Here it is!

My embryo adoption blog! I started a blog a while ago to track my journey of embryo adoption, but it's a private blog. I wanted something I could just have out there without having to send invites every time, but my private blog has pictures, etc, which hubby isn't too comfortable having out there. So this blog will be filled (hopefully!) with posts of our path to parenthood...which is getting closer by the day!

A quick summary for all who are wondering who I am, where I'm at in this process and maybe just what exactly embryo adoption is!

My name is Heather, and my sweet DH and I have been trying to have kids since we got married - almost 5 years now. It's been an extremely long journey, filled with ups, downs, hopes, fears, tears, and yes, even joy.

Throughout our journey, God has been so good to us - He's brought us closer together than ever and directed our steps to something called Embryo Adoption. It is the most amazing story for us and we are thrilled to share it!

For those of you who don't know, embryo adoption is the process of adopting embryos from a couple who has done IVF, had their children and still have remaining embryos. They do not want to destroy their embies or donate them to science research, so they choose to give them to another couple who cannot have children. The embryos are then sent to the infertile couple's clinic, the woman is prepped for a transfer, and the embies are transfered into her uterus. Two weeks later she has a blood test and is hopefully pregnant!

For us, this journey started in February. We found out that we will not be able to have biological children. We'd known for sometime that it would be extremely difficult, but we had been trying different things and procedures in the prior years. When we heard the "0 chance" diagnosis, however, I was devastated. I knew we could adopt, and I was ready for that, but we had two issues:

1 - DH just wasn't ready for adoption and everything that comes with it yet
2 - I desperately wanted to experience pregnancy.

There was something about feeling a baby kick inside of me, feeling him or her grow, knowing I was carrying them that I just didn't want to give up. Even the not so good side of things - give me the morning sickness, the pain of labor, the possible complications. I wanted to feel the incredible miracle that is carrying a baby.

All of that said, years ago DH and I had heard a Focus on the Family radio broadcast that talked about the Snowflake Embryo Adoption program. Since then, I'd known several sisters (in Christ) who had used their program to adopt embryos and become pregnant!

I talked it over with DH and he actually took to it! And he said the sweetest thing which I'll never forget.

"This will work for us because it means that you will have the chance to be pregnant and give birth and I want that for you." Am I married to a great man or what??

So we started the process. Homestudy started in April, we were approved in July. In August, just 4 weeks later, we were matched! We were so incredibly excited to be matched with 3 embryos. Our babies!

August and September brought paperwork and more waiting as we went through all of the legal stuff. I was so anxious to get going, but we had to wait on things until we knew the embryos were close to being shipped to our clinic!

That pretty much brings us up to now...

I was on birth control for about 4 weeks and then started Lupron on October 18th. My clinic does a controlled cycle for any frozen embryo transfer and that means completely suppressing my system so they can time my cycle perfectly. The Lupron will shut down my ovaries so that I don't ovulate.

Lupron is a really easy injection - just a short needle into the stomach. I didn't think there was any way I'd be able to handle it, but somehow I don't mind! I'll be on Lupron every day until the week before my transfer.

Just this past Tuesday I had my first bloodwork to check my Estradiol levels and an ultrasound to check my lining and my ovaries. Everything looked great, so we were off and running!

Tuesday night I had my first Estradiol shot. For those of you who don't know Estradiol, it is an inch and a half long needle that DH stuck into my bum. I have a circle drawn on each side of my bum so DH knows where the needle should go. I'll tell ya - I FREAKED OUT the first night. It took forever for me to lay there so DH could do the shot. And poor guy - he wasn't nervous until I started freaking! By the time it was all done and over with, his hands were shaking! AND...I didn't feel a thing! I freaked out over nothing - it was NOT a big deal at all!

The next shot is tonight, then I go back for more bloodwork on Monday and another ultrasound to check the lining on Thursday. That is what the Estradiol is doing - building up my lining.

OH!! And the best news - my embies will arrive at our clinic TODAY!!!!!!! I am beyond excited that my babies will be "home". Please pray that they travel safely - they are being sent via Fed Ex!

I promise all of my posts won't be this long and drawn out - if you've made it this far, I'm glad you're still reading! :)

I am just so thankful and amazed at what the Lord has done for us and where He has brought us. We have the chance to give life to these precious babies who otherwise may not have the chance to live a long, full life. We are excited, honored and blessed to go through this process - and to give such a beautiful picture of adoption. Just as God adopted us as His children with unconditional love, we have the chance to show that same unconditional love, God's love, to these children. And we cannot wait to finally be "Mommy and Daddy".