26 Weeks!

We're nearing the finish line of the second trimester. I can hardly believe it!

Thank you all for your continued prayers. The things I wrote about last week seem to really be helping. In the past 8 or 9 days, I think I've had 4 really bad days. I've been sick almost every other day, too, but in much more manageable amounts that still allow me some normalcy the rest of the day. The biggest help seems to be just changing my pace. If I am up and moving for more than 2-4 hours, I come home and go to sleep before doing more. That seems to help, so much. And when I don't, 100% of the time, I have a bad day later that day or the next day. So as long as I can be disciplined to limit my activity, I seem to do ok. Ah well, at least doing things in short little spurts is preparing me to work around nap times and feedings. I had to laugh though because usually the dog comes and naps with me, but a couple of times recently, he's either woken me up early wanting to play, or flat out refused to join me. You know it's bad when even the dog is bored with nap time! :D So anyway, I'm praising God for the reprieve, however long it lasts!

I have two prayer requests, if you wouldn't mind joining me?

The first is that at my last appointment, my uterus measured large, but my weight was low and baby's weight was average. The doctor said he was concerned by the disparity between the three and that he'd be re-checking this tomorrow. So, I'm praying that all is normal.

The other issue is one that's been freaking me out for weeks. My 1 hour glucose test is tomorrow. If I fail it, it means I have gestational diabetes. I am overweight. I have PCOS with insulin resistance. I have a couple of other indicators and have been officially labeled "pre-diabetic" in my non-pregnant state. Diabetes runs RAMPANT in my family. And Sheila had GD with her pregnancies. So, I have almost every risk factor you can have, except that my glucose levels have always been normal (praise God!). But anyway, all that to say, it would be an absolute miracle if I don't have it.

The thing of it is, what I eat these days is pretty limited. I eat fruit and *very* simple carbs that can be easily broken down--I'm talking Wonder Bread here. I can tolerate some protein, but not much. Anything complex like complex carbs, vegetables, dairy, and most proteins assuredly makes me sick. My body just can't seem to process it. The thing is, if you're diabetic, you really have to stay away from fruit and simple carbs.

Honestly, eating stresses me out enough as it is. I hate to do it because it's a constant waiting game. Finding a small list of things that are usually ok has helped a lot. The thought of adding another food related problem to the mix, and that problem being severe restrictions on what I can eat, really overwhelms me. I've received such little support from my doctor in this area that I don't know how I could really navigate two problems with such opposite solutions, simultaneously, by myself.

So anyway, I know would bring me through it if it is what He has for me, and I want to be prepared to accept it, but I would still really, really, REALLY love to be protected from it instead, so that's what I'm specifically asking for. Would you join me in praying to this end? From what I understand from other friends, this is something I should know the answer to tomorrow.

Hmm, on to fun things. DH worked his cute little tail off last week to get the baby's room ready. We got word that the furniture was coming in 3 weeks sooner than expected. We really had no place to put it yet, and couldn't leave it at the store forever. But I also didn't want to move it more than once, especially because I can't help DH, so that means either we have to arrange for someone to come help, or he in his stubbornness does it himself. So, last weekend we sold all of the furniture that used to be in the room on Craigslist. I don't have a "before" picture of this wall, but it had stained carpet, flat white paint, mismatched furniture, and no fan.

We wanted to hang a ceiling fan in the room, and knew it would be easiest with all the furniture out. We have a flat roof with no crawl space or attic, and the room was not already wired for a fan. So he had to do all the wiring and creatively fish the wire through the smallest holes he could manage, so as not to do too much damage to the dry wall. Then he had to patch over the holes he made and retexture. Then he steam cleaned the carpet and washed the baseboards. Then he painted the ceiling, hung the fan, and painted the two colors on the walls. Last night and this morning he hung the wall border. This morning, he and his dad went and picked up the furniture. Then when we discovered one piece was broken, he took it back to the store. He did this all in 1 week, and still managed to work full time. I did almost nothing. We chose the fan, theme, and colors together, but even those things, he was heavily involved in. I held up the end of the border while he hung it on the wall but even that we had to do in two sittings because I got too tired. He did everything else, and aside from help moving the furniture, he did it all himself. He even came up with the way we'll lay out the furniture in the room. He worked so hard and tirelessly, and the end result is just beautiful, don't you think? I just have two pictures now because the crib isn't put together yet and we had to take back the dresser, but I was too excited to not post anything. So this is the changing table that becomes a nightstand. I'll post more pictures in a few weeks when everything is done.



