Ultrasound appointment

We had another ultrasound appointment this past Wed April 28th. We had a crazy two days so I am just barely finding the time to post about this. So, here is the update...

Both babies are still growing which is a positive. Our boy measured at 26 weeks 2 days and 2lbs 2oz which is in the 50th percentile for growth (I was 26 weeks 5 days on Wed). Baby B measured 25 weeks 4 days and 1lb 10 oz which is in the 30th percentile for growth. The doctor said both babies measured in the same percentiles 3 weeks ago, so they are both growing at the same pace. If baby B drops below the 10th percentile they will worry more about the continual progression of growth. Our boy is still looking healthy and at this ultrasound he had flipped around and is now head down kicking his brother/sister in the head. :) Baby B is still breech and will most likely stay that way until birth because of the low amniotic fluid he/she is unable to move around as much.

They again measured baby B's bladder and kidneys and they seem to be staying the same size and not growing which for us is a positive. The doctors always have to be the procrastinators so we just listen and make our own conclusions. :) We actually really liked our perinatologist this time she was more upbeat and positive while at the same time acknowledging that we already know the worst outcome is the still born possibility for baby B.

She told us what she sees as the 4 possible outcomes should baby B make it to term. And at this point we won't know anything new until the babies are born. Baby B could be..

• Perfectly healthy (very rare but still could happen)
• The lungs could be underdeveloped or non-existent and the baby would only live a few
  hours after birth. Nothing can be done to fix this after baby is born.
• The lungs are fine or will be but the kidneys are not functioning properly because of the obstruction in the urinary tract. They will not know the extent of the damage to the kidneys until 3-5 days after birth. Still not sure our options at that point depends on how severe the issues are.
• There could be bone structure issues because of the cramped way the baby is growing in a
  sac with low amniotic fluid. Most of this is able to be corrected with casts etc...

More than likely I will deliver at the University of Utah hospital if baby B makes it to term (with twins that is 38 weeks but our doctor would like to at least see the babies make it to 34 weeks at a minimum, optimal would be 36 weeks) That way we are close to Primary Children's if any major surgery etc... is needed right away.

We still have faith that our sweet baby B will be healthy without many serious complications but also understand that all of this is in our Heavenly Father's hands. We trust that He knows us and what we need at this time. He also knows the mission for each of these sweet spirits and we know everything will work out as it should. We will do all we can until then to prepare ourselves both emotionally and spiritually for what ever the outcome will be. We do appreciate all the prayers on our behalf and LOVE getting the comments/emails of encouragement and faith.

Thank you, thank you!

Pregnancy moments...

I thought I would blog about a couple experiences as I am remembering them during this pregnancy.

First experience happened when we were traveling to Colorado Springs to look at some rental and investment properties on April 9th. We were sitting in the airplane and I looked down at my belly and saw it move for the first time, visually, when it was kicked. I promptly grabbed Brad's hand and he was able to feel our little boy kick and was also able to see the movement visually on my belly for his first time. It was a great moment for both of us! Here are a few pictures from that moment.

A funny side note...when Brad and I got to the airport that morning (a bit later than expected) we found that the security line was almost to the doors where you enter the airport. We only had 30 min before our flight left (I know we cut it way to short) and by the time we asked several people, super nicely, to let us go ahead of them we missed our flight by 2 min, they had just closed the doors! That was the first time I have EVER missed a flight. Nothing like spending 3 hours on those comfortable chairs at the airport, 6 months pregnant, as we waited for the next flight. And to top it all off, we had turbulence and they told us we could not get up to use the restroom or walk around. I had been cautioned by several people, along with my doctor to get up and walk around every 45min so this was not good news for me. Luckily, the nice flight attendant had mercy on the pregnant lady and allowed me to get up and walk around! Good memories though! We still laugh about it and had a great time!

Keep in mind this is my cell phone camera and I am taking self portraits.

Second experience happened last week as I was leaving work. Just a quick history - my ankles roll all the time but when you add a few extra pounds, most of it in front this is bound to happen... right? Anyone remember this post? :)

Well you guessed it, I was stepping off the curb and my right foot rolled all the way to the right side and I scraped the top of my foot...seriously still can't figure out how that happened. (see picture below) Then as I brought my left foot down to stabilize myself it rolled the opposite way to the left and I ended up on the ground. I landed on my right hip, I think, it happened so fast - it is all still a blur. The only thing I remember is exactly how my ankles twisted, random eh? AND the look on the woman's face as she watched me fall from her car as she was driving by.

