We're Expecting!!!

We are so excited to announce that we are expecting a baby! Our due date is Feb. 20, 2011. Everything is going great so far and we have our first appointment with my regular ob-gyn on Thursday. We have waited so long for a baby and have been through a lot in the last few years. It is definitely our time.

We started seeing a fertility specialist in early 2008. We both had to go through many tests and different procedures the first few months of 2008. In November 2008, we went through our first artificial insemination (IUI). This was also the time that Joel and I both switched jobs and moved to Chapin. October through December 2008 was very busy for both of us as we moved, switched jobs, traveled for my work, and had an IUI. We found out in December that the IUI was unsuccessful and that winter was very hard. I was so upset that it didn't work that I told the doctor that I didn't want to go through any more, and we didn't see the doctor again until June 2009.

In June we decided to start with inseminations again and did one again that month. Of course, in July we found out it didn't work again. June through December 2009, we had four IUI's done and none of them were successful. The doctor told us after the last one in December that he wouldn't do any more without further testing. We didn't understand, and still don't understand why all the testing wasn't done at the beginning, but we're so glad they finally figured out what the problem was.

In January 2010, I had a hysteroscopy and laparoscopy. The doctor discovered that I had endometriosis and lasered away all of the scar tissue. The next week was the most painful week of my life, but I am so glad he found it and removed it all. We met with the doctor a couple weeks after my surgery to discuss the next step. He informed us that we could go through another IUI at that point, but it could take us numerous times again, or we could go ahead with invitro fertilization (IVF). After a couple days of talking about our options, we decided that IVF was the best option for us. We knew it was going to be emotionally, mentally, and financially draining but knew it was our best option for having our own baby and decided to go ahead with it. After a couple of consultations and signing all the paperwork, I was able to start the fertility medications for IVF in April. Our IVF cycle was scheduled for the end of May. I was terrified of the daily shots and the discipline and commitment that was required for IVF, and the only thing that kept me going through it was the thought of a baby at the end. Joel wasn't excited about the shots either, since he had to give one to me every day for about a month. That shot was the worst, and I still have a bruised butt after a month of not receiving any shots. I responded very well to the fertility medications and produced around 50 egg follicles. They retrieved the egg follicles the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend and I was then put on bed rest for the next 3-4 days. After the retrieval, I started having pretty bad cramps, felt bloated, and couldn't sleep at night. The doctor told us that because I produced so many eggs (which is NOT normal...women that produce 20 eggs are considered to have responded well to the medication) that he wanted to watch me closely for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. On Tuesday after the retrieval, I called the doctor because I didn't feel right. Of course, Joel told me that I was a hypochondriac, but I knew something wasn't right. Hyperstimulation causes you to retain fluid and with severe cases, you can gain more than 5 pounds per day. They knew that day that I had hyperstimulation and had me go back in Thursday of that week. They would weigh me and measure the circumference of my stomach. I was gaining weight and putting inches around my stomach, just in those few days. The doctor told me that he didn't know if we would be able to go through with the embryo transfer (which was scheduled the next day, Friday) and I had to go back in before my scheduled transfer to have another sonogram done to see if we could go ahead with the transfer. The next 24 hours was the most stressful of my life. If we didn't go through with the transfer, all my embryos would have been froze and we would have went through all of it again. Luckily, the doctor decided that my hyperstimulation hadn't gotten worse and let us go ahead with the transfer. We decided at that point to only transfer one embryo, instead of 2 embryos that we were planning on throughout the entire cycle, because of the complications of multiple embryos. The transfer lasted about half an hour and then I had to lay in the recovery room for two hours. The transfer was very neat to watch (even though it was very painful). We were able to watch each stage of the process from a monitor and could see the embryo actually going inside me. (See sonogram picture below taken the day of the transfer. The small white line in the center of the two black "blobs" is the embryo going inside me!)

After the transfer, we had to wait a week and a half to find out if IVF was successful. During the next week and a half, my hyperstimulation got worse and in the previous two weeks, I had gained over 10 pounds and put 5 inches around my stomach. I couldn't button any jeans, it was very hard to breathe, and I had a terrible cough that sounded like I had smoked for my entire life. (The cough was caused from fluid around my right lung.)

On Monday, June 14th, I went into the office for a pregnancy test. My hyperstimulation was still bad at this point, and they decided I needed to have a sonogram done to look at the fluid. The doctor did the sonogram and after he was done, he told us that the fluid was going down a little and then told me that all of my symptoms from the last week of hyperstimulation was because I was pregnant!!! I didn't know what to do at that point, because he didn't have the results back from the pregnancy test and I asked him if that was a positive confirmation. The doctor just smiled and told me again that I was pregnant. I told the doctor that I was going to wait until that afternoon when he called with the results from the blood pregnancy test before I would believe him. He just laughed at me. That afternoon around one, the doctor called me and said it was confirmed and we were pregnant! The entire team (doctor, nurses, lab) was in the room when the doctor made the call and he had me on speakerphone. They all clapped and congratulated me. (The picture below shows my stomach the night of June 14th, the day we found out I was pregnant....the hyperstimulation was still pretty bad at this point)

I had to go back in twice that week for another pregnancy test and then another sonogram for the hyperstimulation. Everything looked good and the fluid was decreasing. We had our first prenatal sonogram a couple weeks later and was able to see a little speck that fluttered. The fluttering was the baby's heartbeat. Although, we didn't get to hear the heartbeat that morning, we could still see it. I told Joel that I still couldn't believe I was actually pregnant until I heard the heartbeat. (The picture below is of our first prenatal sonogram done on June 30th.)

A couple weeks later, we had a sonogram with the doctor and we immediately heard the heartbeat. It was an amazing feeling! The doctor said everything looked great and I was able to "graduate" from the fertility specialist and see a regular ob-gyn. He recommended Dr. Huston at the SIU Clinic and we have our first appointment with him on Thursday. I'm excited to be considered a normal pregnancy now and see a regular doctor. (The picture below is from our sonogram with the doctor on July 12th. The heartbeat is at the bottom. You can see how much the baby grew in the few weeks between sonograms!)

I haven't had any morning sickness, but have been very tired. I'm craving hot and spicy foods, Jimmy John's BLT sandwiches, pickles (Jimmy Johns are the best), chewy sprees, jalapenos and for a couple of weeks was eating guacamole dip with tortilla chips and jalapenos. I can't eat hamburger, and every time I think about it, I want to throw up. I haven't gained any weight, but weight is definitely shifting to my stomach at this point. During the last week, I've really started to show and it is really bad after I eat. I also want to add how lucky Joel and I both are, and how great our employers have been through the last few years. I have had many appointments (during IVF, I was going to Springfield every morning for a couple weeks), and Joel has went to many with me. It required a lot of time off and Dairy.com and Joel's Dad have both been very accommodating (it helped a little that Joel's Dad enjoys being a grandpa!)

The picture below was taken on July 19th (9 weeks).

We're both very excited about the journey that we're embarking on. Our niece, Lani, is also very excited to be getting a "baby sister". She is already wanting to buy clothes, etc. for her "baby sister", although it is way too early to know what the sex of the baby is. Hopefully she won't be too disappointed if it is a baby boy! Stay tuned for how Baby Freeman is developing!

Below is the happy parents-to-be at the Hallock wedding!