The Taylor Family: November 2006

We're Expecting (all four of us)

While I was in San Diego having a blast with the IPs, Shar bought a pack of home EPTs so that I could see if I was pregnant before my doctor's visit this morning. We were told it takes 8 days from the transfer date before my body would show me as being pregnant. We were also told that if the test came out negative it didn't necessarily mean

I wasn't pregnant just that my body wasn't showing it yet. However if the test showed as positive it was safe to say we were pregnant. Shar bought a three pack of tests and we chose the dates we would try and try again if we had to. Come Friday morning I woke up and took the first test. Johnny told me that if it was positive I had to go wake them up and show them the results. Well I waited a couple minutes before checking on the test and when I did I was greeted by two pink lines indicating I was pregnant! I was so excited for our IPs but it still seemed so unreal. I sent Brye in with the test (after cleaning it off) and after she disappeared I heard Johnny shout to Shar and then I heard her screaming (I think they were happy). I didn't want to say anything on the blog until my test at the doctor today. I went in this morning and had some blood drawn and got a call a few hours later with the results. I am in fact pregnant and my beta results were 1413. I know that doesn't mean anything to me either. I asked about the numbers and the doctor said that they like the number to be above 100. Because my number is so high it is possible that I am having twins but isn't necessarily true and they won't know for sure until the ultrasound on the 18th. I have to go back to the doctor on Friday to give more blood and make sure that my Beta numbers double, when they get those results they will have a better idea of whether or not there are two babies or one. Thank you to everyone for all your thoughts and prayers, I know Johnny and Shar appreciate it also.

Home safe and sound

We got in last night (well technically this morning) and after I unpacked the suitcase, I can't stand to have things sit overnight, we went right to sleep. It was so nice to be back in our own bed again. Lucy was so happy to see us. She wouldn't stop talking and running around and even today she has followed me everywhere, even into the girls rooms where she never goes, or she has been sleeping on me constantly. I had to go to the doctors this morning and Peter said she ran and hid while I was gone but as soon as I came home she ran out and talked my ear off before the girls even realized I was back. We had good flights and not much delay.

We had a lay-over in Cincinnati which we thought was weird, but it was just long enough for us to grab some food and board for our next flight. Everyone on the planes always loves our girls and they were both very well behaved, lots of passengers were surprised when they saw we had two children and not one. My mom met us at the airport and after we loaded up Oscar we dropped her off at home and went to our house. Today has been a day of returning to normal activity and getting things put away and cleaned. We have so much to do before we move in Jan, I hope there is enough time. In the picture we are still in San Diego getting ready for our first flight. Brye wanted to call Grandma to make sure she was going to meet us in Orlando and they were both watching as our plane taxied into the terminal so that we could get on to go home.

Put 'em up

Since the tree was so pretty and the inside of the house was all decorated it was time to decorate the outside.

We went to the store a couple days ago and got icicles for the house. It rained a bit in the morning but as soon as it was done the boys went out to put them up. Shar and I got my girls bundled up and we went out to supervise. While we were watching the boys work we decided to put up a couple of the whirlwind displays. We had one at our house for Halloween but Shar had a couple for Christmas. We set up the biggest one on the driveway to make sure it worked right and then we moved it to the grass where

it will stay. Brye and Abbi and Hannah had fun watching it blow up all the way and watching the carousel rotate inside. Abbi is always so taken by those things she can't take her eyes off of it. It will look even better at night when you can see it lit up too.

Christmas Spirit

Yesterday was a day of rest for the most part. We did just a little bit of running around to find some Christmas lights and things to hang them up with on the outside of the house, but we mostly stayed home. Today Peter and I took the girls and we drove around (in Shar and Johnny's car) to explore what will soon be our new home. We tried to figure out our way around without getting lost and we did pretty well. We knew where some things were just from driving in the area with Johnny and Shar so we had somewhere to start at least. Later we drove down to a mall in La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya), which is about 15 minutes away on the interstate, and walked around there a bit. We went into a lot of the stores but we didn't buy anything. We had fun playing with all the toys, cameras, computers, things for the house etc.

