly into Quito for a quick appointment on Feb. 14th to have an ultrasound to check my endometrium.

What is an endometrium:

Function[edit]

The endometrium is the innermost glandular layer and functions as a lining for the uterus, preventing adhesions between the opposed walls of the myometrium, thereby maintaining the patency of the uterine cavity. During the menstrual cycle or estrous cycle, the endometrium grows to a thick, blood vessel-rich, glandular tissue layer. This represents an optimal environment for the implantation of a blastocyst upon its arrival in the uterus. The endometrium is central, echogenic (detectable using ultrasound scanners), and has an average thickness of 6.7 mm.

During pregnancy, the glands and blood vessels in the endometrium further increase in size and number. Vascular spaces fuse and become interconnected, forming the placenta, which supplies oxygen and nutrition to the embryo and fetus. 

-- Taken from Wikipedia (Don't ya just love the internet!)

I will be calling in on Feb 11th to find out the results of the genetic testing on the 8 embryos. This is when I will find out how many are healthy and how many are girls...... I cannot wait to see the results!

We have decided that instead of implanting a Day 3 embryo, we are going to see how many girls will make it to Day 5. This will give us a better chance of successful implantation.

Hopefully all will be well with the ultrasound on Feb 14th. and on the 20th, we will officially be pregnant!!!!! 

Success.... 44 eggs retrieved!

Yesterday was my surgery for retrieval of my eggs. I knew I had a lot because I could barely walk or move. I felt so swollen. Best way to describe it would be to blow up 40 small water balloons and squeeze them together under your shirt. I was doing the pregnancy "waddle" into the office. I felt so much pressure and was ready to get these eggs out!

One tired momma:

Once at the clinic, I was taken into the back and put under iv sedation. They used Propofol to put me under. I think I am allergic to it. I woke up from surgery and was so sick. I had terrible flu-like symptoms for hours. My surgery was right at 8am and I didn't leave the clinic until after 2pm. Then I came home & crashed the rest of the night.

Here is the process of how they take the eggs:

The actual technique used to collect eggs for in vitro fertilization is known as an ultrasound-guided transvaginal aspiration. While an ultrasound probe is used to provide a visual image of the ovary and the surrounding structures, a very fine needle is inserted through the upper wall of the vagina and into the ovary. Through magnification of the ultrasound image, the physician can locate the individual follicles that contain mature eggs and apply gentle suction to remove the contents of each one, which is known as aspiration.

The fluid and egg from each follicle are collected into an individual container, which will then be taken to the lab for examination and preparation for fertilization. The procedure is performed on both ovaries, usually taking between 10 and 15 minutes to complete.

A couple hours after the retrieval Dr Valencia told me that were able to get 44 mature eggs!!! We decided that fertilizing all 44 would leave too many embryos. We are going to fertilize 20 and freeze 24 eggs.

I woke up this morning still feeling a little weak and groggy. Dr Valencia texted me to let me know that out of the 20 eggs, 13 fertilized. Now we wait for the second day of my cycle to begin. Then I will take another medicine to grow my endometrium. After I take this medicine 8-10 days, then finally they will do the implantation!!

I will call back to the doctors office in a few days to see how many eggs fertilized to Day 3 & were able to have the biopsy for genetic testing. 

Hysterosalpingogram Test (HSG)... Como say WHAT??

I went in this morning for another ultrasound. My little follicles are growing right along! Most of them were around 20 in measurement! YAY!!!! This means we are a go for Wednesdays egg retrieval!

This is my 2nd bed:

I started a new shot today called Lupron. I will actually take it tonight at 9:15pm then another one tomorrow morning at 9:15am.  They did another blood test this morning as well.  Dr Valencia wasn't in the office so I am not sure why we did another blood test but I will find out tomorrow. I actually go back again tomorrow for another one. My guess is they are testing to make sure all these meds are at the right dosage??


This afternoon I had a Hysterosalpingogram Test : HSG for short.  It is basically an X-ray of your fallopian tubes to make sure everything is healthy. It's hard to explain so here is what I found online:

A hysterosalpingogram (HSG) is an X-ray test that looks at the inside of the uterusand fallopian tubes and the area around them. It often is done for women who are having a hard time becoming pregnant (infertile).

