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placed into the uterus. It's expensive — up to $20,000, including the cost of the fertility drugs. Because of Matt's military service, the institute discounted some services, such as freezing Matt's sperm samples so the couple could keep trying when he was on military training. As a way of "giving back," the institute has helped numerous military members, families just like the Jacobs who dreamed of starting a family, says WFI Practice Manager Chris Rotert, whose own husband was in the military . The Jacobs' first IVF attempt was unsuccessful. In the meantime, Anne became pregnant naturally, but then had a miscarriage. Their second attempt at IVF also failed. They learned of the failure when Matt, who was on a four-month deployment to Georgia with the National Guard, came home for a holiday break in February. "So we just talked about it and cried about it a little bit," Matt says, his eyes tearing up again. "And we were a little frustrated because it hadn't worked yet again." But by then, the couple had a dozen frozen embryos, "and 10 or 12 chances for a baby," Anne says. The next cycle did not result in pregnancy. With Matt still away on training, Anne decided to go see her sister in California. "I was free from all the fertility stuff and had a nice trip with my sister and I truly believe that was the ticket," she says. When she returned, two more embryos were implanted. Ten days later, Anne got the news. "I noticed my phone was buzzing and they called to tell me I was pregnant! I couldn't believe it!" she says. She called Matt, who had been texting her all day. He was silent for a few seconds. "It's just shocking and wonderful…and unbelievable after three-and-a-half years to finally hear those words," Matt says. Baby Jacobs is due Nov. 30. On July 22, the couple learned its gender. "We've had plenty of friends who say this is one of the last, greatest mysteries— to wait to find out when you have the baby," Matt says. "But we're like, well, we've had threeand-a-half years of mystery," he says. "We don't need to wait anymore." Mystery solved: It's a girl! ••• A SMILE CAN CHANGE A LIFE Your smile is too important to entrust to just anyone. Meet Dr. Jay Hazen and Dr. Sarah Karls. From teeth whitening to a complete smile makeover, Dr. Hazen and Dr. Karls specialize in helping people like you rediscover the confidence to smile. We offer cosmetic dentistry, one-appointment Cerec crowns, Invisalign, implant reconstruction, conscious sedation and general dentistry visits. Want to love your smile? Call today for a complimentary consultation. Conveniently located downtown just steps from the Capitol on West Washington Avenue. JAY C . HAZEN SARAH J. KARLS 413 W. Washington Ave. DDS DDS LVI Preferred Dentist Downtown Madison Member American Academy dentistryformadison.com (608) 251-8790 of Cosmetic Dentistry August 2013 bravamagazine.com 15