Part 3- "We are in the Game"

Here is part three of our Family story. This is a picture of Matt and I the night we found out Lisa was pregnant.



"We are in the Game"
August 27, 2004

I had just worked midnights and decided to stop by Lisa's house to wish her good luck with her blood work today. She was going for a routine hormone check but, they also checked her HCG (which is the pregnancy hormone). The nurse warned us it is usually too early to detect the HCG, but sometimes a small number shows.

When I arrived, I found Lisa and her husband Chris sitting out on their front porch. Lisa and I talked about how nervous we were for the results. Chris mentioned that Lisa had been acting differently, a little moody (sorry Lisa). He was convinced it worked really did not like us talking and thinking so negatively.

I went home and fell asleep on the couch. Around 1:15 PM, Matt came in and whispered, "Liz, Lisa's on the phone and it is good." I gathered my bearings and said, "What did you just say?" He handed me the phone and gave me a thumbs up sign. I will never forget the excitment on his face.

The first thing Lisa said was, "We are in the game!" I was in completed shock! Her HCG level came back positive and was already 68!!!

Matt and I were just elated. We have been waiting a long time for this day.

I can definitely say Matt and I have become a much stronger couple throughout this journey. We have learned to move forward and stay positive even through doubt and negativity. We have learned that the most important thing is to always love and support each other. By leaning on each other, the bumps in the road of life will come with a little more ease.

Part 2-Transfer Day

Unfortunately, my blog site has been "acting up" the past few days. I was getting an error message every time I would try to type a new post. Anyways, I wanted to consolidate my different journals so here is "Part 2" of our family story I wrote 3 years ago. I cannot believe it has already been 3 years! It seems like just yesterday.



AUGUST 21, 2004 TRANSFER DAY!!

I will start this entry with a little history of this past summer. In May, Matt and I were blessed with a wonderful offer from Lisa and Chris (Matt's sister and husband.) The offer was Lisa would try to become a gestational carrier for Matt and I. Lisa attempted an IVF cycle in Jyne with our frozen embryos, but unfortunately, it was an unsuccessful cycle. We all decided to take a month off to think about things. Matt and I had a few more frozen embryos left, and deep in my heart I just had a good feeling about them. In July, Matt, Lisa and I met with Dr. F to discuss our next steps. Dr. F was very straight forward and did not give us much hope for the remaining eggs since the June cycle was negative. We all discussed our options and decided to give it one more shot. I just could not bear not trying one more time when one of the embryos might just be the one.

A little about Lisa: Lisa is one of the most amazing woman I know. Lisa never questioned her decision to be our gestational carrier. She once told me she felt it was something she was sent to this earth to do. She is an extremely strong person. During this whole process she has never complained and has taken each step in stride. To get her body ready for pregnancy, Lisa's husband, Chris, diligently gave her nightly shots of progesterone (a very thick liquid made in sesame oil,and a very large needle). Lisa was so brave and determined that when Chris was not able to give her a shot she gave it to her self!! Holy brave mama!

On August 21, 2004, Lisa, Matt and I drove to Dr. F's office for the embryo transfer. Lisa and I went back to a small procedure prep area. The doctor came in and was looking at a picture of our embryos and said, "When it rains it pours". Lisa and I immediately thought the worst...none of the embryos survived the thaw. But, the doctor quickly explained there were 3 excellent embryos and 2 of them had already started to hatch on their own. The doctor said this was a wonderful sign and assured us this cycle should produce a pregnancy.

Lisa and I went back to the procedure room and the doctor transferred the beautiful embryos using an ultrasound guided catheter. The whole procedure took about 15 minutes. It was so amazing to see the little embryos on the ultrasound monitor. I gave Lisa a hug and kiss and said a prayer everything would be okay.

We all left the office in excitement. I had recently read that propping your legs for 6 hours after the procedure could be beneficial so when we got to Lisa's house she went right to bed to put her feet up. For the next 48 hours Lisa took it very easy while Chris held up the home front. Now comes the waiting and praying...

"Wordless Wednesday"

Auntie Chrissie's Summer Visit

We all had a wonderful time with Chrissie during her summer visit. It was great to hangout with the "Fam". We also enjoyed spending time with Chrissie's boyfriend, Keith. We all miss Chrissie and love spending time with her!!!

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

Our 8th Wedding Anniversary

I cannot believe Matt and I have been married for 8 wonderful years!

Yesterday, we were going to take the boys out to celebrate with us until Matt's mom surprised us and told us she would watch the boys. I was so excited to go out to our favorite Italian restaurant, Luciano's. We had a great dinner and enjoyed some much needed quiet time. The only problem was at 9:00 PM, about an hour into our quiet dinner, this beautiful restaurant turned into a Karaoke/Dance Club! So much for dessert.

As I reflect on Matt's and my marriage, I realize how lucky I am. Matt is a wonderful husband and father. He is not only my husband, but also my best friend.
Matt's strength, devotion, and kindness are what holds our family together. And his wonderful sense of humor keeps us going!

What a great 8 years we have had together. I am so blessed to be spending this journey through life with Matt.

Mommy's New "Toy"

For our Anniversary Matt bought me this awesome new camcorder called Flip Video. It is so small it can easily fit into my purse. I always wondered how other blogging moms transferred video clips so easily to their blog. I was reading another mom's blog and she mentioned this camcorder. It is unreal! I absolutely love it! I am not sure how I did not know about it before.

Here is a video I shot tonight. Just click on the arrow to play.