FET Cycle: Day 2

I was a lot more organized, had a lot more free time, and a lot less tired when we started our IVF cycle.  I documented every single day of that cycle…and I'm thankful I did.  It's hard to remember the good and the bad after it's all over.  I will try to document this cycle…except I'm not exactly sure of the "start date" this time.  Nice, huh?  My chart for meds starts on April 22, so that's what I'm going with.  There isn't a lot happening just yet.  I'm on several different meds…mostly just birth control, vitamins, supplements, baby aspirin, etc. The birth control is to keep control of what my girly parts are doing.  I'm on that for three more weeks.  Then the good stuff starts. 

I posted a picture of Mike and I each day of our IVF cycle, but this time I think I will just try to post a picture of something that happened the day I'm posting.  This was my first fair to good embryo in the shower tonight.  Who knew that fair to good actually meant perfection..??

Frozen Hope

Our In-Vitro cycle seems like it happened a lifetime ago.  With everything that has happened since we started our cycle in April 2011…I guess it really has been a lifetime.  I was laying in bed the other night thinking back to that time…trying to remember how I felt when it was all happening.  

I don't remember being overly-anxious about the process…or irritated by the amounts of pills and injections that I had to do.  I don't remember feeling overwhelmed at the thought of not ending up pregnant…I think I was naive enough to just believe it would happen throughout the cycle.  I'm sure worry crossed my mind, but it wasn't something that kept me up at night.  The meds did the job they needed to do…some days were bad and some were good.  The every other day appointments didn't bother me…they were just routine after a few of them.

Fast forward to April 2014.  The start of our FET Cycle.  Not only am I irritated by the amount of pills, appointments, and soon to be injections…I am so anxious.  When we talked about doing this cycle a year ago, and I wanted to wait another year (kind of)…I really think I just wanted to keep my hope alive a little longer.

The hope that I will be blessed enough to carry another baby to term.  The hope that our family will be complete after we welcome another baby.  The hope that being "done" will be our choice…and not the choice of money, loans, and hourly wages.

It's hard to know that if this doesn't work…we are done.  Not by choice, but by being out of choices…and money.  We are still working to pay off the loan we needed to complete our IVF cycle. Luckily we were able to pay cash for the first $10k we spent over the first year of treatments.  Our a/c units needing to be replaced this month…and them costing more than our first IVF cycle pretty much puts another cycle so far our of financial reach that we know it's unobtainable.

Our family planning is being decided by two frozen, fair to good embryos and a couple a/c units.  It would be funny if it wasn't painfully true.

Easter Weekends

My family's Friday afternoon Easter egg hunt was the same this year as just about every other year.  We were missing a few people, and we added a few people.  Mike ended up taking his 8 hours without pay (another story for another time) (ridiculous) that afternoon, so it was fun that he got to be there with us.  

We started the day at the movies.  We went with Richelle, the boys, Nana, and Raelynn to see Rio 2.  I wasn't all that impressed, but I guess it could've been worse.  All three of the Toy Story movies are excellent.  The liked the second Monsters movie even better than the first…and I'm 50/50 on the Despicable Me movies.  So I honestly had high expectations for Rio 2…those expectation were not met.  Oh well.

It dawned on me that this was Blip's third Easter!  It feels like he's been here forever, but at the same time…how in the world has he been here so long already?  I can't remember life without him…and what I can remember…I wish he was in it.  I love that he's here now…and his fun personality never disappoints.  And I love the way his cousins love him and play with him (even though that pretty much means he runs around crazy instead of letting them actually play a game).  They all happily cater to his needs and seem to enjoy having him around (most of the time).

The kids played and we ate dinner…and then realized how late (read: dark) it was.  The hunt started a little later than I would have liked, but only because I forgot my camera cards, so I only had my phone…so as soon as there was little to no light our pictures were done.  And the ones I do have are not so great (as you can see here).  Oh well…next year I will remember.  I hope.

