Hau'Oli Makahiki Hou!

Wishing Family and Friends a beautiful, happy & healthy 2006!

With love,

The Dagupion's

Really? The size of a cantelope?

I read online that my uterus is now the size of a cantelope. No wonder it feels so darn heavy! hahaha

It's been a busy week! Lots of portraits and a few weddings and I'm definitely TIRED! I am not done with weddings/portraits until our Big Island wedding on the 7th. Then I can take a breather. Wait. No I can't. We're moving to Haiku! Ok... so I can take a breather in FEBRUARY! *LOL*

Definitely feel a lot better recently. Only small bouts of morning sickness sneak up on me every now and then, but I'm still very tired a lot. Still having strange cravings too. After my portrait session today I had to go to the store to buy green spanish olives. I ate a few and they were SO GOOD! I'm sure the jar will be empty by the end of the week.

The only thing happening right now that I don't like is I'm having really bad dreams at night. Nothing to do with baby - just scary monster kine dreams that freak me out and I wake up and can't go back to sleep. Argh.

Anyhow... things are going great and I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning and say, "Yay! I'm 17 weeks hapai! Yahoo!". Speaking of the word Hapai... I was at Walmart the other day and bought a shirt that says "Hapai" on it. It's so cute. I'll probably wear it everywhere!

Merry Christmas Eve!

I woke up today in such the holiday mood. Christmas music has been playing all day, and even though I'm home by myself (Peter's working) I can feel the holidays.

I can't believe that six years ago today Peter proposed. I still remember him on one knee, tears running down his face, and all he could muster to say was "Will You?" in a shaky voice.

We're going to Eugene & Marissa's tonight to celebrate Christmas and eat and open presents. Tomorrow will be a quiet day (home alone again!) where I can catch up on some wedding editing and things.

We're postponing Christmas at my house until January when my mom comes back from the mainland and the whole family is together. Which is nice for me, because I have more time to prepare! I haven't finished shopping yet! haha

This will be our last Christmas as just a couple. It's so cool that next year at this time, we'll have a six month old baby! Wow!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FRIENDS & FAMILY!

With love,
The Dagupion 'Ohana

16 Week Doc Apt.

YAY! We got to hear Pepper's heartbeat today for the very first time! It kinda sounds like a horse galloping. =)

The only sucky part was that it was the doctor that I HATE WITH A PASSION. Ugh... can't stand her. Luckily the apt. was quick and we didn't have to spend too much time with her. I hope she's not the one who's on-call at the hospital when Pepper is born. ugh.

Pepper is still sitting really low so it took a while to find the hearbeat (that was scary waiting) but then when we heard it I think we both let out a sigh of relief!

Avocado Baby

We're 16 Weeks along now already. It's definitely passing quick! Here's some info on what's happening with the little Pepper:

How your baby's growing: At 4 1/2 inches long (head to bottom) and 3 1/2 ounces, your baby is about the size of an avocado. In the next three weeks, she'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, though, doubling her weight and adding inches to her length. Her lower limbs are much more developed now. Her head is more erect than it has been, and her eyes have moved toward the front of her head. Your baby's ears are close to their final position, too. Some of her more advanced body systems are working, including her circulatory system and urinary tract. Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, circulating her total blood volume through her body many times. (By the end of your pregnancy, this will increase to about 190 quarts.) The patterning of her scalp has begun, though her hair isn't recognizable yet. Although closed, her eyes are moving (slowly), and she's even started growing toenails.

We have a Dr. appointment tomorrow morning at Kaiser Lahaina - so hopefully *fingers crossed* we'll get to hear the heartbeat and maybe have an ultrasound. I am officially four and a half months pregnant now! WooHoo!

15 Weeks, 15 Weeks!

Today is our 15 week milestone! 5 more weeks and we are halfway there! It's going pretty quick, isn't it?

I've been feeling SO MUCH better. Still sleepy, but that's to be expected. Pepper is a health food nut, which is great, so I am eating good stuff and avoiding bad things. I guess the only thing that I absolutely must have is deep, dark chocolate! Other than that, no junk foods to speak of.

We have an appointment on January 18th with the ultrasound specialist from Oahu and we'll get to find out if our Pepper is a Ryenne (girl) or Jalen (boy) !!! Can't wait... so excited.

Our cottage in Haiku is ready for us, so I'm just waiting for Peter to bring home boxes so I can start packing things. I figure I'll start with the things that need to go into storage and then we can start moving the things we use.

Of course the challenge is that the move also coincides with the busy holiday season and I have weddings and portraits at least four a week for the next three weeks. Wow!

Well... that's it for this week's update. Our next doc apt is on the 23rd - one week from today!

Elf Names

Found this hilarious site: http://www.jokesunlimited.com/christmas_elf_name.php that tells you what your elf name is! haha

Here's the run-down:

Peter: Blissful MonkeyBuns
Mariah: Goofy MonkeyBuns
Chico: Peppy MonkeyBuns
Dexter: Wacky MonkeyBuns

And just for fun we tested out our chosen baby names!

Ryenne: Lucky MonkeyBuns
Jalen: Nipper MonkeyBuns

Enjoy!!!

Goofballs

Peter and I had so much fun today. We started our Christmas shopping (late, I know) and then went to the beach for sunset to take our Christmas card picture.

It was so much fun being goofballs and running around in the sand. And of course, pretty comical putting the camera on timer and trying to run into place in time.

Anyhow, after we got our shots, I had Peter take a couple shots of me sideways so we can put it in Pepper's book and he/she can hopefully see the tummy growing over time.

14 Weeks and an Infection

I meant to post yesterday, but I wasn't feeling good. Seems I've developed an infection in my right breast and I needed to go to the doctor. I had to get some antibiotics and it's helping a lot. So I'm just taking it easy and hopefully it will heal fully soon!

Pepper is doing great. I think my belly popped out a little bit yesterday. When Peter came home from work he was like "Oh! Your belly grew today!". It's just nice to know that Pepper is doing well and growing. Just about 3 and a half inches according to online sources. I think over the coming weeks it's half an inch per week. So we're getting close to 4" and will be at over 5" by the end of December.

I still haven't started Christmas shopping. So bad. But I think Peter and I will go out shopping this week and find some cool stuff and hopefully get it all done.

Can You See Me?

I felt Pepper move!

Hi everyone! Thanks to all who continue to check out this blog. =)

On Monday we had a doctor appointment, and thanks to my belly flab, we got another ultrasound of our beautiful Pepper. My oh my has he/she grown! Now almost 3.5 inches long and moving around like crazy!

Today while on the computer I felt the first movements - well I'm pretty darn sure it's Pepper anyway! Right around 5pm and then more at 8pm. Definitely an active Pepper tonight!

I'm starting to get more of an appetite for some regular foods. I had chicken today. This has been my first meat in a while. This is good because the Westin's Christmas party is tomorrow and I was hoping I'd be able to eat something!

Pepper's 13 Week Update

From Babyfit.com

Age of Fetus—11 weeks

The growth of your baby is rapid and the head to rump length will double in the next 3 weeks. The baby's vocal cords are developing in the larynx but the baby will not make sounds until birth. This week all of the baby's twenty baby teeth have formed in the gums!

Other changes that are happening:

Your baby's external genitalia are starting to show distinguishing characteristics.
The baby's intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to the abdomen.
The baby's pancreas is now producing insulin.
Baby's Size and Weight this week: About 2 1/2 to 3 inches.

