6dp5dt

Well, it is officially six days post a 5 day blastocyst transfer and I tested negative this morning with a First Response test - pretty much the most sensitive test on the market.  I tested positive on this day with Keller and then realized that the line on day 5 was actually there too, just super super faint.  The crazy thing is that I feel so pregnant!!!  I definitely have all of the symptoms I had with Keller - all the twinges, pulling, tightness, cramping, having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and some queasiness.  You name it, I've had it as far as at the same symptoms go.  So, if I am not pregnant, I will have to believe that all the symptoms with Keller were just due to all the hormones too.  I really don't know what to think about all of this.  I was certain I was pregnant!!!

I know, I know that I COULD still be preggo, but I am preparing for the worst and hoping for the best too.  I will not test again until Monday before the beta.  I don't think I can handle seeing another white stick : (

Really praying for a genetic sibling for Keller and for the opportunity to be pregnant again.  I just loved it.

On another quick note.... Sadie's birth mom just contacted me yesterday via Facebook.  We aren't friends on FB anymore, so she just messaged me asking if we could talk and if we couldn't, could she see pictures of Sadie.  I see this as a really good sign.  We messaged back and forth for awhile and this morning the thought occurred to me to tell her to write to Sadie and when she did, we would send her pictures and drawings, etc... They could be like pen pals.  I think this will be a great way to give her the motivation to invest in Sadie and will be so great for Sadie as she gets older!  I'm not sure how our relationship will be yet, but at the end of the day it really doesn't matter.  What matters is that Sadie knows that her birthmother loves her and wants to be in her life.  I think this is a good way of doing that.

Thanks for everyone's support and encouragement!

Our Sibling Transfer

Well, I guess I am somewhat back!  I decided to go ahead and post about this last transfer for the support of everyone in the community : )  I really love the EA community!  We had our transfer of Keller's 2 sibling embryos on Saturday morning.  Here is a picture of our sweet embies and of the IVF coordinator, Kelly and our sweet recovery nurse, Sandy.

For the embies, the one on the left is a 5AA and the one on the right is a 3BC.  We were so thrilled to find out that both of our remaining embryos survived the thaw and that one of them was such a great quality!  Can't get much better than that!  But, I also know that quality doesn't definitely mean pregnancy, so I am trying to not put too much stock into it.

After the transfer, my hubby and I went back to the hotel and had a GLORIOUS day of doing a big fat NOTHING!  So completely wonderful when you have 2 little ones at home : )  Later that evening, we got cabin fever so went out for dinner at Mimi's cafe (I wasn't feeling too hungry) and went to Starbucks for about an hour.

Since the transfer, I have been feeling pretty much the same way I felt the first go around - crampy.  We just got back into Atlanta and so I am resting while my sweet husband manages the kids.  When I saw Keller after getting back home, she came toddling toward me with such a huge grin on her face and I couldn't help but get emotional about the fact that I was potentially carrying 2 of her genetic siblings in my uterus.  What a blessing it would be for her to grow up with a genetic sibling!!  It is honestly the main reason why we decided to go back for these last 2 embies.  We couldn't imagine having the conversation with her years down the road about how we gave her sibling embryos back to the donation pool.  So, even though we are both in our 40s, we decided that we would leave the decision up to the Lord.   And, I will have to say that we always really wanted 3 kiddos and never really felt like our family was complete just yet.

So, we WAIT!  My beta is a week from Monday, but like the last time, I am not much for patience : )  and will be POAS probably Thursday morning.

Thanks so much for those of you keeping up with me!!  
Tracey

Another September Transfer

Hey Everyone,

I know that I haven't been in the blogging world much at all this past year, but wondered if anyone else was going to be going back anytime soon for sibling embryos.  We are set for another September transfer with our remaining 2 embryos.  Can't believe it!  Not sure I am ready to be preggo again, but at my age, we kinda need to get cracking'! : )  I'd love to hear your thoughts on when you will be going back, if ever.

love to you all!
Tracey

We Were on the Anderson Cooper Show!

Hey everyone,

It has been a LONG time since I've been on the blog, but I really wanted to let you all know that Jeff and I were able to go on the Anderson Cooper show to share our adoption fraud story and give embryo adoption and the NEDC a plug! You can see a small clip of our interview here...