We usually hide a bunch of eggs in Regina's front yard for the littlest hunters, and we hide the rest out on the greenbelt.  Blip was most interested in opening each egg before moving on to find more eggs.  He did NOT understand the rush…he just wanted to open each one before committing and moving on.  After he was done (or really after all the eggs were found) he headed out to the greenbelt with the bigger kids.  They were done too, but he still wanted to be out there with them.  

When everyone was done, everyone went through their loot back in Regina's front yard.  We left with absolutely NO candy.  Blip doesn't eat candy (except for m&m's when he goes potty on the potty seat), so I was glad not to feel obligated to haul anything home and store it…and then throw it all away.

The night ended pretty stressful because I was discussing family picture clothing with my sisters while we were together (and we each brought all our outfits to see what we still needed), and Mike wanted to go home (we'd seriously been there for 2.5 hours…I still don't get it). So I decided it would be easier and less stressful for Mike to work next year instead of come with us.  It was a nice try, but somethings should just stay the way they work best.

Sunday morning Mike got up with us even though he had worked off duty all night…and didn't get into bed until 5am.  Exhausted or not…nobody wants to miss seeing what the Easter Bunny left for Blip.

When the Easter Bunny came to leave stuff for Blip, (s)he realized that after the last several months of seeing little things here and there…and collecting said items…that his basket seemed very full. In the end, the Bunny held on to a few items for another time because there was plenty left for the boy.  Not everything was small enough to fit in Blip's basket (really a bucket), so there appears to be more than there is.  

Blip's basket contained a new towel for bath time (a Cars towel with Mater on it), a smaller and more portable Buzz and Woody (collected long before the big ones were family members), building blocks, a cute Nunny blanket, new Superman shirt, socks, and hat, Toy Story bandaids, a new book about animals and their babies, a coloring book, a Toy Story sippy cup, a fish loofah, a Monsters toothbrush, and a Blip size backpack (that was ordered for last Christmas, but we found the Mike Wazowski backpack instead).  Not even one piece of candy.  I like it best this way, but I doubt it will last forever.

After we were done with the bucket, I made my boys breakfast.  Blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs.  Blip's favorite meal…he really LOVES bacon.  Then we played with his new stuff.

Mike needed to get a few hours of sleep, so he went to bed while Blip and I entertained ourselves.  We hardboiled a few eggs and colored them.  And much to my happy surprise- he actually tried one! He liked the first bite, but the yoke was his limit for taste testing.

We played with toys (new and old), watched a movie, colored eggs…and then it was time to get ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house for another Easter Egg hunt and family dinner.  Our kid is at the end of grandkids in both of our families.  Luckily we have Patrick and Sarah that had Tucker a few months after Blip was born…or poor Blip's life would suck.  Molly and Ivy are just a few years older…luckily they are still little enough to want to be little and do the little fun things on holidays.

Our Buvala Easter Egg Hunt only had four participants.  Which made it super easy…and not that many eggs had to be filled.  I think I only did 110.  That's 26+ eggs each, but most of the eggs were tiny, so I think it all worked out.  At least I hope it did. 

Blip didn't "get it" any more than he did two days prior.  He still wanted to investigate each egg before moving on.  Which is really fine…since we didn't leave with one piece of candy from this hunt either.  It was perfect.

We ate dinner and ran around the backyard all afternoon.  I love watching Mike run and play with his son, so I was perfectly content.  The weather was beautiful and it was nice to be around family.

I am thankful for my sweet little family.  And I am thankful for the sacrifice my Savior made for me…the true meaning of Easter.  I know He lives, and I know He loves me.

FaceTime

We really love FaceTime.  Well…I might love it the most.  This is what I get to see when we FaceTime. I love that they are this happy to see each other…even if most nights it's only screen time.

Some days being at work knowing Mike and Blip are home are harder than others.  I love when my boys FaceTime me too!

Then there are the times that Blip and I are goofing off while we wait for Daddy to answer...

 And the times when it's just fun to FaceTime.