Right now your baby is about the size of a nectarine.

So interesting yeah??? I'm still waiting for the morning sickness to go away - even just a little bit. I did go swimming the other day which was awesome. I'll need to do that more often. It was so great.

I'm off to take a nap and then I'll be heading over to the Ritz-Carlton to take a holiday picture of all the Concierge ladies. Can't wait to see them all!

When Will It End?

I don't mean to be a whiner, but I'm so ready to feel better soon! It seems like it's getting better and then BOOM! Sick again.

I'm back to my morning sickness diet of milk, english muffin, and popcorn. That's about it for me! And some water and juice of course. Smells just irritate me and I can't be anywhere around meat. Isn't that so weird?

Anyways, just needed to vent!!! Thanks for listening!

12 Weeks = 3 Months! =)

Info on what's happening with Pepper:

Baby can now experience many sensations and is now able to begin communicating with mom. She/he has immense potential waiting to be stimulated and developed.

Baby is intimately connected to mom emotionally as well as physically. Not only are the substances you intake transmitted to the baby, but your emotions and feelings are transmitted to her/him as well. Since she/he shares your endorphins, which are chemical substances that produce an enormous sense of well-being, your child can also sense and share your emotional sensations. It is therefore very important to be happy, peaceful and serene. Your happiness and positive feelings can induce equally pleasant feelings in your child. By the end of the third month the fetus is 4 inches long and from now on, the organs will mature and the fetus will gain weight.

I'm very excited to be beginning the fourth month now (measuring 4 weeks = 1 month). I'm still having huge issues with food. Definitely able to eat a little more variety, but sometimes it just doesn't stay down. I want to make sure that Pepper is getting everything he/she needs but at the same time I can't force myself to eat! I'm also still extremely tired and nap almost daily. I think this is all pretty normal though. Next doctor apt. is in about a week and a half so I'll talk to doc about all this. It's a doc I've never seen before so maybe I can convince her to give me an ultrasound. hehehe - I'm sneaky.

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving has special meaning this year. Peter and I are thankful for so many things, and of course, so many people that are so important in our lives.

Our parents, family, friends, and even clients have been such a blessing this year. Thank you all for your support and love.

Another thank you to Aris and Heidi for putting together our pre-thanksgiving dinner and having us all over at your house. That was so nice of you guys!

Mom and Dad, Thanksgiving was awesome. Thanks for making everything that me and Pepper wanted! It was so nice to have everyone at the table together and it was so much fun. Love you guys bunches!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Let the holidays begin...

Yay for regular food!

I've had a really good couple of days! I'm starting to eat more regular foods and I'm so happy about that. I was really getting tired of just having bagels and cream cheese!

I had dinner with my mom the other night and had salad and clam chowder. It was great! Then last night I had a great reunion with Leizl, a friend of mine since high school, and we had wonderful Italian at Basil Tomato. I had Eggplant Parmesan and it was SO good! Today Peter and I went to Sam Sato's and I had a bowl of noodles and a BBQ stick. So it seams that my tastes are finally expanding and I'm able to eat more. I know Peter will be happy about that too, as so many foods have 'stunk up the house' and I didn't like it. I still think the dried aku smells nasty though.

I still don't like soda and sweet stuff. Which is a great thing since I'm at risk for gestational diabetes due to my weight. So that's just my body's way of looking out for itself I think.

On another note, we saw baby Landon today and I got to feed him and rock him to sleep. He's just so precious and I'm sure I could just stare at him for hours! I also hung out a bit with Nana and talked story with her.

I have two due dates.... the IVF due date says June 9 and Kaiser says June 8... so I guess it's safe to say that I am 11 weeks along right now. I'm starting to feel a little more weight/pressure in the abdomen and it's not comfortable to lay on my back for very long, so I'm mostly sleeping on my sides already. Regular pants are just too tight so I've moved on to stretchy pants and even bought a couple maternity ones (which are super comfy by the way).

So that's my update for now! I'm excited that Thanksgiving is next week, and then I have another doc apt in early December to check up on things. One more week until I'm done with the first trimester! WooHoo!

Pepper's Doing Great!

We had our first Kaiser appointment today and it went really well. We got to see an ultrasound of "Pepper" and it's so neat how it's growing. I think he/she was sleeping because there wasn't much movement, but we could see the heart beating...

They took lots of blood, which I'm used to the needles already, and I got a flu shot. I'll be going back in three weeks for a checkup, but I don't get another ultrasound until I'm about 20 weeks along. They said I might get one at 28 weeks, but that will be all (I don't understand why they can't just do an ultrasound everytime. It would make everyone happier).

We stopped by Maui Medical Group afterward to show the picture to all of Peter's old co-workers. We got lots and lots of hugs and congratulations, and then we went and had lunch at Penne Pasta. Pepper liked it. =)

We Have a Nephew!!!

Beautiful baby Landon Jacob Leano Dagupion made his first appearance last night at 8:23pm. He weighs just over 7lbs and is 23.5 inches long!!!

We were so glad we could be there and hold him when he was just 45 minutes old. Pat & Lisa are doing great.

10 Weeks & Waiting...

Yippee!!! We're 10 weeks along today. Hard to believe that means we are 1/4 of the way already. So amazing how time can fly (even when you don't feel that great). I bought the Disney gummy vitamins because I can't handle the pre-natals and there was a coupon for a free Pooh book. I ordered it and put "Pepper Dagupion" as the recipient.

We are on pins and needles right now as today is Lisa & Pat's due date for baby Landon to arrive. It's so awesome I'm going to be an auntie and get a little "practice" in. Hopefully he'll make an appearance today or sometime very soon.

The Urpies are Back... urgh

Ah man, just when I thought morning sickness was getting better - it decided to come back! I was doing good with eating more foods and feeling, for the most part, pretty good the past week or two.

The past three days have all been pretty crappy as far as how I feel. And I keep throwing up (sorry if that's too much information) and it sucks!

I've read all the old wives tales online that if you have really bad morning sickness that it's a girl (are girls supposed to be troublemakers?). And also that girls are supposed to steal their mom's looks, and my hair has already gone flacid. *LOL* So we'll see!!!

I made my first appointment at Kaiser for Monday the 14th. I hope that we get another ultrasound!

We Have a Pepper!

This is "Pepper's" first picture!! First he/she was being very still, but then once we said Pepper, it started dancing around and waving. I wish that they had taken the pic when he/she was waving. It was so amazing - I can't even describe it. I just burst into tears afterward. We tried to find the other one (two embryos were transfered), but we could only find one lil Pepper. It looks like a nice, strong heartbeat!

Now I've been turned over back to Kaiser so I'll call them tomorrow and hopefully we'll get more ultrasounds and to hear the heartbeat (we only saw it on the screen).

OK - now it finally feels real!

9 Weeks! Yeah!

Another Friday milestone - 9 weeks!!! Yahoo! I'm feeling good today for the most part. A little tired so I'll probably take a nap later on. Only three more days until our ultrasound. I can't wait!!!

Just some updates

We all went to Marissa & Eugene's house for Peter's birthday. He got his favorite food - Oxtail Stew. It's been a long time since he's had it and he was thankful we didn't go out to a restaurant!

I felt good yesterday, but today was a different story. It was hard holding food down, and when I could eat, it wasn't much. I did have a craving for popcorn so Peter went to get me some. I don't even normally like popcorn! haha

I know it's still so early, but I am already really uncomfortable sleeping. Normally I can stay in one position all night, but now I find myself tossing and turning. Our bed is only a Full and it's me, Peter, Chico and Dexter in there. So I think we need a bigger bed because I am SO uncomfortable.

