Merry Christmas Eve all! This is one of my most favorite times of the year. Christmas music blaring, the fire blazing, hot cocoa in hand and lights everywhere … it truly is a magical time of the year! And I think now, more than ever in years past, do I realize the true miracle and glory that was shown when Jesus came to earth. A virgin, Mary, became with child with the Prince of Peace. In the midst of shots, pills, ultrasounds, surgeries, blood work and patience, the realization that there was a real pregnancy, a real child, a real birth is incredible. What courage, anxiety and hope Mary must have been filled with!

I think about all the tender moments that Mary share with her precious newborn son. Remembering the Jesus was fully human, I think of all the nights she stayed up late trying to get him to calm down and go to sleep. The first smiles that might have just been gas but still made her so excited; Joseph gagging over the first really stinky diaper; the arguments about whose turn it was to get up to soothe his tears. The giggles, the first steps, the first words. It all makes me smile and appreciate even more the humanness of our Lord. We talk about Him going to earth in the flesh and dwelling among us. And this is what it means – He was born on this earth to become a sacrifice for each of us. I cannot imagine the sorrow God felt when He knew that His son was born to die. I can’t even imagine having a child, knowing it would be a sacrifice. Yet that’s exactly what happened.

So often we read and envision Christ as a 30-something year old adult man, sharing stories, breaking bread, walking with His disciples. But, during this time especially, I urge you to stop and reflect on the beauty of His flesh, birth and childhood.

“My plan for your life is unfolding before you. Sometimes the road you are traveling seems blocked, or it opens so painfully slowly that you must hold yourself back. Then, when time is right, the way before you suddenly clears – through no effort of your own. What you have longed for and worked for I present to you freely, as a pure gift. You feel awed by the east with which I operate in the world, and you glimpse My Power and My Glory….As you persevere along the path I have prepared for you, depending on My strength to sustain you, expect to see miracles – and you will.” – Jesus Calling

Savor His goodness and His glory, His presence and His power, His humanness and His love … Merry Christmas!

So last time I blogged was last Friday (where did a week go!?). We were waiting for a call about our embryos. We were told that as of Thursday night, they were all still alive  (the 7 that is), and that the 6 split into an 8 cell and that our little straggler was still a 2 cell. Day 4 of incubation is the most critical developmental day so they do not disturb them on that day. They let us know to come in the morning to meet with our doctor who would tell us the final details on our embryos.

Josh and I were SO excited going into our embryo transfer! It really was such a special day. We were able to go out to breakfast together before hand and enjoy some special time together before the transfer. Once we got to the Center, we met with our doctor who let us know that our little straggler didn’t make it (which we kind of expected). Of the 6 remaining, 1 of them became a blastocyst, which mean that one would be transferred for sure. Then they look at the remaining embryos and depending on their stage and grade, they transfer the next best. We had one that was the stage right before the blastocyst stage (called a morula). The lab grades the embryos on a scale of 1-4. Our blastocyst was given a grade 3 and our morula was given a grade 2. (It mainly has to do with cell fragmentation within the embryo.) We were assured that both embryos looked great and that these are average grades.

Our doctor suggested that we implant 2 embryos, which is where Josh and I were feeling lead as well. She said with those specific two, and knowing my own medical lab work, etc, she gave us a 51% chance of getting a positive pregnancy result and a 15% chance of twins. I think Josh and I both wished it was a little higher than 51% but were happy that it was much higher than any percentage we have had in the past.

She also let us know that the remaining 4 embryos would be given 1 more day to become blastocysts. In order to freeze, they need to be in that stage.

Josh was able to be in the room with me during the embryo transfer which was wonderful! It was so special to watch on the screen together the actual transfer and to see the babies nestled in my uterus. I was relaxed with the help of Valium for the procedure and apart from the uncomfortableness from a very full bladder (32 oz in 30 minutes right before the transfer), I really didn’t feel a thing. We spent some time there resting and then were sent home. Our doctor explained to us that the embryos weren’t going to fall out (I was worried!). She said to think of them like 2 peas on a peanut butter sandwich, haha.

