We had two beautiful 8-celled, Grade 3 (4 being perfect) embryos come home today. Above is ICIS Pixie alpha on the left and ICIS Pixie beta on the right. Aren’t they beautiful?

The ET was actually an amazing experience. DH was in scrubs with a hair net and mask – he looked adorable! We went in and had ultrasound (abdominal not dildocam) so they could see the uterus (and my crazy-full bladder). Then on another screen they showed us live-feed of our embryos as they put them in the catheter. On the ultrasound we saw the catheter leave the embryos in just the right place in my uterus and then the embryologist checks the catheter really well to make sure both embryos made it in. It was actually kind of amazing and beautiful. If I didn’t have to pee so bad it would have been fun (they have to have a full bladder to see the uterus best).  We also got the petri dish that or embies were in.

We also had two snowflakes frozen and 10 embryos still being watched for development and possible freezing. Now the two week wait begins as we pray our babies grow and stick.

OMG, I’m a mom. My DH is a dad. We have 17, fertilized, unique, individual embryos (zygotes) in petri dishes 40 minutes away. This feeling is so much more overwhelming than I could of imagined. First I am thrilled that DH’s boys could do it. They might not be swimmers but darned if they can’t knock up an egg! woohoo! Next I feel this amazing warm rush of love that I have babies. DH said “I just want to go up there (to the lab) and watch them grow, talk to them.” Amen. That is exactly how I feel. Like I left my babies far away. Like they need me. Then I feel so…humbled. The amazing miracle of God through science that let us make babies! I know that some won’t grow but I want them all to. I don’t want to lose any.

God bless ICSI!

6:15AM – Just getting ready to leave to go to the clinic. I got maybe 5 minutes of sleep last night. I tried not to be nervous but failed miserably. DH bought me a gift yesterday to help make the hour drive to the clinic less stressful: the Monster Ballads CD. You know the one. Where big hair 80’s bands sing their slow songs. It is so awesome. It brings back so many memories of childhood that it will certainly take my mind off of things. I am, as my nurse said, “hagged up.” No makeup, jewelry, contacts, etc.

We are going to make babies today! WIsh me luck.

12:42PM – 29 Eggs!!!  I never dreamed I would have that many.  I prayed this morning that I would have 10 or more (fertilize) so lab would go to 5 day (they don’t usually with less than 10).  Of course, all 29 of those eggs are probably not mature but I think my chances are good of having more than 10 fertilize.  I cried when I woke up and they told me.  I’m just so thankful to have made it this far and that I’m doing so well.

I was in la-la land of course, but they told me that the doctor doing the retrieval uses 2 needles so that she can flush out each follicle and get the egg.  They don’t move on to the next follicle until the embryologist verifies that they got the egg.  I have heard of many clinics that are not this thorough so I’m really pleased.  I asked to meet the embryologist and she came in and said hi before the surgery and after came in with pictures to explain the process to us about ICSI and what not.  Also something I know some clinics don’t do.  It was a great experience overall.  I’m in a moderate amount of pain right now with occasional spasms of much greater pain.  Only very light bleeding.  I’m going to go sleep the rest of the day away and pray for my eggs to fertilize!

The moon is full tonight and tonight I do my trigger HCG shot at 9PM. Perfect time for an early spring harvest don’t you think?

My ovaries look spectacular like bubbling balls of follicles. I’m so proud of them! Here is an example of an ultrasound of a superovulated ovary. The black areas are follicles. Mine are all around 18mm which means they are mature.

My estrogen level was 4.259. Yikes! Most doctors consider you at high risk for Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) if it is above 3,000. The Nurse said I would get albumin with my sedative at my Egg Retrieval (ER).

So, ER. Basically with the aid of transvaginal ultrasound (our friend the dildocam) they use a long needle to suck all the fluid out of the follicles (all the black area in the above ultrasound). This contains the egg although they aren’t actually finding the egg when they retrieve. They just try to get all the fluid and the egg will be in there. Here is the best image I could find about how this works.

Fun, huh? Yes, you are seeing correctly – that is a long needle being poked through the vaginal wall. If ever two words should never be together – needle and vaginal wall are it.

While I’m in surgery for ER, DH will be “producing” a sample. Since we have MF they will use intercytoplasmic spern injection (ICSI pronounced ick see) to fertilize the eggs. Here is an image of ICSI.

The thing on the left is a pipett used to keep the egg in place and the thing coming in from the right is the needle with a single sperm cell in it.

I’m so excited to have made it to this point! I actually have eggs! I pray they are mature and healthy and that they fertilize. Just thinking about fertilization gives me goosebumps – for the first time ever a part of me and a part of DH will combine to make a new life. That will be so affirming.