Caitlyn's Surgery Update

Caitlyn's surgery went really well!  It lasted about 45 min.  We were at the surgical center for about 4 hours total.  They gave her something to relax before the surgery and I swear I was torn between wondering if they were killing brain cells and laughing so hard I might pee my pants!  She was so funny.  She had no motor control, and just giggled like she was on laughing gas.  Waking up from the anesthesia was better than her first surgery, but still not a fun time.  They wake up and are so disoriented that they cry and fuss.  She did drink her glass of apple juice and kept it down so we got to go home an hour after the surgery.  She didn't sleep as long as she did after her first surgery.  She got up at about 2:30 and we watched Finding Nemo (the only movie she'll sit still for more than a few min).  She was fussy on and off the rest of the day.  But she went back to school the next day and has been doing pretty well since.  She's been getting up at night and been kind of restless.  I've only had to actually get up with her once though.  They also told us that she'd have bad breath for about 2 weeks after the surgery....but they didn't warn us how bad it would be.  O.M.G.  I can't even explain it.  I don't think it's bothering her though and it's already started to get better. 

We have our follow up appt in another week...hopefully her ears look clear!  She has been eating so much better since her surgery...it's amazing! 

Caitlyn's Upcoming Surgery

Since November Caitlyn's had constant fluid in her ears.  Her tubes fell out sometime between her 2 year check up in September and the beginning of November.  So she's getting another set of tubes in her ears.  And while we're at it they are taking out her adenoids.  The ENT thinks that taking out her adenoids will also help the tummy issues she's been having.  We thought maybe it was her reflux acting up again...but it could also be drainage into her tummy making it upset and making her not want to eat.  Praying this is it because the reflux medicine doesn't seem to be doing the trick.  Please say a prayer for our little girl this week.  Her surgery is the 17th.  I'll post more after to let you all know how she does. 

Merry Christmas!!!

Tickled

Caitlyn loves to be tickled!  She'll ask for "more" or "again" over and over.  Her laugh is infectious...I can't get enough!

Third Go Around

When I first started writing this post a little over a week ago, I titled it Defeated.  I was feeling pretty down about our second cycle not working.  Especially because the numbers were in our favor.  The nurses and Dr's all thought this was going to work for us.  But it didn't. 
 
Our first cycle in October we used the same protocol that we did to get pregnant with Caitlyn. I took Femara (pill) from day 3 through day 8. I started Gonal-F injections on day 6 of my cycle. I did these injections for 5 days. I triggered ovulation with an HCG trigger shot and we did the IUI on Oct 25th. I took Caitlyn to daycare that day but took the day off so I could go home and lay down and just relax all day. I didn't respond very well this time around to those drugs. I think I had 2 follies (eggs) that may have been viable. I was still optimistic. I had "symptoms" the whole time I was waiting to test. That cycle failed.


Our second cycle in November we used a totally different protocol. On day 3 I started Follistim injections. I did this injection for 7 days. Then on day 8 I used a Ganirelix injection in the morning and then I took 2 lupron injections 12 hours apart for ovulation. We had great numbers this time around. I responded really well (25 eggs) to the meds that they put me on. Jared's numbers were the best they've ever been while we've been trying (42 million little swimmers). Two Dr's and all the nurses were talking to me about multiples. I think they were all convinced I'd be pregnant. Jared said he had the same feeling that he did when we were pregnant with Caitlyn, so he was convinced that I was pregnant. I had no symptoms this month. We also added another drug (Estradiol) to the protocol during my 2 week wait that I had never had to take before. When I talked to Jared about the multiples factor we both kind of laughed about it. Do you know who we are?  We'll be thankful for one.  This cycle failed.


We are in the middle of our third cycle.  Almost the same protocol as last cy only instead of 75 units of Follistim they lowered it to 50 units every day.   I'm on day 8 of injections and as of this morning I'll have at least 2 more.  I have another follow up appt on Wednesday morning and then hopefully IUI will be either Friday or Saturday morning. 


We started this process because I had met my deductible this year. This is my last cycle before the end of the year and our deductible starts over. I'm not sure what we'll do if this third cycle doesn't work. When we were trying to get pregnant with Caitlyn we were on our last cycle that Dr. M would let us do the IUI. She was pushing for IVF after that and we hadn't decided what we would do in that situation. And thankfully we didn't have to make a decision.

We found out that we were pregnant with Caitlyn on New Year's Eve in 2007...maybe we'll have another New Year's surprise!  I'm hoping I'm meant to be surrounded by Virgo's in this house and this will be our month! 

What Could Be Better....

...than free Christmas cards for us to send to family and friends this year?  Shutterfly is having a special for bloggers (to see more info click here ) 50 free Christmas cards for writing a blog post about their wonderful holiday cards!  Check out some of my favorites...although I'm not sharing my favorite as that has to be a surprise for the mailbox! 

For some reason I'm drawn to candy cane's on Christmas cards.  Since having Caitlyn the past 2 cards have had candy canes on them.  Something fun and childlike maybe???  That's why this one was one of my favorites.



I love the colors on this one!  And I thought I could put a family picture in the center with pictures of Caitlyn on either side. 


Oh Holy Night is one of my all time favorite Christmas songs so I think that's why this one speaks to me.  It reminds me of Midnight Mass as a child growing up.  So simple and beautiful.  


I'm also working on one of these for Christmas for Caitlyn...I've never made my own photo book before but have heard through the grapevine that kids love them.  And I know that Caitlyn loves looking at pictures of herself in my scrapbooks so it should be a great stocking stuffer for her this year! 

I'm so excited to order these cards and finish with our holiday photo shoot!  Christmas really is a wonderful time of year and I'd like to thank Shutterfly for adding a little bit of holiday cheer to my Christmas season this year! 

30 Things

On Facebook a lot of my friends and family are listing one thing they are thankful for each day this month.  So here are my 30 things I'm thankful for this year in random order. 

I am thankful for....

• My senses.  To be able to feel, taste, hear, see and touch when so many can't do one or many of these things.
• Our dog...Zeus.  He may be annoying but he teaches me patience and is so loving and forgiving.
• Our home.
• Caitlyn's daycare providers.
• Having my Jeep paid off this year! 
• Being able to refinance our house with half the interest rate and half the time!
• My online friends who have gotten me through some rough times over the past 5 years.  It's awesome to have girls to talk with about things that they understand when it seems no one else does.
• My real life friends who also listen to me when I need it and keep me occupied (take me out drinking) when I need distracted!
• My Faith.
• Pedicures with my sister.
• Our Freedom in America
• Our armed forces who help us keep our freedom.
• My job.
• Jared's work and that his work has still been plentiful this year.
• All of our extended family.
• The 2 vacations that we took this year.
• Modern medicine because without that we wouldn't have Caitlyn and wouldn't be trying for a brother or sister for Caitlyn.
• Sports that both Jared and I enjoy talking about and watching together.
• My marriage and feeling safe and secure in our relationship.
• My education
• Caitlyn's opportunities for education
• Season changes.  Waiting for snow now so Caitlyn can go out and really experience it!  
• My dad who did a great job raising 3 kids on his own!
• The love of cooking & baking.
• The love of hosting parties.
• Working electricity...enjoying our Christmas tree & Christmas music on my ipod this morning because of this awesome invention.
• Holiday's and time with family that we don't always have.
• My sister who gets me.  And has the same likes and hobbies as me so we can spend so much quality time together.
• Jared.  For being an awesome husband who brings me back to earth and keeps me in check. 
• Caitlyn.  For being the best daughter a mother could ask for.  Words can't describe how thankful I am for the gifts she brings me everyday!