"Ovaries on Drugs"

This week has been a little crazy.  Being on Birth Control makes me feel a little hair-brained and less in control of everything, i.e. my emotions being the main one.  Russell had to keep reminding me that my body was just adjusting to the meds and that my emotional roller-coasters lasts about a week.  I did get a chance to let it out at the gym on a punching bag...man that was therapeutic!  During that week we said that "Sally" my crazy alter ego was visiting.  Sally is a nutcase! However, I'm happy to report that she has vacated our lives till May when I bump up my pill intake to a total of 9 different Meds/vitamins~ " I"ll be taking some yellow ones, and some lovely blue bombers..." ha ha

On Thursday, we went to our Overview IVF class and learned some interesting information about the meds, the process, and what kinds of things to do and not do.  It was interesting to learn how they kinda "overwrite" your system by taking control of it, & suppressing it and then telling it what to do when they want my body to do it.  The science behind it is pretty incredible! 

Another thing I did learn is that I won't be able to run the 1/2 marathon I had signed up for months before we knew we'd be doing IVF.  The Hippie Chic Race on May 12.  When I start the injections next month, I was told not do any vigorous exercise, like running or lifting weights..yikes.  They asked us to imagine our ovaries during ovulation and that they normally get a little bigger and can be painful~ but "our ovaries on drugs" would  get even bigger like water balloons that are hanging by rubber bands and any vigorous jumping and exercise will be uncomfortable and potentially harmful to the whole process.  When we visualized that way, it made sense.  However, I was reassured when they said I could swim...I guess I'm getting back in the pool.

 Overall, it was an awesome class.  It amazed us how many couples were in the IVF process just like us.  Older couples, younger couples, same sex couples, single women.  It shouldn't surprise me how many struggle with infertility since we've learned that 1 in 8 couples do struggle, but seeing that room filled with about 20 couples, I felt grateful that there is this science and process to help us out.  

I just wanted to share a sweet little experience that I had with my 7 year old niece tonight.  Although it was similar to a previous one I wrote about, it was special nonetheless.  Russ and i went over to their house tonight to visit and pick up some lovely donated items for the carnival.  Upon arrival, Ava raced up to me and said, "Brie, you have to come to my room, I have to show you something really special."  After we greeted her parents, I ran upstairs with her to her bedroom.  She went into her closet and said, " I just have to get something to show you." I sat on her bed and she came out shaking her "new" sparkly, sequin clutch she got from her friend.  I told her that was so gorgeous and how lucky that her friend gave it to her...but then she stopped me and held it by her ear and shook it.  You could hear the change rattling around. She set it down and opened it up and said that she had a dollar for me.  She pulled out four quarters and said again, "I want you to have these, for the baby."  I gave her a big hug and kiss and asked her how she got her 4 quarters.  She said she earned them by doing her chores.  She was giving her hard earned money to us with such great love!  It just made me smile and hug her tighter.  After telling her parents, they agreed that she worked hard for her money.  Constantly humbled by our nieces and nephews.

 It made me think of a story that Jill, her mom, told me a few weeks ago.  She said that Ava gets so mad at Jill and Court if they forget to pray for Russell and I...not only during family prayers, but every other prayer too; meal times and am/pm prayers.  She'll interject and remind them to pray for us to have a baby.  How lucky are we?  We just can't get enough of them!

Anywho, we hope you're all having a fabulous week!  2 weeks till The CARNIVAL!  Saturday, April 28th from 2-5pm!!  We're SO Excited!!