The first few days after the transfer I was on strict bedrest. Josh made sure I wasn’t scrunching or bent or moving in any way. The first day I was incredibly antsy. I am not a back rester/sleeper so not being able to be comfortable on my stomach was annoying. But the time passed quickly. The next couple days were better as my body’s exhaustion took over and I found some more comfortable ways to lounge. We were also informed that 3 of our embryos didn’t make it, but 1 did and it became a blastocyst so we have froze that. We were told that it has a 50% chance of making it through the dethaw process and about a 30% chance of resulting in a pregnancy. Again, not amazing odds but better than most and I am grateful we have another chance. It brings a lot of mental relief knowing that there is a chance to do a frozen embryo transfer assuming it survives the thawing process.

We were told if the embryos would implant, it would be within the first 48 hours. Essentially once they transfer the embryos into me, they then have to implant themselves. So the reality is, either they are in there right now or not. It’s a scary reality. Throughout this entire TTC journey, I have always had some feedback throughout the process. Checking follicles, lining, uterus shapes, lab work. Now I just wait. And can do nothing about the end results. Most days are really good days. I talk to the little babies. I envision good news and think positive thoughts. But I have bad days too. Wednesday was exceptionally difficult as the reality that there was a chance that I am not pregnant set in. I feel like I have gotten attached to these two little peanuts and spent the day “pre-grieving” negative news. I wish I could have snapped out of it. I had friends and family thrusting good thoughts my way. But my brain and eyes just wept for the journey, for the exhaustion, for the reality, out of fear that this truly may not be God’s time yet. It’s completely out of our hands. I know hormones don’t help logical thinking. In the end, I know that regardless the outcome, that we will be okay. We have each other, our friends and family, our fur baby, and most importantly, our Father who cares far more than we could ever imagine.

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

All of our Things, whether trying to conceive, dealing with pain and suffering, struggling to get by … in the long run, these things are very small. But we have an opportunity to take these tough times and use them to strength us, make us better people, share His light, rejoice in Him and bring Him glory. When we focus on Him instead of on us, it takes the power away from Satan, no longer allowing him to run the “what if…”’s and “how come”’s that attack our brain. It’s not easy. And I fail at this, like Wednesday. But joy comes in the morning and we wake with renewed strength. Josh is my forever optimist and positive light. I am so thankful for him and the constant reassurance he brings.

A lot of people are asking “so when do you find out?!” This is a tough question to answer because the reality of the heartbreak and pain, or the joy and celebration can’t be shared or pinned to one day. So please know that we will find by the end of the year and will share with all of you the end results after we have had time to process, share with close friends and family and such. Your continued prayers mean so much. Your thoughtful texts, cards, and messages have encouraged me each day. We have been blessed with an amazing small group and family that have supported us with meals nearly every night for about 2 weeks. This has been a gigantic blessing as I still continue to gain strength and motivation.

Can you believe we are here? It all seems surreal still. I know that God doesn’t work on percentages or grades, chance or luck. It’s a comfort to know that our hope lies in Him and He is always watching out for us and for our future children. Keep waiting with us and praying …. You all are the best!

Settle in friends. Maybe go make a bucket of popcorn or stop and get a coffee refill first. I have a feeling this will be a long one. (When I realized I hadn’t blogged since before the egg retrieval surgery, I felt mad at tired, I-‘can’t-blog-right-now-Chelsea. I have my work cut out for me now.)

I will try to be prompt and efficient.

ZzzhzzZhhZHHHzhhzzhhhhhhh (the sound effects of going backwards in time)

Monday

10:00 am

C – (in head) I am so glad I am remembering to shave my legs.(Author’s note: See, only the important stuff is making it today)

10:15 am – 11:30 am

We leave for the Center! The roads were bad and we knew we had to be there by 11:30, not a minute later. So we left early, and am glad that we did! We got there a little early but were able to prep ourselves for the day ahead. Waiting in the waiting room, I realized that Josh is totally not cut out to be in serious situations. I was trying to be mature and composed and he kept making jokes and making me laugh. (Ok, at one point I did wrap my scarf around my face and he reminded me I wasn’t at home, alone.) Either way, we were getting kind of goofy. I was so thirsty (no food or liquids since the day before) and I am blaming that on our silliness. (He has no excuse, for the record).

