Looking Back and Looking Forward

As 2009 came to a close, I sat here and wanted to use pictures to illustrate just how our journey went throughout that year.
In January 2009 we started up IVF #2 in Little Rock, AR. We were certain this time had to work. We found out at the beginning of February we were not successful!February- mom and I traveled to Kansas City to see a musician "William Joseph". He plays the piano and it was fabulous. It was nice to get away from things for a bit!March- Stuart and I had been married 4 years! At this time, we did IVF #3 and transferred 3 frozen embryos, none at which were above an 8 cell. We thought again, this had to be it!April- mom and I went with the ladies from our church to the "Women of Joy" conference in Branson, Missouri. I didn't want to go because again, another failure... but I went anyway. Little did I know, God would place Angie in my life, sitting right beside me at the conference. We got to talking and now she has become someone very special in my life.May- Stuart and I prayed about, discussed and decided that God was leading us to another clinic. We just didn't feel at peace about where we were, so we traveled to Texas and spent Mother's Day with Matt, Susan and the kids while going to our first consultation doctors appointment at "The Center for Assisted Reproduction".June- met a blogger friend for the first time, one who only lives 20 minutes from me. Whitney has become one of my best friends and I am so glad we met.Also in June, traveled to Texas to have an HSG again and make sure I had no cysts on my ovary so "All Systems Go"! We were ready and we started IVF #4!!!July- finished up IVF #4, transferred 2- 4BB Blastocysts, went on vacation to Destin, Florida and achieved our first pregnancy EVER! Just a few short weeks later, our pregnancy ended. I had miscarried and we were heartbroken. Very confused, very upset, but still MORE HOPEFUL and MORE DETERMINED than EVER!!!

August-met Paul Young- the author of "The Shack". Enjoyed our day and enjoyed our night as well!
September- performed in a pageant and was the "Punk Raisin"! Continued traveling back and forth from Texas to Arkansas, etc.October- met Kelly for the first time and met up with Angie again at the Selah concert in Bentonville, Arkansas! We prayed together and spent quite a bit of time talking. Met up with some friends from there as well...seeing as how I lived up there for 2 years teaching Kindergarten and MISS THEM ALL SO MUCH!Also in October, we transferred 2 frozen blastocysts! Prayed, prayed and prayed that THIS would not be our time, but God's time! Prayed that He would breathe life into our children!November- Positive HPT, positive BETAS, PREGNANT!!!!!!! Saw the grain of rice and the heart beat flutter, saw the gummy again as a jumbo shrimp, heard the heart beat, and was released from Texas!December- OB appointment, heard the heart beat again- which might I add is still one of the most amazing experiences ever!!!, Christmas, 27th Birthday, Ultrasound at 12 weeks- just so we could check and make sure all was good...Stuart and my mommy came too! She heard the heart beat for the first time. Baby Creamer was flipping, spinning and wouldn't stay still very long! God is truly the God of miracles!So as this year has come to a close, I will remember all the good times, the bad times, the in-between times and now, more than ever, looking forward to this new year!