Ultrasound #3

We went for our last appointment with our Fertility doctor today.  It was certainly bittersweet and sad after working with them for so long.  The morning started off with a little scare though but all is ok.  When I woke this morning I noticed i was spotting light pink/brownish when I wiped. Instantly my heart dropped and I yelled for Finch.  Luckily we already had an ultrasound scheduled at 8:15am.  I haven't spotted at all since becoming pregnant so it was our first big scare.  When I told the doc she didn't seem overly concerned and said that can be perfectly normal in the first trimester.  She performed the ultrasound herself today and said everything looks great!!! She said there were no signs of any bleeding or a tear and the babies had great strong heart beats today - both sacs looked clear and healthy.  The babies have grown SO MUCH in just a week - today we could see the little arm and leg buds and even the spinal cord on each baby!!! Amazing!  Both babies are measuring 8 weeks 2 days.  Baby A had a heartbeat of 163 and Baby B had a heartbeat of 155.   Needless to say I started crying while laying on the table because I was relieved to see their little hearts beating away and really started crying after our doc and nurse hugged us goodbye and told us we had graduated from their program.   We start with our new high risk OB next Wed on June 1st and will be monitored every 2 weeks for the remainder of the pregnancy.  Thank goodness I am now transitioning off of the Endometrium and Estradiol and will be finished both in less than 15 days - hooray!!!!!  I have been home resting all day with my feet up and drinking lots of water.  I haven't spotted since around 10am so praying that all will continue to go well and we won't have another scary morning like today.

OUR BABIES  MEASURING 8 WEEKS, 2 DAYS

BABY A

                                                                             BABY B

Wedding and camping recap

*****Warning!!! Warning!!!! Long post filled with lots of pics*****
 
Wren and I just got back today from a GREAT camping trip to one of our all time fav places -- Seneca Rocks, WV. Saturday marked the celebration of our 2nd year wedding anniversary. So, before I share our weekend adventure photos, I thought it only appropriate to share some of my fav wedding pics.

This pic is just before our ceremony

One of our favs -- the grass is so green and the lighthouse in the background makes it just beautiful. There is also a trick in this pic...how many hearts can you find???

Sealed with a kiss, or two....or three :)

Yay! We are "official!"

Our bling

Infront of Edgartown Lighthouse, Ma

And one last kiss!

It's def hard to believe we have been married for two years all ready. I really didn't think being married would feel that different and it was really Wren who wanted the wedding. I have to say though, looking back -- she's right, it does make a difference. All for the better, of course, but def a difference. I like having our vows to look back on and remember and I think that those same vows hold us very much accountable for our actions. I can honestly say that we still recite our vows to each other every now and then or put them into a card, just as a reminder. And I love Wren even more now then the day we were married!! :)

Ok, enough of the mushy stuff! We had a wonderful weekend and great weather. For those of you not on the east coast, it's been a bit wet lately with rain almost everyday for the past two weeks. West Virginia has especially been hit hard. But luckily, we had a two day window with no rain -- and no rapture might I add, and enough beautiful weather to enjoy some camping and hiking.

So why Seneca Rocks? It's actually been one of Wren's fav spots for a very long time -- loooong before I came around. There is indeed something very relaxing and calming about it. It is also one the spot of Wren and I's first camping trip together when we first started dating, so it holds special memories (wink, wink!).

We left our house early Friday morning, drove to Seneca and had camp set up by 1pm. Then we rested for a while and took a drive to Green Bank, Wv site of the largest moving satellite in the world. Scientists from around the globe study there and can tap into the satellite which transmits radio signals into space. Why is that important??? Somehow sending these signals into space allows scientists to study black holes, distant galaxies, orphan planets, other solar systems, etc. And yes, Wren and I are total dorks and love learning new things!!! After leaving Green Bank we returned to camp, grilled dinner, sat by the fire and relaxed by catching up on some reading.

It's hard to see from the pic but trust me, this thing is huge! You can actually fit 2 football fields inside the basin part.

Wren enjoying the fire and her new book "Juggling Twins"

Home sweet home for the weekend

Me and my new book, also about TWINS!!!

Ah, now this is almost heaven WV! Our view from our tent/campsite. I can't even begin to tell you how many trout were caught from this spot over the weekend. Just gorgeous!

