Post IUI #3 Update

We recently completed our 3rd IUI. If you want to read about it, you can do so here.. The first two IUI's did not result in pregnancy, so we tried for a 3rd time. You can read about our first IUI here, and our second IUI here. Our doctor recommended that after the 3rd IUI, sometime during our two week wait, we should meet with him and discuss our progress so far, and what our plan will be going forward if this cycle does not work. We met with him, and he basically gave us 3 options if we are interested in continuing treatment, assuming I'm not already pregnant:

1. Our first option is continue doing the IUI procedure, but this time switch from Clomid to a medication called Femara. With this option, we would still use the trigger shot, and of course the IUI. The main difference would be the medication I would take on days 3-7, and he said it is likely I would not have to use the estrogen pill this month, because the lining of the uterus thinning out is not a side effect of this drug. With this method, we have about the same chance of getting pregnant as the last three cycles, and that is about 15ish%, based on the number of people my age who get pregnant using this same treatment. This option is definitely attractive to us, because other than the medication at the beginning, we know what to expect and how it all works. For me, consistency is comforting. 

2. Our second option would be to continue with IUI, but use only injectable medications (instead of oral pills) at the beginning of the cycle, and then continue with the trigger shot + IUI. This obviously is a little intimidating, because Lee would be giving me shots for 8 to 10 days in a row with this plan, and so far, the injections that he has given me have been in the stomach. I don't think its anything he can't handle though, because he did a really great job with the trigger shot the last two months. Honestly, I think I have the easy side of this deal. I would much rather receive a shot than have to give one to someone else. Props to Lee for not being nervous, and doing an awesome job (especially considering this is not something he learned how to do when studying engineering! haha). After the shots, we would have blood work & ultrasounds. Next, Lee would give me the trigger shot, and then we'd do the IUI. This option is not ideal bc who wants to get a needle to the stomach 8-11 times in a two week period, but at the same time, is a little more enticing because it is a more aggressive medication, and it does give us greater odds of getting pregnant. (potentially a 20-25% chance each cycle)

3. The third option we can try is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). With this method, we would start the month with injectable medication, and then I would have an out-patient procedure to retrieve my eggs. The eggs would then be joined with Lee's sperm in a lab, and several days later the embryos would be put into my body in a procedure similar to the IUI. This route is much more invasive than the procedures we've been doing so far, but it has a much much higher chance of success, so it is definitely something we are considering. (50-70% chance of success, assuming we have 1-2 embryos to implant)

The good news that is even if this 3rd IUI is not successful, regardless of what treatment we choose to proceed with, I do not have to take Clomid anymore! After the emotional roller coaster I was on last month, I am so happy about this. Our doctor did say that although the injectable medications are undesirable for obvious reasons, most women do say that they feel better emotionally on these medications in comparison to when they took Clomid. This is a little bit of light in this long tunnel for both Lee and I! (Probably him more than me. I was annoyed with myself last month, so I can imagine it took every ounce of patience he had to be so patient and sweet to me.)

We of course are hoping that our 3rd IUI was successful, and we won't have to go one of these routes, but the reality is, that we need to decide on a "what-if" chance the 3rd IUI does not result in pregnancy. We will need to decide what route we might want to go, before we get the results of our pregnancy test, because if our pregnancy test is negative, we will start right in on our next cycle. Lee and I were both a little overwhelmed with all of the info given after our appointment. We decided we were going to talk more about it over the weekend, and maybe even make a list of some sort to visualize our options, and pray, pray, and pray some more and hope that God will give us some guidance on what would be the best next step for us. I will keep blogging as we have more information, and will be sure to keep you all updated. Thanks for reading, and thank you so much for all of your prayers.

As you know if you've been keeping up with my blog posts this past month, the first part of this cycle was pretty tough on me. I just felt really down and defeated, and I think a lot of that had to do with the amount of hormones I was taking. After the medication part of the cycle was over, I felt so much better! The IUI itself was the least painful one so far, and this two week wait has been a breeze compared to the last two. I think we're kind of getting the hang of this, and slowly but surely are learning to truly give our worries to God, and trust that His plan will someday make sense. After talking to our doctor and hearing about all of the other options we have, we are relieved to know that there are plenty of other things we can try, and even if this third Clomid + IUI cycle doesn't work for us. As I am nearing the end of my two week wait, I am not feeling any symptoms or changes with my body, and am assuming there is a good chance that I may not be pregnant this month. With that being said, Lee and I are not going to let that get us down! We are really encouraged by all of the love and support we've gotten from our family and all of our friends.

