Saturday, September 30, 2006

SPERM PANIC

All week, R and I knew we'd have to purchase our donor sperm. At first, I put it off for a day or so while I tried to figure out what to do about shipping. (shipping vs. picking it up, when to ship, etc.) After that, R kept asking me to go ahead and purchase, suggesting I put in on my one and only credit card, which has a very small limit. I'd said to her that there wasn't enough there for me to charge it, but somehow she just thought I was being stubborn and refusing to use my card; a communication misunderstanding to say the least.

Friday (payday), I called the donor bank to verify costs, shipping, etc. As of Friday morning, our donor was available. I needed to check on something with R, however, so I told the woman at the bank I'd call back in the afternoon to order. I went to lunch to celebrate my birthday with co-workers and when I returned, I phoned the bank. The woman then told me that our guy was "sold out"; someone had purchased the last available bit sometime between then and when I'd last called.

I got in touch with R right away, who was immediately upset, as I was, over the fact that our chosen donor was no longer available to us. Of course, we had to choose someone else, so she said she trusted me to decide for us. So, I had to go through the database of available donors and somehow, I found one I like even better than the last donor. He's good-looking, has a wonderful family history, is healthy, gave a thoughtful and intelligent essay, and he seems to be really well-rounded. I think I made a good decision. R thinks he's good, too, although she's still really bummed out about not using the guy we originally picked out. She'd just gotten really excited and used to the idea of that first guy, but she's coming around.

The donor sperm we purchased was only available in unwashed, which kind of sucks because we always buy it washed. Fortunately, washing is a service our doctor's practice offers, so it's not that big of a deal; it's just kind of a pain. The total cost of everything was about $100 cheaper, since they didn't have to wash it, but our doctor charges $100 extra to wash it, so it all evens out in the end.

Well, everything is sneaking up upon us quickly. We're very excited, nervous, concerned, anxious... all of the emotions, all at once. We're just keeping a positive attitude, trying to enjoy ourselves, and we're thankful for all the support we're getting. Our friends and folks with whom we work have all been fabulous. Only a few more days to go...

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

NEWS FROM JU.

R and I have both been so slack about keeping this blog up-to-date, but it hasn't been without good reason. We've been so busy!

R might have mentioned it in a previous post, but I'm at a new job, which I love. It does keep me busy, though, and learning how to readjust my schedule has been challenging. I used to work from my home office, so cleaning the house and doing the laundry, etc, was never a problem, as I could simply do it any time. Now, I have to plan everything out and I stay busier due to not having as much time to myself during the daytime. I'm not complaining, though. I love my job and I'm not so lonely or bored from being home alone anymore.

R has had an interesting go of it since the new school year started and she's excited about finally getting out of working for the grant she now works for. Soon, she will be in a gifted teaching position, so that's pretty exciting. And since she's finished her third degree (an EdS, which is a step between a Masters and PhD), she'll be getting a nice pay raise, which means more money for us to do what we need.

We may have a buyer for our home, finally, but we won't know anything for sure for at least one more day. We're really hoping it works out for us because there's another house in town that we love, love, love and that would be perfect for us. *knocking on wood*

In baby news, we've got a busy week ahead of us. R started taking steroids this week and she's doubled up on Clomid (the maximum amount allowed), in addition to the prenatals and Metformin she takes daily. We'll go in next Wednesday, the 4th, for an outpatient diagnostic procedure - a histing-something. I can't ever remember the word, but it's a test where they inject dye into your fallopian tubes and then take x-rays to see if there are any blockages. Afterwards, they flush out the tubes to rid them of any dye. The procedure, according to our doctor and everyone we know who has done it, is very painful, but the good news is that the flushing of the tubes increases our chance for successful conception.

After that procedure, we'll do an ultrasound on Friday, the 6th. Depending on those test results, we'll be inseminating either that weekend, or on Monday, the 9th. This, of course, will involve doing an HCG trigger shot to do a timed release of the egg. It's almost too much to keep it all straight.

In other news, this coming Friday (29th of Sept) is my 30th birthday! I'm really looking forward to celebrating with friends. I've got a feeling that my 30th year will be the best ever!