so the 2 week wait. it coincided with the holidays. so either we sat around here in rockville till the new year just to get the results or we went ahead with our travel plans to spend the holidays with my family in Texas. uh... no debate. we were heading to Texas.
everyone protested me flying down there because they didn't want anything to happen to me and the little embryos. but, to me, if the doctor says it's okay, it's okay. in hindsight, i understand the concern now. but i really needed to be with my family at the time. i guess they just didn't realize how much i needed to be with them and see them and hug them and spend as much time with them as i could before all the chaos happened. i'm hoping they understand now though.
it was great to be around everyone, but it was hard hiding the fact that i was incubating 2 little embryos. only my parents and siblings and their significant others knew the news. on christmas eve, we celebrated our annual "Ulanday Christmas" at my sister's house and had a great time. we did our usual white elephant exchange and played some games. all in all it was a very exciting and fun day.
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| my niece Taylor and nephew Mason |
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| me & mark |
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| brother-in-law Allen, Mason, Taylor, sister Laurie |
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| brother Mike and his girlfriend Rachel |
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| Mom and Dad, Mason and Taylor |
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| cousin-in-law Holly, niece Hannah, cousin Eric |
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| cousin Dennis, nephews Nick, Jake and Zach, niece Olivia, cousin-in-law Kelly |
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| Mason with brother-in-law's brother Jody |
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| Dennis |
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| Aunt Corette |
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| Kelly's sister-in-law Sharon |
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| Mike and my Uncle Rolly |
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| kiddos playing the right left game |
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| nephews |
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| Laurie and cousin's girlfriend Cindy |
on christmas day, we all woke up early to have breakfast at my sister's in-laws' house. as we were finishing up breakfast and heading out to church, i needed to use the restroom. it was then and there that i started bleeding. i had felt a little pain early that morning but attributed it to gas from the heavy breakfast. i guess i had been wrong. so i called the doctor's office (they are open 24/7/365) and left a message for the on-call doctor about my bleeding and mild cramping. mark and i decided that i should go back to bed and lay down while he went to church with my family. and so i did.
while at church, the doctor's office called back and told me that there was nothing they could do at the moment and for me to monitor the bleeding - making sure that it didn't get worse and that hopefully it would get better. it got better. by the time everyone came home from church and were getting ready to eat lunch, the bleeding had subsided. i was to call back the next morning or friday to speak to dr. o'brien or one of her nurses about further instructions. i called back on friday.
according to the nurse, it could be bleeding from implantation which is fairly common - even more if there are 2 successfully implanted embryos. so that news calmed me down. but, i had to take it easy from now on and really adhere to the no lifting more than 25 pounds thing. it was
REALLY hard to adhere to that when i missed my niece and nephew so much that all i wanted to do was pick them up and cuddle with them. i had to resort to laying on the couch with them most of the time.
new year's eve and my not-so-little-anymore brother's 30th birthday (new year's day) was looming around the corner. as i was helping my sister take care of the kids and she helped my mom prep for the annual new year's party at my parents' house, i felt cramping yet again. and wouldn't you know it, i started bleeding yet again. it wasn't as bad as christmas day, but i definitely saw fresh red blood. my heart just sank. another call to the nurse and the doctor's office ensued.
this time, the nurse said that it could still be residual from the first bleed and the same instructions were given. rest, take it easy, and monitor the heaviness of the bleeding. it thankfully didn't get any worse and subsided by the time people were arriving to my parents' house. the party was a lot of fun 'cept that a whole bunch of us had apparently gotten sick and were still recovering from something someone may have passed around on christmas eve. my brother turned 30 and my sister and i looked at each other and realized just how old WE were now! haha
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| Mike & Taylor |
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| cousin Mark & husband Mark |
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| Daddy & Mike |
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| Daddy, Aunt Eufe, Aunt Corette, Uncle Rolly, Mike, Godmother Juliet |
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| pretty banner i made and family photos |
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| Mike & Rachel |
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| Mike, Mark, godbrother Matthew, Mark, Rachel |
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| Taylor and my Mommy |
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| my goddaughter Julia and Taylor |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| Julia and her mom, my godsister Jennifer |
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| Me and Julia |
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| me and mark |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| Julia's brother Ben playing Minute To Win It games |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| Uncle Art, playing Minute To Win It games |
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| Allen, playing Minute To Win It games |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| playing Minute To Win It games |
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| helping my brother blow out his candle |
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| umbrella with 30 rolled up $1 bills hanging from it for Mike's 30th birthday, made by me and my sister |
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| passed out Mason, and a very exhausted sister and niece |
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a few days later, mark and i headed back to rockville completely exhausted, hearts filled with a lot of love and ready to take my blood test to see if we were pregnant.
