Success!!

They really prefer at the IVF clinic if you don’t take home pregnancy tests. They want you to wait until you do your blood test about ten days after implantation. Frankly, that is probably smart given the fact getting a negative result is emotionally pretty tough, and that way you have the doctor there to walk you through it. But, man, it is just so easy to cheat.

I had a bunch of tests, and decided to keep taking them as the ten days progressed because what’s the harm? The day of my blood test, I had to jump on a plane immediately after my doctor’s visit for a work trip, and then wouldn’t be able to deal with the answer (whatever it was) with Chris. I would be alone in a strange city. I started a couple of days after implantation, and got a no. It is too early to tell anyways, right? Two days in for goodness sake! Keep waiting. I did another a couple of days later, and got another no. Doubt started to creep in. Maybe it didn’t take. I started to feel discouraged, even though I knew it was still too early really. God, why did I do that to myself? Allow for the word “no” to be on the table? I decided to put those tests away and just wait. What a long week it was.

On Friday (my blood test at the doctor was scheduled for that coming Monday) I got up early, and something niggled at my brain to give it another try. To my shock, this one came up positive! Oh my goodness, the answer was yes! I am pregnant!! I just couldn’t stop smiling and giggling!

I feel like kind of a weenie because this being my last pregnancy, I thought that maybe I should do something clever to reveal to Chris that our baby girl was indeed coming. What can I say? I am just not good at keeping secrets like this from him. Rather than baking pink cupcakes, or getting a clever “Big Brother” t-shirt to put on Aaron, I just ran into our room where Chris was just waking up and blurted it out. I showed him the test and just like me, he couldn’t stop smiling and laughing either. There is so much hard work to be done with going through an IVF cycle, and to have it work is such a miracle. We wanted this so badly.

We got to go through the whole weekend knowing that I was pregnant and enjoy the news together. Aaron had a stomach bug that prevented us from going out to celebrate, but it didn’t matter. The “yes” was all we needed and wanted. And we smiled at the blessing we have of balancing multiple children. One home sick, and one to celebrate coming to us when we needed her (and, as always, our amazing one in spirit that is always there watching over us)!

I went Monday morning to do my blood test. Just like last time, the nurse looked at me sideways and asked: “did you cheat?” and I fessed up. She was excited. If you pass a home pregnancy test, those are pretty darned accurate. All the same, it was a relief to get the phone call a little later confirming that the blood results came out positive too. In fact, baby girl’s hormone levels were so off the charts healthy that if they had implanted two embryos, they would be concerned that both took. As it is, they think it is just one big healthy girl!

I got that phone call as I was going through security at the airport as I was beginning travel for my work trip. I was gone all week, and then when I got home had to go back to the IVF clinic for a follow-up test. They like to look to see if your hormones are continuing to elevate in a way that would indicate a healthy pregnancy. Again, baby girl’s hormones are off the charts amazing! Go get ‘em girl!!

Next up, I will have my last IVF appointment in a few weeks. They will do an ultrasound where I will hopefully see her heartbeat for the first time. They will give me my official due date. That is kind of a weird thing to figure out since so much of the process happens in a lab rather than in my body. I can’t use your run of the mill due date calculator to determine when she is coming. My best guess is that I will be due in mid-November sometime. That makes me (I think) maybe five weeks along? I am not sure.

We are just so excited, and are marveling at the fact that we are finally having a girl after our two awesome boys. I just can’t wait. I am trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is real…I am pregnant, and remembering what I need to do to take care of myself. What a blessing. Thanks God!