How it all started...

I'm a work at home Mommy of two! My daughter is four and my little man is almost two! My husband and I have been together for ten years and married for six!
I have been thinking about becoming a surrogate mother for a few years now, and here's how it all started!! :D

**This first post was typed over a few days.... I didn't want to post it before we got the results of the blood work.**

When my daughter was born I started thinking about donating some eggs or possibly becoming a surrogate mother, and after my son was born I started looking into it more. At the time my sister was pregnant and was in the process of finding a couple to adopt her baby. (she already has a little girl about my daughters age and just could not take care of another child.)
Well when the baby was born I was watching the couple holding the baby for the first time... They were cleaning her up, weighing her, getting her measurements. The whole time the parents just kept looking at her with so much love. The father kept putting his hand over his chest, and they just kept looking at that little baby like they couldn't believe she was there. It was really touching! Right then and there I decided that I would be a surrogate mother!

So I talked to my husband about it, then did lots of research online, and found an agency. I sent in an application and about a week later I got a call, and they sent me a more detailed questionnaire to fill out. I filled out out and sent it back and a few days later she called back. She asked me if I would mind working with an International couple and I told her No, I wouldn't mind. She said she had a couple in mind and would send my application to them and get back to me. Another few days later I got a call from the agency and she said they liked my application! I asked her where they were from and she told me Ireland. She told me she was going to send theirs to me... I thought they sounded great! So now the next step was what they called "The First Date". The couple and I would talk on the phone! We set up a time and they called me.

I'm just going to call them Beth and Mike... So they called and we talked for about half an hour, it was a little awkward at first, obviously! Ha ha! After only about 5 minutes though, we were talking and laughing, we got along great! So after the phone call, I e-mailed the agency and said that they were awesome, and she called me a couple days later to say that they liked me too!
So next they flew out here to meet us! We had a great time! We all got along so well, and my kids loved them too! So they flew back and we both talked to the lady at the agency, and told her we loved them, and they told her they loved us! So we were matched up!

They came back another time so we could go over everything at the clinic, and talk about what exactly was going to happen and about the medications Beth and I would be on. Then they went back home and we both talked to our lawyers about all the legal stuff, signed the contracts and made it official!

So a few weeks later I got all my meds in the mail and very detailed instructions on how to do the injections, and when to take everything. Meanwhile Beth was doing the same.
The Lupron shots weren't bad at all just a tiny needle in the stomach every night. I also have to take Estrace. The Progesterone SUCKS! lol I'm getting more used to it, but the needle it like an inch and a half long... NOT EXAGGERATING! LOL The medication is thick, so the needle has to be bigger. Also it takes a while to draw it up into the needle and for my husband to inject it. The Lupron I did myself, no problem! (until the last few shots... for some reason I just couldn't do it anymore... ha ha) So I always draw the medication up and hubbie gets to poke me with a needle! LOL
So we're now on day 10 of the Progesterone... I did talk to the nurse and asked if it was supposed to be so hard to inject. She told me to make sure the needle was on tight... sometimes with the bigger needles, the needle is a little loose. Also to rub the spot after, and put heat on it! (A water bottle filled with hot water works great!) So really they aren't THAT bad... When the needle is in it hurts a bit, and if I touch the spot or lean on it's a little sore. (Like when you get any other shot.... every day....)

On May 6th the fertilized eggs (two) were transferred into me. Now we're just waiting for to have the blood work done on the 18th!

This morning (5/17/10) I took a test and it was positive!!! I'm SO excited! I wish I could tell Beth and Mike, but they want to wait until the blood work comes back, which is totally understandable! I've been feeling like I'm pregnant... I'm exhausted, and was a little crampy a few days ago. I just thought I was feeling things because I knew what was supposed to be going on. I kind of had a feeling since the eggs were transferred that it worked, but I just didn't want to say it out loud because I didn't want to jinx anything. Tomorrow morning I go for the blood work and then it'll be official! I CAN NOT wait for them to find out!

5/18/10
So my blood work came back and the levels look great! I'm officially pregnant with another couples child! ha ha! I talked to Beth and Mike, and they're so happy!
Next step is more blood work to check the levels again... Then I'll have a U/S in a couple weeks!

I'm SO happy to do this for them! They really are an amazing couple, just really great people!