It’s been a few days now since we completed the transfer of our last 2 frosties!  We’re now in waiting mode, but I thought I’d write to share a glimpse of that day 🙂

With it being our last effort before having to look at starting the whole process over again {by “whole process” I mean starting from scratch with a lot more medications and injections to produce new eggs, combing with the male counterpart, and achieving new, fresh embryos} I wanted to be sure I was doing everything I could to give us the best chance for success!  I started by doing a session of acupuncture in the morning before our transfer.  I’ve never done that before in any of our past attempts, but figured it couldn’t hurt.  This was at 9AM.

A little before 10AM, I finished up, headed home and began pounding back the water and took my dose of valium {talk about stress reduction!}.  Apparently, research has shown that having a full bladder during the transfer procedure can significantly increase the chance of success.  I have always had a full bladder in all of my procedures, but I figured the more the better and guzzled down about 40 oz of water in 30 minutes!

We took off from home at about 10:15AM. The car ride was NOT pleasant, but I made it as I continued to drink my water.  Having the valium certainly did relax me, but I still felt EVERY.LITTLE.BUMP!  My bladder was ready to explode!

We got checked in, dressed up, and waited.  Now, most women will put on some lingerie and let their hair down to entice their husband into making-a-baby efforts, but not me 🙂

I didn’t even bother doing my hair that morning!  I grabbed a head band, threw it up and called it good!  Sexy, right??!! 😉

Our procedure was scheduled at 11AM.  By 10:50 I was changed and ready to go, but before they’ll take you back, they have to CONFIRM your bladder is full enough…because me sitting with my legs crossed, nearly sweating as I try to hold back the pee, isn’t confirmation enough!

The ultra sound tech took me back to check on this.  Her applying the slight amount of pressure on top of my bladder was enough to draw a small tear out of the corner of my eye!  She got a nice shot to show the doctor and prove I was more than full enough!

11AM came and went and the doctor wasn’t there yet.  The sweet nurse knew I was in agony and took me back to the procedure room to get draped.  The procedure room is as romantic as it sounds.  They put me up on the paper draped table, put my legs in stirrups and buckle them in, and tilted me back.  Then they turned the lights down low {to set the ambience of course!} and we waited for the doctor to arrive.  You can imagine how comfortable this was with a full bladder and my legs spread in a cold room!  I half joked, half warned the nurse I may not be able to hold my bladder through the entire procedure!  She smiled and said reassuringly, it wouldn’t be the first time :)!

A minute or two later {but felt like an eternity} the doctor got there.  He said his hello and gave me a smile behind his mask.  He made a joke about two red headed girls being transferred that day….the same joke he made over 5 years ago when he did the procedure with Lincoln 🙂

The nurse read my bracelet out loud to confirm my identity and the producer….inserting 2 embryos.  This is said aloud to the lab tech behind the glass before they hand over the little guys {or girls!} to ensure they give the doctor the right ones {yes, there is an audience behind glass to the whole procedure!!}.  The whole while, Eric stood at my side watching and waiting.

In the lab, the thawed embryos are placed in an air bubble together.  I believe {but honestly don’t know all the science behind} this is to protect them and to be able to place them more strategically in the uterus.  The ultra sound tech is also there in the room with us to assist the doctor in the placement of the air bubble in utero and then snap a photo when it’s done!

{The tiny white dot above the pointing hand is the air bubble with both embryos}

Once the embryos were in, the doctor handed the tube back to the lab tech behind the glass to ensure the transfer was a success and no embryo was left behind.  These guys are obviously so tiny, they can’t be seen by the naked eye so the tech has to put the tube under magnification to confirm.  Once the “OK” was given, I was free to get up and run to the bathroom!!! I ran as walked as fast as I could with a full bladder!!!

Then I went back to our private waiting room, changed back into my comfy clothes, and waited again.  The nurse came in, scheduled our follow up lab and appointment for 6/21/16, and told us we were free to go.

Eric and I headed to the car and then to another acupuncture appointment.  After that last appointment for the day, we hit up Taco John’s {which was easily one of my top cravings when I was pregnant with Lincoln!} for lunch and then headed home.  I laid in bed most of the day, catching up on The Bachelor and just taking it easy 🙂

I’m now 4 days post op and just patiently waiting {there’s a theme here!!!}!  I went back to work on Friday and stayed busy all weekend…but not too busy 🙂  I have to be sure I don’t raise my heart rate above 135, no heights, no lifting more than 20lbs, and lots of water.

I’ve been through this routine so often, that I’m not nearly as consumed minute by minute with what’s potentially {and hopefully!} going on with my body right now.  I still have to take the pills, patches and shots each day, so I’m certainly not forgetting, but thankfully I’m able to think about other things throughout my day.  I do catch myself day dreaming on occasion though, of what life could be with another baby!

Even Lincoln is excited about the possibility of a sibling.  When we ask him “what if it’s 2 babies” he quickly reminds us, he’s not changing any diapers!

Yes, we’ve shared with our 4 year old that there are babies in my tummy right now.  The last 3 attempts, he’s gotten upset by this and stated he doesn’t want a baby, but this time he’s different.  The morning of the procedure I dropped him off to daycare and told him what I was going to be doing that day, that the doctor was going to put babies in my tummy {not exactly correct, I know}.  When I picked him up, Lori, our provider, told me how excited Lincoln was when he told her about the babies and that he talked about it in a positive way!  I was so happy to hear this as I’ve been concerned about how he will react to another sibling….he’s been so used to being the only one!

He told me later that night he wanted to see the bump…meaning the baby bump.  I was laying in bed watching TV at the time and said,

“I don’t have a bump yet, sweetie.”

He then told me “Ok, you stay in here until you have a bump!” and closed the door!

I would love to know exactly what he’s thinking sometimes 🙂

So that’s what’s been going on here!  I would covet your continued prayers and positive thoughts as we continue to wait.  I’ve gotten decent at waiting…I made the mistake of praying for patience once years and years ago….never pray for patience because God will give you the opportunity to earn it!