One Month and Counting

Mark your calendars, folks...Thanksgiving is officially one month from today.  For TeamPug, that means our little Puglet is due in just 31 days.  Technically speaking, she could arrive anytime between now and the first week of December...talk about a 6+ week window of uncertainty?!  Ultimately, I really don't care if she comes tomorrow or 6+ weeks from now...JPug and I are so happy to be expecting a little one that we won't complain.  To be completely honest, my hooha would probably appreciate a delivery sooner than later but whatever happens, we'll make it work.

What's New?
Over the past month, we've made some real progress in Puglet's room.  My mom visited the last weekend in September and we made a mobile, curtains, and a bulletin board.  The same weekend, JPug put the glider back together and configured a cherry blossom tree decal on Puglet's wall.  As far as decor goes, we still need to make some shelves but otherwise, it's good to go.  Once we're all finished (hopefully this weekend), I'll be sure to blog & post pictures.

I'll have to devote a separate post to this topic but the first two weekends of October we had 3 AWESOME showers.  The first was for friends and family in KC, the second was for friends and family in STL and the third was a surprise shower thrown by my co-workers that caught me totally off-guard.  JPug and I are so thankful to be surrounded by such wonderful, supportive people.  We are so appreciative and can't wait for everyone to share the love they have for us with our little one.

Here's a picture of JPug and I (with friends Mark, Jayme & their son Maclin) from our shower in KC

Quick Update

How far along: 35 weeks, 5 days

Size of baby:  Approximately 18 inches long and 5.25 pounds (the size of a honeydew melon).

Total weight gain: 20 pounds

Maternity clothes: Anything maternity...stretch band pants ROCK!

Sex: Still a girl!

Movement: Depends on the day...sometimes she's pretty active and other times she seems lazy.  As long as I feel her moving every day, the doctor said I shouldn't be concerned.

Sleep: Still pretty good.  One night last week I didn't even wake up to potty (probably indicative of the fact that I didn't drink enough water in the evening but it was still glorious).

What I miss: As fall and winter approach, I have to say that I miss O'Fallon Pumpkin Ale and Bailey's.

Cravings: Any type of food...I've been a hungry, hungry hippo the past two weeks!

Symptoms: Sticking with the chiropractor for regular adjustments, bananas for potassium, milk for calcium and tennis shoes to ensure my leg cramps stay gone.  Just this morning I noticed a bit more pressure on my pelvis...I think she may be headed south for the winter ;)  I should know for sure at my next OB appointment on Friday.

What I’m looking forward to: Maternity photos this weekend, finishing Puglet's room, and welcoming our little Puglet into the world

12 Weeks Later…

In case you haven’t noticed…I’ve been an epic blogger failure over the past 12 weeks.  On one hand, it seems as if not much has changed but on the other hand I can think of all sorts of new things.  First things first…still no legitimate belly pictures.  I’m ridiculous…I know…I promise to have a picture in my next post. 

So, what’s new?!

TeamPug is officially 32 weeks along!  Puglet has furniture…a bed, dresser, and changing table.  Oh, and a sweet $25 glider that my aunt and cousin scored from a garage sale.  I’ll have to devote a separate post to furniture bargains because I’m pretty proud of TeamPug in this department.

After finding out Puglet’s gender, one of my best friends from high school, Sarah, put together an awesome Mizzou Black & Gold gift set consisting of a hand crafted headband & bow, newborn hat, 12 mo. hat and car seat blanket.  I’ll have to devote another post to her creations because they’re just plain awesome.  In the mean time, you can check out her work/purchase items via Facebook > B.I.B.S. (Baby Items By Sarah) or the B.I.B.S. blog.

JPug and I decided on a theme for Puglet’s room.  Instead of going for a character theme, we went for colors.  The main colors are bright pink, brown, and a muted lime green…with a little rust and a bit of cream mixed in.  Sounds potentially horrendous, huh?  The palate was inspired by Zoe Pearn’s Indian Summer fabric line…I found some swatches at a local quilt shop and fell in love.  Right now Puglet’s room is a lot of ideas and not much execution so we have quite the task ahead of us.

We registered.  The registry process is fun but ultimately more difficult than I would have ever imagined!  Talking to friends, reading reviews and making decisions on products your child may or may not like was exhausting.  For every good review/highly recommended product, there was a doomsday review that made us think twice.  We’re not picking a blender here folks…you don’t want the baby swing that will catapult your little one across the living room!  Ultimately we did the best we could…I’m sure we’ll swear by some products and others won’t work for us…eh…that’s life.

We found some serious end-of-summer clothing bargains.  Besides room décor, JPug and I haven’t purchased much of anything for Puglet.  We’re pretty frugal and are waiting until after our showers to make purchases.  This rule of thumb went right out the window when both Kohl’s and JCPenny had their summer baby clothing 70% off…AND it was tax-free weekend.  I mean, who can pass up outfits at 70% off sans taxes?!?!  We ended up purchasing about 20 outfits in a combination of 6mo. and 9mo. sizes that should get our little Pug through next summer.

We had our 3D ultrasound!  Our specific experience was a bit underwhelming (awesome experience, didn’t get great pictures) because Puglet decided to keep her knees on her chest and feet and hands over her face almost the entire time.  She literally looked like a contortionist movie star trying to block the paparazzi’s view…haha…go figure!  We caught glimpses of her little face here and there and were able to see her open her eyes, yawn and even saw a bit of hair growing on the back of her head.  I’m really interested to see how much she’ll look (and act) like her ultrasound pictures/video once she arrives.

On a more serious note, August marked our infertility processes’ 2 year mark.  It’s really incredible to think back 2 years and see how far we’ve come.  August also marked the due date of the baby we lost in December.  When we originally lost the baby and feelings were still raw, I was sure the approaching due date would be hard for me.  Luckily, I was busy at work and immersed in happy Puglet thoughts so I didn’t even realize the due date until it had already passed.  I’m not sad to have experienced our loss and I believe I’m a stronger and more compassionate person because of it but I’m beyond happy and thankful that we’ve moved forward and are expecting.

Quick Update

How far along: 32 weeks

Size of baby:  The size of a large jicama (about 3.75 pounds) and about 16.7 inches long.

Total weight gain: 14 pounds

Maternity clothes: Empire waist dresses, maternity pants and a combination of maternity tops and pre-pregnancy tops.

Sex: It’s a girl!

Movement: I definitely feel her moving every day but the type of movement is hard to describe.  Maybe once every 10 days she’s really active…kicking, punching and changing positions.  Most of the movement I feel is strong flutters here and there and what my friend Courtney described as “rolling”…more changing positions than discernable kicks or punches.

Sleep: No complaints.  There was a week or so where I was pretty uncomfortable sleeping but a combination of suggestions from the chiropractor and OB have me sleeping pretty comfortably these days.  Rather than have a mountain of pillows around me (which JPug dubbed Mt. Pillowmanjaro), I sleep with a single king size pillow under my head/neck and another king size pillow between my legs.  I’m not sure how effective the set-up is…it’s not uncommon for me to wake up and find myself sleeping square on my back (a no-no for pregnant women) but I’m still sleeping pretty darn well so why fix what’s not broken?!

What I miss: Until Labor Day weekend…SKINNY JEANS.  I found some skinny jeans with my cousins and good friend from high school over Labor Day weekend so I’m a happy, skinny jean wearing pregnant gal!

Cravings: Still none.  I may truly be one of the most boring pregnant ladies ever!

