30 and a half weeks - Photos!

A local photographer, Amanda Faucett, asked me to do some pregnant modeling for her in exchange for some pictures. Of course, I could not resist! We had a great time shooting at a local park! Here are some of the shots from our day.

A Trip To San Francisco at 30 Weeks!

Elijah and I just got back from our trip to San Francisco! It was the annual Starwood Sales Kick Off and I was 30 weeks pregnant for this event.  I didn't anticipate air travel to be that much more uncomfortable being 30 weeks pregnant......I was wrong.  Thankfully, the trip was medically uneventful (a worry that sat in the back of my mind for the duration of time there). Even so, I do not recommend long flights to anyone this far along.  I have not had any trouble with swelling my entire pregnancy, but that changed not only during my flight but also do to the climate change, and all the activity at the kick off.  Also, travelers are grumpy and although some of them make allowances for the special needs of pregnant women......this is not the case for all of them and I encountered a but of rudeness.  However all in all, it was a fun and successful trip.  I enjoyed my bit of free time as well as the corporate events.  I especially enjoyed getting some fabulous pregnancy San Francisco pictures to share with Elijah so he can see that he was there too!

The first night, I went out to a fabulous dinner with our Area Director of Sales and Marketing, Octave, and another Sales Manager, Carl. 

My good friend, Cathalin and I took advantage of some sales!

Our hotel was located by the famous Union Square

I enjoyed a fabulous lunch with Meghan at The Grove on Market Street........where I had some of the best French Onion soup I have ever tasted, and the restaurant was dog friendly!

Some fun exploring China Town!

The last night of our trip was a big dinner at City Hall. (That's a Shirley Temple in my hand) followed by a concert.  Elijah and I made it through an hour of the dinner but we decided to skip the concert in favor of early bed!

On the morning of departure,  I made it down to the San Francisco Bay Bridge for a morning walk! (This picture is blurry but I really wanted a picture of Elijah and me in front of the bridge so it will have to do)

And what trip to San Fran would be complete without hopping on one of their famous street cars!

It was a fantastic trip. However I am so glad to be home safe and don't plan going further than a few hours from home (a trip to Dallas and a trip to San Antonio) before Elijah gets here.

A Surprise Box from Cousin Missy for Elijah and Mommy!

Let me start off by staying I have the most creative cousin that ever lived!  She is an inspiring person who lives a very eco-friendly sustainable life and is an excellent example for us all.  She is also one of the most "crafty" people I know!  (My Aunt Merrily and cousin, Susie are extremely creative as well so this should be no surprise).  Missy told me she was working on some baby inspired projects that she would be sending to us.  Nothing could have prepared me for the box of treasures I found on my doorstep this morning!  Here are the amazing (mostly homemade) thoughtful and useful gifts that were sent to us from our California cousin!

A hooded baby towel with an "E" for Elijah! I can't wait to wrap his cute, naked little body  in this big soft towel!

Three Pee Pee Tee Pee's! I love that Elijah will have homemade ones!  And sweet Winnie The Pooh's to boot!  I think these are my favorite!

"Baby Friendly Necklaces" for Mama! Also known as teething necklaces, I am so excited about these as well! I have never seen homemade ones before and am thrilled Elijah and I will have these to share!  So creative!

Homemade burp clothes. This are really going to be great! The back half has a terry cloth layer sown in.   So perfect.   I know these will quickly become  my "go to" burp cloths!

My cousin knows me so well!  Such a cute onesie. I love stripes on babies and Elijah will definitely be the "cutest monster"

I told Missy that I love hats with ears. Well, so does Missy so knowing her, this hat was already in the works when we had that conversation. So adorable!!!

Some squishy homemade baby balls! Notice the larger one matches the Pee Pee Tee Pees.  

This is a tag blanket for Elijah to play with.  I know he will enjoy exploring the many different textures and patterns!

Homemade reversable bibs. They are so thick and absorbant, I am sure they will quickly become a family favorite!

Fair Trade baby soap and natural cleansing wipes!  (Okay, we seriously need a Trader Joe's in Houston!)

                                                         Some Indulgences for Mommy!

Homemade lavender bath salts! Great timing because I have needed relaxing baths lately for my aching back and legs!

 A homemade eye mask (I love those!), Trader Joe's fruit leather (I already ate one!), and some fancy chocolates (they won't be here long!). 

 A foot mas ager! My aching feet are very grateful!

The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth - Partner Coached Childbirth

Even before I conceived, I knew that I wanted a natural childbirth.  It took some time and research to determine what this mean to me.  After reading books, testimonials, web sites and some personal reflection, I came to the conclusion that to me, Natural Childbirth is no drugs, and no interventions.  I would never put my child at risk and I realize that there are times when these things are medically necessary however a natural birth is the ultimate goal.  We chose The Bradley Method, developed by Dr. Robert Bradley in 1965.  Teachers of The Bradley Method believe that - with adequate preparation, education and help from a loving, supportive coach - most women can give birth naturally, without drugs or surgery. The Bradley Method emphasizes measures that can be taken to help keep women healthy and low-risk in order to avoid complications that may lead to medical intervention.  I found a local teacher, Jenna Cole, and signed us up. 

