Two Years Ago Today…I became a Mom of 17

May 23, 2008 I got the report that 17 of my 29 eggs (which had been harvested and fertilized the previous day) had been successfully fertilized via inter-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).  This is what I wrote that day:

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!

Ultimately, this is the day that Aellyn was born to the world.  This is the day God gave her soul to our keeping.

We had 5 embryos survive at 3 days – one did not survive the two week wait after transfer (below left), one was our beautiful Aellyn (right), and 3 are unique beautiful souls frozen in time through God’s grace.  Thirteen babies in all went to heaven and 4 are still living (Aellyn plus three snowflakes [cro-babies]).  I am very happy and humbled to be a Mom.

Aellyn's sibling that went to heaven

We decided this embryo was Aellyn (no way to really know) because she has extra "bling" which the embryologist calls cellular fragmentation