today's soundtrack: mumford & sons

so today was my first insemination for this third cycle.  tomorrow is number two.

i am feeling a little crazed/highly emotional right now.  the nurse explained that with three follicles and the ovidrel working this makes complete sense since my body is surging with estrogen and doing a lot of work so i will feel less kate-like for the next 72 hours.  a true window into the future i am working so hard to achieve.  no complaints but if i start crying for little to no reason do not look surprised.  now i can look at the lack of side effects of the clomid as the gift it was.

last night i had crazy dreams about losing my id and credit cards which was problematic because i need both for a successful insemination.  thinking carl castle might have been involved in one of the dreams as well but hard to say at this point.  needless to say it was a bizarre night of sleep.

so this am i had my insemination.  this time i decided to go for mumford & sons since i am currently obsessed with them.  figured i should play music i authentically like.  i actually tried to play a little NPR "wait wait don't tell me" but with the words and some talking with my nurse it was hard to focus and you can't miss out on a word.  tomorrow i might go for some "this american life." ira glass has a voice that just relaxes me to the core regardless of what he says.... something to consider.

my cervix was a bit temperamental today so the insemination took a bit longer but all is good.  some key learnings from the nurse today....

- i should drink a vitamin water each day after the insemination

- i could have triplets
- no exercise for 48 hours after last insemination

- I COULD HAVE TRIPLETS

- i should eat foods with high salt like french fries and pizza to suck the moisture from my uterus

realistically i do not think i will actually have triplets but hearing it might be an option was pretty stinking entertaining to me.  (and no, this is not a good time to cite kate's law)  i just trust i will be given what i can handle - and if that is three, then clearly the universe has a lot of faith and confidence in me and i will step up to the blessing ahead!  but one is a pretty awesome blessing too.  just saying.

off to eat some delicious salty foods.... think i might start with the tavern cut fries with a garlic aioli sauce.  note, this is not because i want to but because the doctor says it is best.  (this is a moment i am loving doctor's orders!  should enjoy it while i can right?)

yep, i'm a total wimp

so even more officially, i have the greatest friends in the world!

last night after some bubbly, a delicious dinner with some tasty red wine, and before the chocolate truffles they cornered me on their couch.  i thought it was just for a change in scenery but then i saw the blue ziploc bag that contained my ovidrel shot sitting by the couch.  i knew it was on the evening agenda but i was so not ready.

(reminder: ovidrel shot is to encourage ovulation within 12 to 40 hours of injection)

they, tim and jennifer, are nice people for sure but they seemed a little too excited to give me the shot which made me very suspicious.  my neighbor suggested that i use ice on the injection site and tim had it all wrapped up for me in a napkin.  he was way crazy prepared.

this of course signaled that it was time to watch the utube video on how to properly give the injection.  further evidence that i am truly taking this literally one step at a time.  outside of jennifer's gasp when the entire needle was injected into the model during the video, it went pretty well.  i nervously walked/hopped around the room sipping my wine with increased purpose.

finally, we were ready.  let me rephrase, tim and jennifer were ready.  i found myself scrambling trying to figure out what i was going to do during this process.  do i keep the wine in hard?  i will grab jennifer's hand - no wait, her arm, i might accidentally hurt her hand.  so back to the other hand - wine?  hold the couch?  too many decisions.  ultimately i opted for the couch out of fear that i might spill the wine and that just seemed potentially wasteful.

so i braced myself for the worst and then it was done and i didn't even feel a pinch.  tim and jennifer are for sure hired!  here i am with tim post injection.  outside of not having jennifer in the pic as well, i think it pretty much captures our experience (note "imposing" syringe in tim's hand, his HUGE smile of success, wine bottle, ice in napkin, kate not passed out on the floor).

my heart is bursting with love and appreciation.  feeling so blessed.

"3rd time + 3 beautiful follicles = the charm!" kate positively thinks

exhale!

so i survived the clomid and was maybe a pinch more emotional than usual but overall uneventful.

today i had my second ultrasound and i have three beautiful follicles and a multi-layered uterus so we are ready to rumble!  my blood test results were all good and my follicles are measuring 21, 19.5, and 17.5!  all of this adds up to a no brainer that tonight is the ovidrel shot and tomorrow i go in for my first IUI (8:30am) followed by the second on saturday (8am).

above you can see two of the three follicles.  the one on the right is the 21 mm sized one and i am not so sure about size of the other but thinking the 17.5.  again, one of these could be the start of my future child.  wow.  mind blowing.

tonight i am heading to a friend's for dinner and little do they know that i will be looking to them to help me with my ovidrel shot.  "hi!  thanks for having me!  here is some bubbly to celebrate my follicles, wine to celebrate this amazing dinner you have prepared, ohh and can you come help me with a little something...."

never a dull moment.

so on the eve of the lucky #3 IUI with 3 lucky follicles rocking out in my uterus and i am feeling really good and calm.  really happy in everything actually.  thinking the increased acupuncture and massages combined with working out and having a month to focus more on being in chicago with my friends has been a really good thing for me.

please keep the positive vibes coming for both my follicles and the little swimmers!  hoping those swimmers are fast and strong and that all of the many steps occur and that we get pregnant this month!  woot to the woot!

the pot has boiled!

so i feel like i have been waiting for this period like no other.  if i was still operating like clockwork last saturday would have been my day.  i just felt like i was staring at the pot waiting for the water to boil.  and it came on monday which works just fine too.

this morning i went in and had my baseline ultrasound and blood work with results to follow later today.  i already have all of the drugs that i will need on hand so ready to start with the chlomid once i get the green light from the nurse.

i have been taking this month pretty easy and have been getting more massages, seeing my acupuncturist, started drinking kefir (supposedly it makes you happy...i am so in!), joined a gym AND got a trainer.  not so sure about the latter yet as we are in the get to know you stages but not so sure the Marine mentality will really pair well with me.  time will tell.

net is that i am feeling good and ready for this to be my month!  as always i am accepting any and all positive vibes!!  xoxo!