Holy cow!!

Okay, so has everyone given up on me and this blog?!?! I know it's been A LONG time since I've posted anything....and that's because we've been very busy! I've been hand writing in a journal so I could keep all the events straight and now I'm going to begin the daunting task of transferring it all!! So without further ado, I shall begin.
March 18th: The first day of my Lupron shot. This shot is administered once a day (in the evening) in the abdomen and is designed to stop ovulation. I have to take this for about 3 weeks before the IVF. I did this shot BY MYSELF for the first time!! I mustared up the courage because it had to be done at around the same time every night and I never knew when Jake would be getting home from work. So, I did it!!
April 4th: Day 1 of 3-a-day shots. I forgot how much I dislike this Follistim pen. It's hard to discribe, but it's not a syringe like the other shot. It actually looks like a great big pen with a needle on the end and rather than pushing the end like a syringe, the end of this needle (or pen) twists which makes it harder to administer. However, I have to suck it up and do what needs to be done. I have a shot in the morning of the follistim and two shots in the evening-one of the follistim and one of Lupron (which I've been taking since March 18th). So far, things are going well. I'm experiencing several side effects, but am learning to deal with them.
April 5th: Day 2. I'm trying to find a good spot in my abdomen to give myself shots!! I've done a few shots that bleed a little too much afterwards and now I have little bruises over my belly! Good thing I have another week of shots to find the right place!! Side effects are still here (bloating, headaches, dizziness, and muscle aches) but I don't want to let it keep me from doing what I need to do throughout the day or complain about it b/c I know it could be a lot worse. I'll just keep a smile on my face and keep on stabbing!!
April 6th: Day 3. Today is the first day where the units I inject are different and I gotta say, I love the lesser dose!! It doesn't take as long to inject. You can't go as fast when you administer this medication b/c the pen will only twist down at a certain speed. So, I'm loving the smaller dose!
April 7th: Day 4. I'm starting to feel a little like a pin cushion! I looked at my belly this morning to find a spot to do my shot and all I saw was tiny bruises and little red dots. This 3-a-day shot thing is getting a little tiring. I'm not complaining b/c I understand why I have to do this and this will all be a distant memory in a few weeks. Tomorrow is the beginning of my gauntlet of doctor's appointments. I have appointments Tuesday-Monday (Sat. and Sun. included) to see how my body is reacting to this medication. I'm getting very excited for the next week or two and can't wait to see where this ride takes us!!
April 8th: Day 5. Jacob and I went to our doctor's appt. this morning and got some great news! My body's responding beautifully to the medicine and I have 18 follicles!! The nurse said my lining looked nice and layered, just like they like it (I guess). I may not have to go back until Thursday depending on how my blood work turns out. It's so good to get this type of news and continue to pray for it! It's starting to get a little old giving myself the shots b/c as soon as I feel normal again, it's time for another shot. But I know it's all for a greater cause and the fact that it's working makes it all worthwhile! The nurse said they'd probably do the retrieval early next week, but we'll know more towards the end of this week.
April 9th: Day 6. I just went in for blood work this morning. Because my estrogen levels were high yesterday, he just wanted to bring me in and see how it did without my evening shot. I'll have blood work and an ultrasound tomorrow.
April 10th: Day 7. Shots are still going well. Ultrasound looks good. the nurse said that I still have 16-18 follicles. Which is great news since I was praying for 12. She said that I was still on track for a retrieval early next week. I'm getting ready b/c I feel very bloated and full-for lack of better words!
April 11th: The dr. appt. went well this morning. The nurse showed me how to mix the hCG shot b/c she was pretty sure we would be administering the shot tomorrow (Saturday) night. My estrogen levels were still high, but I found out that it's actually a good thing because of how many follicles I have. The nurse said that they can get as high as 3000 (mine was 1896). I have another ultrasound and more blood work tomorrow and will know more information after that.
April 12th: The nurse counted 28 follicles!!! 28!!! So, apparently my body reacts well to the medication. We were the only ones there this morning so the nurse was able to take a lot of time with the ultrasound. She called this evening and let me know that the retrieval will be Monday. I don't have to go in tomorrow which is really nice. I don't mind that drive but I was ready to sleep in! My surgery is at 8 on Monday, but I have to be there at 7!! That means we have to leave home at 5:45! I guess these early mornings are just preparing us for what will hopefully be happening in 9 months!!
April 14th: Jacob did the hCG shot Saturday night at 8 (it had to be done 36 hours before retrieval). He did a great job! He was really nervous but bucked up when he needed to! The surgery well and they said they got 16 eggs!! The lab will call me tomorrow (Tuesday) to let me know how many good embryos they get. I'm feeling pretty good. I'm a little sore but I haven't had to take any of my pain medication. I'm going to try to not take it, but if it gets bad I'll reach for them!
April 16th: The lab called yesterday to let me know 14 of the 16 eggs fertilized!. They're going to keep an eye on them, hope they continue to grow, then transfer the best 2 on Thursday. Hopefully there's enough good embryos to freeze for the next time we want to bring a little Payne into the world! I'm anxious to put an end to this journey and begin a new one! This would be such a blessing to our lives and we can't wait to share the love of a child with those around us. I know there will be tough times, some days might be hard to get out of bed, but our lives are ready and desperately need a change!! We appreciate all the prayers from friends, family, and others and pray we can bring home our baby at the end of this!
April 17th: Transfer day! What an amazing day!! They transferred 2 embryos today! One w/8 cells and one w/7 cells. Dr. Colver was in Ft. Wayne today so Dr. Bopp did the procedure. He said that the embryos looked very good and that they were able to freeze 10 embryos! That means that only 2 of the 14 fertilized eggs didn't continue to grow. What a blessing to have 10 embryos to freeze!! I think the thing that has me so confident or relaxed about the outcome of this cycle is that we have 10, sort of, back ups! And the best part is, I wouldn't have to do any of the shots to do another transfer! The hardest part of this whole procedure is already done! If this cycle didn't work, the only thing I would have to do is take an ovulation predictor test and when I got a positive reading, they would do the transfer. Now, I take it back...the hardest part is waiting for the pregnancy test! I'm just trying to take it easy, take care of myself, and stay as positive as possible! Pregnancy test will be done 12 days after the transfer...so we're looking at April 29th!

Okay, now, for all those that were patient enough to read through all that....here's your reward...I'M PREGNANT!!! We found out the 29th of April, but I really wanted to wait until our first ultrasound to post anything on the blog. Our first ultrasound was Monday, May 19th! It was simply amazing!! We got to see the little heart flutter and our hearts just melted. Only one of the embryos took which was a little sad, but okay. We went into this wanting a baby and that's what we're getting! I'm officially 7 week (and one day) along and my due date is January 6, 2009. Thank each and every one of you for sticking with us through good days and bad. We really couldn't have done this without the prayers and support of you all! We love you and can't wait to share this next chapter with you! I'll continue to update everyone through this blog...now that it's up to date and thank you again!! Next ultrasound will be June 2nd and if all goes well, I'll be released to my doctor in Lafayette. Until then, take care and be blessed!!