Priceless!

The woman mentioned above stopped her car close by and came back to see how I was, along with another woman who was passing by and a nice young man in his early 20's. This young man was sweet enough to help me up and get me settled sitting on the curb to wait until my ankles stabilized. I told the ladies thanks for stopping but that I would be ok and they left. Then about 10 min later this young man let me hold on to his arm as we crossed the street to my car. I felt so old at that moment - like my old grandma needing help to cross the street, it was a bit embarrassing. However, as I look back, I am grateful for the compassion of a young man who went out of his way to help and 2 nice women who stopped to see if all was well. Another tender mercy...

(I had just taken off my brace to take this picture, again with my cell phone. It was still a bit swollen but not as bad as the picture looks - just wanted to document where I scraped my foot)

More fun stories to come...

Better late than never?

Wow, has it really been since November that I last posted? Time really flies and a lot has happened since then. For those that have no idea what we have been up to, I thought I would give a quick run down of the past 6+ months. Grab a snack... it is a long one! :)

As many know, we have tried to start our family for the past 6 1/2 years with no success. We tried several fertility options - several tests and appts with specialists (3-4 yrs ago), clomid (couple years ago for several months), super ovulation ( spring of 2009 2 cycles) and finally IVF (InVitro fertilization - Oct 2009). To educate some... super ovulation involves hormone injections for 3-4 weeks then ends with artificial insemination, when that wasn't successful we waited until after Girl's camp in June 2009 to set our IVF consultation appointment to start that process. Finally, after our original appointment in August was canceled because our doctor left the practice for personal reasons, we chose another doctor in the same practice to meet with a couple weeks later for the consultation. After meeting with the same doctor and gaining confidence in them, then having to choose another one to meet with was a bit stressful but as I look back very minor in comparison to the coming challenges we would face during this journey. After the consultation appointment in mid-September it was decided that we would start IVF during my next cycle at the beginning of October. There were 2 different injections at the beginning of this process daily then one injection changed to progesterone (can I say HUGE needle!) and was continued for several weeks. The pain in my hips will be a constant reminder of this amazing process. :) We have truly witnessed miracle after miracle during this process.

Long story short, after more miraculous events during our egg harvesting and transfer process, we found out on November 21st that I was pregnant! I will add a few entries documenting the process in more detail when I can. But here is a copy of the email I sent to family and dear friends when we found out. To explain a bit... the doctors were watching my fluid intake, weight gain etc.. because I had very enlarged ovaries (they are supposed to be the size of cherries and mine were the size of large grapefruits!) Many complications can come from this but will be explained in a follow up post.

Email:

Hello all,

Our doctor asked us to come in today to take the blood test to see if I still had to monitor all of intake of Gatorade and output from my bladder. Well, the results were positive. We are going to be parents! There are so many emotions it is hard to express in words. Calling our parents was exciting and also very emotional, our siblings were so excited! It is a great day in our home and we look forward to the coming adventures. Our main doctor would like to see another blood test Monday to verify I am pregnant but the level they are looking for is 100 and I was 200 so that looks pretty good.

I am still supposed to monitor my weight because if it goes up more than 2-3 lbs in a day I will have to start the monitoring, Gatorade and bed rest again. The doctor said I can resume my normal activities as long as I feel up to it but that my ovaries will be tender until I am 12 weeks along. They told me I am currently 4 1/2 weeks pregnant and that my due date is July 30th. We will find out in 3 weeks when we do a viability ultrasound how many heart beats there are and I will still have progesterone shots every day until Jan 1st. Good times! :)
We will be praying that I keep the baby(s) through the 1st trimester and would love any additional prayers on our behalf. We know we have gotten this far because of the many prayers from all our dear friends and family. I know I have expressed our gratitude before but we really couldn't have made it this far without all of you and your faith and prayers - we have felt them!

Thanks for everything!

Much love!
Brad and Angela

We then found out on December 9th, 2009 that I was pregnant with twins! What an exciting day that was for us. Another email to family titled "Three heartbeats" -

Hello,
I am sorry this is coming a bit late a few of you have called concerned something went wrong yesterday but all was well. I got home late last night from the doctor appointment and visiting teaching so didn’t get a chance until now to send this out.

