pregnant is the new black - week 35

35 weeks 1 day

drs. say if babies are born after week 35, they get to come home with us - yay us
one more milestone

any guesses on how many more "belly shots"?

pregnant is the new black - week 34

34 weeks 0 days

baby A's kidney got t he "thumbs up" on the 3rd u/s
...no extra ports, as thought
...no cysts, as thought
...no tumour, as thought
im so glad they kept these 'thoughts' to themselves - i might have actually broken the internet

and fyi ~ waist is 43 inches... and phase 2 fat pants are getting tight, yah they are :)

pregnant is the new black - week 33

33 weeks 0 days

thought we might be taking pictures in VGH nursery today ~ contractions last night down to 7 minutes apart - yikes!

is it wrong that i was thinking:
but my BAG isnt packed...
AND i have a paper to write...

(just to be clear here... dont want you guys to think the above comment is COMPLETELY self-absorbed:
the gestation for twins is quicker and 33 weeks is a much more advanced stage than with a singleton)

pregnant is the new black - week 32

32 weeks 0 days
~ BIG milestone for us

my fabulous husband came home with flowers
and a card that said, "happy 32 weeks"

how great is he?

pregnant is the new black - week 30

30 weeks 0 days

pregnant is the new black - week 31

31 weeks 0 days

feeling every bit like a "wishbone"
as my friend sharon SO adequately put it

pregnant is the new black - week 29

29 weeks 0 days

babies are 2lb 10oz & 2lb 12oz
heart rates were, for the first time NOT 10 beats apart
but rather 135 & 138 (:

of the six kidneys i currently have
one is a bit enlarged ...think good thoughts ♥

pregnant is the new black - week 28

28 weeks 0 days
another ultrasound tomorrow :)

fyi ~ these are "phase 2" fat pants ... life is good

pregnant is the new black - week 27

27 weeks 0 days

pregnant is the new black - week 26

26 weeks 0 days

im wearing a running shirt...
truth is ~ i hit my target heart rate just posing for the photo :)

pregnant is the new black - week 25

25 weeks 0 days

babies are 1lb 10oz ea.
... and so are each of my asscheeks
:)

pregnant is the new black - week 24

24 weeks 0 days

missed a week (23) ~ sooooo tired...

pregnant is the new black - week 22

22 weeks 0 days

pregnant is the new black - week 21

21 weeks 0 days
oop ~ camera was a bit too close
sure i grew, but not THAT much!
see i DO need those visual guides the bathroom automatically provided
OCD comes in handy once again, sigh...

pregnant is the new black - week 20

20 weeks 0 days

pregnant is the new black - week 19

19 weeks 0 days
...and my goofy boy :)

exponential ass expansion - had to buy new BIGGER underwear

pregnant is the new black - week 18

18 weeks 0 days

pregnant is the new black - week 17

17 weeks 0 days

pregnant is the new black - week 16

belly shot ~ 16 weeks 0 days
:)

the best mother's day gift... ever

May 9th 2009: My boys' due date

...instead I had the great fortune to spend a whole extra month getting to know them.

I ♥ my boys ~ all of them

how to get lucky: a step-by-step guide (with pictures!)

1. show some skin (puregon in the a.m. - repronex in the p.m.)

2. get ready for a poke (my snazzy puregon "pen")

3. remember there is a fine line between pleasure & pain (puregon hurts!)

4. skilled hands are a definite asset (suprefact 2 x daily - a.m. & p.m.)

5. show some enthusiasm! (yay, injections done ~ for the a.m. at least)

6. don't be afraid to invest in some toys. (making babies is easy, mmkay?)

7. remember, not all pokes are the same. (suprefact, repronex, puregon ~ oh my...)

crinone, estrace, iron & more

i still cant believe the contraceptive efforts we took throughout the years

but look what we made! (fyi... im about to "get lucky")

my wonderbread, who held both hands... as instructed

but i do think his hands might have been shaking a bit

placebo? ...don't mind if i do

im sure my avid readers (all three of you) are anxiously awaiting the story of the big resolve. there the three of you have been, holding your breath for months now... anticipating the great heartfelt and emotional growth that occurred between me and my mother

BAHahahahaha, im afraid my posting negligence has left you with some strange idea of what this blog is all about

so no, it never really came
but i believe (whether true or not) that i made my point

my mother and i did not speak until december
she left messages and sent cards (anniversary, birthdays etc) with a vague sense of an apology

but i needed acknowledgment
or rather - perhaps i am too stubborn to let that be good enough *those of you who know me may commence your ironic outburst of laughter now*

strangely i had a lot of pressure from friends to make amends, which i still dont understand
i heard a lot of "youll feel different once you are a mother" ...really?!? really i will?!?
because truth be told, i have no doubt that i will be literally shat on on a daily basis
but the figurative shit - who needs that?