I also feel like I have a small balloon in my insides. I don't know if that's just the expanding of my uterus, but I can feel it and it's strange. Plus I just can't shake always feeling tired - this is all very new to me!

Anyhoo.... off to bed now... it's been a long day and I'm exhausted!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PETER!!!

*Singing the Beatles Song* Today is your birthday!!! nanananananan-nana Gonna have a good time! nananananana-nana

That song is kinda a tradition to sing on birthdays for us. =) Pardon the bad voice! *LOL*

Peter's really excited because we're going to his Mom's house for dinner and she's making his favorite - Oxtail stew. Which doesn't sound appetizing AT ALL, but it's been a long time since he had his beloved Oxtail and so I'm excited for him. =)

Just thought you all might like to see approximately what Pepper looks like right now. I got this pic of the Internet - pretty amazing!!!



Week 8:
Most of the joints are formed now. Ears, ankles and wrists are formed. At the end of the second month the fetus is a little over 1 inch long and weighs less than an ounce

Boo!!!

Trick or Treat! Smell My Feet! Gimme Something Good to Eat!!!

Ok... what gives??? It's 7pm on Halloween, it's dark, and not one trick or treater has knocked at my door! Are they scared of my pumpkin??? It's not THAT scary of a pumpkin! Geez! Although Peter did pick a good one... it looks all worty and we carved ghosts into it.

Well time to say G'bye to October and HELLO NOVEMBER! November starts out great because the first (yes, that's tomorrow!) is Peter's 30th Birthday!! YAHOO! And it just keeps on going good because the 7th is our ultrasound. Shortly thereafter is Thanksgiving with all the yummy food.... and the day after Thanksgiving I am done with the first trimester oogies! YAY!

OK - time to watch some TV. =) Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Birth Experience Prediction

This was the answer I got from an online quiz that's supposed to tell you about your birth experience!
It'll be interesting to see if it's correct!

The day you deliver, outside will be sunny. Your baby will arrive in wee hours of the morning .

After a labor lasting approximately 10 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 8 pounds, 5 ounces, and will be 18 inches long. This child will have dark brown eyes and dark hair.

This quiz is at: http://pregnancyandbaby.com/read/articles/736.htm

Eight Weeks!

The last couple of days have been a little better. I can actually hold down some food now! WooHoo! I just can't get this yucky taste out of my mouth... it's horrible.

We're heading to the store in a few minutes so I can get supplies to make stew tonight and cheese because I MUST have cheese. And some mints. =)

I can't believe how exhausted I am. I can't imagine working full-time right now - so I definitely have tons of respect for any woman who goes through this working full-time. I couldn't do it. All I want to do is nap the day away.

It's just over a week until our first ultrasound and I can't wait! I just want to see Pepper on the screen and know that he/she/they is in there and doing well.

Hapai-O-Meter

Peanut Butter & Pickles ?!?!?!?!

Well I've officially had morning sickness for about a week now and I'm really sick of it. I'm scared that Pepper isn't getting all it's nutrients because I can't hold anything down, but all the books and stuff say it's normal. I also feel like such a blob because I don't go anywhere cause I throw up all the time. Argh.

Pretty much the only things I can eat are: toast, english muffins, chicken broth, and juice. Those are the regular things. The other day I ate a pickle and then had some peanut butter and my mom was like, "Did you know you just ate Pickles and Peanut Butter?" And she was laughing hysterically. I was like, "OHMIGOSH.... that's so gross" - but I did eat it! *LOL*

I must say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my mom MARISSA!!!! It's her birthday today.

I think we're going to Kobe tonight and I hope I do good and can eat some food because I really like going to Kobe's. It's yummy.

My nephew Landon should be coming anytime... I can't wait to meet the lil guy. I hope Lisa doesn't give birth when we're on Oahu on 11/7! I told her she's not allowed. hahaha

Peter's turning 30 on the first - I wish I could give him a meaningful gift, but he just got the STI (which is his bday gift - he's very spoiled). I'll probably think of something small.

Anyhoo.... that's all for now. I'm sure I have piles of email to go through since I haven't been on the 'puter in a couple of days...

*Happy Dance* 7 Weeks!

I've been doing the happy dance all day long - we made it to 7 weeks! Yahoo!

Can't Win 'Em All!

I had a portrait session scheduled for sunset today at Baby Beach in Lahaina, by the Jodo mission. Anywho, I waited and waited and the people didn't show up. So I went home.

I called them up, and they were somewhere else and very mad that I wasn't there! But I specifically said by the Jodo Mission... so I'm frustrated and a little upset because I could have totally used a little extra money - that 45 minutes I waited was for nothing.

Ah well, I guess ya can't win em all!

I Spoke Too Soon...

I was having such a great day yesterday. But halfway through my pedicure I started not feelin so hot. The entire rest of the day went down the toilet [literally!].

Today it's been off and on. I'm just trying to keep at least a little food in my stomach so it's not so upset. It's tough!

Smashed Potatoes

I got my blood numbers from yesterday's blood test - 19,588 which puts me AHEAD of the average - YAHOO!!! Ok this is starting to feel real now.

The hard part is waiting the next three weeks to go to Oahu for our ultrasound. I can't wait to see the pepper in their and hear it's heartbeat. That will be amazing.

I also can't wait for Thanksgiving. It seams like that's the only food I'm craving. Mashed Potatoes and Stuffing, and Green Bean Casserole would just make my day! I bought some mashed potatoes today from KFC and ate it for lunch - no chicken, no cole slaw or buscuits, just the taters! *LOL* I'm such a dork.

I don't feel sick today - which is great. So I'm going to get a pedicure this afternoon. Yay!

What a great day...

Glowing

Although morning sickness started settling in yesterday *ugh* and I feel like I have the flu, Peter said the nicest thing this morning - it made my day! He said "although you don't feel good today, you are glowing." Wow! That made me feel so beautiful. No wonder I love him so much!

I feel like crap right now and food smells are driving me insane. Peter was nice enough to go to Wal-Mart and buy me Sky Flakes because they're the only crackers that I want.

I'm having a hard time drinking enough fluids because my tummy gets upset, but I'm doing my best!!

I went in for another blood test this morning - I'll get the results tomorrow or Wednesday. Hopefully those HCG numbers just keep getting higher!!

6 Week Milestone

Hooray! We're 6 Weeks Along!

What a Difference A Number Can Make!

I slept terrible last night. I just couldn't get comfortable no matter how I tried. I thought this was all over. My doctor is on the mainland right now and the fact that the nurse called him to tell him my low number scared me. It was horrible.

But that was yesterday - this is today. Although I only slept for four and a half hours, I woke up to a 9am phone call (on the dot) and Peter told me it was Erin, my nurse. OK - my heart was pumping fast, my adrenaline went up - I had to prepare myself for what she was going to say.

She said, "There's been a terrible mistake! Damn Kaiser! They didn't fax over your lab paperwork so I called them to find out your number from Tuesday and they said 529. She missed an entire number because its five-THOUSAND-two-hundred-ninety-one!!!! This puts me right where I should be and we're still in the running for twins. A HUGE sigh of relief to know that the little "pepper" is doing ok and growing as he/she should.