Our fabulous instructor, Jenna!

We began our classes in January and have only a couple more to go.  I'd like to share of the exercises we do each week in class. This has been an incredible part of our journey to parenthood and has been a very important step in ensuring Elijah has the best start to life possible! 

We practice laboring positions. Our class is taught at the Katy Birth Center and we are given different  "stations" to practice different positions.  

An important part of The Bradley Method is relaxation....and what is more relaxing than massage. This is incorporated in many of the laboring positions. 

Unfortunately our birthing suite does not have a birth tub however we will be laboring at home at least part of the time and taking advantage of our own garden tub!

Chip does an excellent job of helping me stay relaxed

Every week we do exercises. These pelvic tilts will help Elijah turn to the proper position for birth

We end each class with a relaxation exercise. 

I know Chip is going to be an AMAZING birth coach! 

The Journey Continues...to Elijah.......

The Journey to Elijah…..

After our loss and what seemed like an endless 21 months of trying to have a baby, we began preparations for our frozen embryo transfer. We had two embryos left from our IVF.  An amazing blessing allowed us to move quickly forward with our frozen embryo transfer, separating the procedures by just 10 weeks.  We began our progesterone shots to prepare my body for its new tenant(s).  I could write an entire book on the ups and downs of progesterone shots but we will just say that it was totally worth it.

Our frozen transfer was scheduled, after some delays, for August 16, 2011.

We decided that it would be a really neat thing to have my mother in law share this part of the journey. After all, how many mothers can say they were there for the conception of their grandchildren. We were very excited for her to be able to share this with us and potentially be with us at the beginning of life.

This time I put myself on bed rest for 5 days, taking no chances this time.

Mom (Parish) and Granny stayed with me and Chip took care of me in the evenings.  I laid on my back and tried to find the inner strength.  I looked to God. I looked to my lost child. I looked to family long gone.  I took cleansing breaths and tried to draw the strength and energy from all these sources.

On the last night of bed rest, I received a call from my best friend, Heather. Her beloved grandfather had passed.  She told me that when someone passes in her family, someone is always born. And because we consider one another sisters, she felt sure that this child that was put into me would attach, thrive and be born. 

A week passed. I had another week left to wait before my blood test. I just so happened to remember, on the way to work, that there was a pregnancy test in my glove compartment. (I had taken so many over the past two years of trying, I would occasionally find them random places).  I told myself that it was too early to know for sure but I knew I what I was going to do.  I got to work and headed straight to the bathroom.  At first my heart sunk. I only saw 1 line. I closed my eyes ready to cry and when I opened them again, as if by magic, another little blue line had appeared! I could not believe it! I took this test 1 week after my transfer and it was already showing up as positive. This had to be a good sign! I called Chip and he was elated but warned me not tell anyone yet. 

A week later we had our “official” blood test (4 weeks pregnant) and found that our beta levels (the pregnancy hormone) were over 1000!!!! The levels on our first pregnancy had only been 65. This pregnancy was strong and thriving! I heard and saw the heartbeat at just 5 weeks! The elation and joy was there from the beginning but it came in waves.  We were very scared and very cautious but slowly we began to realize that this time was for real. Our baby was really on the way.

And now he is so real that he keeps me up at night, kicks me in the ribs, gets hiccups in my belly and his little personality is already apparent even though he won’t be here for another couple of months. Our amazing journey has just begun. 

Photos of Elijah's journey into being....

We gathered our strength and renewed our hope as we  continued to what would become a successful  transfer!

Not many  Grandmas can say there were present when their grandchild was conceived!

It was so special to be able to share this together

Bed rest again...and Mom (Parish) stayed with me since Chip could not take off this time.

Granny was with me as well and was a wonderful cuddle companion

It was a great example of how the Parish women stand by one another

Our Long Road to Conception....

Recently, Chip and I were interviewed for a show called Top Docs of Houston with our Reproductive Endocrinologist (aka “Fertility Doctor”), Dr. Daniel Williams.   Although most friends and family have known the story of our conception, and many walked through it with us, I had never actually written about it.  With the airing of our show, I decided to share the rest of the story……

 We began our conception journey in November, 2009.  I think I always knew, deep down, that expanding our family would not be easy but I had no way to prepare for what lay ahead.  I went to see my OB in December to get a check up and make sure that everything was in working order.  I had no way of knowing that it takes more than a simple pelvic exam determine this.  And we had no reason to believe that there would be any problems. My OB gave me a prescription for prenatal vitamins and said to come back in six months if we had no luck, at which time, she would put me on Chlomid to help me “ovulate better”.  As our luck would have it, April rolled around and no baby so I went back…..a month early.  I was put on chlomid for 3 months. What I did not know at the time was that with Chlomid, you are supposed to be monitored for ovarian cysts (which my OB was not doing) and that you are only supposed to be on the drug for a total of 3 months in a lifetime.  I ended up leaving my OB in June for some personal differences and found another OB who ordered some testing.  I had an Hysterosalpingogram (HSG)  performed which showed no blockage.     ( We would later wonder if this procedure had been done correctly due to the blockage would eventually be found).