11:30 am – 12:30 pm

We go in for pre-op! We met our nurse who seemed so nice. She explained what would happen, asked a lot of questions and was so excited for us, it made the experience seem even more exciting. The doctor on call that day came in and visited with us, not the same doctor we have had through the whole thing, but we knew that it could be any of them. Dr. C was very nice and thorough as well. Then the anesthesiologist came in, talked a little about the medication portion and split us up. Josh and I said goodbye and I went back to the surgery room with her. Getting up on the table and swinging my legs over the stir-ups was nearly impossible. At this point, I felt so incredible swollen and sore (yes people, the 4 months pregnancy piece is true. I was HUGE. And uncomfortable.) so they needed to assist me.

The IV thing is always tricky with me. I have teeny tiny veins and both of my arms were already very bruised from all the blood work I had been giving over the weeks. I explained my teeny tiny vein situation (TTVS for short) to the anesthesiologist and she said she excels at TTVS’s. At first we got one in my left arm, or so we thought, until my arm started burning and we realized it wasn’t going to work. (The saline went into my blood and it burned up my arm a bit. She felt really bad.) Finally after some digging we found one in the other arm and she administered me something to make me relax (which was nice). The team finished setting up and I was making small talk with the nurses. They started talking to each other and I decided to pray. I prayed for Josh and then I prayed that all the prayers of everyone who was praying for us that day would be released on me …. And then I woke up. Seriously, she didn’t even tell me she was giving me the sleeping stuff! (Now as I type, I wonder if she thought I was already sleeping because my eyes were closed from praying. That makes more sense.) The doctor popped up from the other side of the table and said “Good job! We got 11 eggs. Nice work.” I remember being excited and then confused as they begin to tug me from the table and had me move into a hospital recovery bed.“No, scoot over more. No, more. No, more. I can’t put the rail up.”

A quick zip down the hall to a quiet little room. The nurse gave me some Tylenol with my first sip of water of the day (YEAH!) and I waited a few seconds for Josh to join me. We were both really excited about the 11 eggs, being right around average. Everything went fast from there. I was waking up fine, making jokes and finished my water and my bag of fluids. I was popped in a wheelchair, wheeled to the car and to home we headed! At this point I was just very swollen and tender still in my abdomen but that’s really it.

The rest of the day was relaxed. Josh made me some soup, we watched a TV show. I was really sore but Tylenol helped.

Tuesday

I woke up in the middle of the night, around 4:00 am and was so disappointed to realize I was still in pain. The swelling in my stomach was not going down and I was feeling a lot of pressure in my lower abdomen. It was painful to walk, but bearable. I called my nurse at 8:00 am and she told me that swelling was to be expected. Sometimes, after the procedure, the follicle cavities will fill back up with fluid. It should go down naturally but would cause that pressure I was feeling. She ordered me to drink a lot of Gatorade and increase my protein and that the doctor would call to check on me around lunchtime. (Thankfully my parents brought me over Gatorade and a rotisserie chicken.) I tried to drink, but my insides were feeling so full and bloated, it was hard. I was continuing to get more uncomfortable.

Wednesday

My uncomfortable-ness was moving to pain. My abdomen pain was not staying in the lower portion of my body, it kept moving up my chest, making it feel nearly impossible to eat or drink, yet I had to keep trying to push Gatorade. The pressure on my abdomen had me getting up to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes or so (so this is what pregnant women feel like!) and I was having a hard time getting fluids in.

We got a call from our embryo lab that 7 out of the 11 eggs were mature and usable and that they all fertilized! At this point, it had been about 40 hours and 6 of them had already split into a 4-cell embryo (the best at this point) and we have one little 2-cell split straggler. The embryologist seemed excited for us and said we would be able to do a 5 day transfer vs the 3 day transferred based on the strength of the embryos. YEAH! Josh and I officially had 7 little embryo babies. We would get another call on Friday with another update. More waiting.

