The ball is really rolling now... - post 14

“I’m so excited….and I just can’t hide it…..I’m about to lose control and I think I like it….” Are you bobbing your head with me??!! We really are so excited that we can not hide it!! Plans for a new Miller baby or babies are moving right along. It feels like we couldn’t possibly experience more favor than what we already have (unless, of course, someone wanted to pay for all of our expenses in full…just putting that out there…) :)

Anyway, timing is everything in this entire process. In our case, because Kari just had her son about 6 months ago, the doctors wanted to see her body show that it was ready to house another little one…aka a menstrual cycle. We did not have a clue when this would be happening; I’m sure you ladies have never waited with a longing anticipation for such a thing as this…hahaha. At one of my monitoring appointments in Winter Park, I talked with a nurse about a hypothetical game plan for when this day may come. I decided to take Kari with me to the next appointment, if for no other reason, to become established as a patient. They tested her and found out that she was at the perfect time to start her mock cycle (a trial run with hormone patches to see how her uterus responds to the medication)! On Monday, October 26th, she started the mock cycle and only a week and a half later her uterus responded exactly like it was supposed to. It thickened up and got nice and “cushy” so it was ready to house an embryo. Great news - she is a perfect carrier! She responded so well that she was able to move on to the second phase of the mock cycle 4 days sooner than planned.

We have about 2 appointments every week now, but it doesn’t get annoying because we know what the ultimate result could be. Plus, it makes the time go by so much faster. We have a mental checklist of everything that has to be done and we have been able to cross out so many things already. On Wednesday, November 11th (Thank you to all of our military men and women, those currently serving, have served, and those that have given up their lives for us to experience life as we do today.) all four of us get to have a chat with our psychologist. We are looking forward to it because we will be made aware of where issues may potentially arise so we can deal with it before it ever gets here. By the way, this time it is Kari’s turn to take the personality profile test consisting of over 500 questions. We decided to make good use of this trip to Winter Park, so we not only get to chat with Dr. Burnett, but Paul and I will also be taking care of our FDA blood work and his initial “analysis.” WOW! It is getting down to the wire…so many things to finish, but as you can tell, it is all just falling into place.

I am also in contact with our lawyer, who is drawing up our contract now. We will probably meet with him at the end of the month to solidify things before we get started in December. Yes, you read right! If all keeps going as planned, we are looking at a potential start date of December 14th! Depending on the treatment plan that the doctors decide on, we could potentially be pregnant by the second or third week of January!!! I will definitely keep you updated on the process and if there are any changes, which in the world of IVF is not unheard of.

For a little side note, I just have to say that I could not have asked for a better couple to experience this entire process with. We are all so much alike in how we feel and what we believe that it has made this process a piece of cake. I love you, Jon and Kari! Thank you for wanting to go on this journey with us and making it an absolute pleasure!

DID YOU NOTICE WE REACHED OUR GOAL FOR THE LAWYER????!!!!!

Another piece of the puzzle complete! - post 13

Well, all of the shots are done and over with…for now! Everything went absolutely perfect for the entire donation process. Most days I only had to get one shot, but there were two days that I had to get two. It was no big deal, especially since I wasn’t the one administering them. My husband gave most of them to me, but towards the end there were a couple of times that he wasn’t around, so my sister-in-law and my mother-in-law stepped in and saved the day. Thank goodness! My last monitoring appointment had to be done by the clinic down south. I got a call on Friday, the 23rd of October saying, “We need to have you here (Ft. Lauderdale) on Monday, the 26th. Depending on what we see you might have to stay through the week or you could go home the next day…” It wasn’t like that was a horrible request, but the unknown of it was crazy. So, as I frantically tried to make arrangements to go out of town I got another call a few hours later that said, “Change of plans. Do your monitoring at Dr. Trolice’s on Monday and you may come to us on Tuesday.” That’s exactly what we did! Like she said though, we went home the next day because the retrieval was postponed until Saturday, October 31st. There is something everyone must know about the entire field of IVF, and that is you have to be flexible!

I got a little nervous on the retrieval day when I had to put the hat and booties on and saw the anesthesiologist. I started to think, what if this procedure is worse than I had planned on it being? The procedure took about 30 minutes and within another 30 minutes I was awake and talking. There was no need for any major pain medication. I just took a few ibuprofens for some slight cramping that day and that was it! We are so excited for the opportunity we have provided for the recipient couple!