Symptoms: About 6 weeks ago I started having trouble with my sciatic nerve on my right side.  Almost immediately, I started seeing a chiropractor as a preventative measure.  I’m happy to report that my weekly adjustments as well as exercises he gave me to do at home have kept my back…my entire body actually…feeling pretty good.  I also started getting pretty severe calf cramps just over a month ago.  The OB attributed the cramping to a water, potassium or calcium deficiency…I’m sure it wasn’t water (I drink more than 120oz./day) so I increased my potassium and calcium intake to rectify the problem.  The potassium and calcium helped a bit but the cramps and pain reared their ugly heads  at times so the OB recommended switching to tennis shoes exclusively at my last appointment.  Yep…rocking tennis shoes everywhere (with no calf pain) J  Last but not least, my belly button is nearly gone.  I still have the slightest innie but I’ll be honest, it’s not long for this world.

What I’m looking forward to: Seeing Puglet’s room come together, spending time with friends and family at our upcoming showers, and meeting our little lady

Summer Beer

4th of July has come and gone but I can't let summer completely pass without sharing one of my favorite drink recipes...Summer Beer.  When I lived in STL, I never heard of the stuff but since moving to KC (six and a half years ago...eek!), I realized just what I was missing!

Ingredients

• 1 - 12oz can Frozen Pink Lemonade
• Vodka (don't worry if the brand is cheap because the flavor of the lemonade will mask the bite)
• 4 - 6 cans Light Beer (such as Bud Light)

Directions

• In a pitcher, empty the pink lemonade (saving the can)
• Fill the 12oz can with vodka and add it to the pitcher
• Add 4 - 6 cans light beer (depending on personal taste)
• Note: I prefer to add 6 cans of beer as the pink lemonade is a strong/sweet taste
• Mix & Enjoy!

Additional Notes

• I've never tried traditional frozen Lemonade or Limeade (instead of the Pink Lemonade) but I know folks who have and really enjoy it...totally depends on personal taste.
• I've found this to be a great recipe for both med and women...it's stout enough for guys and fruity enough for gals...a win-win situation!
• You can double, triple, etc. this recipe to serve a large group...just make sure you have a big enough container.  A group of guys I used to work with would make Summer Beer in one of those big Gatorade water jugs you see at baseball and football games...stick with the ratio above and make as much or a little as you'd like. 

Whooah, We’re Half Way There…

I can’t even believe it…TeamPug has officially reached the half way mark!

Last Friday, our third OB appointment started with a sonographer who preformed my mid-gestation ultrasound.  During the procedure, she took various measurements to ensure Puglet was on track growth-wise and confirm there were no obvious developmental issues.  We were able to see all sorts of awesome stuff…such as Puglet’s entire spine and 4-chamber beating heart…it was really incredible!  She also snuck a look at gender without JPug or me knowing!  She concealed gender in an envelope which we took to our local party store along with a huge cardboard box and asked them to fill it with the appropriate color balloons.  After our visit with the sonographer, we met the second of six doctors we’ll see over the next 20ish weeks.  I really liked this doctor and the experience at the office was better than our previous two visits…things are looking up!

That evening, we planned to have dinner with my folks (who came in from STL) and JPug’s folks.  Before heading to the restaurant, we opened the box all together and found out we’ll be having a little GIRL!

It's a Girl!

Other than the ultrasound, I don’t have much new information.  A friend of mine provided this short/regular survey to update folks on her pregnancy.  I really liked the idea so I’m totally stealing it…thanks Courtney!

How far along: 20 weeks

Size of baby: The length of a banana and about 10.5 ounces.

Total Weight Gain: 5.5 pounds.  I was down 5 pounds during the first trimester and I’ve gained that back plus an additional 5.5.  Although some of you may think 5 + 5.5 = 10.5, I’m sticking with 5.5…and pounds DO NOT round up.

Maternity Clothes: I’ve transitioned to empire waist dresses and maternity pants at work.  Some of my pre-pregnancy summer shorts still fit so I’m enjoying them while I still can.  I purchased a few belly bands but I find them to be uncomfortable…so it’s mostly dresses or maternity pants for me.

Sex: It’s a girl!

Movement: None yet…the sonographer said I have an anterior placenta (it’s along the front) which means Puglet will have to kick harder for me to feel her move.  From what I’ve read and what the doctor told me, it’s common for moms with anterior placentas to start feeling baby around 22 weeks.

Sleep: Pretty excellent…some nights I even sleep through the night without needing a potty break!  I find that I still sleep on my stomach or a version of stomach/side even when I try not to.  I doubt I’ll be able to sleep on my stomach much longer because my belly will get too big. 

What I Miss: Nothing really.  I’m definitely a gal who enjoys a good craft beer or margarita on hot summer days but I don’t find that I’ve minded the switch to lemonade or water one bit.

Cravings: None.

Symptoms: None…man, I’m boring and lucky at the same time!

What I’m Looking Forward To: My growing belly (and hopefully boobs), choosing various items for baby (the process is fun and exhausting/overwhelming at the same time) and our 3D ultrasound on Tuesday, 9/4.

Busy Bee - Part 2

Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 13^th)

Mother’s Day 2012 was an interesting one.  JPug and I knew we were expecting for nearly two months…went to numerous doctors’ appointments, ultrasounds and lab draws…but our parents had no idea.  We decided to keep the news from them so they wouldn’t worry…if we got to the 12 week mark and everything seemed to be ok, we’d share the news at that time. 

The Wednesday before mother’s day, 12 weeks came and went but we didn’t share our news.  As luck would have it, my mom was extremely busy and couldn’t get away from St. Louis for an entire weekend and TeamPug was pretty busy in KC too.  We decided to meet in Columbia, MO…half way for both families…to celebrate the day.  We enjoyed a yummy brunch at the University Club…the same place where JPug and I got married in 2007 and shared our news before the meal began. 

We pulled out gift bags for each person…JPug’s mom and dad, my mom, dad and stepdad.  In each bag was a baby gift customized to the recipient’s personality and pictures of our growing Puglet.  It was pretty special…and a great surprise…tears, laughter, excitement and a kooky story from my mom.  I would share video of the big reveal but JPug was in charge of the FlipCam and somehow managed to videotape my boobs for an entire minute so I’ll spare everyone that show.

All-in-all, it was a Mother’s Day the 7 of us likely won’t forget!

Second OB Appointment (Wednesday, May 23^rd)

Our second OB appointment went better than the first.  Still no…this is definitely the place for me…type feelings but at least I wasn’t as put off as I was the first time around.  After a few quick checks with the care assistant, she took us into the exam room and we heard Puglet’s heartbeat on a doppler…144 beats per minute.  This was the first appointment with Dr. K or the OB office that we didn’t have an ultrasound.  It’s too bad we weren’t able to see how Puglet is developing but hearing a strong heartbeat was definitely comforting.  After a waiting a few minutes, we met with the first of 6 doctors in the practice…I was happy to meet with a doctor rather than the nurse practioner.  All in all, the visit went pretty well…the provider was nice and answered our questions thoroughly.  Our next appointment, on Friday, June 29^th is a biggie.  We’ll have our mid-gestation ultrasound where the sonographer checks to ensure the baby is developing properly and if Puglet cooperates, we’ll find out if the baby is a boy or a girl.

Second Round Genetic Testing (Saturday, June 9^th)

On Saturday, June 9^th, I had my second and final round of labs drawn to complete our genetic testing series.  The draw itself was remarkably quick…once I checked in, I was finished and walking out of the building less than 10 minutes later.  The second round of testing checks for markers that could potentially signal genetic issues and is a more sensitive than the first round.  The genetic counselor we worked with at our previous appointment called the following week with good news…for all markers, my bloodwork came back as good as it could have been.  She said in lab result terms, we got an A+!

