Stitch Fix #3 {Review}

I happily received box #3 last week from Stitch Fix (if you have no clue what I am referring to, click this link to see my first post about it). I have my profile set to no accessories except scarves right now so I got 5 tops this go round. One of these tops ended up being instantly loved by me.  Can you guess which one?

The coral top featured in the middle of the collage{Camden Geo Print Side-Ruched Top} was the hands-down winner this time around. I almost kept the black/white striped top {Donna Tiered Striped Tank} but ultimately decided to send it back. The cardigan {Elias Striped Back Open Cardigan} would have been fine (it fit perfectly) but I didn't care for the striped back on it or the weird lapels on the front. The lapels were not cool at all in my opinion and my husband agreed. I absolutely hated the long blue top in the bottom right {Valdina Waist Cinch Tunic Top}. It is not my style at all. The fabric felt good but the uneven hemline is a big no for me. It also didn't fit underneath my arms correctly. I couldn't raise my arms. The sweater {Rocio Colorblock Cotton Knit Sweater} on the bottom left fit like a garbage bag according to Clayton, lol. Where was this top when I was pregnant 5 weeks ago? I love the colors of it but the cut is just horrible. I don't want to look pregnant now that I am finally post-partum. Geez... Anyway, this fix was fun but I expect my next one to be better. It's coming this week. I made lots of comments on my check-out form so hopefully they learned even more about what I like and don't like.

If you are interested in trying out this cool service, I highly recommend it. You will be put on a waiting list that can take a few hours to a few weeks so please be patient. Here is a link to it: Stitch Fix. I would love for those of you interested to use the link I just posted so that I can receive referral credit. It would be much appreciated. If you have any questions, please feel free to post them in my comments and I will get back to you.

I have not been paid or asked to write this review. I just really love this service!

Bouncing Back to Normal

I was severely worried about being able to lose the weight from this last pregnancy.  The past 4 pregnancies were a breeze when it came to transitioning back to my normal size but I had a feeling this one would be tough (I am older, my metabolism is slower, and I am lazier).  Thank the Lord, I was wrong.  I know pumping increases my metabolism but it is amazing how quickly I lost the belly yet again.  I can eat whatever I want and my body still burns off all the extra calories.  I may just ride this out for a while since the fun will end once I dry up my milk.  When I end production, I have to go back to counting calories and exercising to maintain my weight.  Ugh.  That sounds terrible right now as I am about to devour a Twix bar (my constant craving along with Wendy's frosties), lol.

The Newest Fun Way to Clothes Shop---Get Your Fix On! { A Stitch Fix Review }

I have to admit that I have been on a bit of a spending spree lately when it comes to my wardrobe. I have NEVER been like this in the past because I could always find something more important than clothes to buy. Fashion is something that has never interested me in the least. I love wearing jeans and a comfortable top on any given day. Well, my eyes have been opened to wearing more flattering, girlier, and trendier clothes. The one misconception that I have always had was that trendy/nice equates to uncomfortable/expensive. It doesn't have to be that way! Since I have no idea how to create a cute outfit on my own, I began searching on Pinterest and Google. It turns out that I don't have to knowledgeable about fashion, I just need a little direction. That's where an amazing company called Stitch Fix comes in.  They really fit the bill for someone like me. I get 5 items mailed to me whenever I desire (no monthly requirements) and they are chosen especially for me by a stylist that knows all my preferences and body type. Each item comes from a boutique designer and all pieces come with style cards affixed that show 2 ways to wear each garment. Since I am a fashion dummy, these cards are my saving grace on how to match things up.

Sorry for the photo quality and sizing.  I didn't have Clayton to help me so I used my iPhone and the guest room mirror to take these. To see it better, click on the images and the whole collage will enlarge. I will post better individual pics of my next fix.  I ended up keeping the red striped shirt and the navy striped skater dress shown above it. I wanted to keep the dress in the upper right corner but it washed me out horribly.  If it had been any other background color, I would have bought it. The scarf was gorgeous but too warm for this time of year so I sent it back reluctantly. The pistachio/black/white cardigan was a total no-go for me.  I hated the color, geometric design, and it puckered at my chest. 

