Second Cycle...

So far we are on our second cycle to get pregnant. We have learned a lot from the first try a month ago.

The first cycle was a disaster. We were both very anxious & nervous. We sent the email to get the semen a day too early anticipating the positive ovulation predictor, trying to stay ahead of the game. But the problem was that the ovulation predictor predicts a surge of hormone, LH. The LH surge happens about a day before the egg is even released, so the day we received the package, we still had no positive test.

When the package arrived, Brit was frantic. She loaded the syringe, and no plans had been made as to how we were going to do this. There was no prepping or anything. Once the syringe gets loaded, it HAS to be used pretty fast or the sperm die. There was yelling, crying, & utter panic. It didn't make for a very "romantic" baby-making session. We had always planned it would be special. Imagine knowing the exact moment you're creating a life. It's almost an overwhelming thought, but we had really wanted make it a beautiful, miraculous experience...it didn't happen that way at all. Needless to say, it was not a success. Five pregnancy tests over the coming month proved, there was no miracle that occurred in our bedroom that day.

So fast forward to today. We got the positive test result on Sunday...bad day to get a positive since our donor can't ship on weekends. We all decided to have the package shipped on Monday, it'll arrive Tuesday morning & we can make it happen then. The reasoning behind this:

SUNDAY MORNING= positive test...LH surge triggers a follicle on the ovary to burst, releasing the egg

SUNDAY DAY & NIGHT= egg is eventually released & starts getting pulled into the fallopian tube

MONDAY= egg is slowly making its way down the fallopian tube

TUESDAY= hopefully the egg is still in the fallopian tube awaiting fertilization

We got the package right on schedule, had everything prepped the way we wanted it, and performed the insemination. So now we anxiously wait for 7 to 12 days to see what happens...

Allow Us to Introduce Ourselves...

We are Brittney & Tara. We have been together now for just over 5 yrs. Our anniversary happens to be 05/05/05....kinda cool. We both work for the same large call center while going to school. Brittney is studying Art & Tara is studying Psychology. We both want to teach someday.

In the last 5 yrs we have talked a lot about starting a family. We both know that we want to spend the rest of our lives together, and are 110% committed to one another & our life together. We have been through some trials and tribulations, but neither of us have given up on each other. If the law would allow, we would be married, but unfortunately the legalization we need hasn't happened yet. Despite that, we are still committed to our relationship & we don't need no stinkin' law to help us stay together. We are very much in love and couldn't imagine life without each other.

So now begins a new phase in life: making a baby & the starting of a family. We have been asked a lot of questions like who, how, where, when, why....we will explain here....

How?

The same way any other heterosexual couple has a baby, by allowing a sperm & an egg to unite...we all learned this in jr. high health class. We are not doing anything fancy like invitro or intrauterine...we're just inserting semen, the normal way. It can be a little more complicated than the way most couples do it. We have to time it & plan it right down to the day. By tracking ovulation cycles, we can pretty much pinpoint the perfect day to attempt insemination.

WHO?

Obviously, there has to be two "donors" of genetic materials to create one baby. Tara will be the one getting pregnant so it will be her egg. A sperm donor has been chosen who we will keep anonymous. He is not someone we know. He doesn't live near us, and he's not going to be a part of the child's life...he's just donating the other half of genetic material we need. There's no way he can get parental right later, and there's no way we can ask for support of any kind.

We wanted someone who had certain features & characteristics and this individual met what we were looking for...very intelligent & educated, over 6 ft tall, athletic, dark hair, hazel eyes, of European decent, Caucasian. We believe the blend of the two sets of chromosomes will make a very VERY beautiful baby...not to mention pretty darn smart & athletic. And, of course, we don't believe that genes have everything to do with it. We are also going to encourage our kids to do whatever they are interested in.

When?

Once a month until we know we're pregnant. Count up about 14 to 16 days after the first day of your period and that's about the best time to get pregnant. Since we have to time this right we also have the help of some ovulation predictor kits. As soon as it shows a positive for ovulation, we send an email to where the semen is being shipped from, and they Fedex the vial overnight. We have it by 10am the next morning. It's packaged in a styrofoam container, almost looks like a little ice chest. The vial looks like a little test tube with a screwed on lid. When you pull off the lid to the ice chest, there's a little slot about 3" wide by about an inch. There's a cold pack slid in that slot that encases the vial, keeping it very cold. It has to be used right away for the best results. Of course, there's a lot of preparation on our part...comfort issues, positioning, and lots of patience...it's not easy.

Where?

In the comfort of our own bedroom...enough said on that!

Why?

We both want a family like a lot of couples. Brit expressed from the beginning she's always wanted kids. Tara decided to have a baby since she had found the perfect person to share the experience & knows this is a lifelong commitment. The decision for both of us was not made lightly. This has been in the works for a couple of years. Tara is getting pregnant since she is a few years older & probably has less time left to conceive...that old biological clock. Also, at 32 years old, Tara is at a perfect age to carry a baby. Fertility is not an issue, and she has no health issues that would make for a troubled pregnancy. We have decided that we will be having more than one child & the second will be all Brit. We have also decided to have them relatively close, like within 2 to 3 years.

So here we are, beginning an incredible journey that we've always dreamed about. We will be posting our progress along the way & what we are doing.