When we got back home we found Shar and Johnny and their girls decorating a beautiful tree they had just picked up. It was really tall and it went perfect in the spot they had it in. Peter and our girls joined in the decorating and I took pictures and passed out tinsel to Brye and Abbi. After dinner Shar had a special treat for the girls, a gingerbread house that needed to be put together and decorated with candy. Brye almost didn't get to help because she wouldn't finish her dinner but once Audrey and Hannah started to get everything out it didn't take long for Brye to stop her fussing and finish up,

she really didn't want to miss out on decorating her first gingerbread house. Abbi even got to help decorate a snowman for the front lawn (that is when she wasn't trying to eat everything). She likes to be a big kid and she tries so hard to do everything that everyone else is doing. Abbi is pretty smart too, she watches to see what is going on and then she dives into it herself so she won't be left out.

When the house was all finished it looked great. The girls did a great job with all the decorating and they were all really proud of it. Brye told one of Sharons nutcracker soldiers that he could live inside the house when it was all finished. It was a lot of fun for the girls and it looks good but I don't think it's something that can really be eaten.

Watch Out!!

That's Benni taking a swipe at my baby. Don't worry though he didn't touch her and even if he had he doesn't have any front claws.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Today we had a great and filled day! Peter and I got up around 6 and after resting a while we got up and got the girls and ourselves ready for the day. When Shar came down we started preparing our Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings. We started with making the

dressing and stuffing the bird and then continued with breads, pies, and veggies. We had great help from Audrey and Bresa. Audrey made the pumpkin pies all on her own and they were delicious. Brye helped push the stuffing into the turkey.

While Shar and I were busy cooking the meal the boys played pool and relaxed. We watched most of the NY parade and tried to clean as we went along. We ended up doing three loads of dishes in the dishwasher and hand washing a bunch of stuff we had to use again and couldn't wait for. While we waited for the turkey to cook we played some cards

and Shar cut Peter's hair. When it was finally time to eat we were all starving and couldn't wait to dig in.

The food was awesome and worth all the work we put into it. Later we took a walk outside in the nice cool air and looked at all the houses along the way. We walked to a park that had a cache in it we wanted but it was closed for the holiday weekend. When we came home we cleaned up the girls and had pumpkin pie with my homemade whipped cream. Johnny and Shar had

never had it home made so they were really happy to try it. After the kids were down we finished our card game and got out Christmas decorations so that we can make the house all pretty and maybe get a tree tomorrow. Hope everyone else had a great day and your food was as great as ours was.

PJ Party

After we went to see our house we went back to Johnny and Shar's for lunch. We all decided that we were going to take turns going out and watching the kids. Peter and I got to go first so we went to the movies and saw

Stranger than Fiction. It was really good, we always like Will Farrel. When we came home it was time for dinner and the girls were already eating. We ate up and put the girls in the tub and then got them ready for bed. Johnny and Shar took off and Peter and I stayed with all the kids. They were easy though, they just sat down and watched Charlotte's Web until it was time to go to bed. They all had those really cute jammies with the feet in them. Shar had bought a pair for Brye and Abbi when she was in town with us so we brought them to wear here because we knew it was suppose to be a bit cooler. We had to get a picture of all the girls together before we sent them to their rooms. Abbi had already fallen asleep but she is still cute so we had to include her too.

Our new house

It was another beautiful day here in California, I never knew I would like it here so much. Johnny and Shar found a beautiful house for Peter and I to move into when we move in January.

We looked at a couple when we were here last time but didn't see any that we fell in love with. Shar kept looking after we left and found the perfect house. She sent me pictures and I must have looked at them at least a hundred times. I couldn't wait to get back here to walk through it and see it all in person.

Peter and I were so excited to be able to go this morning after we all ate breakfast. The whole family piled into the car including all the girls. When we got to the house it just took my breath away. It is so nice and pretty and it is big but not too big. There are lots of windows which I love because I just love natural lighting. Brye had a great time climbing the stairs and picking out her room and I had a blast just going from room to room and imagining our furniture in there. Johnny and Shar are such great people and we are truly blessed to have them in our lives.