A little better shot of the furniture:


2 of my 3 boys. Lewis made sure to help by keeping all of the burglars away. Any time DH was in there, Lewis wanted to be in there too. DH was sweet and brought the ottoman in so Lewis could see out the window (his favorite thing to do).




And lastly, my 26 week shots. I'm glad we snapped these before church because about an hour later, I got really sick and stayed sick until lunch time. But at least we got a cute one before hand.


In this one, DH told me to "be creative." I'm pretty sure that part of my brain is broken right now, so I couldn't come up with anything. At least this ones a little different though. And in this one, I can see the difference in the shape of my belly.


Overall, I still don't see much of a change in my appearance, but I'm definitely starting to feel it! I notice I don't bend so well in the middle anymore. DH is having to help me out of low chairs or positions. I've started walking really slow (which is crazy for me because I walk faster than anyone I know), I notice my belly getting in the way of things, the muscles that hold it up are starting to get a little tired, and last week, I even started "the waddle" which until now, I thought was completely intentional and exaggerated on the part of pregnant women--nope, not so much! Right now this stuff is still minor enough that we're finding it to be kind of cute.

And I really should take this opportunity to recognize and thank God for the fact that aside from the NVP, the rest of me is still pretty comfortable. I don't have bad mood swings. I haven't gone crazy on DH. My back and hips don't hurt. For the most part I'm not swollen. I still sleep pretty soundly, albeit with a few potty breaks in the middle. I don't have a ton of round ligament pain, nor do I yet have braxton hicks discomfort. He isn't kicking me in the ribs or diaphragm, or making it tough to breath or move. God has been very merciful in those ways and I really am grateful for it. I know that all of that could change and some people would say "just you wait" but as long as I'm given these gifts, I want to enjoy them and be thankful for them. I need to be more mindful of remembering those things.

In closing, here's what's going on at week 26:

At long last, your little swimmer can see the womb! Your miracle’s little eyelids have finally separated (they were fused closed previously) and they’re probably having their first moments of sight as you read this (or maybe it already happened while you were brushing your teeth or watching Oprah or something). In addition to seeing their little studio in your belly, they’ve recently acquired the ability to say “yes” and “no” in rudimentary sign language as they can now move their head back and forth. This is also the time where your little super star’s head hair is starting to grow! A cute little cowlick or two may be springing into position right now, getting ready for years of cute-but-stubborn bed-head. Also, their toenails have grown in and you little raisin continues to slowly pile up fat beneath their still-loose skin. Most importantly, brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace, increasing their (genius-level?) brain activity and will continue to function at accelerated levels for the first seven to eight years of childhood!

And this *just* dawned on me when I saw my ticker. Here it is in more obvious form:


Do you see it? We're into DOUBLE DIGITS now!! I can't hardly believe it!!!

Love to you all...

Continued Prayer

Hi friends,

My heart is both burdened and elated today as I bring you some updates on the petitions I asked you to join me in laying before the Lord.

1. Sweet Baby Ewan has gone home to the arms of Jesus at 16 days of age. He developed an infection and his little body couldn't fight anymore. Please pray for his parents as they celebrate his life and mourn their loss.

2. Ashley and Jennifer have been asked by God to say goodbye to their precious little Snowflakes, who were all born straight to Heaven. Please pray too for them as they grieve. This particular kind of grief is so hard because it's so invisible to the rest of the world and there are no tangible things to hold on, but they are, regardless, parents who have lost their babies. Sweet sisters, know that because of your sacrifice, your babies are out of frozen limbo and in the arms of Jesus. You gave them such a precious gift.

3. Lisa and Em both received the wonderful news that their little snowflakes are burrowing deep inside. Please pray that God would continue to grow these little babies and allow their moms and dads to meet them in 9 months.

4. Lacie's snowflakes will be thawed tomorrow in preparation for her transfer on Wednesday. Please pray that the babies survive the thaw, and for the embryologist as she cares for them.

5. Shannon would love your continued prayers that their path would be made clear and smooth so that they can proceed with bringing their snowflakes home soon.

I have more to post, and will try to do so tonight so I'd love it if you'd check back later, if you have time!