Considering that I just had a baby 4 weeks ago today, I know that my boobs and waist are a little bigger than normal. I had to take that into account when buying these fitted pieces. I didn't want to note the larger sizes in my profile because then the stylists would send me clothes that would be too loose once I return to normal.

Here's how it works:

1. You fill out a short survey to get put onto the wait list. The wait can be anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks. They are still relatively new and their popularity is now skyrocketing thanks to bloggers and pinners raving about them. It may take some time to get off the wait list but it is totally worth it. I think I got off the list around 2 weeks.

2. Once you get off the wait list, you will fill out a rather extensive survey so that they can accurately define your style and sizing. The more detailed you are, the better your stylist can "fix" you.

3. Schedule a fix. You will receive it around or on the day that you choose. You do not have to sign up for monthly shipments so it is nice to be able to get a fix whenever you desire.

4. When you receive your box, try everything on and decide what to keep and what to send back. You will have 3 days to decide. There is a convenient prepaid mailer for you to send items back via USPS.  I just stick mine out in the mailbox and the mail girl picks it up. Easy peasy!

5. After making your selections, you will go to your account on Stitch Fix and check out. Each item will have a small survey to fill out so that you can comment about what you loved and what you didn't. That helps the designers understand your tastes/sizes even more for future fixes. Your first box can be hit or miss, but subsequent boxes get better and better thanks to understanding your preferences more.

The nitty gritty:

You will pay a $20 styling fee to the designer before you get your box. If you decide to keep any of the 5 items, that $20 will go towards your purchase. In addition, if you decide to keep all 5 items, you get a 25% discount on the whole shebang. Love that!

Just a sidenote-I did not get asked to write this review nor did I receive any kind of compensation for it. It is entirely my own opinion/experience. I just really enjoy the company! If you decide to give it a whirl, please click any of the links in my post (Stitch Fix) to give me credit for sending you there.  I would much appreciate it as I am addicted at this point, lol. I am getting fix #3 next week and cannot wait to see it. :)

Wolfie, New Braces, and Coffee Roasting

Hayden received a cool Wolfie from his Grandma Christie and he LOVES it.

Emerson got braces last month (3/12/13).  Yes, he is only 8 and only has 4 permanent teeth right now.  This is phase 1 of his treatment plan.  He has 4 brackets to make his front teeth go over his bottom ones.  He had a bad cross-bite and it needed to be fixed before all his permanent teeth come in.  When he is a teen, he will begin phase 2 of the plan and get an entire mouthful of brackets to straighten them up.

This pic of Clayton makes him look like his hands are tiny.  I assure you that it is just a weird angle, lol.  He has been roasting his own coffee beans lately and makes the best coffee with our awesome Jura machine.  Guess how he roasts them?  He uses an old popcorn machine from 1985 to do the work.  Who knew that an ancient popcorn machine could be so cool?

 

40 Weeks-My Due Date (3/10/13)

5 Days before Baby S was born

I never posted any pregnancy photos on my blog out of sheer laziness so I wanted to post one of the last pics that I took of my monstrous belly for posterity.  This was taken on my due date and I was HUGE.  It's hard to imagine that there was an almost 10 pound kid in there plus a placenta that was just as big as she was.  Even though I was large, it just doesn't seem possible to have all of that tucked into my body.  I am sad to see the belly all gone now but it sure does feel good to be able to breathe again.  I will post a before/after pic on Friday (that's when I will be 4 weeks post-partum).  All of the weight is gone but I still have to get everything back in shape.  The OB has me on restrictions until I see her so I cannot exercise or do anything strenuous just yet.  The anemia is kicking my butt but hopefully my energy will soon return as my iron levels go back up.

Greenwoods's On Green Street-My FAVE!!

Honey Peppered Fried Chicken

Fish of the Day with Lemon Chive Butter

Sweet Potatoes, Cheese Grits, Lemon Chive Butter

For Clayton's birthday last year, I arranged an early surprise trip to Atlanta for the weekend.  My parents took the boys so we got to spend some quality time together.  I got a deal at the Ritz Carlton downtown so that is where we stayed.  Clayton needed new clothes so I bought him 2 new outfits from Brooks Brothers.  Everything was packed and loaded into the car without his knowledge.  He was surprised when we got in the car and I told him to head south, lol.  We went to the Georgia Aquarium and ate at several good restaurants.  We lived in Atlanta from 2000-2002, so we also made it a point to ride around and see all the places we used to frequent.  Our favorite restaurant down there is Greenwood's.  They serve up amazing southern food in an old yellow house in Roswell.  It is a hidden gem that you would never notice while driving in town.  They don't seem to advertise and the only way to be in the know is word-of-mouth.  Back in the day, we watched our neighbors' cats while they were out of town and they gave us a gift certificate to this place.  I am so thankful for them because Greenwood's is my all-time favorite restaurant.  Nothing can top it.  I would give my right arm for the recipes to their honey peppered fried chicken, cheese grits, and lemon chive butter.  Yummmmm...

