Transfer Day



Before Transfer



Hello all!

Transfer day was a very exciting/anxious day!  It was full of new experiences for both Pat and myself!  We were overwhelmed with such hope and inner confidence as we walked through the front doors of the beautiful, newly-renovated River North Lab.  Of course, we got there early, naturally.  We were scheduled for our procedure at 1020am with a set arrival time of 930am for prep.  We got there at about 9ish.  Shortly after we sat in the waiting room and a nurse came out to put a hospital bracelet on me.  This would be used by all the medical staff to validate my identity when making sure they were transferring the correct embryos into the correct person.  Shortly after, Pat and I were escorted into the transfer procedure room.  In the room there was a large television screen, a giant chair/bed, and 1 sitting chair for Pat.  I was asked to put on the hospital gown and the doctor, embryologist, and ultrasound tech would be in shortly to meet me one by one.  First the embryologist came in.  She said our 2 embryos thawed very nicely and were ready for transfer.  We had to sign one last waiver specifying we wanted to insert 2.  She smiled and then exited the room.  Next, Dr. Uhler popped in to ask how I was feeling and if I had any last minute questions, and I said no, just excited and to get this show on the road! Haha She laughed and asked how my bladder felt as I was asked to drink tons of water before to make it easier to see my uterus via transabdominal ultrasound.   I said I was about to burst.  She said that it might be too full, so she sent in Monica, the ultrasound tech, to check to see the visual.  Yep!  I was too full.  The tech said to empty about one cup of urine and she will check again.  I was so excited..I wanted to hurry and pee already so I can get moving…  once I walked back into my procedure room. The whole medical team started to all come in….the medical asst came in with a large tray of tools.  I was intimidated at first, but the excitement took over.  She asked me to lay back put my feet up and she started to cover my legs with towels to keep my body warm.  The room then was darkened.  The asst put the TV screen on and said look up here.  There are the two embryos!  It was amazing…it was just how I thought It would be…I was glowing from the inside out.  What an amazing feeling.  The embryologist then said we are going to keep this door opened (that was in the back that connected to the large lab)  She said she would be going in and out to transport the catheter with the embryos inside and to not be shy about showing my lady parts.  Of course I didn’t care…whatever they needed I was fine with!  Dr. Uhler sat down on the stool with a bright light and her and the tech worked together to get the catheter to the desired location in my uterus for the best possible placement.  They used 2 different catheters to test which was better for visualization.  There was NO pain!   Once the practiced twice, she informed the embryologist that we were ready for the embryos.   She walked in very slowly…as she passed the straw/catheter to Dr. Uhler she kept saying these are the embryos for Kathleen and Patrick Davis…I think this was her third time to confirm our identity with our embryos.  There were no mistakes to be made.  Pat and I were instructed to watch the ultrasound to watch the embryos being placed…it was quite amazing.  Once they got the catheter to the desired location, she counted to three and there they went.  It was a small burst of light in my uterus.  And then it was over….they started to clean up, asked me to lay down for just a few minutes and I was on my way.  They said take it easy for the rest of the day and I can resume normal activities the following day.…And then that is where they say we will see you back in Naperville for your pregnancy test in 12 days!  And that is it….what a great experience.  FCI really did a great job making it a great experience and not just a medical procedure.



Release of embryos in uterus




Our embryos



Pat after transfer



Ultrasound guidance of embryos



It is Transfer Time! :)

It is CONFIRMED!  What a morning we had!  Had doc appt this morning at FCI – Naperville, and found that my uterine lining is at 7mm!  whoo hoo!!  It showed consistency through the past few weeks and a high enough number to transfer.  It has been at 7mm for the past 3 weeks!  Yahooooo!   Dr. Uhler will be performing my transfer downtown!  We are beyond excited!  Next on the list…TRANSFER!  

