Oh and the due date is....

Halloween! Since that is Katherine's birthday, would they be Irish twins 4 years apart??

Our little blastocysts

Isn't it a miracle?? I am so thankful for technology, I don't have the words...

The day of the retrieval, I think my abdomen expanded 5 inches from bloating so badly! But it was gone within a couple of days. Having 12 embryos fertilize really boosted my optimism and I felt great all week...

The day of the transfer went very smoothly. We learned that 6 blastocysts made it to day 5 and that they were all grade A and A/B quality. They put in the best two and froze 4, which we can use later. I was put on bed rest for two days and was told just to take it easy. It was fine for a day, but then I got antsy! I can only read for so many hours!

Waiting to hear the results for a week was the hardest part of the process. There were no more milestones to focus on, there was only the result. My confidence that it would work plummeted. I was a walking emotional roller coaster. It became easier as I tried to focus on other people and fall back into serving. I love how the Lord sustains you when you're willing to forget yourself.

I was still holding my breath all week til we got the phone call. I think I could have easily just sat and stared a the wall listening to a ticking clock for all the attention span I had! But the call came at 4:50pm February 21st From Dr. Johnson stating he had the best news: I am "very" pregnant. He said my hcg level was at 220 and that they would a following blood test to make sure my hcg is rising... Within two days I was at 502. My ultrasound appointment to determine the number of embryos will be Mar 10th.

It has been 5 days and I am still in shock. I find myself wanting to take a test every day to reassure myself that I am still pregnant. At this point, I only feel tired and full (for lack of a better description). I have started walking only for exercise instead of my normal rotation of the elliptical, treadmill and stair climber. I am anxious about that balance of wanting to take care of myself and making sure I don't do anything to jeopardize the pregnancy at such an early stage. The fact that my hips are so sore from my progesterone shots kind of keeps me in check! Sometimes I think I shouldn't pick up Katherine and other times I think "I'm a mom. I have to live my life." Funny the things you start to worry about when you really don't have control. I am grateful that I am pregnant today. Things will work out.

A very special thank you to my visiting teacher, JJ, who has come over every night to give me my shot and who will continue to do it until Mar 10th. What a trooper!

Thank you again to everyone who has kept us on your prayers. We have felt so loved. We could not have made it through without you!

Katherine has discovered the computer. The first video is her imitation of Princess Jasmine as seen on the Disney Princess website. She inviting us to pick out out a dress for her to wear to the tea party... She was totally not focused on the rolls we were making for dinner.

The second video is showing one of her favorite games, looking for buried treasure and hopping all over the house. You will note that she only has on a diaper. Yes, our daughter is like many others who would prefer to go naked, but the diaper is a remnant of necessity when Geoff and I were trying to get her to swallow some antibiotic. Can you tell how much her ear infection is bothering her by watching this video??

I gave Katherine a haircut this week. Definitely not professional, but it certainly looks less ragged with her hair above her shoulders!

Valentine's Day was a hit at our house this year! She woke up to a decorated door, an idea I picked up from my sisters, and pink pancakes.We then made heart shaped peanut butter sandwiches and had a 3 hr picnic with one of our friends at the park. It was a GORGEOUS day in Phoenix and Katherine got along amazingly well with my friend's daughter. It was a nice break. Geoff gave me a dozen red roses. It was a good day.

12 Embryos!!

Yesterday's retrieval went pretty well. I was sore and very grateful to go home and rest with my codeine! We found out that 18 eggs were retrieved and 12 eggs have fertilized. I realize now that I forgot to ask what quality of eggs were produced, but since they are scheduling for Saturday for transfer blastocysts, they can't be that bad??? So we're on!! Thank you again for everyone who has been keeping us in your prayers!

The Miracle of IVF

I'm not sure where to begin this post. Most of you know that after several months of unsuccessful IUIs, we have started the IVF protocol. It's exciting and quite adventure. I had a LOT of anxiety going into it and each day it seems to be getting better. I have felt Heavenly Father's love for our family. There is great peace knowing He is there for us and that this is the path we have to endure to get our children here. I am so grateful to our parents for their unfailing support. It seems that they are willing to help us with anything and there are no words to describe our gratitude.

As I hear more about others' experiences, I am becoming increasingly grateful for my doctor and our clinic. We have had very few problems. Dr. Johnson personally monitors me each morning with an ultrasound to measure the number and size of each follicle growing. I have over 40 follicles at this point but not all will be usable. He brings the results of my blood draw each day to a team consult at lunch where they review my hormone levels and then a nurse leaves me a message after 4pm with new instructions for which medicine to take. Since I responded very well to the medication which makes the follicles grow, he has reduced the dosage of the Follistim each day. I started a low dose HCG on Tuesday which provides a more natural stimulation of the ovaries. I started Ganirellix on Wednesday which tells the brain to stop sending signals to the ovary so that my doctors can completely control my body's response through medication. They do not want my body to go on autopilot and ovulate on it's own.

I will trigger ovulation with Lupron Sunday night and then have the retrieval on Tuesday, Feb 8th (Happy birthday, Lucas!) That day they will fertilize all the eggs in a petri dish, take the best two blastocysts and implant them on Sunday, Feb 13th. Dr. Johnson did a practice run called a SonaMOCK before we started the protocol where he mapped out my uterus and showed me how the transfer is completed. It's so exciting. I can't believe the technology they have!

The first few days of beginning the shots last Saturday were the hardest. My anxiety was high, I was easily distracted and irritable. I was not fun to be around. But Tuesday Geoff and I went the temple and the peace came. I am so grateful for a holy place that has been consecrated to the Lord where we can be reminded of why we are here on earth and that there is a grand eternal plan. I have been filled with joy since then. I have been able to focus my family and truly enjoy them. I have been enjoying good books and truly been able to laugh. It doesn't matter that my estrogen levels have jumped from below 20 to over 650 in 4 days... I have been feeling good.

Granted, I'm now wearing my yoga pants, as Genet keenly advised, on a daily basis and I'm only going to get more uncomfortable from the bloating, but it will be over soon enough. I don't know how it's going to turn out, but I'm feeling optimistic. Thank you for all your support. We will have results by Feb 22... !!!

Goodbye Hatches!!

 Almost every Sunday for the past 6 years that I have known Geoff, we have gone to dinner at the Paul and Ruth Hatch's house. It's amazing how I've taken for granted how wonderful their friendship has been. They are family and our last dinner together was one of the few times I've taken pictures at their house! Ruth cooks wonderfully and the conversation is always interesting. Paul serves up dessert each night and insists on doing the dishes. We were truly guests there.

The moment we arrive Katherine goes around giving everyone hugs and then quickly moves into the toy room to get her princess dress, shoes, hats, and begin cooking for her tea party. Everyone was so good to play with her. Thank you.

They are moving to Queen Creek to be closer to their daughters... How can I blame them?? We will miss them terribly!

We love good friends and good company! So many good laughs! Love you guys! Thanks for being so good to us!

To be played at Katherine's Wedding