Self Portrait (by Emerson-age 8)

Emerson draws on his dry erase board all the time.  When I saw his latest creation, it gave me a chuckle.  Adorable!

My Own Dairy...Moo!

My life is consumed by lactation at the moment.  I have been pumping a lot lately to try and establish my milk supply.  It has been a little harder this time around.  My supply isn't as good as it has been after the other 4 births.  My IPs rented me a hospital grade Medela pump today which should really help as my Medela Pump In Style is about to kick the dust.  The hope is to send out the first cooler next week.  Wish me luck!

BTW, thanks to lactation, I am only 1.5 pounds away from my normal weight.  My metabolism soars when I pump so I reap the benefits of eating what I want and dropping pounds quickly.  Love it!

Surrobaby #3's Birth Story---3/15/2013

Yes, it is true.  My uterus is no longer occupied! I know this is a bit overdue but I have had a tough recovery following the birth.  The actual delivery was easy but the events that happened afterward were a bit crazy.

After going crazy waiting for baby S to make her appearance in the final weeks, she FINALLY came into the world on Friday, 3/15 at 4:14pm. I was 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant.  Baby girl was a HUGE 9lb., 11oz. and 22 inches long. Get this-NO STITCHES!! I am a small girl so that was completely shocking. It maybe took me 10 minutes to push her out. Everything was great up until it was realized that she wasn't breathing and I was hemorrhaging. I wrote out most of the details on Facebook so read the bottom two posts if you want to hear about my traumatic experience. Thankfully, baby girl and I are both healthy and good now. My IPs missed the birth but at least they didn't have to witness the blood bath that occurred in the delivery room. They are totally enthralled with her and she is a sweet little thing. I miss her already. 

Post #1 from Facebook (Friday night 3/15):I have had such a traumatic delivery. Baby came out blue and stunned. She wouldn't cry and we heard the OB ask for someone in respiratory to get in there quick. Clayton and I both freaked but thankfully she started to breathe on her own after a minute or so. Then we find out that her shoulder is displaced due to her huge size and my small birth canal. I felt so bad but it has been corrected. As I was watching her get cleaned up, I noticed my OB fretting while she was working on me. I was bleeding profusely and she was digging around painfully inside of me. The placenta was out (and it was humongous!) but she thought I had more pieces inside. I ended up being quickly wheeled to the OR and they did a D&C under general anesthesia. They also proceeded to put a balloon inside me to try and cut off the bleeding. When I woke up an hour later, I was just being put back in my delivery room. I had tubes and lines everywhere (still do). I started begging for water but they wouldn't let me. It was awful. They told Clayton (because I was so drugged up) that if the balloon didn't work, I would have to have some horrid procedure that involved going through my femoral artery or a hysterectomy. Egad. They began 1 of 2 blood transfusions on me. I was in a lot of pain and so they began morphine. I had been on pitocin ever since delivery to try and help shrink my uterus (still am on it). It feels like I am in labor all over again. Now I have Toradol, Lortabs, pitocin, an IV, a catheter, and the balloon with a drainage tube. It's crazy! I just now got the ok to drink liquids again and I am happy. Hope this post all made sense as I am a bit loopy, lol. Thanks everyone for the support/prayers. I feel so loved and special!! 