Present Day/19 Weeks (Wednesday, June 27^th)

As pregnancies go, I think I’ve had the easiest pregnancy imaginable.  If it wasn’t for my growing belly and lack of monthly cycle, I would never even know I was expecting.  After the tiredness of the first trimester wore off (which was truly my only symptom), I’ve been back to my normal self.  I started showing the past few weeks…transitioned to belly bands to make my regular pants more comfortable last week and took my first trip to Motherhood Maternity this past weekend.  Now I have some sweet maternity pants with a stretchy band that reaches all the way up to my bra.  Stylish?  Heck no…but wonderfully comfortable! 

I don’t think about being pregnant or the baby a whole lot.  I’m sure it’s because of our initial struggles and the fact that I’ve seen firsthand how things can fall apart in the blink of an eye.  I’m by no means consumed with fear nor am I blindly, wildly excited...I’d say I’m more cautiously optimistic than anything.  I go about my normal routine but take it easy if/when it’s necessary.  If we’re lucky enough for the entire process to work and I deliver a healthy, full-term baby in November, that’ll be amazing/wonderful/ fantastic but should a glitch in the process arise, we’ll take it all in stride.  For now, we’re just chugging along and hoping for the best.

Busy Bee - Part 1

It’s been over a month since I’ve blogged…about anything…much less our growing Puglet.  The posts you’ve read over the past few weeks were written as we experienced the process.  Looking back, I’m really happy that I blogged (although I didn’t post) in real time because you know exactly what I was thinking and feeling in the moment.

Unfortunately, work got incredibly busy and my evenings were consumed with an urge to sleep that I just couldn’t fight which means blogging came to a complete halt.  Now…weeks later…I have my energy back and LOTS to catch up on.  I’m going to try and regurgitate everything in one post…so I apologize this will officially be the LONGEST post ever.  If it gets too bad, I’ll split it in two.  Happy reading!

Search for a Birth Doula (early May)

After a round of positive blood tests and multiple and promising ultrasounds, TeamPug’s first order of business was searching for and securing a birth doula.  The quick and dirty regarding a doula…a doula is a person who meets with the expectant family during pregnancy to discuss beliefs and concerns about labor and delivery.  She’ll provide continuous support during labor and delivery using comfort measures and positioning and assists with beginning breastfeeding.

Our quest for a doula was three-fold…

The OB practice we’re visiting has a rotation of 6 providers we’ll see throughout the pregnancy.  When I go into labor, whoever is on-call doctor will be the person to deliver our baby.  The provider may or may not be someone I’ve built a relationship with during my pregnancy.  Having a doula ensures that someone we have a connection with and are very comfortable with is present come delivery day.

Speaking of delivery day, the doula will come to our home and help me through early labor in a more comfortable environment.  Once we move to the hospital, the doula will serve as a supporter and advocate and will help us understand the medical jargon and various questions/decisions that come our way.  Going the doula route isn’t right for everyone but the lady we chose seems to be a great fit for Team Pug.

12 Weeks (Wednesday, May 9^th)

I hit the crucial, 12-week mark on Wednesday, May 9^th…yay!  All-in-all, I’ve felt great.  No nausea or sensitivity to smells or tastes.  There were a few days I felt the slightest bit nauseous but I’d have a glass of Sprite or Ginger Ale and eat more frequent, smaller meals which did the trick.  My only real side-effect was being tired.  Most evenings, I’d come home from work…nap for a couple of hours…get up for an hour (maybe two) and sleep the rest of the night.  Plus, when I was “awake”, I definitely wasn’t productive…sitting on the couch was sometimes the extent of my productivity.

Genetic Testing (Friday, May 11^th)

During our first appointment with the OB, the nurse practioner offered the option to have pre-delivery genetic testing completed.  TeamPug is of the “Knowledge is Power” school of thought so we didn’t think twice about having the tests done.  On Friday, May 11^th, we went to another hospital in the KC metro for testing. 

Our appointment started with a consultation with a genetic counselor.  She took about 45 minutes discussing family and health history as well as our various risk factors given age and cultural background.  Next, we had an ultrasound to check the fluid measurement at the back of our baby’s neck (fluid accumulation, which would lead to a larger measurement could signal a genetic issue) as well as blood tests to check for markers for Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18 and Cystic Fibrosis. 

The ultrasound gave us another opportunity to see our growing Puglet.  It’s incredible because in just two weeks, the short, gummy bear-like arms and legs have turned into much longer and clearly distinguishable arms and legs…and you can easily see the makings of hands and feet.  After a little coaxing, Puglet got into the correct position and the sonographer was able to get the neck measurement she was looking for.  The “normal” range for my age and gestation was anything below 2.5 and Puglet’s neck measured 1.4.

From there, we met with a Perinatologist to discuss the results of my initial blood draw at the OB’s office.  The results showed that I was positive for RH sensitivity which can cause issues for the baby if the baby’s blood mixes with mine (if both blood types aren’t negative) during pregnancy.  Although the results were positive for sensitivity, my blood couldn’t be titered which is a really good sign.  Basically, once the lab gets a positive result from a sample, they cut the sample in half and test it again...and repeat the process until the result is negative.  My initial sample was positive but they were unable to get a positive reading after they cut it in half (the processing of titering) so the Perinatologist thought the positive result was likely a fluke.  I’ll have my blood drawn to check for RH sensitivity again at a future appointment…the OB office and Perinatologist will determine a course of action based on the results.

Goodbye, Hello

Friday , April 27^th – 10W, 2D

This has been a busy busy week in the life of our growing Puglet.  Monday morning we had our final appointment at Dr. K’s office; it was definitely bittersweet.  Over the past 9 months, we formed a bond with Dr. K, the nurses and the ultrasound technician in the office.  Knowing this was the last time we’d see them in a long time was wonderful but a little sad at the same time.  Through the process, they were awesome…patient, kind, caring, compassionate.  I truly believe they treated TeamPug the way they would want to be treated themselves and we couldn’t have asked for anything more.  During the appointment, Dr. K preformed our final transvaginal ultrasound…checking growth (still right on target) and heartbeat (160 BPM) one final time.  She answered a few questions and asked to see pictures or bring the baby to the office once he or she is born.

On Wednesday, we had our first appointment with the OB/GYN practice we’ll see throughout the pregnancy.  I didn’t choose them based on recommendation…I found the office closest to our home that also accepts our insurance and figured we’d start there.  The office and associated hospital I’ll likely deliver at are about 5 minutes away...convenience was obviously my driving force.

In one word, the visit was underwhelming.  The office was nice and the admin staff seemed friendly enough as they asked me to complete some paperwork and took my insurance.  The first person we saw was an ultrasound technician who seemed annoyed she had to wait an extra minute for JPug to sign in.  From there, she escorted us back into the ultrasound room where she logged our information into the computer and asked me to take a seat.  She asked that I pull my pants down to my hips and my shirt up just below my bra.  I’m so used to transvaginal ultrasounds I didn’t even think that I’d get to have the more traditional, top of the belly kind.  She squirted some jelly on my abdomen and went to work with her magic wand. 

The picture from this type of ultrasound is different…rather than seeing planes (body and hands/feet but maybe no arms/legs), we could see the whole baby.  She took some measurements, which continue to be right on target (10 weeks exactly) and the heartbeat was 153.  At one point, she found a clear, open picture of the baby and showed how it was moving around like crazy.  It was really amazing…little Puglet having a private dance party.  Although the ultrasound technician was never rude, she wasn’t friendly and seemed to rush through every step the process.  As we finished up, she asked us to wait in a different waiting area, but seemed annoyed we didn’t know where we were going.

