Ripped from my ovaries!

So on Friday the 12th we went in and had the "Egg retrieval" done. We injected a large dose of HCG which releases the egg from the wall of the follicle. Then we went into the office and I was put under after they got me all set up in stirrups. (a position i've never fallen asleep in I must say) At that point they go in with a vaginal ultrasound to navigate and go in through my abdomin with a need to suck out the eggs from the follicle. After the retrieval they let them rest for a bit and then do ICSI which is just injecting the sperm into the egg. I was told that it would feel like cramps. That was kind of an understatement. It felt like the worst bloated cramps I've ever had. I would dread going to the bathroom because it hurt. 3 days later I was feeling better. My sister-in-law even bought me flowers and gummy bears. It was really sweet.
The day after the retrieval we got a call from the Dr's office. We had retrieved 6 eggs and the nurse told us that 5 of them had fertilitized. Sterling was so excited. His words..."My boys are studs!" Lol. Sure baby! Whatever you say!
Today, Wednesday, I am scheduled to get pregnant. Yup! It is possible to pin point the day you get pregnant. It only takes about $15,000 and me turning into a human pin-cushion. I do have pictures of the day we did the retrieval but It's not really flattering. I was pretty pale after the procedure. My lips look blue.
Anywho, wish us Luck!!!!

Baby Ingredients!

There are a few people that know that Sterling and I are going through IVF (invitro fertilization). Sterling has been giving me a shot every evening before bed. The needle was just and insulin needle at first. It wasn't that bad. Sterling was out of town the first night I was supposed to start the shots so I did it myself. We have since moved up to a cocktail of medicine and uses a bigger needle. In about 10 days we will start progesterone shots, which from what I understand are pretty painful especially when you have to do them every day. I'm very much so feeling like a pin cushion. For the last week I have been going into the Dr. every other day to get a blood draw and and ultrasound. Luckily the ultrasounds are showing that I've got about 30 follicles (we call them baby ingredients) in each ovary and about 13 that are progressing the way the Dr's like. Next week (the 2nd week in June) is when we will be doing the egg retrieval. They will put me under and surgically remove the eggs that are mature enough and then they will do ICSI (insert Sterling's sperm into the egg (more baby ingredients)). We'll wait for about 3-5 days and then implant 2-3 of what they call blastocycsts. (we call these baby scraps) So, I've contemplated not telling anyone and decided to ask all of you for your prayers. We're ok with whatever the Lord has in mind for us and feel optimistic about this process. Thank you in advance for all of you thoughts and prayers and we'll let you know.

Belated Easter

We had a wonderful Easter. I woke up and made a nice Easter breakfast for everyone in the house. We had hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, and french toast. We had a nice family breakfast with each other, Sterling's parents, and his two little sisters. We got ready for church and taught our primary class. It was great. We had a couple of beautiful musical numbers in sacrament meeting. Typically I get an Easter dress but we're saving for children (either adoption, or fertility treatments), and a down pmnt on a home. I looked for an easter dress for like 3 hours one day but I had decided I didn't want to spend more than $30. I didn't find anything I liked so I settled for a nice shirt I found on clearance. I went to put the shirt on to get ready for church and had found that it was WAY too big. I ran the shirt upstairs and my mother-in-law and sister-in-law pinned it for me and then Chelsea (my sister-in-law) took it in. It was a good 3 inches too big. It turned out great. I was just as happy with my Easter shirt as I would have been with an $80 Easter dress.

When we got home from church we went out in the front of the house and took a family Easter picture with the daffodils. I LOVE daffodils. Obviously we had Pedro in our family picture because he is our "kid".
Grandma and Grandpa Cluff came for Easter Dinner. We had yummy ham. Mom and Dad had a Family Home Evening planned. A special video about Jesus Christ with a talk from President Hinckley. We had a great family discussion afterwards and then bid Grandma and Grandpa farewell. We took a family picture after the movie to document our lovely Easter.
Bottom Left to Right: Dad Cluff, Brittney, Lindsay, Chelsea
Top Left toRight: Jeff, Mom Cluff, Sterling, Konni, (Pedro), Grandma Cluff, and Grandpa Cluff.
It was really great to see Grandma and Grandpa. They always give big hugs when they get there and when they leave. Grandpa is so cute. He's this really tall 6'4' man that gives the best hugs to everyone and everyone loves to get his hugs. They shared some really great stories from their missions.

