Baby Kate at 32 Weeks

First off, we’d like to apologize for not updating in awhile. People are correct when they say that things will get hectic trying to prepare for a new addition. We just hit the 32 week mark and all is well but yes, things are busy! Kate is definitely an active little girl. Sometimes her kicks and moves catch Wendi off guard and scare her a bit! It’s probably the time when Kate will start running out of room in her mommy’s belly so that means a little less comfort for everyone!

Over the past month we have gotten quite a bit done. After this weekend, we will almost be done with the nursery. The carpet is getting installed tomorrow. The room has been painted pink. The only major thing left is waiting on the crib and dresser to be delivered and assembled.

Other than getting the nursery ready for Kate, we’ve attended some pregnancy related classes. I went to the Daddy Boot Camp a month ago. Last week we attended a breast feeding class at the hospital we’ll be delivering at and this weekend we have a Labor and Delivery class that runs Saturday and Sunday.

Wendi is trying to get things organized for her substitute at school while she is on maternity leave and other than that, it’s time that we make our final “must do” list before she arrives.

At this point, 32 weeks, anything can happen. We want to make sure that if Kate decides she wants to meet us earlier, that we have things ready for her, as much as humanly possible!

Well, that was a quick update. I’ll let Wendi fill you in on the rest. She’s a little more detailed than I am but I just wanted to send a quick update for everyone.

Have a great day!

Our First Little Girl, Kate At 24 Weeks

I am just at 25 weeks and can’t believe it! In the beginning, the pregnancy seemed to be going by very slow and now it seems like the weeks are passing by in the blink of an eye. I had a doctor’s appointment and an ultrasound last week and everything looks great. I always get excited to see the doctor. The appointments don’t consist of much other than a urine sample, weight and blood pressure, but just the mere fact that I am there as a pregnant patient makes it exciting in itself. As I have mentioned before, I really love my doctor and she always puts a smile on my face. I had to get a test done for CMV because I found out that a child in my school in a carrier. As I understand it, CMV can cause some pregnancy complications, including birth defects, but practicing good hygiene habits should help keep me healthy…. needless to say, hand sanitizer is my best friend.

I did get a call today from the doctor’s office because I needed to reschedule some of my appointments and I found out that she is gone the week that I am due…major bummer!!! There are three doctors in the practice and I have met two, so I look forward to meeting the third. You never know who will be on call when I deliver.

At my ultrasound everything looked perfect! She was hiding her face through most of it, so we didn’t get a lot of facial pictures. The ultrasound technician also mentioned how active she was. (Yes, I know!!!) They guessed her weight at about 1.8 pounds, which puts her at the 56th percentile. I’ll be anxious to see how much she weighs at birth.

This past weekend Mike and I headed to Babies “R” Us to begin our registry. Doing it on the weekend was not smart as the store was crowded with babies, pregnant women, and clueless dads. We did enjoy ourselves though and Mike had fun scanning all of the merchandise. We weren’t able to complete the entire registry, but we’ve got a great start. I need to do a little more research on some things and get some advice from my friends that are experienced moms before we add any more to the registry. As I told Mike, “It’s a work in progress!”

We are also in the beginning stages of starting the nursery. It has been cleaned out (thanks to Mike) and decisions are being finalized with bedding selections. We were able to order the crib and dresser a week ago and will have to decide on a rocker in the near future (I am waiting on fabric samples from the bedding to match up with fabric for the rocker.) I am envisioning a beautiful pink and white nursery when it’s all complete.

All in all, I am feeling great and loving life. I am able to keep up my energy at work and have continued with water aerobics about 3 times a week. I am falling asleep without effort and night and am frequently awakened by kicking and hand movements throughout the night. I couldn’t be happier and I am anxious to see what the next few weeks bring.

Our Pregnancy Is Flying By!