 Finally it was time to go a Reproductive Endocrinologist. I had feared this but also was ready to forge ahead.  I found Houston Fertility Institute online and saw they had some of the highest success rates in the country. Dr. Williams responded to my inquiry on a Saturday morning.  He was friendly,  professional and I was very impressed with receiving a call on a Saturday. We set up an appointment for September 2010. 

I went through a battery of blood testing and Chip had some testing as well.  Both of us passed with flying colors. Why, then, were we not pregnant. At this point, we had been trying a full year.  We looked at our options and because my earlier HSG showed no tubal blockage, the logical next step was intrauterine insemination.  Dr. Williams felt that with the previous testing we had, IUI was a logical next step. This took place at the beginning of December.  By the end of December we knew it had failed.  Before we moved forward with another IUI procedure, Dr. Williams wanted to dig a little deeper….in my uterus. We knew that I had endometriosis and uterine septum. The endometriosis can make it difficult to GET pregnant and the uterine septum makes it difficult to STAY pregnant. A laparoscopy and hysteroscopy would be the key to correcting both of these problems.  The procedure was set up for the end of January.  Again, I was plagued with fear but also excitement. I felt like this procedures may even correct my infertility to the point where no more treatment is necessary and we could have a natural conception.  When I awoke from the anesthesia, Chip was in the room with me and I knew there was something wrong. The first words out of my mouth were, “Please just tell me whatever it is you don’t want to tell me”.  He then laid out the devastating news that my tubes were, in fact, blocked. The endometriosis was so severe that three incisions were required to get to all of it and my tubes were swollen, blocked and scarred to the point of being deformed.  I felt as if my whole world just fell about around me.  I knew, at that point, that Invitro Fertilization (IVF) would be our only hope and it was so much more expensive than our prior procedures.  I just didn’t see how we could make it happen.  Those were some very dark months for our family.  The first half of 2011 was tough.  There was anger, tears, depression and thoughts and words that I hope I never encounter or cause again.  There is no way to prepare for this. There is no way to find joy when you feel that lost. We made it through that time because my husband was the strength for us both and would not allow me give up on us as a family, even if it meant just us.  To me, the longing of motherhood was so strong and the thought that it might never happen, just too painful.  The kind words of friends helped get us through this. I remember, in particular, a handwritten letter in the mail from our dear friend Rita. The line that sticks out is “There is no doubt in my mind that you will be a mother”. This got me through some dark days as well. 

The medication I was on for the IVF

When spring rolled around, we had done some financial organizing and research through some amazing blessings, were able to schedule our IVF

The first step was to harvest the eggs and create the embryos. This happened in June. I was sedated and don’t really remember much. The procedure itself was not bad. I had been told that the harvesting of the eggs leaves you very sore and in a lot of pain.  Due to my battle with endometriosis and , apparently, high tolerance for pain, my recovery time was minimal and I was back at work the next day. I probably could have gone to work that day had it not been for the sedation.

Five Days later, we went in for our fresh embryo transfer. There were 4 embryos from our procedure. Not as many as we would have liked but more than some people.  Two would be transferred and the other two frozen.

Following our fresh transfer, I was ordered to 3 days of bed rest.  Chip took off from work to take care of me and, as you can see below, I had a parade of visitors come to keep me company and wish us luck!

Two weeks past and it was time for our pregnancy test. I went in the morning for the test and then took a half day at work so I could learn the results at home. My sweet mother in law met me for lunch. I forced myself to eat and then we met Chip at home to wait the results. Around 3pm we got the call. The words on the other end of the line were music to my ears. One of my favorite nurses, Ceci, said “Put me on speaker phone. You’re pregnant!”.  You cannot imagine the joy the erupted in my living room that afternoon. After such a painful journey, the sheer elation and relief was unmatched. I enjoyed that feeling for five days….until we went in for our ultrasound and found out that we had lost our little baby.  Our teeny tiny baby Parish was gone so fast and we mourned. We mourned the loss of this child that was so cherished, so hoped for and already so loved and we only had this child for 5 days. I kept wondering to myself at what point had I stopped being pregnant and not known. I cannot even express how devastating this was so I will not try. And thankfully, the story does not end here............

 Here are some photos of this part of our journey......

About to have our fresh embryo transfer

Dr. Williams pointing to the ultrasound monitor of the embryo's being transferred

                                     We had lots of visitors come to share this part of our journey

My cousin, Susie, came down for Austin and helped me kill time on bed rest

Lacy and Rita come bearing the gifts of magazines and laughter. Just what the  doctor ordered!

Melissa and Brayden hung out with me and we watched movies together

Brien brought me a Locatelli's pizza!

Nan spent an afternoon by my side

My brother, Mark, surprised me with a visit....and more pizza!

Chip took very good care of me

And Heather was there for me as always.