My friend Becky brought over dinner, which was wonderful. I ate a little bit, since it looked and smelled so good! It took up the last little cavity of space between my ribs and now I officially looked and felt like a whale. I had been weighing myself since the day of the surgery and had gone up, up, and up in water weight. I thought I was going to be getting better when I went down a bit, but it shot back up. At this point, I had gained nearly 12 pounds in 2 days. I was so uncomfortable. Josh got home, we rested and relaxed and I continued to get more miserable. About 10:30, we headed up to our bedroom. The climb up the stairs seemed horrifically painful and I remember thinking, “it shouldn’t be this bad. Something isn’t right.” When we got to our room, I ask for the garbage can. I was so hot and felt nauseous. I told Josh, “I don’t know, I feel like if this doesn’t get better, we might have to go in somewhere.” I then started praying for discernment. I truly needed God to intervene and make it clear if I needed to get additional help or if this was normal. I kept praying “Give me discernment.” The word vomit popped up in my head and I said “Ok, if I throw up, then that’s a sign I need to go in.” Within minutes, I was on the bathroom floor vomiting. But I thought perhaps that would make me feel better, so I thought “Ok, if I just go lay on the bed and think I can fall asleep, then I won’t go in.” And then when incredible abdomen spasms hit, causing me so much pain that I literally could not uncurl myself from the ball on the floor. I cried out to Josh that we needed to get to the hospital. He dressed quickly and I realized, I could not physically get myself to stand up. I was certain an ambulance would have to pick me up in my t-shirt and underwear off the bathroom floor. Luckily, I just kept praying for strength to get up and was able to a few minutes later. I quickly threw on pants (you’re welcome ER) and off we went.

The drive seemed so long. I was in so much pain I knew that this was absolutely the right thing to be doing. I could tell Josh was scared for me. He did an awesome job driving to the hospital quickly and smoothly and I just kept asking God for mercy.

The ER wait seemed forever (Clearly there was no such thing as “emergency”, as the check-in lady calmly helped a man that cut in front of me figure out how he could charge his phone battery while I riled in pain in line). But soon, we were in a room (22), with our nurse (Ann) going over triage information. We met our doctor, Dr. Elijah E., who was truly so kind. Of course they don’t see a lot of IVF egg retrieval post-op complications but he listened to my concerns and talked through a game plan. I was so dehydrated at this point since the follicle cavities were pulling all of my fluid into them and both Josh and I were so grateful when they started me on fluids, and then pain medication. (Ah, yes, the blood work and IV starting process was even more fun this time around … not.) But I kept having horrible attacks of pain. They called in for an ultrasound and the women came in from home, since they don’t staff someone 24-7 (which makes sense. I was just glad she lived close!).

The ultrasound was truly the most painful experience of my life. The morphine didn’t touch my pain and the internal pressure and spasms made me feel like there was no chance of ever feeling better. I was heaving from the pain, just wailing to God to help. The ultrasound technician was incredible kind and explained that she would do the external ultrasound, then the internal one. She let me writhe but let me tell you, having a swollen, painful-to-the-touch stomach go through a pressure filled, 5 minute+ ultrasound was the worst thing in my life. I was in too much pain to cry, I kept getting so hot. I begged for my gown to be taken off (thank God looking back, that no one listened to me as that would NOT have been pretty). Josh fanned me with a checkbook, which is all we could find in the room. She let me get up to go the bathroom after the external ultrasound and I just sat in the bathroom bench and felt like I was going to die. I couldn’t get my gown completely off because the IV ran through the arm but just tried to breath and pray and calm down.

Finally, I was able to get my gown back on and get back on the table for the internal ultrasound, which, was painful in an entirely different way. I just remember looking at Josh while I moaned and saw how helpless he felt. I had to twist my body in weird angles to feel somewhat comfortable. Finally, I had a few moments of relief. Our Ultrasound tech shared that she too had some difficulties conceiving and had a Clomid baby. She was excited for us and our IVF journey and even did a sneak peak at my uterine lining to let me know it was still nice and thick for the implantation.

She shared with us that there didn’t appear that the fluid from the follicles were leaking, which was a huge relief and a big concern of mine going in. But she did say that the follicles were very big, some over 3 cm and that my ovaries, which normally are around 2.5 cm themselves, were over 9 cm. What was happening is that the pressure from the swollen, gigantically enlarged ovaries were pushing on my intestines which are wrapped around and throughout them and causing these awful pressure spasms. We still had to wait for other results to come in, but it was nice having an explanation, and also a relief that there wasn’t sign of fluid leaking.

The pain started coming back awful again. They paged for a tech to bring me back to my room. I had to go sit in the bathroom again on the little bench hunched over in pain just praying the pain passed. Finally, I was able to get back on the gurney and brought down to my room.

Now the funny part …

We were in our room, in a brief moment of relief, when our doctor came in. His mannerism looked like he had something to tell us.

DR – Well, you guys. I have some news. I wanted to wait for the blood work and the urine sample to confirm, but its confirmed … you’re pregnant.

