Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Today is the Day

We go to Shriner's this afternoon to get LB's splint off. I am so excited! I just hope they don't x-ray her and decide to put one back on again for another two weeks. If all goes well we plan on celebrating by taking a bath. Weeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

I am also going to get one item off my list by jumping on the National Delurking Week (or is it international?) by asking my readers (yes, you!) to delurk and post a comment. It's not hard, I promise. You don't even have to put in a code verifying that you are a human - just hit the comments link at the bottom of this post and you are on your way.

Names would be great. Links to a blog if you have one better still. I would love to hear why you read or how you found this blog or where you are from - any little tidbit would be nice. Even if I know you IRL, just post a quick comment to say you were here. It would be much appreciated.

While we are at it, this would be a great time to ask a question or request more posts on a particular topic. Don't worry about asking something that might offend. If you are truly curious, I will do my best to respond. If you just want to offend, well then please don't.

I have to say I am a bit nervous about this post. It's like throwing a party and worrying that no one will show up. Please come, introduce yourself, and then you can go back to lurking. I will provide some virtual chocolate - all the best kinds and perpared in the most delicious ways if that would help.

In the meantime, you can go here for some more pictures of LB with her buddy Maya. LB is wearing the completely awesome overalls that Maya's grandmother made her. Besides the butterflies she embroidered on the front, it has her name, birth date and measurements. Leah (Maya's mom) successfully brought her daughter home from Guatemala this past March. I keep telling Leah we should all go back to Guatemala, at least for the winter. Unfortunately, after living there for 8 months fostering her daughter, she is happy to be home in the cold. Since Maya loves the snow too, I don't think I will be winning that argument any time soon.

Edited to add that LB's splint came off today and she looks like a normal baby again! Well, until she sucks in both her upper and lower lips - her new favorite hobby. She looks like one of those old lady faces shriveled apples. The bath was great too!

Please keep the questions / delurkings coming. I am looking forward to answering them.

22 comments:

Ryan's Mommy said...

Not a lurker, but wanted to leave you a comment, since you asked. :) I'm a faithful reader and am about to start a DE cycle, if all goes well and if I don't change my mind for the trillionth time.

My question for you is this: how often, if ever, do you think about LB coming from a donor egg? Do you still mourn that loss, or does it not matter anymore? I remember it took you a long time to get used to the idea, even while you were PG.

I ask because these are the kinds of things I'm thinking/worrying about now, going into this DE process. I know I'll love my kid 100%, but I have one (hard-earned) bio kid and I sometimes wonder if my DE child will be as smart, gorgeous, etc., and if it will matter to me if he/she isn't. Or will I be blind to his/her faults entirely, because he/she is mine. I'd like to think these things won't matter, but some small part of me is sad that I'll never know what a second bio kid might have been like.

battynurse said...

Not a lurker either.
Those are some cute pictures of LB and the other little girl is adorable too.
So glad the splint is coming off today and hope it stays off.

Lori Lavender Luz said...

I came over to make sure your comment box wasn't lonely.

I'm running a similar post tomorrow, and I, too, am scared no one will comply.

Leah Maya Benjamin said...

does it have to be guatemala? I would take another nice warm tropical non 3rd world country place, maybe thats a little less corrupt. hOpe all goes well at Shriner's and find about what "natural" means what a weird choice of words even a c-section isn't natural. Looking in swim lessons or something fun to do now that we finally have kids, but now can't afford to do all the fun little things we wanted.

Anonymous said...

Hi Kami,
I guess I am a lurker although I think I commented once or twice (sorry, shy I guess). I found your blog when I was trying to make the decision to use donor eggs. Genetics was originally very important to me (hence the 5 tries at IVF), so your honest description of life on the other side was part of what gave me the strength to go ahead.

Unfortunately the donor from our first cycle produced no usable eggs (we are trying to hire a statistician to calculate exactly how unlucky it is possible for us to be). But we are gearing up to try again with a new donor. I'm trying to pick with an eye toward proven donors over those that look like me but it's hard. My question to you is:

How important was it that the donor look like you? Were there certain characteristics you would have insisted on? Why? Now that you're on the other side do you think a resemblance is more or less important than you thought it was then?

Anonymous said...

Delurking to say I am happy to hear that LB is getting her splint off today.

I don't remember how I came across your blog,but do enjoy reading it.
Jen in Ontario

Laurie said...

