Back to Reality

Sitting in an airplane definitely gives you time to think. I try to live in the moment, but reminiscing can be a good pastime, too. As I think about the past five days I can honestly say that I have enjoyed almost every moment of my recent journey. 

The good:

-Meeting B & R and enjoying my time with them. Having real people to go with my email, text, and phone calls. Realizing that they really do have similar ideas and beliefs and will carry them out with their children. Being comfortable with the choice in IP's we made.

-Spending some much needed alone time with Shawn. As B & R will soon learn, finding time with just the two of you becomes more challenging once you become parents. Yes, it's okay to talk about the kids when they aren't there, but the time to reconnect as a couple is invaluable.

-New York City! I seriously love that town. There is so much to see and do... