(((Steph))), you sweet lady! It can't be easy for you to make these posts and we certainly do appreciate the sharing of how you're feeling and helping us to understand this amazing process. My first impression of you still holds true, after several years now; you've always known where you were going and ready to work for what you need in your life. You are definitely brave! Wish I could find it, because I have a picture of my son at Grant's age..almost an identical pose in the crib..Billy always woke up with a smile on his sweet face and ready for his day to begin. Granlan Hugs :)

I have shivers of excitement and anticipation running up my spine as I read this, and I don't even know you personally... only through this website. I hope and pray ALL goes very well, and that it's a total success. My niece had one child, a boy, her first ivf....then twins...boy/girl the last time. I wish you all the best. Shirley

The hilarious stories I've read here, like the Lucy threads, and stories by Dottie (Ima TwoSacker). Grandma Bonnie posting that she prayed if Grif would survive leukemia, she would take his place...then he was ok, and she got cancer and left us. Learning photography with my first digital camera and posting pictures here as I learned, when Emma was a baby (she turned 9 this month!). Sharing the ups and downs of life. The fabulous people I've met here and gotten to meet in real life. Ed, Shelba's DH, what a big, loving teddy-bear of a man. I see guys that remind me so much of him. Vickey, isn't it something how real our on-line friends can be? And sometimes they turn into 3-D friends, too, as an added bonus. JoanMN

Looks like I'm late seeing and responding to this. But then, running late is a bad habit of mine. --------------------------------- I'm Carol (Caroline on my forums) and am currently living in North Dakota. I've thoroughly enjoyed the Kitchen Table and all the assorted forums since 1998/1999. In my real life I was a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. The years I spent in active duty were, and always will be, the best part of my life. I was a Public Affairs Specialist. I worked in Community Relations and Media Relations most of the time. Occassionaly I'd edit the base paper. I love travel and moving around. I've been fortunate to have lived in California, Delaware, Spain, England, Indiana, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and now ND. I was born and raised in northern Arkansas. I graduated with a class of 17 in 1974. Before joining the Air Force I worked as a secretary for a couple of firms, a book keeper, and estate agent. While in California I worked for seven years in a 1,200-inmate jail faciltiy. Now that was a strange job! I worked a security job for a while here, but I've not worked in the past three years, except for helping put the house back together. No children. By choice. I could never "see" myself as a mom. I was single for most of my 20s and 30s. I didn't want to make the life-style changes a child would have needed. I married Wes when I was 36; he's a rabid hunter and fisherman and we enjoy our quiet life. My passions include gardening, birding in general and purple martins in particular, quilting, sewing, reading, beadwork...anything fussy and/or sparkly. I'm a total Anglophile and afternoon tea is a way-of-life for me. Anyone who knows me knows that Harry (love wrapped in a dog-suit) is my heart. He makes my days, keeps me happy, and adds joy to everything. And then, there's Sam (strangeness in a dog suit). He's a hoot, and for some bizarre reason he's decided I'm the "Best Human on Earth. Harry's my heart; Sam's my pancreas; (I have diabetes!) Sam is loved and well cared for, and spoiled and pampered. He's just so incredibly weird. See? I could never have children; I'm afraid I'd "play favorites." I just can't feel for Sam what I feel for Harry. It's not there. Hi! I'm Caroline, and I, too, am weird!