Our new house is going to be perfect and I can't wait to move in but I know it will be really hard to leave our home in FL. Peter took a bunch of pictures inside but we didn't get any of the outside of the house so I will have to remedy that before we leave here. In these pictures you can see the kitchen and what will be the playroom (by the fireplace) and most of the master bedroom. There is a spare bed and full bath downstairs on the other side of the house from the master bed and then up stairs there are two bedrooms with a Jack and Jill bathroom. Upstairs is where the girls will be. Today we picked out all the colors for each room so that it can be all nice and painted when we move in.

My new friend

This is Grace, she is my new friend. When I first met her in Atlanta she was afraid of me and I was afraid of her so it all worked out. I tried to become friends with her but it was hard for both of us. I have always been afraid of dogs, especially big dogs so it took a bit for me to try and get close to her. Now when she sees me she gets so excited and wants to play.

She likes to be chased around the house and play tug-a-war with her rope. Grace is such a sweetie she makes me want a doggie just like her. I would take her if I could but I think Johnny and Shar would be upset if I stole their dog. Oh and I got my hair cut today while I was waiting for Shar at the dentist, can you tell? Not really I know. After we took the picture Grace came and laid on me and then pulled my socks and my scrunchie off. Then she licked my feet all over. I think that means she likes me.

Here we are!!

We made it here to San Diego. Yesterday we got up early and got our things together and left the hotel. We picked my mom up on the way to the airport so she could take Oscar back home. We had a layover in Atlanta so our first flight was just an hour long. At Atlanta we had to wait a bit before our next flight took off but the time went pretty quickly. When we boarded the plane Shar took Abbi in first class with her and Peter and Brye and I found our seats with the commoners. J We had a great flight, nice and quiet. Peter put a couple movies on the dvd player for Brye and then we both watched videos and movies on our iPods. I don’t know what I would have done without my iPod this time around.

I watched The Office and played Tetris and then just listened to my music and rested. The ride was almost 4 hours but it wasn’t too bad. When we got to San Diego we were surprised to find that the temperature was cooler in Orlando. We made our way to Johnny and Shar’s house and we quickly went to sleep so we are rested for today.

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

Today was my last day of bedrest. It was nice to just lay around and be waited on but it was also a little hard. I felt like I was a burden when I asked for things and Peter or Shar were busy. They never made me feel like it but I am not use to not being able to do things on my own. It was a little difficult today when I needed to pack for our trip tomorrow and I had to tell Peter and Shar what to gather so that I could put it all in the suitcases but it all worked out. We packed for our to trip to San Diego and then we packed an overnight bag so that we could stay at the hotel with Shar and Hannah and not drive as far in the morning to catch our flight out. We ordered room service and watched the Ant Bully in our room before putting all the girls to bed. I don’t know why but staying in bed all day really takes a lot out of you and I am ready to sleep now. Tomorrow we will fly out around 1:00 so we have to be at the airport around 11:00 or so. There are a few things we have to do in the morning before we take off so we have to get up earlier than I would like to. We already ordered our breakfast for the morning so that it will be here and make us get up to eat. Peter is bringing his laptop with him on the trip so I will be sure to post pictures and let everyone know what we are up to as the week goes on.

Happy 18th Brian!!

Yesterday was Brian's 18th Birthday. It is so hard to believe that he is already 18. I remember when he was just a baby and a toddler. We use to fight all the time! Now he is a great guy with a lot of potential and on his way to making a life for himself. I am so proud to call him my brother and I know that whatever he pursues he will be

sucessful. My other two brothers and my sister and I all pitched in and got Brian an Ipod. We had the back engraved and gave it to him at dinner last night. He has wanted one for a long time so I know he is thrilled to finally have one. Happy Birthday Brian, I love very much!!

