The Paws on IVF (See what I did there?)

If you follow us on Instagram or are our friends on Facebook, you know that Porch & I (and Charlotte) added a new furry member to our family. His name is Archer Mallory Sterling Porch and he is not only a perfect fit for our family, he is also a welcome distraction.

It is with a somber heart that I share our 4th (and final) frozen embryo transfer was not successful. If Porch and I are to have another baby, we will need to go through the entire IVF process again or find good fortune with a surprise baby the natural way. If you remember, our initial odds given to us were < 1% per cycle (this is compared to around 30% for a typical couple). We're taking a few moments to pause and feel thankful that we were able to attempt 4 frozen transfers and I feel a sense of peace knowing that those embryos aren't just sitting around.

We'll keep you updated as we move forward but for now, we are enjoying Charlotte's enthusiasm (understatement) for the holiday season as well as Archer's antics as he finds his place in the family.

When it's your first car ride and you've got those darn dancer's legs...

Thank you for supporting us on this adventure and all the kind words, thoughts, and prayers you've sent our way as we attempted to add another tiny human to our family but something about Archer was just right & we knew it was time to add him to our mix.

Mama Porch

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The neighborhood gem

We have lived in our current place for about 2.5 years. Sunday marked the first time EVER that we walked to the neighborhood park and participated in open swim at the pool. I don't know why it took so long... maybe because we're not usually here on the weekends? Not sure. But Sunday was such a gorgeous day that we couldn't resist the urge to be outside but this preggo needed to be cool. I mentioned the pool and called to find out deets (hours, type of swim, fee, etc) and we slipped on our suits & were out the door in no time! We had been working all morning to assemble baby gear and catch up on laundry so we welcomed the break. We spent about an hour soaking up the sun and floating around in the water. We really aren't going anywhere (no more trips to the cabin or Green Bay for me) between now and the baby's arrival so I suspect that if the weather is nice, we'll be more likely to consider the pool. Hey, it's clean, free, and close to home. Can...

One Year Anniversary: Kicking off our IVF cycle

Today marks the one-year celebration of the first time I had to give myself an injection for our IVF treatment. It was a day of SO much emotion, so much suspense, and of course, so much hope. I remember giving myself the pep talk about the injections -- This is nothing compared to what labor will be like (and I kinda called that one). It got easier each time, especially as I found others in the blog world who were going through the same thing as I was at the same time. I would do every single thing again, multiple times, if it meant I got to find my way to Charlotte. This girl is my own living, beating heart, outside of my body. I am so thankful to the team at IHR here in Chicago for all of their kindness, support, and knowledge. The team at IHR helped Porch and I start our little family and we could never fully express the gratitude we have for that gift. I am still thinking of those who are in the midst of their journey to parenthood, thos...

I suppose this kid's gonna need somewhere to sleep...

As an avid blog stalker reader, I have been following several stories of other families who have struggled with infertility and am actually just days separated from Liz & her hubby at Wishing on a Snowflak e who adopted embryos and actually had her transfer the same week I did and we both got positive results. I read her blog today and saw the amazing nursery they're putting together for their daughter and I realized something kind of important... Holy shit. This kid is going to need somewhere to sleep. And we're already almost 14 weeks deep. I suspect it's much like the wedding. I was never really the girl who dreamed about her wedding day in great detail. I was too busy hoping to find the right person, the details didn't matter. I feel like I've been so busy wishing, hoping, praying, stabbing myself with needles, etc to give this some real deep thought. Remember when we moved in to our apartment and Porch was all like " We could raise some...

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