Blood is drawn!

Its been three days since my last beta.  Not sure why they do it every three days instead of two.  Its so much easier to calculate two, I think.  But, I'm so nervous!  Anxiously waiting the result.

I'm homeschooling Rocco and Maximus this year, but they have been going to a homeschool campus and taking classes.  Let me tell you, trying to teach twins is no easy feat.  However, this year has been such a blessing in growth and direction for all of us.  I really felt that God led us down the road to homeschooling.  However, next year, they are going to be at a local Christian school, I am SOOO excited about!  It is an amazing school, Christ centered.

I decided to finish up May just homeschooling at home, no more classes.  So to pass the time of the BETA results, we had a beautiful day at the nature center in Newport Beach.  Its 1:52 here, and I feel like I should be getting a call any minute!

Here are a few pics from our day...

And last but not least... MORE POAS... ;-)

Beta #1 @ 12 dpt = 291

Beta #2 @ 15 dpt = ???

BETA #2 is... 997!!!!!

I was shooting for 900, so I will take it!  Looks like our little bean is growing right on track!  The bad news is that my Progesterone was only 8.2, so I'm now going to be adding nightly PIO, but anything for this little miracle!  Praise Jesus!

Maybe Baby? BETA LIMBO... and BETA #2

This past weekend was so nice to get away.  Part of me wanted to cancel the trip, because of this BETA LIMBO we've found ourselves in, yet I knew we REALLY needed some time away without the kids.  We haven't had a weekend away since last August!

Getting ready for our dinner date!

We stayed at this quaint little hotel nestled in the hills of  Santa Barbara with little cottages for the guests.  It had a B&B feel to it, yet a total romantic getaway... wine and cheese at 5 (except me!)!  We loved it!

Little cottages at night

Saturday C and I did a four mile hike down into the canyon walking along stream.  It felt amazing to be out in the fresh air with nature.  I really needed it with all this stress.  I was beyond exhausted when I got home and just wanted to take a nap, pool side.

The gorgeous hike!

Making it to the top!  So proud of us!   And p.s.  That cleavage was NOT there two weeks ago! ;-)

So what do you do on vacation when you might, maybe, be pregnant, and are surrounded by wine... EAT, EAT, EAT!  We got room service for breakfast.  And yes, I ate all of that!

One of the coolest parts of this hotel was that the Chef grew much of his own produce and it was organic!  You all know I'm a natural health fanatic! I was in heaven!

So with all this R&R, all I could think about was this MAYBE BABY.  Can I just say, I don't know whats worse a BFN, or this LIMBO.  The whole weekend I was fearing the worse!  How could this go well!?  And lets recap... BETA # 1 at 10dp5dt was a measly 33!  

I read blogs, and threads, some good and some bad on our down time.  I became a little obsessed with reading success stories.  I knew it could go either way!  This maybe baby had a 50% shot!  This maybe baby had many people praying for it (my close friends know and my parents).  I had to tell my parents after I got the BETA, I knew this baby needed some prayers, and if it didn't work, I would need some support from my besties and parents.

This is the best part... each day my tests kept getting darker!  I would POAS, come out disappointed and tell C it was lighter, then he would go in to check and say, "No, Sara, its darker now!"  No way!

 These tests work!  The top is from BETA #1 day, at 33 HCG. The middle test is from Saturday, FMU,  and the bottom is from yesterday morning, with diluted urine (after breakfast.)  Can you see the difference?

This morning I went in first thing at 7am so I would be sure to get my results back soon!  I waited and waited and waited.  They've always called in the morning.  Finally at 1:30 I called them!  I was so sick of waiting on eggshells!  For the number to double every 48 hours, it only needed to be at 132.

Low and behold, I cannot believe what my number is... 271 !!!!!!!!!  It more than quadrupled with a doubling time of 31.6 hours, per BetaBase.  This little babe is playing some catch up!

So I think I've figured out what MAY have happened.  FET's sometimes take a blast longer to implant, 1-5 days.  This blast implanted on day 5, which is why I got SUCH a squinter BFP the next day, and it slowly been doubling since then!  So I will likely be 5 days behind when we get to U/S.

I know we aren't out of the woods yet, I go back for another BETA wednesday, but for now, I'm PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!! Praise Jesus!!!!

Beta #2 11dp5dt!!!

I'm actually sitting here waiting for the call, on pins and needles.  I do have faith that its going to be good but I have moments of fear and doubt.  When I do, I pray.  I've actually been praying like crazy the last couple days.  Praying for God to protect my baby(ies), help them to continue to grow and be safe inside me.  When fear creeps in, I pray that God takes that feeling away.  It helps.

C and I weren't planning on telling anyone besides my parents since we spilled the beans about IVF a few days ago, but we were too excited!  We have never been pregnant before, we are so happy, we want to share our joy, and we want lots of prayer for our babies. 

I called my parents right away.  I didn't tell them that we moved the Beta up to Friday, so we were potentially able to surprise them if the news was good.  My mom answered the phone and we asked if she wanted to come out here tomorrow for the Rose Bowl and dinner.  She put the phone on speaker phone so my dad could hear.  I asked again, and my dad wasn't sure.  I responded, "well I think you should come and celebrate, BECAUSE WE'RE PREGNANT!!"  My mom burst into tears, just like I did.  I could tell my Dad got a little emotional too!  They were so happy!  We ended up going out there because our house is still freezing.  We get our new heater installed tomorrow, thank God!

It was nice visiting.  I slept better out there actually because the last two days, I woke up at 5am and couldn't go back to sleep... too much excitement!  I slept til 7am today and went to bed at 830.  I was so exhausted last night I could barely keep my eyes open!  I think part of it was lack of sleep and part was pregnancy!  I know its so early to "feel" anything, but I do, which makes me worried about the future! 

My brother and sis-in-law came over yesterday as well.  We wanted to surprise them with the news.  They were happy for us and are so excited that their new baby, Sasha, is going to have a playmate.  He (no Sasha is my Nephew) was born Sept 29.  So they'll be close in age.

We also called C's parents, which they are extremely happy.  C's step-mom never had kids so she has been WAITING for grand babies.  I was always worried I wouldn't be able to give them to her.

My only fear is that we told people a little prematurely.  I am so scared about this second Beta #.  I am praying they are okay (I'm going to say they until we know how many since we implanted two).

Here are my "babies" first pics (finally)...

This is the early blastocyst

a little blurry, but this is the 4aa blast (not sure what that line is?)

Here's how they were made!

 

Sooo glad I didn't POAS before the Beta.  I took this after my 176 BETA!  Those Internet cheapies SUCK!  But there is a second line!  First one EVER! 9dp5dt

*****

Just got off the phone with Tressa!!!  Beta #2... 692!!  We are more than thrilled!  I was so worried for nothing!  Praise the Lord!  I have my first prenatal ultrasound (What!?  I can't believe those two words are coming from my mouth!  Prenatal Ultrasound!?  Me?) scheduled on my 30th Birthday... January 10!  I will be 5 weeks and we will be looking for the gestational sac(s).  Can't wait to find out how many!  I will be happy with one or two, just praying they are healthy!  I don't have any more Beta's scheduled.  I will be seeing them once a week now!!! Yay!

The crazy part is that this is when my first beta was supposed to be!  I would have FREAKED  if this was my first Beta #... 692!  Crazy!