IVF

Yesterday morning we got up around 6 and got ready to go to the clinic for the transfer. We took all the girls over to my mom's house where they stayed while we were at the doctor's office. When we arrived at the clinic we waited for a little bit and then had we were taken back to a operation recovery room. The nurse asked me which one was coming back with me but I wanted both Shar and Peter to be there.

They made the accommodations for us and then we all dressed in surgical paper gear. I had to wear a gown of course but they both wore these weird suits that made them look like they were selling tires. David, the embryologist, came to discuss the amount of embryos to be placed in me. Out of the four surviving embryos, two were doing really well and thriving. David said that he and Dr. Trolice only recommended putting in one because of the quality. The original plan was to put in three so going down to one seemed like a big deal to us. I would hate to go through the transfer only to find out I have to do it again when the one embryo doesn't take. Shar and I talked about it and we decided to put the two embryos in that were doing the best and keep an eye on the other two to see how they develop and if they are worthy of freezing. Because we put in two embryos the possibility of getting twins is increased from the original 4-5% to about 30%, this was the concern for the doctors. We signed off on the paperwork and then we were moved to the transfer room. They set me all up and then we waited for Dr Trolice. When he came in they adjusted the ultrasound machine and got to work. He did a practice transfer first to make sure that everything would go well and then he got the embryos from David and transferred them into me.

I didn't feel a thing other than the Doppler on my belly (I had to have a full bladder for the procedure so that was uncomfor-
table). Dr Trolice was done in no time and when he was through it was hard to believe we had anticipated this for so long and it wasn't a bigger deal. LOL I had to lay still for 15 minutes and then we were released to go home. I am now on day 2 of 3 for my bedrest followed by 2 days of light activity and no lifting. I miss picking up my Abigail and giving her hugs but she can always come to me and hug me. I did go to dinner last night with my family because it was Brian's 18th birthday but today I am going to just lay around, sounds pretty good.

Disney World

I got a call yesterday morning at 10 after 8. It was the doctor telling me that the embryos are doing great and we were going to wait until Friday to do the transfer. I have to be at the clinic tomorrow at 12 for the procedure.

Since we didn't have to go to the doctor yesterday and my bedrest is pushed back until the weekend, we decided to take the girls to Disney World. Hannah's 6th birthday is Saturday and she really wanted to go, and of course I always want to go. We picked up my mom on the way and then drove to the Magic Kingdom. We had a great time. The park was really empty and there were absolutely no lines for any rides at all. We got to do every ride we wanted to and never had to wait around. The weather was a little hot but there was a nice breeze going so it wasn't so bad. Hannah is so much fun she likes to go on all the big rides that most kids think are scary. My mom waited with Brye and Abbi while the rest of us went on Splash, Thunder, and Space Mountain. We really had a great time and we were exhausted by the end of the day.

After leaving the park we dropped mom off and went back to Shar's hotel for a room service dinner and just hung out while the kids slept.

Mac Rocks

This morning we met up with Shar at her hotel and picked her and Hannah up to go to the Mall of millennia. We wanted to go there to check out some Mac computers and pick up a laptop and desktop for Shar and Johnny to replace their old PCs.

Shar also bought me a case for my new Ipod so that is doesn't get all scratched up like Peter's is. Then after the mall we ate some lunch and Peter took the girls back to the house while Sharon and I did some caching and food shopping. When we finally got back home we made hot dogs and Michael and Angela came over and hung out for a bit. Now Peter is helping Shar with her new computer and getting everything set up and ready for her to use. We still don't know if the IVF is tomorrow or Friday. The Dr is going to call me at 8 am to let us know what we need to do. So I thank you all in advance for your prayers and well wishes, I will of course keep you all informed!

I have the best husband ever!!

When Peter and I were coming home from San Diego last month he let me borrow his Ipod during the home flight. He had already put all my songs in it so I could hear my own music that I hadn't listened to in a week or so

I really enjoyed it and mentioned something about maybe someday wanting my own Ipod. Well, we are going back to CA next week, we leave on Monday. Peter surprised me by ordering my own Ipod and getting me a gift card so I can buy more music too. He had the back engraved with "For my wife, my love, my inspiration from God." He is so sweet, I couldn't have ever asked for a better husband. I don't know how I got so lucky but I'm not going to complain.

