Our Miracle Babies

As many of you know, Jake and I aren't pro in fertilization department. Apparently when we were all up in Heaven getting our personality choices, physical features, etc., I stood in the defect line three times instead of just once. I probably wasn't paying attention... as usual.

In January of 2013, I started my hardcore drugs and we were planning a round of IUI. There were 2 shots, 1 oral pill and another "where the sun don't shine" plus a basic prenatal. They were all timed out perfectly and made me feel pretty crappy to be honest. I felt like I was already having a terrible first trimester minus the whole being pregnant part. I was nauseous  had headaches, cried over everything, tired and bloated. Oh my gosh! You have never felt bloated until your ovaries are the size of softballs! Regularly, they are small grapes.

They were all taken for different lengths of time but the bulk of it lasted about two weeks.

About midway, our Baby Making Dr. decided that IVF was probably the way to go instead. This way, we could also freeze embryos from this retrieval as well as use a few to get me preggers; killing two birds with one stone. Because I had already started the rounds for IUI, he preferred that we continue with that for now and start the IVF cycle fresh... It is supposed to work better that way.

In February, we went in for my ultrasound. These are scheduled frequently. There was good news and bad news; The good news was that my body was responding really well to the drugs, and the bad news was that I had responded so well that I have made way too many eggs to do an IUI round. The way he put it, I would be the next "Octo-mom" if not more. We decided to scrap that round and in March start my treatment for IVF. I left feeling a bit disappointed, but also grateful that it was working. It was a really awkward mix of emotions.

In March, Jake and I left for Hawaii a few days before my Aunty Flow was supposed to make her appearance. I say supposed to really accented because to be real, she just kinda comes and goes as she pleases. Rather inconvenient for scheduling appointments if you ask me.

I had my birth control* in hand and was given strict instructions that if anything was different or felt off or if I did not get my period to take a pregnancy test before taking the pills. Well a few days passed and nothing happened. One morning, I just threw in the towel. I pulled out my pee stick and said to Jake, "Don't think I'm crazy. I know it's really really unlikely but Dr. Man told me to take a test before starting my new round of drugs."

*Although it sounds like a contradictory, the month before starting shots/etc. with IVF it is common practice to use birth control. This way, your entire body is planned what will do what when and you don't have to do any guessing at all.

I couldn't believe it. I honestly though I was reading the test wrong when saw those infamous, two little blue lines. He looked at it and we were both like "Whaaaaa?" It was a pretty old test so he walked down to the Foodland and got more. The digital ones.

PREGNANT.

I called the office and talked my nurse asking all sorts of questions.
"Could the drugs in my system still be doing this?"
"Are they both false positives?"

Anything I could think of. We scheduled an appointment for when we got home to come in for an ultrasound to confirm if it was real and if so how many.

Yikes.

While we were there visiting our old school, reminiscent places and school, we were also visiting his brothers who were attending school. We kept it a secret from his brothers the rest of the trip

When we got home, it was confirmed that we had in fact made a couple of little miracles. We decided not to tell anyone for a while, based on the fact that these were not easily made and at any moment could be taken away from us.

My family was told on Easter and his on Mother's Day so we could tell them in person around the entire family.

Although we are so excited and so grateful for these blessings, we know that we still have a long road ahead of  us. As soon as possible, after the twins are born, I will be going through a round of IVF to retrieve eggs and freeze embryos. Because my fertility is drastically dropping, we want to keep as many chances to have more babies as possible.

Bad Parents.

This last week, our poor puppy had Parvo.

I was honestly the saddest thing I have ever seen.

Last Sunday night I noticed she was acting a little unlike herself and mentioned it to Jake but thought maybe she was just worn out from playing with my parents' and my sister's dog at Family Dinner. Monday morning we noticed something was really wrong. She wasn't wanting to move, eat, drink play, nothing. We decided that if she wasn't better by Tuesday I would take her to the vet. Tuesday morning was another downhill slope. She was still not wanting to do anything, including getting up to go to the bathroom and vomiting. She literally just laid in her own yuckiness. I brought her in to the vet she was diagnosed with Parvo. The good news was that we had caught it in the early stages and I was able to bring her home as long as we kept up on her medications. Every few hours we had to give her an IV of fluids, a shot (a huge and painful shot by the way) or force a pill down her throat.

