It Could Have Been a Movie Scene...

You know the movie scene where the wife goes into labor and there is a rush to get to the hospital to deliver the baby and crazy and wrong things happen? Sunday morning was kind of like that, only we were trying to conceive a baby...

After a rushed early morning at home (I won't say more, to maintain a PG-rating), we were on the road to the clinic by 7:15 a.m. The office we normally visit doesn't have weekend hours, so we had to go to a sister clinic 45 minutes away. On the highway ramp, I realized that I forgot my purse (containing sunglasses, cell phone, insurance card, and ID). About a mile further, Aaron noticed that he forgot to put his wedding ring on after washing dishes. We also forgot the label for the sperm sample. Can you tell we were in a hurry and a little flustered? Here's a sample of our conversation on the drive:

"If we get pulled over, do you think the policeman would let us go if we explained our infertility and that we needed to get this sample into the lab within an hour and a half?"

"I don't know. I hope so."

"How late do you think we'll be for church?"

"Maybe we'll be early, if we get to the clinic and they tell us we don't have enough sperm and we have to leave."

We did not get pulled over, and we got to the clinic in plenty of time. They provided a label, did not need my insurance card, and only wanted to see Aaron's ID. After dropping the sample at the lab, we were told that we could go out and get coffee and come back in an hour after they had time to "wash" the sperm. When we came back, the waiting room was full of other couples. We sat down, and I started studying the art on the wall - 3 large, very abstract-looking, pastel needle-works. After a few moments, I realized that the one on the right was not actually abstract - it was sperm swimming up to an egg! Giggling, I pointed this out to Aaron in a whisper. He looked and said, "You're right! And I think the middle one is a bunch of fetuses (feti?)!" We never did figure out what the third one was supposed to be. Who on earth makes fertility the subject of the needle-craft?! Were they a gift from a grateful patient that the clinic couldn't politely refuse? Does one of the nurses also sew and decided to let her work inspire her hobby? Bizarre... Anyway, we were called back after a few minutes. I'll spare you the details of the procedure for the IUI, but it went quickly, Aaron held my hand the whole time, and I only experienced medium cramping from the catheter. The doctor/nurse (I never found out exactly who she was) instructed me to lay still for 10 minutes, then left the room. It was nice to have some privacy at that point. Aaron and I talked, and he commented that he was kind of nervous about the fact that we could actually be having a child. Um, hello, that's kind of been a possibility for the past year and a half! But I knew what he meant; for so long pregnancy has seemed so unlikely, and now we actually expect it might happen. After 10 minutes, we left (no co-pay; I love our insurance!) and drove to church. I had mild achiness in my lower abdomen the rest of the day, but I have felt fine ever since. I'll have a progesterone test on Friday, and after that we just have to wait until we find out if we have conceived or not.

Thank you for all your prayers. We have certainly been praying hard for a baby, and it means so much to know that you are joining us. We know that God is good and faithful, even if we get a negative result in two weeks. In the meantime, please pray that our minds would be fixed on Christ, on what is true and lovely, rather than anxiously wondering whether I am pregnant or not.

P.S. Giving myself a shot last Friday was not too bad. I would do it again without any nervousness.