Ok so Brad thought it would be fun to put the title “three heartbeats” to throw you off, he said “Well there is Angela’s heartbeat and the twins!” He thinks he is so funny! Anyway, the ultrasound went well we saw 2 tiny heartbeats and the sacs had grown a bit since last week’s ultrasound. Dr. Kirtly Jones said the heartbeats were strong and she feels good about how they look, one sac was smaller than the other but she said it is nothing to be concerned about. I asked about possibility of miscarriage and she said it is the same as with any normal twin pregnancy. There is a 20% chance I could lose one or both over the course of the pregnancy.
She also looked at my ovaries, they are a bit smaller but are still the size of a large orange. She told me to continue to take it easy and that by week 10 or 12 of the pregnancy they should be back to their normal size, which is the size of a cherry. My hips are pretty sore from the progesterone injections and after this appt the Dr. said I could start taking the progesterone a different way to save my poor hips. Halleluiah!

It was the last appointment I will have with the wonderful staff at the Utah Center for Reproductive Medicine on the U of U campus. The staff there have been incredible and I can never thank them enough for all they have done to help us get to this point in our journey. I have my first regular OB appointment on Dec 28th. It is still hard to believe we are really to this point, we feel extremely blessed!

Thank you, as always, for your kind words and continued prayers we have felt them!

Love,
Brad and Angela

I know this is becoming a LOOOONNGGG post but thought it best to catch those up that need it so I can continue to update my blog during the rest of my pregnancy. Thanks for your patience! :) Being pregnant with twins has been exciting and challenging all at the same time. Twin pregnancies are considered high risk - so we have the opportunity to see a perinatologist at the new IMC hospital on 53rd South every 3 weeks to check the progress of the babies. Here is the email from the first appointment on February 26th, 2010.

Hello again,

I know it has been a while since my last update but nothing to eventful has happened until now. Well, except I finally purchased maternity pants a couple weeks ago and can I just say that I suffered TOO long squeezing into my regular pants! I didn’t know I could be so comfortable in pants until then! It’s the little things isn’t it?

Anyway…we had our first ultrasound yesterday at the new IMC hospital with a perinatologist. (for those like me who have no idea what that means.. it is an OB subspecialist that monitors high risk pregnancies) Good news first. We found out that baby A (the one on my right side) is a boy! He is measuring at 18 weeks at 1 day (I was 18 weeks yesterday) and they were able to see everything but his spinal cord. He looks healthy and has a strong heart beat. They both move around like crazy – kicking and moving their arms – it is such a miracle to see.
We were unable to see baby B’s gender during the ultrasound. That baby’s heartbeat was strong, he/she measures at 18 weeks and 3 days, showed signs of most of the major organs but they were unable to see many things because the amniotic fluid was too low. At first the ultrasound technician told us that the low fluid would make it so she wouldn’t be able to see as clearly the gender because the ultrasound uses the fluid to enhance the view of the baby’s organs etc… She said that sometimes the fluid will get better over time and they would check it again at the next appt. We didn’t think after that explanation that we had anything to worry about. Then the perinatologist came in to discuss in more detail. She proceeded to tell us that there are several reasons why the baby has low amniotic fluid in its placenta - somehow my water could have broken early (I haven’t had any signs of that yet), they did a test and said until I am further along she wouldn’t be able to know that definitively but said my cervix didn’t look ruptured. – another reason could be the baby’s placenta isn’t able to do its job properly ( I know there is a more formal name or description she gave but can’t remember) – I could have had some random virus when I was younger that didn’t affect me but was passed on to my placenta (she took blood to test for this) – OR lastly, there could be fetal abnormalities/birth defects. She said kidneys may not be developing properly, his/her urinary tract could be blocked or there could be a congenital heart defect. She told us that there is a very small chance the baby can still progress normally and have a successful birth but then may have problems with his/her lungs since those are not seen via ultrasound, only at birth. She said there is also a possibility the baby could pass away while still in the uterus but that if that happens baby A should still progress normally and have a successful birth. Since it is still early, she said they will monitor the growth of the baby and if he/she continues to grow normally I may have to be on bed rest the last couple months of pregnancy and there is a small possibility the fluid can increase and the rest of the pregnancy will go along as normal. If you want to read more about this condition it is called oligohydramnios, you can Google it.

As you can imagine we left the 3 hour visit to the hospital with many emotions and thoughts running through our heads. Of course we are excited to know we are having a little boy and that so far he looks healthy but also a bit discouraged with the knowledge that baby B may continue to have complications. After the appt, we ended up going to a birthday party for an amazing woman in our ward who just turned 99 years old. She is such a great example of faith and testimony. As we were there, we were able to discuss some of the day’s events with some of our dear friends, which increased our desire to have hope that things may still work out and that we will continue to trust in the Lord’s will for our family. Then with the encouragement of another dear friend Brad asked our Bishop to give me a blessing. The blessing mentioned several things about promises made and His will for us and our family which gives us even more reason to trust in Him. We will have to make some difficult decisions over the next few weeks and pray that we will be able to listen more intently to the Spirit as we are guided through this trial. We have leaned very heavily on our faith and testimonies of the gospel and know that whatever is supposed to happen for our family will be what is best for not only us but also the 2 spirits our Heavenly Father has entrusted us with at this time.

We, along with our immediate families, will be fasting together this next Sunday March 7th and would invite anyone who would like to join us to participate that day. We are so grateful for each of you and the many prayers and words of encouragement you have given us over the past few months. We couldn’t feel more love than we have felt during this past year.

Much love,
Brad and Angela

Most recent ultrasound email.... April 7th, 2010

Hi there!

We had another ultrasound today and will have one every 3 weeks until I deliver unless something more alarming shows on any future ultrasounds. Both babies have grown which is great news! Our little boy is still on target measuring 23 weeks 5 days and baby B is measuring 22 weeks 6 days which is still within normal ranges for how far along I am. Baby B still has very low amniotic fluid and the kidneys and bladder still look about the same size. The doctors had expected the kidneys and bladder to continue getting larger, so we are hopeful that where things have stayed the same this could be a good sign. We are still aware that everything is in our Heavenly Father’s hands but will continue to pray for our little miracle.
I have attached a picture for those I haven’t seen me recently. I hadn’t been excited to take pictures but after many friends have told me I need to document my developing belly I decided it was time. I am carrying both babies really low and today at the ultrasound they were both breech with one on each side. I have started feeling movement but nothing that is noticeable outside, Baby B is harder to feel but I can still feel some movement. They are both active when watching the ultrasound and even though baby B is more restricted we can tell he/she has a lot of energy.

We finally decided today on a crib and dresser set – YIPPEE! We can pick them up in a couple of weeks. I also order some bedding that arrived today. I am grateful for friends that encouraged me to register and go shopping a couple weeks ago to keep the excitement of having a baby front of mind! I think the news of baby B had caused that excitement to decrease so I am glad to be back! Thanks again for the many prayers and encouraging words…. Keep them coming! We still have our good days and sad days but are keeping our chins up.

Love,
Brad and Angela

The past 2 months have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster but we still hold on to the hope and faith that Heavenly Father knows what the plan is for each of our children and at this point we will not know anything more until our sweet baby b is born. At that time we will know more about his/her lung development, any damage to the kidneys/bladder or any other complications that can arise from low amniotic fluid. We continue to see the perinatologist every 3 weeks to check in on the babies development and know we will continue to see the tender mercies of our Heavenly Father during the remaining weeks of this pregnancy.

I will try to be better at updating this blog as we continue our journey... Thanks for your friendship and prayers!

Here is a picture from when I was 23 weeks along.

To the Fifth Power

To bring me out of hiding! Tagged for a meme! (Thanks, Jenna) Here goes. . .

Five North American Cities in Which I'd Seriously Consider Living:

1. Austin, Texas
2. San Diego, California
3. Denver, Colorado
4. Portland, Oregon
5. Would love to live back East somewhere for a while.

Five Songs to Which I Know all the Words:

(I am not great at this! And I am sure at least one friend will make fun of me... you know who you are!)

1. "Black Horse & The Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall
2. "It's Not Over" by Daughtry
3. "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morissette
4. "Popular" from the Wicked soundtrack
5. "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band

Five Foods I'd Wish to Have in Unlimited Quantities on a Desert Island:

1. Steak
2. Popcorn
3. Yogurt Pretzels
4. Cafe Rio Salad
5. Ice Cream

Five Chores I Should Be Doing Right Now Instead of Blogging:

1. Organizing our kitchen filing drawer
2. Moving summer clothes out and winter clothes into my closet
3. Cleaning out the refrigerator
4. Making a grocery list
5. Getting lunch/food ready to take to work tomorrow.

