How did this happen?

There's a lot of our story not here, since I didn't really start writing until August. I do have paper journals but they're pretty hit or miss too. I figured, before I forget it all myself, I would try and document our journey... how we got to this point.

So I was born in New York City..... no no, that might be too far back.

I met my husband by some crazy twist of fate on St. Patrick's night 2003 in a bar in Bloomfield New Jersey. It was truly some kind of destiny and he said he knew right away I was the girl for him... took me a little longer to come around, but I did. We were engaged in that same bar on St. Patrick's Day two years later, March 17, 2005. We were married November 25, 2005 (I didn't waste any time.... the clock was already ticking).


We never used any kind of birth control so I had a sneaking suspicion there might be a problem, but you hate to really face that reality. We 'tried' for a year after our wedding, on the advice of my OB who told me, you're not THAT old and you have no medical problems, it shouldn't be a big deal. When I went back to him in December 2006 and said, I'm still not PG, he said, what have you been waiting for??? You're OLD - you need to see an RE right away!

Thanks, doc.

We had our first appointment with Reproductive Medical Associates in West Orange in January of this year. After all the tests were done it was decided we'd go right to IVF... I won't go into our exact diagnosis, I'll just say there were some issues on both sides, but like our doctor said, he had sperm, I had eggs... no reason we couldn't make a baby.

IVF #1 went perfectly. We didn't waste any time... the cycle started with birth control pills in early February, I got my period around February 23rd and we were off. Retrieval was March 9th. They retrieved 6 eggs, 4 were fertilized with ICSI and 3 were put back in on March 12th (2 looked great, one looked so-so). We crossed our fingers and hoped and prayed (and prayed and prayed.... it was Lent during our IVF and 2ww, and I spent a lot of time in church, praying to the Blessed Mother to help us).

My birthday was March 20th, and I decided I would treat myself to peeing on a stick... woo hoo. I couldn't hold out and did it the night before, so very early... and it was positive. Kept peeing all week, kept getting positives. Beta was on Friday March 23rd and it was 210 - we were definitely pregnant!

First u/s about a week later - 2 sacs. Two of the embryos had stuck. Twins!! YAY! We were thrilled, scared but so happy. That Sunday was Easter and we had both families at our house for dinner. We told everyone that day that it was twins, I even made a special cake to tell them-



The next day was our next ultrasound (6wks 3 days). I was really nervous. All that night I kept telling PJ, I don't feel right.... something has happened. I can tell something has changed. I was sure we had lost one if not both babies.

Something had changed alright. At the ultrasound the doctor looked at the screen a looooong time. I knew it, I knew it... I lay there thinking, he doesn't see them. There's no heartbeats. FINALLY he said "Let me tell you what I'm seeing.... there are still two sacs. But there are three heartbeats." The nurse in the room said "OH LORD!" PJ said "What does that mean, exactly?" The doctor said "Three babies." Then PJ said "OH LORD!!" and asked the nurse to hold him. LOL


First photo, sac with one baby... 2nd photo, sac with TWO babies.

So that's how it happened.... one egg just up and split, our little girls. PJ said he can't wait until they're older and get into trouble and he can say to them "You two split once, don't make me split you again!!!" :)

Here's my belly at almost 15 weeks. I remember thinking I looked really pregnant...I had no idea what was to come.



This all seems so long ago...... And yet I feel like it all happened so fast. I know how truly lucky and blessed we were to have our first IVF work, and work so WELL. I joke that I prayed too much..... God, and the Blessed Mother and St. Gerard all said, ALL RIGHT ALREADY!! Enough!!! There's wars, famines, disasters happening... we're sick of hearing about your ovaries and your uterus.... you want babies???? We'll give you some babies!!

CURRENT UPDATE aka back to reality:
Still pregnant. BUT still thinking something is up. Had one contraction last night and two this morning on the monitor. Also... and avert your eyes if you're squeamish.... I've had some stomach issues since late last night. To try and put it as delicately as possible, I've had the trots (in the words of my grandmother). My nurse this morning told me what I already knew.... that can be a sign that labor is coming - your body cleans itself out to get ready. OR it could just be my body didn't like the tacos my mother in law brought us last night... I'm hoping for the latter.

When I told my mom she said that was what happened to her when she went into labor with both of my brothers. Uh oh. Still, I feel better now and am hoping it was just something I ate. We'll know more after my Peri appointment tomorrow... I'm nervous!