It’s crazy what a couple of weeks can make when it comes to pregnancy. It seems like things are progressing quicker, day by day. Our little girl is kicking, A LOT! It must be from the yummy treats her mommy is eating! Much of the kicking and moving around is around 9-10 p.m. when we are getting ready for bed! Yes, I said 9 p.m. We are getting old! Wendi’s belly is also growing like no other over the past few days. Her “baby bump” started out very low in her stomach but is now taking over her whole mid-section and rounding out very nicely! I’m sure we’ll be posting more pictures in the next week.

So, with all of these new changes and growth, it means we have to get our act in gear and get moving on things we NEED to get done. The nursery is one of our first tasks. I successfully cleaned EVERYTHING out of our second bedroom this past weekend. It’s now empty and ready to be worked on. We will first paint the new room (PINK, PINK, PINK!!!) and then we are going to get new carpet. After that, we will be ready to start loading it up with all of the baby stuff such as crib, dresser, her clothes and all of the other goodies we will be getting over the next couple of months.

Our next OB-GYN appointment is in 2 weeks and then we should also know when our next ultrasound is. This next ultrasound is going to be a good one. Our last one they were able to tell us the sex of the baby. This third trimester ultrasound should be able to show up much more detail and features of our little girl, Kate! I think the OB mentioned that we would have 2 more ultrasounds before Wendi delivers in December.

Last but not least, please bear with us for the next couple of weeks. Things are looking pretty crazy. Wendi just went back to school yesterday. She’s a elementary teacher. We’ve also received some requests from readers/experts so we are going to work on touching up the website to accommodate some of these requests.

One more thing, we are running a “Best Fertility Story Contest” so please enter here for a chance to win a $50 Visa Gift Card!

Wendi at 22 Weeks!

I am 22 weeks and feeling better than ever. My belly is expanding and I am feeling our little girl move all around…such an amazing feeling! I had to head back to work this week, as school starts in a few days. I will miss my usual summer days of water aerobics; instead I will have to opt for the evening classes. I will definitely miss the bright summer mornings working out in the Arizona sun.

I didn’t tell my coworkers that I was pregnant, so arriving back at school this week was exciting in itself. I bought a t-shirt that said “Tickled Pick” to announce the wonderful news that we were expecting. Many friends and coworkers said that I wasn’t showing much, but not being able to fit into my old clothes is a sure sign that I am indeed pregnant and growing. I feel like I am walking around school glowing and am really happy when I am congratulated. (If everyone really knew what a feat it was to get pregnant in the first place!!!) I am anxious to see how some of the parents of my students will react, as parents are sometimes weary of having a “pregnant” teacher. They are concerned about the amount of time I will be away from the classroom. So needless to say, I am working on finding the perfect fit for a substitute teacher while I am on my maternity leave. That’s awhile off, so I thought I’d post something fun…I thought of “22” things I am enjoying at 22 weeks pregnant.

1. Actually beginning to look like I am pregnant.
2. Slowly fitting into my maternity clothes.
3. Feeling so happy!
4. Feeling the baby move.
5. Seeing the baby move.
6. Having Mike feel the baby move.
7. Picking out our babies name, “Katherine”.
8. Not having to keep my pregnancy a secret anymore at work.
9. Buying the cutest little girl outfits.
10. Trying to find her the perfect bedding.
11. Picking out her nursery furniture.
12. A hearty appetite.
13. Energetic!
14. Gathering advice from friends and family.
15. Spending quality time with my husband.
16. Thinking about all of the possibilities for middle names.
17. Beginning to prepare the nursery.
18. My ever-growing belly!
19. Getting ready to register.
20. Enjoying cat naps while I can still take them.
21. My new body pillow.
22. Thinking PINK, PINK, PINK!

Wendi & Mike July - Firesky Resort

Yes, this will be my first bout with fatherhood and you can definitely tell by all of the questions I have as our due date of December 8th approaches. I couldn’t be more happy and I can’t wait to see our little girl, Kate but there are definitely things that I do not know! There is a lot that goes into being first time parents and it’s starting to hit home.

