15w0d - Weekly update & first bump photo!

Things are going well.  Had a tiny tiny spotting scare last Thursday, but all is fine.  The doppler is a daily reassurance.  :)  Though, it's very hard to distinguish two different heartbeats in there.  There are 2 heartbeats and 2 placents also making heartbeat sounds.  So between those 4 things, it's hard to tell what is what!

Baby this week:

• The average fetus at 15 weeks weighs 2.5 ounces and measures 4 inches—and baby's proportions are becoming even more normal, since his or her legs now outmeasure the arms.
• You probably can't feel it yet, but baby's squirming a ton!  (Actually, I think I CAN feel it!)
• Baby might even be hiccuping in there.
• Baby's making lots of progress: the joints and limbs can all move now.

Babies are the size of apples this week!

So adorable... x2

15 week bump!!

13w0d - 2nd Trimester!

I'm calling it the second trimester.  The mayo clinic considers 13 weeks the start of the 2nd trimester! Sites like babycenter.com and thebump.com say 14 weeks.  Fooey!  lol

Started weaning my PIO last week.  Down to 0.5ml today and my last butt shot tomorrow!  Mike's birthday (May 5) will be the first day intramuscular shot free (still have the lovenox, but those needles are tiny compared to the PIO).  :)

Oh, and I've been feeling flutters for the last 2-3 weeks or so.  I am certain they are from the babies!!  :)

What the babies are up to this week:

• Can you believe baby's forming vocal cords and teeth?!
• And even though baby's still teeny, he or she already has fingerprints.
• Baby's intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to their more permanent place, in the tummy.
• Baby's about 2.9 inches long and weighs about .81 ounces, and—proportion-wise —his or her head's now about 1/3 the size of the body

12w1d - Ultrasound!!

The ultrasound went great!   I'm 12 weeks and 1 day today and both babies measured 12 weeks and 6 days!   Baby A's HB was 162 and Baby B's HB was 159.    Both babies had perfect nuchal fold measurements - neither abnomarl.  Baby B had a detectable nasal bone (no nasal bone at this stage could indicate a genetic defect).  Baby A wouldn't give us a profile shot to see if there was a nasal bone.  I also think baby B is our boy and baby A is our girl (remember we transferred a girl and a boy embryo).

Before I get into the photos, I got the letter from the MFM with next steps.  They are:

• An ultrasound at 14 weeks (so we set one up for 5/11)
• An early gestational diabetes test (normally done around 25 weeks) at 14 weeks
• A steroid shot to develop the babies' lungs at 26 weeks "just in case"
• Switching from lovenox to heparin twice a day at 30 weeks
• A fetal nonstress test once per week beginning at 32 weeks

Without further ado, the photos....

12w0d - Last week of the first trimester!

Last week of the first trimester started today!   As of yesterday, still listening for heartbeats using the doppler every day after work.  TOMORROW is another ultrasound!   I thought about waiting until tomorrow to update the blog, but I didn't want anyone to get scared that I didn't post my weekly update!  :)

Not much too new to report.  My bump is starting to pop out.  I had several coworkers ask in the last week or so.   I'll post a pic soon.   :)

From the web:

• Baby is as big as a plum this week!  (The ticker on the desktop version of my blog says peach but the baby isn't that big yet.)
• Most of baby's critical systems are fully formed!
• Baby's about to enter the growth and maturation stage, in which organs and tissues will grow and develop rapidly.
• Baby's now developing reflexes-if you poke his or her body, you'll likely see movement.
• Baby's opening and closing fingers and curling toes too.
• Baby's brain is developing fast!

What our babies look like this week:

What the twins look like inside me this week!

11w0d - Still chugging along

Babies are hopefully good!   Using the doppler, I can tell at least one is.  :)   No spotting even though they saw the hematoma last week so hopefully it is going down on its own?   We have our first MFM appointment tomorrow.  I am not sure what to expect.  I am not sure if there will be a sono or not.  Probably not if I had to guess.  My next official one is scheduled for next Wednesday at 12w1d.  :)  Starting to get a little bump!  I even had a coworker say, "I didn't know you were expecting again!"

Each baby this week:  "Your fetus is about 1.6 inches long, and she's got about a 1:1 head to body ratio. Baby now weighs in at about .25 ounces."