I wish I could have paused the room at that moment. I wasn’t looking at Josh, but at the doctor. For a quarter of a second I thought “What kind of joke is this? Is this for real?” and then instantly I realized that the hCg trigger shot we took on Saturday night causes false positive pregnancy tests for about 6-9 days after administrated.

C – Oh, no I am not. It’s the hGc shot I took on Saturday.

DR – Oh, you didn’t tell me about that.

C – Yea, I forgot. It will give you a false positive. I am not pregnant. I don’t think that’s even possible.

DR – Well, we have to operate under the assumptions that you are because of the lab numbers.

C – Yea, I am not pregnant.

He asked for my doctors number and went out to page her to confirm the truth in my statement (which indeed was true, I am NOT pregnant). Josh and I could not stop laughing. The doctor clearly felt bad and poor Josh was very confused during the conversation as well, trying to figure out if this had a truth possibility. We kept announcing to each other that “you’re pregnant” and trying to reenact our faces and reactions. I felt terrible for this poor doctor who thought he was giving us the best surprise ever, when in fact, it was just that I couldn’t remember the names of all the medications I took over the last few weeks. Awww. Well, I just never ever imagined the moment I was told I was pregnant being like that.

Finally, after talking to our doctor, getting my pain under control and my body re-hydrated  it was a lovely 4 am and we were released. The fluids began to help my body flush out the fluids in my ovaries and the pain medicine helped my body begin to relax, which let go of so much of the tension in my abdomen. I could stand when I left and the spasms, while still there, were so quiet that I wanted to leap for joy.

Honestly, if we had not gone to the ER, I would have continued to have the pressure and fluid build, likely rupturing, causing an infection and absolutely making it impossible for us to have an implantation done. I went in at exactly the right time and as of today, am still cleared for a embryo transfer tomorrow!!! Praise God. He heard our prayers and answered them, not in a way I expected, but clearly in a way that’s praiseworthy. (A great example of Isaiah 55:9 which I shared on Monday! “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”)

Thursday

Josh is a serious rock star. The man got barely 2.5 hours of sleep and went back to work the next day. I woke up feeling like a million dollars, weighing 10 pounds less than I did 12 hours ago. I felt SO much relief from the pressure in my abdomen. Granted it’s still very tender, but more of what is to be expected. I need to continue to rest and they have me on some nausea medication and pain medicine still to keep the muscles loosen and me feeling comfortable  This is helping my body naturally return to its normal state. I slept most of the day, had a few visitors, had an amazing lasagna brought over by a friend and was able to go to bed extra early with my very sleepy husband.

Today

Whoa, right? (I told you this would be long). Today we are waiting to get our final embryo report. We are praying that the babies have split into 7-10 cells at this point and will be entering the blastocyst stage. We will get some exact percentages for us to conceive based on the quality of these embryos and will then have the decision to make on how many to implant (choices are only 1 or 2). We most likely will do 2, but will not finalize that decisions before more information and thoughtful prayer. Keep praying for this report today, we are so excited! We know that the continued life and development of all of these embryos is unlikely, so we pray that we have some strong ones that make it so Mommy can take care of them in her tummy soon. :)

Thank you for ALL of your texts and prayers! The cards have made me smile, the meals, flowers, mailed packages – they all make me so happy and I truly feel so loved. What a blessing it has been to open up this journey to all of you! Can’t wait to celebrate soon. : )

Well, today’s the day! Our appointment on Saturday brought news that the average size of our follicles were within range. (Josh reminds me that bell curves are good when I worry too much about the super big ones). Even better, when the nurse called later that afternoon, I was informed that my hormone levels squeaked up to a solid 1,011, just enough about the 1,000 minimum to move forward! YEAH!

Josh administered a “trigger shot” to me at 12:30 am on Saturday night. *Yawn* He did SUCH a good job! I seriously didn’t even feel as the 2” inch needle slid into my hip/glut muscle. I was almost worried he didn’t actually put it in right until the muscle soreness came yesterday morning. Ah, yes, there was a gigantic needle in me. But that set everything else into motion.

