it's that time of month again...ICLW!

Hello to all of you here visiting from ICLW! And, hello, also to all of my regular visitors. If you're wondering what the heck ICLW is, feel free to click on the icon on the left of my page.

Anyways, I didn't do ICLW in October, but I'm back this month and excited about visiting new blogs and getting to know others struggling with infertility. As you can see from the ticker at the top of my page, I am pregnant. Here is some basic information on how I got here:

-started TTC in December of 2008, right when MBL (my hubby) and I got married. We were so sure we would come back with a "souvenir" from our honeymoon. 1st BFN.
-1st sperm analysis after only 3 months of TTC (March 2009). MBL is on some pretty hefty ADHD meds and I was *certain* they were playing a role. They were, count of only 18 million (normal is 20 million).
-I get an HSG in May of 2009. Tubes clear, uterus normal. 1st round of clo.mid to give MBL more "targets". BFN. Take clomid again in June, another BFN.
-July 2009 we have a follow up sperm analysis...9 million. Boo! Call the local RE and get in the next day. Decide to go for IUI as already took clo.mid. BFN.
-August and September 2009: two more BFNs after clo.mid+IUI.
-October 2009: laparoscopy for me! Stage I endo found (one adhesion) and removed. Get on the December IVF schedule as we are picture perfect candidates.
-December 2009: IVF #1. 17 eggs retrieved, only 7 mature. 3 embies left for day 2 transfer, 2 transferred and one frozen. BFN on New Years Eve.
-January 2010: despair.
-February 2010: consult at RE in Chi.cago. Decide to wait on IVF with him and go with varicocele surgery instead.
-March 2010: MBL has varicocele surgery!
-April 2010: try on our own.
-May 2010: back to clo.mid and IUI. BFN. Of course.
-June 2010: clo.mid and IUI again. I get faint positives for a few days, but low beta. So, chemical.
-July 2010: decide to cancel IVF at our local clinic and go with RE in Chica.go because of shared risk program. Up to 3 cycles and an 80% refund if no take home baby.
-August 2010: IVF #2!! 11 eggs retrieved, 6 mature, 4 fertilize with ICSI. All 4 make it to day 3, but one has only 3 cells and is not viable. We transfer 3 embies (6 cell, 5 cell, and 4 cell). BFP!!

So, to sum it up: male factor infertility (low count), 3 cycles of clo.mid plus timed babydancing-all BFN, 5 clo.mid plus IUI cycles-4 BFN and one chemical, one IVF BFN, one IVF BFP, and 21 months to get here. Most days I feel like I got the easy way out (although most people would hardly consider IVF twice easy). I would say the first year was the hardest and infertility broke my heart in so many ways. We are by no means cured, but we are incredibly thankful to be where we are. I wish my success on all of you still waiting for your miracle BFPs! Thanks for stopping by!