Post #2 from Facebook (Sunday 3/17):
Yesterday was kinda rough so I rested as much as I could. Friday night was tough as the pain meds didn't touch the contraction pain stemming from the use of pitocin and the saline-filled balloon in my uterus. Luckily, the balloon procedure worked and my uterine hemorrhage repaired itself. The worst part of the whole deal was when they removed everything. It was less than 18 hours since birthing chunky monkey and yet my OB had to stick her arm up in me to remove 2 large sponge pieces (they helped hold the contraption in place). It took her a while and she really had to dig. The pain from that was excruciating. Once those were removed, she emptied the balloon (which was expanded to about size of a large grapefruit). After deflation, it was pulled through as my cervix screamed in revolt. Heck, I may have screamed too, lol. It felt so good after that though. I finally quit having contractions and felt unpregnant again. Ahhhh, the relief. They prodded me every 15 minutes for the next hour to ensure that I wouldn't hemorrhage again and then removed my catheter. Besides 1 saline drip, I felt like a free woman without all those dang tubes and lines connected to me. After 32 hours of fun, I was allowed to eat again and things really started to get better from there. I got released to the recovery floor around 1pm yesterday. Since everything went so crazy, I didn't get to really visit with the baby until yesterday evening and I could not wait to get my hands on her. She is the sweetest thing. The IPs let Clayton and I keep her with us for a while so that we could cuddle her. It was awesome and I am so privileged to have had that honor. My IM noted how baby S knew me as soon as I got her. She had been upset and settled down immediately when I touched her face. It's crazy how babies can sense who carried them. I told IM not to worry as she will forget. Soon, she will be settled in at home and she will know exactly who her parents and sister are. So now I am getting better and may get released today. In the meantime, I am pumping colostrum to give Miss Thang some immunity before she goes home.

BTW, Clayton babied her after the birth and he kept her taken care of while waiting for the parents to arrive. They got here around 6 or 7pm and she had been born at 4:14pm. I got wheeled back into my delivery room after an hour in the OR (maybe 5:30pm?) but couldn't really visit with her. Clayton was sweet enough to carry her over to my bed and he tried to lay her beside me so that I could really get a good look at her. That was great but I was unfortunately too drugged up to hold her at that point. Regardless, it was still a special moment and I won't forget it. Seeing her made the whole journey worthwhile.

So, that's the story in a nutshell.  I am pumping milk for Miss Thang #2 and getting better with every passing day.  Last week was really hard but this week is noticeably better.  I am down 25 pounds and only 6 pounds away from my normal weight.  The magic lactation diet is in full effect.  I can eat all the junk I want and yet still shed the pounds.  It is going to be a long while before I give my dairy up, lol.  

Love this!

 

Old pics from Father's Day 2012

 

I have had these 2 sweet pics of Clayton and Emerson sitting on my computer for a long time now.  I meant to post them last June but I just now got around to it.  Aren't they the cutest?

Emerson's 8th Birthday Party at Great Wolf Lodge (11/7-11/8/12)

The insides of the cupcakes were so bright and colorful.  The kids loved them.

My completed cupcakes for the party.  I topped each one with chocolate frosting and then covered each with a fondant circle to make the Ugly Doll faces.  They were super easy to make.  

The room was impossible to get a good photo of.  We could have upgraded and got a super nice suite but I decided to go with this one because I just knew that the kids would love the kid cabin inside of it.  They had their own space, complete with bunk beds and tv.  It only had 3 beds in it but that was no biggie since E's guests couldn't stay the night anyway (they had school the next day and I opted to keep my kiddos out).  

Hayden chilling on the top bunk in the cabin

So, I got this great deal for GWL a couple of months ago and booked it for Emerson's surprise birthday party.  He really had no clue.  I showed up in the room before he got there to decorate it.  Clayton said that he was still clueless when they drove into the parking lot.  When they showed up at the door, E was amazed when he saw the room decked out for his special day.  He was super excited and the look of happiness that he had made it all worth it.  Shortly after he arrived, his guests showed up.  We took off immediately to play in the water park and it was pretty much deserted.  They had the place practically to themselves.  There was maybe 15 total swimmers in the whole park.  Gosh, it really is beneficial to live only 10 minutes down the road so that we could go on a weekday.  The boys played hard and then had some nasty pizza from one of the eateries in GWL.  It was beyond terrible but it didn't seem to phase them.  After the park closed, we headed back to the room for cupcakes and snacks.  The guests left and we went to bed.

