Constance suddenly is feeling huge. It’s that point in the pregnancy when underwear is getting snug, sleeping is becoming a battle of comfort and hips are popping out of place. She looks stunning, however - pregnancy doesn’t just become her, it enhances her.
Daphne, our soon-to-arrive daughter #2, will be here sooner than even we can [...]

Filed under: Baby #2 | 10 Comments »

Constance has been very sick during this pregnancy, but aside from her constant bouts of nausea and swirling dizziness, all is going according to plan. We’ve finally been able to relax. Graduating from infertility treatments to a more regular pregnancy has done wonders for the tension levels in our home.
On Monday, Constance was finally able [...]

Filed under: Baby #2, Daddy Things, Mea Culpa | 10 Comments »

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 [...]

Filed under: 1st trimester, Baby #2, Doctor, Doctor, Matthew I.V.F. Miller, Nola Eleanor | 6 Comments »

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 [...]

Filed under: Baby #2, Doctor, Doctor, Firsts, Matthew I.V.F. Miller | 3 Comments »

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 [...]

Filed under: Baby #2, Doctor, Doctor, Matthew I.V.F. Miller | 1 Comment »

Constance’s blood tests revealed that her hCG levels are more than doubling every 48 hours and her progesterone levels just keep getting higher and higher by the shot. In fact, at this point everything falls within the normal or above-normal range. Our concerns have by no means gone away, but with every week and every [...]

Filed under: Baby #2, Thar She Grows | 3 Comments »

As the news of our pregnancy was shared with our inner circle, I found myself repeating the phrase, “But it’s really early, so anything can happen,” over and over again. And while it is a scientifically true statement, it also, I realized, was largely due to the fact that I feel like this all came [...]

Filed under: 1st trimester, Baby #2, Doctor, Doctor, Husband & Wife | 5 Comments »

For many reasons, we are in luck. We are, at this moment, pregnant for the second time. One month pregnant, to be exact, which means it’s also lucky for us that we know how to be cautiously optimistic as the weeks tick by so we can become a little more comfortable that it will indeed [...]

Filed under: Baby #2 | 17 Comments »

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 [...]

Filed under: Baby #2, Husband & Wife, Matthew I.V.F. Miller | 1 Comment »

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 [...]

Filed under: Baby #2, Husband & Wife, Matthew I.V.F. Miller, Nola Eleanor | 1 Comment »