Tonight Shar made it over, we had a great time just hanging out and we have lots of plans for more fun the rest of the week. Final word is my IVF will either be Wednesday or Friday, we won't know until tomorrow but I will keep you posted.

A day off?

Today Peter and I had some time to clean up a little bit, do laundry, and reorganize before Shar comes tomorrow. Shar's plane gets in tonight but we won't see her until tomorrow evening. Peter made plans with his brother to meet for lunch in Lake Mary (Panera of course). When we got there we saw our friend Michael eating with some clients so we went by to say hi and invited him to join us once he was through. Before Peter's brother showed up a couple more of our friends stopped by. Alex and Laiah only stopped in real quick before they hit the bike trails behind the shopping center, it was just a coincidence that we happened to be there at the same time. We talked a bit before our food was ready and then said good bye and ate lunch with Tim and his new girlfriend and Michael. After lunch we had just enough time to get home and do a little bit more cleaning before Chris came over to have dinner and hang out. Later we were also joined by Michael and Angela. We have such great friends, spending time with them is really a day off.

May be our last wedding.

Wouldn't that be sad? No not really. We really have fun when we go out and shoot but we would rather take pictures for ourselves and not someone else. Today we had a wedding in Port Orange and Johnny went along with us. The wedding was really nice and I think we got a few really good shots in a garden and beach scene. Most of the time everyone was just dancing so there was a lot of time that we were just sitting around waiting for a different picture to take. Tomorrow we have a little rest before Shar comes to help take care of me after the IVF that is scheduled next week. Hopefully next week this time we will be pregnant!!

Welcome Johnny!!

Today was a great day. We finally got to see Johnny, the intended father, of our surrogate baby. He actually got to town earlier this week but he had work to take care off before he was aloud to play. We took him over to meet my dad and Judy and then over to meet my mom and Jim. For dinner we went to a sushi restaurant because pretty soon I won't be able to have any, and then on the way home we stopped and went bowling. After we picked the girls up from Grandma's we stopped by Guitar Center to check out some toys. Tomorrow we are taking Johnny along with us to a wedding we have to shoot. We had a great day today and we are really happy that we got to spend some time with Johnny, I am sure tomorrow will be just as fun.

Popcorn Flicks

Being the second Thursday of the month, Winter Park put on their Popcorn flicks.

Peter and I met up with Michael and Angela on Park Ave to watch a movie outside. We were a little better prepared this time around and decided to grab dinner once we snagged the best spot in the grass. The boys walked down to a local pizza shop and got dinner while Angela and I talked. We ate the pizza up quick and got comfortable just in time for the movie to start. Tonight they played The Day the Earth Stood Still. I had never seen it but it was entertaining. It was a bit chillier than last time but this time I had Peter to keep me warm. My mom came by with Brye shortly after the movie started and watched it with us.

Brye fell asleep on one of the blankets almost immediately and Abbi snuggled with Grandma the whole time. Next month they are playing two movies on different nights and we are sure to be there. I added a picture of our friends, Michael and Angela, because I know a lot of you don't know who they are.

Sooo Much Better

Here are the before and after shots of Oscar's owwee. The dent is still there but it looks so much better after Peter and cleaned up all the marks. There are still black spots but that is where the car that hit us took our paint with him. It took a long time and it really hurt because we used rubbing compound and we had to rub it hard and fast so that it would heat up. It did a really good job though. The white of the car really helps hide the dent, our neighbor thought we pulled it out and my mom thought we went and had it fixed. There is a way to push out the dent from behind it but in order to do that you have to take of a bottom piece and we haven't figured that out yet. I can't complain though because it already looks so much better. We need to take the car in anyhow because we need new rear brakes and new tires, poor Oscar he sure gets a lot work done to him, but he is always so happy afterwards.

Oscar got a bath!!

