My Gummi Bears

So we had ultrasound #2 today, and it went great. My little guys look like little gummi bears. It was so cool to see how much they had changed from two weeks ago. They were measuring the exact same at 8.2 weeks (I am 8.3 weeks pregnant), and they had the had the exact same heart rate at 176 bpm. I go back in two more weeks for another ultrasound. It was so exciting for running guy and me to see them in there doing great. I try not to worry because of CCRMs super low miscarriage rate, but it is always in the back of my mind. The ultrasound tech was awesome. She took tons of pictures and was so excited for us. She said she has a special spot in her heart for twins because she has so many in her family. Baby A's yolk sack looked like a halo above it's head, and Baby B's yolk sack looked like a balloon floating around. It was too cute.

In other good news, today was the first day of only two endometriums and 2 vivelle patches. Yippee! Also, I lost an earring that I really loved last week, and I knew that I could never replace it because I got it at Target in April or May of this year. Much to my surprise there was one pair left in Target. I was so happy. They are such cheap earrings, but everyone raves about them and I absolutely adore them.

I would post pictures of my little gummies, but I don't have a digital copy and I tried to take a picture of them and it didn't turn out. I am utterly in awe that all of this is working out. I am so glad that I went to CCRM and wish that I would have traveled there a long time ago!

21

I can't believe that 21 is my new progesterone level. I am down to three endometrium inserts a day, and tomorrow I go down to two. Despite my initial progesterone drama, I am finally taking off. For those of you that are reading this and are stressed about progesterone levels, this just show that things can be ok even with low initial levels and spotting caused by those stupid inserts. The day before my initial beta my level was 5.3. I hovered in the single digits forever, and just last week I got into the double digits. I also only have to put on two patches tomorrow because my estradiol has been staying strong in the one thousands.

So tomorrow I need a little more good news. I go for ultrasound number two. I am still hoping and praying we see two little heartbeats and have appropriate growth for both babies.

Thanks all for the support on my lack of nausea. I still don't feel sick, but I am trying to enjoy it. It is a blessing because my poor friend who is a week further along than I am is struggling with bouts of nausea and I feel very bad for her.

I Should Be Happy But I Wish I Were Barfing

This is something I would never in a million years dream I would be saying: I wish I was barfing or feeling like barfing. Or even just nauseated, gagging at things, sligthly green, but alas I am none of those things. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely happy to be pregnant and to be pregnant with twins, but something is causing me concern - lack of nausea. Sure I have waves here and there, but nothing that is too severe. I would think that with twins I would be sick as a dog. Maybe it's coming. Today I am 7.2 weeks pregnant. I do have other symptoms such as fatigue, peeing in the middle night, and some pretty great looking breast (I have dreamed about breasts like these). So I'm just hoping everything is ok. I am totally fine not being deatlhy ill as long as everything is ok.

We go for our next ultrasound on the 28th. I'm hoping my little raspberries (that's how big they are now) are growing and doing fine. Has anyone else been pregnant with twins and felt pretty good? I just find this odd.

A Lifetime Movie

*loss and pregnancy mentioned

Two Mays ago running guy and I experienced what I like to call a bad Lifetime Movie. Picture it, the nice couple is anxiously awaiting their first ultrasound. The wife got pregnant on the very first iui try. Her betas doubled and now it's the day of the ultrasound. She is in the stirrups and the nurse practitioner begins the ultrasound. But wait she can't find anything. No sack, no heartbeat nothing. She seems puzzled. The couple exchanges worried looks. What's happening! Then the nurse practitioner finds the heartbeat beating away at the very bottom of the fallopian tube. Had it been a millimeter further along it would have been in the uterus. The heartbeat continues to beat. The nurse practitioner can't turn the machine off and their the couples sits, dumfounded. There is a nice strong heartbeat, but they know that emergency surgery is soon to follow and what the end result will be.

Fortunately, today's ultrasound was also like a Lifetime movie, but a happy one. This time the nice couple sat there and immediately the ob saw the sacs. She zoomed in on the first one and it had a heartbeat of 111 and was measuring 6.1. She zoomed in on the second one and at first didn't see a heartbeat but then zoomed out and saw a nice heartbeat of 118 and it was measuring at 6.1. Such a happier Lifetime movie.

So anyway now I wait for CCRMs take on my results. I wonder if they will be concerned because I should be measuring at 6.3. I think maybe the prednisone could have something to do with it. Also, I am hoping my progesterone, tsh, and estradiol are doing ok. Running guy and I are very happy with the results and my ob seemed to be as well. My ob said I could come back anytime for an ultrasound. She is awesome. I'm hoping that CCRM is as happy with my results as she was.