A few minutes later, we were escorted to an exam room and waited for the nurse practitioner to arrive.  A care assistant asked some basic questions and the practitioner came in about 15 minutes later.  She went over my health history, discussed current medications, the lab tests they’d be running, whether we wanted to complete the recommended birth defect testing and talked a few minutes about the practice itself.  When she was finished, she answered our questions.  Just like the ultrasound technician…she seemed uninterested in us…like she’d rather be seeing her next patient.

Once we were finished, we moved back into the waiting area for my final stop of the day, the phlebotomist.  Of all the blood I’ve had drawn since we started with Dr. K…this lady was the worst drawer by far.  Considering it was only one needle, I have quite the bruise on my arm.  If my experience with the lab technician isn’t any better in the future, I’ll either have blood drawn through the hospital I work at or at a local Quest lab…neither of which have caused discomfort in the past.

I’m interested to see how our next appointment…on Wednesday, May 23^rd...will go.  We’ll see an actual doctor for the visit and I’m anxious to see if their bedside manner is any friendlier than our initial experience.  If not, we might forego convenience and look for another OBGYN practice that seems to be a better fit.  One note, I’m not looking for a best friend or someone to hold my hand and coddle me through the process.  But, I am looking for a physician or group of physicians who treat me the way I would treat them if the roles were reversed.

Friday the 13th

8 Weeks, 2 Days

Today is Friday, April 13^th…eek!  JPug and I went in for our 3^rd ultrasound this morning and I resisted the urge to come in a different day to avoid Friday the 13^th altogether.  Although the appointment date was the slightest bit unnerving, I had no signs that something might be wrong and figured I might as well face my “fears” head on.

We arrived to open office hours just before 7:30a and were first in to see the ultrasound technician, Sarah.  It didn’t take her any time to find our little baby…she took some measurements, thoroughly answered each of our questions and measured Puglet’s heartbeat.  It’s crazy to see the changes in our little white blob from our first ultrasound at 6+ weeks to today’s ultrasound at 8+ weeks.  Now, you can clearly see which end will eventually become the head, which end will be the butt and the slightest buds where arms and legs are beginning to form.  At one point Sarah joked that the baby resembles a gummy bear at this stage of development and proceeded to stick her hands up by her shoulders and wiggle around to simulate the tiny arms…haha!  Something new this week, this was the first time we could clearly see the umbilical cord on the screen.  We’ve been taking video of each of our appointments with our FlipCam…hopefully I can snap a picture from each ultrasound to show Puglet’s progression.

In my last few posts, I mentioned the gestational sac and yolk sac and I finally had a few minutes to research both.  Per Wikipedia (the most reliable source on the internet…wink wink), the gestational sac is “the only available intrauterine structure that can be used to determine if an intrauterine pregnancy exists, until the embryo is identified”.  During our ultrasound, Sarah explained that the yolk sac is where Puglet gets his/her nutrients until the placenta takes over around 10 weeks.  During today’s appointment, Puglet measured 1.7 centimeters/the equivalent of 8W, 1D development-wise (right on track) and his/her heartbeat was 164.

.....

Judy, Dr. K’s nurse, called in the afternoon to review the ultrasound findings; I wasn’t at my desk so she left a message.  I’m very glad to report that she said everything looked good and to keep doing whatever I have been because we’re on a great path.  Man, it’s like we might really have a real baby before the end of the year!

UltraSOUND

Friday, April 6^th – 7w2d

Happy Friday everyone!  Or…whatever day this post ends up being published, happy that day.  This morning, JPug and I went in for our second prenatal ultrasound.  We arrived before 7:30a and were the first patients in the office…yes!  Dr. K’s office has open hours from 7:30a – 8:30a for labs and ultrasounds which means first come, first served.  First in means first out and we can get on with our day.

Hit the breaks…Sarah, the sonographer, called in sick and Dr. K was on vacation so the nurse asked if we could come back at 8:30a to have the other Dr. K (our Dr. K’s partner) perform our ultrasound.  It was only a minor hiccup in our day so JPug and I headed to breakfast and returned about an hour later.

Dr. K came into the office, introduced himself and got down to business.  Let’s just say that the fastest I’ve ever moved with a gentleman…luckily, it was for good great reason!  He performed a transvaginal ultrasound…big wand in the hooha...and after a few wiggles of the stick, you could see the big black circle, smaller hollow circle and a little white blob.  This time, I remembered to ask what each of the circles is…the big black circle is the gestational sac, the smaller, hollow circle is the yolk sac and the white blob is the baby (I didn’t have to be reminded of that part).  At this point, I'm not exactly sure what each of those sacs is or does...stay tuned...hopefully I'll figure that out soon.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, here's an idea of what today's ultrasound looked like.  Big black circle (or kidney bean) is the gestational sac.  White ring with hollow center (on the right) is the yolk sac and the white blob to the left of the yolk sac is the baby.

  

I had some trouble seeing the little flash/heartbeat on the machine but JPug seemed to see it without issue…it was probably just the awkward angle of trying to look at the monitor while laying on my back, head tilted to the side.  At one point, Dr. K asked if we wanted to hear the heartbeat and before we got a chance to respond, he clicked a button on the machine and you could hear our little baby’s heart pumping clear as day.  The ultrasound picture reduced in size and a cardiac monitor filled the bottom of the screen…you could see our baby’s heartbeat…constant and strong…it was truly amazing!

This morning I measured at 7w1d which is right on target given the first day of my last cycle.  Technically today is 7w2d but the ultrasound was in the morning so 1 day difference is totally ok.  The baby’s heartbeat was 145…28 beats per minute more than last week’s measurement.  We’re by no means in the clear but today’s appointment was definitely a step (or maybe a giant leap) in the right direction.  Next up is our 8 week ultrasound next Friday…the 13^th.  I’m typically superstitious but I’ve decided to face Friday the 13^th head on…BRING.IT.ON!

A Whole New Journey

Day 35 - Wednesday, March 21st


TeamPug has officially known we're expecting for 1 full week...I'm exactly 5 weeks pregnant today.  Although 5 weeks probably isn't a milestone for most, it is for us.  Back in December, 5 weeks is when my body started cycling naturally and our first baby was gone in the blink of an eye.  This time around, I've had 3 really good blood tests and am hopeful we'll make it to the next big benchmark...12 weeks.

Although I'm only 5 weeks along, I have noticed some changes in my body.  I started dropping weight almost immediately and have lost a total of 5 lbs.  I don't have much of an appetite/fill up quickly and don't have the sweet tooth I usually do.  I'm trying to eat more regularly and am enjoying healthy snacks between meals.  I haven't experienced any sensitivity to tastes or smells which I'm very thankful for.  I get up at least once a night to go to the bathroom and have had some trouble sleeping through the night which is very uncharacteristic for me.  My breasts have become tender and I've noticed some changes in my nipples (Probably TMI but I've been open and honest throughout the process so why stop now?  I'm trying to stick with the facts here folks!).  I've also had spotting on and off for the last week which is really unnerving.  I read online about 30% of women experience spotting...sometimes during implantation and sometimes it lingers throughout the entire pregnancy.  I haven't had any other symptoms that would signal a problem and my blood tests last week were good even though I was spotting...I'm trying not to get myself worked up over nothing.

Yesterday, Dr. K increased my synthetic thyroid supplement to 75mcg/day (which should reduce my TSH) and I had my 4th blood test in a week...this one checked Free T4.  From what I read on www.labtestsonline.org, providers typically check Free T4 as a follow-up to a TSH test that was abnormal.  The Free T4 test allows providers to see a more complete picture regarding thyroid function.  Dr. K's office should have my results later this week...hopefully the nurse will call with good news.