Much of what we will experience, especially me, we will learn from trial and error. When will the baby eat? When will the baby sleep? What will make the baby sick? What will make the baby smile? How will Wendi and I function on so little sleep? How many potties per day? Those are things that we will experience just like millions of other parents have gone through. It’s part of life and it’s soon becoming a reality to our household.

Our lives are soon to change, but for the best. We will truly have a “family” once Kate is born. Our family might be female dominated (1 wife, 1 daughter and 2 female doggies) but none-the-less a family! Do I see gray hair in my near future? Absolutely! But that’s what hair coloring is for….right!!!

What’s more amazing is to think about our pregnancy. Kate is a “frozen” baby. She was literally frozen and thawed! Our first frozen embryo transfer was a success after an unsuccessful fresh IVF cycle. It’s absolutely amazing what medical technology can do these days, especially for those of us who don’t have the leisure of snapping our fingers and….KAABAAM! We’re pregnant! Didn’t quite happen like that for us. That’s okay though. We definitely went through a life experience during the IVF process and it’s something we will be going through again when it’s time to give Kate a little brother or sister. Without IVF, we’d still be starring at our dogs wondering how the heck we are going to have children. Well, some days….no MOST days, our dogs do think they are humans!

So, we’re going to have to fill Kate in someday on how she was brought to us. I’m guessing, the way technology advances, that IVF will be one of the norms of getting pregnant and I’m sure there will be other procedures that arise over the next decade that allow fertility professionals to more so master the art of fertility treatments. Explaining might not be as tough down the road as it’ll be much more common than today. There is still mystery for a lot of folks that are not familiar with assisted reproductive technology. IVF and fertility treatments have been the craze over the past few years…a few more years and they will be totally normal to someone trying to get pregnant that has fertility issues and cannot due so on their own.

I think that’s about it for now. I need to stop writing and get back to emptying out our second bedroom, so Kate has a little space of her own when she joins us!

Dipping Oreos For The Doctor's Office!

This past weekend was great, very productive! Okay, well maybe my “to do” list didn’t shrink, but I still got a lot done. I woke up early Saturday morning and went to water aerobics and really enjoyed the workout in the beautiful Arizona sunshine. Straight from the gym, I headed to a local maternity store that was having a great summer sale…everything in the store was 50% off! (How could I pass that up?) I brought my mom along to help me pick out clothes and get her honest opinion. The store wasn’t too crowded when we arrived, but it didn’t take long before all of the pregnant women looking for great deals arrived. Both my mom and I managed to gather armloads of clothes and headed to the dressing room. I ended up leaving with some pretty cute and very practical outfits. I don’t quite fit into all of them yet, but I am sure it won’t be too long. I came home and had a fashion show for Mike, who agreed that all of my purchases were good ones.

Mike and I went to the pool in the afternoon and then headed to a movie and dinner. I have to say, I am not a big “movie-goer” and I am not sure why. I like movies, but I don’t head to the theater all that often. Mike actually bribed me in a way. He said that if I’d go to the movies, then we could finally name our little baby girl. Of course it didn’t take me long to say, “I’d love to go to the movies!” So now we aren’t calling our little girl, baby anymore. We have officially named her Katherine, with a nickname of Kate. What a beautiful name! We had a few other names that we liked too, but we’ll save those for siblings. After the movie, we went to one of my favorite places for dinner and it was nice to relax and enjoy a great dinner with my husband.

Sunday morning I got up and did a few running around errands. I am heading this week to visit my reproductive endocrinologist and I always bring them a sweet dessert treat, so I needed to get stuff for that. Since we are having a little girl, I wanted to do something with pink. I decided to dip Oreos in white chocolate, yum!!! I actually did half in white chocolate with pink sprinkles and the other half in pink chocolate with white sprinkles. I finished them off in a cute jar tied with a big pink and white ribbon. I really appreciate all of the support and love we received from our doctor, so I enjoy doing little things like this to show our many thanks!