1 embryo?  2 embryos?  Hmmm…so much to think about in such a short amount of time!  This question may seem easy to some people, but this whole process gets you to think…there are so many pros and cons to each side.  We know there is no correct answer…we have to do what we feel is best for our family and go 110% into it!  At the end of the day, it is a decision that we have to make together and need to fully support each other with it because we are a team going into this and will affect both our lives in the biggest way possible.  We have reached out to people asking for guidance and advice because I feel like we are navigating on unchartered territory here.  We have never had a child, let alone two at the same time!  We need to be made aware of all possibilities before we make our decision.   However, at this time, we do feel pretty confident in our current choice, but still considering the other option....oh the decisions!  

We need TONS of prayers at this time!  We appreciate all the love and support for all those who have reached out to me via facebook, twitter, email, my blog, etc!  It really has brought me so much comfort as we go through this beast of a process.  Thank you to all the people who have kept us in their thoughts and prayers because it has been paying off thus far....we are about to embark on the last/biggest leap of the process....we need all your support now more than ever.  :)

Uterine Lining Check!

Just wanted to share some exciting news from a recent doctor appointment with you guys.  Went in for a uterine lining check and blood work before work at FCI to see how the new Viagra and pentoxifylline med protocal is working with my body and it is WORKING!!!!  My body had a 50/50 shot of working with this new set of drugs.  The new mix of meds are working exactly the way Dr. Uhler wants it to in order to get the optimal results she wants for my transfer!  Significant increase compared to the last 2 cycles that were cancelled!  As of right now, everything is looking great!!  My uterus is looking thick and "fluffy" already!!  Turns out the experimental med protocal was the missing piece to the puzzle!!  Needless to say there was a small celebration at FCI - Naperville that morning!  haha  Whew!  What a relief!...The side effects I have been expereiencing with this med protocal are dizziness, shortness of breath, and sore lower abdomen.  It kind of feels like I just did 500 situps to give you an idea.  Keep the prayers going and fingers and toes crossed!!!  Looks like transfer is just around the corner!  :)

Next decision....how many embryos do we want to transfer!  Stay tuned! :)

We are Almost There! We are So Close!

Hello Everybody!

As we continue forward, we learn that this process is much more complex than what most people think.  We are learning that each case is so unique that the general process is tweaked to be matched to each patient.  Patience is key to IVF.  IVF is an art....no two cases are the same!

As you all know we have our 5 embryos waiting for us.  We love knowing our babies are already all genetically created and are just waiting for a home to grow in for nine months to become little human beings.  I can not wait until we get to see them in the lab!  I know they will be microscopically small, but still, they are our babies.  The whole idea is a miracle.  We will get to see them implant them inside me on an ultrasound monitor.  We will get to see our little ones from the very beginning!  Some say they compare this experience as the same feeling as watching Neil Armstrong take his first steps on the moon.  We were told we will be in complete scientific awe.  I am so glad that they will let Patrick in the lab with me to hold my hand.  They treat this as a minor "surgical procedure".  We will both have to wear scrubs with pre and post care instructions.  I was told it will not be painful, other than some mild cramping. 

Presently, after doing so many trials with my body to understand me well, my doctor has matched me with a different medicine protocal than previous cycles to see if it will maximize optimal results.  My doctor wants my uterine lining to be above average by the time we put those little ones inside!  I love that she will settle for nothing less than perfect.  I am eager to try these new stim meds!  Patrick has been reading in medical journals at his school, Rush University, to read all the studies conducted on this protocal in the entire world.  We love the results!  Hopefully, it will be perfect for us as stated in the medical journals!  :) 

For those familiar with the medicine protocals here is my list of drugs I have been prescribed for our cycle after several trials of different meds:

Valerate .25mg in the PM every 3 days (injection)

Estrace 2mg everyday at bedtime

Pentoxifylline 400mg twice daily

Viagra 25mg 4x daily

Vitamin E 400mg 2x daily

Baby Aspirin 81mg 1 daily

PIO - 1ml everyday (injection) using 25gauge needle

Endometrin - 3x daily

Sound like fun?  haha I can't wait to see and feel the results! 

Another amazing part of this journey is that we know dates.  Of course they are tentative, but still I LOVE having dates!  At this moment, we know the day I am going to the lab for my transfer and our potential due date!  It is amazing!  We are going to keep the "conception" date secret for now, but it is going to be the greatest day!  Also, we know our potential DUE DATE!  Just hearing these things makes it more surreal...it makes us want it even more! 