It has started!! - post 12

So, last night was the night! We carefully cleaned our working surface and Paul prepared all of the medication. It took almost 30 minutes before we even got it all ready! We were trying to make sure that we didn’t miss anything, and also we were trying to figure out what some of the things in our “goody bags” were! I was nervous, but Paul acted like he was excited. I think he likes the idea of sticking me with a needle a little too much...hahaha He mixed each vial and pulled it all up into one syringe so I only have to have one stick per day instead of three a day. I was alright at first, but when it came down to actually administering the shot I think Paul got a little nervous. So, in turn, I had a little bit of a “freak-out” moment. I got the shot in my stomach and just like everyone says, it really wasn’t that bad. We will be doing one shot every night for the next 7-11 days.

I have an appointment this Friday the 23rd at Dr. Trolices’ office in Winter Park. I will be doing my monitoring there, since it is closer to where we live. I will have to have blood drawn and another ultrasound to make sure my ovaries are responding to the medication the way they should. I will hopefully be able to talk with a nurse to make sure that Kari and I are on track to having our cycle in December too! I’m so excited (especially now that I know what to expect with the injections)!

Oh, the anticipation... - post 11

I know it has been a while since I have updated things, but I have learned that every detail of this process takes time. In our case, we didn’t even know everything that we were supposed to do until this week! It was kind of exciting when the nurse from the clinic actually scheduled our appointment to show us how to give our injections. However, that appointment got changed four different times…So, this past Monday (October 12, 2009), we finally made our second trip to Plantation, Florida.

I had to have another ultrasound to check on my ovaries. It was a little uncomfortable because the doctor said when the ovaries aren’t anchored to the uterus they tend to just be floating around. It took him a while to find them, but when he did he reassured us that everything was good to go! The nurse had to draw more blood to recheck for STDs and she sent us to a room to watch two videos on how to give the injections. Paul will be giving me the injections (I’m not really comfortable watching needles go through my skin), so he thought it was really comical when the video compared the injection technique to “playing darts.” He says he is pretty good at darts, so we should be pretty good (eeek)! After we watched the videos, we were escorted into another room where there was a table piled full of medication, syringes, and needles. It was a little overwhelming, but funny at the same time. I am so thankful that Paul is here to go through this with me. The nurse went over the calendar with us and the details of what I will be taking everyday. Originally, we were supposed to start on Friday (October 16, 2009), but I received a call from the nurse who asked us to push everything back two days. So, our official start date is Sunday, October 18, 2009! I only have to take the injections for 8-12 days and then we will be doing the retrieval. The latest the retrieval would be is the 30th of October!

WOW! I can’t believe this time is already here. I mean, I CAN, but I can’t….this means that we are that much closer to our own cycle! A great thing about this is the fact that my doctor from Winter Park, Dr. Trolice, will have an exact blueprint of how my body responds to the medication from this donation. That will give us one more thing to add to our already “perfect” scenario. Maybe Paul and I will get the best Christmas present ever if we find out we are pregnant by December!!!

Two-Way Blessings - post 10

So, I finally have some time to tell you about what has taken place over the last two weeks. I tried to sit down and write about it several times, but I couldn’t quite figure out how to preface what we have been experiencing. I know the entire process that we are involved in has many people thinking lots of different things. Some people love what we are doing and others have their reservations. The best thing I know to tell people that don’t necessarily agree with what we are doing is that all of this has happened with such ease that I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that God has His hand on all of this. Pastor Allen’s messages could not be more timely for us…We are not trying to figure out the “How” of our dreams before the “What,” so in turn it is coming together simply by God’s grace!

Several months ago I was doing some research on reproductive lawyers and came across an attorney who also has her own egg donor agency. We started talking about the details of what it would be like for me to become a donor myself. Paul and I (along with tons of close friends and family) discussed all sides of this option that had now been dropped at our door. I have to admit, at first, the thought of donating my eggs to an anonymous couple was a bit strange. And, yes, all of the questions and concerns that you are probably thinking of came to my mind as well. However, after a lot of thought, Paul and I both had a peace come over us. We came to the conclusion that we want to be a blessing to another family much like Kari and Jon have been for us. We know how badly it hurts to long for another child, and we could be the answer to another family who has probably spent countless hours crying because they too could not have a child.