Five Childhood Friends I'd Love to See Again:

1. Dannette Hyde
2. Stacey Gleason Hickman (she got married recently so I just saw her but it had been years!)
3. Toni Harmer
4. Chad Ferrera
5. Heather Pitts

Now, five friends to tag (but please play even if you aren't tagged, and then let me know!):

1. Kim
2. Susie
3. Tara
4. Misty
5. Trish

End of summer and a new website!

What are you doing to enjoy the last bit of summer??

I am excited to have one last trip to the beach with my family in a couple weeks, but can't believe how fast this summer passed us by! We usually go camping at least 3-4 times and we haven't been once! We usually have a BBQ or two on days other than holidays and again, not one! Life has been more busy this summer and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. I hope you are all well and settling into the routine of kids going back to school and summer coming to an end. Bummer!


Also, my dear friend Emily Freeman has just launched her new website... go check it out and say "hi".

www.emilyfreeman.com

She is an amazing writer and the thoughts, moments, etc... she just posted are no exception.

If you have any ideas to improve the function of the website let me know, I can pass them along.

Enjoy the last couple weeks of summer!!

Opportunities in Differences...

Have you ever had to work with someone either at your place of employment, church calling, PTA, etc... that just rubbed you the wrong way? I have. I try to always find the positive in a person but occasionally it can be difficult. This quote was a good reminder for me. Plus I am sure you are all sick of seeing the "Healthcare petition" post. :)

"God will help us see a difference in someone else not as a source of irritation but as a contribution. The Lord can help you see and value what another person brings which you lack. More than once the Lord has helped me see His kindness in giving me association with someone whose difference from me was just the help I needed. That has been the Lord’s way of adding something I lacked to serve Him better."


Henry B. Eyring, “Our Hearts Knit as One,” Ensign, Nov. 2008, 70–71

Stay tuned...I have many good ideas but have been traveling a lot in July. Most recently for business in California. Don't feel too bad I did have Brad fly out for the weekend so it wasn't all work and no play.

Healthcare Petition

Hi all,

I usually don't get involved in political discussions because I feel everyone has their own views and I am not the controversial type but...I feel this is a really important matter that is vital to our future health benefits. I feel that the health plan that Pres. Obama and "friends" are trying to push through congress is detrimental to our future. After talking to people in Canada and other countries that practice socialized medicine, this is not what we want in our country. I am sure if our politicians would put their heads together they could come up with a better plan that does not lessen the choices or the caliber of treatment that we currently have. They can preserve and even improve upon our current healthcare system without allowing the government to get involved and telling us who we can go to and what we can afford. Citizens from other countries come to the United States to get the health care they need because the wait time for certain treatments are so long that they may not catch the disease or illness soon enough to prevent further problems. This is not the American way... I don't know about you, but I don' t want my next doctor visit to have the efficiency of the Post Office and the bedside manner of the IRS!

Please join me in signing this petition and let our politicians know that we don't agree with this health plan. I have included below a link to the petition from Congressman Bob Bennett's website. (btw: we are not related)

Thank you so much,
Angela

Healthcare Petition

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Here is some info from Bob Bennett's website:

For years now I have worked with my senate colleagues to create the Healthy Americans Act, a healthcare plan that would provide every American with affordable, private health insurance. Unfortunately, the Obama administration is wary of free market solutions and sees government intervention as the only answer.
President Obama is demanding that any efforts put forth by Congress include a so-called "public option" to compete with private insurers. Once the government gets involved, it won't be long before the private insurance industry is out of business, and the public option becomes the only option.
Indeed, the public option is nothing more than a back door to single-payer, socialized care, and it's for that reason that I stand alongside my fellow conservatives in opposition to it. Please help me send a message to the Obama administration on this issue by signing this petition. We have set a goal of collecting 10,000 signatures, so please sign the petition telling the Obama administration that our country does not want or need a single-payer, government-run healthcare system. When you are finished, I hope you will forward this petition to your friends, neighbors and family members asking them to join the fight.

Thank you for joining me,
Bob