In addition, we still are on the fence about how may embryos we will want to transfer.  We think we know what we are going to do, but are not sure yet!  I am sure we will know the right decision as the situation approaches us!

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we embark on our journey!  ....and The rollercoaster ride of emotions continues!  We are almost there!  :)

Holiday Magic - Egg Donor Results

Hello Everybody!

I hope everybody is enjoying their holiday season!  As for our journey in the infertility world, we are experiencing the stress that most people endure with this battle.  There are so many ups and downs that nobody can prepare you for.  The ups have been real ups and the downs have been so down...as for the holidays coming up, magic is in the air...at least we like to think so....this is the time of year the impossible is very possible...Christmas is the time of year where dreams come true.  We are holding onto that!  :)

For those going through infertility of any situation, just know there are people out there that deal with the same triumphs everyday just like you....I am realizing each day that this infertility bubble we live in is not so small...I recently joined a fertility forum to discuss our journey and I found it very helpful to compare it with other couples across the country.  It is hard to explain but I do find comfort in speaking to other women who are living the same life as me everyday going to doctor appointments and being pricked and prodded what feels like everyday!  I love speaking to other females across the country about their obstacles and how they deal or even cope with them because I am always full of questions!  These women are my heros.  I have never conversed with such strong women.  I envy their courage and their inner strength as they embark on this journey whether it be their first, second, or even 10th try!  I have met several, all at different levels.

For those of you who do read this who are currently in cycle know there is a whole world of women who support you 110%!  Patrick and I wish you the best of luck!!!!  I have found lifelong friends through this process.  As for the staff at FCI, I find such comfort and peace with them.  They are the best!!!  I could not imagine going through this with any other staff.  The support is there through calls of joy and tears of sadness!  They are truly remarkable for their daily support and expertise!  I trust them with my life.  I can not wait to send them pictures of our babies and stop by for annual visits to show them what they work so hard at!

Now on to the good stuff!  Our egg donor had her egg retrieval the same day Patrick went in to give his sperm specimen to be combined with the eggs for fertilization.  I remember the morning he was advised to go in...he woke up before his alarm, jumped out of bed, and started to get dressed.  It was VERY early in the morning.  As he was grabbing his wallet and keys, he went over to kiss me on the cheek and whispered to me, " I am going to go make our babies today."  It may sound strange, but that is a moment I will remember forever.  He then drove to the FCI lab in Chicago, IL where the embryologists were now handling our case.  The excitement in his voice was comforting and made my heart glow.  At that moment, I knew everything was going to be ok.  He was back home before I even had to go to work...

We wanted to delay info to ensure we were being confidential with information concerning our egg donor.  We had our donor go through an egg retrieval at an undisclosed date and she yielded us 20 eggs!!!!!  This is considered above average from what we were told by the FCI lab!!  There were no complications.  16 of those eggs were fertilized by Patrick's sperm, and 14 were considered viable to watch for growth to be scaled!  They were watched over several days to determine growth to be ranked as to which had the best chances to implant in my uterus.  After days of growth and strict monitoring 24/7, 5 of those embryos were considered healthy.  The remaining others degenerated over the growth period.  They had no chance of survival.  This is how the lab staff knows which ones are the strongest and will most likely survive.  We now have 5 embryos in our possession and can not wait to update everybody on news!

Patrick, being a science whiz, loved hearing all the information on our embryos as we were able to decide on which ones to implant and how many.  Me, not being a science whiz and not fully understanding the scale the embryologists use, I put him in charge of the information concerning our embryos.  He decides which ones to use and how many because he understands everything about them the most.  Thank goodness one of us understands the embryo stages because I sure don't!  Stay tuned for more info on our journey!

