Ordinary People, Ordinary Life...Extraordinary Love: IUI #1

Today was awesome! We are so, so full of hope. We got to the clinic about thirty minutes early. They immediately sent Nick back to give his sample. They told us it would take about an hour to wash his sample, get it under a microscope, and get some stats on it. He had to have at least 10,000,000 sperm and at least 50% motility.

We hung out at the clinic. We basically chatted, played on our phones, and anxiously waited. It seemed like forever. About an hour later, they came out to the waiting room and asked us to come back to the lab. We go to see his boys under the microscope! It was probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen! Nick and I were both super giddy about it! The nurse laughed and said that's why they show us because we have to confirm the name on the specimen and most people are intrigued by all of this. We are definitely those people! I couldn't help but laugh when I saw his little guys going all over the place. Nick looked and just laughed and said it was awesome.

"So, how many does he have?" I asked.

"Let's talk about that in the office! It's good!"

I am pretty sure after that line, Nick chucked me some deuces!

We got into the office and she sat down with us.

"Well, he has 68,000,000 sperm and 64% motility!" WOOOO HOO! It's much less stress knowing one of us is working the right way! We did the math and figured that he had 43,520,000 sperm that were ready to fertilize our eggs.

Kiersten then said, "Alright! You know there's a chance for twins, right?"

Nick and I both smiled and said, "Yep!"

She then told me what she would do and left me to get changed and onto the table.

She came back in and we chatted while she was prepping. I told her my fears of being let down. She told me to keep doing what we have been doing: never giving up, and never losing hope.

Nick came to my side and held my hand as the procedure began. Kiersten has a similar personality as me. We can make jokes and she isn't shy at all. I told her I felt like she gives "oil changes" for a living. (She had mentioned that she had SEVERAL IUI's to perform today.)

Shortly after a little pressure, our conversation was over, and the procedure was over! That's it?

"Was it good for you?"

Nick and I died laughing. This woman is a hoot!

"That's it?" I asked.

"That's it! We all cheer for you ladies and get so excited to give you good news. I hope to give you some good news! I am getting lots of people pregnant today!"

We laughed again and felt a sense of calm come over us. I told her we had so much hope. She told us that she did too. She said that if it doesn't work this round, she feels that it WILL happen in the second or third round.

I can't take a pregnancy test for a while. It would show up positive today if I did it. (The trigger shot is loaded with the HCG hormone.) I have a bloodtest on the 23rd to check my progesterone level (to see if it was a nice, strong ovulation) and we'll go from there. I will be just as patient as I can be during this two week wait. I hope we survive it ha!

Today was such a memorable experience for both of us. I couldn't be more in love with my husband. I am so, so blessed to have him. Our children are going to have a wonderful father with that big heart of his. I carried a lot of guilt in my problem conceiving. I felt ashamed and I felt less of a woman. Nick has brought me back. He has really kept me from blaming myself for all of this. I can see how infertility can rip relationships apart. We still have a very long road ahead of us and I couldn't be more proud of our teamwork. This awful, emotional, heart-breaking journey has brought us closer than we ever could have imagined. We feel closer to God.

All I know is that we have more than enough love to share with our baby...or two. :0)