A Long Awaited Ending

So much has happened since my last post! I'll go ahead and spoil the surprise to say it's all been fabulous news. Hopefully our pain in affliction is a thing of the past and only joy awaits......

Everything checked out great with Katie's lining and bloodwork so we transferred two sweet little ones on December 10, 2020. We haven't transferred two embryos in such a long time that it was so fun to imagine both could take again! I was so blessed to get to go back with her because I know many IMs aren't allowed due to COVID restrictions. 

Luckily when you transfer embryos you can test at home starting on day 4 or 5 past transfer date. You know it may not show up that early so you try not to get discouraged. Graham's first positive showed up on day 5 so when we didn't get one that day both Katie and I were sad but also knew his was a little bit further along so we needed to give it just a little more time. And after waiting only a day this is what we saw!

If you aren't sure how to read these, that is a faint POSITIVE! We anxiously awaited the tests the next few days and they started looking darker and gave us some definite confidence for our fist beta on December 21. 

And so on our 18th wedding anniversary we got the call that Katie is pregnant! Anything over 100 is good and we felt totally blessed with.....

Katie and I predicted this exact number so it was amazing when we got the call. I thought this number was my beta with my second pregnancy (when I looked it up it was 211)  so that's why I chose it originally and Katie had a connection to this number too. The nurse probably thought we were crazy when we both said "WHAT?" when she gave us the number. God is good! The number has to double so we were thrilled when it did at 588 two days later. It sure made for a Merry Christmas this year knowing our baby was growing.

This was the best family pic we could get with a distracted toddler who only wanted to play with his new toys!

His new baby cousins! And me dreaming about what our family could look like next year! One baby or two?

Graham announcing to the world his big news!

We couldn't do the third beta two days later because of the holiday but our nurse said this number was perfect and we could schedule our first ultrasound. 

One proud big brother!

So we booked our plane tickets and I ordered a few neck gaitors that I possibly could breathe through and we headed to North Carolina on January 7. We wanted to take Graham but the new policy is masks for toddlers so it just wasn't worth it to us. Never traveled quite like this before! 

We arrived at Katie's house late that night and headed to the doctor's appointment the next morning at 10:30. Brad isn't allowed in but they did let me FaceTime him which was almost as good. As soon as the ultrasound tech got started I was looking at the screen to see how many took! Katie has more experience than me and thought she saw an empty sac so inside she was panicking! ONE sweet baby was hiding in the corner and I grabbed Katie's arm as we anticipated the measurements and heart rate. 

Her mask: Worth every shot #surrogacy
My mask: One or two? Pink or blue?

Baby measured right on track at 6 weeks 6 days!

141 beats per minute. Always my biggest fear

The news could not be better! Of course we wanted to see two babies since we transferred two embryos but the Lord is in control and we trust His plan. The ultrasound tech also saw a small SCH but said it most likely won't even cause any bleeding because it's on the side and so tiny. But we would still appreciate prayers that it reabsorbs on its own.

We went to eat lunch at a Japanese restaurant then back to Katie's house to make these pictures to share with everyone! I realize it's early. I know the risks of sharing before the "safe zone." But this is my child who deserves to be recognized no matter how short his/her time is on this earth. And this sweet baby is Graham's long awaited sibling and hopefully completes our family as Baby Davis the Sequel. We praise You Lord for this gift to our family. You changed our mourning with Graham but gave us complete joy by continuing the dance. And thank you to Katie for sticking with us literally. This last try was so much more difficult for her physically and we are so grateful she never gave up on helping us complete our family. May the Lord bless the many people who were involved in the creation of our little miracle and that includes all of you who prayed this baby here!

Talk about STICKING with us!

Patience in Affliction

It's been almost a year since I've updated here but everyone in the entire world knows what's been going on in 2020. Luckily the pandemic hasn't changed our lives too much since I stay home with Graham and Brad has mostly always worked from home anyway. Some of the highlights of this year were:

• Celebrating Graham's birthday with friends and family in May
• Watching him be a ring bearer this summer in his cousin's wedding 
• Going trick or treating in our neighborhood after stopping by our local station first. 

Overall we've had a great 2020 despite all the madness out in the world. We will certainly never forget our sweet boy's second year of life and have been fortunate to stay well all year.

Rehearsal dinner

Because of Covid it has taken us quite a while to get back on the saddle again with ttc but we are finally here! Katie has been a trooper with all of the many delays and she finally had her suppression check from Lupron yesterday and she is good to start her estrogen shots on Thursday! We wanted a nice thin lining yesterday with low estrogen and that's exactly what we got. We are so thankful she is still willing to go through this again with us. We are praying this transfer leads to the end of surrogacy journeys but we have certainly made a friend for life through this process. 

