And then there were two...

Today I realized that it has been almost 2 weeks since my last entry. I had started an entry the day before my first ultrasound (which took place Tuesday 25th), but I guess I was just too scatter-brained to actually finish it. These last two week have been kinda strange. Knowing that I was pregnant, something that I have wanted to be for so long now, but not yet having the real "evidence" if you will. I have not had any morning sickness (thank you mom - I truly believe that since you didn't have any, neither will I) and I have been feeling good, walking 3 miles almost daily. 

So, the ultrasound was Tuesday morning and I don't feel like I slept at all the entire night. Every night for the last week, David and I had been counting the number of nights we would have to sleep, before we finding out for sure, what was going on in my belly. Knowing that I had ovulated 4 beautiful follicles, made the chance of having multiples a real possibility. We were so excited...

The scan revealed TWINS!! Yes, we are having twins. There were two yolk sacs and two beautiful little fetal poles (aka babies.) Although tiny (about the size of a grain of rice,) we got to see the little flickers of their hearts. It was magical and all I could do was just squeeze David's hand, while the the nurse and sonographer made all the measurements. They tried to get a good audio of the heartbeats but it was hard with them being so tiny and all the weird noises that my body was producing. David did hear the heartbeat of one of them. So, without further ado, I present to you Baby A and Baby B. I am only 6 weeks +1 day, so don't be surprised if the pictures doesn't scream baby...

I'm not entirely sure if it has sunk in yet. Granted this is very early and things could still go wrong, but I am starting to envision my self with a giant belly. Not quite sure how this body will support 2 other beings, but I guess we just have to take it day by day. So far the bloat is making me look pregnant already YIKES and yesterday while out to dinner with one of David's colleagues, I had the hardest time finding clothes to wear  to hide my belly and I ended up un-buttoning my pant during dinner. But I'll gladly take bloat and difficulties finding appropriate attire - because I am overjoyed to be pregnant and overjoyed to be having twins!!

Conceiving by witchcraft....?!?

So, a while back I read or heard something about stones with holes in them being sort of a charm to increase fertility. While I am not superstitious, I am a little bit afraid right now...

See, the day before my last IUI, my husband and I went for a 12 mile hike. We had just finished the last ultrasound and the Dr gave the go-ahead for trigger that morning and IUI the following day. The hike was great and I felt really good. The route did look a lot shorter on the map, but we had plenty of time to waste. About halfway I saw this beautiful rock with a hole in it. It was about the size of my head, and I think my fist could have gone through the hole. It would make a beautiful display piece in the living room, but with 6 more miles to go, I left it where other people would enjoy it too.

As the hike continued, I thought more and more about that rock and the random story about them being good for fertility, so when I came across a small rock with a hole in it, I picked it up and put it in my backpack. I picked up a total of 3 stones with holes in them and brought them home. My husband was surprised that I was bringing them home with me, since I am a believer of leaving nature as it is. Because I felt kinda bad about taking them, I have kept them in the bedroom on the floor, kinda hidden, with the intention of bringing them back to the park next time we go...

However, fast-forward nearly two weeks; the rocks remain in my bedroom and I am pregnant....

I will let you believe what you will.

Today I was curiously looking on the internet and found this website:

http://thewaysofawitch.wordpress.com/2012/02/11/hag-stones/

and according to this website, stones with holes or hag stones, that are found inland can be used for connection to the faerierealm & psychic vision and fertility.

Wouldn't you be scared too??? I mean, we're talking witchcraft here. My baby may have 2 heads or something...

Brrrrr

So, after getting on the scale this morning, I realized that since my IUI on the 27th, I have lost 4 lbs?!?! That is 2lbs/week - I couldn't even do that when I was on a diet. WTF. This is very perplexing to me, as my bloated belly tells a completely different story. So, what gives?? Well, if you ask my husband, I am expending a lot my calories doing an exercise that I have been doing previously, albeit never so vigorously..... COMPLAINING. Yup, my husband is sure of it. My recent increase in complaining has resulted in my dramatic weight loss "success."

I, on the other hand, contribute it to being freaking cold all the time and shivering, and I believe the dictionary backs me up on this:

shivering [shiv´er-ing]

involuntary shaking of the body, as with cold. It is caused by contraction or twitching of the muscles, and is a physiologic method of heat production in humans and other mammals. As a form of aerobic skeletal muscle activity, vigorous shivering uses about as much energy as riding a bicycle or shoveling snow.......Cold-induced shivering is stimulated when body temperatures drop below the thermostatic range or “set point” governed by the hypothalamus.

So, there you have it!!
All my blood is in my uterus doing it's thing and I am left shivering. Oh, and of cause there is the sharp pain that I get above my belly bottom, when I try to eat as much as my eyes and brain would like in one sitting. Small frequent meals - just like they say in all the pregnancy books. Perhaps they are on to something!?!

beta #2 = 200

I cannot believe that this might actually happen... I'm pregnant and 2nd beta was super-duper amazing at 200. I thought that wishing for 100 was pushing it. But no, 200. Such a wonderful number.

The nurse didn't call at her usual time ~1:30pm, but instead let me hanging until almost 4pm. I thought "something must be wrong, for sure, something must be really wrong" but alas it was all in my head. Progesterone had jumped to 140 (nurse said 40 would have been sufficient), so all is good in that department. Even hubby has started getting a little worried that I hadn't called him sooner. I just love him to pieces!!

Now we just wait until the 25th, where we will be going in for 1st ultrasound!!!

Beta #1....is 19!

I cannot believe that I am posting this. Yesterday day morning was my scheduled pregnancy blood test at the office. It was only 11dpo, which I thought was kinda early. But I trust my doctor to do what is best for me.

Anyway, I took a hpt before heading out the door. And it was a BFN. But off I went anyway. I really had a good feeling about this cycle, although I had only had minor cramping, no nausea, and no spotting (I always read about people spotting before getting their BFP - but only 20% do.)

At the Dr's office, the nurse had a hard time getting blood from my veins, no surprise there, and I felt pretty queasy. When I got home I really hoped to get a happy call from my otherwise surly nurse. Meanwhile I am looking at this bloated belly, thinking: "if this isn't it, I really need to get this bloated belly under control with some serious ab workout...

... But numbers came back, and I am pregnant. Finally!! It is still very early and I go in for 2nd beta on Monday, but for now I will celebrate my beta of 19 and progesterone of 78!!

Passing time with cookies

Yesterday I made these delicious Oreo Cookies from Sally's Baking Addiction

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/12/17/homemade-oreos/

And they were absolutely amazing. I must have eaten 1/4 of the dough and filling while making them. Yummy!!!

I have had some mild cramping yesterday and in the middle of the night. Not sure if it is overeating, AF coming or perhaps I am pregnant - I really hope for the last one. The night before last, I woke up the middle of the night and sneezed. Immediately I felt pinching achy wake in my lower abdomen. Could it be??? Dare I hope???

Tomorrow is the day I've been waiting for. The TWW is almost over...

HPTs from the Dollar Store

Not entirely certain what just happened today?? I normally am able to keep pretty cool about not POAS until my blood draw - which for me is this Thursday. But today, I went kinda crazy and went out and stocked up on HPTs. Probably because I just found out, that they are available at the Dollar Store - who knew? Anyway my blood test is 11dptrigger and 12dpiui, so I got a bit nervous that perhaps I would still have some trigger remnants in my system at that point and that I would get a fake positive. Which would be not cool at all.

So when I got home from my yoga class midday, I POAS and got a negative. Granted I have been keeping up on my hydration and I am only 7dpo, so we'll see what it says tomorrow. If negative tomorrow, I think that it would be safe to assume that I am all clear from trigger shot.

I go back and forth between being really optimistic about this cycle, only to think the opposite a few hours later. I have been stalking people on their blogs and on various boards and have been happy to see a couple different people get BFP in the last few days. It makes me so happy and hopeful, that perhaps I too will be one of the lucky ones at some point. This particular TWW has been pretty long so far. The weather was been on and off miserable and there has been no holidays or anything to distract me.