.....

Dr. K's nurse Jamie just called this afternoon with my Free T4 results...the normal reference range is between 0.7 and 2.0.  My result was at 1.1 which is totally normal.  I'll stick with the increased thyroid supplement dose which will hopefully lower my TSH and they'll probably test me again in about a month.  Last but not least, I asked about my spotting and Jamie said although it's not common, it is normal.  As long as i don't experience cramping or blood that's bright red in color, I should assume things are progressing nicely.

Next up is our 6 week ultrasound next Friday!

You Never Forget Your First

Friday, March 30th - 6W, 2D

Today was a big day...the first ultrasound to see our little Puglet.   When I say ultrasound, it's the transvaginal kind (a big wand they stick up your hooha) which gives the technician the ability to see more detail south of the border.  At this point, seeing our tiny bean on a more traditional ultrasound...through layers of skin, muscle and organs just wouldn't happen.  Today's was the same type of ultrasound I've been having for months.  From August 2011 to February 2012, the technician used the machine to check my uterine lining and ovaries as each monthly cycle progressed.  Today, we saw the makings of a baby.

AWESOME...nothing else I can say besides awesome!

We saw all sorts of things on the screen...the grainy black/white you think of with any ultrasound, a big black hole in the middle, a smaller black bubble in the middle of the black hole and just below the bubble was a bright white spot.  The technician was patient and explained all the different things we saw but of course, now I can't seem to remember.  What I do know...the bright white spot is our little baby.  If you stared at the spot for any length of time, you'd see a tiny flicker...the heartbeat.

The technician spent the next few minutes taking measurements and let us see the baby one last time so JPug could capture our first ultrasound on our FlipCam.  At this point, our parents have no idea we're expecting but we're looking forward to sharing video from each appointment with them when the time is right.  Before we left, the technician said Puglet is measuring perfectly...at 6 weeks, 1 day and the heartbeat was 117 (anything above 100 is good news).  I should hear from Dr. K's nurse sometime this afternoon and I'll likely go in for my second ultrasound next Friday.

Oh, and I have my official due date...November 22nd, 2012.  I honestly can't think of a better day...11 days after my birthday, one of my best friend's birthdays and Thanksgiving.  Pretty perfect...and a heck of a lot to be thankful for!

Big Money, No Whammies!

Day 33 - Monday, March 19th

This morning I traveled to Dr. K's office for my 3rd and final blood test of the initial series.  Other than being a little late (open office hours and I wasn't motivated to arrive right when they opened on a Monday), the draw itself was uneventful.  Once again, the orders were STAT so they should have my results before the end of the day.  Since this draw was technically 3 days after the second, the office will be looking for my betaHCG to be more than double Friday's number (which was 782) and Progesterone should be about the same (which was 38.9).  I should also get the results of Friday's TSH test back today.  As JPug says, we're hoping for Big Money, No Whammies!

.....

Just heard from Dr. K's office a few minutes ago.  They called at 3:51p...sure to like to make a girl wait!  Today, my HCG level was 2,698 which was more than 3x Friday's number.  My progesterone was 30 and my TSH was 5.0.  Because the TSH is higher than they'd like, they're going to increase my synthetic thyroid supplement to bring the level down and ensure no unnecessary harm comes to our growing Puglet.  I'll have one more blood test later this week to test free T4 (don't know what that is at the moment...will need to do some research to explain) and our next step w/ Dr. K is our 6 week ultrasound on Friday, March 30th.

Number Two

Day 30 – Friday, March 16th

This morning I went to Dr. K’s office for my second of 3 blood tests.  They’ll be measuring betaHCG, progesterone and TSH. 

HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone produced during pregnancy.  According to AmericanPregnancy.org, it’s made by the cells that form the placenta which nourishes the egg after it’s been fertilized and becomes attached to the uterine wall.  In the majority of normal pregnancies, HCG will double every 48 – 72 hours so it’s a good indicator (although not fail-safe) that the pregnancy will be viable long-term. 

Progesterone is measured to ensure the uterine lining is thick…a key component in a successful pregnancy as it helps to create a nutrient-rich environment.  I’ve discussed TSH in detail previously but the quick and dirty is that studies have shown developmental delays in children carried by mothers with a TSH level above 4.0.  I’ve continued my 50mcg dose of Levothyroxine since Dr. K increased my dose in October and feel pretty good. 

There’s no real target for betaHCG on the initial test but Dr. K looks for it to double every 48 hours.  My reading on Wednesday was 345 so today should be about 690 (maybe slightly less as my Wednesday test was over lunch).  Dr. K looks for Progesterone to be above 10 (some doctors look for a number above 20) and should remain pretty constant…hopefully it remains close to or higher than Wednesday’s reading of 28.2.

For now, I’m waiting for Dr. K’s office to call with this morning’s results and hope they’re better than the results of our 2^nd blood test in December.

.....

It’s 3:40p on Friday and I’m starting to convince myself that Dr. K’s office won’t be calling today.  I’m going through a thousand different scenarios in my mind and am probably getting worked up over nothing…but I just can’t help myself!  Dr. K’s nurse Judy finally called at 3:46p…I ran into a work conference room to have some privacy and she began.  My betaHCG from this morning was 782 (more than double Wednesday’s number) and my progesterone increased to 38.9…both really good signs.  I still haven’t breathed a sigh of relief but I’m very happy that I’m farther along with this pregnancy than I made it in December.  Next up is my third and final blood test on Monday.  Baby steps…literally!

An Unexpected Hiccup

Day 29 – Thursday, March 15th

On my way to work this morning, I was rear-ended on the highway.  I had just crossed over the Bond Bridge going south on I-35 (main North to South highway in KC).  Traffic in front of me slowed…as did I.  I didn’t make one of those super-quick, look in the rear-view mirror to be sure the people behind you stopped too kind of stops…so you can imagine my surprise when swerving cars caught my eye in the rear-view mirror…and I felt an impact.  I knew it wasn’t too bad and I wasn’t hurt so I moved my car to the left shoulder, grabbed my phone to call the police and got out to make sure the other drivers were ok. 

Behind me were two cars…a 10-ish year old cranberry minivan with a male driver who was injured and a newer mint green Honda Element with a crunched front end…but the driver was out of his car and seemed to be fine.  After a couple of attempts, I called the police, checked on the driver of the minivan and gave a status update to the paramedic dispatcher.  We worked with the injured driver to move his car from the center lane to the shoulder and before I was off the phone, the police had already arrived…go KCMO!

I walked back to my car to assess the damage and grab my insurance card and license.  Considering the crash occurred on the highway, I was incredibly lucky.  The rear passenger bumper of my SUV had only minor scrapes and dings which can hopefully be buffed out and repainted.  Once the medics arrived, their standard protocol is to assess the driver of each vehicle to ensure they can be released without going to the hospital.  As they finished my assessment, I asked about the pregnancy.  Because the impact was so minor, it’s unlikely I would experience any negative side-effects…very comforting words to hear.

My car had the least amount of damage and was drivable so the officers took my statement first and allowed me to leave the scene right away…I still made it to work in time for my 8:30am team meeting!  Before the day ended, I had already given my statement to our insurance company and their estimator came to assess the damage and provide a quote…go Travelers!  I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t an inconvenience but all-in-all, I’m probably the happiest person you’ve ever encountered post-crash…I’m ok, the car is ok and hopefully TeamPug’s newest addition continues to grow.

Third Time’s a Charm?

IUI Cycle 3, Day 28 – Wednesday, March 14^th (Pi Day for you math lovers!)

