Friday, April 29, 2011

Ultrasound #3

 The Shackleton Family
Our ultrasound on Wednesday went very well.  Dan and I were SO NERVOUS before our appointment but as soon as we saw the heartbeat on the screen we were so relieved.  Baby Shack is measuring right on track (three days early actually but that is normal) at 10 weeks 1 day.  He/she measured 28.8 mm and had a heartbeat of 180 beats per minute which we got to hear again.  We were able to see Baby Shack moving around and sucking his/her thumb.  In the two short weeks since our last ultrasound Baby Shack has more than doubled in size and now is getting fuzz on the skin, nails on the little fingers, and other detailed features.  Check out the photos and video that Dan shot during our appointment!
Wednesday's appointment was our last with Dr. K.  I have been released to my ob/gyn and will hope to have an appointment when I am 12 weeks pregnant.  Saturday will also be my last PIO and delestrogen shots!  Dan is VERY happy about that, even more than me.  Another great thing about Wednesday was that Dan and I were able to have a great visit with James and Christina who are also in town this week working with Dr. K.  It was wonderful to swap stories and connect with another couple in person who has experienced embryo adoption. 
The baby  is giving us a profile shot.  The head is on the left with the baby facing down.  You can see him/her sucking their thumb.  You can also see the baby's butt and little legs.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Survival Mode

The past few weeks have been hard.  We were grieving the loss of Baby A, trying to stay positive about Baby B, extremely busy at work, and trying to just stay afloat physically and emotionally.  Because of my job, this time of year is already pretty stressful, add a late Easter break, measurably less support from my bosses at work, dealing with pregnancy symptoms, and dealing with our loss (which impacted me WAY more than I ever thought)  I am simply exhausted in every way.  And yet I survive.  Things will work out.  And today was a great first full day of relaxed vacation.  Tomorrow is Easter and we will spend it with family at the beach in gorgeous Newport Coast.  There is much to be thankful for.  And. . . have I mentioned that I married the most loving, thoughtful, and patient man?  Dan is my rock and I love that I can depend on him no matter what.  I can't even bear to list the horrible, awful chores he did for me this week without complaining once:

1.  Cleaned out the overfull cat box. (Which he HATES to do.)
2.  Helped me purchase $600 worth of "stuff" for my AP students for their goody bags and then spent his day off stuffing 215 goody bags.
3.  He drove over a hour each way back to our house when we finally got to our beach destination because I only packed our needles and the bottles of meds got left at home.
4.  He did the dishes more than once.
5.  He gives me back rubs even when HE is the one who has a bad back.
6.  He gives me my shots everyday even though he doesn't like doing it.  He even apologizes when it hurts even though it is not his fault if it hurts.
7.  He prays for us.
8.  He texts me during the day to find out how I am doing and when I am doing bad he calls me and listens to me cry.
9.  When I couldn't find enough parents and college students to proctor AP exams in May he quickly volunteered himself and his two other friends who are off on Mondays to proctor on their day off after working four ten-hour shifts.
10.  He hugs me and tells me he loves me ALL the time.

I told you he is the best!  Infertility and crisis in general can be hard on a marriage. but with Dan and I it has brought us closer and closer.  I am so thankful to the Lord for that gift.

On a side note:  our next ultrasound is coming up on Wednesday.  I am 50% excited for it and 50% dreading it which sort of equals out to this numb feeling that I've been having about our pregnancy.  I just don't want to get too excited.  Honestly, that last ultrasound really dealt a blow to my usual optimism.  I think I've been coping by burying myself in my work (easy to do) and trying not to dwell on it.  If I talk about it too much I either get sad or angry or both.  I don't know when I will feel the confidence to be fully excited and happy about Baby B.  I pray soon.  As Dan said the other day, "We have to have faith because living in fear is no way to live life."

Monday, April 11, 2011

Ultrasound #2 - Bittersweet with a dose of anger and a dash of self-pity

Today at our ultrasound we found out that Baby A died last week.  He/she did not have a heartbeat and it was measuring a week behind.  Baby B looked good measuring at 7 weeks 5 days old with a heartbeat of 150 bpm which is exactly where the baby should be.  Our next ultrasound is on April 27th. 

Today I don't feel like pouring my heart out to the whole blogging world and beyond.  The title of my post tells enough how we are feeling.

Friday, April 1, 2011

There's No Fooling. . .

. . . we saw TWO heartbeats today!  We are blessed with twins and today I am six weeks pregnant!  Baby A on top is measuring 3.3 millimeters and and Baby B on the bottom is measuring 3.0 millimeters which is right on schedule.  We had a nice smooth ride out to Dr. K's office and got there 45 minutes early.  The office was full but they took us right in and a few minutes later we got to see those little flicker, flickers on the ultrasound monitor.  It was quite surreal and exciting.  He encouraged us to remain cautiously optimistic.  I would say we are more optimistic than cautious.  We know the risk of loss but it can't take away the immense joy we feel today.  At a mere six weeks with two heartbeats this is the longest pregnancy we have had and we will enjoy every day our two little ones stay with us.  Thanks to everyone for your prayers and encouragement.  I feel so at peace and excited.  We were not given an official due date yet but the FET due date calculator says November 25th.  =)  Our next ultrasound appointment with Dr. K will be on April 11th.  Looking forward to seeing how much our little twinos change between now and then!

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Elizabeth's Weightloss Journey

Body Fat Loss Goal

Start: 38.7% Body Fat at 207.0 lbs = 80.1 lbs of fat
Goal: 33.0% Body Fat by September 1, 2013
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Wk1: 38.5% at 204.0 = 78.54 lbs of fat (-1.56 lb)
Wk2: 37.8% at 205.5 = 77.68 lbs of fat (-.86 lb)
Wk3: 36.9% at 203.5 = 75.09 lbs of fat (-2.59 lb)
Wk4: 37.3% at 204.0= 76.09 lbs of fat (+1.00 lb)
Wk5: 37.4% at 201.5 =75.36 lbs of fat (-.73 lb)
Wk 6: 37.1% at 199.5 =74.01 lbs of fat (-1.35 lb)
Vacation
Wk 7: 36.2% at 198.0 = 71.6 lbs of fat
Wk 8: 36.7 at 196.0 = 71.9 lbs of fat
Wk 10: 35.9 at 198 = 71.0 lbs of fat
Took a break for FET#4....
Wk 11: 36.2% at 194.5 = 70.4lbs of fat
Wk 12 (September 1st):

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