And now we wait.

Embryo transfer complete. The next phase in the process is the hardest: waiting. I am scheduled for a beta blood test next Thursday to confirm pregnancy (or, ya know, to confirm no pregnancy). That’s 10 days–an eternity. As hard as it is for me, I can only imagine that it’s a trillion times harder for the daddies. Tomer is off in Germany at a family function while Gil is home in Texas, working. Their active role in this process took all of 5 minutes last Wednesday when they made their, ahem, deposits. Now they have to just sit back (or, more realistically, pace aimlessly) and put their trust in modern medicine and my body.

I bought six home pregnancy tests, and I told myself I cannot use them until Friday, 4 days post transfer. That is still really early, so I expect a few days of negatives, but testing feels like doing something when in reality there is nothing to do. All I can do is take my meds and think sticky thoughts for those little embies.

Here is a photo essay of the journey so far. (Please excuse the dark photos; there was no flash allowed in the clinic.)

At the airport, having a fancy virgin drink to celebrate my hopeful virgin conception.

The first thing I noticed at our swanky hotel was this slightly pregnant lamp. (Would it create some bad karma to steal it? Because I am feeling very tempted. If anyone is having trouble deciding what to get me for my next birthday, I would like this lamp, please.)

Forgot your sharps container at home? No problem! Use a handy orange, instead. (The orange can also be used as a practice butt for your mother who is a little too nervous for comfort about giving you your injections.

Waiting for Dr. Ringler, mesmerized by a blank ultrasound machine.

The lab technician preparing the embryos. One giant incubator for two tiny embies. The doctor said the embryos are “beautiful.”

Dr. Ringler lit up by the glow of my nether regions. He inserted a semi-thick catheter through my cervix and into my uterus then slid a tiny catheter containing the embryos in a little bit of fluid inside. Then he released the embryos with the guidance of the ultrasound. It took less than 10 minutes.

And now for 24 hours of this.