Not Active Girl

During this process I have gone from running girl, to walking girl, to not active girl. This morning running guy left for spin class. A good sweat sounded like fun. I hate spin class all throughout it and can't wait to get off the bike, but when I am done the feeling is awesome. Such a good workout. I'm waiting until after an ultrasound or two to resume activity. I'm picturing myself as walking girl, prenatal yoga girl, or aqua aerobics girl. Anything will be nice.

I'm already planning for my next marathon. It's going to be tight to get one in in 2011 (my goal is to run one a year until I'm sixty), but I think I can pull it off. Granted my time is not going to be good, but I think I will be able to finish it. My eyes are set on the Las Vegas Marathon in December 2011. I'm already starting to talk about it now, so I am mentally prepared for the challenges that will face me. I have told running guy my plan and he thinks it is doable, but it will takes some coordination and planning on both of our parts. We will have to see how next year unfolds....

The Rules Are Different

As I mentioned my good friend just found out she was pregnant a few days before I did, and it has been fun sharing these past few weeks together. Hopefully, we will both be sharing many more weeks together - both of us pregnant. She by far is much more of a worrier in life than I am. I'm not a huge worrier. However this is not the case with this whole pregnancy thing. It's her second rodeo, so she is much more laid back. Plus she is the kind that decides she wants to get pregnant one month and ends up pregnant. So needless to say, she knows what to expect and doesn't sweat the small stuff.

Me on the other hand I am a bit more of a worrier. Partly it's because if this doesn't work it's not like I can go to the bedroom and lay down and have my husband root around for a few minutes and then magically I'm pregnant (that was a bad description of sex,but you get the picture). It's a whole process to go through if this doesn't work. Patches, bcp, lupron, etc. It takes months. Not to mention getting laid at home is free, but getting knocked up at CCRM takes some cash.

So I have a special set of rules and can't do things that normal pregnant women do. Today at lunch I offered my Olive Garden mint to my pregnant friend and non pregnant friend because I told them I didn't wish to consume that much caffeine today. I was going to have an afternoon decaf Starbucks and that has 5 mg of caffeine. They rolled their eyes; they are use to me being a bit over the top, and we all laughed. Even though I was half kidding I was half serious about it to. I'm hoping that I begin to loosen up as the time passes. Maybe after the ultrasound? For now I am sticking to the rules in my CCRM pregnancy letter to a t.

In other news, my progesterone is now at 7 and my estradiol is 1007. They seem to be happy with this. I tried to discuss switching to pio because this endometrium stuff is the pits (scary bleeding, low progesterone levels, etc), but they want me to stay on it another week. I know the pio has really helped LisaSK (a blogger friend), but they really want me to stay with the endometrium for another week. BTW Lisa, I feel like we are living parallel lives. Everything that happens to you with progesterone, estradiol, spotting, etc happens to me a short time later. So glad you share your experiences because they have been a big help to me going through all of this.

Be Anxious About Nothing

I find myself saying Phillippians 4:6 at various times in my head during this entire process. The verse says: "Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to GOD. And the peace of GOD which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and mind in CHRIST JESUS.". It's so hard not to be anxious in the process. There are days when I don't feel pregnant. There are days when I'm afraid that maybe I'm having a miscarriage. There are days like today when everything is going great and then that horrible thing called spotting occurs. So scary. My progesterone came back low again. It's at 5.3. My estradiol dropped into the 1,000s. All of the numbers are still in the normal range but the progesterone is low. Don't be anxious...

So tonight I am switching to taking my estrace orally. Apparently they think that my who ha is being overloaded with stuff and is not absorbing things the way it should. Hence why I am taking the estrace orally now rather than vaginally. We will retest on Wednesday. I'm hoping everything is okay.

I just have to remember not to be anxious about anything even when that seems impossible and pray for peace otherwise this is going to be a long nine months!

PInching Myself

I still can't believe this good news is happening to me. I'm worried that it is going to some how come to an end. I really want to be all out excited and start making plans, but know that it is much too soon to allow my excitement to get out of control. My ultrasound is scheduled for December 14th at 1:00 PM. We are so hoping we see a heartbeat or heartbeats. Either way is good with us.

My good friend told me on Sunday that she is pregnant (she is probably 5 days ahead of me). She wanted to wait until I got my beta and everything before she told me. I'm super excited for her. This will be her second. We are hoping that both of our pregnancies work out because it would be kind of fun to be pregnant together. We even go to the same obgyn and our ultrasound is on the same day. So hoping for good news for the both of us!