It’s been a long, but exciting, week.  I’ve just realised that I haven’t done an update since before we had our egg retrieval.  Wow, time flies in some ways and stalls in others.

I had my egg retrieval on Thursday 26 August 2010.  It was day surgery and required me to be put under via twilight sedation, which is awesome because the needle they were using was MASSIVE!

The doctor ended up extracting 14 eggs, HUBBY did his thing and the Clinic did the rest.

After the surgery I went home to sleep it off.  Which was much needed because I was in a little bit of pain.  Thank goodness for pain medication!

On Friday I called the Embryologist to find out how the process was going.  I was amazed to hear that 14 out of 14 of the eggs had fertilised.  It took us both by complete shock.  By Saturday we still had 14 embryos, and on Sunday the Embryologist took great pleasure in telling us they were all still doing what they were supposed to.  On Monday they were still going strong but the Embryologist was indicating that we might only get five to the transfer stage.

My Embryo Transfer was scheduled for 1pm on Tuesday.  I scheduled the recommended acupuncture sessions for pre and post Embryo Transfer.  I didn’t know what to expect and apart from telling me to take pain medication an hour before the procedure they didn’t really tell me anything more.

HUBBY and I both attended the Embryo Transfer.  It was so clinical but it had it’s moments of humour.  The whole process took about twenty minutes.   The Embryologist confirmed that we had nine embryos get to the stage required for transfer or freezing.

With the transfer completed the only thing left to do is wait for a result and attend my acupuncture appointments.

Image source: Getty Images

The past few days have been an emotional rollercoaster.  I’m having problems focusing on anything for more than five minutes at a time.  I’m analyzing every twinge or cramp to see if it’s a ‘sign’ that the process has worked.  It’s getting really annoying and draining.

I had a blood test on Thursday to check my estrogen levels and the results came back as acceptable.  I have another blood test on Monday and then Wednesday to see how my hormone levels are traveling.

Patience has never been my strong suit so this week has been particularly trying, especially when you add control freak to the mix.  There’s nothing I can do at this point but wait.  HUBBY is being brilliant (as usual) and he’s taking really good care of me so I guess it’s just a matter of sitting back and enjoying the possibility while we still have it.

On this day in 1962 one of my favourite poets, e.e. cummings, died.  To commemorate his life I’ve decided to dedicate this Friday Fancies to his poems. For those of you not familiar with his work this is probably his most famous poems:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

a.  e.e.cummings print b.  Nobody Not Even the Rain has Such Small Hands – Silver Pendant & Necklace c.  Interwine. Sterling Silver Ring and Keychain d.  e.e.cummings silver poem pendant necklace e.  e.e.cummings quote handmade notebook f.  e.e.cummings “I Love You Much” Vinyl Wall Sticker

Today’s image love is for Ben Heine an artist who I found through another artist.  I love the playfulness of these images and the combination of skills it must take to produce them.  These are just four of many that he has made.  If you intrigued by what you see here be sure to click through and check out what else he has on offer.

1. Pencil Vs Camera – 24, 2. Pencil Vs Camera – 12, 3. Pencil Vs Camera – 30, 4. Pencil Vs Camera – 27

Another Etsy Treasury for your enjoyment.

Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day. Rich people can’t buy more hours. Scientists can’t invent new minutes. And you can’t save time to spend it on another day. Even so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving. No matter how much time you’ve wasted in the past, you still have an entire tomorrow. ~Denis Waitely

1. Pocket Watch Clock, 2. Daily Disney – Monday Method – Main Street Clock, 3. Retro alarm clock, 4. Miss Retro Clock 2007

Want to see more Flickr Faves, or even submit your own, head on over to ArtMind!

Keeping with the unofficial theme of this week I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some examples of Mothering from the animal kingdom.

On the riverbank…

In Africa…

In India…

In the ocean…

In Africa…

In the Arctic…

And finally, somewhere near Walmart…

In one of those wonderful twists of clicking I stumble upon Bonnie‘s blog, Going Home to Roost, one faithful day and spent hours immersed in the wonderful world that Bonnie has created.

I think the best way to describe Going Home to Roost is to let Bonnie tell you in her own words:

Hello lovelies! It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Bonnie and Going Home to Roost is the blog dedicated to everything handmade and anything homegrown. I love to roost, and to me that means nesting in my home and doing the things that I love. I’m always seeking the next creative endeavor, inspiring artists and beautiful material- and my purpose here is to share those with you!

I dream of one day leaving the rat race behind and moving out to the country to live in a house full of animals, growing my own vegetables and creating little crafty projects for the home, so I adore Going Home to Roost it provides me with so much food for thought and helps me to add some depth to my daydreams.

Image source: Old Renewed

As well as collating amazing posts for Going Home to Roost Bonnie also runs THREE Etsy stores; Old Renewed, The Kitchen Roost and Home to Roost.  The stores sell a collection of items that Bonnie has made and items that she has collected. 

Image Source: The Kitchen Roost

I love reading about Bonnie’s chickens, her dog named Toaster (what an awesome name) and learning new recipes.  Bonnie has collated a great range of DIY projects that are so easy anyone can do them.

Image source: Home to Roost

Going Home to Roost is an amazing blog filled to the brim with inspirational and awe inspiring items from around the globe.  It’s a must see blog for anyone that wants to leave a smaller foot print on the planet and enjoy the finer handmade things in life.

This week has been all about the egg.  I thought it might be nice to have a Friday Fancies that show cases some of the wonderful egg-centric items that are out there and available on Etsy.  I hope you enjoy!

a.  Nest, eggs and bird. Handmade Polymer Clay Sculpture.   b.  Translucent Porcelain Egg Votive Soy Candles.   c.  Mr and Mrs Eggs.  d.  I want to keep this one – ACEO Print.  e.  Modern Sterling Silver Egg Ring.  f.  The Golden Egg Myth – Print.  g.  Sterling Silver Birds Nest Necklace with Freshwater Pearls.  h.  Organic Egg Necklace.

For awhile now I have had a design crush on a collection of prints by Mitchell & Dent. I just didn’t know who did them, until last week when I stumbled upon their blog.  It was lust at first sight.

Unfortunately my joy was short lived when I saw that the print set I so desperately wanted had sold out and would not be produced again.  Wah!

However, fortune favours the bold, so I took a leap and left a comment on their blog asking if there were any sets floating around out their in the big bad world that had yet to find a home.

Score! They’d just had a set returned to them.  So I’ve snatched them up and can’t wait to have them framed and one day hanging in our nursery.  (I told you I like to daydream about decorating…)

Another Etsy Treasury for your enjoyment.