Saturday morning we got up and had breakfast complete with coffee, toast and pancakes. Yes, all possible when you go camping -- or "glamping" (glamorous camping) as our Dr likes to say. After breakfast, we stopped by the local post office to mail out our announcements to our family and closest friends. I'm sure the calls and txts will start Monday or Tuesday when everyone receives their cards! Then we went to a hiking/ National Forrest area called Dolly Sods. I have never hiked the area, but let me tell you -- if you need to get away, this is the spot! One spot we hiked to was so high, but peaceful and you didn't hear anything. N.O.T.H.I.NG. It was almost euphoric. We had a picnic on one set of rocks up there and then tried to take another trail but found it to be like the wetlands and decided to abort. Back to camp we went to prepare dinner for Wren's father and step-mom. They live about 40 mins away from where we camped and invited them over so we could tell them the news. We think they were both very happy. Wren's dad doesn't really talk about his feelings but he smiled when he saw the announcement and was in a good mood the rest of their visit.

Gotta have my coffee in the morning, roughing it or not! Also some pancakes on the griddle.

Wren and I

One view of Dolly Sods, the pic just doesn't do it justice

another view

Ahhh! Now this is a vacation!

Wren on a fun looking rock

This was the sign on one of the trails -- Yikes!

Our "toaster!"

All in all, it was a great weekend! One that we will remember as one of our last camping trips where it will be ''just us.''  However, we are happy to add two additional hikers to our family. We have our last appointment with our fertility clinic Dr this Wednesday. Will post another update then. Until then, I hope everyone has a fantastic week!

~Finch

7 weeks 1 day - Ultrasound #2

Gosh it is amazing how quickly babies grow!!!!  Today was our 2nd ultrasound and both babies have  doubled in size from last week.  The tech was able to measure both heartbeats this time  Baby A was 113 and Baby B was 119.  According to http://www.americanpregnancy.com/ says that they are right on track!!!! yay!

Week 7 - Gestational Age (Fetal Age 5 weeks)

Generally from 6 ½ -7 weeks is the time when a heartbeat can be detected and viability can be assessed. A normal heartbeat at 6-7 weeks would be 90-110 beats per minute. The presence of an embryonic heartbeat is an assuring sign of the health of the pregnancy. Once a heartbeat is detected, the chance of the pregnancy continuing ranges from 70-90% dependent on what type of ultrasound is used.

We go back next Wednesday for our final ultrasound with our Fertility doc so looking forward to seeing how much they grow and change - it is truly amazing to watch!




So I called my Insurance today to find out if they would cover a Nutritionist Consult and for a $20 co-pay - they cover 100%! FINALLY!!!!! They didn't cover ANY of our meds or treatment so it's about time they start paying for our pregnancy!!!! I go tomorrow at 12:30 to meet with a Nutritionist to review my diet and give me suggestions on how much and what I need to be eating to make healthy twins....I know it is different from a singleton and I need 600 extra calories a day - but that is a lot of calories! I feel like I am eating constantly and although I have been eating I have actually dropped 2 pounds in the past couple of weeks. I have been doing a food journal the past week so she can review what i am eating and give me tips on how to avoid gestational diabetes and hopefully carry them to term.  That is the goal. 

Finch and I are off on Friday morning to go celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary - we have been together 4 years total and are very excited to run away for the weekend!!!! We are off to our favorite camping spot - Seneca Rocks, WV!  If you haven't been there - it is a must - absolutely beautiful!  No cell phone service....no computer access...... Almost Heaven WV!! Love it!!!  Happy Anniversary on May 21st to my amazing wife - so happy to be on this journey with you!