Things look a bit different this try! What a story to tell this baby(ies) later. 

Nice and thin!

The next lining check is November 30. If that looks good then the transfer is scheduled for December 10! Our transfer this time last year was on December 12 so I'm assuming the beta will be December 21 which is our 18th year anniversary. Please God let this be the right timing for us. We would love nothing more than to give Graham a baby brother or sister (or both!) We are able to transfer two embryos at once this time so we are praying that both will take of course since we believe in life at conception but one healthy baby is always the goal. We are still taking Romans 12:12 to heart but we're praying that our patience in affliction is coming to an end for an incredible Christmas gift this year!

Joy and Pain

No better words can describe Christmas 2019.

We are somewhere in-between feeling complete JOY in watching our sweet boy enjoy his second Christmas and complete pain in the loss of our last embryo. How can both of these be complete? They just can.

We never really saw this coming, especially after an ERA. All three embryos were graded 5BB after the thaw. All three were tested for genetic abnormalities. All three were precious little baby BOYS! But only one of them made it home to us. We are eternally grateful for what God has given us and know so many people would love to be where we are. We used to be them! But that's also what makes this hard. Watching Graham learn and grow everyday and bless us with everything we always prayed for makes us long for his brothers in an awful way. Would they have looked like him? Would they be outgoing like him? Would they have looked up to their big brother and imitated everything they saw him do like most little brothers? We will never know.

We are unsure what is next but we are trying to live out Romans 12:12. As hard as this has been, the Lord has certainly shown us that He is here with us during this trial. We were listening to Mariah Carey Christmas on our anniversary trip and these four songs played in a row, 3 of which were played at my dad's funeral. Why were these songs playing on a Mariah Carey Christmas station? And when Amazing Grace came on Brad said, "I'll just die if I'll Fly Away comes on next" and then it did! My dad was singing this song the last time I saw him alive.

We spent the night at the farmhouse on Christmas Eve Eve, the day we received our call of the negative beta results. I walked in and saw my theme verse for this last embryo above the couch in our living room. I didn't remember that it even said this. Yes I bought this years ago but only because I thought it was pretty. This verse didn't have any true meaning in my life until this baby. We may not feel much happiness in the moment, but joy comes from the Lord and is not dependent on our circumstances.

The last thing He has shown us was through a friend. She sent me the following message and I wholeheartedly agreed with her. "I have the most amazing feeling that you will be blessed beyond measure even considering the loss of this baby. I don't know what this is, but man o' man...it's coming..." We sat through our Christmas Eve candlelight service in tears. Tears for what has been lost but tears from the Holy Spirit telling us He's not through with us yet. I can't wait to see what He has in store for us. The last time was beyond belief and I believe we'll see Him do it again.

Maybe in a few Christmases this family picture will look a bit different. Maybe it won't. But whatever He choses, we will be joyful in hope, patient during this affliction and faithful in prayer for what's to come.

Last Shot

Katie arrived Wednesday afternoon after a delay (never fails when she flies it seems). Graham and I met her at the airport and he protested the ride home as he usually does! We spent the night relaxing and reading because that is Graham's favorite pastime these days.

We had to get up super early the next morning to drop Graham off at his Uncle Jeff and Aunt Michelle's house to play while we transferred his baby. We have been praying for this baby for him for at least a year several times a day and he is super familiar with what this all means. Today he even said "cute baby" when he wanted me to write with his crayons. Yes, we want another baby to love but it's more than that really. We want him to have a sibling. He is such a social kid (just like his mama!) and thrives in a crowded place where he can talk to everyone. He lights up when he sees both big kids and babies and we want this so much for him.

After being on the road for almost 3 hours total, we arrived around 10:00 eastern and they took us right back to check Katie's vitals and get us both into our scrubs. I always hold my breath until the embryologist comes in to tell me that the embryo survived the thaw and thankfully it wasn't too long until she arrived with this sweet picture in hand.

This was the same grade after the thaw as both Graham and the embryo that didn't make it this summer so it's really hard to know what's going to happen this time. The good news is this embryo began expanding from the time she thawed it out until right before the transfer so she was super pleased with the progress. 

At 11:00 it was finally time! I looked through the microscope at my tiny little baby and tears began to flow. I told everyone the name we have picked out and that felt so good calling my baby by name. I sat there during the transfer just praying this baby would become part of our family here on earth and that in 9 months I would be writing this name on the birth certificate at the hospital. 

