Embies on board!!!

We just got back from our embryo transfer and everything went great! I had 4 embryos that had grown and divided like they were supposed to, and the doctor took us right back to the lab to see them and explain each one. We had 1 grade 1 (which is the best) and 3 grade 2's.

We went into the procedure room and found out that my lining was at 10mm!!! I was so very excited about that...it's so important to have a nice, fluffy place for the embies to get comfortable. We were able to watch everything on the screen, and saw a little white flash when the embryos went in to my uterus. It was just amazing.

I had to lay on the table for 10 minutes afterwards, which was torture because I had to go to the bathroom so bad. You have to drink a ton of water so you have a full bladder which helps the doctor guide everything in via ultrasound. That was the worst part of the whole thing...all the other parts were quick and easy.

The embryologist came and talked to us after it was done, and said the grade 2 we put back was actually very close to a grade 1, so both were excellent quality.

We were able to take a video when we were in the lab, so here are Olive and Oliver! We think they look like little olives =)

So excited to meet my embryos!

I am just so excited for my embryo transfer today. I haven't had any kind of report on my embryos other than six are fertilized, so I have been anticipating my appointment today to see how they are all growing and dividing. I can't believe in 6 hours I will have embies on board! I'll be back tonight with an update and hopefully a picture!

100 Followers Giveaway Celebration - Target Gift Card Winner!!

Just stopping in to post the giveaway winner from last Wednesday's 100 Followers Giveaway Celebration  post & I'm about to make a very lucky someone happy!!

Without further adieu, the winner of the $25 Target Gift Card is...
 

Lucky #39

Courtney, who said...

I found out about the contest on thenest - GP board, baby! :)

Congrats Courtney!! I'm sending you an email & you will have 48 hours to contact me or I will have to select another winner. Enjoy your prize!!

And while you're here, don't forget to enter the still open 100 Followers Giveaway Celebration giveaways going on right now!!

 

$25 Gift Certificate to [ReDeemed] Unique Art - ends TONIGHT, 7/14/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)
You Are My Sunshine Print from Pretty Smitten - ends Thursday, 7/15/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)

I couldn't have prepared for this.

Today we got Mr. Sassy Bud's S/A results.

I tried to prepare myself for bad news but this was worse than I expected. His count was 1.5 million. Morphology was less than 1%. Motility was 41% with no forward movement.

We have been referred to a urologist who specializes in male factor infertility.

I am still numb from the shock of the results. Mr. Sassy Bud is actually in good spirits and said he is not going to worry unless they tell them there is nothing they can do. Hopefully we can get in for some answers very soon.

100 Followers Giveaway Celebration - Silver Rose Sewing Winner!

Just stopping in to post the giveaway winner from last Tuesday's 100 Followers Giveaway Celebration  post & I'm about to make a very lucky someone happy!!

Without further adieu, the winner of the custom handmade blanket & stuffed animal is...
 

Lucky #27

Kacie, who said...

I am following the Silver Rose Blog =)

Congrats Kacie! I'm sending you an email & you will have 48 hours to contact me or I will have to select another winner. Enjoy your prize!!

And while you're here, don't forget to enter the still open 100 Followers Giveaway Celebration giveaways going on right now!!

 

$25 Gift Card to Target - ends TONIGHT, 7/13/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)

$25 Gift Certificate to [ReDeemed] Unique Art - ends Wednesday, 7/14/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)
You Are My Sunshine Print from Pretty Smitten - ends Thursday, 7/15/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)

My baby buying obsession pays off for all of you!!

So I know I have written a lot lately about my ridiculous baby buying obsession...and it really is ridiculous. I have literally had to keep myself away from all my favorite baby discount sites. I even put myself on a mandatory no baby buying restriction until the next pay period, which started TODAY!! Holler. Baby buying restriction lifted & just in time.... :)

Because consequently, today I got an email from Nicole, owner/designer of the buti-bag company. I featured her cute bundle bag/carry all that I was lusting over on Zulily in my last post, remember?!

Photo Credit

Well it's long gone from Zulily - their sales only last a couple days so you gotta jump on stuff that you see & love! So back to my story - Nicole wrote me a very very nice email thanking me & the Bloomin' Babies readers for visiting her site as a result of my post & she offered an invitation-only promotion to ALL Bloomin' Babies readers as well - 40% off all orders now thru Friday, July 16, 2010 at midnight!!! Just use the online code of “ilovebuti” at checkout and the 40% will come off the total (before tax and shipping). I heart sales - especially awesome ones like this!

And the buti-bag company has lots more ad.ore.able stuff, like...

These cute binkmeister pacifier clips:

And these equally cute & very useful Bi-o-Pads, which can be used as shopping cart/restaurant high chair covers, or public changing station covers:

And there's SO much more drool-worthy stuff on their website!! I just thought I'd share since she's offering this promotion to invited customers only (including Bloomin' Babies readers)...so hurry over!! Baby Worry Bud will definitely be sporting some of Nicole's cute stuff!! And you may just see the buti-bag company's stuff again here on Bloomin' Babies if I can talk Nicole into a giveaway ::wink::. Happy Shopping! :o)

I have embies!!!

Yesterday was my egg retrieval and it went better than we could have hoped. I was very nervous beforehand, but it was a piece of cake. I changed into my lovely hospital gown, hat and booties, laid on the table, the anesthesiologist set up my IV and...that's all I remember! I was completely out of it and couldn't even tell you how long it lasted. The next thing I remember is waking up in a different room and the doctor telling me he retrieved EIGHT eggs. I was so excited since at my last ultrasound on the 10th we only saw five. I think three of them must have been a little camera shy =) but I'm glad they found their way out. I rested for a bit, got my first progesterone shot (which didn't hurt but I'm sure the fact that I had just been under anethesia had something to do with that!), and then Mr. CB brought me back to our Panama apartment. I am SO happy that we rented an apartment instead of just having a hotel room. It is so comfortable and big, and being able to cook meals and relax on our balcony is awesome.