This morning I woke up just after 1am.  Nature called so I made my way into the bathroom and took the test.  The package states the result will be ready in about 3 minutes so I finished up my business and moved from the water closet to the main area of our bathroom to wait.  Before I had even gotten into the main area (officially the fastest 3 minutes of my life), the result was visible…“Pregnant”.  Wowzers. 

Although a positive result should bring a rush of joy and excitement, I have to admit…it didn’t.  I’ve had a positive test before…the feeling of ‘Wow, the road to get here was difficult but you finally made it’.  I ran out to purchase ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’, signed up for a growing baby notification website and calculated my due date…but not this time around.  This time I’m thinking with my head instead of my heart.  We have three crucial blood tests to get through over the next week before we can even begin to breathe the slightest sigh of relief.  Pretty deep thoughts for 1am, huh?!

After the positive result sank in, I climbed back in bed and did my best not to disturb JPug.  It took me a couple of hours to fall back asleep and I accidentally woke JPug up in the mean-time.  I told him about the test...and the result...and we're hoping things will go better than they did in December. 

.....

I went to Dr. K’s office over lunch to have the first of my 3 lab draws…they’ll be checking betaHCG, progesterone and possibly TSH.  The office ordered the results STAT so hopefully they’ll get back to me before the end of the day...

.....

Just heard from Judy, Dr. K's nurse...my betaHCG is 345 and my progesterone is 28.5.  In December, the initial reading for my betaHCG was 72 so the fact that today's number was nearly 5x December's brings the slightest bit of comfort.  Now Dr. K's office will look for the number to double by Friday (my second blood draw) and double again by Monday (my third and final draw of the initial series).  No expectations at this point...just a lot of hope and positive thoughts that this process has a different outcome.

The Next Go 'Round

Day 27 – Tuesday, March 13^th

I haven’t blogged about TeamPug’s 3^rd round of IUI...until today.  We’re nearly 4 weeks into the process and the path we took was virtually the same as the ones we followed in November/December and January/February.  The main, albeit minor, difference between the two previous processes was that I took Estroidl before insemination to enhance my uterine lining during round 1 but it wasn’t necessary during round 2.  This month Dr. K put me back to Estroidl to ensure my lining was as thick as possible before insemination. 

Just to recap the process…baseline transvaginal ultrasound on day 2, Clomid on days 3 – 7, second transvaginal ultrasound on day 11 and self-administered ovidrel injection on day 12.  Day 14, we headed to Dr. K’s office for insemination and we’re happy to report that JPug’s count improved once again.  The two weeks between insemination and the big test have gone pretty well.  I started volunteering on Monday and Wednesday nights which keeps me busy and work has picked up so my mind doesn’t have much time to wander during the day.  Last weekend was jam-packed full of my cousin’s pre-wedding festivities so our process barely crossed my mind…thank goodness!

Although it’s hard to believe given my two-shakes-from-crazy state of mind last time around, I’ve felt strangely calm about this month’s process.  JPug and I have almost always been successful in life…especially if we put our mind to something.  If xyz didn’t work out the first time, we tried harder and things went our way the second time around.  Infertility is different…no matter how hard you try month after month, it’s a very real possibility that you won’t get the outcome you hope for.  For overachieving TeamPug, that’s a really hard pill to swallow.  I think my state of mind during round 3 can be attributed to the fact that I’m beginning to realize that we’re putting ourselves in the very best possible situation to be successful and we honestly can’t do anything more.  At this point, the outcome is out of our hands.

I say I’ve been calm about the process and I absolutely have…until this afternoon.  After lunch, I noticed some spotting when I used the restroom.  About 1/3 of women who become pregnant experience implantation spotting or implantation bleeding; implantation typically occurs 8 – 10 days after ovulation.  Because the timing of my cycle is well managed as we go through the process, I know that I’m right at 13 days after ovulation, not 10.  Also, the color of the spotting can be an indicator for implantation…typically implantation spotting is pinkish or brownish in color but mine is bright red.  These new developments have crushed any semblance of hope I had for this month’s process working.  In the blink of an eye (or a couple trips to the restroom), it’s become hard to concentrate at work and all I can think about is skipping my post-work meeting and going home. 

Once I arrived home, I wanted to talk about the process and wanted to ignore it completely…all at the same time.  JPug was wonderful and had dinner ready but I didn’t appreciate it.  At some point I finally broke down in tears…the thought of another month gone and the uncertainty of what’s to come are totally overwhelming.  After dinner, I headed to bed and watched some TV before falling asleep…emotionally exhausted…at 8:30p.

Back in Action

Today is Friday, May 18^th…it’s literally been an entire month since my last blog post which is uncharacteristic for me.  Long story short, life has been B.U.S.Y.  I wouldn’t have it any other way but when things get busy, other stuff falls through the cracks and for me…blogging has taken a back seat.  It’s definitely not because I don’t have anything to say…on the contrary…I have lots to say but no time to say it.  Over the past month, I feel like my life has been consumed by busy weekends and the essentials…work, eat and sleep.  A major project is coming to fruition at work next Tuesday (eek!) and I couldn’t be happier…life will slow down once more and I’ll be able to enjoy the little things…like taking walks with JPug and the pooches, cooking, and blogging.  Time for me to get back to work but more posts to come…have a terrific weekend everyone!     

Springtime Punch

Wowzers!  Life has been busy lately so I haven't had much time to blog.  Below is a ridiculously easy recipe for springtime punch...if you want to wow guests with something yummy to drink but you don't have time to make anything too fancy...look no further! 

Ingredients

• 2-liter bottle white soda such as Sprite or 7-Up
• Large can pineapple juice (I believe it’s 32oz.)
• Standard size tub lime or raspberry sherbet (your choice depending on color and flavor)

Directions

• Use punch bowl or other large bowl to mix punch
• Scoop sherbet into loose scoops and add to bowl
• Add pineapple juice to bowl
• Add white soda to bowl (carefully as it will fizz and may overflow)
• Stir to combine ingredients and serve
• Note: if your punch bowl is small, half all ingredients for the first serving and once mixture is consumed, add ingredients in equal parts to keep bowl full

 Enjoy!

Make a Plan

Last week, a friend and I were chatting about the challenges of planning and executing wholesome, nutritious weeknight meals while juggling jobs, weeknight commitments and household chores.  Sometimes it’s just easier to grab something out…quick and easy…which can snowball into costly and unhealthy in the blink of an eye.  JPug and I do a pretty decent job of meal planning so I thought I’d share some tips and tricks I use to make things easier.  We’re by no means the gold standard in this arena but I think we do a pretty decent job.

Before putting together our menu for the week, I take a look at our calendar.  How many nights will we need dinner?  Will JPug and I both be home for dinner every night?  What post-work commitments do we have that dictate having easy vs. more complex meals?  For example, this week I’m volunteering with Girls on the Run Monday and Wednesday and we’re having dinner out for a fundraiser on Thursday.  Before I even start thinking about actual meals, I know Monday and Wednesday need to be quick and we won’t need anything for Thursday.

Next, we turn to the fridge/pantry/freezer.  What items do we already have that we could use as ingredients for this week’s meals?  JPug and I buy proteins (salmon, chicken, etc.) in bulk when they go on sale and freeze them to use in the following weeks/months.  We also freeze leftovers to use on nights when we want a homemade meal but don’t have the time or motivation to cook.  Frozen proteins and leftover meals from previous weeks usually give us a decent starting point.  From there, we look at the fridge and pantry to see what else we have.  For example, last week we had Taco Wantons (recipe to come in a future post) so we had sour cream and cheese left over.  We also had a handful of tortillas left over from previous week and some chicken in the freezer.  So, tonight we’re using all of those things to make Chicken Fajitas.  We purchased a few supplemental ingredients at the store but we already had the basics for our meal.