I have another blood test on October 17th (at Kaiser) and then we have our first ultrasound appointment scheduled for November 7th on Oahu at Dr. Vu's office where we'll get to hear the heartbeat for the first time. =) Exciting.

Oh my.... what a difference a day makes!

Need Your Prayers

We need everyone's prayers! I just spoke to my nurse again and she said that Doctor is very concerned with our beta numbers. He was expecting them to be in the thousands and they are well below that (529).

I go in for another blood test on Friday so we can check the numbers again. Let's hope that they go up significantly!!!

A Little Worried

I had my third HCG Beta test yesterday morning. I had to wait until this morning for the results. I was expecting numbers in the thousands...

According to sources on the Internet, the average beta number for my date is 2,637. 540 is the lowest number. Mine came in at 529. I'm not exactly sure what this means. I asked my nurse if it was good and she kinda hesitated before she said yes. So that scares me a bit.

Peter sais not to worry - that the number went up and that's a good thing. I know where he's coming from, but I don't understand why my beta numbers aren't higher. I'm trying not to worry too much because I know that stress isn't good. I'm waiting to hear back from doc's office to find out when I need to make an appointment for an ultrasound.

Yikes! Scary!!

I did it...

Well I did it... I had three days in a row with vow renewals, portraits, and weddings and I got through it! I am definitely sore (and very tired) but glad that it's done. I don't think I'll be scheduling anything back to back for a while! Now I have LOTS of editing to do!

I had a really nice snuggly day with Chico and Dexter today. Peter worked 1-9 so luckily he didn't come home too late in the evening. I wish we could go out to dinner or something, like a date night. We haven't gone anywhere to celebrate yet. =(

On another note, we're planning on putting the condo on the market in December/January and then we're moving to Haiku. We'll stay in my parents old house while we're building our dream home. It's so exciting!

Anyhoo, that's all for now.

Our Scooby

5 Weeks - yahoo!

Today I make 5 weeks! Only 35 more to go! =) The lil one is about the size of a raisin according to the internet calendar I found.

Peter was so nice to clean the bathroom this morning so I wouldn't have to smell any fumes from the cleaners. Now it's sparkling!

I started doing photography again yesterday. I had a portrait session that was an hour long and boy was I tired afterward! I have a small vow renewal tonight and then a medium sized wedding tomorrow night. I think I'm going to have to limit myself to small events because I don't think I can handle the four to eight hour weddings right now! haha

Did I really just say that?....

I had to go to the dentist yesterday for my routine teeth cleaning. When I got there, I had to tell them no xrays because I'm pregnant. Then it dawned on me - did I really just say that?? It didn't quite feel real until I said it out loud. It was such a trip.

I'm still feeling normal for the most part. I am still exhausted and I don't know whether to blame that on my shots (progesterone) or on pregnancy hormones. I'm having issues with food - being hungry but not having a desire to eat anything. Also the strong smells are making appearances througout the day. Other than that, not really feeling too queazy or anything. *knock on wood*

I'm still a little scared because I'm still so early. People keep telling me about their miscarriages - so I'm just hoping for the very best that this little peanut sticks!

Oh yeah... that's its name until we find out if it's a boy or girl. hehehe

I had bad dreams last night so I woke up and took another preggo test. This time, the second line came out REALLY dark so that just reassured me that the hormones are getting stronger. What a relief.

Peter went and picked up the new car from the harbor this morning. I'll post a pic separately. I can't wait to try to drive it - It looks like fun!

Announcing...

More Than Words...

The Suspense is Killing Me!

Today was the weather I love... rainy, rainy, rainy! I just love that!

We went to town this morning and I had my blood test. We then has breakfast at Koho's with my parents which was fun and then headed back home.

I had been waiting for the answer to our blood test ALL DAY and then my nurse told me that they didn't have the results in yet and I'll find out tomorrow morning! ARGH! The Suspense!!!

So I tried to cheat and take a home pregnancy test, but I couldn't understand the answer. It was weird. The instructions said that a - means negative and a + means positive. Well I got an | so that doesn't make any sense now does it? So that just made me more frustrated.

To take my mind off of it I cleaned out the entire pantry. I didn't realize how much crap we had in there - expired things, empty things, ect... TWO big rubbish bags I had to throw away. But now it's organized and I can actually SEE the things that are in there. Peter will be surprised when he gets home from work.

Welps, I'm gonna go watch some TV now. I'm just trying to do things that take my mind off the suspense....

Soon we'll know...

It's almost midnight and I am so nervous about tomorrow. I'm going for my final blood test tomorrow morning and should know if the IVF worked either tomorrow afternoon or Saturday morning.

I am SO NERVOUS. I'm just in a daze right now. I don't know whether to feel excited or petrified.

The last few days have been interesting - I lost my wallet (or it was stollen) and so I had to take care of all the missing credit cards and I had some traveler's checks. The thing I want back most is the wallet itself. It was a gift from Peter for Christmas about six years ago and I loved it. I already checked with all the lost and found and nobody turned it in.

Peter flew to Honolulu yesterday and signed the paperwork for the STI. I was very proud of myself because the original financing was 7%APR and I got a 5.75%APR which lowered the payments quite a bit. Yay! Sometimes it's good to shop around.

Well we're going to take the dogs out for a walk and then head to bed. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep very well.... we'll see. I have butterflies in my stomach - it's either going to work or not. It's like anticipating Christmas and you don't know if you'll be getting everything you've wanted, or a big empty box.

The Scooby's Coming!

Peter is a very happy man. His 2006 White Subaru STi "Scooby" is in! So he's flying to Honolulu tomorrow to sign the papers. He's been so excited all day.

Tomorrow is our first beta blood test. I'm bummed though because I only find out the results for Friday's beta. I AM SO NERVOUS. The Progesterone and Estrogen together make me exhausted all day long. I don't feel like cleaning, I don't feel like doing much of anything. Argh.

So we have to wake up SUPER early tomorrow so we can go to Diagnostic Labs in Wailuku at 7:30am for my blood test and then it's on to Krispey Kreme to pick up doughnuts for the car salesmen (a special request) and I think I might have one as well - and then I'll drop Peter off at the airport. I'll probably go out to Haiku to hang out or something.... someone has to give me my shot at noon.

A Rough Couple of Days

Hey all...

I'm such a dork - I only now realized that people have left comments for me. So I read them last night and I just wanted to say a big MAHALO to you guys for sending me comments to keep my spirits up. =)

We're having a heat wave or something right now which is making it humid and miserable. I think I am at my whiniest point. It feels like the hormone alien has taken over my body.

I started Estradiol patches today. I get two patches put onto my belly every other day and the estrogen is absorbed into my body through the skin. So right now I am on Progesterone and the addition of estrogen makes me that much more crazy. I feel so bad for Peter. I was sitting on the couch this morning whining because I couldn't get the remote control to work and he came out to help me and I was like "Get me this" or "Get me that". And the hormones give me cravings too - I've been on a chicken noodle soup and chocolate chip cookie kick. It's wierd.

So yeah... I've been really moody today and yesterday. I'm getting through it and hope that it's all worth is and we get the positive blood test we're hoping for.

A Piece of Heaven

This was the view from our room. It was amazing.

This particular sunset reminded me that miracles happen everyday.

Three Amigos become the Dynamic Duo

I've been on bedrest since Monday and flew back home today. I'm so glad to be back home with the doggies!

