I'm sure even Superman had to put in a little time before he got off the ground and returned safely without crashing into something. I'm just saying... at least we know that Iron Man did.
On the other hand, it may just be divine timing taking over. I prefer to believe that our child is already showing an "altruistic" nature by delaying "its" arrival just so that we can fully enjoy our vacation to Hawaii this week. Now, don't get me wrong, I was completely ready for this to be my first alcohol-free "family" vacation. I mean, shoot - I had already gone 2 weeks without drinking alcohol for a "hypothetical" pregnancy. I'm already surpassing my own expectations here. Who knew?! ;) But, given this sweet guesture from the baby-to-be... I'm not gonna complain while sipping on a Mai Tai either.
So... we'll repeat step one sometime next week upon our return to Austin.
Til then, cheers! :)
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Sunday, June 20, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Step 2: IUI
Next, I got to make the highly anticipated phone call to my OB-GYN office. "Hi, This is Tracy, and... I surged this morning." (Of course, you have to say "I surged" like it's a secret code or something). My first IUI was scheduled for the next day, or this past Friday - June 4th.
That first phone call was quickly followed by a second call to the Fairfax Cryobank to tell them we needed to pick up "1 vial" on Friday before our appointment at the doctor's office. I did say - vial - just to be clear. When we got there on Friday though - this is what we were given!
We told you it was Super Sperm!
Then, we drove the tank over to the doctor's office (only about 5 minutes away). Let's just say, I was a little nervous... I mean, that seemed like a whole lot sperm to me! But, I was thinking, "They're the experts, I guess they've done this before!?!"
When the nurse came in to our room, she promptly let us know that she was going to bring "the vial" in to warm up the "little swimmers" - for the exact right amount of time (approximately 7-8 minutes) - being very careful not to cook them. I started looking around the room trying to figure out where this "warmer" was that could hold our gigantic vial. Then, the nurse returned and placed the vial in the warmer.
Turns out, "the vial" was actually the size of my pinky finger. Apparently, it just takes a whole lot of nitrogen and an over-sized tank to freeze the little swimmers!
The Physician's Assistant, Mary Brown, came in next - armed with all the right equipment. We won't go into that. Turns out, she LOVES doing IUI's, or getting women pregant. She proudly let us know that she has 6 pregnancies out there right now! Between our Super Sperm and her enthusiasm, my egg is gonna be under intense fire.
And, that's it. I have officially already been inseminated. Two weeks from now, I'll pee on a different kind of stick to see if I'm pregnant...
That first phone call was quickly followed by a second call to the Fairfax Cryobank to tell them we needed to pick up "1 vial" on Friday before our appointment at the doctor's office. I did say - vial - just to be clear. When we got there on Friday though - this is what we were given!
We told you it was Super Sperm!
Then, we drove the tank over to the doctor's office (only about 5 minutes away). Let's just say, I was a little nervous... I mean, that seemed like a whole lot sperm to me! But, I was thinking, "They're the experts, I guess they've done this before!?!"
When the nurse came in to our room, she promptly let us know that she was going to bring "the vial" in to warm up the "little swimmers" - for the exact right amount of time (approximately 7-8 minutes) - being very careful not to cook them. I started looking around the room trying to figure out where this "warmer" was that could hold our gigantic vial. Then, the nurse returned and placed the vial in the warmer.
Turns out, "the vial" was actually the size of my pinky finger. Apparently, it just takes a whole lot of nitrogen and an over-sized tank to freeze the little swimmers!
The Physician's Assistant, Mary Brown, came in next - armed with all the right equipment. We won't go into that. Turns out, she LOVES doing IUI's, or getting women pregant. She proudly let us know that she has 6 pregnancies out there right now! Between our Super Sperm and her enthusiasm, my egg is gonna be under intense fire.
And, that's it. I have officially already been inseminated. Two weeks from now, I'll pee on a different kind of stick to see if I'm pregnant...
Step 1: Awaiting "The Surge"
For those of you who may not already know... this is technically a surge of Lutenizing Hormone which occurs 24-36 hours prior to a woman's ovulation (this hormone actually triggers the release of the egg). A woman can use an ovulation predictor kit (a.k.a. pee on a stick) to find out when exactly "the surge" has occurred within her menstrual cycle. This turns out to be a good predictor of when to inseminate if one is trying to get pregnant - particularly through an IUI*. Which, WE ARE! Well, really - I am - but Kelly is my willing partner (and back-up, for that matter).
So, a couple of weeks ago, I began peeing on a stick each morning, awaiting the surge. You should know, my cycle has been pretty regular for basically the past 752 years (or, at least, the past several months that I've been charting). As it would be though, this month, my body decided to mix things up a bit - just for a little added suspense. Although I had to wait a few extra days, on June 3rd, I surged!