So thankful to this girl who has taken shots almost everyday since June. It's been a tough road this time! And they gave me the hairnet again but not her just like at Graham's transfer. Hoping this is a great sign of things to come!

These have to bring us good luck right? Even though I don't really believe in luck, I'm wearing them for SURE just in case!

Hopefully getting cozy!

After the transfer was complete and they wheeled Katie out the car, we stopped for lunch before going to pick Graham up. We thought pizza would be an easy supper and we know a good place to order from haha! The next morning we headed out to Target and then napped until supper at Altruda's. It was Graham's first trip there and he was throughly entertained by the other customers, constantly trying to get their attention. 

I mean who wouldn't want to talk to this cool dude right?

So everything was perfect. Everything I prayed for God has said yes so far. 

-Katie arriving safely 

-Making it to the transfer safely and on time

-Embryo surviving the thaw

-Transfer going well

-Katie getting home safely

Katie had some cramping on Friday night that I am now praying was this little one snuggling in tight. She also doesn't feel very well which could be the baby or could be from the medications she's still on. So now my prayers are the following and I'd love for you to echo them. 

-Tomorrow is day 6: the hormone hCG starts to enter Katie's bloodstream

-Day 7: fetal development continues and hCG continues to be secreted

-Day 8: same as day 7

-Day 9: hCG is high enough now for a beta blood test but we don't have it until Monday so pray for a   positive home pregnancy test by this day if not before

Only time will tell what's going to happen but it feels really strange to be possibly done after 12 years of TTC. No matter what happens God is faithful and He has turned our mourning into dancing. He has replaced our sackcloth with joy and we will give Him praise forever for what He's given us. Psalm 30:11,12 will forever be my anthem verse but this one is running a close second. Trying to live this one out as we wait in hope for Baby Davis the sequel. 

All I Want for Christmas

Our transfer date is set for 12-12, TEN DAYS AWAY! Katie had her lining check and blood work today and the technician and our IVF nurse both described her lining as BEAUTIFUL! We have a tri-layer 8mm and estrogen was in range so there is nothing left to do except transfer a beautiful baby! Well there may actually be some more shots in there of course. Poor girl has been on shots now for literally half of this year. :( Praying so hard that everything will be all worth her huge efforts!

She should be able to start poas before Christmas so it will be good to know either way before the holiday. Santa can skip me this year because there is really only one thing I want: to add the second tiny stocking above our mantle that we bought so many years ago when we began the IVF process ourselves. We bought two because we knew there could be a high likelihood of twins. There is now one hanging and it just looks so lonely without its other friend. Santa (umm really JESUS) please make our mantle and our family complete. 

No matter what happens though, God truly has given us a wonderful life with our sweet baby Graham Bradley and the best gift ever, Jesus Christ His only son. Merry Christmas friends.

12-12

Yesterday Katie had her first appointment for the actual transfer of the baby this time! They wanted her lining thin and her estrogen low and thankfully that's exactly what we got.  Lining was 5mm and estrogen was 61 so we are right on track. This is the best it has been for a baseline since Graham's transfer so we are taking that as a great sign. I'm also hoping the date we picked is also significant, 12-12.

Graham and I go to MOPS (Moms of Preschoolers) on Mondays. We started with prayer requests so I asked that everyone pray for God's will on December 12 because we were most likely transferring our last embryo on that date. After requests were finished, our speaker from The Empty Cup (a non-profit coffee shop that helps facilitate adoptions financially with their proceeds) said she felt so much peace at the moment about speaking because of the mention of 12-12. She said God puts that date, time etc. in her path constantly. After she spoke I went up to her and told her that God also had put Psalm 30:11 in my path even years before we were ttc. And when I was 30, I knew I would get pregnant in the 11th month. I did and even though I didn't stay that way nearly long enough, I've always thought about how God uses numbers for us. She asked my name and said she would be praying for us, especially on 12-12.

I put my t-shirt on that night when getting ready for bed and as I was brushing my teeth (you can see some of the evidence of this haha!) I looked down and saw the Bible reference of Romans 12:12!

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

So whether or not God intends this 12-12 baby to become Graham's sibling, I will now always treasure this date as well. It helps me to remember He's right here with me, just as He was when I was 30 and pregnant myself. And Graham and I will continue to be faithful in prayer everyday for his little brother/sister and will do so until His plan is revealed. Please Lord let this little one be the one you have to complete our family. No matter the outcome, we trust You.

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.