Bad combination: Exhaustion and Insomnia

Just a little update on the fatigue I mentioned the other day. Right now I'm struggling with being as tired as I was, but not being able to sleep at all. When I'm alone with my thoughts it's hard to keep my mind from racing. They're not always worries--sometimes it's curiosity, ethical dilemmas, prayers, memories but night time seems to be the time my mind and heart runs wild with the "what ifs" and "maybes" of this journey. And no matter how hard I try, I can't will myself to stop thinking! It's frustrating and exhausting because it exacerbates the problem of feeling too tired to do much. It also heightens my emotional sensitivity which I'm sure doesn't make me much of a good wife or friend. So, your continued prayers would be appreciated.

Just checking in

Thank you to all of you who have checked in on us in my absence of posting. I hope this finds you enjoying a Happy New Year.

I haven't posted for lack of anything profound, interesting or even new to say. I realize that what I say is not always or even usually profound, but I would so much like it if I had something to say today that was different than what I said yesterday. Methinks I'm just supposed to sit and stew in the current state of affairs and really internalize those lessons that are oh-so-easy to write about, and less so to actually adopt.

DH and I spent most of New Year's weekend sleeping. I don't know if it was just the cease in the emotional momentum but a few days to ourselves came along and "Wham!" we were both more exhausted than we could remember having been. We literally slept most of the day and most of the night of all of our 4 days of time together. Part of me was a little disappointed that we weren't out conquering the world together, but I am so glad for the rest, especially for DH. We did spend a few hours of every day shutterbugging--you can see the pictures by clicking on my flickr collage ----> DH picked up the other camera has now caught the bug too and so that was a lot of fun for us both.

I'm a little worried about me. I'm so tired all the time. I sleep a lot, and I have a hard time getting up the energy or motivation to do anything. Then the amount of work that piles around me overwhelms me even more and the cycle perpetuates itself. I just want to be released from this. I hate feeling exhausted all the time. The last of our birthday parties and functions have finally ended today so I'm hoping to get back in to the gym routine I established before my brother's fire and I hope that will help me. My sister in law suggested that it could be some depression but I don't feel sad or worried--it's just that I'm so weary! So I'd love your prayers for release from this. Thankfully, I have a DH who is patient with me!

There's nothing really to report on the visit to the new doctor's office. We went and turned in the ridiculously long (and personal) questionnaire and gave the sample for the test, and now we just wait. I don't know if they'll notify us of the results over the phone or if the doctor will tell us when we see him later in the month.

DH has asked me to keep specifics of the current problem we're trying to address private so I'm going to try to honor that by speaking vaguely while asking you for specific prayer requests.

Would you please pray that the results of this new test we just took are exactly the opposite of the first test of its kind that we took. An affirmative answer of this prayer would take a miracle and we're asking for one.

Would you also pray that if the results are the same, that the doctor would swiftly find the cause of the problem. Would you also pray that it would be a cause that can be easily fixed in such a way to restore the broken parts to proper function. Please also pray that whatever the cause is, is not indicative of a more serious, health jeopardizing problem.

Whether a problem never existed and the tests were wrong or if there is a problem but it is corrected, it is our heart's prayer that we would be able to naturally conceive a child that is biologically ours.

We know these requests are big and specific and we know that God's answer could be "no" but at least we ask.

Would you also pray that if the answer to all of the above is "no," that we would be given wisdom, guidance and unity on what procedures, if any to pursue. One book we are reading suggested that we outline which procedures we are ethically comfortable with before we need to make a decision so that they can be as objective as possible. We are so far from knowing what we may need to do medically and we still lack a lot of specifics about our diagnoses so it's hard to make all the decisions but we have at least started. There are a couple ideas that excite us a lot and a couple others that right now we are not in agreement on (and I think for the first time ever, DH is the more liberal of the two of us on one issue in particular!--that's been interesting!) So we would appreciate your prayers for harmony and peace.

We also pray that through it all we would make decisions that honor God and honor life. We pray that this doctor (whom we don't know to be a Christian) would honor our commitments and help guide us in a way that is supportive of that, rather than in a manner that attempts to persuade us toward something else. We pray that we would have all the relevant facts to make our decisions and that they would be made available to use in language, relevance and ramifications we can fully understand.

We pray for protection of our hearts. We pray that fertility would not become our god and that above all, we would seek and Honor God and His will for us, whatever that may be.

