Hello Hollywood!

Sorry this post is slightly delayed... life has been beyond busy lately!


Let me preface this with the schedule of events for the week of my trip to California:


Saturday 9/3- best friend's bachelorette party
Sunday 9/4- Pig out in the Park with my daughter and her dad and his wife
Monday 9/5- get up and get to the airport for flight at 12:30pm
Tuesday 9/6- Med screen, psych screen, flight home arriving at 12am
Wednesday 9/7- my daughter's first day of kindergarten followed by 12hrs of work
Thursday 9/8- work and then nails with the girls before the wedding
Friday 9/9- work and then wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
Saturday 9/10- best friends wedding, awake and arriving at the church at 9:30am


I wanted to sleep for 48hrs straight by the time the week was over!


So ANYWAY! On September 5th I flew down to LA for my Medical and Psych screening. My flight arrived at 5:30pm and I found my car and driver and off to the hotel in Pasadena we went. Got checked in and read by the pool until it got dark, ordered room service ($16 cheeseburger, not impressed!) and went to bed. Nervous/excited/anxious for the busy day that lay ahead!


Took the shuttle from the hotel to HRC Fertility and met Dr. Kolb and his nurse Maria. Got my IUD yanked (interesting and funny story for another time!) and my uterus inspected ("it's beautiful!"). Blood drawn, peed in a cup, and off I went.


An exciting 45 minute taxi ride to LA resulted in arrival at Growing Generations psych headquarters for my thorough mental evaluation. After a 567 question personality assessment test and a 2 hour "conversation" about my childhood, past, present, parents, ex-husband, baby daddy, daughter, job, school, neighbors, you name it, I was tentatively deemed acceptable to move on in the process. Off to LAX I went, to catch my flight home and wait (im)patiently for my final results. Have I mentioned I am NOT a patient person??


After a couple small snafus and a whole lot of deep breaths, I have officially been medically cleared to continue! My agency sent me a profile of intended parents (IP's) last week, and I accepted them. GG (Growing Generations, my agency) sent my profile to the IP's today, and I should hopefully hear back tomorrow with their response. *In a nervous voice* "I hope they like me....." If they like my profile, the next step is setting up an in person meeting in LA within the next few weeks.


*Fingers Crossed*


I will leave you with a few pictures from my whirlwind trip, and the week surrounding it!


Thanks for reading
xoxo

Bachelorette Party!

Beautiful view of the hills from the roof of the hotel

Pool

Relaxing!

My daughter requested a picture of where I was staying. She told my mom "That looks like a good bed" LOL!

                                  

$16 cheeseburger

First day of school!!

Snuggling Caleb (son of the bride and groom)

Checking out the goods at the rehearsal ;)

Wedding Day!

"Wow.... really? Why??"

That is a very common response I get when I tell people I'm going to be a surrogate. Usually it comes from the people who don't really understand, the people who don't get it. But it leads to a very interesting topic and very legitimate question: Why am I doing this? Why do I want to be a surrogate? Why, why, why?


As I mentioned in my first post, being a surrogate is something I have thought about for a few years. Something I wanted to do for a long time. But why? I don't know... why not?


The short answer that I started with was this: I loved being pregnant, I had no morning sickness, no complications, (almost) no complaints. I loved feeling my baby move inside me, I would love to do it again. But I don't want another baby to keep at this point in my life. My uterus young and healthy, but it is empty and not going to be occupied for personal use any time in the near future. So why not help someone out and let their baby use it for a year? Something that is so easy for me, is so difficult or impossible for someone else... so why wouldn't I help them?

Then I thought harder, and considered the bigger picture. Ever since I can remember, I have loved children, and especially babies. They are so cute and soft and snuggly and amazing!! When I got pregnant with my daughter at 18, I was less than excited. I was TERRIFIED. But then the excitement came, and becoming a mother is the most amazing, life changing experience I've ever had. My daughter is the best thing that has ever happened to me, the best "accident" I could have ever asked for :) She teaches me daily, more than I could have ever imagined. She brings me endless love and joy, I am amazed by her more and more every day. The funny things she says, the new things she learns, the things she observes and retains, her empathy, her sensitivity, her compassion for others at the ripe age of 5 and three quarters :) How much she needs me, counts on me, learns from me. The amount of love you feel for your own child is indescribable, something you cannot comprehend until you have a child of your own.


I can't imagine someone wanting to have a baby so badly and not being able to do so. My short answer combined with my longer answer brings me to the simple conclusion that I just want to help someone fulfill their dreams of being parents and having a family.


Thanks for reading
xoxo