Sharing the *NEWS*

Tomorrow is my MIL birthday so Finch and I took her mom and dad out for breakfast this morning... After we returned from breakfast she opened her gifts. Her 2nd gift was a framed picture of our 1st Ultrasound. We put it in a "Grandkids are the sunshine of life" frame - and put a pink and a blue pacifier and baby tissue paper and included an announcement card that said   (outside)Guess "Whooooo" is expecting... with a big Owl and a Tree and flowers (inside)  TWINS!!! with little baby foot prints and listed  "mommies to be" and our "due date."   Her mom and dad were shocked and excited!!!  If you remember a few posts back I wrote about we were a little nervous for her dad's reaction because he is a preacher and grew up in a very conservative Mennonite family.  He congratulated us and gave us each a hug - he said he hadn't planned on being a grandpa again as the other grandkids are 12, 16 and 17 now but was happy!  Finch's mom said well I guess I can work til December and then retire and we told her yes, we would hire her as our nanny!!!  She love loves children and used to run a daycare in her home....we are very blessed to have her support and know that she will be able to help us out along the way!  Finch and I breathed a HUGE HUGE sigh of relief as we drove away this afternoon.  Her parents are my parents and I would have been very disappointed and sad if our exciting news wasn't received with excitement and joy for us.   We will be telling my dad/stepmom this Friday/Saturday as Finch and I are taking off for the weekend to celebrate our 2 YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY on May 21st!  Once we tell my dad, we have about 40 personalized cards to mail out to our closest family members and friends. so they can join in on the celebration!  Our 2nd Ultrasound is this Wednesday.... can't wait to see if they can measure the heartbeats this week - fingers crossed!! 

DOUBLE TROUBLE!!!!!!!

****TWINS!!!!!!****

Oh my golly! Twins, twins indeed. Needless to say we will now be preparing the house for double the trouble, double the fun! Two beautiful, strong heart beats filled the screen this morning. Not quite strong enough yet at 6 weeks and 1 day to measure the heart rates but our Dr was hopeful that by next week we would be able to. Possible due dates are anywhere from 36 weeks -- Dec 6th to 40 weeks -- Jan 3rd. Wren and I are very excited about twins as this could be our one, two punch and we're done. But we will take one thing at a time. I will say though, I think we were both relieved not to have triplets -- that is certainly A LOT! Either way, we are feeling so very blessed and excited. We couldn't wait to share it with you all! Wishing you all as joyous of a day as we've had so far!!!!!

~Finch

Ultrasound #1 TOMORROW

Hooray!!!  We finally made it to Tuesday - We are off to the doctor for our 1st Ultrasound tomorrow morning!!!!! We are scheduled for 7:30am. CAN'T WAIT to see if there is ONE, TWO or THREE babies on the screen - will keep you posted tomorrow! 

I have been nauseated off and on the past few days - yesterday it hit in the morning but today it hit early evening - My "honey-do" list is finished for Finch so I am going to take some nausea medicine and go to bed..... zzzzzzzzz 

Wren

*3rd Beta - 5489*

Well, our third and final beta is in...... 5498!!!!  Grow baby/babies G-R-O-W!!!! The doubling time from the 2nd to the 3rd was 1.98 days - right on track!

Our nurse said that I didn't need to come back until next Wednesday for our first ultrasound.

The ultrasound is 7:30am on Wednesday - May 11th - I can't believe we have to wait a whole week to know how many babies we are having - I am the kind of person that knows what I want and I want it right now...what is that called...instant gratification?  yes. that would be me.  I try my best to be patient but it doesn't always work very well. lol.

We are taking off on Friday to go to my hometown to visit my mom for Mother's Day weekend.  We will be back in town on Sunday to celebrate with Finch's mom so that should be at least a few days of distraction.

I guess we will all have to wait til next week to see who won the "fertility poll" on how many  we are having :)

~Wren

*2nd Beta - 2730*

The results are in for the 2nd Beta - 2730 - which means a doubling time of 49 hours....right on track!
I have another Beta on Wednesday and then our first ultrasound is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11th at 7:30am!!!!!  Hooray!  We can't wait to see how many babies are in there :)

Thanks for the comments on the nausea - I took lots of snacks to work today and had lots of protein and was only nauseated a few times.... I need to keep some little bags with me in case I can't get to the trash can one of these days! 

So far.... So good!   Happy Monday!!!!!

Nausea and Family

I need some helpful tips on what helped you with nausea please......

The last two days I have been nauseated 24/7 - I haven't thrown up "yet" but came very close to it in Target waiting in line last night.  I feel better right after I eat but then within about 1 1/2-2 hours it starts again.  It is just a constant feeling of nauseated.