HI, not a lurker, but just saying hello. Hope the splint came off today! I would love to join you in a trip to somewhere warm, at least in spirit :-)

squarepeg said...

Loyal reader but rare commenter "delurking!" I'm planning to embark on a DE cycle soon, and your blog has been enormously helpful for me. I worry about the same things you did (and apparently other soon to be DE cyclers) so it's comforting to know I'm not the only one.

Questions... let's see. How often do people comment that LB looks or doesn't look like you? Your DH? How to you answer or handle the comment/question?

When/how to you plan to share LB's story with her?

Thank you SO much for sharing your story. It's really, really helpful :)

Leah said...

Not a lurker, you know me well. But figured I'd comment to let you know I'm here. As always. :-)

Sky said...

Not a lurker. You're one of the blogs I follow, as I'm also going the DE route. :)

One sincere question. I know you have truly grieved the loss of genetic offspring. So my question is, has that evaporated? If so, how long did it take?

Anonymous said...

Delurking to say hi. I think I've commented a time or two and probably said the same thing - how refreshingly honest your blog is.

Looking forward to hearing more about EC. :)

Sara said...

Faithful reader (and regular commenter) here. Just saying hi. Hi!

AwkwardMoments said...

Thinking healing thoughts for LB

stacyb said...

not a lurker...just another DE mom who has been following you along your journey for some time now.

i find your posts thoughtful and though provoking and well i just like to read what you have to say.

what's my question...ummm what new thing is LB doing these days?

Anonymous said...

You remember me I hope.

I have been here FOREVER.

I don't have any questions. Just enjoy reading.

Anonymous said...

I'm a lurker and faitful reader. I am also a new mom through DE. I've enjoyed reading your blog because your feelings and issues mirror mine so well. It's nice to know that I am not the only one out there that has done this and is going through the same things. My baby girl is 7 months and very close in age to yours.

I don't really have any questions. Well, yes maybe one. I find that while I adore my baby girl to pieces, I still do wish that she were genetically mine. And not because I wish she were different in any way, just because there's all this stuff that goes along with it that I am sometimes not sure I am strong enough to deal with. This is all such new territory. Does that make sense? Do you ever feel like that?

Thank you for being so open about your story (another thing that I am not).

Anonymous said...

Okay, you SO need to take a picture of LB with her lips sucked in!!
Glad that the splint is off!

Lisa DG said...

Not a lurker, just a faithful admirer. Happy the cast is coming off and what a cutie. Your blog gives me hope...

Stacie said...

De-lurking to say that I just found you through your comment on my blog (a big thank you). I look forward to reading your blog!

Anonymous said...

Hey, I guess I'm sort of a lurker through laziness... I also would love to see LBs lip thing!
So glad you are opening up questions about DE, although right now I don't have any myself (just hunkering down and hoping for better results next time).

Elizabeth Leigh said...

I've commented once (i think), but am a very faithful reader! so, okay i'm a lurker, i admit it. nevertheless, here i am, commenting to say, Hi and i enjoy reading your experiences pre and post birh of LB. I can honestly say I have NO idea how i found your blog - but while i was pregnant with my own little LB (little boy, not butterfly ha:)), i read your blog, and it seemed we were both prego with close due dates. My LB was born May 21 (two weeks early!), with an original due date of June 5. Your LB born shortly thereafter.... so i followed your pregnancy, compared it to my own, and now do the same with your LB and mine, as they grow up:)

AND - Just to be upfront, as you are, i have never commented because - i don't follow your blog because i relate to your fertility issues. i am one of the women you write about who can never really understand your situation/ feelings/ etc about your fertility struggle... because i haven't had that same struggle. FYI though - from reading your blog, i have learned a great deal about the in/outs of the extent women go to, the emotional roller coaster, and the ache of your heart. I've thought of you often regarding this and - still do...

BUT - aside from that, I gasped and laughed as you ventured into the bathroom method and hurrying LB to her mini-potty!! fascinated that you were trying it and loved that you kinda enjoyed it! (how is this going btw?) i compared your LB's first snow pics to my LB's pics - you had lots of snow, our snow looked more like dust. and just today, at LB's newest pics on the other blog, though - Ah, her head and my Lb's head are the same size and shape!

So - thats who i am:) no longer a lurker! my blog is www.pregnantjournal.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

Belated delurker here, just stopping by to say "hi!"