Quilts For A Baby

Coryell's Craft Corner

To help offset the price of IVF I have decided to start selling quilts again.  My goal is to sell enough quilts to pay off the $7800 that we had to finance.  I know that is a crazy goal but if I could use my talents to start this baby's life out without having that large amount of debt hanging over us then I think I better try!  If I can sell 78 throw sized quilts at $150 a piece (shipping included) we will be able to pay the financing off in full.  I am also going to be selling baby quilts, hair bows, paintings and other crafts.

Currently I have a Philadelphia Flyers quilt ready to be shipped and will be taking orders for custom made  items.  If you are interested in ordering a quilt or another item please check out my facebook page.  If you don't want to order anything I just ask that you share my page so your friends can see it.  :-)  What a blessing it would be to be able to pay off this debt before the baby comes.  I will be uploading pictures of my previous work to facebook as well.  Thank you for everyone's support!  We appreciate it so much!  
www.facebook.com/CoryellsCraftCorner

Recovery and Random Thoughts

I thought I would give a little update.  After my egg retrieval last tuesday I had a pretty rough recovery.  My abdomen swelled up with fluid and I was in a great deal of pain for days.  I am still hurting but each day is getting better.  Now it just hurts if I over do it by being on my feet too long or if I bend over.  I know the doctor made the right decision by waiting for the transfer.  While it is hard to wait, I know it was for the best.  Now I can have time to fully recover before we start the next step of the journey.  Mid to late June isn't THAT far away, right?

I have such an amazing support system both here in Arizona and back home in Pennsylvania.  Dave took such good care of me and Logan while I was recovering.  I am so thankful to have such an amazing supportive husband.  My in-laws also helped out so much when I was stuck in bed.  My friends checked in on me to see if I needed anything.  Everyone back east has had so many encouraging words to say and sent text messages to check up on us.  I appreciate everyone's thoughtfulness more than I can say. 

This has nothing to do with IVF but I just thought I would talk about it today...I have been really getting to know some of the students at the school that I work at.  It breaks my heart to hear what they have been through by the time they are 14 years old.  Some have lost a parent or have been removed from their custody and are living in group homes.  Some of the kids are the "problem" children that are always in trouble but I have found just by letting them talk to me and listening to them that they are just screaming for someone to care about them.  I was talking to Dave the other day about how lucky we were to grow up in families filled with love and how lucky Logan is to have the same thing.  I know that one day we are going to foster children and we will get to share that love with them.  I am excited for the day that we can make a difference in a child's life that truly needs it.  I don't know when it will happen that is just part of the journey!

Egg Retrieval

I had the egg retrieval done yesterday.  It went well and they retrieved 14 eggs.  They were hoping for 8-12 so 14 is a great number!  I am pretty sore still today but it's getting a little easier to move around.  I did not realize I would be so sore after the procedure.  I am going to try and go back to work tomorrow.  Hopefully it will go smoothly and mostly pain free.

10 of the 14 eggs fertilized!  I was hoping that the implantation would be on Saturday but my estrogen levels are still too high.  We have to wait 6-8 weeks before they will do the implantation.  I am not going to lie, I am really upset about having to wait.  I feel like I have been waiting for so long.  I thought for sure I would be finishing this process on Saturday so its hard to handle having to wait another two months.    

I am trying so hard to get rid of the negative feelings of having to wait and to focus on the fact that 10 fertilized.  That is a great number.  They also are working with us on the cost so it will cost us between $1500 and $2000 instead of the $4250 that we were first told.  Waiting will also give my body a chance to recuperate before we do the implantation.   Hopefully I will be pregnant by July!

1 in 1000

Our egg retrieval is tomorrow morning at 9:30am.  I cannot believe it is here already.  I am excited and nervous all at the same time.  I will be completely knocked out for the procedure and then on bed rest for the rest of the day.

During my appointment yesterday the IVF coordinator said that my estrogen levels are really high and it looks like we might have to freeze the embryos and wait a month or so before they do the transfer.  When we first talked with the doctor she said it was a 1 in 1000 chance of that would happening.  It looks like I might be that 1.  I am praying that the numbers come down and that we can do the transfer fresh.  I want to do whatever is safest and will give us the most chance of it working so if we have to wait we will but if we have to do the frozen cycle it will cost about $4250 extra.  That is a lot of money.  Thankfully we saved $1000 on our medications for the fresh cycle.

I'm asking for prayers tomorrow for a successful egg retrieval and that it will be complication free.   I appreciate everyone's support through this process.  It has not been an easy one and I know we aren't through it yet but I can't tell you how much everyones kind and supportive words have helped me.  Thank you!  

Monday or Tuesday!

I had an appointment yesterday and another this morning with ultrasounds and blood work at both.  I go again Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and then the egg retrieval will be either Monday or Tuesday!!!!  That is so soon!  Everything is looking really good.  The nurse practitioner said, "You are growing a good crop there.  I guess we are giving you the right fertilizer".  I laughed so hard when she said that.

The injections are not very fun and make me feel kind of crappy.  I have had a headache since Friday and my belly looks like a pin cushion.  Only a few more days of feeling like this.  Then hopefully I will only be feeling crappy because of morning sickness!  :-)

The doctor told me that I need to relax and reduce my stress.  So I am going to schedule a massage and when I get home I am going to make sure I take time to just kick my feet up and relax.  They even suggested acupuncture.  Has anyone reading this ever tried that?  What did you think about it?

On another note, Dave turned 30 yesterday and he graduates with his masters degree on Saturday.  I am so proud of him.  Sunday we will be celebrating our 6 year wedding anniversary.  May is quite the eventful month!