When we get the whole clip, I will repost. Hope you all are doing well!

Keller...

SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!  enough said : )

New Pictures

I have so enjoyed getting to see everyone's babies over the past weeks.  I love checking the blogs out in the middle of the night when I am nursing Keller.  Hoping that the middle of the night feeding will be a thing of the past soon!  On several occasions she has slept 6 hours which has helped me to feel like a human being again.  : )  She is doing much better after getting Prevacid for her reflux and I am still going strong in my dairy and soy-free diet.  I am gradually adding back wheat, eggs, nuts, etc...  to see if any other foods make her symptoms worse.

We got some pictures taken a few weeks back and just got them in the mail today.  I am somewhat surprised that we got any good ones as Keller was inconsolable most of the shoot.  We didn't realize it at the time, but she was probably having heartburn with the reflux.  We had to have her paci in her mouth to console her through much of it.  But, I think we ended up with some cute ones.: ) Can't wait to continue seeing all the new baby updates!!

Breastfeeding Craziness!

Well, it has been a VERY long time since I posted, but my life has been a bit on the crazy side.  We have had a lot of breastfeeding issues that have kept me jumping hurdles for the past 5 weeks.  It all started at the hospital when some well-intentioned nurses gave me breast shields to try to help Keller latch on.  Well, they worked, but I didn't realize that wearing shields could end up decreasing your supply.  Nor did I want to have to use them for the long haul anyway.  So, I worked for probably a week or so to get off of them.  We finally got her to latch on without the shields and I was so thrilled!!  But, then we went into our doctor and it turned out that Keller lost an ounce over the week instead of gaining an ounce a day.  They immediately sent me down to a lactation specialist, who quickly determined that Keller was tongue-tied (her frenulum under the tongue was a little tight), which hindered breastfeeding.  So, I began the very tedious regimen of weighing Keller on a professional scale, then nursing her, then weighing again to see how much she got, then giving her a bottle of breastmilk to make up what she still needed, then pumping to keep up my supply.  I was doing this 8 times a day!!  Talk about never wanting to see the pump again!  We also took Keller into an ENT, who clipped her frenulum.  Supposedly, clipping the frenulum can help some babies nurse effectively immediately and others end up needing OT to figure out what to do with their newly freed tongue.  Keller was one of the latter.  So, we added going to an OT along with the lactation specialist who gave us exercises to help strengthen Keller's tongue.  Fortunately, Keller got MUCH better after another week and a half and began taking full feedings regularly.

We got discharged from OT and the lactation specialist last Monday since she was doing so well and then went into our pediatrician on Wednesday for our one month appointment.  One of our concerns was that Keller began spitting up A LOT.  And we were used to this with Sadie, who ended up having a milk intolerance.  We were also concerned because we could not get rid of a diaper rash that Keller had. So, the pediatrician decided to test Keller's stool for blood, which came back positive.  With the blood in the stool and the spitting up, a milk intolerance is suspected.  I am now having to adjust my diet to eliminate any offending items in my breastmilk.  I originally started with eliminating everything, then went to just dairy, but ended up having to go back to eating only about 6 items after she had a bad reaction last Saturday after I ate soy, wheat, peanuts, and chocolate.  I went all out that day!  I am now eating only chicken, turkey deli meat, peaches, rice, oatmeal, millet, squash and spinach until her spitting up and diarrhea gets better.  At that point, I will slowly introduce the other offending allergens to see which are bugging her.  She is also taking Zantac, but not sure it is helping much at this point.  We are also going to go to a GI specialist on Friday for additional resources and opinions.

Needless to say, all of this craziness has left me little time to do much of anything else.  It is a lot to take care of a newborn along with a 2 1/2 year old, let alone have these issues along with it.  But, I know women do it everyday.  I am no exception!  And I am so very grateful that the Lord gave me each of these hurdles separately, as I don't think I would have stuck with breastfeeding if they were all together.  He has been gracious.

I have faithfully been following along with each of your stories.  So very sorry that I have not commented much.  I mostly read up on my iphone while nursing Keller and it is hard to comment with one hand!  Today I have had the rare moment to get onto my computer for a longer period of time.  Grateful!!

I will hopefully post some more pictures soon.

Love to you all!
Tracey