During a hysterosalpingogram, a dye (contrast material) is put through a thin tube that is put through the vagina and into the uterus. Because the uterus and the fallopian tubes are hooked together, the dye will flow into the fallopian tubes. Pictures are taken using a steady beam of X-ray (fluoroscopy) as the dye passes through the uterus and fallopian tubes. The pictures can show problems such as an injury or abnormal structure of the uterus or fallopian tubes, or a blockage that would prevent an egg moving through a fallopian tube to the uterus. A blockage also could prevent sperm from moving into a fallopian tube and joining (fertilizing) an egg. A hysterosalpingogram also may find problems on the inside of the uterus that prevent a fertilized egg from attaching (implanting) to the uterine wall.

Basically, it hurt like the Dickens! Since all my follicles are all getting so big, everything is very tender. I had to take about a million X-rays at every position imaginable. I just kept telling myself "This is for Ava. This is for Ava", somehow that magically makes all this tolerable.

X-ray film:

Nik has been such a trooper. He has been to every daily doctor appointment and has tried his best to make all these shots as pain-free as he can! I thank God for him. I cannot imagine a better person to go thru all this with. He is my best friend and I love him very much! I just had to give him a little shout-out because you know what they say "Behind every strong WOMAN is a stronger man"!!!

My follicles are growing!

Today we had another ultrasound & got to see how fast the follicles are growing. It's crazy how big they are getting. The nurse counted 20 today & a lot of them were already around 18 in measurement! 

Here is a pic of one of my ovaries:

As you can see, all those round circles is a follicle. Inside that follicle is an egg!!

I can tell they are getting bigger because my ovaries feel very swollen. Sometimes I find myself sitting down like a pregnant lady because it's a little tender. 

The funniest thing happened before they started the exam. I always watch them put the condom thing on the ultrasound wand. Well today, it was already on there when we got in the room. I told Nik to take it off because I want to see them put a fresh one on. He was having a hard time getting it off & was fumbling with it when the non-English speaking nurses came in. We both started laughing. I explained to the nurses that I wanted a new sleeve thing on there. Who knows what they thought he was doing....!

We are still on track to go back again Monday to check the size of these follicles & Wednesday retrieve them. 

I'm feeling a lot better now. My cold is almost all gone now, thank you God! The shots I'm getting in the morning still hurt. The Gonal F shot is so tiny. The other shot is like a dang sewing needle. I just about cry every time Nik has to inject me. The good part is that I only have 2 more days of these shots! 

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Another successful day!

This morning I had another ultrasound to count and check on my follicles. In total there were about 15 growing. They need to be around 18 in measurement, right now they range in size from 11-13. The significance of this is once they are large enough, they will be ready for retrieval!  It was weird to see them all on the screen. It almost felt like I was looking at the ultrasound of a pregnancy. I know they are not fertilized eggs but just to see them all on the screen, I felt like a proud momma!! Maybe its just these crazy hormones talking (ha!).

Dr. Valencia decided to keep me on the same meds Gonal F at 125 for the next few days. I go back to him tomorrow to get a new prescription: Orgalutran. This is a medication that will avoid premature ovulation. The last thing I want is to start my cycle and loose all these little bad girls!! The bad news is that this is going to be another shot. So for the next 4 days, I will be getting 2 shots in the morning (ugh!).

Then we will head back to the doctors office Saturday morning for another ultrasound to check the growth of the follicles. He suspects that by Saturday they will be around 18-19 in measurement. If this is the case, I will start another medication Monday and we will retrieve the eggs on Wednesday.

As for how I am feeling: Its not all that bad taking the hormones. I do feel a little weepy sometimes but not crazy! I am a little sick and have only been able to take Vitamin C, Tylenol & Saline Solution for congestion. I can't tell if its the hormones making me feel bad or just the cold I've got going on. Nik & Trey have been SO sweet. They keep trying to make me laugh and bring me treats!

Lots of Follicles!

This morning was both mine & Niks doctors appointments. He had the sperm aspiration. They were able to get 100 sperms. (So exciting to think my little girl is half way there in this ifv process!!). They used Propofol to put him under. He was nervous because we all know this is what Michael Jackson used to go to sleep every night. Dr Valencia reassured him that it was much different because Nik was only going to be "under" less than an hour and he would have an anesthesiologist present. There were actually a room full of doctors and nurses to assist in this procedure.

