Day 4 of meds

I am feeling better today. I think my body is getting used to this "new stuff". I also talked to a nurse at the clinic and she said to try Tylenol for the headache....wow that helped so much and I felt ten times better after a dose of Tylenol. I guess I did not realize how bad my head ache was until it went away! Anyway it is going well with the Lupron injections - I am getting used to giving them to myself. Olivia walked in on me today and she was mortified that I was about to give myself a shot...the kids hate shots - I think all kids do. I am not a big fan myself but these are all worth it.

Day 2 of meds

Today is day 2 of the medications and I really do not feel very good. I think my body is making adjustments to the doxy and the Lupron...I think that I have a cold coming on too. I have a cough and I am very sneezy. Sebastian has a cold - maybe he is sharing with me!

Second injection went well.

Starting medications

The day has finally arrived ... I started my medication cycle today. We have waited for this day for a long time now and I am really excited that we are starting this journey.

Rio and I will both be taking doxycycline for the next ten days and I also started on Lupron tonight. The Lupron will work to suppress my natural ovulation cycle and is common in IVF transfers using donor eggs. I will be giving my self the injection in my belly - luckily this first round of needles are small and thin!!! I put ice on my belly for a bit before doing the shot and it went in smoothly...one down many more to come!!!

Why...

People often ask me why I decided to be a surrogate and although there are many reasons why - the most important one to me is the miracle of seeing the world through the eyes of children. Children are amazing and mine have enriched my world in ways that I cannot begin to describe. I love them so much and treasure every day that I spend with them.

To be able to be part of bringing the gift of a child to someone who truly longs for that is such an incredible feeling. I hope and pray that our transfer will be successful and that M&M will soon be enjoying parenthood.

I loved being pregnant. I had three wonderful pregnancies and enjoyed every moment of them...well ok maybe not EVERY moment ... but most! I love the feeling of the first little flutter of movement and later being able to see the babes moving around. I feel strongly that my family is complete but I do not feel "done" with pregnancy. Being a surrogate will allow me to help a wonderful and deserving couple achieve parenthood ... and I will get to enjoy being pregnant.

Some have stated that "they could never give away their child"....and to them I say - "I am not". This little miracle that I hope to carry deep inside me very soon is not mine - it is that of a wonderful set of future parents who have dreamed, wished and prayed for a miracle for so long. This baby will not have any part of my biology - I am just providing the warm belly for it to grow strong and healthy. This child will always reside in my heart but it will live a life with a family who truly longed to welcome and embrace children into their lives.

M&M - I will treasure this journey with you. Life is a miracle and I feel so fortunate to be a part of a miracle waiting to happen.

Mmmmmmm.....

I love love chocolate!!! I love M&M's and the funny things is that we have lots of M's for this surrogacy journey. Both IP's begin with a M, the egg donor begins with a M, the second surro begins with a M....and my last name begins with a M....mmmmmmmmmmmm.

M&M's ... Mommy & Me, monsters & monkeys, music & ...ok I better stop - but I think that these days M is my favorite letter!

Telling family and friends...

When I began to seriously consider surrogacy, I broched the topic with a few good friends and ofcourse with my hubby. I had lengthy discussion with a them and by answering their questions, it really helped me work through my own feelings about doing this.

Early on I also spoke with my sis-in-law who has been through IVF about the process and her thoughts - L your feedback was very valuable and I appreciate your support and excitement!

I especially appreciate some very dear friends from Denmark, who although not entirely agree with my endevor, they still have lots of support for me. Thank you ...to you both!

I was a bit nervous about telling my mom and sister. It is always hard to anticipate other peoples reactions.. but it was positive. I think they were very surprised but also very interested.

My MIL does not really agree with my choice, but then again, I am not seeking her approval. I wanted to let her know about my upcoming jorney as the kids will likely make comments about it when talking to her and I did not want her to be caught off guard.

I know that not all people will understand why I want to do this, and there will some who do not agree with my choice. That is fine with me....kind of like....I do not like peanut butter and I am sure that is fine with them too..... Life is all about choices - one of mine is to help a wonderful couple achive their baby dreams.

Beginning of a journey.... getting to know M&M

I have been spending a fair amount of time communicating with M&M. I found a great string of questions on a surro-website and I answered all the questions and send it along to M&M - they replied back and our answers were really compatable. I think we will be a great match.

We have talked about dropping the agency and moving forward with an individual match. I feel that I have done enough research to be ok with this. So we will see what happens....

M&M came to visit us at home in the end of June. It was a beautiful day and they brought newly picked strawberries for us all to enjoy. I had made home made pizza and a salad - lunch turned out great and the strawberries were a delicious treat to finish up with. We had a great conversation between Rio, myself and M&M and we got to learn more about each other and our expectations for the journey.

After lunch we went for a walk at Fort Stevens. It was a nice day outside and the kids always love running around at the park. It felt good to be out walking and it provided good opportunity to have small conversations with M and M individually as well as together. I really enjoyed spending time with them both and I am really excited about the prospect of working with them. It was nice to show them our home and give them an idea of our life and for them to meet Rio and the kiddies.