8w0d - Ultrasound!!

Well, I caved and requested another sono.  I had spotting last Friday, so I used it as an excuse.  I felt guilty weaseling in to the books for an appointment, but I am just getting so close to the date we lost our Angel last fall (9w4d).   Our babies looked absolutely great today!  

Baby A measured 8w?d and had a heart rate of 164bpm.  

Baby B measured 8w1d and had a heart rate of 165bpm.  

Mike and I are so in love with these two.  Praying to God to keep these babies in our lives!!!

Another cool image I stumbled upon is this.... what fraternal twins look like in the womb at 8 weeks!  I am exactly 8 weeks today so our beans most likely resemble this!

I think our ultrasounds resemble this drawing pretty well!  Praying they are perfect!!

Annnnd, I saw this today.  So very fitting....

7w1d - Ultrasound!!

The ultrasound went extremely well!   Praise God!!!!!!   2 heartbeats still!  Both measured 7w.  Baby A's HB was 145!   Baby B's HB was 144!  Thank you everyone for all of your prayers!!!!!!  💜💜🌈🌈🙏🙏

Baby B didn't cooperate for a 3D scan.  Probably the boy.  Lol.  ;)

6w1d - 1st Ultrasound!!

I was a nervous wreck all morning!  Our appointment was for 9:00am and they didn't call us back until 9:25am!   We even got there at 8:45am!!!

Here I am holding my mom's hand and Victor is reaching up and holding my arm.  We are saying one last prayer!

Then the sonographer stuck in the ultrasound wand and we immediately saw.....

TWINS!!!

We were all starring with our jaws dropped!   GOD IS GOOD!  

Baby A (can't believe I'm typing that) measured 6w1d with a heartbeat of 122 bpm!
Baby B (two babies!!!) measured 6w0d with a heartbeat of 124bpm!

6w0d

Good morning!  The spotting has slowed.  It's still kinda there but hoping it goes away completely today.  :)  Today is a good day.  6 weeks today!  Just need to make it 4 more weeks to get past where I was last fall.   I feel good about this baby.  I hope my intuition is right!   Tomorrow is our first ultrasound.  I am really excited!  Mike and I are of course both going and we are bringing an entourage!  Ha!  Hopefully the sonographer let's us all in!  It will be Mike, me, my mom, his mom, and Victor!   They let us all in for Victor's first ultrasound in 2012!

I had a beautiful sign sent to me by the universe this morning.  This may gross some people out, but to me it is beautiful.  Take a look..... this is what was on the paper towel after my progesterone shot this morning!  I am in awe of it's beauty.  Thank you God for sending me a sign everything is going to be okay!

Coincidentally, this was the inspiration I had planned for today.  

Love everything about all of this!

17dp6dt - Symptoms & HPTs

Good morning!  Only 1 more wake-up until my final beta!   I just want that beta over and done with (and get a good number - hoping for 5,550+).    I think I'll stop testing after tomorrow's beta as long as it's a decent number.

Symptoms:

Middle of the night - Peed twice but that's only because I kept waking up and was like "mighgt as well pee" - not that I actually had to pee.  lol

Morning - Tongue scraper blood.  Bleeder after the PIO injection.

Mid-day - Nothing.

Afternoon - Cramps after lunch.

Evening - Tiny bit tired.   Ute pulls here and there.  Freezing.  Tongue scraper blood.

Love this one.  This sure has been a looooooong road.  Our TTC journey started EIGHT years ago.  2008.  I really hope we can get to our "destination" this year and finally have the family we always dreamed of!

HPTs:

Loving this view... Clearblue Digital weeks estimator at 3+, dark FRER, and dark wondfos!!!   Beautiful site!!   Praise God!!

A tiny peak into my madness - the madness of an 8 year infertility war veteran:

Wondfo progression, new FRER progression, clearblue digital progression, FRRR progression, Top Care hpt progression

13dp6dt - Symptoms & HPTs

Eager for tomorrow's 3rd beta!!

Symptoms:

Middle of the night - peed 3 times, vivid dreams

Morning - None

Mid-day - Yellow cm.