On Monday morning I flew out to Honolulu with my dad and we drove out to Castle. My poor dad was such a trooper. He came in the exam room with me and stayed right next to me through the entire transfer. We learned that one of the three embryos hadn't made it through the weekend and so Dr. Vu only had two embryos to transfer. One had divided into an 8 cell and one a 6 cell. Dr. Vu gave it a 35% chance of working.

So after that we drove out to Koolina and dad and I had a great time just hanging out and talking story. We ordered tons of room service and watched a lot of tv! It was really great because I hadn't spent so much time with my dad in a really long time. Dad left on Wednesday morning and Peter flew in for the last two days of bedrest.

It's been an interesting few days because I've been toying with so many emotions. I want to be really positive that both embryos (well at least one) are still doing ok, but on the other hand, I don't want to build myself up so much only to totally fall apart if this doesn't work. So I go through different phases throughout the day.

At this point, there's really no way of knowing either way. I have a blood test on September 28 and 30 and should know shortly thereafter if it took or not.

The important thing is that Peter has made it perfectly clear that regardless of the results, he loves me very much and nothing can change that. So that is always refreshing to hear. =)

It's a muggy, muggy day over here right now.... the AC is running in the bedroom and waiting for me. =)

Lub lub,

Mariah

The Three Amigo's

The doctor's office called this morning and said that three of our ten eggs fertilized - so we have Three little embryo's waiting for us.

I'll be honest and say I was expecting a bit more as I had hoped to freeze some - but like Peter said - all we need is one to take! So I'm maintaining a positive attitude. =) I hope Dr. Vu will let us transfer all three.

The transfer was supposed to be on Wednesday 9/21, but because of my low numbers we're going to do it on Monday 9/19 instead. So today I spent time changing my flights around - a $150 penalty - argh. But at this point, the money I'm spending to achieve this precious goal doesn't matter one little bit.

So my dad is coming with me on Monday and will stay with me Monday and Tuesday nights. Then Peter is coming out on Wednesday (since that's the time he had already arranged to have off from work). So it'll be good. We're staying out at the Ihilani in Kapolei again. Honolulu is PACKED because of Aloha Week and we couldn't find a decent hotel out there. But that's fine because the Ihilani is beautiful and quiet.

So.... our three little amigos are in a petrie dish at the moment. Isn't that crazy? Peter and I looked at each other last night like "Can you believe our baby could be right there in that dish?" What a trip!

I am still VERY sore today from yesterday's transfer. I am only allowed to take Tylenol, and when it wears off, the pain really sucks. My abdomen is also really bloated. I could barely fasten the seatbelt on the airplane. I can only wear stretchy pants.... se la vie.

I may be MIA for a while as I don't have a laptop to take to Honolulu withe me but I'll have Peter post updates while he's still on Maui.

Ta ta for now....

Eggies are Out...

Hey it's Mariah again. Peter was so nice to jump on here with the update while I wasn't feeling up to it.

I am still a bit sore, but doing good. So now it's a waiting game to see how many of our ten egglets will mature. I'm hoping that at least five are top grade embryos because I would love to freeze some, ya know?

We decided to stay on Oahu an extra night at Floyd and Rowena's because it hurts for me to walk and move around too much. So we're going home tomorrow and will give the pups a bath. =)

We should hear from doctor Vu's office tomorrow withe a preliminary report on the status of our fertilized eggs.

So I'm remaining very positive that this is going to work. I think the next two weeks will be the hardest - WAITING!

Nighty night....

Herro, Peter here!!!

Hey, its my first time to post on this blogger thingy!!

Well, Mariah just got done with the egg retrieval today, got 10 eggs.....woo hoo!!!! We find out tomorrow when the transfer is gonna be. Were hopeing for the 5 day transfer to happen. Keepin the finger crossed.

Well were just relaxin' at Floyd and Rowena's house right now, we might stay an extra night if M-Diddy isn't feeling well. My work place has been pretty understanding in giving me extra days off so one more day off wouldn't be a problem.

Big thanks to Floyd and Rowena for letting us stay at there house for this overnighter. Almost like back in the day when Aris guys lived on Oahu and James and I would come stay over. Oh wellz den, I goin go now. Peace out Peter aka P-Shizzel


p.s. my bad for any grammical errors =)

The Running Theme is....

It seems to be the running theme is me feeling crappy.

I couldn't get a flight out of Kapalua today so I went out of Kahului and had to get up way too early *argh*. I picked up my rental car (Yay Enterprise!) and took a different route to the doctors office for a change of scenery.

I took the H3 freeway and it was so beautiful. It was like driving through Iao valley. It rained a little bit, but it was a beautiful drive. When I got to Castle Hospital, there was no damn parking. I circled that lot for a good 20 minutes before I called Peter on his cell phone practically in tears and frustrated. Then I finally got a space. By the time I made it to the office, I was already feeling pretty yucky.

The ultrasound went great - the ovaries and follicles are doing great and we're all set for our egg retrieval on Friday morning. I had one more 300iu shot of Gonal-F today and that will be my last one. Since it was the last one though, it sure made sure to kick my ass. haha

So tonight I have an HCG shot and then start the Progesterone shots tomorrow. Now these shots are very different because the needles are 1.5 inches long and go right into the buttocks. So the nurse so kindly drew some bullseyes on my butt for Peter! *LMAO* Pretty funny. I'll be on the Progesterone for a while because that's going to make my uterus a very nice, soft, welcoming place for the eggies.

My flight coming home was delayed by an hour, and by that time I had taken the Gonal-F and just wanted to die right there in the airport I was feeling so bad. The terminal was packed so there weren't any chairs to lay down on. But I finally did make it back to Maui and proceeded to take a nap at Nana's house. I don't know what would have happened if I couldn't have taken that nap. It saved my day!

Peter and I will be back Friday afternoon from the egg retrieval. I'm not sure how I'll be feeling so I may wait until Saturday to post (I hope at least someone reads this).

Before I go to bed tonight, I just want to tell my friends Aris and Heidi CONGRATULATIONS on the birth of their little girl, Taylor Nicole, today. I can't wait to meet her....

XOXO

WE HAVE DATES!!!

Yahoo!!! We have dates! I go back to Oahu on Wednesday, but we have our egg retrieval scheduled for Friday the 16th and the transfer for Wednesday the 21st. Which makes it doubly good luck because 21 is a lucky number for me (my birthday and my brother's birthday).

The follicles looked great - they're getting nice and big - about double the size they were on Friday. Which I can definitely FEEL because my abdomen is giant right now. It's really weird.

I did a little shopping which was fun. I bought a Tempurpedic pillow (I almost fell asleep on the bed in the store! haha) and a purse from the Coach Outlet Store. That was a total splurge! It's cute though... I like it.

I am EXHAUSTED today. It seems to be a running theme. I didn't sleep well at all last night. It seems everytime I have to go to the doctors I can't sleep. I guess I'm worried. But doc said everything is going great!

I'm really hungry right now. I don't know what to eat though... we need to go grocery shopping pretty bad.

Ta ta for now!!!

Worth the Wait & Miracles

I am SO TIRED today. My body feels exhausted even though I haven't done much today. But I don't want to sleep either because then I'll have a hard time sleeping tonight... ugh. There's nothing good on tv either... whaa

Last time I was at the doc's office I was reading a magazine and ran across an ad for these onesies. I HAVE TO HAVE THESE! They are awesome!!
"I was worth the wait"

"I am a miracle"

My soon-to-be nephew has a name now... Pat and Lisa are naming him Landon Jacob - Love it. That's so cute. Peter and I are going to get them a stroller. I've been looking at strollers online but I'm totally stumped as to what kind to get them. I think I'll just have to take Lisa shopping so she can pick one out.