We know that with all of your love, prayers, and support, we can make it through any or all of the options listed above, if that's what God leads us to. You guys are all a great reminder for us to focus on our blessings (YOU all), rather than dwell on the tough times. So thank you to everyone who has been here for us. Your kind words and prayers really do matter, and we appreciate every single one of you! Thank you for reading my blog, and tune in over the next  few weeks to learn our results! 

Lee & Sara's European Adventure Part 3: Munich, Germany

After visiting Rome and Venice, we ventured over to Germany and spent a short time in Munich. Munich is in the state of Bavaria, and they are known for having great food. Rightfully so, because this was by far our favorite place to eat the whole trip. Unfortunately, the way our flights worked out, this was the city we got the least amount of time in.

The flight to Munich was both good and bad: it sucked because when we checked in for our flight,w e found out that baggage was not included in our ticket price, so we had to pay extra money to check our bags. The good news is, the flight did serve way better food than all the others, and Lee got a complimentary beer and snack. During this flight we also flew over a portion of the Alps, which was so beautiful. You can see them in the picture below. 

We arrived in Munich on the 28th, and this was the only real day we had to spend in Munich. When we got off the plane in Germany, the first thing we did after claiming our luggage was crab a German Bratwurst. The airport had this open area where they had a little festival set up of food and craft booths, so we figured this would be the prefect place to grab lunch.

Here is a picture of our first German Bratwurst outside the airport.

 When we left the airport, we took the subway to our hotel. We sat next to a German couple on the subway, and the man spoke really great English, and had spent a large amount of time in America! He was so friendly and helpful, and showed us where we should get on and off the train, and also gave us some helpful hints for touring Munich. At first we were a little creeped out because he was SO friendly, that it was almost creepy, but as it turns out, he really was just genuinely trying to help some clueless American tourists!

When we got off the subway, our hotel was super close to the stop, so we didn't have to do much walking with our luggage, which was really nice. We checked into our hotel room, dropped off our stuff, and set out to explore. We wanted to make the most of this afternoon/night since we knew it was the only real day we had to spend in Munich.

We knew for sure we wanted to eat supper at the Hofbrauhaus. This is a famous German beer hall, and several people suggested that if we come to Munich, that we visit this place. It is said that Hitler once held a few meetings there. This place was amazing and I'm so glad we went. The beer I had at this restaurant was by far the very best beer I've ever had...EVER. It was a little sweet, and crisp and refreshing. So refreshing, its crazy! Lee and I had heard several times that the Germans drink their beer warm, not cold like we do here in the US. We were kind of nervous about this, but as it turns out, that is not true at all. Don't get me wrong, the beer wasn't ice cold like it is when you order a Budweiser in an icy mug, but it was chilled, and very very good.

The strange thing about eating at a place like the Hofbrauhaus, is they don't have a hostess to seat you like most American restaurants do, and they don't have a lot of individual tables. If there is a table with 8 chairs, and a family of 6 is sitting there, it's not unusual for a random couple to sit down at the two empty seats. We weren't aware of this at first, so it took us a while to find a seat, but once we figured out how it worked, we scored a place to sit.

When we ordered our drinks, they came in HUGE 1 liter mugs. As much as I love a good beer, I knew there was no way I could drink a whole liter, so I asked the waiter if they had any smaller glasses. He said only in one type of beer, so that was my deciding factor on what to order.

Here is Lee at the Hofbrauhaus with his one liter beer. 

Here is me with my smaller beer. 

Whenever we ordered, Lee ordered a pig knuckle, and I ordered a German sausage with Au Gratin potatoes. When our food came out, mine looked amazing, but Lee's did not come out as a pig knuckle. He told the waiter, and the waiter took his plate back and brought him the right plate. We were both really glad he spoke up, because the pig knuckle was amazing, and totally worth the wait. 

This is a picture of my German Sausage, Au Gratin Potatoes, and the meal that Lee did not order. This sausage had such a good flavor, and the potatoes were one in a million. They were sliced tissue paper thin, and covered in a creamy cheese sauce. If I ever go back to Munich, I definitely plan on ordering this exact same meal again, because it was definitely worth repeating. 

here is a picture of the pig knuckle + potato that Lee got. It was heavenly. 

At the restaurant, there was an upstairs and a downstairs. The downstairs was pretty full, so we found a place to sit upstairs. We didn't get one here, but one of the things they were serving was Bavarian Pretzels. As you can see, the pretzels were HUGE.

 

After we finished our dinner, there was some musical entertainment. These men played music and did a performance using whips. It was interesting to say the least! 

Once we left the restaurant, we decided just to walk around the city and enjoy our evening. Since we were in Europe around Christmas time, we got to see some of the most beautiful Christmas decor. In the city square there was a HUGE Christmas Tree decorated. Below you can see a picture of it, and to emphasize how huge it was, you can see Lee standing next to the trunk. 