*IUI stands for Intra-Uterine Insemination – which requires a physician to place the sperm directly into the uterus at the magic post-surge time when the sperm is most likely to find the newly ovulated egg. In our case, the sperm refers to our carefully chosen "donor sperm," which we like to think is actually Super Sperm.
So, a couple of weeks ago, I began peeing on a stick each morning, awaiting the surge. You should know, my cycle has been pretty regular for basically the past 752 years (or, at least, the past several months that I've been charting). As it would be though, this month, my body decided to mix things up a bit - just for a little added suspense. Although I had to wait a few extra days, on June 3rd, I surged!
*IUI stands for Intra-Uterine Insemination – which requires a physician to place the sperm directly into the uterus at the magic post-surge time when the sperm is most likely to find the newly ovulated egg. In our case, the sperm refers to our carefully chosen "donor sperm," which we like to think is actually Super Sperm.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Pre-ramble
When I was in high school, for who-knows-what-reason, I decided that I would adopt a child – rather than conceive my own. Not just any child though, I was quite specific in terms of ethnicity and gender. I would adopt a "black boy." No idea why. Honestly. I just decided this one day – and as continues to be my nature - I went with it. And really… it could still happen. I mean, who am I to predict my own life's unfolding, right? Much to my own dismay, I'm actually not very good at predicting the future (particularly my own). Which, as it turns out, kind of sucks because psychics make some good money these days (like $155/45 minutes)! So... I just play along with life now, pretending that I'm actually in charge of something. And, in my world, I can (at least) change my mind if I want to.
So, why did I change my mind? Well, I'm blaming "genetics." Not that my genes literally changed my mind - at least, not that I can prove. Rather, it was a sort of coming-to-terms-with-genetics-type-thing. You have to understand that for quite a while as an adult, I thought I probably should NOT reproduce my family genes. (Sorry, but... have you met my family?! ;) In the end though, I credit my brothers for changing my mind through the wonder of their children. I’m amazed by the fact (at least, in my world) that somehow personality traits can be passed on through genes. At least, when I'm around my nieces and nephews, I know this to be true. With this realization, also came the epiphany that there are some "family traits" that I want to keep alive and well! For example, in my family, you may be born with an inherent understanding, appreciation, and ability to use sarcasm. My nieces and nephews were each gifted with this skill (*said with a certain measure of pride*). And, if you think this only proves nurture vs. nature because anyone can be taught sarcasm - meet Kelly (just saying... it's not in her nature!). Besides our "unique" sense of humor, my family also has a rather vivid and equally unique sense of creativity. For example, it takes a certain kind of creativity to come up with the extensive conspiracy theories often shared by (and argued about) by my father and brothers over holiday dinners. And then, there are always the every day creative "explanations" for things (some might call them "excuses") that are given to teachers, parents, significant others, insignigicant others, employers, or law enforcement - for any number of reasons.
This all being said, I decided I would like a little biological company here in Texas – for entertainment purposes – if nothing else. And yes, Kelly somehow agreed to this little adventure!?! So, I'm trying to get pregnant through artificial insemination. We are starting this month and I'm just chronicling the process. If you happen to keep up with this blog, you may learn more about the process of artificial insemination and lesbian parenting than you ever thought you'd know.
So, why did I change my mind? Well, I'm blaming "genetics." Not that my genes literally changed my mind - at least, not that I can prove. Rather, it was a sort of coming-to-terms-with-genetics-type-thing. You have to understand that for quite a while as an adult, I thought I probably should NOT reproduce my family genes. (Sorry, but... have you met my family?! ;) In the end though, I credit my brothers for changing my mind through the wonder of their children. I’m amazed by the fact (at least, in my world) that somehow personality traits can be passed on through genes. At least, when I'm around my nieces and nephews, I know this to be true. With this realization, also came the epiphany that there are some "family traits" that I want to keep alive and well! For example, in my family, you may be born with an inherent understanding, appreciation, and ability to use sarcasm. My nieces and nephews were each gifted with this skill (*said with a certain measure of pride*). And, if you think this only proves nurture vs. nature because anyone can be taught sarcasm - meet Kelly (just saying... it's not in her nature!). Besides our "unique" sense of humor, my family also has a rather vivid and equally unique sense of creativity. For example, it takes a certain kind of creativity to come up with the extensive conspiracy theories often shared by (and argued about) by my father and brothers over holiday dinners. And then, there are always the every day creative "explanations" for things (some might call them "excuses") that are given to teachers, parents, significant others, insignigicant others, employers, or law enforcement - for any number of reasons.
This all being said, I decided I would like a little biological company here in Texas – for entertainment purposes – if nothing else. And yes, Kelly somehow agreed to this little adventure!?! So, I'm trying to get pregnant through artificial insemination. We are starting this month and I'm just chronicling the process. If you happen to keep up with this blog, you may learn more about the process of artificial insemination and lesbian parenting than you ever thought you'd know.
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