It'll be fun looking at the baby stuff. Oh yeah.... I don't think that I mentioned that if this IVF works this month, the baby's due date is on our 9th anniversary - June 11th. That would mean so much.

Nighty night....

We Have Follicles!!!

LOTS to report...

I went back to Honolulu yesterday. Kaiser offered to pay for one R/T flight, so I flew for free yesterday! Those fares can really add up so I was greatful for that.

It started as a pretty hectic morning. I flew Hawaiian so after I parked the car at the airport I figured I use their Hele On checkin computers to print by boarding pass and head straight up to the gate. I was so irritated because the Hele On 'puter said I was too late to use it (up to 30 minutes before the flight and I was 29 mins before the flight!). So I had to wait in the long ass line and then I was really late. I made the plane though thank goodness.

I rented from Enterprise Rent-A-Car this time. Previously I had rented from Alamo, Hertz, and Dollar. Enterprise is AWESOME. I'll always rent from them. OK this is totally off subject, but I'll tell you the difference. The first time we rented from Alamo. Nothing special - pretty standard. Then we rented from Hertz. When we picked up the car, the lady at the counter was eating potato chips and licking her fingers while handling our drivers license and credit card. She barely said a word... just kept eating. The Dollar lady got mad at me after I said I didn't want insurance and gave me the silent treatment. She practically through the keys at me and didn't even tell me where the damn car was parked. At Enterprise, the shuttle driver was really cool and when I walked in, the manager welcomed me by name and walked me to the counter. They gave me the car I wanted and even came out with me to inspect the car for any damages. I returned the car two hours later after my doc appointment and the woman greeted me by name when I came back and said that since I only had the car for two hours she couldn't charge me for a full day. So she charged me $12. How cool is that! Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend them...

Alright... now on to the doctor appointment! I must have been subconciously nervous the night before because I had terrible sleep. But I had no need to worry because the ultrasound revealed about 10 follicles on each ovary. Doctor said it's progressing exactly how he wanted and we'll end up with 20 - 40 eggs on retrieval day. The follicles are all pretty good size too. I wish I had a picture to share...

I'm downsizing from three shots to two shots daily. Now I get 225 units of the Gonal-F at 12noon. Here's the picture:

And 5 units of Lupron at midnight. Today was my first day at 225 units and BOY CAN I FEEL IT! It's such a weird sensation. It's like I can feel the ovaries or follicles moving around - am I crazy?

I'm heading back again on Monday. I'm going to buy a point and shoot digital camera so I can take pictures of my ultrasound and the clinic and stuff. I really want to have a small camera that I can take everywhere.

Until then...

And I thought Lupron made me crazy...

My first day of Gonal-F was on Monday. It was tough because of all days Peter had a DAY SHIFT on Monday! So that meant I had to give MYSELF my first Gonal-F shot. I was so nervous! I've never given myself a shot before!!

So I did it... I accidentally wasted a little, but I did it. It goes right into my belly twice a day. I swear to God that about 10 seconds after the injection I felt it going to work. I felt like I had been hit by a train! My insides are going crazy! AND on top of that I'm getting hot flashes.

I get the Gonal-F at 12 noon and midnight, and the Lupron at midnight only. That's three shots a day. I'm so glad that Peter does them for me because it's really tough to shoot yourself (that sounds funny).

I'm going back to Oahu on Friday for an ultrasound. From then, I'm guessing that the retrieval will be around the 16th or so with the transfer happening five days after that. I'll know more 'for sure' dates once I go over on Friday to see how everything is going.

I've still been really good as far as eating goes. I've been avoiding sugar (except for a massive chocolate chip cookie craving which I've only satisfied a couple times) and completely avoiding caffeine. I've also been wanting a lot of meat. Is that weird?

I've also been having a hard time sleeping. Mostly because of my hot flashes, but also because our bed, which is only about a year and a half old, is sagging in the middle so Peter and I both tend to roll toward the middle and then it's hard to move. I'm trying to convince him that we need a Tempurpedic bed because I've layed on them and they're SO COMFY. We currently have a double bed and I think we'll need to move up to a Queen. And I think baby is going to sleep with us, so a Queen would be good.

Welps, that's all for now... it's 11:50am and I need to have another shot... =P

I'm really crazy

I really didn't think I would get too crazy on all these medications, but it wasn't until I discovered that I was putting away clean, empty tupperware in the refrigerator that I realized that I really am.

What's really silly is that I have no idea why in the world I was putting away tupperware in the fridge, why I started crying during a commercial on tv, and why I feel so damn tired just taking the trash out.

I keep wanting to be so productive during my time at home. I had visions of keeping a Martha Stewart clean house and making a big feast every night. But then I find myself on the couch too tired to get up to use the bathroom. I look at the dirty kitchen and think, "It can wait". Isn't that terrible?

So I'm still waiting for my period to come around so that I can start the Gonal-F injections. Once it starts I'll have a clear idea of when we need to go back to Honolulu and when I need to book a hotel. I'm kinda bummed that my mom will be on the mainland, but I know that my dad will come with me if I need someone. I just wish I knew all the dates already! Gosh darnit!

OK, well I have a massive headache right now and need to go lay down.

Nighty night...

Ultrasound today

So today I was off to Honolulu again for a blood test and ultrasound to check my progress. We're not actually 'officially' started with everything yet as we're waiting for good old "Aunt Flo" to show up.

It was weird going to Honolulu by myself. Interisland airfare is just too expensive to warrant Peter coming with me everytime. But I love to drive, so driving the freeways weren't a problem or anything. I just sang to myself in the car!

When I arrived at Dr. Vu's office, one of his past patients was in the waiting room with their new baby girl. When Dr. Vu came out to say hello, the woman leaped up, wrapped her arms around Dr. Vu and thanked him profusely. It was quite a moment. It was nice being there to witness that.

The ultrasound was fine and now we're just waiting for my cycle to start and I'll be heading back to Honolulu on cycle day 6 and perhaps cycle day 9. After that, I'll be traveling a lot more frequently and once the egg transfer happens mid-September, will need to stay there for a week or so on bed rest. I'm having a hard time finding a hotel, as the choices are limited: super cheap no amenity hotels, or hotels that are WAY too pricey for me to be able to afford a week. So we'll have to figure out what we're going to do because I'll be there by myself quite a bit while Peter is on Maui working a few days in between. I just need a hotel with room service as I won't be able to walk outside and stuff.

So I'm still on my Lupron and I'll start the Gonal F injections on CD2. I had to warn Peter because the nurse said I'm going to be one hormonal person soon (I thought I was already!). Poor guy. At least he's been warned. Anyway, I'm more of a crybaby than raging b*tch anyways.

OK - onto another subject....

I watched the ABC special tonight about hurricane Katrina. SO SAD... We gave some money to the Red Cross, as much as we could give, but I wish we could do more. Heartfelt wishes go out to all the people out there.

And one more thing before I sign off for the night... gas in Kahului hit $3.44 per gallon today! OHMYGUSHNESS... thank goodness I have a little car.

Goodnight!

All the scoops

OK.... so we finally passed the day that I was waiting for.