Nik before surgery:

Since MJ was the last thing Nik was talking about before he went to sleep, he ended up dreaming about him. He said MJ was mad at him because he couldn't moon walk but kept doing those little funny "hee hee" laughs! Too funny..... I will have to think of something really fun when they put me under. I definitely don't want to be dreaming of a mean Michael Jackson laughing creepily at me.

As for my appointment, it was excruciating. They did the ultrasound of my uterus and since I am on all these hormones, there were a lot of follicles. I was able to see lots of them which was a wonderful sign! Dr Valencia said that since there are so many eggs, he is considering freezing both eggs & embryos. He is going to talk with us more about this tomorrow (after yet another ultrasound). I would much rather freeze eggs than embryos.

Dr Valencia also said that he may be changing my hormones tomorrow. He decreased my dosage a couple days ago but since things are going so well, he is probably going to change meds. I guess since everything is so healthy, we are going to go a less aggressive route!!

Nik was a trooper. After he was out of recovery, we went to the local mall and got some lunch & ice cream. I couldn't believe how much he was walking around. He must have a super-high tolerance for pain. I know I was ready to come home & curl in bed after my exam and he was ready to go walk around the mall!!

He is now passed out in bed, I guess the meds are kicking in! I am making him beef stew for dinner since it was his special request.

Thats it for now!!

More Blood Testing Today

So today we went in to the doctors at 8:00am. The place was still hustling & bustling. There are always so many people there. Today I just had to get a blood test to check my hormone levels to see if I need to have more or less hormones from the shots that I get daily. Everything was great and he decreased my Gonal shot from 187.5 to 125. This is great because although I haven't felt really crazy like some have said I would, I have been feeling a little on the verge of tears then want to laugh when my boys call me out!

Lets talk about Nik and giving me the shots every morning.... He is definitely not cut out to be a nurse. The first morning he gave it to me, he held the needle like he was about to murder me. (think that Alfred Hitchcock movie Psycho). Then jabbed it in quickly, it hurt like no tomorrow. The next day he went slower and this was much better. Then today, he put it in the wrong spot (in my muscle) instead of soft flesh. I pray that tomorrow he does a better job! I am going to make a bullseye for him, that should help.

Tomorrow is another day at the doctors office. Nik has an 8:30 am appointment for his sperm aspiration. He will be lightly sedated with anesthesia so he won't feel a thing. Thank goodness!! One of his friends sent him these scary pictures of what they are going to do. Bless his heart, he knew it was worth it and wasn't even scared. When the Dr. told him he would be sedated, you could just see the stress melt off of him!

I also have an appointment at 10:30 am tomorrow.  They are going to test my uterus for polyps and fibers. Hopefully this exam will be perfect as all the others ones have been.

The weather here in Quito is nuts. In the morning it will be cold, then mid-day it is warm, then at night it is freezing. It can also rain at the drop of a hat, so the last couple days I have been a little under the weather. Just head cold and congested. Luckily there are fresh juice places EVERYWHERE! I have had more fresh orange juice here than any other time in my life.

That's whats happening here!

Started hormones today!

This morning I had my second appointment with Dr. Pablo Valencia. I was instructed to go back to his office on the 2nd day of my monthly cycle for blood testing. Today they drew blood for: Group Factor RH, VDRL, HIV 1+2, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Prolactina, FSH, Estradiol, TSH, & Rubeola IGG/IGM.

After they drew my blood I went back in to speak with Dr. Pablo. We explained that we are are only here for a limited time. We originally thought the whole procedure would only take 2-3 weeks but since we are also ordering genetic testing, it will be an extra 10 days.

Since we are trying to fast-track everything, he went ahead and checked my ovaries today via ultrasound. He checked to see how many follicles (the exterior that houses your eggs) I had and also making sure there were no cysts or abnormalities with my ovaries. If there was anything wrong with this ultrasound, then we would have to start birth control and it would add more time to the process. Thank goodness that my ultrasound came back perfect!! AND..... I have tons of follicles, which means there are going to be lots of eggs for him to harvest when the time comes.  YAY..... Thank you Jesus!!