Have a great week, everyone!

Grief: 1, Jen: 0

Grief won one over on me today.

Let me provide a background. My love language is time. Uninterrupted time with my husband is fiercely important to me. We've had a pretty rocky last quarter. My husband was sick several times, my brother (who lived with us at the time) was in a fire that left him hospitalized for almost a month and it just happened to be at my husband's place of employment and he is the insurance liaison so we had the personal AND professional stress, I had that wretched horrible HSG, and we got our awful IF news, all since October 1.

The newest infertility diagnoses just about set me over the edge. One thing that kept me going was the knowledge that DH (dear husband) and I would have a week of uninterrupted time together. It's our first Christmas at home where we're not traveling (an opportunity I've prayed for for years but we never wanted to disappoint family expectations--whose year do you take off first--your own parents or your in-laws? Either one carries emotional consequences that we just didn't want to deal with.) Anyway, I was really really relishing that. For the first time Christmas wasn't going to be exhausting. It wasn't going to be spent following someone else's routine and traditions and getting exhausted from broken sleep and lengthy travel... we were going to have it in our home, together. Then after the festivities died down, we would a few days to decompress and recoup, together. Rest, together.

I just can't even tell you how much that prospect has kept me motivated and encouraged these recent weeks. When we got our most recent news, it was like we got the news of a death and then DH went back to work the next day, never having time to process or grieve. And in truth, I've felt like he's shut everything off and out because he hasn't had the time to spend on really muddling through things. He's shut off to the point that it worries me. Anyway, I could cope with that because I knew it was short term. I knew that I just had to make it a couple of weeks and then we'd have time to really do this together because I've felt so alone thus far.

We sat down together in May and budgeted the rest of his days off (which are few!) I emailed him the dates (as is our custom) and he then promised to take those dates and get them on the calendar. I've asked him several times since then if he got the dates off and he said yes. He just told me 3 weeks ago that he didn't think that he'd requested them after all. So he requested at that time and his boss said no. DH asked him to reconsider and he said no again.

I'm crushed. I just can't even describe how much I need this time to process with DH. To connect with him. He's so exhausted in the evenings that we can't do it then and he's had some sort of work obligation every weekend since our doctor's appointment. I feel like I'm stuck in some suspended animation. The only way I was getting through this particular aspect was the knowledge that a reprieve was coming soon. That there was at least a temporary end to my endless loneliness. Plus, DH is a Controller and does the accounting for his company. Auditing season is in February, and in preparation of it, he'll be working ridiculously long hours making my time with him even shorter.

I'm angry. I'm resentful of DH for forgetting something so important. He forgets really big things, often. And to a detail oriented person like me, that's really hard to cope with because I take it personally. And I resent his boss for not giving him the time off. I know that that's unreasonable because his boss can only deal with the time and information that's given to him and I don't want his boss to know all the particulars of why this season has been so dang hard but still. I can't help but think that if I were the boss, I wouldn't make that same decision, and it's hard for me to not be upset with his boss accordingly. I know that's unfair and I'm trying to subdue that emotion but I'm just crushed all around.

Why am I sharing all this? It's not to put down my DH. If forgetfulness is the worst of his flaws, I can deal with that and I know I have it pretty good. Lord (and DH) forgive me if there is any hint of attack in this. I don't mean it that way. I'm just so brokenhearted. I just don't know how to navigate this horrible loneliness that had surrounded me and now is back with no reprieve in sight. I hate infertility. I hate the loneliness. I hate that I feel abandoned. I hate that gulf that seems ever increasing between me and my pregnant best friend. I hate that I feel like anyone I share these thoughts with is judging me, thinking that I'm feeling the wrong thing, or too much or too little of a thing. I hate that I don't know what my DH is feeling and I hate that we can't just lock ourselves inside a little room and deal with this! And I hate that I can't will myself to stop feeling these things because my head knows that they're full of lies and half truths.

Other IF ladies, have you struggled with this overwhelming loneliness? I try to pray and read and that doesn't make this ache stop. I busy myself with tasks which helps suspend the emotion, but it resurges the second I'm alone again and I'm fearful of just "busying" myself instead of learning to cope with this.

I'm so discouraged and frustrated with myself. I felt like I was making some real progress in dealing with grief. If I'm honest I confess that I was afraid that maybe things were moving too quickly or too easily but I really truly did feel at peace and every positive thing I've thought, believed and felt has been sincere. Then this happens and my heart is smashed to bits again, even though I want to will that this particular incident wouldn't be so shattering. In the grand scheme of things I know that it's just a few days. I know that his boss is absolutely not at fault. I know that it's easy to forget things when you work as hard as my DH does. I know that DH should not be who I lean on so heavily anyway. But all that head knowledge doesn't make the tears stop flowing. I have such contempt for emotions sometime. They're so unreasonable. Bah.

I feel stupid for even writing all of this because now that I've verbally regurgitated up all the emotion, I am tired and I can look with bemused indifference at how silly and stupid it is in the grand scheme of things. But that doesn't make it one whit easier. In fact it makes it harder because on top of all this other nonsense, I'm trying to tame the demon of guilt that I so easily fall slave to.

I'm tired. All that to say--please just pray for me. I am so hesitant to post this because I feel so foolish but in the name of authenticity and accountability, I'm going to. And like I said, I'd love any advice from other IF ladies. Please tell me I'm not totally off my rocker and that these feelings aren't foreign or unexpected. Help me navigate, please!

General Update

Hi everyone!

Well I sure got off to a rip-roaring start, only to peter out quickly! It's my goal to be a regular IF blogger but I just let time get away from me this weekend.

We have a small update. I spoke to the new specialist's real scheduler today (last week was a sub). She did confirm that we have the earliest possible appointments. It's turning out to not be such a disappointment because the holidays are keeping us busy. The planning logistic woman in me wants to race ahead for all the practical reasons, but I'm trying to wait on the Lord's timing. I have to start somewhere right? I'm not ready to wait for forever, but I can try another month. And then another, if He asks. And I'll just try to do day by day henceforth. I can't think about the what ifs and the nevers because I just work myself in to a tizzy. One day at a time...just like the sparrows and the flowers.

I called insurance and they said IF treatments are not covered, specifically conception assistance. Diagnostic exams and procedures are covered, as is the correction of any true biological problems. It's funny because just last month there was a discussion on a message board I'm a member of about whether or not insurance should cover IF. I thought about it and my response was that insurance should cover the diagnosis and treatment of any actual medical problem or malfunction, but not conception assistance, for the specific reason of the cost passed on to the majority of policy holders that will never ever need or use the coverage. I realize this opens a can of worms about other coverages that a lot of the rest of us pay for but will never use like some contraceptions, s*xual enhancements (censored so I don't get dirty google hits, not because I'm prude!), substance abuse related ailments, etc, etc, but that's all for another discussion. Now I certainly wouldn't refuse medical insurance that offered IF coverage and I think it's a huge blessing for anyone who has it and needs it. My only point was I think that medical treatment coverage but not conception assistance is a reasonable, logical, fair compromise, even if it's not perfect.

And what do you know? That's exactly what our insurance does. My very initial reaction was a tinge of disappointment. But then I considered further and realized that I still think the same way I did when speaking in a vacuum just a month ago, and I am glad for the way God used some silly message board discussion to prepare my heart for this news. I won't lie. The cost of IF treatments or adoption or whatever seems insurmountable. Thinking about it does stress me out if I dwell on it too much. But overall, I'm very much at peace. I grateful that if there is a way to fix our biological malfunction(s), that they will be covered. And I'm specifically praying that if they can be fixed, we won't even need conception assistance. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I'm also grateful for a referral to this IF specialist, who with gobs of experience in this area specifically, undoubtedly knows his way around insurance codes and how to classify everything properly.

I also read the specialist's website today and it gave me a lot more hope. It didn't give me unrealistic hope but I certainly don't feel like the situation is quite as desolate as I thought it was after speaking to my own doctor. We'll see. His actual exams of us may change that, but at least right now I know there is the potential for hope, when before I was all but told that there was none.

So anyway, those are some things you can be praying for if you think of us.

Thanks also for your prayers last week. I spent most of last Thursday with one of my very favorite people in the world, a dear lady from my church whom I cherish. She has had her own very recent walk with grief and she reached out and wrapped her arms around us in prayer and friendship. She was so generous with her time and experience and comfort, helping me navigate these waters and answering some of my very practical and not so practical questions. I'm so grateful for her! My time with her, along with the knowledge of all of your prayers really made that day much more bearable than it originally started out to be. So, thank you, friends!