Camille Penelope, Our Miracle: June 2014

Tim and I traveled to Japan for two years so I could teach Kindergarten at Fukuoka International School in August of 2009 shortly after we got married. We would have loved to stay over there longer but decided it was time for us to start a family near our families in Virginia.

We started trying to get pregnant as soon as we returned to the United States in 2011. After a year of unsuccessfully trying, we sought help from a fertility specialist. He was not a good fit for us. Thankfully we found Dr. Edelstein. He was patient, kind, and very knowledgeable.

Both doctors ran a battery of tests on mostly me, but Tim too. They asked a million questions. I took my temperature daily, tracked ovulation, took Clomid, and had one insemination. None of that worked so Dr. Edelstein suggested that we start the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) process.

I started taking more medicine and shots. Eventually I went in for egg retrieval surgery. Dr. E retrieved nine eggs! Five of those ended up being viable and were fertilized with ICSI. Four made it to the blastocyst stage. I went in for a Day Five transfer. We transferred two embryos and froze two. It was so cool to watch them being transferred into me through the catheter on the screen. It looked like a mini volcanic eruption.

Me before the transfer

Tim before the transfer

Our first "babies"

Their first home

Their second home

Resting after the transfer

I went home and was on bed rest for a few days and the dreaded two week wait began. I have never experienced anxiety as I did during those two L-O-N-G weeks! I went for my beta blood test. Unfortunately neither of the embryos took. We were devastated but held on to hope that the last two embryos would implant.

We had to wait a month or so to get started again. The frozen embryo cycle was a lot easier. We went in and had the last two embryos transferred. Again, very cool to watch!

Our thawed "babies"

Their first home

Their second home

Resting after the transfer

I stayed on bed rest one day longer this time and took it very easy during the two week wait. I started spotting towards the end of the wait and knew it was either implantation bleeding or another failed attempt. I secretly took a home pregnancy test and expected it to be negative because I just knew we weren't pregnant because of the bleeding and I wanted to prepare myself. I was shocked when it was positive!!! I didn't get too excited but took another one the following day and then a third one.

Positive test!

Another positive test!

At the end of the two week wait I went for my beta blood test and the nurse called to say we were PREGNANT!!!!!!! I had to go back in a few days for a repeat test to make sure the numbers were doubling. They didn't quite double on the second test but the third and fourth test showed all was well. I had more spotting a few weeks later so we went in for an ultrasound at six weeks and saw one sac! This meant that one of the embryos didn't make it. We were okay with this because we were so thankful to have at least one baby!

Our baby!!!

The pregnancy was confirmed but it was too early to see or hear the heartbeat. We went back the next week at seven weeks and saw and heard the heartbeat!!!