So with good follicles and good hormone levels, we have been cleared for the egg retrieval surgery! Hurray! Pre-op is 11:30 today and the surgery is at 12:30. I will be released after I wake back up and they clear me to go home. I am not sure if they will tell us around how many eggs they were able to get or not today. Some Centers do and others wait the traditional 2 days. I have been told anywhere between 6-15 eggs retrieved is average. They will take all they can, with or without being in size range. They will try to fertilize all that make it, although those that become fertilized are typically much less than what they retrieve. From there, the embryologists will take care of them, trying to keep them alive, monitoring them each minute of the day, and providing them with nutrients to stay alive and develop. Our goal is to do an implantation 5 days from today, although a 3 day transfer is an option as well. The strongest embryos are most likely to make it to day 5, although you do take a risk waiting that long.

Ok brief medical talk – skip this paragraph if you are bored – We want our implanted embryos to be a blastocyst. A blastocyst is an embryo at an advanced stage of development when there are two cell types present: one group of cells that form the placenta, and another group of cells that form the fetus. The further developed the embryos, the better our ability will be to have the healthiest and most viable embryo(s) transferred. A blastocyst embryo also has very low changes of developing into multiples at this stage.

So, the prayers for today!

• Pray that there are good quality eggs retrieved today that become fertilized.
• Be praying this week that the embryos make it and continue their strong development.  We would like to have 2 strong ones for implantation and ideally 2 more that we could freeze for another round if needed (and/or a sibling down the road).
• That the surgery today goes well and that our embryos can make it to a day 5 transfer (Saturday).

It’s so funny how much “ahead” of us God is. I take the wrong medication and it’s actually “just right” for my body. I “tentatively plan” on a Sunday egg retrieval and my hormones comes back too low so we have to wait an extra day, and then on Sunday a blizzard hits, leaving 16” inches of snow behind. We would have had a stressful commute to and from the Center yesterday, and with timing being as critical as it was, who knows if things would have gone the way they should have. It’s a continued reminder that “’My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.’” (Isaiah 55:9 NLT) He knows best, He always has and He always will. And REGARDLESS of how today turns out, this week, or this month, He will still be the same constant, faithful God, which is really all we need.

I was thinking last time what a big step this really is for us, and how surreal it feels to actually be here. My devotion reminded me that this is exactly where God wanted me to be. “Be willing to go out on a limb with Me. If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place to be. Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief…In order to follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your tendency to play it safe…As long as you stay close to Me, My Sovereign Presence protects you wherever you go.”

My mind has been operating like a seesaw, when I let the fear and worry and anxiety go up, the trust I have in Him, the peace I feel goes down. Right now my energy is precious and I have to solely focus on the positives, the trust and Hope and joy He provides. The rest is in His hands and that’s exactly where I want it to be.

Here is a little peek at all of the daily work that has brought us to this place today! :)

GOD IS GOOD!!!! Keep praying and praising! :)

2 post in one day – whoa! Settle down, thankful this one will be short too. I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and all the encouraging words sent this morning. I really needed it and am so thankful I can rely on each of you to help support us in prayer and thoughts. There are times I don’t know the words to pray or say, and knowing that you are all supporting us gets me through a hump. So thank you.

An update – My ultrasound shows two “packs” of follicle sizes – ones that are mature and to the size they want them to be, and other smaller ones, that are nearing mature size but not quite there yet. The doctor wanted to see lab results to determine which “pack” of follicles that they should go after. Walking out of the appointment, it seemed likely we would go after the current mature follicles. However, my lab results were less than ideal.

There is a certain hormone that is lower than they would like to see – they would like it to be minimally in the 1,000+ range in order to result in mature, usable eggs. Many women are between 2,000 – 4,000. I am at 923. My doctor says that needs to get higher before we can do a retrieval. What this means is they are going to double my medication doses tonight and tomorrow morning and have me come back to the clinic for another ultrasound and lab work in the AM to determine next steps.

Follicles can grow 1-2 mm a day. My mature follicles right now are at a stage where they can and may quickly grow past the point of mature and become “too big” (they are within 1-2 mm from hitting that stage). So we are praying that the smaller ones, which are 3-4 mm under the minimum “ripe” size, grow quickly. Big follicles tend to absorb the majority of the medication so we truly need to recruit prayers for these smaller follicles to grow, the larger ones to stop growing, and for my hormone levels to skyrocket … overnight.