FIRSTLY, I'd like to send a BIG congratulations to my brother in law Pat and his girlfriend Lisa. They just found out today that their baby will be a little boy! =)

Now for the rest of the scoops.

Peter and I flew to Honolulu on Friday the 19th to meet with Dr. Vu at the IVF clinic in Kailua. Traffic was crazy. The doctor is wonderful, explained everything, and is so helpful.

He explained that I have PolyCystic Ovarian Sydrome (PCOS) which nobody had ever told me before. It explains SO MUCH that goes on with my body in regards to ovulation, weight gains, hormones, ect. He said he has worked with PCOS patients with success. That's not to say that there isn't any risk. PCOS patients are more prone to diabetes and earlier childbirth.

So what does this mean for me? A complete change of lifestyle. I'm very proud to say that I've been sugar free, caffeine free, and preservative free for three days now.

So anyhoo, I am now on Lupron injections as well as baby aspirin, and a few pills. I go back to Honolulu on Weds 8/31 to check my blood levels, and if all is good, then I start the gonadatropin injections as well and the egg retrieval and transfer will happen sometime mid-September.

Needless to say, I am very excited and nervous all at the same time. We're thinking of trying for twins, and I made Peter promise that when the babies come we'll still make time for each other. That's my biggest fear... that I'll lose my best friend. But he promised and that made me feel much better.

So in the meantime, I am definitely being affected by this medication. I am tired, sluggish, bloated, sore.... I know this won't be easy, but I need to vent somewhere!

Not to make this a novel entry or anything, but I had a wonderful birthday too. Peter surprised me with a trip to the spa at the Ihilani where we were staying. It was very much needed and a really nice treat!!!

That's all for now... Pau...

Be grateful...

Working in the tourism industry, it never ceases to amaze me how ungrateful people can be. And these are adults no less. In my day to day working life, I do about 17 portrait sittings a day. These are FREE little sittings with the waterfalls and greens in the background at the Westin. Out of those 17 maybe about 5 will say thank you. This blows me away.

It astonishes me that people can actually critisize my work - devalue my work - just because it's free. And they do this in front of their kids. What kind of message does that send to the kids? It tells them that it's ok to critisize someone. It's ok to turn your nose up and walk away without a second thought.

It's very important to me, especially now, to recognize the kindnesses and good thoughts of others. Even it's a small little thing - a smile and a thank you can make someone's day. I know that one small Thank You sure makes my day better.

Talking like Eeyore

Having a rough morning today. I woke up not feeling very good, but dragged my butt to the Westin anyway. My first two sittings were really nice - but it was funny because I sound like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. "Good Morning... How are you?" in a really slow voice. hahaha ... at least my humor always stays with me.

I'm looking forward to going home and having some tea and jumping in bed - shutting my eyes and making everything quiet.

It's Friday today and only one week until we go to Honolulu. I'm nervous and excited. I've had such a tough time having doctors help me out because they always pull the line, "You're young. You've still got time.". HELLO! RED FLAG! That's the point... I am young and I shouldn't be having this issue so it's obvious somethings up. So I'm really hoping that this doc doesn't pull that line. I'll probably dress a little older and make my voice lower. Which is hard because my voice is so high and quiet.

The quiet, soft voice works out well when telemarketers call though. "Sorry... my mommy isn't home right now. Okay, bye." hehehe - I'm terrible.

Well, my eyeballs feel like they're going to pop right outta my head so I'll stop here for now.

Lub lub,

Mariah

ps) The new plants that I planted in the backyard are still alive after almost 2 weeks! YAY! I've been keeping them watered and they're doing great. =)

The Last Day of July

It's hard to believe that July is done already. I'm relieved that my doc appointment is getting closer, but gosh... AUGUST already? This year has really flown by - no joke!

My mom told me today that my brother is really sick and had to go to the hospital last night. I'm so glad that he's back at home resting - I just wish him a speedy recovery.

Today I did work on the backyard. Basically, I kill every plant that we've ever had out there - well not really ALL, but most of them. So I went to Lowe's today and bought a bunch of new plants and Miracle Gro and stuff and I spent a good three hours weeding and planting the new stuff. It looks GREAT! I have more weeding to do tomorrow and I also have some solar powered lights to add some ambiance out there. Let's hope that I don't kill everything!!!

Tomorrow is a busy day... I have an engagement shoot in the morning with a couple that's getting married on Friday. It's so nice to do the engagement sessions because then we meet in advance and they get used to being in front of the camera. And then I also have a small wedding in the afternoon. So definitely a busy picture day - but that's great. I love photography!!!

Well I'd better get to bed. Welcome August!!!

The countdown is officially on - 19 days and counting!!!

Soooooo tired....

It's Saturday and 8:20 in the morning and I am SO TIRED. I'm at the Westin today taking pictures and my first appointment hasn't shown up yet. That really pisses me off. It's my Friday at the Westin, but I don't really have a day off. I have a photo shoot tomorrow at Sunset and TWO photo shoots on Monday, including a wedding.

Not that I'm complaining or anything, I'm just freakin tired and VERY swollen and bloated at the moment. Sorry if that's too much info... hahaha

It really is a beautiful day today, but I just want to be in bed right now and get caught up on sleep. I think I'm going to sleep half the day away tomorrow!

So my replacement for the Westin is coming August 9th and will start right around August 15th. So a few days of training are in order and I should be done just before our trip to Honolulu. Which is good because August is a busy photography month for me. I have quite a few weddings and portrait sessions scheduled.

I was really bummed last night because I fell asleep before Peter got home. =( So I didn't get to hang out with him at all yesterday. And only for an hour the day before. I know we just went to Lanai, but I miss him already.

OK, I'm a whiner today. Total whiner. Sorry.

Yay Hotwire.com!

So we're going to Honolulu Aug 19th for our appointment, and of course it's busy busy tourist season so everything's really expensive. I couldn't even find a car for less than $35 a day.

So on a whim I checked hotwire.com and got a car from Avis for $19.95!! Cool dude.

Lanai Pics!

YAHOO! We have our appointment!

Peter and I got back from our weekend getaway to Lanai on Wednesday. I'm a bum and haven't gotten the pictures off the digital camera yet. It was so much fun - so relaxing - but went by WAY to fast.

Anyway, on Thursday Faye from Dr. Vu's office called to make our initial appointment! So we're going to Oahu on August 19th and are staying the weekend to celebrate my birthday. Peter has never been to Pearl Harbor so we're going to do that too.

So I'd imagine that after the consultation - if I am a good candidate for IVF - that the transfer will be in September or October. I also spoke with Dr. Rodgers at Kaiser and she feels that we have exhausted all our options for standard medications and this is the best route for us to take.

I only have a couple weeks left of working at the Reflections desk at the Westin. I've enjoyed taking pictures at the hotel, but am thoroughly exhausted from it. So once that's done, I think life will get a bit easier and I'll get to see Peter again and go back to my normal sleep pattern. =) .... ohhhh.... I miss sleep.

Have a beautiful day!!!

Why does it have to be so hard?

I was in such a great mood this morning. I was so expecting the doc to say my follicles grew to the 2cm and that everything was good.

The left follicle actually died, while the right follicle shrunk from 1.5 to 1.25cm - not a healthy follicle. =( So she explained that a pregnancy is not likely this month (I'll still hold on to my glimmer of hope though).

I'm confused as to what to do next - I still haven't heard from Oahu, so I'm assuming the best thing to do is to continue the Gonal-F/Clomid combination, as at least it created a follicle (which I wasn't getting before).

