This is ridiculously real!

We went in this morning to have another blood draw to find out what our "doubling time" is. And I got a 492. The lab told me that they were expecting a score around 2.5 times the previous result. And we were a whopping 3.152!  I think we win at blood tests.

And this little ball of cells has settled in for the time being. In a week and a half, we'll be headed back to the clinic for an ultrasound to see that everything has settled in properly and to verify just how many balls of cells are floating around inside my uterus.

I apologize if my blog is a bit lacking, as of late. For those of you that have never experienced pregnancy, I am utterly and completely exhausted. I'm lucky to make it to 9:00 at night before I need my bed.

In the past 96 hours

These three things happened:

And then we had a blood draw with our doctor. Beta of 156.1

We are officially pregnant!

And I capped it off by barfing in the parking lot of a post office.

The Dreaded Two Week Wait

Here we are. In our very first two week wait for our very first insemination. And though I told myself in the buildup that I wouldn't obsess, that I would just go about my life, I still find myself worrying about *everything*.

Did I just cough to hard? 

What if I squatted down to fast to pick up the dog and dislodged anything that could have been happening? 

How did I not know that I cannot drink hibiscus tea if I'm trying to get knocked up? Obviously, that cup of tea I just drank is destroying every chance I had!

My brain just cannot seem to shut off. Right now, if all is going the way we want it to, this is happening in my body:

And really, that could be exact it. Everything that could go well for us, went great. When we went in on Friday for my Day 12 scan, I had two really great looking, "juicy" follicles getting ready to spit out some eggs. I took my trigger shot at exactly 8 p.m. on Saturday night, and 37 hours later, we were inseminated. Our donor vial had a post-thaw, post-wash count of 23 million!  23 MILLION! (Anything over 10 million is acceptable and 15 is the norm. We got 23 Million!) I had absolutely no "regurgitation" or spilling. My acupuncture appointment afterword was relaxing and rejuvenating. 

So, now...we sit. And we wait. Until February 25. (Or more likely February 26, because I'll be too scared to test and would rather just wait it out).  

Book Swappin' Goodness!

I participated in the Books 'n' Bloggers Swap over at Chaotic Goddess Swaps, and I gotta say it is probably my favorite of all the swaps I've done thus far. I'm so excited to dive into my new books!

So, the premise was that you would send your partner a book you love, a book you haven't read, and a book your partner wants.  Now I'm not sure which order the books I received fit those numbers, but I'll take a bit of a guess.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi 

(A book my partner loves?)

Synopsis: No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablisment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time -- and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever. 

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a riveting dystopian world, a thrilling superhero story, and an unforgettable heroine. 

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

(A book my partner wants to read?)

Synopsis: Magic is dangerous -- but love is more dangerous still.  when Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother in Victorian England, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld. Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she has the power to transform into another person. The Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. She soon finds herself fascinated by -- and torn between -- two best friends: James and Will.  As Tessa is drawn deep into a plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, she realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world... and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.  

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Synopsis: It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a  thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine's children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow-- impossible though it seems -- they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.