I'm baaaack!

Sometimes I feel like the little engine that could.  But instead of a steep mountain to chug up, I'm on some sort of psychedelic roller coaster. 

Last Monday I had to have more bloodwork done as the lab accidently keyed in an incorrect test as part of my infectious disease panel.  The kids were troopers through that appointment and were fascinated by the mechanics involved in the blood draw.

Last Thursday I had my hysterosalpingogram (hsg).  I was told by the hospital during pre-registration that I had to have someone with me at all times. And, since it was nap time, this meant I had to have someone at the house watching the kids.  Luckily for me, Grandma drove up to help out.  And then it turned out the hospital didn't care whether or not I was accompanied during my five minute, uncomfortable procedure.  Before all these fun times went on, though, I had to go to my OB and "prove" that I wasn't pregnant (urinalysis).  Again, the kids had to go with me for this part.  "Momma, why are you peeing in a cup?  That's so silly!"

While I was in the radiology/imaging waiting room at the hospital, I learned my grandfather had passed on.  I'm a crier, so it was challenging to not cry in that waiting room or later during the procedure.  I held it together by being somewhat withdrawn.  Perhaps the tech and doctor just thought I was nervous.

The kids and I spent the last three days in Oklahoma commemorating the life of my grandfather and visiting with extended family.  While the kids did really well with sleeping in hotels at odd hours and being surrounded by "strangers", I'm not so sure I want to do extended car travel again with a certain little girl who wants to potty every 30 - 60 minutes. Oh, and just so you know, pull-ups don't hold much liquid.  The bright side of traveling with toddlers is I never once had time to be overwhelmed by emotion.  No time for tears when you're chasing kids, looking for public restrooms, gathering toy construction equipment, or redressing a baby doll...

March 30, I began the first phase of my pre-embryo transfer medications.  Last transfer, my clinic preferred a few weeks of lupron injections followed by estrogen and progesterone.  This clinic prefers birth control to lupron injections.

I have never before in my life been on birth control.  Way back before we knew we had fertility issues, we postponed pregnancy through natural family planning (NFP); we've used both the sympto-thermal method and Creighton.  It was through the latter, well, Creighton's Napro Technology, that we conducted my infertility testing.  Anyway, I don't normally experience too much PMS during each cycle, other than an edginess or shorter fuse during appx days 18 - 24 of my normal cycle.  Birth control SUCKS.  I feel like I've constantly been at that post-peak, short-fuse stage since about four days after starting the medication.  And I've had headaches too, but those could be weather/allergy related...

Our paperwork with both the clinic and our agency is progressing.  The clinic sent me a tentative calendar, detailing my medication regime leading up to the transfer.  Getting closer and closer to that hoped-for May 10 transfer date!  And only six days left of birth control!

We've received permission from our adoption agency to move forward with the 1998 set of embryos and not be held back by delays with the 2003 set.  Joyfully, we've learned that our contract is completed (with the 1998 set) AND those embryos are actually already in Austin at the long-term storage facility a lot of Nightlight donor families use.

And now, after that lengthy update, I feel like I'm forgetting something...

Well, as always, I request your prayers, that our last few outstanding documents be sent over quickly and for the little lives we are about to be entrusted with.