I felt great last night. I had some minor cramping, but nothing too bad. Mr. CB still insisted on taking care of me, and I didn't resist! He made me dinner, massaged my feet and went out to get me ice cream for dessert. He's a good man.

Today we went out for a little sightseeing around Panama City's oldest neighborhood. Before our walking tour, we stopped by the clinic (it's right across from our apartment) to check on our eggs. The clinic here doesn't do a day 1 morning fert report as they don't like to disturb the embryos, but Dr. Perez told me yesterday I could check back to see how many of my eggs were mature. He told me all eight were mature, and that SIX fertilized normally! I am so happy to have six embies growing strong. I can't wait until Thursday to hear how they have progressed. This is the hardest wait so far, and I'm glad it's a short one.

Mr. CB and I are really enjoying our time together. This is the longest we've ever had to spend together without work or other interuptions, and I'm loving every minute of it. We were lucky that our trip coordinated with my birthday (on the 3rd) and our 3rd wedding anniversary, which is tomorrow. I feel like it's been a lucky and blessed few weeks! Here's a wedding pic in honor of our anniversary...

My transfer is Thursday at 2:30 PM (1:30 PM EST). I have such a great feeling about this!

100 Followers Giveaway Celebration - Gia Rose Designs Winner!!

Happy Monday (almost Tuesday - whoopsie) everyone! I apologize for just now getting around to posting the winner of last Monday's giveaway, but I'm here now & about to make someone very very happy!! Before I do that, I want to, again, thank all of you who regularly read Bloomin' Babies - we appreciate each & every one of our followers & this blog wouldn't be what it is today without all of you!!

Without further adieu, the winner of the $30 Gia Rose Gift Certificate is....

Lucky #58

Chantel, who said...

I'm following your blog.

Congrats Chantel! I'm sending you an email & you will have 48 hours to contact me or I will have to select another winner. Enjoy your prize!!

And while you're here, don't forget to enter the still open 100 Followers Giveaway Celebration giveaways going on right now!!

Custom handmade blanket & stuffed animal from Silver Rose Sewing - ends TONIGHT @11:59PM (EST)

$25 Gift Card to Target - ends Tuesday, 7/13/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)

$25 Gift Certificate to [ReDeemed] Unique Art - ends Wednesday, 7/14/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)
You Are My Sunshine Print from Pretty Smitten - ends Thursday, 7/15/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)

Direct proportion TTC Equation

Many of you who are TTC may be familiar with this equation (or I just may be too much of a control freak): the more time spent TTC is directly proportional to the amount of money used for all things TTC. When I started thinking about TTC, I happily borrowed TCOYF from the library and bought the cheapest BBT I could find at Target. After a few months of charting, DH and I decided to really start TTC and I decided to throw some OPKs into the mix. Of course I find the cheapest ones on the internet and buy just as many I would need for a couple of months, I wouldn't want to have to throw away if I happened to get pregnant. After a couple of months and having very little luck figuring out positives on these, I decided that I could afford to step up a little bit. I went out and bought CVS brand OPKs which were almost double the price of the internet cheapies. I had slightly better chance with these for 1 out of the 3 months I used them. Having heard such great things about CBEFM, I sought a reasonable one out on EBAY (ending up being $80) and won it. While it was a lot more expensive, I figured it would last me through a couple pregnancies. A month using it and I received no peak (which I thought would happen) and about 18 high days. Since we had been trying for 6 months, I called my doctor and she wanted me to have blood work (which I will talk about later) and told me to stop using the CBEFM and go back to regular opks but record only the ones I am 110% sure were positive. Because of this, I ended up buying the CBE digital OPKs. Only a few months ago I was laughing to myself about how in the world would any woman pay that crazy price for peesticks. Hello I guess I am crazy. I have been using them the last 4 morning and am currently waiting for a positive. I am interested to see what I am spending if I am still TTC in 6 more months.

In terms of blood work, my cd 3 bw looked "perfect for a woman my age." I guess that is a good thing. I am interested in seeing what the cd20 progesterone test says. I had a crazy short period this and I am wondering if this has anything to do with not getting pregnant. My doc just wrote it down on my chart and will take that it into consideration when she gets my next results.

I am still a little in awe that I used a mathematical equation to explain my TTC journey. As an English teacher and a life long English geek, I avoid math in anyway shape or form; something must be terrible wrong. I need to go and read some Austen or Tolstoy......or maybe I can just read Twilight or Harry Potter again :).

Please excuse our dust!

Bloomin' Babies is in the process of getting a little makeover, so please excuse any weirdness as we get through this transition. I'm sure you will LOVE the new look - it's awesome!!

And while you're here, don't forget to enter all of our 100 Followers Giveaway Celebration giveaways going on right now!!

$30 gift certificate to Gia Rose Designs - ends TONIGHT @ 11:59PM (EST)

Custom handmade blanket & stuffed animal from Silver Rose Sewing - ends Monday, 7/12/10 @11:59PM (EST)

$25 Gift Card to Target - ends Tuesday, 7/13/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)

$25 Gift Certificate to [ReDeemed] Unique Art - ends Wednesday, 7/14/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)
You Are My sunshine Print from Pretty Smitten - ends Thursday, 7/15/10 @ 11:59PM (EST)

First winner being selected tonight...good luck!!