Doc also said I need to reduce the stress factor and stop working for a bit. That sounds GREAT because I really miss Peter. It almost feels like I have to make an appointment to see him. I have about a month left taking pictures at the Westin which is good because I think that's about all I can take. The job is technically easy, but very exhausting for me.

I'm in a bad mood right now. It's crazy that all these months are whirling by. It's like I'm stuck in a fog just waiting for each day to pass until the next cycle hoping that will be 'the one'. Does that make sense or am I just a total dork?

Anyways, I'm gonna try to get a little nap in before I go back to the Westin in a couple hours.

It was ALL worth it

Today was CRAZY!!! I had a doctor appointment scheduled for 10:45am, but there was a huge fire on the Pali (the cliffs/hwy to Kahului) and the road was closed. But I HAD to go to the doctor because it was very important for the doc to look at my ovaries on cycle day 11.

Anyways, I waited in traffic for two and a half hours before I finally made it through and the doctor saw me. It looks like I'm responding to the Clomid/Gonal F combination!

I have TWO FOLLICLES growing! The doctor would like the follicles to be about 2 cm, but right now they are about 1.2 and 1.5. So I have to go back on Thursday for another ultrasound and if they're big enough, I get another shot that's supposed to force ovulate. So there's a chance that this may work and we won't have to go do the IVF. Hopefully we'll get one or two healthy eggs!! YEEYAH!

Ok, but that's not where all the craziness ends. I had to GO BACK to the West side for a wedding at Napili Point so I waited in traffic for another two and a half hours - but I made it to the wedding and the couple was adorable and it was all good.

So anyway, it was ALL WORTH IT. I have follicles growing and I'm suuuuper positive. =)

Naked Juice

Have you heard of it? Peter and I tried it in Las Vegas last year. It's this cool Green juice that has a bunch of fruits and vegetables in it. Anyway, I bought a case from Down to Earth ($88 bucks for a case!) and I LOVE THE STUFF. How did I ever live without it?

Done with Clomid - On to Gonal F!

OK - so I finished my four days of Clomid at 150mg (the max dose) and had my first injection of Gonal F yesterday. I get another one today. The nurse did it yesterday and Peter gets the honor of shooting my drugs today! haha

The Gonal F is supposed to stimulate my ovaries into creating follicles and eggs. I'll go in for an ultrasound on Tuesday to check to see if I'm responding to the Gonal F and doctor should be able to tell if I'll ovulate.

In the meantime, I am EXHAUSTED. I'm working too much and Peter and I have opposite schedules. I miss him so much. I hate going to bed by myself every single night.

We're going to Lanai in one week for four nights. I can't wait. I need a break, big time!

Feeling Blah

It's my day off today and I feel SO LAZY! I cleaned the bathroom today - much needed - so that's out of the way. I just feel so damn TIRED!

Anyways, was playing around with the doggies today and got a couple great shots!


Enjoy!

Poor Dexter...

Our poor little baby doggy Dexter was sick last night. It was so scary because he was shivering and so lethargic and didn't even want a treat!

Peter and I were so worried about him we stayed up all night to make sure he was ok. The vet said that he strained a muscle and he gave him Aspirin and a shot. I'm so glad that it's not something horrible. We were so scared and worried. It's so tough when you just don't know what's wrong and the little guy can't tell you.

I'm looking forward to going to bed early tonight and snuggling with Chico & Dexter!

We're still waiting to hear from the IVF place. It's been a week since Kaiser sent off the approval docs, so hopefully we'll here something soon. I think I'm being very impatient!

Kaiser Approved!!!

Great news today!!! Kaiser has approved the In Vitro and so all the paperwork was forwarded to Dr. Vu in Honolulu today. So now I just have to wait until the Pacific In Vitro Institute calls me to make our first appointment!! WOOHOO!

Doc had said that it would take about 2 months for the approval, and it hasn't even been that long, so we may be looking at a July or August transfer (versus Aug/Sep like I thought).

:)

And another test, and another, ect...

So luckily I talked to Kaiser early enough that I could go in for my blood tests at lunchtime and get it over with. I swear they test for everything to make sure that you're a good candidate for IVF! Ah well... ya gotta do what ya gotta do, yeah?

So I guess in about a week or so the Doc will have all the blood test results and we'll find out when we get to fly to Oahu for guess what... MORE TESTS!! It's all exciting though.

Had a fun wedding tonight with a great couple - their pictures came out awesome!! It was a really pretty evening and no wind - but it sure was HUMID!!! I drank like two huge Gatorades when I was done...

Referral Almost Ready!

I had a message from Kaiser on the machine on Friday and I missed their office hours to call them back. So ALL WEEKEND I was wondering what they wanted to tell me. All I could think about is "is it good" or "is it bad"...

Well I called them today and it wasn't the same nurse who had called so she didn't know what the call was about but put me on hold while she researched the notes in my file.

I guess my five vials of blood wasn't enough... they need more! More tests... they want to make sure I'm sparkling clean. haha. She did say that once these tests go through, our referral is almost ready and we'll be able to fly to Honolulu probably next month for our first consultation with Dr. Vu. Of course, I've still gotta start my shots next month, so I'm thinking the transfer will probably be in August or September. August would be nice - a good birthday present as I'm turning 25!

That's all for now!!!

BCP's Driving Me Crazy!

OK - so this is the 5th day on the BCP's and they're driving me crazy! Maybe I'm just sensitive, but sometimes I feel like I'm on speed and I'm jittery and frantic, and other times I feel like a slug and I don't want to move.

And I'm hungry ALL THE TIME. I just ate dinner like 2 hours ago and right now I feel FAMISHED! So much for that 20 pounds I lost... urgh.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

Well we made it.... 8 years together. Isn't that so wonderful? I'll never forget the day I first met Peter 8 years ago.

FIVE vials of blood!!!

So I went to Kaiser on Saturday morning for my blood tests. There were so many tests they had to do that they took FIVE VIALS OF BLOOD! Can you believe it? My eyeballs were about to pop out! haha

They test for EVERYTHING - even my blood type, which I know I should know, but I don't. So I'll find out! WooHoo!

On another front, things are going really good with weddings and portraits and I'm having a great time and keeping busy.

More Waiting!! Aaaahh!!!

So today was our doctor appointment to start the IVF process. Little did I know (although I should have known) was that the insurance process (paper shoving) takes 6 to 8 weeks. SO...today there was a lot of paperwork and I'll go for blood testing on Saturday and Peter has his blood testing today.

Although this sounds like a step in the wrong direction, Dr. put me on birth control pills for a month to rest my ovaries which have been incredibly medicated this past 6 months, and then I will start Gonal injections in July. HOPEFULLY, all the paper shoving will be done by then and we'll get our referral out to Honolulu and meet with Dr. Vu, the Reproductive Endocrinologist (did I spell that right?).

So today was both good and bad - I didn't get the news that I wanted (I wanted to start right away), but I guess it's a good idea to give my body a rest for a month. It just seems that after five years of this, another month is hard to wait for. *sigh*

Thanks for listening!!!

Mariah

Our New Home on the Web

Aloha friends and family!

As many of you know, Peter and I have been battling infertility for quite some time, and we've decided to take the In-Vitro route to start our family.

This is our new home on the web to track our journey through this process (or whatever happens along the way!) - so check back often, and feel free to share this page with those who may be going through the same thing!

Love,

Mariah (and Peter too!)