The next day, which was Emerson's actual birthday, Clayton had to go to work so I took the kiddos to breakfast.  We then did MagiQuest until lunch time.  I took them out to lunch and then we hit the water park again.  They played all afternoon until Clayton got back from work.  Emerson was hungry for steak so we had his birthday dinner at Texas Land & Cattle.  All in all, I think E had a wonderful birthday. :)      

 

Ryan, Emerson, and Aaron (Big E is making a wish)

 

One happy 8 year old :)

Halloween 2012

Hayden as Kid Icarus (it's a video game)

Emerson as Mario (this was an unusual choice of costume since he has been Jason, the Scream Ghostface guy, and a demon in the past, lol)

Emerson goofing off with his best friend, Murray

Clayton helping Hayden with his costume

Halloween night was a blast.  We went over to our neighbor's house and had a nice dinner party before heading out in the 'hood to trick-or-treat.  All of the kids from the party rode on the back of a trailer throughout the neighborhood.  It made trick-or-treating super easy on us parents.  Clayton and I rode on the back the whole time to keep an eye on all the kidlets.  Since I was almost 5 months pregnant, I didn't have to worry about wearing myself out.  It was a fun night.  I have many more pics but I don't feel right posting them considering that there were a lot of kids in them that I do not know very well.  Their parents may not approve of me plastering their faces on the Internet.   

{So yea, I am a terrible blogger lately.  I just haven't cared to update it.  Sorry about that but until this baby is out of me, I won't be spending very much time on here.}  

Kitchen Tile

I ordered my tile on Monday night and the boxes were on my front porch today.  I am one happy girl.  The tiles are ridiculously gorgeous!  They are impossible to get a good photo of though so you will just have to trust me on this.  I will be bugging Clayton to get these installed this weekend so I will hopefully have a photo of the completed project next week. :)

My Newest Hobby (besides gestating)

I have been taking painting classes from an awesome studio in Asheboro called The Preppy Possum (feel free to check this place out on Facebook at: The Preppy Possum).  The talented owner/instructor, Nikki Cherry, makes painting an easy and fun thing to do.  My classes have been full of women that claim to have no creative skills (I am creative but can't paint worth a toot), and yet everyone has left the classes with a completed 16x20 masterpiece to call their own.  Her events are called "Wine Downs" as you are encouraged to bring wine or beer to sip while you create your work of art.  I am now officially hooked and plan to paint as many canvases as I can get my hands on!

The top painting is from my first class back in September and the bottom painting is from the class that I took last night.      

Kitchen Backsplash

It's taken me forever to choose our tile for the kitchen.  I finally ordered these tiles yesterday.  The photo does them no justice at all.  They are glass with variations of blues, aquas, greens, and browns throughout them.  They have a iridescent sheen on them so they are colorful and sparkly.  I love them!  BTW, the manufacturer is Hirsch and the line is Silhouette.  They come in all kinds of cool colors.

Isn't she lovely?

I received my first KitchenAid mixer at 17 when I graduated high school.  My aunt Judy bought it for me.  It was white and I loved it.  After 17 years of use, making cake icing has started to wear down the motor so I decided to replace it with this gorgeous girl.  The color is aqua sky and it is going to match the backsplash that I have picked out for the kitchen.   

Concord/Charlotte Great Wolf Lodge Deal

~*~Great Wolf Deal~*~ 

(click the link above to be taken to this awesome deal!)

I have been watching the recent Groupon deal for Great Wolf Lodge.  It was for 2 nights in a family suite.  The problem was that it wasn't the room type that I wanted and it didn't sleep enough people.  I also didn't care for a 2 night stay because this would be during the school week.  Emerson's birthday is the reason for going so I really wanted one night in one of the cool Wolf Cabin rooms and at least 7 wrist bands to the water park.  The deal I picked up from Living Social also included lunch for 7 in addition to all of the things that I wanted.  Whoo hoo!!  They also have other cool options.  It was so hard to choose!  The goofy thing about all this is that we live less than 10 minutes away but you have to stay on grounds to enjoy the water park.  That sucks for us but at least I feel like we got a great deal.  If you decide to buy in on this deal, please use the above link because I get credit.  If 3 people buy using my link, we get the deal for free.  We could really use that so please help me out if you can. :)  

