TWW

Hello, friends!

Yesterday was a good day!  At 3:30 pm (on the dot) Seger embryo 1 and Seger embryo 2 were transferred into mama Seger's uterus!  It was the most amazing, emotional and surreal thing we have ever experienced! Dr. T (the embryologist) came into my OR at about 3:20 and matched the numbers on my wrist band with the numbers identifying our embryos and he disappeared to get them ready for transfer.

He came back, handed the transfer catheter to Dr. Blackwell and told her that they looked great.  Dr. T, Dr. Blackwell and Hannah (our radiology tech/nurse) then started and completed the 1 minute procedure at 3:30 pm.  The most amazing part was that I got to watch the entire process.  On the ultrasound screen, I got to watch as Dr. Blackwell inserted the catheter and gently directed our embryo's to their new home.  I saw them go in and I saw 2 little spots on the ultrasound machine right as she pointed them out and said "all done.  Looks perfect."

The hardest part was that Si wasn't allowed back into the OR with me...we weren't aware of that and it was a shock for both of us when they called me to the pre-op area and told him they would come get him when we were done and I was in recovery.  My heart fell into my stomach and I immediately started crying.  Si, in his typical supportive fashion, says "it'll be ok. I'll see you soon."  He is such an amazing husband and support for me...he is definitely the strong one.  I don't know how I would survive without him.

I think I was in recovery for about 30 seconds before he got to come back. That was one of my favorite moments of the day - to see his smile and hear his voice calmed all my nerves and I told him all about the procedure.  I had to lay in the recovery area for 30 minutes with my feet and hips elevated and then nurse Hannah came to give us the list of 'rules' for the next few days and we were free to go.

It's kind of simple - the 'rules' aren't crazy - no lifting for a few days, no strenuous work, no running, swimming, hot tubs, exercise, keep stress to a minimum - just lay low. The one thing they left off the list that should be number 1 is to PRAY! Because now it's all up to God and our babies. Yesterday they transformed from embryo's to babies as far as I'm concerned!

I wish I felt pregnant - I wish I could tell that something happened, that something has changed. But I can't. The one thing that has changed, tho is that I feel this overwhelming sense of responsibility now that they are here - with us.  I've found myself walking gingerly, sitting a bit gentler, moving a bit slower - trying to be very careful.  I know that's a bit extreme, but at this point, it is ALL I can do besides pray.

The title of this post is TWW - an acronym I've recently learned.  I've been visiting IVF/embryo transfer websites and blogs and TWW refers to Two Week Wait - the 2 week period between embryo transfer and pregnancy test. The TWW is going to feel like an eternity and will probably move like molasses in January in Minnesota! (Give it a minute...it'll come... Get it?! :) )

Please continue to pray - it'll be a long couple of weeks before we go for our first pregnancy test. Our patience will be tested - as will our nerves. But God is good and we are optimistic!

Thanks for all the phone calls, emails, text messages and prayers yesterday...we felt them...

Love,
Silas & Stacy

It's about time...

... about time for another blog post ... about time for an update ... about time for us to get going!

Tomorrow Si and I will be in Tulsa for the event we've been waiting, praying and preparing for - tomorrow Seger embryo 1 and Seger embryo 2 will be transferred into mama Seger's uterus! WOW!  We've been waiting for so long, there has been so many pills, patches and shots and the day is finally right around the corner.

I can't even begin to explain the emotions that are running through our minds and hearts right now. There is a whole heap of excitement, a bunch of anxiety, a titch of nervousness and a whole lot of optimism! So - if there was one word to sum that up, that's what it would mean!

At our ultra sound on January 9, Dr. Blackwell told us that everything looked 'perfect' (that was her word ... she used it 4 times!).  Hormone levels are great. She even showed us during the ultrasound where she will likely place the embryo's tomorrow...the spot best-suited for growing babies. :) We've done everything we can to facilitate success. Dr. Blackwell and her (amazing) team has done everything they can to facilitate success.  Now it is up to God. We are excitedly asking for God's guidance and grace and patience tomorrow as we take this step of this amazing journey we have been on. Dr. Blackwell is one of the best at what she does so we have full faith and confidence in her - but we will certainly be asking God to bless her hands and her heart before we begin tomorrow!

The rest of this lies with A & B - my prayers this week have been that they will choose me to be their mom. That they will choose to stay with us and live with us and trust us to be the best parents we can be. In some ways I already feel like a mom - ever since we adopted them in October I've felt like there were 2 little souls just waiting to introduce themselves to us. I've started a list of all the things I want to teach our kids, all the things I want to do with them. But mostly I just want to love them and to be their mom.

Please say some prayers tomorrow if you have time. Please pray for health and safety and grace and peace. It'll be a while before we know if these little ones chose to stay or go; so some prayers for patience would be good, too.

Thanks, again, for all of your love and support.  Here we go....it's about time!

Love & Hugs -
Stacy & Silas