I’ll hit the 21-week mark this week and am looking forward to all that this week has in store!

Water Aerobics During Pregnancy

During the IVF process and pregnancy, most doctors will suggest that you keep a moderate exercise regime that consists of low-impact exercises. Keep in mind your exercise habits prior to IVF and conceiving, so that you don’t over exert your body. If you plan on continuing exercising or you are beginning from scratch, one of the best ways to workout is in the water. Many fitness facilities and gyms offer water aerobics (also known as aqua aerobics) classes. Water aerobics is a low-impact aerobic and strength training workout that is easy and not as demanding on your joints.

Exercising in the water is easy and safe. Water aerobics is perfect for those who are just beginning to workout as well as those who are seeking something more advanced. Many women realize that they are able to tailor the workout to their individual abilities and levels. It may be beneficial to advise the instructor that you are trying to conceive or are pregnant, as he/she will help guide you and modify your workout based on your particular needs.

When you begin your water workout you will notice that the resistance of the water will allow you to push or pull, which will increase your strength. There are numerous pieces of water equipment used to augment your workout. There are foam water weights (like a mini barbell), gloves for the hands, and weights for your ankles. Your particular water class may also use noodles, kick boards, and various elastic bands for strength training and toning exercises. The buoyancy of the water permits you to do movements and work muscles that you aren’t able using traditional exercise equipment.

Most water aerobics classes are designed similar to conventional aerobics classes on land. You will begin your workout with a warm-up/stretch, then proceed to cardiovascular exercises that will raise your heart rate, and you will close will relaxation and final stretching. Some women find that their feet will get sore from the bottom of the pool, a pair of water tennis shoes or other water shoes will help.

Important reminders:

1. Enter the pool using stairs, rather than jumping or entering from the side.
2. Remain at chest level in the water, throughout the majority of your workout.
3. If you workout consists of jumping exercises, make sure that your belly remains in the water the entire time. Either make smaller jumps or find an alternate exercise.
4. Drink plenty of water during your workout. Even though you are in the water, you still can sweat!

Towards the end of pregnancy, when many women experience swelling, being in the water (pool) will be able to help alleviate swelling issues. Also, as pregnant women become bigger and more and more uncomfortable, relaxing in the pool can be very calming and comfortable. Many believe that a consistent water aerobic regimen throughout pregnancy may ease the discomforts or labor.

Water aerobics is perfect for people of all ages and is a low-impact alternative during the stressful IVF process, during pregnancy as well as after birth. It will allow you to keep an active lifestyle in a healthy, undemanding manner. Before beginning any exercise program, make sure to discuss your health and exercise choices with your doctor.

Planning For Your Baby's Arrival

Wow, this pregnancy is REALLY flying by. We are already past 20 weeks. 4 more months and our little baby girl will be here. So, I think the question is, are we ready for her? OF COURSE, I cannot wait to see her for the first time. Daddy’s little girl! But, we better get our stuff in order quickly because there is A LOT to do before she arrives. I truly didn’t realize all of the little things that need to be done. We’re lucky Wendi is a teacher and has the summer off so she can get some pregnancy things done. Nursery, clothing, strollers, car seats, breast pumps, cord blood. The list goes on and on. We also have 11 more doctors appointments in the next 4 months and that doesn’t include 2 more ultrasounds. It’s simply a lot of things going on but it’s for the best reason ever!

Seriously, Planning Before The Baby Arrives? From A True Male!

This might be tailored more for the guys that are going through pregnancy because I sure am learning a lot about what needs to be done BEFORE she arrives. Here are a couple of things that you need to be thinking about sooner than later. I’m sure Wendi will give a more complete list but these are some of the things that I was not aware of so hopefully it’ll alert you guys to take action sooner than I would have!