The plan from here – in order to have the egg retrieval, 36 hours before its scheduled I will be injected with what is most commonly known as a “trigger shot”. This is a hormone shot that helps with getting the follicles ready to ovulate. It has to be timed very carefully as we need the follicles to be just about to ovulate, but retrieve them before they do. (Literally the minutes count here!). We anticipate if the results tomorrow improve to what the doctor would like to see, that this shot would be administered tomorrow evening with the egg retrieval surgery taking place on Monday morning.

This has been a continued emotional rollercoaster! It is such a helpless feeling having no control over what my body is doing and relying so heavily on the knowledge and experience of the doctor. I’m scared things won’t go as hoped but know I can’t get ahead of myself. I need YOU to help support us in prayers and pray against discouragement. I have no other option but to fully rely on God during this. Josh has been such a positive, confident supporter. And each of you – gosh, the words and messages I have received today have met me right where I am. I love what one friend said … “IVF is such a blessing … but I love that it still takes GODS MIRACLES to make it happen …” That is the truth and I need to be reminded of that each hour. The hormones don’t help logical thinking and truthfully, we are still absolutely in this and excited for the next step. Please join us in praying:

1) for hormone levels to rise;

2) for the follicle sizes to be and become what we need them to be to give us the most optimal changes;

3) for clarity and direction of the doctor; and

4) for hope to continue to penetrate my heart.

I am reminded of God’s goodness in this passage someone sent to me …

“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; He saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; He surrounds and defends all who fear Him. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him! Fear the Lord, you His godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:4-10)

Thank you my friends.

I don’t tend to blog “rushed”, but I need some prayer warriors out there today!

Before I talk about “me”, I am going to ask you to pause a moment a pray for friends of mine, Mommy A and Daddy P who lost their little girl Molly yesterday born at 24 weeks, after a tough 30 hour fight. There really are no words to say to make the pain go away so I just ask that all my readers out there, lift up a prayer for them today, praying that God brings their family comfort in a way only He can.

I have to say, following that up with prayers for myself seems difficult and selfish. I am comforted by the fact that we know that God hears all of our prayers and each is important to Him. ^“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15)

My appointment on Wednesday went well – it was a difficult morning based on the fact that I realized I had been administering the wrong dosage of medication to myself, much less than what I was supposed to be. I walked into the appointment with the reality and fear that the cycle could be canceled. Instead, God chose to surprise us with better than anticipated results, showing 14 follicles, 2 already mature, and many more growing. We know that not each follicle carries an egg, or even one that has potential to be created into an embryo, but the volumes and my body’s response was great. In fact, my body responded so well, that had I not made the med error for 4 days straight, I likely would have overstimulated and ended up in the hospital. How’s that for God answering prayers??

My labs turned out great as well. I have an appointment this morning at 10:15  and my excitement from Wednesday has turned into fear. Fear that I might have too big of follicles and they might cancel the cycle. Fear that something happened between then and now that results in bad news. Fear that perhaps, although rare, I already ovulated and it’s all too late. It’s been a fearful morning for me, and I am not used to be so anxious about things. So I know it’s the enemy trying to attack my head and heart and for this, I recruit prayers from you. Please pray that 1) my body is exactly where they need it and want it to be, 2) that the doctor and nursing team have a clear direction on what the next steps will be for me and 3) that my mind would be at peace knowing that whatever happens, it’s in God’s hands.

I will update you all more later…Thank YOU!

(Hey, an 8 minute blog … not bad! I apologize for an grammatical or spelling errors!)

We are midst the next phase – Stimulation! It is absolutely surreal to be midst our first (and hopefully only) IVF cycle. I don’t think I ever really thought we would be here, TTC at this measure. But it’s certainly where God has led us and I joyfully embrace whatever He has planned for us!

So what’s this phase all about? Well, it started on Saturday and will last anywhere from 9- 12 days. Essentially now that we have verified things are “quiet”, we now begin quickly attempting to develop multiple follicles, which will soon result in egg maturation and retrieval. Our doctor is now beginning to monitor the growth and development of my follicles. Thus far, I have had some labs run to measure my estradoil levels and starting Wednesday, will have ultrasounds either daily or every other day.  It’s really important during this phase to ensure the cycle is being carefully monitored so that my doctor can help me adjust my medication dosages if needed and so that we can time the egg retrieval carefully.

