Headed down the straight stretch...

So the retrieval was Friday. The doctor was able to retrieve 7 total eggs, of those 5 were mature, of those 4 were successfully fertilized. This whole process had me a bit worried. We had to be at the office an hour early (8:00 in the AM!) and I was hooked up to an IV right away. The lady who gave me drugs was really nice and did a good job putting me at ease, it helped that she slipped something into the IV line. :) As this was my first time being "put under" I wasn't sure what to expect. I made sure to tell them that I DID NOT want to get sick afterwards so she was nice enough to prevent that. Once I laid down on the table and had the oxygen mask on I was ready for whatever. That was my last memory till they woke me up. They gave me some pain meds and sent me home. My mom got to our house about the same time we did and she has taken care of me while I recuperated. I love my mom!!!

Tomorrow is the big day! I have been struggling not to feel disappointed in the number of eggs because the more eggs you have the more chances you have. I think it's a trust issue. I have been so wanting a family and every time something falls through my trust has taken a hit. I know in my head that God is faithful and trustworthy but my heart has taken a beating in recent years. Be clear on this issue, the problem is with me and I know this. God has been gently prying my fingers off this dream of mine and I'm making progress. Stuff like this just brings it back a little bit. I have to leave this in his hands and I am, whatever happens. :)

So all that to say, keep praying for us and we'll keep you posted. Love to you all...

Around the last bend!

Well we are headed for the finish line. Went in this morning, at 7:45 mind you, and had an ultrasound done. I had to get up EARlY! I hate mornings and don't do well when I have to be active before 8:00 in the AM. Thankfully the doctor was nice and efficient and got the job done quickly. It hurt like HELL! Yes that's my phrase of the month and you're just going to have to deal with it. :) The results of the ultrasound are that I have 8 or 9 viable follicles which hopefully have produced good healthy eggs. Ideally I should have 8 or 9 in each ovary but my left one is just not pulling it's weight. Slacker! The good news is that my uterous looks lovely. We are definitely on schedule for retrieval on Friday and embryo transfer on Monday. It's hard to believe that we are really this close to the end. Keep praying for us as the next few days are going to be stressful, good but stressful. :)

Well that's all I got for now! Love to you all...

On the road again....

Well I had my second ultrasound today. This one was to make sure the shots I'm taking are working. Most everything looked good but... it seems my left ovary is not cooperating. The right one has about 8 follicles producing eggs which is exactly what it's supposed to be doing. Dr. Austen wasn't sure if there was a problem with the ovary or he just couldn't see it very well. Please pray with us that the left ovary kicks it into hyper drive and starts producing. I'm trying really hard not to worry about this but it's hard. I go back in on Monday to have another ultrasound just to make sure it's working. Even if it isn't the doctor assures me that we are still ok with our plan. :)

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been reading this and praying for and with us. It helps more than I can say to know we have such a large support group. I love you all and will keep you updated. Have a wonderful day! :)

And we're off!

Well it's now a race to the finish line. There is about 14 days left before the implant date. I'm starting to get excited and a little scared. Last week I took my mom to a doctors appt where I was to learn how to mix and prepare my next set of shots. It was nice having her there because she thinks like me and asked the questions I would later have asked myself. She was amazed by all the information I need to know to do this. I've been studying this procedure for several years so I'm a little more aware of what's coming next. I was not aware of how it would feel to give myself shots. It hurts like hell! Sorry but it's true. The first shot wasn't all that bad, it's much like an insulin shot. The shots I started this week are much worse and it's only the first day. Some of the pleasantness I can expect is a rash, soreness at the injection, swelling of ovaries and again soreness. The nurse suggested I buy some sweats or yoga pants that have a soft loose waistband. So I will be visiting Ross this week and if anyone knows of a good buy on said articles of clothing please leave me a comment. On an up note, the ultrasound I had on Sunday confirmed everything is going as planned. Yay!

We are still trying to come up with the rest of the money. We have paid for about half so far so progress has been made. Praise God!!! We are still needing a lot of prayer as well. The stress is really getting to both of us but especially Todd. He is struggling with work and getting jobs in to pay the bills as well as coming up with cash options to pay for baby stuff. Please keep praying for Gods provision for us. Many of you know that I lost my job right before Christmas but the good news is that I can get unemployment. Enough about money woes...

Did everyone have a good Christmas and New years? We did! Todd surprised my mom and I with opera tickets and I surprised him with hockey tickets. Thursday we went to La Boheme and had a fabulous time. It was our first opera and I will go again. :) Friday we took off and went to Portland for sushi and Winterhawks. The game started late since it was new years eve and it was so much fun. I love hockey! All that testosterone on ice leads to some great fights. I know I'm a little bloodthirsty but come on it's hockey! We stayed with my cousins in Portland and played games until 4 am. Oh I was so tired the next day. The beautiful part of my gift to Todd was that it only cost us the price of fuel to get there. Isn't that amazing!! (Thank you again Don & Victoria!) Well that's how our year started. The next month will bring (hopefully) many changes to our world but until we get there we'll keep plugging away here. Just doing what we do.... That's all I got for now, love to you all.