With all that being said, we have been matched with a recipient couple! I received a call about 6 weeks ago that there was a couple interested in my “profile.” About 2 weeks later (August 12, 2009), Paul and I made our first trip to the fertility clinic in Plantation, Florida. I had a consultation with the doctor, an ultrasound to check out my ovaries, and some blood drawn. They haven’t gotten back all of my test results, but they went ahead and started me on birth control to coordinate my cycle with the recipient families’ surrogate. This is very similar to the cycle that Kari and I will be doing. Kari will have to take birth control with me so we cycle at the same time. Her body will be tricked into thinking it is about to get pregnant, so her uterine lining will be ready to accept our embryo. It truly is an amazing process from start to finish! I should find out if I am a definite candidate in about a week or two. By that time I will have learned how to give myself the daily hormone injections. I am not really excited about this part because needles aren’t my favorite thing in the world, but you “gotta do what you gotta do!”

So, like I said before, exciting things are happening! Kari and I plan to start preparing for our cycle in December or January. We can do our psychological screenings beforehand (to make sure we are all aware of what this process entails), but everything else that follows depends on when Kari’s body is ready to carry another baby (or two)!

I will keep you posted on the donor cycle as I find out more!

Taking steps to the final destination. - post 9

On Tuesday (7/21/09), we were able to attend an informational IVF meeting. It was sponsored by one of the two clinics that we have narrowed our choice down to. It was a good night because we were able to speak with the physician, embryologist, and a financial counselor.

The doctor was so passionate and caring. He and his wife have actually gone through IVF treatments to conceive children of their own, so he can relate to some of the feelings that most of his patients are having. He was telling us that he just adopted twins not too long ago, giving them five children under five! Above all, it was very evident that he has a heart for the Lord.

The embryologist was hilarious! You could tell he loved his job! Most of you that have talked with me or Kari know that we are joyful and excited about the things to come. So, having someone from the clinic that shares the same feelings makes it seem much more like an adventure instead of a horrible experience that we will have to endure.

The financial coordinator seemed very caring too. She knows lots of little tricks that will allow us to save money along the way. We all know that any penny we can pinch is good!

We are 90% sure we will be working with this clinic. So, as soon as we are certain I will let you all know which one it is.

In the meantime, we are still coming in contact with amazing people that want to do amazing things for us. As soon as we confirm the details I will post about them.

Musical Blessings from Caleb Miller! - post 8

Paul and I had the pleasure of housing Caleb and Rachelle Miller (no relation other than Jesus) during the 2008 Pastor's Conference at Family Bible Church. We are so thankful to have had the chance to get to know them. A few days ago Caleb contacted me with some unexpected and exciting news. He has agreed to post some of his music on our site for everyone to purchase with all the procedes going to our IVF! How great is this? Where else can you buy great music that will fulfill a dream? Thank you so much Caleb!

LOOK ON THE PANEL TO THE RIGHT TO FIND THE TUNES!

The donations are climbing! - post 7

As you can tell, the donations are coming in! We are so blown away at the amount of love and support we have experienced in these first couple of weeks. Just think, we are over 1/10 of the way to our first goal of $5,000 ($587)! Make sure to sign in as a "follower" so that you can be informed when we make updates on the blog. Thanks for being a part!

I have noticed that there are several people that are already familiar with IVF with a gestational carrier. I know sometimes this can be a sensitive subject, but if there are any suggestions or stories that you would like to share, please feel free to do so! You can email me at andrea_716miller@yahoo.com We are still learning as we go, so we love to hear other peoples' experiences!

Baby bottles are out and about... - post 6

Well, it has officially started-the baby bottles are circulating! I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of love and support we have already experienced from our friends and family...and this is just the start of it all! When we all met at Kari's house on Tuesday night (6/9/09) to put all of the baby bottles together I realized, once again, that we have the best friends in the world! Kari, ReAnna, Michelle and Lisa all helped to cut and prepare the bottles, Mark and Ben gave me a few pointers on computer stuff, while Jon, Paul, and Billy grilled some good eats! Linda Bennett (who also has an amazing story of her adopted baby boy, Trekker), thank you so much for donating the baby bottles you had. It really gave us a great start. I just want to say it feels so wonderful to be surrounded by people that have faith to move the mountains! It's nice to not feel like we are alone in all of this too....which after getting the word out about our blog...all of you reading this are just as much a part of this! Thanks for taking an interest in the miracles that God is doing in our lives! We will keep you all updated as funds roll in!

