LesRelief: Everything Seems Fine

This was a bit of a chaotic week.  Tommie was bleeding and she was also feeling exactly like shit.  The bleeding subsided and the IVF nurse said that it was "normal," and we did not need to go in for a visit. Tommie and Sharkie (that nickname for the embryo has really stuck) will go for an ultrasound on Friday, at nearly 10 weeks.  We are still at the stage, in which anything could go wrong at any moment.  It's like we're teetering at the edge of a cliff.  We did get some good news, though.  Tommie had elevated levels of TSH when she was first pregnant, so she was put on a very low dose of a thyroid medication; now, her TSH is totally normal.  Apparently, high levels of TSH can be risky for a developing embryo (see article).  All is well in thyroid land.

We were able to sneak in some laughs this week.  Tommie and I are staunchly atheist and I accidentally bought her a baby naming book from Amazon.com that is for "spiritual reference"!  In my defense, that was not entirely clear in the description.  When the book arrived- which I thought would be a nice way to lighten the mood- it was filled with biblical references and advice for a "spiritual naming."  Just in case you want to avoid it or order it, here's the book:

BABY NAMES BOOK NOT INTENDED FOR ATHEISTS


I did find a really great one too and we think we settled on some choices that truly resonate with both of us. Since IVF- without intentional sex selection through PDG- results in many more girl babies, we have made "girl names" our focus.  Girl babies are more resilient and, generally, have higher heart beats per minute than boy babies.  Sperm containing female chromosomes also live longer, so they have a better chance of meeting the egg.  (Interestingly, when parents choose the sex of their baby, more than 70% select a boy!)  The statistics are mixed on all of this, but most of the literature I read supports this girlie notion.  This article provides a little overview.

We have always found it easier to agree on boy names.  We are both somewhat androgynous ourselves, so our goal has been to find gender-neutral names.  We are opposed to the whole blue-pink dichotomy and we don't want Sharkie to feel like he/she cannot express himself/herself.

I'M NOT TELLING YOU OUR BABY NAMES THAT ARE IN HERE


Tommie's cravings and sickness continue.  She has consumed tons of ginger ale and has also asked for clam strips (?), Oreos (??), and orange Jello (???) in the last week.  I  found an awesome ginger ale that contains real ginger; it is delicious and much better than the garbage that is called "Ginger Ale."  I also cannot stop drinking it, so it will be a miracle if my teeth don't rot out of my head before Sharkie is born.

FEVER TREE GINGER ALE WITH REAL GINGER AND CANE SUGAR



I have a new habit of calling Tommie and asking her, "How are you guys?"  I am now starting to think of Sharkie as a person, but I am a proponent of science, and I know we are not quite there yet.  It's still cute that there is a little blob with a faint heartbeat growing inside of Tommie.  When my sister was pregnant, I had recurring dreams that she gave birth to a puppy.  It was always wrapped in a blanket and she would hand it to me, so I could hold it.  I have not had anything like this since Tommie became pregnant, so I guess it is not entirely real to me yet.