Happy Holidays! :)

De-stressing

As I am continuing forward on our journey, I have been advised that being stress-free is essential from this point forward.  I have been reading forums and talking to others  about their best de-stressing strategies.  I have been going shopping (which gets expensive!) after work to clear my mind.  I think just walking around and being around Christmas shoppers is relaxing to me.  I have been cleaning and doing mini projects around the house every night which is very nice being so productive!  Also, after Birdies for Babies, a program called Circle + Bloom (http://www.circlebloom.com/)  reached out to me to try their product.  My response is of course, I will try anything!  I recently tried it and it was AMAZING!  Circle + Bloom is a download that you put on your iPod.  It is a total body relaxation.  I found that it cleared my mind and went into a state of deep relaxation.  I have never ever been that relaxed in my entire life.  I listen to it occasionally before bed.  I find it very soothing and calming.  I see the importance of trying to stay relaxed during this process.  Stress is the enemy;  Good and Bad stress… you can’t win!  Haha  I have to try and keep my excitement and despair to a minimum to maintain the equilibrium.  Very hard for me being that I am an anxious person by nature.  Keeping our fingers crossed and keep the prayers going…

We are MARRIED!

Just wanted to update everybody that we were maried on November 6!  (Hence why I have not been blogging lately.)  We have been so busy just finishing up the post wedding stuff.  I am officially no longer Katie Dennis anymore.  I am a Davis now!  :)  Thank you to all who have celebrated with us at our wedding and for those who sent their well wishes to us!  It really was the BEST wedding a girl could ask for!!  It was such a fairy tale of a day!  The pictures do not do the wedding justice!  I truly am the luckiest girl to have found Pat!  Without him, the wedding would not have been anything at all to me.  Seeing him waiting at the end of the aisle waiting for me was the best moment!  He is my best friend, my rock, my everything.  Also, we are truly blessed to have such amazing family and friends!  We are still on cloud 9!  We are loving married life in our new home!!  Life is overall GREAT!  We are going to take this positivity with us as we look into our future as we look to start our family!  Stay tuned for more updates!!  :-)

Happy Holidays Everybody!

My First PIO Injection

So I took my first progesterone shot yesterday afternoon!  I am planning on doing them at night, but I could not have gone through the entire day being a worried wreck!!  Especially because it was the first time doing an injection.  OMG – it was NOTHING….no pain at all…blood tests are worse and I don’t think blood tests are bad.  Seriously I was worrying over nothing!!!  I didn’t even use the EMLA cream to numb the area that they prescribed me.  Pat said to try the first time without the cream just so I had a baseline of pain...Just so I would know what the worse it could be!  Pat was actually excited to give me the shot…he was smiling.  He is studying needles and tests at school right now.  I made him watch the informative video they instructed us to wtch right before.  He felt like he was doing a medical procedure on me.  We set up everything in the bathroom and I sterilized like CRAZY!  I could’ve slapped him bc my knees were shaking I was so nervous!  He was loving it.  I was being such a big baby.  Pat just couldn't stop laughing at me!   He said OK - I am going to count to three...1...2...3...boom!  He said you will feel some pressure bc he had a hard time injecting the think oil out of the tiny needle.  For 1 cc, it took a solid 10 sec just to give you an idea.

Don’t read everything online about the PIO shots. I use a 25 gauge needle which is a pediatric needle and it isn’t painful at all.  I could do it everyday if need be.  Not that I would want to but just to give you an idea of the pain tolerance.  Plus my booty was a tad bit sore from the intramuscular shot later in the day walking up stairs and what not, but nothing to stress on….it wasn’t a big deal at all.  The muscle pain is the only mild discomfort of the entire process but is 100% tolerable.  My advice - do not listen to everthing you read online about the PIO shots.  They are not a big deal at all!  What a huge relief!!

