Big News!

Andrew is going to be a big brother! Our baby is due this fall and we are elated! We decided to go ahead and do IVF with our doctor here in Louisiana before we move this summer. The cycle didn't go so well. Believe me, if you want to know the effects of aging on your body, try to produce some eggs! Last time, 35 retrieved. This time, only 12. But like Greg kept telling me during our cycle, "all you need is one" (sung to the tune of the Beetles "All You Need is Love," of course). After transferring three embryos, we were so happy to see two pink lines on a hpt a couple of days before our beta.

So far, the pregnancy has been easy -- some feelings of nausea in the beginning a few very tired weeks -- but I am feeling better now and little one seems to be doing well. We have our anatomy scan in two weeks and they just did my quad screen yesterday. So please keep us in  your prayers that our quad screen returns normal. I am very lucky to be able to see my OB that I had with Andrew (at least until we move in August) and I am working hard to convince him he needs to come to NC in the fall for an outer banks fishing/hunting/baby delivery vacation. :)

Andrew is so excited about the baby. He has offered several name suggestions -- Microraptor, Harvey, Richard Rabbit and has been pretty adamant about Rosie. We were thinking, wow that's a really nice name and then one day he announced that Rosie is the class guinea pig at preschool. lol

So, if you have any great name suggestions -- send them my way. Remember what a difficult time we had naming Andrew? I don't really expect anything different this time around. We will find out if this baby is a little brother or a little sister in a couple of weeks.

In other news, we are preparing to move back to NC after Greg's retirement ceremony at the end of July. We are busy preparing for the big ceremony and the party to celebrate. My mother-in-law is coming to help out before the festivities and will stay with us to help me and Andrew out on the long drive home.

I have a lot of mixed emotions about this big change in our lives. Of course, there's a lot of pride but also a good bit of worry over our future as Greg looks for work. On the other hand, it seems almost like a dream that we will finally be able to put down some roots and live close enough to my family (and my mother-in-law who made the move from New England down to NC earlier this year) to see them whenever we want.

I am trusting God to provide for our soon to be family of four. In fact, I think it's fate that Greg's official retirement date (when the regular pay checks end) is Nov. 1, which is also our baby's due date.

God is so good and we are so thankful to be a growing family.