I also started taking the hormones today to aid in producing the maximum amount of eggs. I am taking Gonal. It is a shot that is given with the tiniest needle. I barely felt it when I got my first injection today. It is really cool, it looks like a pen and you click it to get to the correct dose. Once you have selected 187.5 (my dosage), you will screw on a fresh needle and insert it right under my bellybutton to the left side on one day then the right on the next and on and on for the next 5 days. On January 21st,  I will come back to the doctor for another blood test to check my hormone levels. At this time, Dr. Pablo will determine if I need more or less hormones. In total, I will be taking these shots once a day for 10 days.

Then on January 22nd we will go back to Dr. Pablos and do an ultrasound to make sure there are no polyps or fibers inside my uterus. At this time Nik will also have a surgery to retrieve his sperm. Luckily he will be under light anesthesia so he won't feel a thing! Dr. Pablo actually said he prefers it when the men have had a vasectomy because it is easier to get the sperm! They will freeze his sperm until they are ready to create the embryos. He said it is completely safe to freeze the sperm and that it will not have any effect on the quality.

As for now, the last appointment we have scheduled is for January 23rd when I will have another ultrasound to check to see how many eggs are growing. This may not be the technical term for it but we were doing a lot of talking and I was trying to write as fast as I could to try to keep all this information in check. I am sure as the appointments get here, I will get more detailed information!

So thats it for now! We are on our way, started taking hormones today so we are that much closer!!!!

Dreams of being a mommy again!

Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted kids. I used to pretend that my room was an apartment and I was a mommy to my cabbage patch dolls. I would walk them in strollers and fasten them in little plastic car seats in the back seat of my moms car.

I met my husband, Nik, when I was 19 years old and we have been together ever since! We had a little boy, Trey, back in 2003. He was a natural conception. I always knew that my second child would be a little girl. I planned on adopting so immediately after Trey was born, Nik had a vasectomy. Fast-forward 10 years later and we now find ourselves getting ready to move to Salinas, Ecuador. I am now 32 years old and the burning desire to become a mommy to that little girl has been more and more prevalent. Especially since this past year, I have had 4 different girlfriends get pregnant, all with little girls. One of my dear friends even picked the same name I wanted to name my future daughter, Ava.

The adoption process here in Ecuador can take 3-5 years after you become a resident. I cannot wait that long so we have chosen to go with in vitro fertilization. Since it is very expensive in USA, I choose to come to Ecuador.  I spent countless hours online researching the best doctors who can do the treatment with gender selection. Dr. Pablo Valencia is the doctor that I choose to go with. He had a great website and gave me his personal email. He is bilingual and answered all my millions of questions thru email. Once I booked the appointment we made arrangements to come to Ecuador, to close on our new beach houses then 2 weeks later, fly to Quito to come meet Dr. Pablo Valencia.

When I shared with my Ecuador friends that  I was coming here to see Dr. Valencia, everyone says that he is very famous here. He has gotten lots of couples pregnant and almost everyone I told knew of him! This was such a great sign. It really made me feel that all my research had paid off!

So this morning was my first appointment. I was totally impressed with his nice office and there were so many other couples in the waiting area. Once we met Dr. Valencia he was so nice. He took his time explaining the procedure and made sure that I felt completely comfortable and all my questions had been answered.

Here is the front of Dr Valencia's office: 

Dr. Pablo explained how they do genetic testing on 5 different chromosomes to ensure you will have a healthy embryo with no down syndrome or health defects. This is also where they discover the gender. XX is girl so we are looking for quite a few of those!

Here is Dr. Pablo Valencia:

Nik had his blood taken today to test for disease and normal stuff like that. 

This is completely normal, and same thing they do when a female is pregnant! We will get all his results back in 2 days. We were both prescribed to take an antibiotic for the next 3 days to be sure there won't be any bacteria in our bodies. I was prescribed prenatal vitamins to be taken every day throughout the pregnancy!

Now we will just wait for the 2nd day of my monthly cycle then I will go back to the doctors office for my blood testing.

This is a brief synopsis of what happened up until now. As we go back to the doctors office I will keep everyone informed of our journey!