Middle of 2nd Trial Cycle – Ultrasound

As we are in our 2^nd trial cycle and are using the actual drugs/calendar system as the REAL DEAL, we are on a strict monitoring basis.  I had doctor’s appointments all week for blood work and ultrasounds to monitor the status of the estrogen intake and how it was affecting my uterus.  For those not familiar, by the midpoint of the cycle, my uterus should be very thick and hopefully has some layers to implant those embryo(s) (hypothetically).  My appt was at 7am on Friday, (this was the 2^nd appt this week).  The ultrasound technician came to retrieve me from the waiting room to take a peek at the progress of my uterus growth.  That previous Wednesday, she explained that the doctor likes to see 8mm with some layers prior to a transfer.  On Wed, I was at 6mm.  Of course I was thinking how can I grow 2mm in 48 hours!  That is nutty!  As she was taking the pictures she needed to pass along to the doctor, she had the biggest smile on her face!  She said you are FANTASTIC!  Everything looks perfect for a transfer if we were to do it right now.  I was at 9mm with FIVE layers to my uterus!!!!  That is above and beyond the goal!  The doctor was VERY pleased to see these results being that my hormones, since I have been 12, have been minimal from the cancer.    Her goal was to get me to do some major growth over the summer and it has happened!!   What a relief!  It is nice to get recognition for all the hard work Pat and I are doing at home.  Of course I am grinning from ear to ear because I have no idea what the hormones I am taking at home are actually doing to me!  As much as a pain they are to take and keep track of everyday, this was amazing to hear!  I just take them and don’t think too much about it…I guess my young age comes in handy!  ;)

We are still in the process of scheduling a time we would consider to do the REAL IVF cycle.  It is tough, because we have to find a convenient time for three people.  Pat, myself, and the donor.  We do have some pretty good ideas of when it will happen and we talked a lot about it for weeks however, as Pat and I begin to think of a possible time that would be good for each of us, we noticed that on the donor’s end there is a lot more work when it comes to time devotion to this process.  She will be monitored daily for two to three weeks to see the progress of her egg stimulation from her drugs that she will be donating to us.    Her availability is huge because of the dedication and devotion she has to put in to coming in for daily doctor appointments.  A lot relies on her availability here.  The time commitment involved is of the utmost importance.  It has a huge impact on our results.  Every medication and procedure must be administered and performed by the hour, not the day.  It is a very precise science.  There is no wiggle room when working with hormones.  If the doctor needs to see you, you MUST see them.  Here I thought coming in for blood work and ultrasounds 2 times a week was rough…not anymore!  Our respect for egg donors has grown so much!  We have to put 100% of our trust into this person we have never met before to do her job.  We will be getting called daily durign her monitoring to make sure she is on course and being a compliant egg donor.

Our appointment with the reproductive lawyer is next week!  Being that I work full-time and Pat is a full-time graduate student and a part-time lab tech at Rush University Medical Center in the city, we both cannot meet with the lawyer in-person.   It is just impossible.  No time!  We will be doing all the work over teleconference.  It is a mandatory step (for obvious reasons) when working with egg donors.  The main reason being that once her eggs are retrieved from her body she will be signing away genetic rights at her retrieval appointment to me.  Seems simple, but Very important!  The lawyer will be working on our case through our cycle whenever we choose to do it.  All I know about the donor is her family history/education/occupation/self medical history application and a few pictures.  I would be able to recognize this individual, but she knows NOTHING about Pat or myself which is reassuring.   We will see how everything goes next week!

Now- Back to the wedding planning!  3 weeks away!!! :)

PIO (Progesterone in oil) injections

As part of the 2^nd trial of hormones, I was instructed to incorporate PIO injections into the cycle.  Before I had a pill now to be replaced with shots.  Just as all new patients to the fertility world, I am nervous to start trying it, yet eager to be an expert on it.  I have been doing tons of research, asking friends who have been through this already, nurses, etc. on tips to do this not only correctly but with minimal pain because I will have to do this EVERYDAY for days/weeks/ or even months!!!  The injection is not just a typical liquid injection, it is an oil.  It takes awhile longer to inject through into your muscle.  The oil must be injected intramuscularly (IM)!!  Fantastic…sounds fun right? Haha Lucky for me, I have Pat to assist me.  I know I could prob inject myself if I HAD to, but he is very willing to do it for me.  He is intrigued by this whole process, of course saddened by it, yet intrigued and inspired!  The injections must be in your upper quadrant of your butt.  Yes, my butt.  Ugh…everyday!  The needle itself is very big and long.  I am overwhelmed with reading on the topic of these injections just to hear from the millions of people out there who have done this as part of their regime to hear every detail about them.  I feel like an expert and I have not even tried it yet….thank god we live in a society with youtube videos and infinite articles online!  I know I sound like a huge baby and this will seem like nothing in a few days, weeks, months, or however long I will need this to be in my cycle regime….but for now it is new and I am getting nervous…haha  This is one of those times where I say…this is all for Baby Davis which will make every prick/blood test/procedure/dr. appt 100% WORTH IT!

