12 Week Appointment

Our 12 week appointment was a little bit different because at 9 weeks we graduated from the fertility center and needed to choose a doctor who would be with us for the duration of the pregnancy.  We had a few in mind that we had heard great reviews about, and we ultimately decided to go back to Dr. David Young, the doctor who performed my laposcopy surgery in 2013.  He is with the Central Utah Women's Clinic, which is funny because when Zander was still in his mommy's stomach, that's where they went.  Lance and I really wanted a midwife to work along with the doctor, but with twins we weren't given that option-it's just that much more risky.

Our initial appointment with the Central Utah Women's Clinic took place on February 18th.  They asked Lance and I a lot of questions and checked my urine and blood to make sure both mommy and the babies were healthy.  Everything checked out very well!

At the very end of the appointment we got to see the twiners!  Both of them looked so beautiful and healthy, with heartbeats at 158 bpm for both of you!  Little baby A was super calm and looked angelic, and baby B was having a party and moving around like crazy!!  We are so excited to meet you two and see if your personalities continue to follow what we've seen in the ultrasounds.

The Big Brother

Zander knew from the beginning that we wanted to have a baby and that we were running into some trouble.  He was always so sweet and tender when my emotions ran high and I was in an infertility funk.  He was my little rock when I got discouraged and felt as if it might not ever happen.  He said to me one day, "Heavenly Father will bless us with a baby, why wouldn't he?"  It was so sweet and made me feel a lot better.

When we did IVF, we decided not to tell him until we had good news and had been pregnant for a little while.  As our 7 week appointment got closer, we contemplated taking him with us, but decided not to on the day of.

Once we got home from the appointment where we had learned we were having twins, we knew it was time to tell him.  We sat him down and had him watch the video of the appointment.  Before the video was actually started, I kept laughing and he kept asking what was so funny.  My thoughts were that his life was about to change so drastically!  He loved being the only child with us, so twins was quite the change!

When the video got to the part where the lady said there were two babies, he said, "TWO???"  Slapped his hand to his head and fell backwards on the couch.  It was a classic reaction!!  He kept asking us why two, why not one--we told him that it wasn't our choice!

Despite his initial reaction of being overwhelmed with the prospect of two siblings, he fell in love with the idea only days later!!   Here is a conversation I had with him over text a week after he found out he was going to be a big brother to twins!  

10 Week Appointment with Twins

Our 9/10 week appointment (February 4, 2015) was beautiful!  We were greeted with two beautiful babies on the screen with healthy, strong heartbeats.

Little baby A looked so darling-just like a little gummy bear.  We could see the little arm and leg buds-the little shape was more like a baby!  Baby A was very still during the ultrasound and looked beautiful!  The heartbeat was 172 bpm, and was a miraculous sound to hear.

Little baby B was so excited to be on the television-he/she kept moving his/her arm buds!  It was such a beautiful sight to see them moving.  Our little babies we're alive and growing!   Baby B looked so chubby!  Just like a chubby little gummy bear with little arms and legs. The heartbeat was 179 and sounded like heaven!  

Both of our little miracles looked so gorgeous!  As much as we're excited to meet you, I love having you two growing in my tummy.  It's the greatest blessing a woman could have.

We love you, twiners!

Baby A 

Baby B 

TWINS!!

Finding out whether we were having twins or a singleton, fell on yet another special day-Lance's 32nd birthday!  Our appointment was at 11:00, and all morning we were antsy for that time to come!
 
Once we got to the clinic and I got all hooked up, I turned my head away from the screen and hid my eyes-I was so scared!  Scared there wouldn't be a baby, scared the baby would be too small, scared there would be no heartbeat, etc, etc.

Lance and I were so elated when the nurse said to us, "Well, you'll want to look because there's a baby in there.  Two babies!"  Daddy and I were freaking out, and I couldn't stop laughing.  I sounded like a hyena during the whole appointment.  Hearing the heartbeats for the first time was so special!  Baby A's beat at 142 bpm and baby B's was at 149 bpm.  Such strong little heartbeats for such beautiful little twins!  It was the most beautiful sound.  We fell in love instantly!

Our first picture of the twins!  So beautiful!! 