It's one thing to give yourself a shot but I could not bring myself to do it to a helpless little puppy which I couldn't even explain to her why we were doing it or that it would make her better! So... I taught Jake and I held her why he did it.

Koa with her favorite stuffed toy "Monkey" and her comfort blanket.

After she starte feeling a little better we got her to eat some boiled chicken! Her neck and back are puffy from the fluid we gave her per IV.

He dealt with a lot. Giving the wee babe a shot and consoling me while I cried at the same time! I think I asked at least 4 times a day if she was going to die.

We are happy to report that Koa is just fine now and back to her energetic self! She is even making up for the time she lost destroying things.

This weekend we did a full disinfect of the house and had her bodily fluids removed from the carpet per ChemDry yesterday.

Back to playing in her pool!

Most dogs that get Parvo are between newborn and 18 months old, especially if they aren't current on their shots. That's where we went wrong and the bad parenting began... Koa was supposed to get her third round of shots just after Christmas and it was just one more thing we didn't get to yet. We think this is why she picked up the sickness. In a few weeks, after her immune system as recovered, she is scheduled to get her shot.

New Flooring!

Ever since we moved into this house, we knew that the very first home improvement project would be to tile the downstairs.

We saved our pennies but knew we'd still have to do it as cheap as possible, especially after we chose more expensive tile. Our answer to this was to tile it ourselves.

 First, we started with the downstairs bathroom. This was the practice area.

Look at his plumbers crack! Makes me giggle every time.

First all the linoleum was ripped out and the toilet and sink had a new home in the entry way. Jake did a really great job but we decided to go for a darker and thinner grout line.

We saved up for a few more months and then bought the tile for the rest of the house which absolutely killed me! I am very impatient.

Here is the downstairs entryway/kitchen before...

This was also Koa's favorite place to pee and poo so it was actually kinda starting to stink a bit.

Carpet up to the kitchen area and under the kitchen table.

Our sweet "first born" wagging her tail...

Then we started the demolition process. So fun but so scary all at the same time.

Notice te linoleum under the other linoleum?!  First off how lazy can you be? Secondly, this is why it stated to stink. Koa's "presents" seeped into the bottom layer as well as water from mopping. The under layer was still damp. Um ew!

Now Jake got to work laying the tile. I put down a total of... about 4. I was kinda nervous I would mess it up!

I have more pictures but they won't upload. So sorry.

While he did this, I cleaned up and repainted the baseboards.

Of course this is totally candid!

 I helped grout, as well as Jake's friend Brian, and it is now finished! Please ignore the doggy toys.

The grout is supposed to be a much darker brown so you can't see the seam and the tile looks much more like wood, however, it is still so dusty it is that lighter color. I cannot tell you how many times I have swept and mopped and the floor still feels and looks dusty.

I'm currently working on a new kitchen table and chairs, since the current one just doesn't work. I'll be happy to have it done but it is a long slow process.

Hawaii.

In March Jake and I went back to Hawaii to visit for a week. I didn't take many pictures but here are a few!

This is our friends Sarah and Zach's baby, Sawyer. I'm pretty sure I'm his favorite.

How cool is this picture? Took a billion tries to get! While Jake filmed a house, I laid out on the beach.

The food on Hawaiian Air has definitely changed. This was our meal and I have to say it is better than it used to be.

A meal from my favorite shrimp truck! Giovanni's.

Jake and I on our (free) mopeds n Haleiwa.

Ian and Forrest joined us. How stoked are they?!

Jake and I on our first day at the beach. Saluting obviously.

We got to stay on a mansion on the beach, that we have been in a few times before. I love Jake's perks!

It was so great to be back! It reminded us how much we miss the island but at the same time that for the time being, we are where we need to be. We hope to visit every summer and so far we've made it!