Some of you already know everything, some of you only know a little bit, and the others well your just absolutely clueless. So here it goes...I am going to be a surrogate carrier for a couple who can't carry their own child. Basically this means, I will be pregnant with another couple's baby for them. This is something I have thought about doing for a long time, even before we had children of our own.
To think that I could bless someone in such a way is a blessing to me. Most of you know that Peter and I want more children. I wanted to have them all close in age but to be perfectly honest, we just can't afford another little dumpling at this time. We thought about how we would be better off in 9 months when a baby were to arrive for us but that thinking is just selfish and in the end would hurt us all. We discussed it thoroughly and decided now would be the perfect opportunity to give another couple the gift of a baby. I did a lot of research online and read up on everything I could get my hands on. Finally I joined an agency that matches Intended Parents (IPs) to surrogates. Before I even had filled out all the paperwork, I had a couple interested in me. They sounded great but before I received their profile they decided they weren't ready for the program. After about a week I got another call from my coordinator (Kirsten) and she told me all about another couple that loved my profile and wanted to send me theirs but they wanted to know if I would terminate if the baby had Downs Syndrome. After very brief soul searching I told Kirsten what I already knew and that was that I was not okay with that. So on to more waiting. During this time there is a place where all the surrogates chat on line through emails and also we have a live chat once a month. It was very helpful to get input and support with questions I had and also to see others progressions through their surrogacy. I came to find out that some of the girls have been waiting almost 2 years to be a surrogate. I really hoped that I wouldn't have to wait that long because we do want more children not too terribly far from now. The only thing that I knew to do to help the situation was pray, so that's what I did.
At this point I had been with Proliviti (the agency) for about a month. Kirsten called me up and told me another couple was interested and she would send me their profile as soon as she got it in. I was so excited to be considered again and I couldn't wait to view their profile. I tried not to get my hopes up because of the last two IPs and I knew there were a lot of questions concerning termination and testing and reducing that I would have to agree with in order to feel comfortable with carrying for a couple. Finally Kirsten sent me their profile and I was amazed at how much like mine it was. All the answers seemed as though they had been copied from my profile and put on theirs. I called Kirsten immediately and told her any reservations I had about their profile and any questions I thought of and told her to schedule a conference call. Well with Peter's work schedule this wasn't the easiest thing to do but after going back and forth we finally set up a time for the following week. I must have read their profile over and over again 100 times before the call. I was really nervous and because I am initially shy I was afraid of all the awkward silences and dead air that we would have to fill. The conference call would consist of Peter and I, Kirsten, and the IPs Sharon and Johnny. Kirsten was there to help fill the silence and start conversation and also to bring up important questions that needed to be addressed. It was Tuesday and our girls were napping when the phone finally rang. We started by introducing ourselves and I don't remember much after that except that everything went great. Sharon and I talked like old friends and there were no nervous pauses or breaks. Kirsten only said a few things because us girls were so busy talking about everything else. I could tell from the phone call that we really clicked and it made me even more excited to start this whole process. A couple days later we both had each others information and started talking through emails regularly. They invited us up to their house in Atlanta (remember the road trip Peter and I took on our anniversary?) and we arranged to go up that week. I was so excited but of course a bit anxious meeting this couple that would be in my everyday life for at least a year.
The day before we were going to leave Sharon called me up and we talked on the phone for 4 hours. We had a great conversation and again it just made me even more excited to get the ball rolling. When we got to their home in Atlanta, I was a little hesitant at first but after the first 10 minutes it was like we were old friends. They do have two little girls already who are 5 and 7 but do to cervical cancer at the age of 21 Sharon is unable to carry any more babies herself. Their girls are great and Brye had a blast playing with them. When it came time to leave 2 days later it was all too soon. Their oldest daughter said "it was nice to meet you" and that really took me back because it seemed like we had been friends for years. God has really blessed us with such a great couple to carry a baby for, now that we have met and talked I couldn't imagine carrying for anyone else. I will definitely want to be a surrogate again in the future but if Sharon and Johnny don't want me to carry for them again I will have a hard time settling for another couple.
Johnny and Sharon just moved to CA and they got us tickets to come out and see them. That is where the plane activities post came in. Since returning from our trip to Atlanta I have started the medical process of getting things going. I had to have a psychological screening and took a 567 question test and then went through a 2 hour interview and guess what, turns out I'm not crazy! I have had two ultrasounds done and lots of blood taken for tests and so far everything is great. I am on these patches that itch like crazy and leave sticky stuff all over but they must be working because they are keeping me from having to take injections to keep me from ovulating.
I have another ultrasound on Monday and hopefully this time next month we will be getting ready for the In-vitro Fertilization. I am a gestational carrier which means non of this baby is part of me. I am soully the carrier for this baby and have no biological ties. I will keep everyone updated as the story progresses and please feel free to post or send me questions or concerns you may have. I am so excited to be a part of this and now that everyone knows, I know I will have all the support I need.
She played around with the laser pointer and after I teased her a bit she just kept coming back. I bet she thought we left for good when we went to dinner and now thinks if she is nice we won't leave again. Poor thing but she will be in good hands because although she is staying at home alone my Uncle David, who lives just a couple streets down, will check in on her from time to time to give her food and water and loving, if she'll have it. Uncle David told us the last time we went on a trip he went over every day to see her and he never actually saw her once, she hid the whole time. She must have been really mad at us but when we got home she was so sweet, she acted like a different cat (for a few days).