First day of school-8/27/12

Emerson-age 7

2nd Grade

Hayden-age 9

4th Grade

Sorry for my long absence

I haven't been on here in forever and I apologize for just dropping off the face of Earth.  I have had my reasons though.  Sickness is the main culprit.  I have been sick since about week 6 of this pregnancy.  It seemed to innocently be good ole morning sickness so I didn't think much of it.  Then it got progressively worse.  Over the past few weeks, I have been in a lot of abdominal pain.  It has been so bad that I haven't been able to eat.  It hurts so bad after I have a meal or snack.  It's like someone has punched me in the gut.  My weight started to drop from my lack of eating and I spent all of my time in bed.  I decided to call my OB last week after I spent the morning crying on the floor from the pain.  Gall stones seemed to be likely since they commonly appear during pregnancy.  Unfortunately, the ultrasound came back clear.  My gall bladder, pancreas, and liver were all checked for abnormality.  Everything was fine.  I was so upset because that left me with no diagnosis or treatment plan.  What's even more frustrating is that my OB told me that they couldn't figure it out so I should see my general practitioner instead.  Like the gp can do anything?  I am pregnant for crying out loud!  When you are pregnant, no one wants to treat you and there usually isn't much that they can do.  I ended up in the urgent care office for my gp's office this past Sunday and the physician that I saw leaned toward a possible stomach ulcer.  He couldn't run any labwork though so it was just a guess.  He told me to see my gp this week so she could order the labs to see if anything was off.  Well, I have gotten a tiny bit better.  I have started to eat again and the pain isn't as intense as it was last week.  I am holding out on making any appointments for now.  I have an OB appt. on 9/17 so I think I can wait until then to discuss a possible ulcer.  We shall see.    

My Birthday and an Ultrasound Surprise

Yesterday was my 34th birthday and my family made it a wonderful day.  Clayton started off by leaving me the above surprise treats in the fridge.  He had dipped marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, and potato chips in chocolate just for me.  Yum!!  I wolfed down half of the plate for breakfast.  

I went to the lab to do some blood work and then headed over to the OB to do a quick ultrasound before lunch.  The ultrasound was supposed to show the second sac getting smaller or hopefully it would be gone.  Unfortunately, we are now befuddled.  Just since last week, a baby had started to develop in it.  The reason that I say unfortunately is because it is very unlikely to survive.  It is almost 3 weeks behind baby A in growth.  It did have a heartbeat but it was only 88.  Here are the stats and they are pretty grim:

Baby A---measured at 8w4d---heart rate of 176 (she's perfect)

Baby B---measured at 5w5d---heart rate of 88

The ultrasound tech has tons of experience in a high risk clinic.  In all her years, she's never seen anything like this.  She told me before the ultrasound began that there shouldn't be anything there.  I told her that I felt like a second baby was going to pop up.  She thought that I was nuts.  Well, my intuition was correct.  It's weird, I carried twins to 14 weeks with my first surrogacy and I just knew that I had lost one before the amnio ultrasound proved it.  I was correct about that situation too.  I had no indications of what was going on either time but yet I somehow just knew both instances before they were proven.

I am now sad and frustrated.  We don't have another ultrasound until 8/20 and in the meantime, I will be extremely anxious.  Baby B will likely dissolve between now and then, according to the OB.  I hate thinking about it and I wish that we were already past this tough time.  Please pray that this happens quickly and doesn't drag out.  My nerves simply cannot handle it. 

Anyhow, back to my birthday.  I met my extended family at our local Mexican restaurant for lunch.  It was wonderful to be surrounded by all of them on my special day.  I believe that there are many pictures of me with a sombrero but I don't happen to have one to share on here.  Clayton and the boys took me to a nice restaurant called Choplin's for dinner and it was sooo good!  I had crispy duck and he had shrimp and grits.  Both entrees were utterly amazing.  