Any favorite things that worked for you?  I have stocked up on ginger snap cookies, wheat crackers, sprite, 7-up and Ginger Ale...

Finch and I just hung the 2nd blind in the nursery a little bit ago.  We have 1 more to buy and install.   She is upstairs doing the final touches on the paint job...I will post some before and after pictures soon as it is still a work in progress. 

We have also been talking about when and how to share the news with our family and friends.  My mom knows we are pregnant but she is the only one so far.  What creative ideas did you do to share it with your loved ones?  We were planning to have a "game night" at our house around 12 weeks along for our friends and play pictionary and  have both teams play along and draw out two girls and a baby/babies and a stroller and see if they would guess it.... we are both "dorks" but wanted to do something fun and have them all together when we announce it.    We have a large community of GLBT friends where we live and are very blessed.  When I first moved back to this area around 2006 my friend and I started having Monday night "margarita night" at the Mexican restaurant.  We started adding a friend here and there and it quickly grew to  a weekly celebration of 12-15 of us.....one of our guy friends decided to coordinate a group called the OFF Group which stands for Out for Fun.   The group now has a membership of over 125 people within an hour of our home.  We have different events throughout the year like having a potluck picnic on Monday evenings at our local park and playing sand volleyball. We have game night at different friends homes and a few of our very athletic friends compete in Triathlons in the area.  We all went to Rehoboth Beach, DE last year to watch them compete.  It was a blast!  They regularly run 5K and 10K races (they ran one yesterday) and we go along to cheer them on....  we enjoy biking along the C&O canal that goes from Harpers Ferry, WV to D.C. and they meet up on Wednesday evening to ride their "road bikes" all over our town and the country roads.  There are 4 lesbian couples we know that all have children and we have 2 sets of friends who are also trying to conceive right now.  We joke around and said were going to start a "lesbian mommies group" once we all end up pregnant.  lol.  At least we can trade off babysitting services once in awhile.  Finch is a little nervous about telling her parents we are pregnant - her dad is a Church of the Brethern Minister (more liberal than Mennonite) and it took them awhile to come around after she told them she was gay and that we were partners.  They didn't come to our wedding shower and really haven't acknowledged our wedding although we sent out wedding announcements to all of our family and friends.  Her parents are very sweet and think of me as their daughter now  but it just took some time. We went to Martha's Vineyard just the two of us and got married with the lady minister and hired an amazing photographer Alison Shaw www.alisonshaw.com or www.mvtimes.com to capture our special day.  Alison and her wife live on the Vineyard along with their 2 children. Their anniversary day is the same day that we were getting married and her wife was gracious enough to let us steal her away for 2 hours in the morning to capture our wedding.  We were married in Edgartown, MA on the beach by the Edgartown lighthouse at 10am on Thursday, May 21, 2009.  We picked May 21st because it was my grandparents anniversary day also and they were married for 67 years so we thought it would be good luck. 

I guess the same can be said for my father and step-mom as for Finch's parents.  They are great with us now but in the beginning it was a little rocky.  We are uncertain as to how they will react to the thought of us having a baby/babies.  Personally I don't care how they react - I think they will all be just fine. I have no problem telling them to deal with it and get over themselves if we get anything less than a "Congratulations" and "Let's celebrate" attitude.  Life is too short to not live your life to the fullest and we are very excited to become parents.  They will not rain on our big gay parade!!! lol.

My mom is one of our biggest supporters.  She is happy that I am happy and treats Finch just like her daughter.  Finches mom treats me like her daughter now too and takes me shopping on my birthday and hugs and kisses me right along with Finch - I think it will all be just fine.  I know our friends are going to be very, very excited. They know that we were trying the IUI route and were thinking of IVF but we never confirmed with anyone exactly when we were having the procedures. It was just less stress and pressure that way so we didn't have someone asking  - did it work? are you pregnant? etc.  After several failed IUI attempts it was just emotionally exhausting to get one more BFN.  I have to be honest that at times it has even been difficult to be a part of the blogging community and to see others have success when we were still patiently waiting for "our time" to come....  I am glad that we are on our way to becoming mommies now but understand the heartache and frustration of being a lesbian and going through this whole journey to become a parent.    It will all be worth it in the end.