Some lessons and the signs

So a couple of biology/anatomy/physiology lessons before today's update.

More about the IUI process
During an IUI the washed semen is placed, using a catheter directly into the uterus, bypassing the cervix.  The timing of this is critical.  The sperm needs to be waiting for the egg when its ovulated from the ovary but washed sperm has a much shorter life than raw sperm, 12-24 hours as opposed to the 3-5 days of raw sperm.   The woman has an ultrasound which measures the size of the follicles in the ovaries and determines if they are large enough to induce ovulation.  Typically doctors want the follicles to be around 20mm before triggering.  The trigger is a 10,000iu shot of HCG which quickly finishes the egg maturation process and incites a "forceful" ovulation.   The HCG shot is normally given 24-36 hours before the IUI procedure.

Basal Body Temperature Tracking
Basal body temperature (BBT) is the lowest body temperature attained while at rest (usually sleep).  A woman's basal body temperature fluctuates in a predictable pattern throughout the course of her menstrual cycle.  Many women track BBT as a way to pinpoint ovulation and predict the onset of their period.   At the beginning of a cycle the temperature is typically low, usually rising slowly up to the point of ovulation where it drops down usually for one or two days before making a quick rise.  These changes are triggered by hormones, the surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) at ovulation causes the drop and then the rise of progesterone after ovulation keeps the temperature high.  The body temperature usually starts to drop a couple of days before the onset of the period.  If pregnancy occurs the temperature remains high.

The Two Week Wait (2WW  or TWW)
Trying to conceive (TTC) is all about the 2 week wait. Its called a 2 weeks wait even though it can be slightly less or slightly more.  Each woman cycle varies slightly in length and can vary from cycle to cycle.  The cycle is broken down into 4 parts, the follicular phase where the ovaries are maturing an egg (or multiple eggs if on fertility drugs), ovulation where the ovaries release the egg, the leuetal phase where if an egg is fertilized it will start to become an embryo and implant into the uterus and menstruation.   The IUI procedure starts the two week wait and marks the beginning of the leuetal phase.  In most women the leuetal phase is about 14 days.  During that two weeks if the egg is fertilized then a lot is going on.  HCG, which is what is measured by a home pregnancy test is not produced by the body until after implantation.  Once implantation occurs then HCG is produced and the amount doubles approximately every 48 hours.   It typically takes about 4-5 days after implantation for the amount of HCG to reach a level it can be measured on a home pregnancy test.

The update

So now that you've had your lesson of the day here is what's going on with me.  My leuetal phase is typically 12 days long.  Today is day 12 for me.  I took a home pregnancy test yesterday and it was negative and my body temperature had dropped for the past two days.  Both of these things indicate that we are likely out (not pregnant) this cycle. It is of course not over until the fat lady sings but all biological signs point to that being the case.