I will let everybody know how it goes!!  If you have any tricks of the trade or just some sound advice on the side effects. PLEASE share!!  I would love to hear thoughts!

Birdies for Babies Results!!!

THE RESULTS ARE IN!!!  Birdies for Babies made $21,000 for Patrick and I!!!  It is the biggest and best event to date!!!  We are beyond elated and mostly excited to move forward!  We can not thank everybody enough for those who came out and participted to support us!!!!!!!!!  The generosity of people moved us tremendously. I am sure those who were present could tell by my speech or lack there of because there were too many tears of joy! 

Check out the website to see photos and standings!!!  And Most importantly....Mark your calandars for next year's Birdies for Babies on Sept 24, 2011!!!  http://www.golfinvite.com/bfb

1st Trial Cycle of Hormones

Today concludes the end of my first trial cycle.  I can't believe how much work and emotions get involved!  First of all, the hormone regimen I was put on was very aggressive.  I noticed getting emotional and moody over the course of the first trial cycle.  God Bless Pat.  hahaha He is quite the trooper!  I could not be more blessed to have such a patient and kind partner through all this.  My life revolved around a calendar all month.  I never had a medication regimen quite as strict as this ever in my life.  Plus with hormones, it is very exact.  Missing medications throws everything off!  Now that I am finished with my first trial, I know what I will feel like at every point.  Before, I was oblivious to how I would feel.  I just jumped in, head first.  I feel this 2^nd run will be a lot better because I have had a month of practice! 

As for the 2^nd trial cycle, they are adding progesterone oil injections.  This does not sound fun at all.  I have to keep thinking to myself this is for future Baby Davis...  I know it will get me through the injections of the thick oil… it has already gotten me through so much already through the IVF process.  Everything revolves around the dream Baby Davis.  Pat is looking forward to sticking me because he is learning blood work in his graduate school curriculum presently so he feels very doctor-esque at the moment.  Haha plus its payback for the mood swings!  Haha Nah he will be kind and gentle I am sure.

I feel very positive about what is to come with this 2^nd trial!  I am remaining very optimistic for the future and most of all strong in my spirits.   Not every night is easy, but the payoff is going to be 150% worth it I am sure!

Yoga

As the wedding is approaching and is now 1 month away and I am thinking that my stress levels are at an all-time HIGH, I have been doing lots of reading on infertility and treatments and stress is a top reason to either miscarry or not get pregnant.  I was informed that 75% of women who participate in Yoga have a successful pregnancy with a healthy baby.  I know that I want to to everything in my power to alleviate any stresses during this time not only for my upcoming IVF cycle, but for my overall health. 

I have been doing research on pricing and locations to see which yoga experience would be the best and most convienient for me.  I thought it was sweet of Pat to offer to go with me to yoga to be supportive!  He is such a wonderful partner with everything.  I sure am blessed to have him in my life.  :)  Maybe he can try yoga one of these days...who knows, maybe he would enjoy it...I have several options to look into!  A majority of my research has come from "Pulling Down the Moon."  http://www.pullingdownthemoon.com/  They take a hollistic approach to infertility. I feel it supplements the IVF treatment very well.  They offer schedules online and work with you to make you feel like part of a family.  Even though there are so many negative sides to infertility.  I feel that infertilty has the LARGEST support group.  No matter who you are in the infertility world, I feel it an immediate bond with others that is similar to a bond of a family.  I love that I can talk openly about what is going on with others who are going through the exact same emotions, events, dr appointments, scares, and excitements as we are!

My goal is to start yoga this month!  I can not wait!  I have always wanted to try yoga, but now I feel it is essential for my health and for the conception of our first baby!  :)  If anybody has ANY advice on the yoga world, please share!  I would love to hear more thoughts on this!