My gifts were so cool.  Clayton bought me Apple TV and the last 2 books of the Shades of Grey trilogy.  The boys got me flowers and a balloon.  My mom and dad gave me cash (they know me sooo well, lol).  My sister-in-law Steph sent me a new pretty jewel pop for my Kameleon ring.  I loved everything!  My birthday rocked, to say the least. :)

Introducing...

one beautiful baby girl at 7 weeks, 1day gestation (lovingly referred to as Miss Thang #2). <3

My awesome IM flew in to Charlotte on Sunday.  We had a wonderful time catching up with each other.  Gosh, I wish we lived closer.  She is so cool and I swear that I could chat with her forever.  I am a very lucky gal to be matched with someone that I like so much. :)

We woke up bright and early yesterday to get ready for the ultrasound.  We made a quick pit stop at Starbucks and then headed over to the OB.  Our first appointment was for the ultrasound and that is where we learned that there is a perfect little gal growing inside me.  She has a heart rate of 145 and her measurements were exactly where they should be.  Yay!!  There was a second sac but it was empty.  I have to go back for a repeat ultrasound on 8/2 (my birthday) so that the OB can check on the empty sac.  They want to make sure that it doesn't affect the baby's development.  Hopefully, the sac will simply absorb and everything will be right on track.  Isn't she the cutest blob you have every seen? lol

BTW, we have an awesome OB practice.  They are so great about being thorough with everything that they do.  Their genuine interest in us and the way that they try to get to know us on a personal level is comforting. I know that they will provide the best care for us.  It's so amazing to find doctors/nurses that will spend a lot of time answering questions and not rush us through appointments.  Our sonographer spent a good amount of time doing the ultrasound and explaining everything on the screen.  She used to work in a high risk clinic and she is extremely versed on interpreting ultrasounds.  We saw a nice CNM for our first prenatal appointment and she spent 45 minutes chatting with us and checking me out.  I feel really good about this practice and I can't wait to meet all of the OBs.  They do not allow anyone to claim a particular doctor so we will eventually see and meet everyone there.  I expect that they will all be knowledgeable and nice to work with. 

Upcoming Ultrasound

I have been crazy busy over the past few weeks so I haven't had much time to update.  I tend to post on Facebook more than my blog, especially when I am away from my laptop.  Anyway, the ultrasound is set for Monday at 8am.  After that, I have my first OB appointment.  My wonderful IM is going to fly into Charlotte tomorrow and stay the night with us so that she can go to the appointments with me.  I can't wait!!  I will update you all as soon as I get back to my computer.  Hopefully, I will have a photo to post too.  What do you guess that we will see, one girl or two girlies??  My guess is one healthy baby girl.  I personally think that the overachiever embryo ate her sister for lunch, lol.

Here's a recap of the beta (hcg) tests:

296------10dp6dt (or 16dpo)

684------12dp6dt (or 18dpo)

5967-----19dp6dt (or 25dpo)

28,871---26dp6dt (or 32dpo)

Abbreviations:

dp=days past

dt=day transfer

dpo=days past ovulation (I did not ovulate since this was IVF and the babies were not created using my own eggs, but a dpo equivalent can be determined as if this were a natural pregnancy by adding the number of days past transfer to the age of the embryos)

Baseball Boys (6/9/12)

Emerson and Hayden with their CCYA trophies

Hayden's team won the championship for the 9-10 league

Hayden holding the championship trophy :)

The boys both made it to the championships.  Emerson's team lost.  He did great though and he didn't seem to care if he won or not.  He learned so much this past season and I can't wait to see him play again in fall.  Hayden's team won and the last game was exciting.  The other team put up a decent fight so it wasn't an easy win.  I am proud of Hayden for playing so well during the game.  He has improved so much over the season.    Both boys are excited to play again in fall and I can't wait to cheer them on again.  Bring on the ball games!

4th of July

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July this year. We sure did! We had a yummy lunch at home with grilled steaks, Maui scalloped potatoes, fresh corn on the cob, and a patriotic summer berry cake (recipe can be found here). The cake turned out to be really good, but the icing took forever to get onto the cake using the method shown.  It is really easy to do, just time consuming.  After lunch, Clayton went golfing and then we all headed out to a Kannapolis Intimidators baseball game that night.  The home team won against the Greensboro Grasshoppers (whoo hoo!) and then fireworks immediately followed after the game.

Positively

So, I have been getting faint positives since yesterday morning.  I waited until today to take a digital because my hcg was too low to see the beautiful word "pregnant" yesterday.  Awesome, huh?  My IPs are thrilled beyond words and I am so happy for them.  We have blood tests on 7/3 and 7/5 to determine my actual hcg numbers (beta tests) and then an ultrasound will be scheduled around 2 weeks after to determine if one or both girls hung around.  Please pray for one girl as twins is not really ideal.  They are really hoping for a singleton pregnancy and so am I.