The video of our ultrasound!  Warning: Hyena style laughing.

Our Big News!

On December 29th, Lance and I were excited to celebrate my birthday, but nothing compared to it being the day we would get our news about whether or not our IVF cycle worked.  With me being the mommy, I was so scared that it would be negative and with daddy being so positive, he didn't doubt it for a minute!  We had our blood draw for 9:15 am and I was kinda of a pill because they had to poke me twice.  After the blood draw, Lance and I tried to stay busy.  We did some shopping and went out to lunch.

 We were at lunch when the phone rang.  I chucked it at Lance, saying, "It's them, oh my gosh it's them."  Lance answered it like a champ and after a few seconds said, "That's great news!" With the biggest smile on his face!  We were so happy!!!!!  That first blood draw was 452, which could definitely be twins!  Although, that was news we wouldn't get for three more weeks.

Two days following our first blood draw, we needed to do a follow up blood draw to make sure that the numbers at least doubled.  This was scary because at that point, we had never had numbers double.  Getting past this point meant that we'd be further along than we'd ever been.  

Well, the phone rang, and the nurse on the other end said that the numbers were now up to 1052!  Lance and I were so excited.  We kissed and hugged and day dreamed about the little baby or babies that were coming into our family.  

That day was also special to us-it was the 4 year anniversary since Lance proposed to me!!  We loved how all these important days with the IVF procedure lined up with special dates in our lives.  It was one of the many miracles we experienced throughout this whole journey.   

                                         

After we received the call about the test results we went home and took a test!  Every pregnant woman needs a tangible pregnancy test to take pictures with!!  :)  

                                               

SO EXCITED!

                                 

Next time you see me here, I'll be huge and pregnant and then with two little boys!!!!!

Our IVF Journey

Our IVF journey started on November 5, 2014.  After two and half years of Lance and I trying on our own, and 5 pregnancy losses, we felt that it was time for IVF.  Lance and I looked into different IVF options-getting familiar with different facilities, doctors and options and decided that our best odds would be at the Utah Fertility Center right up the freeway from us in Pleasant Grove, which we had been going to for our initial infertility check ups and appointments.

 On the day of our initial IVF appointment, I started my period and it only helped to confirm that we needed IVF and this was the right thing to be doing.  Any woman/couple who has been through infertility knows the heartache of getting your period when you hoped this month would be 'the one.'  Having started my cycle that morning, it allowed for us to move forward with the calendar and not have to wait until it came.  All good things.  

   I'll never forget sitting at the appointment at the Utah Fertility Center as the nurse Chelsey went over our personal calendar.  It was really happening!  Lance and I held hands and we could feel the spirit so strongly.  All my fears about the expense of the procedure were washed away, and I knew we would be taken care of.

After the appointment, I had happy tears, knowing that we were doing the right thing.  I loved having the calendar-it made the future baby or babies seem so real and so close!  My favorite thing about the calendar was that we would find out if we were pregnant on my birthday!!  

Our IVF Calendar-November side!

December side!  The different colors represent either the start/end of a medicine, appointment, or significant date.

Now for some awesome IVF pictures--the part of IVF no one talks about...

The medicine spread set up the night before so we were ready in the morning.  At its worst, I was doing three shots a day.  

The bottom dresser drawer became dedicated to housing the different medications.  Note the sharps container-yikes!

Me proudly holding the calendar up on the last day I had to do an injection. 

Very last shot--trigger shot taken the night before we did the egg retrieval!!

Very last shot!!

Morning of the egg retrieval-about to go in to be put out and have 13 eggs taken out.  So exciting!!

The happy couple!  By the way, I couldn't wear makeup because of the surgery...don't think I had totally let myself go:)

This is a picture of the sharps container emptied out and represents all the hard work mommies go through with IVF!  It was quite the adventure!  We're so grateful for science:)

Hogle Zoo

Last November we made it to the Hogle Zoo!  Sasha and Hudson joined us and it was a fun time.  

The kids had a great time, despite being there with every other family from Utah County.  It was so packed!  With all the crowds, it was hard to get to the front to get a good look at the animals.  I'm not sure if the kids really noticed though.  Cousins are so fun!