Once I know how many and what type of dinners I need, I start on the actual menu…filling in meals made with items we already have first.  From there, I add a mixture of different proteins, veggies, grains and fruit to provide variety…choosing recipes that vary in degree of difficulty based on the amount of free time we have in the evening.  Speaking of recipes, I pull recipes from a massive, ridiculous file of clippings from various magazines I’ve been collecting for years or Food Network/All Recipes where I’ve configured my own online recipe boxes.

Once I have dinners planned, I review my list to see what I can over prepare…leftovers to freeze and use for a future week or extras to use for lunches.  From there, I add basic lunch ideas, healthy snacks and our go-to yogurt/berries/granola for breakfast to the grocery list.

Below is an example of this week’s menu:

Monday – Leftover Pepper Steak from a previous week

Tuesday – Chicken Fajitas

Wednesday – Chicken Salad Wraps

Thursday – Dinner Out/Fundraiser

Friday – Salmon/Rice/Veggie…recipe from Food Network

If you're not currently a meal-planner...hopefully this post gives you some tips and tricks to get started.  If you are a planner, what things help you with your planning that I didn't mention?!  

Good Idea, Questionable Decision

Almost a year ago, some close friends were looking to hold a garage sale to raise money for their pending adoption.  They live in a townhouse not too far from JPug and me but it wasn’t a great place to hold the type of grand-scale garage sale they were hoping for.  Our subdivision holds a neighborhood garage sale each spring that gets a decent amount of traffic and we weren’t looking to sell many (if any) items ourselves so we offered up our garage and driveway for their cause.

They collected items from friends, family members and complete strangers both near and far…enough that the collection completely consumed our entire three-car garage, except for the two spaces where we park our cars.  As JPug and I perused the house to find items to donate, we settled on a couch and armoire (among other things) from one of our extra bedrooms.  Our line of thinking was pretty simple, the couch and armoire which turned the extra bedroom into an ever-ready Wii room would eventually be a nursery.  The opportunity presented itself to help our friends sell bigger-ticket items while getting the items out of the house without having to load them a truck and drive somewhere to donate.  As long as our friends could get the items out of the room and down the stairs…they were free to sell them to the highest bidder.  The items did sell that day along with many others that provided a huge boost to the couple's adoption fund.  JPug and I truly couldn't have been happier for our friends.

Fast forward nearly a year and the once ever-ready Wii room is a heartbreaking shell on the 2^nd floor of our home.  Completely empty…it's a constant reminder of our unsuccessful process.  I’ve had the door closed for months and rarely go in the room unless I have to.  Hopefully one day it will be filled with fresh paint, a crib and a growing baby but for now it’s out of sight and more often than not, out of mind.  At the time of the sale, I had no idea what the process had in store for us and didn't think twice about donating the items.  Looking back, I can't say I would do anything differently but I'd be lying if I said the emotions tied to the room weren't painful.

Moving Forward

At the beginning of March, JPug and I booked a vacation to Washington DC for early fall.  He had some Southwest frequent flyer points that were set to expire and I got tired of planning our lives around if or when something might happen with our process.

We chose DC for a couple of reasons…neither of us have been there and combined, we know 5 different people who live in or near the DC metro…some childhood friends, some relatives.  The opportunity to reunite with so many folks and see a new place made our decision easy.  We’re taking a weeklong trip…flying from KC to Pittsburgh, PA to visit one of my best friends from high school (and her family) for a few days before taking the train to our nation’s capital.

We’re looking forward to the trip while simultaneously continuing treatments for infertility.  Stupid idea?  Maybe so...but I’d much rather plan the trip and have to cancel because something wonderful happens than sit around KC come fall twiddling my thumbs regretting the decision not to book if something doesn’t.

Is it possible we’ll be in a situation where we lose some money or airline points?  Absolutely…but it’s a risk we’re willing to take.  Plus, from my point of view, any money or points we might lose are well worth being lost of the process actually does work.

For now, the flights are booked and we’re leaving the other details for later.  If anyone has suggestions for places to stay, things to see or where to eat in DC…please share!

Thanks to Google Images for this sweet DC pic!

Weekend Morning Cinnamon Rolls

At least one morning each weekend, I wake up early and try to put a nice breakfast together for TeamPug.  JPug loves these homemade cinnamon rolls which pair well with a homemade butter/cream cheese icing I found online.  The recipe below makes 8 rolls so we always have leftovers for breakfast the following week.  One note, these rolls are dense in nature…they aren’t flaky and won’t rise much.  Personally, I prefer the dense variety…oh, and they reheat terrifically well in the microwave.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup veggie oil
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, follow this recipe for quick and easy homemade buttermilk using milk and vinegar or lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom (if you don't have cardamom, don't worry...just omit this ingredient)

 Directions

• Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix well
• Stir in veggie oil.  The veggie oil will make the dry mixture clump.  I usually try my best to break up the bigger clumps with a fork.
• Add buttermilk and stir until blended.  Once again, work clumps out of mixture with a fork.
• Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth.  Add additional flour as needed to reduce dough's stickiness.
• Roll dough into a 15"x8" rectangle.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spread butter over dough with a pastry brush.  I’ve found it easier to soften the butter and combine with sugars, cinnamon and cardamom (steps below).  Once it’s all mixed, then I spread the mixture over the dough.
• Combine sugars, cinnamon and cardamom in a small bowl and mix well.  
• Sprinkle over buttered dough.
• Roll up rectangle, jelly roll fashion.  Roll should begin at narrow end.
• Pinch seam to seal.
• Cut the roll into 1 1/2 inch slices (should make 8 rolls).  I usually just cut the roll in half and then cut each half in half again.
• Arrange the slices, cut side up in 8/9” round or 8/9” square, greased baking pan.
• Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and serve hot.  I typically let the rolls set up for a few minutes to allow the butter/sugar mixture to harden a bit in the pan…totally a personal preference.

Icing – This recipe makes quite a bit of icing…if you’re not a big icing fan, you could probably half it and still have enough.  Otherwise, it might freeze well?!?!

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

 Directions

• Combine all ingredients and beat well with a rotary mixer until light and fluffy.  The icing has quite a bit of butter so if you don’t let the rolls cool a bit before icing, the icing will melt quickly.

Enjoy!


Thanks to Sarah Allman for this terrific cinnamon roll recipe!

Won’t You Be Mine?

I’m not one to beg for money or sponsorship for any ol’ cause under the sun.  I’ve participated about 10 walks/races over the past 2 years and have never gone above and beyond the nominal entrance fee to make a greater impact.  Please don’t stop reading now because you think all I’ll be asking for is money…there’s a really good reason I’m asking so I hope that you bear with me over the next few minutes and hopefully by the end, you’ll understand why (and be inspired to give).

The majority of my close friends are from college.  I have 2 (3 if you count a relative) from high school that I keep in touch with but college is definitely where I built my closest relationships.  Upon graduation from Mizzou, half of the folks moved to STL and the other half moved to KC, including JPug and me.  Because our already tight-knit group was cut in half…those of us in KC became even closer.  Through the years, our friendships remained strong and most of us married our college sweethearts.  After years of marriage, the next step for most is starting a family.  Of our group, the first couple to conceive was Jimmy & Kelly.