So many children left in our care

We have so many people that care about us and want us to have our own children. They tell us that they recognize what good parents we will be. Maybe that's why so many people tell us if something should happen to them they want us to take care of their kids. When Sterling's little sister was pregnant they told us they were going to put us down as legal gaurdian to their children in their will.
We have some friends...Bob and Cher, who are the parents of little David, pictured below, they have left David in our care if something should happen to them. They asked if we would be his "God Parents". We get to watch him pretty often and love this little guy. He's so cute. We had him Friday and Saturday this week and gave him a hair cut. He's getting so big. So, basically, all we need is for some people to die for us to get a kid. j/k. totally j/k

Baby David. He's a tank. before he was crawling it took a lot out of me to haul him around. Cute picture of him... not so flattering of me.
Sterling is so good with David. David always has a big smile for him. Sometimes when he's playing his computer game he even lets David sit on his lap and play with him. He's gonna be a great dad....someday.

David is just a movin'. This little man decided he wanted to get around on his own and started crawling. It wasn't a gradual learn how to crawl either. Sometimes when he gets away from me I've got to jog to catch up to him.

We bought him this little einsteins tunnel to play in when he comes to our house. He LOVES it.

Conference and Sterling's B-day

Conference!!

Yes, that's right folks that time of the year has come and gone. Conference is one of my favorite time of the year. My dad takes us all out to eat at a nice restaurant on Saturday after the priesthood session. This time we went to Red Lobster. Yummy! Then on Sunday morning we have the most delicious breakfast. Hashbrowns, eggs, toast, bacon, sausage(usually like 2-3 kinds), cinnamon rolls, and fruit. My dad is THE BEST breakfast maker in the world. Then, we sit down together and watch/listen to conference. Kirk (my brother) and Marnie came down from Logan with all of their kids except Trulan. He had to work. I love when they come down. While we had most everyone there I asked my family to take a big family photo that I could post on our blog so Kim (my brother) and Leslie could see and know that we were thinking about them since they live in Texas. It wasn't until we were all done taking the photo that I realized that most of the woman hadn't done their make up. Including me. Oh well. (Kim, if you will look closely at Kris on the top right you will see that in both of the pics like this he is giving you the "sexy" look. Goof ball)

Bottom Left-Right: Cabren holding Pedro, Bryson, Kiana, Kirk, Marnie holding Kambrie

Top: Konni, Holden, Sterling, Keri, Mom, Dad, Kris, Rosa.

We retook the picture because Kiki just had to touch Peddie and Kambrie was covering half her face.

Kirk, Marnie, Kambrie, and Cabren listening and coloring during conference.



I went up to take a picture of my dad "listening" to conference up in his room but he had just woken up. If the man would let us help with breakfast he wouldn't have to wake up at 5 am to start breakfast.

Poor Kiki was sick when they got to the house. She started throwing up right after breakfast. This was after she threw up and was feeling better so she decided to color with me, Bryson, Holden, and Kambrie. Kambrie and I colored her a "get well soon" picture. It was really cute. It was a precious moments picture of a little girl dressed up like a nurse feeding a spoonful of medicine to a sick little puppy.

This, ladies in my nephew Cabren. I would say that he's a hottie but that's a little wierd coming from his aunt. So, I will just say that he is growning up to be very handsome. Trulan is very handsome as well but he wasn't there for me to take a pic of him. Anywho, keep your hands off. He's only 15. Pedro was so cute. He jumped up on Cabe'slap and just sat there with him for a while.

Bryson, my cute little nephew. He's getting so big. He's turning into a little man. He came and sat on the floor with us and colored as well.

Kirk nick names all of his kids. Hold is Moochie because when he was little he would walk around the room and kind of Mooch off of people for treats and stuff. I remember going to the hospital when he was born. This time was the first time he was able to go to the priesthood session and then out to dinner with us because he turned 12 in February. He's a very impressive young man. He ordered some fish that he had never tried before when we went to dinner. I would have never done anything like that when I was his age.

I was taking a picture of Sterling "listening" to conference the same way my dad "listens" to conference up in his room. The spirit must have whispered to him that I was taking a picture because he opened his eyes right as I was taking the picture.

Kiana started feeling better at the end of the morning session and got up to cuddle with Pedro. She's so cute with him. If he is within touching distance she has to be touching, or petting him.

Sterling's B-day!

