The Path

Our pastor is currently doing a sermon series on the 23rd Psalms. Last Sunday, it seemed as if the sermon was written just for us. The focus was on walking the path of the righteous with God. Our minister talked about how the shortest point between two lines is a straight path but that God often opts out of this path. He said God often takes the round-about way to our destination. This is how we feel about our infertility journey...taking the round-about way. Joel actually said we've taken the round-about-round-about-round-about way. While we know God is using this journey to teach us many things we can't help but wish that we would quickly reach our desired destination. Good things will come in His time.

Our current path includes starting Follistim shots tonight. We will continue Lupron shots in the morning and Follistim shots in the evening for four days. I will go in early Friday morning for a sonogram to see how the follicles are responding. We are on an ultra conservative dose of the meds based on my past history of hyper stimulation. Please pray that the meds do their job (just not too well) and that we will have 15-20 eggs for the retrieval next week.

I'll update again Friday after we know more. Until then, we will continue to enjoy this round-about journey to parenthood.

Green Light

We officially got the green light to go ahead with our meds last week. I've been on Lupron for a week and will start the Follistim within the next week. We will be doing the retrieval around the first week of August and bed rest five days later. We will be done before I start school on the 17th (which was my one criteria). I will continue to update as we get more specific dates. Please continue to pray with us as we seek God's plan for a little Cramer.

Wednesday

We have an appointment on Wednesday morning at 9:30 for a sonogram to get the go ahead to start Lupron shots. It is both a blessing and a curse to have past experience with the IVF process. Please pray with us that all looks good on the sonogram and that all the worried thoughts I have regarding this cycle will disappear. We continue to be blessed and will update as soon as possible on Wednesday.

Life Lessons

This is something I ran across and it struck a cord. Many good this to remind yourself of daily. Hope you find it inspiring too. Also, I'm working on the post about our trip. It was a great time!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer- Cleveland, Ohio

Celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we’d grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come.
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.