For those of you who don't know, Oscar is our van. He was really dirty and really needed a good wash. I cleaned him head to tail-light and then afterwards Peter and I used rubbing compound to get off all the marks that were left from when we had that hit and run. Oscar looks so much better and I am sure he feels better too.

What is that?

Our friend Claire sent the girls a Halloween card with some money in it to get them a special treat. I was out with Brye and asked her what she wanted and she decided she wanted some glow sticks.

( which was surprisingly a lot). We even let Brye take hers to bed with her because she always has fun with things that glow. She picked out yellow for her and red for Abbi. Tonight after dinner I gave the girls their sticks and they had a blast. We turned the light off in Brye's room and they both spun around and danced in the dark with just the light from the sticks (Thanks Claire for the special treat, we had a lot of fun and we still have a couple sticks left that we haven't used.

Meet the IP's

Here are the intended parents for the baby that I will hopefully be pregnant for next week. Johnny, Shar, Audrey and Hannah. They are so great and Peter and I really blessed to have them in our lives. We are so excited to be able to go through this journey and being able to go through it all with them makes it that much better.

Good Bye Ritz Camera

A bunch of the associates that worked with Peter over the years got together and had a going away dinner for him tonight. We all met at Buca di Beppo and had a great meal. There were a few people there from his store that he had last and there were even some former employees that have moved on that came back just for Peter. Also other associates that still work at Ritz but no longer worked for Peter when he moved to his new store last year. We had a great time catching up and seeing each other all again. It was sad to say good bye but at the same time it is so nice too. We of course will miss working with everyone but we still plan on keeping in touch later on. There were other people that wanted to make the dinner that just couldn't so it was a little sad that we didn't get to see them also. Thanks Ruth for the great location and getting everyone organized!

Cache on!

Sorry for the no post yesterday, believe it or not we were busy. :) Last night we took both the girls over to friends houses and Peter and I went out to dinner and movie. It was really nice to get out for a while. The girls spent the night where they were and in the morning we went out to Ocala National Forest and went to a geocaching event.
We hiked 5+ miles and found 10 caches along the way. We were in competition with other teams and had to compete for time as well as items collected. We lost all of that. But we won for team shirts and got an ammo can full of gear. I had nothing to do with the design or making of the shirts so I gave the can to the other members.

They were sweet enough to share the insides and I came out with 2 of my very own geocoins that I can track along their journey. We had a really great time and it was our first event so we will definitely be going to more.

Where's the kitty?

She thinks we can't see her.

Ex-manager

Yay, No more Ritz!! Today was Peter's last day at Ritz Camera, after working for the company for over four years. Starting tomorrow he will be working from home making phone calls to investors in CA for Johnny. We are so happy to have Peter home, we miss him so much during the day. It will be so nice to be able to have family dinners together every night and be able to eat lunch together. I am so proud of all he has done through Ritz, all his promotions and awards he has received, but in the end the only way he could move up is if he worked even more hours and for me, that's not worth it. Congratulations Peter! We love you so much!!

Wednesday, November 29

We're Expecting (all four of us)

Home safe and sound

Monday, November 27

Put 'em up

Christmas Spirit

Saturday, November 25

Watch Out!!

Thursday, November 23

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Wednesday, November 22

PJ Party

Our new house

My new friend

Tuesday, November 21

Here we are!!

Sunday, November 19

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

Saturday, November 18

Happy 18th Brian!!

IVF

Thursday, November 16

Disney World

Tuesday, November 14

Mac Rocks

Monday, November 13

I have the best husband ever!!

Sunday, November 12

A day off?

Saturday, November 11

May be our last wedding.

Friday, November 10

Welcome Johnny!!

Thursday, November 9

Popcorn Flicks

Sooo Much Better

Wednesday, November 8

Oscar got a bath!!

Tuesday, November 7

What is that?

Monday, November 6

Meet the IP's

Sunday, November 5

Good Bye Ritz Camera

Saturday, November 4

Cache on!

Thursday, November 2

Where's the kitty?

Wednesday, November 1

Ex-manager

About Me

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