Sunday, September 21, 2008

Three's a charm?

They all survived the thaw!

Last Wednesday, the doctor transferred all three embryos. They were unfrozen on Tuesday and all continued to divide over night. However, the doctor told us that the chance of triplets are very slim. The two bottom ones are the higher quality (about the same as the last two) and the top one is rated a "3+".

For the most part, I've spent the days since Wednesday flat on my back (which is aching now, by the way.) I could turn from side to side after four hours, but I didn't want to risk one straying toward a fallopian tube. This is about the time now that they should be implanting. I think I feel a couple twinges, but it's really hard to tell. I think I just want to feel something so bad.

So please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next month and beyond!

I did leave bed rest on Saturday for about an hour to go see the Dragon Boat races on the river. I really wanted to get some photos for my class. I really need a telephoto lens. I picked three photos out of over 100, but I really was not pleased with any of the photos. But since I was laid up all week and it's Sunday night already...I don't have time to reshoot.


That's all for now. I hope to update more now that I dressed this place up a little bit.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

When all else fails...

try, and try again.

It's now been three months since last IVF cycle. Three months to heal, three months to climb out of that dark hole and reach toward hope. Here we are three months later and this week I will be going back to the clinic to have perhaps three frozen embryos transferred back to my body.

I'm terrified.

But I had a small taste of pregnancy...a small bit of hope. And I'm ready. I'm so ready to hold my child in my arms, sing them to sleep and comfort them when they cry. Of course, I'm ready for diapers, runny noses and baby puke too.

So wish us luck. Pray that they make themselves comfortable high in my uterus, far away from the fallopian tubes. Pray that they stay there for nine months.

In other news...I'm very weak.

Yeah...I got it.

But I'm so glad I did! I started my photography class last week and there are so many more advantages to me learning with this camera. I am so happy with it. Our first assignment is to bring in three "texture or feel" photos. To me, that means some awesome close up photography.

Here's what I'm bringing:



Actually that last one was taken last weekend with my S2 IS. The other two were taken this afternoon during a break in the rain.

I think I really like macro photography so a macro lens is on my wish list, and I could use another zoom lens. Yeah...photography can be an expensive hobby.

Speaking of hobbies, I'm particularly pleased with my latest knitting project:



This is for my new little nephew, Cade, who was born on Labor Day (funny enough!) I adapted the pattern from Lois Daykin's Baby Knits book. The pattern, Teddy Suit, is featured on the cover. I knew when I first saw this, I had to make it.

I did make some adjustments to the pattern though. First the pattern calls for Rowen Calmer yarn, which costs about $10 a skein. I substituted Knit Picks Comfy, which was $3 per skein. The yarns are very similar in fiber content and weight, although the Comfy does feel a little bit heavier. Comfy also does not have the same sheen as Calmer, but the cotton/microfiber blend should wear and wash well.

Next I finished the entire suit, and knit the first bootie. The frustration set in. First I couldn't figure out how to make this piece which was knit flat to a bootie. When I finally figured it out, it was much too large for a newborn (maybe even a three year old.) Since I had a lot of brown yarn left, I knit another using much smaller needles...still too big.

Perhaps it was the different yarn. But I did knit a swatch and had the right gauge. Even if it would've fit, it was still an awkward pattern. I considered leaving the booties off completely, but the suit with the footies were what sold me in the first place.

I went to Knitty Gritty's site at DIY.net and found an "ugg" bootie pattern I made a couple years ago. So I adjusted that pattern to fit the suit pattern. This included adjusting the pattern so that the instep was knit in seed stitch. I wrote the pattern out. I'll post it here soon if anyone is interested.

In the end I was much happier with the footie and the gift was well-received by Andy's brother and sister-in-law. I can't wait to see a photo of the little guy in it.

Well this was a long post. I'm off to bed. We have a busy week a head of us (followed by four delicious days of much needed bed rest.)