In early 2011, the couple was filled with joy as they found out they were expecting their first baby.  Between January and the anticipated September due-date, something went wrong.  Full-term for a single-baby pregnancy is 37 weeks…although the mother’s due date is calculated to 40 weeks.  Kelly’s water broke at 26 weeks…14 weeks before she was due.  She was hospitalized and put on strict bed rest as she received medication to help their baby’s organs develop to give him the best chance at a normal life.  At 28 weeks, Kelly developed an infection in her amniotic fluid (common when the mother’s water breaks early) which caused her to go into Labor.  Their little boy, Levi, was delivered on Father’s Day, June 19^th.

Upon birth, Levi was immediately taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where he would spend the next weeks (until his original due date and beyond) getting strong and healthy.  The doctors cautioned Jimmy & Kelly that the road ahead would be a difficult one…NICU time is crucial for a premature baby as their bodies continue to develop and the staff tries to prevent further complications.  On Levi’s second day in the NICU, complications began to overtake his little body; he contracted a blood infection (among other things) and couldn’t fight anymore.

I’m walking on May 6^th in Kansas City’s March for Babies to support our dear friends and remember their sweet little boy.  The money we raise in his memory will help improve the lives of other babies born prematurely and will hopefully prevent similar losses from happening to other families.

I ask that you help support Jimmy and Kelly’s team, Angels for Levi if you can.  Any amount…$1, $10, $25…is much appreciated and will make a difference.  The money TeamPug raises for the cause will help support numerous essential functions for babies…including:

Brain:  We’re fighting premature birth — baby’s brain needs 9 months to fully develop.
Eyes: We’re developing treatments to cure vision defects.
Smile: We’ve identified a gene responsible for oral cleft and are working on preventions.
Heart: New treatments mean better survival rates for the tiniest heart patients.
Spine: Folic acid education means fewer babies are born with neural tube defects.
Lungs: Surfactant and nitric oxide therapies save the lives of many premature babies.

Team Pug’s goal for the walk is $250…please help us reach this goal!  You can donate online by clicking “Donate Now” on the right side of my walker page.  TeamPug and all the Angels for Levi walkers thank you for your time and support!

The Test

The morning of Day 28, I woke up at 3:15a and took a test…no dice.  I wasn’t shocked as I hadn’t felt any of the symptoms I experienced in December but I was definitely disappointed.  The two weeks between insemination and testing are filled with such a barrage of emotions…hope, anxiety and everything in between.  Everything leads up to the big test on day 28 and when it’s not positive, I'm thrust back into an unfortunately familiar situation.

To make matters worse, my body began to cycle naturally on Day 28.  Rather than having a few days to absorb the process and its result, I was calling Dr. K’s office to let them know about cycle Day 1 once again.  I’ll go back in for a baseline ultrasound and start this month’s dose of Clomid (if everything looks good) in just a few days.

This month’s process will be a good benchmark for Dr. K’s office.  This is IUI #3 so they’ll evaluate my body’s reaction to the medications and the process thus far…and make a recommendation for the future.  The next step could be stronger medications or different procedures…at this point we just hold tight and keep hope alive.

Speaking of hope, I have to admit that the process is beginning to lose its luster.  On one hand, that’s a good thing because maybe that means I’ll be more relaxed next time around but on the other hand, it’s hard to continue believing the process will work eventually.  In time, I’m sure everything will get easier…things always do.

The Waiting Game

This post was originally written on Monday, February 13th...

The second time around, the two-week waiting period between insemination and the big test is different.  It may not be different for everyone but it has been for me. 

First and foremost, my expectations are higher.  The process worked once before so I’m hopeful (almost overly so) that it will be again.  Trust me, I know this line of thinking is totally unrealistic.  I believe Dr. K said about 1 in 3 IUI treatments is successful (maybe even less as my memory re: this specific statistic is kind of foggy).  We’ve already had our 1 so it wouldn’t be surprising for the next two to fall short…but, my mind immediately goes back to the fact that the process has worked before.

I found myself thinking about the looming test more during week 1 than I did last time around.  I’ve been in the situation before so I’m even more mindful of my body and signs that could signal a pregnancy.  Self-stalker…party of 1…that’s me!

Here’s my Catch-22.  As much as I want to feel the same symptoms I felt last time around, I also don’t want to feel those things because the process worked but quickly fell apart.  If I’m not feeling them, does that mean the process didn’t work at all?  Man, how is it that I haven’t completely fallen off the deep-end of crazy yet?

Today is Day 25 and I can honestly say I haven’t felt anything like I did in December.  The main thing I noticed last time around was breast tenderness but this time I haven’t noticed that at all…and believe me, it’s not because I haven’t tried!  This time around my complexion has turned into the equivalent of a teenage girl but that could very well be a result of the hormones I take during the process or the fact that it’s finally winter in KC and the seasons are changing.  I’ve also noticed some constipation but that could be the result of a number of things.  No nausea, sensitivity to smells, tiredness…nothing.

I’m resisting the urge to test tomorrow (Day 26…which is also Valentine’s Day) because a positive result isn’t guaranteed 2 days early...I found that out the hard way in December.  The surprise would make this ridiculous, consumer-driven holiday special but I just can’t put myself through an emotional roller coaster unnecessarily.

For now, we wait…I’ll keep myself busy, try to keep my mind clear for the next two and a half days and keep hope alive.

Take 2

This post was originally written in early February...

I haven’t blogged about our actual process in a while so I thought I’d provide an update.  In January (one cycle after we experienced our first loss), my hormone levels returned to pre-pregnancy normal and we were able to begin the IUI process once again.  For JPug and me, beginning the process again immediately was almost a no-brainer.  Dr. K advised that we should wait until we were both physically and emotionally ready and for us, one cycle was enough.

The process was the same with a few, minor changes…if you didn’t read the series I published regarding our first IUI but would like to, scroll to the bottom of this post and click “IUI” under Labels.  The link will take you to all IUI posts I’ve published…scroll to the bottom once the screen refreshes and read up.

I started the cycle with a baseline transvaginal ultrasound to check my uterus (thin lining, free of pollups and clots, etc.) and ovaries (no large follicles which could react poorly to medications during the cycle and cause problems)…everything looked good.  Next was 50mg of Clomid during cycle days 3 – 7.  If you remember from my previous posts, Clomid is the drug that has a tendency to make women emotional.  Ironically JPug was travelling for work cycle days 3 – 7 so I wept…in bed…by myself…for 5 days straight.  Just kidding folks…once again, Clomid didn’t seem to cause any issues. 

Day 11, I went in to Dr. K’s office for my second transvaginal ultrasound.  This is the ultrasound where they check to see how my follicles (which contain an egg) are maturing.  Given that it’s the dead of winter and colds and the flu are running rampant in KC, Dr. K had a few folks out of the office.  Instead of the ultrasound tech performing my exam, Judy, Dr. K’s nurse did the honors.  I much prefer Judy to the technician because she doesn’t hesitate to comment on how things are progressing during the exam.  At one point, she said that my body was reacting “beautifully” to the Clomid so I took that as a good sign.   

Day 12, it was time for my Ovidrel shot which I administered myself (immediately after, I flexed my muscles because I felt pretty tough).  One difference between our first process and this one is that I didn’t have to take Estradiol to enhance my uterine lining before the insemination…less drugs + the fact that my body made a sufficient lining by itself = happy me!

Day 14, INSEMINATION DAY.  JPug did his thing and we returned an hour later for the insemination.  Before she started, Jamie reviewed the results of JPug’s sample with us.  He’s continued taking the medical food prescribed by Dr. N and it continues to work…his count increased once again.  About 5 minutes later, insemination was complete and I laid on the elevated table for 15 minutes.  Once the procedure was complete, we left the office and returned to work.