Afternoon - None

Evening - The smell of Mike's dinner (pork and broccoli) was grossing me out.  Tongue scraper blood.  Slightly veiny.

<3 <3 <3 

HPTS:

Ugh, last night's FRER was DEFINITELY lighter than the night before.  :(

See, clearly lighter...  :(

FRRR (first response rapid result) was at least darker than the one from 2 nights ago:

Bottom 3 wondfo all dipped in the same pee.  2 of which are darker than the 3 from the previous night.

12dp6dt - Symptoms & HPTs

Being daring and switching blog titles from days post transfer to weeks pregnant.   I know things could still happen, but TODAY I am pregnant.  So I am going to enjoy the moment!!!

Symptoms:

Middle of the night - peed once - cramps after.

Morning - Tongue scraper blood.

Mid-day - Tired

Afternoon - Uterine tweaks

Evening - More tweaks during dinner.  Slightly nauseous.  Tired.  Tongue scraper blood.

HPTS:

12dp6dt new curved frer (almost the same darkness as the control line):

Comparing 11dpt and 12dpt new curved frer:

Did 3 wondfos (all three bottom ones dipped in the same pee):

Beta #2 - 11dp6dt / 16dpo

My clinic just called with the beta results!!   (from lab 2)

365!!

God is good!!!!!   Thank you, everyone one of you reading this who have been praying with me!

I plot it on the beta hcg graph tool (which showed a 38 hr rise - which is awesome), but I want to know how close the lab that reported 365 is to the lab I used for beta #1 first.  I went to both labs today within the span of 30 minutes so they should be close.  I read labs can vary up to 10% - give or take.

Copied this from beta 1's post...
I am considering it 16dpo at the time of the draw.  Even though it was a 6 day transfer (6dt), the blastocysts were at a 5 day stage when transferred.

11dp6dt - Symptoms & HPTs

I just had my second beta drawn (twice actually).    I probably won't hear until late this afternoon the results from the one lab, and I won't hear until at least tomorrow morning the results from the other lab (this is the lab I used for beta 1 - I duplicated draws today so I can get an accurate doubling since betas differ from lab to lab).  

So nervous today.   No symptoms today.   Wish I was nauseous or something!

Symptoms:

Middle of the night - peed once - no cramps after.

Morning - Tongue scraper blood.   Yellow cm.

Mid-day - Nothing much.  Tiny tan spot.

Afternoon - Slightly thirsty.   Super duper bloated around 4.

Evening - Tired after dinner.  Veiny.  Tongue scraper blood.

HPTS:

Wondfos

Ignore the one peeking at the very top (yesterday's dried test), but the top one is another curved FRER and the bottom one is a FRRR (first response rapid result).  Just wanted to see if I could match the control line on SOMETHING given my beta today of 365!  

Curved FRERs - 9dpt, 10dpt, and 11dpt all "wet" under 60 minutes

Beta #1 - 9dp6dt / 14dpo

So, I may or may not have had my beta drawn yesterday.  And I may or may not know the result!

So yesterday, I had to have TSH drawn, so while I was in the labcorp waiting room, I went to walkinlab.com and ordered a HCG quantitative blood test requisition.  It was only $37!

I just got the results.......

155!!

I am FLOORED to say the least.  Those lines on the FRERS are anything but 155 worthy!  lol

I am considering it 14dpo at the time of the draw.  Even though it was a 6 day transfer (6dt), the blastocysts were at a 5 day stage when transferred.

Here's my dot on the famous graphing tool:

10dp6dt - Symptoms & HPTs

Soooo, just got my beta #1 results!  See other post :) ....

Symptoms:

Middle of the night - peed once - mild cramps when I got back in bed.

Morning - Tongue scraper blood.  Cramps when I put on too tight of pants. 

Mid-day - A few cramps and some light brown spotting.   Feel bloated after lunch.

Afternoon - Tiny bit thirsty.

Evening - Super tired after dinner.  Veiny chest/arms, tongue scraper blood.

My fear of this failing will not make me a prisoner!!!

10dp6dt HPTs:

Wondfo was a champ tonight!

New curved FRER is still slow to darken but looking good:

Under 60 minute comparison of 8dpt, 9dpt, and 10dpt curved FRERs

Curved FRER-a-thon