So how does the stimulation occur, you might be asking … SHOTS! (Sometimes I sing the LMFAO song in my head.) I self administer between 3-4 shots a day, ones every 12 hours. They are not bad at all! I really was worried this would be the hardest part – I mean, who wants to give themselves shots with long needles multiple times a day? But truthfully, just between you and me, they are actually kind of fun. They are all in my stomach at this point, around my belly button. They go into a different spot each time and I do have a nice variety of bruises on my tummy. But they are pretty painless. The thin needle goes into a fatty part of my stomach and rarely draws blood. I think some days getting the needles ready is far more overwhelming. Some of the meds you have to mix yourself and all the needles I have to draw up myself. There are vials to load into special pens, switching needle tips, making sure there are no air bubbles … honestly, that’s the worse part! I have had fun making some home videos of the shots and trying to figure out the new meds. While I will never show them to anyone besides Josh, it’s been fun tracking the journey and process.

So how am I feeling? Mentally and spiritually – great. I am on top of my game, embracing this. It’s truly so exciting to be a part of this cycle with a higher percentage of success, along with the simple peace that God is with us and right next to me every step (and shot). Physically – I have had better times. Honestly, with all the meds that we have done and tried in the past, no side effect is “new” or any surprise. It’s the same thing, sometime intensified or mixed with a few other symptoms. I am SO grateful that I am able to tackle however I am feeling at home and not at work. Probably the most frequent side effect so far has been headaches. I have never been a headache person and these ones make me want to bash in my eye sockets (not to be dramatic). Hot flashes are less frequent now, maybe 1-2 every other day. My body is physically exhausted in a way I haven’t felt before. I can tell it has no idea what is going on and it just wants to sleep all day. I washed the dishes tonight and it felt like an accomplishment that deserved a banner. Cramps are present and expected. But truthfully, none of the side effects aren’t ones I can handle with a smile (and a nap). I feel the extreme emotion creeping up on me. Today for example, I was sitting and watching Ellen and as soon as she said it was the “12 Days of Christmas” I started that awkward “I’m crying but I don’t know why” cry. I just kept thinking how glad I was that no one else was there and wondering if I was crying because I was happy or sad. I never figured that out, I think I was just crying. (Seriously?) But I find myself watering up at simple things, like watching my dog sleep (“She seriously, *sniff* is the cutest *sniff* dog *sniff* eevvvveerrrrrrr.” Or at receiving a Christmas card in the mail (“Theeeeyyyyy reemembeerreeedddddd ussssssss.”

Josh has been so great, of course. He carefully studies what is going on and tries to refer to it casually in conversation. “So honey, how are your ovaries feeling?”, “You do the Follistim shot tonight right? 150 cc’s?” “How are your heat sweats?” (Huh??? Ohhh, you mean hot flashes. Too cute.) I couldn’t ask for a better partner to go through this with. He even hates watching shots and diligently sits at the counter every morning and evening and cheers me on. (“Honey, you are so strong, you got this.”) Such a great support system!

Plus – all of you! Seriously, every message, every text, every card, and every prayer – they mean SO much more than you will ever know! Having people checking in and caring keeps me going through each day. Just love you all!

Keep the prayers coming! Honestly, with every appointment and day that passes, it’s so evident that I am SURROUNDED by prayers. They are being answered and I feel such comfort. I will be better about blogging over this next week when a lot will be happening. A couple of specific prayer requests if you could –

• Pray against Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). This usually occurs as a result of all of the hormone medications I am taking. In OHSS, the ovaries become swollen and painful, overstimulating and can cause a lot of complications with the cycle, including hospitalization. We DON’T want this to happen!
• That my body continues to respond appropriately and create the amount of follicles I am capable of and that will lead to a great egg retrieval. I have had issues developing follicles in the past so I just want our next appointment on Wednesday to show development that is positive.
• Strength for a busy day on Saturday. I have a packed day: a doctor’s appointment, a baby shower and hosting/ running our company Christmas party. I am feeling anxious knowing how exhausted I have been the last week when I am busy for 2 hours, then thinking about keeping up all that energy for a whole day while likely not feeling great has me a little concerned. Prayers for discernment on that day and knowing my limits would be great.

I close with this great passage from 1 Samuel 1:

Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.” As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking.“Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!” “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

I feel like our prayers filled with anguish and sorrow have been heard. We are waiting with anticipation to see how God answers us. But we are filled with peace as we wait. And that is the biggest blessing of all.