• Nursery furniture can take months before it arrives. We just found out that one of the cribs we like can take 14-16 weeks to arrive. That’s not to say that you can’t go out and get something today but if you are particular about style, safety, etc…it might take some time so start looking sooner than later. At least go shop around to get an idea of what you like and how long it might take.
• Will you be banking the cord blood? You say, “what’s cord blood?” Cord blood is the blood that is left over in the placenta and the umbilical cord after the birth of the baby. Cord blood contains stem cells, including hematopoietic cells that can be useful for treating hematopoeitic and genetic disorders. If you are interested in banking the cord blood, you need to have everything ready beforehand. Do your research. How much does it cost to store cord bloood What is the process? At what facility will it be stored? What paperwork needs to be done? Ask your doctor for more information.
• Register for the baby shower. Your baby’s going to need clothes, monitors, strollers, etc., correct? Better make sure you have your registry completed well before any baby shower. It might be a good idea to talk to or bring along a friend who has went through the process to help you pick things that are much needed and steer away from things that are not needed or used very often.
• Daddy boot camp. Okay…I’ll be the first to admit that I need to attend a daddy boot camp! I’ve never changed a diaper. I’m sure I could use the practice! Check local hospitals for daddy boot camps. I’ll be attending one in the next month or so! Wish me luck!
• If you have the room, start purchasing diapers a few months out. If you see that diapers are on sale, grab a pack every now and then to stock up. You can never have too many fresh diapers at hand!
• Do you have dogs? It might be a good time to start hinting to them that there is a new addition on the way. Play baby music. Let them see and sniff the baby stuff. Get obedience training if needed. Hey, maybe if your dogs are smart enough, you can train them to do a little babysitting!!!
• Decide if you will be breast feeding or not. If you are, you might want to look into breast pumps. Once again, do your research. Will you purchase one? Will you rent one? Now is the time to start looking into this.

Well, there you have a few things that you should be starting to look into. Remember, I’m a guy though so I’m probably missing another 50 things that need to be done BEFORE baby arrives. Best plan of action: create a comprehensive pregnancy to do list that has everything you need to get done before the baby arrives and put into specific categories. Check items off as you complete them.

One last tip from what I’ve heard from every parent out there…get your rest now because those days are soon OVER!

Right Before Successful FET!

I am just about at 20 weeks pregnant after IVF and had another doctor’s visit today. Things are going great and I am feeling wonderful. The doctor checked weight, blood pressure and the baby’s heartbeat, which is at 140 bpm which is perfect! I began feeling little movements the night after my last ultrasound, which was about a week and a half ago. It wasn’t the feeling that I expected. It felt more like a little bubble. I am noticing it more and more, especially after a meal. My appetite has been hearty and I have to be very careful of what I am eating, because I could easily put away more calories that I really need. I am very conscious of my diet and I really am counting fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. The doctor said I am at the lower end of the scale in terms of weight gain because I have only gained 7 pounds so far. Hey, the more weight I put on means the more weight I have to lose after the baby is born! I still have 20 weeks to go, which could easily mean 20 pounds.

At my last doctor visit, she said to stop sleeping on my back and try my sides instead. As I understand it, sleeping on my back isn’t good because of major blood vessels. I am trying to best to stay on my sides; I think a body pillow is in my near future!

I have been looking at cribs this past week and really need to make a decision. Some of the cribs can take up to 12-16 weeks for delivery! I think it really just comes down to picking one and going with it, if there weren’t so many choices it wouldn’t be so hard!

I am not quite in maternity clothes yet, although much of my current wardrobe isn’t fitting quite right. I think in another week of two, I’ll be able to pull off some of my maternity outfits.

All in all, I am feeling fantastic. I seem to have more energy than the first trimester, but I do get tired in the afternoons (which very well could be due to the summer heat). I look forward to seeing my baby bump increase. Mike and I have a lot to do in the few weeks to month; begin our registry, order furniture, and clean out the “soon to be” nursery.

What an exciting and happy time!