First batch of bottles...

Feel free to comment on anything you see on the blog. We would love to hear about information you might have or a great success story you know about. If you have questions, we can try to answer them the best we know how. I love to be asked off-the-wall things that I haven't thought about too...ReAnna is good at coming up with scenarios that haven't even crossed my mind! I hope you can share as much as we do!

I couldn't help it....just had to be silly!

What is IVF? - post 5

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process by which egg cells are fertilized by sperm outside the womb, in vitro. IVF is a major treatment in infertility when other methods of assisted reproductive technology have failed. The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing ova (eggs) from the woman's ovaries and letting sperm fertilize them in a fluid medium. The fertilized egg (zygote) is then transferred to the patient's uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy. (Taken from Wikipedia)

In other words, Andrea will take hormones to stimulate her ovaries to produce more eggs in a particular time frame. These eggs will be retrieved and then combined with Paul's sperm in order to make a zygote to transfer into Kari's uterus, which also has been stimulated by hormones to be prepared to house Paul and Andrea's baby.

This process will take about 2 months to complete. Thank You Jesus for a perfect IVF experience!

What is a gestational carrier? - post 4

Surrogacy is a method of reproduction whereby a woman agrees to become pregnant and deliver a child for a contracted party. A gestational carrier will carry the pregnancy to delivery after having been implanted with an embryo. (Taken from Wikipedia)

In other words, because Andrea has no uterus, Kari has volunteered to "share" her uterus with her. She will become pregnant with Paul and Andrea's genetic child. This is one of the most selfless acts that anyone could do for another person! Thank you "Kari the Carrier!"

YouTube Video of IVF Process - post 3

I found this video that may help some people see how the actual IVF process may work. The commentator is somewhat comical, but it might give you a better understanding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WypK9TpD34&feature=related

How much will all of this cost? - post 2

Isn't technology amazing? It is kind of crazy to think about this entire process happening! Of course, like everything else in the world, IVF costs money. The good thing about us is that we have a HUGE helper on our side....God! Again, with God all things are possible!

These are approximate costs that I know about ahead of time...there is no telling what other additional costs might come up along the way...

IVF cycle: $10-12,000
Lawyer: $5,000
Psychological review: $1,000
Medications: $3-5,000
Pre-screening tests: $3-5,000
Travel: ???
Ultrasounds: $1-2,000
Obstetrician: ???
Hospital: ???
Life Insurance: $500-1000

Again, these are rough estimates of the fees I know of ahead of time. To help out with some costs we have put together a fundraiser! Please see the "Fill a Bottle, Fulfill a Dream" post or find the "Donate" button!

"Moolah for Miller Baby" - post 1

Fill a Bottle, Fulfill a Dream...
We have started a fundraiser to accomplish our dreams of growing our family. We have handed out baby bottles and asked those that participate to fill the bottle with whatever gift they feel led to do. If you are not in our area and would like to contribute, you may use the PayPal Donate button or send us your gift directly. You will never truly know how much you all mean to us! Here is what was attatched to each bottle:


Thank you so much for wanting to help us on our journey to grow our family! As most of you know, Paul and I delivered McKenzie Renae, our beautiful baby girl, on August 29, 2007. Shortly after the normal delivery there were complications. In order to save my life they had to remove my uterus. There were ups and downs while coping with this fact. However, with a husband whose faith never waivered, we have overcome the fear and reality of never having our own children again. Thanks to today’s technology and an unbelievably wonderful family, Paul and I will be able to have more of our own children through IVF with a gestational carrier. Kari and Jon Wanberg are truly an example of God’s love and miracles!! I have deemed her “Kari the Carrier.” The entire process, from start to finish, will cost anywhere from $30-40,000. In numbers, this seems like a lot, but with God, this is merely a drop in the bucket (or bottle)! Please take this bottle and put it in a place that you will not forget about. As you collect loose change or big moolah just store it in the bottle. In about a month’s time we will recollect them. Please note that money is not the only factor. We need your prayers and love and support. This journey will be awesome, and we are glad you are a part of it!

We have a special place that you can go to peek in on our story and its success. It is always good to be able to SEE what God is doing!

Visit http://www.millerwanbergivf.blogspot.com/ whenever you can.