Moving Forward...

Now that Birdies for Babies is over, I can only think about the future.  It is such a fun thing to daydream about.  I find myself eager to wake up every morning because more good news comes each day!  We are anxious to hear the final figures from the outcome of Birdies for Babies any day now.  We can not wait to hear the final number because we saw all the support it produced!  It was amazing.  The anticipation grows by the minute it feels like...Also, I feel when we hear the figure it will feel even more real..  It feels real now, but I know once we hear back from the Traders, I am going to feel like we have everything we need now!  :)

Now that our donor is chosen from FCI's donor gallery, we are working with our third party coordinator at FCI very closely.  She is basically our liason between us and the donor and the IVF process as a whole. She is walking us through the rest of the process.  She is going over lab schedules, consent forms, and legalities we will have to work out with the donor.  I have only spoke with the third pary coordiantor once to date, but from what it sounds like, I will be communicating alot more with her as we get closer to our BIG DAY!  Speaking of our BIG DAY, we have tentative dates in mind of when we would like to "conceive" at the FCI lab in Chicago.  We actually have not mentioned the specific dates to either of our families or friends.  We are still staying quiet about it because it is the one secret we feel we have at this point.  We can't wait to share that with our families, but we feel we are going to wait until after the wedding before we share!  I constantly am looking at my planner at work and just staring at the month we will try for our first baby.  I get butterflies in my stomach.  Stay tuned to my blog to see which month we choose! 

Our third party coordinator is currently working with our donor to do a final screening and working on consent forms with her.  I will be updated when she gives her availability for the next year.  It is exciting to be at this point because over the summer we had no insurance coverage and we had what felt like a TON of preliminary diagnostic testing to do....now the fun stuff is starting!  I am anxious to receive any detail or piece of news from FCI on our next step....every piece of news makes my heart flutter. 

Until next time!...  :)

Birdies for Babies Golf Outing

After 1.5 months after being selected as the Birdies for Babies beneficiaries for 2010, on September 25 Birides for Babies was FINALLY here!  It was a beautiful Fall day!  We arrived at Tamarack Golf Course in Naperville.  I worked the check in/registration and Pat handed out the super nice windshirts to the golfers!  I loved my job because I had the opportunity to say hello to all the golfers who came out to support us and the cause!  I was overwhelmed by the amount of people who were there for us!  We truly felt so much love and support!  After check in, my friend Lisa and I drove from hole to hole to talk with each of the foursomes individually.  It was nice to say hello to eveybody and see how everybody was doing.  Some of the foursomes are people I have not seen in so long!!!  It was alot of fun!  I even got to speak with Dr. Beltsos, Dr. Marut, and Dr. Sipe from FCI.  They were a fun foursome!  Our conversation was very inspiting.  At about 2 pm the reception started.  We enjoyed a nice buffet lunch.  The event sponsors and big donors were awarded plaques and Pat and I helped pass out the raffle prizes (which were real nice by the way!).  Dr. Uhler (our Doctor) came to the event and gave a speech at the podium at the reception.  Pat and I were asked to say a few words to the crowd that participated in the event.  I wanted to thank everybody and tell how grateful we are.  I knew it was going to be difficult, but I knew I had to try and say something.  However, I couldn't get through two sentences without crying.  I had to hand over the microphone to Pat and he finished the speech for the two of us.  The feelings I had can not be put into words.  After the speech Pat hugged and kissed me and whispered "I love you, we are doing this now."  And he is right...we can ACTUALLY do this now!!  The whole day was amazing.  THANK YOU to everybody who came out to support us and the cause!!!  We are forever changed by that Saturday!  We are overwhelmed by the generosity and pure kindness of people.  Todd and Melissa Trader are our angels.  They are extraordinary in every sense of the word!  We have not met kinder, more genuine people then that family.  We are blessed to have had the opportunity to meet them.  I get the chills just typing it.  Hopefully, we will get to bring our baby every year to the Birdies for Babies event annually to continue paying it forward to other families who are in need of a wish of a lifetime!  :)