We also walked saw the famous Glockenspiel, and you can see that picture below. We walked in and out of a few shops and bakeries, and finally stumbled upon this hole in the wall pub. This was definitely not a tourist spot, but I think it was fate that we ended up there. We talked to the bar tender and a local musician who was sitting at the bar, and they were so friendly, although their English was minimal. A little while later, another couple walked in speaking English, and they ended up sitting down next to us. 

The rest of the night was so much fun. We ended up drinking and talking with this Australian couple all night, and had a ball!! We shared so many stories, opinions, frustrations about the USA & Australia. This couple was so fun, and I wish we would've been able to spend more time with them during our visit in Europe. They were an engaged couple taking a trip similar to  Lee and I, except they were going to be gone from home for about a month. 

Here is Lee & I with Ryan and Gabrielle, our friends from down under. 

We stayed out partying with Gabrielle & Ryan much later than we had planned, but it was worth it because we had a great time. Probably not the most cultural experience we could've had in Germany, but we were really happy we got to meet those two. If we ever visit Australia, we will definitely call them and try to meet up again.

The next morning we got up early and got on the bus for our castle tour. This was such an awesome day. We started at the Linderhof Castle, and then onto the Neuschwanstein Castle. The Neuschwanstein was breath-takingly beautiful. This is the castle that inspired the Disney castle design, so you can see why it is so amazing. It is up in the mountains, and there is quite a hill to walk to get there.

Here is a picture of Lee in front of a waterfall on our walk up to the Nueschwanstein Castle. 

This is a view looking out from a castle window. 

Here is a side view of the castle. 

Another side view

On our way home from the Castle tour, we stopped and had some free time in this cute, tiny little German town. We walked through a couple of shops and looked around, and then we ended up at this cute, warm little diner that had an AMAZING dessert list. We went with an Apple Strudel, and it was divine, 

After we got back from our tour that night, we grabbed some dinner, took one last walk through Munich, and then headed back to our room. The next day we hopped on a plane and headed to Berlin! 

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) Number 3

This month, we had our third IUI. If you want to read about the first two, you can find the first one here, and the second one here. Neither of the first two procedures resulted in pregnancy, so we decided to try for a third time. We started the cycle with me taking Clomid on cycle days 3-7. The past few months that I have taken Clomid, I (thankfully) have not noticed any major side effects, other than some headaches here and there. This month I took an increased dose, and definitely noticed a major difference. During the time I was taking the medication, I was very emotional, and had a hard time not crying at the mention of the word "baby". I was anxious about doing  the trigger shot and the estrogen pill the following week because I was already feeling so hormotional (Hormotional= hormonal + emotional. I learned this term from Elisha, and have definitely put it to use this month. haha),

At the beginning of the month, I wrote a post about how defeated I had felt the first several days of my cycle. I was definitely feeling the side effects of the the hormones this month. On Tuesday that week, my sister-in-law sent me a sweet edible arrangement and totally made my day. That night I prayed and asked God to help me to truly give up my worries to him, and to help me kick this bad attitude. On Wednesday I woke up in such a better mood! Much less emotional, and a lot more encouraged about this cycle than I have been. Although that overwhelming emotional feeling came back again later that week after my shot, it only lasted for a day or so, and then I felt pretty normal again. Now that that week has passed, I'm really feeling good about this cycle, and hoping, wishing, praying that March is our month.

After I finished the Clomid on cycle day 7, on day 10, I had an ultrasound and blood drawn. We got those results that afternoon, and the nurse said I should start an estrogen pill to help thicken the lining of my uterus. According to the nurse, Clomid can cause the lining of the uterus to be thin, so this issue is not uncommon. I started the additional pill that day and went back the very next day, on day 11, for another ultrasound and more blood work. After the second round of ultrasound + blood work, the nurse called back and let me know that the doctor would like for me to continue that estrogen pill for the next 3 days (cycle days 11-13). In addition to that pill, Lee would give me the trigger shot on the night of day 12, and we would have the IUI on the morning of cycle day 14.

The trigger shot again, went pretty smooth this time. Lee did an awesome job making it quick and as painless as possible. The IUI itself is never enjoyable, but the good news is the procedure goes pretty quick, and this one was by far the least painful. We got the really awesome nurse again this time and I was so relieved. She is one of those people that you meet and know that God really meant for her to have this job. She is such a good nurse because she has a way of making a not-so-fun situation a little more bearable, and doesn't make my pain or anxiety seem like an inconvenience.   Each time I tell myself that this could be the last IUI I ever have to have, and that is a pretty great feeling.

