A sneak peak at I & L's baby girl

I did a 3D ultrasound at 25 weeks 1 day so they could get a glimpse at their sweet girl.  It's so nice because the place I went to offered for them to watch it all live too.

It was so incredible to watch her and know they got to see her too!  She is cute a cutie and was so shy with her hands and feet by her face almost the entire time.

She is breech now so I'm praying she will flip for us.

I am so blessed through this journey. Most people think it's just the parent's.  But they couldn't be more wrong.

Growing a baby belly for I & L

Here is a snap shot of the baby bump.......

 

11 weeks 5 days

                           13 weeks                                                                                             15 weeks 6 days

                                         19 weeks 1day                                                                21 weeks 3days

                                                25 weeks
                         22 weeks 5days                                                         

How many babies.......

I had two eggs transfered into my uterus so the next part of the journey was...  Ok so is it 1 or 2?  Well at 6 weeks 6 days we got an answer.....

Just ONE, healthy heartbeating away......

I prayed to God for months before this to please let at least one baby stick!

He aswered that prayer.

It was a tough journey though in the beginning.  I bled often and sometimes a lot from 6-7 weeks until almost 12 weeks.  Thankfully I learned it's very common in IVF.

Here are a few pictures of the growing peanut.

8 Weeks

12 Weeks

16 weeks 1 day, and we learned it's a little

GIRL!!!!

And we wait......... And then....

So the hardest part of surrogacy for me began... The waiting.....and waiting.... Did it work? 

I started testing way too early I think.  I fried my nerves more by testing at 5 days past the transfer.  But on day 6 I saw a faint line, day 7 one that made me go ok... This is real and a day later a good one worded test "PREGNANT"
I think I cried.......

Then the best part of the journey.... Texting my Ip's telling them to call me...  And the call came.  I said something along the lines of  "I have something to tell you.... Your going to be parent's".  And the tears on the other end of the phone...Well they made me cry.  And then more so than ever did my life change in this journey.  It solitified that this journey was right where I was suppose to be.  God planned this for me.. For I & L

Transfer day June 21st 2012

I have been horrible about updating this blog and I feel terrible because it's something with so much meaning and I wanted to have this as a keepsake.  So I guess I will be posting several posts up till where we are now.

June 20th 2012~  Nan and I finally got a flight out of Denver to Texas but that was no easy task at all.  We spent from 1130 or so at the airport unil 9pm when we finalyl got a flight out.  We missed our first flight and it was stressful but really in the end it was comical and we laughed so hard spending a day  in our home town.  And I think we became so slap happy people thought we were nuts!  And honestly I wouldn't blame them.

We got to our hotel a little after midnight and fell fast asleep.

The next morning my nerves were a mess!! I was excited but so fearful of the possibilty of the baby(s) not sticking.  We read from the bible that morning and I gave it to God, it was out of my control.

We met with Kristina from the agency for breakfast and then she took us to the clinic.

Where I met my Ip's for the first time.  Talk about even more of a rush of emotions............

Then went back into the room filled with several peopleand nurses.  And we sat just watching on the screen as they inserted two little eggs, and it was an experience I am not sure there are words for.

And the journey began, back to the hotel where we ate lunch and I passed out laying on poor Nan while we watched a movie.

Our flight home was just as exciting as the one to Texas..... Got up before dawn got to the airport and they had a security breech.  Which made us and a few dozen people miss their flights.  So we got to hang at Texas airport for another long day...

But in the end we got home and rested...

Getting ready to take off.....

Here we go.....

In a little less than 4 hours I will be on the plane with one of my best friends/adopted mom and it's a flight that will lead to the unexpected I am sure.  But I know we don't travel alone.

I however didn't sleep much at all last night, from the cramps I was getting from the med's to the anticipation of the event.  I was up till 1 am, then awake again at 2am and 4am.  Finally awake at 5 am for good.  It's only 9:30am here and I feel like I've been awake forever.

Then I took my cocktail of pills this am, and was overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I needed to take.

I am asking for prayers and good thoughts, that we will be blessed with this transfer and the journey can really begin for everyone.

Ready....Set....Go!!!!!

Ready Set GO!!!!!!

That's what today has felt like.

Several weeks back I started my first round of injections and I was so terrified.  You see, this girl hates needles.  And I mean HATES needles!!!!!

And to think this was the little one.

But in the end I knew the outcome of what I wanted to give was worth the pain.  So the first day I made a good friend drive all the way over to my house for support, and really to try to talk her into giving me the shot.  But she wouldn't.  I can't say I blame her either, I am not sure I could of done it to someone.

So then I called my sweet second mom Nan and she cheered me on, and I finally just did it.

The weeks went by with ultrasounds, pills which made me feel a little cranky as of this week.  And flights scheduled to land in Texas this Friday and the transfer for this Saturday.

Then Monday I got a call to start my second set of shots.  Good old big huge needles!!! And I mean huge.  I was terrified and couldn't do it so I made Nan.  She accepted the task.  But standing in her kitchen not sure where to cry or laugh.  She broke out in prayer and I noticed her hands shaking.  She was even fearful to do it but just got it over with.  And really it was painful but not near what I thought once again!

Today however, I had to do the shot myself and it sucked.  I put the needle in but could only do it a little bit and it hurt so I pulled it out.  Then I iced it for 20 minutes and tried again, and that was much easier.  So lesson learned if I do it myself then ice first.

And here we are today, suppose to leave in 3 days and I got a call that we need to be in texas tomorrow and the transfer on Thursday.  I panicked and a millon emotions went through my head.   From here we go, to Oh crap this is real.  To praying my heart out that this would take this time.  I want so much to fill this familys arms.

Then the scrambling began. trying to find someone to watch the kids so my husband could go.  The timing however, couldn't of been any worse really.  No sitter ment no husband.  Other things like friends closing on their first house, people not being able to take off work etc.  Prevented almost my entire support system from being able to come.  But in the end, God provided in a strange way and the woman I've adopted as my other mom is coming.

So here we GO!!!! I'll be in Texas tomorrow and hopefully I'll get knocked up :)

My first post

I have been thinking of surrogacy for a few years now. It mostly became a calling after I lost Ethan.

I realized the magnitude of loss and what that looked like, and how someone who really wanted a child but couldn't do it by themselves could benefit from my help.

I was scared though, I thought I would be turned down because of losing Ethan, and I was right a year after we had our next child. I applied to an agency and I was turned down.

So I did what I would typically at first thinking irrationally and I gave up. Then over time I just kept feeling this push to do it. So last summer I gave it another shot and applied to three agencies and I was turned down by one but accepted by two.

So I began the intense process of completing all paper work, getting all old records, and let me say with 5 kids of my own from two seperate doctors that was no easy task.

It took me over 6 months to just get to the 100% accepted point in the process. But I was estatic.

Now here we are in April and I just got back from Texas last night.

I went to have the psychological evulation done, the blood work and other screenings and the ultrasounds.

It was fun to get to be away but more exciting because of the new prospects that this was really happening. I get to carry someone else's baby for them and help complete their dream.

My Ip's are a sweet couple and I can't wait till contracts are signed and we get to talk more and get to know them and their two other kids too!

It looks like we are shooting for a possible June transfer, so here is to Hope, and all things that can be accomplished with it.