Graduation Day

Today, after another top-notch ultrasound, we graduated from our infertility clinic to the midwives, from weekly trips to downtown Chicago to infrequent trips across the neighborhood. At 8 weeks, our soon-to-be-fetus’ heart rate was 170 bpm and measured at 16mm. Or, as the nurse told the trainee who was also in the ultrasound room, “It’s [...]

Can You Feel My Heartbeat When I’m Close to You?

One-hundred and eighty degrees for last Monday was today, a peaceful, easy morning at the IVF clinic. Unlike our hour-long wait to get into the ultrasound room last Monday, this morning we showed up 10 minutes early and were escorted right into the ultrasound room where our favorite nurse, Peggy, sat waiting for our moment [...]

Ultrasound #1, Baby #2

Oddities were in the air today at our fertility clinic. We waited nearly 45 minutes after the scheduled start time of our ultrasound before being called back to the examination room. It was a family affair, Nola reading Charlie & Lola books and constantly hoping she wasn’t going to be involved in the scrim of [...]

This Little Light Of Mine

Friday’s transfer couldn’t have gone better. Or faster, for that matter. We were in and out in 40 minutes. Frankly, it took me longer to pick up a few things from Target yesterday than it did to defrost what could become our baby and give it a new womb home. We live in an awe-inspiring [...]

Days to Go

It is now less than 48 hours until we have our frozen embryo transfer and I can say with gusto that I’m still not nervous. Last time we did this we were coming off 2 years of trying to get pregnant. This time we’re coming off of the joys that are raising the coolest little [...]

Love and Other Drugs

Perhaps too much time has elapsed since Nola was but a wee embryo being transferred into Constance’s womb for our memories to accurately recollect the process verbatim, but holy crap there are a lot of drugs a woman has to take before and after this process begins.
I remember the first go-round, receiving the giant [...]

Uno or Dos?

Our plan all along has been to transfer only one of the frozen embryos because we don’t want twins. As the date creeps nearer, however, we’re not sure what makes the most sense - in large part because none of it makes any sense whatsoever. The more one looks at success rates of defrosting embryos [...]

Book Shopping with Politicians

Normally when I’m in a bookstore perusing the stacks, I pretty much want to be left to my own devices. One hand clutches the coffee cup, the other hand pulls out books so I can read the jacket copy. Occasionally someone will try to strike up a conversation with me about their personal recommendations and [...]

Heaven on Seven

Seven years ago, I woke up in my childhood bedroom with Constance sleeping next to me. Rain was spitting against the window, and even if there hadn’t been a Philadelphia Eagles blanket affixed to the wall with thumbtacks, keeping the outside world out, it still would have been dark.
Alanis Morissette might believe it to be [...]

The Incredible Shrinking Woman

Constance is proud to announce that 14 weeks after giving birth she is now a mere 5 pounds away from her pre-pregnancy weight. She will tell you that the remaining pounds are all located in her stomach and she will also tell you that she hates doing sit-ups, crunches or, basically, any exercise that hones-in [...]