Now we are in the two week wait to having a pregnancy test. In the meantime, we are planning to meet with our doctor later this month to discuss our progress thus far. We will talk to our doctor about what our options are going forward if this round of treatments do not result in pregnancy, and we will also ask him about what to expect if this month is successful.

Having a plan always makes me feel more at ease, so we are looking forward to meeting with our doctor and seeing what he has to say. Also, it will break up our two week wait a little bit, so that will be nice. Currently we are simply praying to ask that God bless us with pregnancy this month, and would love for you to pray for that as well. I will write another post after we meet with our doctor, and again a few weeks later once we have our results. Thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog. Lee and I appreciate all of your love, support, and prayers.

Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Casserole

This breakfast casserole is super easy to make, and is always a big hit on food days at my office! The best thing about it is you can make it up the night before, and just pop it in the oven in the morning. It would also be great for breakfast when you have a houseful on the weekend!

Bread, egg, cheese, sausage, & bacon... what more could you want in a breakfast?!

Here's how I made it:

Ingredients
1 can crescent roll dough
garlic salt
12 eggs
3 tablespoons of milk
1/4 cup green onions
1/2 pound sausage (or any meat you like- you could use bacon, ham, ground turkey, or leave the meat out and make it a vegetarian dish)
2 cups shredded cheese (I use Colby-Jack)
salt and pepper to taste
cooking spray

I also had some bacon left over from my Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Peppers, so I also included 2 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped into bite size pieces, but this is optional. 

To start, spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray. Next, roll out your crescent roll dough into the pan. Press the edges together so there are no cracks. The bottom of your pan should be covered in a rectangle layer of dough.  Sprinkle garlic salt over the dough (or whatever seasoning you prefer).

Fry up your ground sausage in a skillet on the stove and drain your grease. While the sausage is cooking, beat 12 eggs in a medium size mixing bowl and mix in 3 table spoons of milk. Dump your ground sausage into the egg mixture. Pour your egg mixture over the top of your crescent roll layer, and make sure the sausage is evenly distributed.

Chop about 1/4 cup of green onions, and sprinkle them onto your egg mixture. (At this point, I also sprinkled my chopped bacon on top, and I put the lid on my container and stuck it in the fridge for the night. Then the next morning I woke up and baked this before work. You can do that, or you can just pop it right in the oven to eat that same day.)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked thoroughly. Remove dish from oven and cover with 2 cups shredded cheese. Place back into oven for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!!

Here is a picture of my final product! 

Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Peppers

Now that warm weather is here, Lee & I  have been grilling like crazy. This is one of my favorite side dishes/appetizers to make when we are grilling out. Cheese stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon...anything with bacon and cheese is going to be amazing, but add in some peppers, and you've got a prize-winning concoction. I love making these peppers because I do like some spice here and there, but they can easily be made with sweet peppers if your family doesn't do spicy. I usually do a few jalapeños and a few sweet peppers all at once. Here's how to make them:

In this picture I used a jalapeño pepper, but the recipe is also really good with mini bell peppers. The bell peppers are sweet, not spicy, unlike like the jalapeños.

Ingredients
3 jalapeños*
3 mini bell peppers (any color is fine)*
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 block)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I have used colby-jack before, but the cheddar really is better)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
about a 1/2 pound of bacon strips, uncooked**
8-12 toothpicks (optional)
Aluminum foil

*The amount of peppers you will need to use up all of the filling will vary depending on the size of your peppers, but this recipe makes about a dozen stuffed peppers.
**Use any kind of bacon you like, but I do not recommend using thick cut bacon because this will take much longer to bake.

Start by  preheating your oven to 400 degrees and lining a baking sheet with foil. This will make for easy clean up. Slice the stem off of your peppers. Next, slice them in half long ways and pull out all of the seeds.

In a small mixing bowl, combine your onion powder, garlic salt, cream cheese, and shredded cheese. I use my hands to mix these ingredients together.

Next, use your fingers and press a small amount of the cheese mixture into each pepper. Make sure the pepper is full, but not over-flowing. Once your peppers are stuffed, wrap them in bacon. You may need to cut some of the bacon slices to fit the smaller peppers. If you want, you can stab them with toothpicks to make the bacon stay in place. I have made them several times with and without toothpicks, and they have turned out fine both ways.

I like to line my cookie sheet with aluminum foil because it makes an easy way to dispose of the bacon grease afterwards. Just fold up the foil and dump it in the trash! 

Place your peppers on your baking sheet and bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the bacon looks cooked through. I usually set a timer and check my peppers every 15 minutes, because depending on the size of the peppers, they may cook quicker, or could take a little longer.

MMM!