12 eggs! I got the call from my doctor's office about an hour ago. Of the 15 eggs they retrieved yesterday, 12 of them fertilized. I am happy beyond belief right now. I have 12 embryos.

We arrived at the hospital bright and early yesterday morning at 7am. Once they were ready for us, my husband went off to provide his "specimen" and one of the nurses put an IV in my arm. About 8am, they wheeled me down to the operating room, where we were met my an anesthesiologist who asked me the standard questions they always ask you before you have any kind of surgery. The last thing I remember is placing my legs in the stirrups. After that, it was lights out. I didn't feel any pain whatsoever after that.

I woke up in the recovery room about 30 minutes after the retrieval. That was it! I was tired and groggy, but when my husband came in to help me dress and walk around a bit, and told me the good news about my doctor retrieving 15 eggs, I perked right up. I was able to leave around 9:45am. We were home by 10.

According to my husband, when my doctor relayed the news about the number of eggs retrieved, my doctor was "giddy." I'm not sure if he didn't expect to get 15 eggs with the number of follicles that were last measured on Thursday (18) or what, but my husband said he was definitely happy. And at that point, we were both really happy too.

I rested most of the rest of the day on Saturday. I took a nap, and spent the majority of the day in bed. We did leave later in the evening to go to my friend's birthday party (I had baked her cake, after all!), but I was in bed by 10pm. We were both nervous for the results that would come this morning-the fertilization report, which would detail how many of the 15 eggs had fertilized.

The IVF nurse called us at about 9am. She said "I have good news for you! You have 12 embryos." Of the 15, the IVF staff had fertilized eight eggs with ICSI (injecting a single sperm directly into the egg) and seven eggs the old-fashioned way (if anything about this high-tech science experiment could be considered "old fashioned") by placing the sperm in the tube or dish with the egg and letting the sperm do their own work. Of the ICSI eggs, 6 of the 8 had fertilized. Of the "old-fashioned" eggs, 6 of the 7 had fertilized.

They froze four eggs (to be used later for another try at a baby, or, if this works, siblings) and they're keeping the remaining eight until Tuesday, the day of my transfer, so they can select the best 2-3 to transfer. Then, if there are any good ones leftover at that point, they'll freeze them as well.

I am ecstatic, thrilled, and relieved. I have 12 embryos. It is absolutely mind-boggling to me that the beginnings of 12 potential persons are sitting as a mass of cells in little dishes in a lab about five miles from my house right now. 12 embryos with my and my husband's genetic material, awaiting their return to my body on Tuesday. I am so grateful for the technology and medical advancements that have given us this chance at a baby.

Two hurdles crossed, and one big one coming up in about two weeks time. But for now, it's one step at a time. We have our embryos, and a dozen chances to become parents. And for this, I am grateful.