Receptive!

We received Katie's ERA results yesterday and she came back receptive which means her lining was completely prepared to accept an implanting embryo. So she will be doing the exact same number of hours of progesterone that she did during the mock cycle which was also the same as the failed transfer in June. Part of me wanted something to show up just so we could change the protocol in some way since the embryo failed to implant but mostly I am completely relieved. I couldn't hardly stand to think that our sweet baby was totally fine and if we had only had 12 more/less hours of progesterone that we would be planning a nursery right now instead of another transfer. So now we know for sure that everything was absolutely perfect but it just wasn't meant to be. This verse comes to mind when I think about that baby that didn't get to stay:

A man's heart plans his course, but the Lord directs his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

So we are planning the next course which is transferring our last embryo on December 12. We are praying that our steps line up with His plan for our family while trusting He knows best no matter the outcome. He sure knew best when He gave us Graham. All those years of failures and miscarriages were the steps leading us to him. Now we pray there are another set of hands to hold next year.

ERA complete!

Katie had the ERA test done this morning and it went perfectly. The sample will get sent to the company today and we should hear the results in about two weeks. Either it will tell us that she needs more progesterone or it will say she was in the receptive time to accept the embryo. Either way it should be great information to know and will get us one step closer to Baby Davis the sequel. She is able to go ahead and restart all the medications at about the same time we get the results back so there is no wait time.

Graham is hoping to be able to announce his new big brother status sometime around Christmas and he decided he would start believing in faith that God will say YES! What a wonderful way to celebrate the way Jesus was sent to us by God giving us another child to love on and give Him all the glory. We are praising Him already for what He is about to do.

Almost ERA time!

Katie started estrogen shots on Saturday, September 28th to help build up her lining for the upcoming ERA test. These did the trick last cycle rather than the estrogen patches she used before so we were hopeful this time would be no different.

She had her lining check ultrasound and bloodwork today to see if her lining was thick enough and if the estrogen was high enough to proceed with the ERA test next week. Here is the gorgeous tri-layer 14mm lining. Some of you girls out there know what I mean. For others of you that don't, just trust me that this would be a cozy spot for a growing embryo to dig in! But also remember that we are just doing a mock cycle and no little sweetie is going in just yet. We are hoping to recreate this same environment next cycle so this is a good indicator hopefully!

Praise God that everything was just as it should be. In this process you can never take any steps for granted and we are trusting that this is just the next step that the Lord is allowing for Graham's sweet little sibling to come to live in the bedroom next to him! Before each nap and every night we pray for his baby and he points to the empty room across from his. It's so precious and I pray that his prayer will be answered soon! I think we want this more for him than us. Will you join Graham in his prayer to become a big brother? Thank you all for your continued support as always.

Mock Cycle Begins

It's not been easy since the failed transfer. When I take Graham to his favorite hangout, the splash pad, all he wants to do is play with the other kids and I wonder if he will get that chance to have a baby brother or sister. I know only children are just fine but I wanted that for him. And honestly I wanted that for me and his daddy too. I'm trying to trust that God knows what's best for our family but it's still very hard.

Our RE called and said everything seemed perfect so since we only have one embryo left he suggested an ERA. This is a genetic test that determines the exact time to transfer the embryo according to your endometrial lining. You do what's called a mock cycle where you take all of the meds exactly like you would in an embryo transfer but instead of transferring you do the test. So Katie has been on birth control for a while and today she started shots!

They are estimating the test to fall sometime in the middle of October. Then we will be ready to go right into the real transfer cycle as we wait for the results. I can't say I'm completely ready. I'm still grieving from the failed transfer but I am 41 so I feel like going ahead with it is probably best. We are hoping the timing works out so that we will transfer in the middle of December but it could be January due to the holidays. Please pray that the test will show us something and that a newborn baby will enter this world next year!

Fading Fast

It's not looking good for Baby Davis. It looks like it tried its very best to stay because we did get some faint lines yesterday but the lines aren't darkening like they should. Of course anything can happen between now and our beta on Friday but realistically this baby's time on earth is quickly fading. We love you little one. We are so sorry you aren't going to be with us but it warms our hearts that you tried so hard to be our sweet sequel.

Baby Davis the Sequel's First Beginnings

Katie arrived in Knoxville Sunday night after a few flight delays (never fails). We left at 8:00 am Monday morning, July 8, for the transfer of Graham's sibling in Nashville! We dropped him off at his Gran's house in Crossville and got to Nashville around 11:00 and got all scrubbed up.

The embryologist came in and showed me my tiny baby's very first picture. I was a bit concerned because it didn't look like Graham's embryo picture. It reminded me more of the embryo that Brad and I transferred years ago that failed so I felt panic start to well up inside me. I asked her to be honest with me. Was this an embryo that had a great chance to implant or are we looking at a slim chance? She assured me that it looked great and that it had already begun to hatch from the outer shell. It was a 5BB (6AA is the best grading you can have there) so it still has a great shot. I felt a sense of peace come over me then and now all that was left to do was transfer this little sweetie!

We rolled Katie into the surgery room and the embryologist wheeled the embryo in for me to take a look through the microscope. There it was! So tiny but very much alive and ready to become my baby. Tears started to flow and continued throughout the transfer. The embryologist noticed my emotions and said, "No matter how many times we do this, it's always very special." And she's right. This is our 8th transfer and although I only have one live baby to show for it, every minute I have spent with them has been a very intimate time with all of my babies. So no matter what happens I will always have this moment. And I will always be your mommy.

Katie is already 75 shots in at this point because of our cancelled cycle so this baby is already giving her a tough time! She has been feeling lots of pressure and cramping in these days past the transfer so the baby is trying its best to dig in. She already feels symptoms but it's tricky when you are on progesterone which mimics symptoms so only time will tell. No positive home tests just yet but we've still got plenty of time for that second line to show up. Graham and I already have something planned just in case we get to make a big announcement this week. Beta is July 19 but we will know either way before then.

I could not be more thankful for this girl. She endures so much for us and never complains about what I already know is a tough road to making babies. There is no greater sacrifice in the world than being a surrogate. And she loves my little boy so much. I hope she gets the chance to love on his sibling for 9 months too. Come on little baby. You can do this!!!!

The tiny baby is in!!!!

Love, Science and Pineapples: Sweet Sibling

Why are we wearing and eating pineapples you ask? Well there is a theory in the infertility world that eating pineapple core can help with implantation of the embryo and since Katie had her last lining check/ estradiol draw this morning we thought we'd get in the baby making spirit a bit early! Well not sure if it was the food, shirt or the socks but look at this!!!!

We were so afraid her lining would be too thick since it was thicker than they would like at her baseline appointment but it was a gorgeous tri-layer 13.3, a perfect home for our next little embryo to snuggle in for 9 months. The estrogen level was over 900 so again everything is completely ready this time around for baby Davis the sequel. We are praising Jesus over here and so thankful that we waited until the conditions were just right. The rest is up to God of course but we also know prayer changes things so we are asking for your's for JULY 8th at 11:00 eastern. This baby is already so precious to us and we want nothing more than to make Graham a big brother. He said he's ready!