why do people think it is okay for family to treat you like crap? is there a crap license issued with the birth certificate that i am unaware of? cuz if they intend to issue me one, they can save the paper

that being said i didnt want this to drag on forever either, but how do i call?
what the hell was i going to say?
and i sure as fuck didnt want my olive branch to be received as "i forgive you"
because i dont
the behaviour was completely unacceptable and yet i was done - i didnt want to rehash it

i didnt want to explore our feelings
but enough was enough and it needed to be done

i struggled over making the call when finally, one december afternoon she called me.
and while unsure of what would await me on the other end of the line i answered with an enthusiastic, "HI MOM!"

and with those two words it was as if nothing had ever happened

and none of it was ever mentioned again

(yes there are several ostrich-head holes in my family's backyard)

i do think we made some progress though, obviously ill never really know
but this is what i choose to believe
and, even if its my own big fat placebo im chewing on... it tastes good

if the clinic claims your bill is upaid, can they take a baby back?!?

I received a phone call from my clinic saying, "hey we've just noticed that we neglected to bill you $350.00 so we're gonna apply that to your credit card right now... MMKAY?!"

my reply, "uhhhh... how 'bout NO?!"


----- Original Message -----
From: T****
Date: Thursday, January 28, 2010 3:23 pm
Subject:
To: kelley******@shaw.ca

Hi Kelley,

Sorry I haven't got back to you sooner, I wanted to go through your chart and make sure that we are all on the same page. I have calculated both cycles and have figured out that according to your stimulation you actually did use the Puregon 300 IU. We had missed it on your receipt but have gone through the calculations thoroughly to make sure. Unfortunately, this does happen and we do not notice it until we write an insurance letter. I don't want to be a pest but the accounting department is pressuring us. I can attach the calculations for you. I have done them twice to make sure my brain works.


T****


T****
Clinical Coordinator
Victoria, BC V8X 5J2
(250) 704-**** ext 3/(250) 704-**** Fax
t**********@********fertility.com


--Message Attachment--
From: kelley******@shaw.ca
To: t**********@victoriafertility.com
CC: wonderbread @ work
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:45:10 -0800
Subject: puregon


Hi T****:

Thank you for the reply, I was actually starting to wonder what I had to do to get some resolve. I had asked for an official receipt in October and was told to expect one in two week's time. After 6 weeks had passed, I then received a phone call telling (not asking) that my credit card was going to be charged the amount of the Puregon *note we NEVER paid by credit card so they didnt have our # for PRECISELY this reason - horray for forsight*. When I asked for clarification the person was unable to provide any insight and I was told I needed to speak with you. I left a message (after being disconnected and having to call back) but my call was never returned.

We then received a bill in the mail marked "PAST DUE" and upon receipt I called again. Again speaking with accounting and again being told that I needed to speak with you. I left another message and I appreciate your getting back to me now.

My point is that it has taken an awfully long time for us to scratch the surface of this issue and while I do appreciate your message, I still don't feel comfortable that we have been accurately billed.

I have every vial and every needle and can account for every pill that I have taken, as such I would like to receive an itemized and detailed account that proves the accounting error.

We were not permitted to leave the clinic without paying for our medications. I am not denying that there was a final stim that involved Puregon as your investigation into my chart would surely support however, as I have explained in every conversation with the clinic on this matter, we simply used what we had on hand.

I suspect the clinic's accounting error lies in the fact that the Puregon that I used for my final stim was, as I have been trying to express, from the existing Puregon I had on hand. If you will recall, you and I had a conversation regarding the fact that each vial of Puregon contains 400 IU and with each 300 IU injection it results in 100 IU of viable medication considered "waste". Instead of disposing of the medication, I kept mine refrigerated. When faced with what was inevitably our final stim, I asked if there was any reason that I couldn't simply use the remaining 100 IU x 3 from the "waste" medication. By drawing up three 100 IU units into a subQ needle and then injecting it myself, instead of using the auto inject pen, it would negate the purchase of more medication. I was told that if I was comfortable with the calculation and extracting the Puregon that there was no reason not to use what we had on hand. Therefore, instead of purchasing the Puregon we purchased subcutaneous needles.

So yes, I'm sure our records would indicate a dosage of medication that normally would involve a final purchase of Puregon to support the stim, but as I have noted here, and explained during each of my telephone conversations with the clinic, we did not purchase drug as we already had it on hand and had approval to use it as stated above.

Meanwhile it has been in excess of 12 weeks since we attended the clinic and we are still without a receipt that we can forward to our insurance company to claim our many thousands of dollars worth of expenses.

I look forward to your reply and appreciate your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

Kelley ******