On conference Sunday Sterling turned 26. Well, he likes to call it the 1st anniversary of his 25th b-day. Nerd, I know. Ever since he decided he's balding he doesnt' want to get older. It's a good thing something started to age him because I don't think he could hold it together again if the gas man came to the door and asked if his mom or dad were there when he's 30.

I gave him this shirt for his b-day. It's a really pretty dark purple. He looks nice in it. I got a small for him so he didn't look like he was wearing a tent. It fits his body much better but the sleeves are a little short and the neck is a little tight when he buttons it all the way up.

It's a good thing there were only like 12 candles because he wouldn't have been able to blow all of them out. He couldn't even get all 12 of the ones on there.

Happy Birthday Pedro!!

Well, it's been three years since we adopted Pedro from the humane society. He was 12 years old when we got him and since we adopted him in March I just say that Pedro's birthday is in March. So, Pedro is 15 years old now. We got Pedro after we had been trying to get pregnant for a while. I guess you could say I wanted a dog to replace the void that I felt from lack of children. We couldn't have found a dog that could fill that void any better. Sometimes when I am cuddling with Pedro I say, "Peddie, Heavenly Father sent you to me." Sterling thinks it's cute and I somewhat believe that Peddie was sent to us. We really do love this little guy. Even my mom says that she was a little worried when we got him but he has turned out to be a really great dog. I think she secretly wishes Pedro was hers.

People always put postings up about their kids and Pedro is the closest thing we have so...here goes...

We always take him with us to family pictures. He's very photogenic.

He loves to be with his Mommy. He has this neurotic habit of licking his paws. He can do it for hours. It actually gets really irritating especially when he's always near you. The movement bugs, the sound is disgusting, and his breath REALLY stinks. Regardless he's still super cute.

He is always happy when he is with his Dad. Whenever Sterling is holding him you can see his little tail wagging back and forth. In the morning he usually sticks his head out of wherever he is on the bed to say goodbye to Sterling.
The most common spot that you can find Peddie is on my side of the bed on top of my pillow. We have so many pillows that one of them usually ends up on top of him as well. He doesn't mind. If he gets too hot he sticks his little head out like so. There have been multiple times that I have woke up with him op top of my head or with my head on top of him.

Pedro's favorite sport is sleeping. This little puppy honestly sleeps for about 18 hours a day.

Our little guys is counted as one of the grandkids on both sides of our family. His cousins LOVE him. Whenever we get together he is followed by at least Kiana if not everyone else too.

This picture is a bit creep-y looking. However, Pedro usually gets to participate in all of our hollidays. For Christmas he had his very own stocking full of lots of fun stuff. On Valentines Day I made "Love" pancakes,(Pink pancakes) and he had one of his own.

One of my favorite hollidays is Halloween. Thus, Peddie always gets a costume. Here he is at the trunk-or-treat with our former neighbors baby. They are both horses.

Update

Hello one and all. It's been a while and I just wanted to take a moment to give everyone an update.

I am enjoying my job. I am realizing that I am very blessed to be employed right now. Discover card is a pretty good company to work for. They seem to take care of their employee's very well. Offering products on all of my calls is a bit challenging but worth it. The incentive on products sells is pretty nice. The insurance pays 90% of fertility treatments which is unheard of. Looks as though we will be going back to the drawing board and trying to get pregnant again. I am dieting and exercising very aggressively to lose at least 50 pounds to increase our chances of getting pregnant with in-vitro. I'm doing pretty well most of the time.

Sterling is still enjoying his job at Goldman-Sachs. Although, he doesn't like having to be up on the UofU campus. If it were on the Y campus he would be in heaven. He only has about one more week left of school for this quarter, and then one last quarter until he is FINISHED. It will be so exciting for him to finally have his bachelors. I am so proud of him. He STILL has maintained 4.0 and is top of his class. HHEELLLLOO Valedictorian!!! One thing we are NOT looking forward to is paying back the Student Loans. Oh well! Like Sterling's dad always says..."You can pay now or pay later. Either way, you're going to pay."

There is one thing that I would like to ask of all you. My baby nephew Nickolas is still very sick. He's in the hospital again and the Dr's can't seem to find out what ailing him now. We would really appreciate as many prayers on his behalf. He really is a sweet little boy. They are all the way in Texas so it's pretty difficult for my family to have him be so sick and so far away. If you would like to see him and get to know more about him you can visit their blog... www.beamovi.blogspot.com

We feel that the Lord has really blessed us regardless of all the bad things we think happen to us. We recognize his hand in our life and are greatful for the knowledge we possess about the restoration of the gospel.