Do Not Be Anxious About Anything...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Yesterday I underwent the embryo transfer and everything went well. Amen! God has been truly gracious and merciful...this round has been better than the two previous rounds so far and we continue to hope and pray that the final outcome will also be a blessing. I'll be sure to update when we know more...stay tuned!!

We feel so loved and supported and are so thankful for our family and friends who have held our hands and hearts over the past 2 years along this journey. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

This Is Not My First Rodeo!

Friday I underwent a procedure for egg retrieval. After taking 2 days of rest, I feel pretty well after the procedure. Not quite ready to run a marathon, but already have cabin fever!

With this being my third go-round with this procedure, I had a good idea of what to expect physically, mentally, and emotionally. During this round, I met a girl who is on the exact same schedule with same doctor as I am, and I have been able to walk her through the process, as this is her first time experiencing all the meds, appointments, procedures and emotional roller-coaster! I'm happy that I'm able to share in this experience with her and I know she finds it helpful to talk with someone who has been there. As they say in Texas..."This is not my first rodeo."

Based on our results from Friday's procedure and reports from today, we will be doing a Day 3 Transfer, which is scheduled for Monday 3/21. The details are unclear at this point, other than a scheduled procedure at 3pm. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers for a successful transfer, for healthy embryos, and of course, the end results we all are hoping and praying for-a healthy pregnancy!

Houston...We are ready for launch!

IVF is not only a long process (this round is about 10 weeks) but it also is full of ups and downs. Each time you go to the doctor for an ultrasound and bloodwork, you always wonder in the back of your mind if this will be the last appointment or if you will continue on the journey. In the past 7 days, I have had 8 appointments...imagine the anticipation! You really never know until the Wednesday before the scheduled procedure if you will commit or not commit...but I am happy to report: Houston, we are ready for launch!
We will push forward onto the next step of this process, which includes the actual In-Vitro-Fertilization procedure on Friday 3/18. The next 7 days...between now and Wednesday 3/23...are some of the most crucial stages of IVF. My dear friend was so sweet to buy me a sweet OJ Dart (or so my mom calls it!) that has a little angel hanging off the words "One Day At A Time." I think that sums it up best...one day at a time, never giving up hope! Thanks for all your love and support through this journey.

And Now...The Fun Begins!

We are finally over the half-way point of this round of IVF and are looking forward to being able to see and hear about progress. Up until this point, I have just been on a few meds which start the protocol and it seemed like an eternity to reach the half-way point since this cycle is quite a bit longer than our previous ones. We continue to remain hopeful, but also are realistic that a lot of this is simply out of our control and in God's hands. This week and next week we pray that my body responds to the stimulation medications, even stronger than before, so that we can move forward with the IVF procedures. We have to take it one day at a time because at any time during the next three weeks the cycle can be "shut down" based on the body's response to the medications, or failure to arrive at the next step. In the previous two rounds we were fortunate enough to press forward and so it is our hope that this round will be no different, except of course, an even better response than before!

Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers over the next few weeks. I will continue to remain joyful in hope!

I Will Follow You....

I would like to think with each round I gain a better sense of wisdom, strength, and insight about the "big picture." I will continue to pour every ounce of my being into this process of starting a family, but when all is said and done, I reside in the fact that God has a perfect plan.

Think about this excerpt from a song by Chris Tomlin, titled "I Will Follow":

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

We are at the start of IVF round 3, I remind myself to seek God...to follow Him, to serve Him, and to wait on God with hope...to hope now, hope always.

May we be blessed far more than we can imagine!!!

IVF Round 3--Here We Come!

IVF Round 3, here we come with high hopes and excitement for all that this round and 2011 has in store for us! We have patiently, or not so patiently, waited for 7 months to embark on this journey once again to start a family. I can honestly say that I'm fully and completely refreshed and recharged to dive in with both feet!

I'm hoping the first few weeks of this process is a little more 'gentle' compared to previous rounds since I just had surgery and some of the neccessary procedures were completed in November and December. I only anticipate one procedure in the next few weeks which is a huge relief. The IVF protocol, which although can vary from doctor to doctor, is a long process which takes about 60 days or more....so with each passing day, I know I'm one day closer to starting a family:)

Honestly, in the next few weeks there will not be a lot of updates, as the protocol starts off somewhat "slow" with a few appointments, meds and procedures....but as things develop I'll be sure to keep you in the loop with this blog. 

We continue to ask for your thoughts and prayers during this time, for we know that God has good things in store for us. I will not give up hope...I'll hope now and hope always!

Surgery Was A Success!

On December 2, 2010 I had surgery to treat a right hydrosalpinx. The goal was to remove the right fallopian tube with an intact blood supply to the right ovary. We are happy to report that the right fallopian tube was removed without incident and the right ovary remains intact and healthy. The surgery as it relates to future fertility was a success....praise God!
I am slowly recovering from the surgery--perhaps a bit slower than I anticipated, but nonethless healing every day. I plan on returning to work 12 days after surgery--not too shabby! In the meantime, I'm taking it easy and soaking up the wonderful festivities of the holiday season. I am proud to announce that I have all my holiday shopping completed which is pretty much a small feat for me! Got to love online shopping these days!
Our plans for the future entail waiting for 2011 for future IVF attempts. We remain hopeful and prayerful.
Heres to a HEALTHY and HAPPY 2011!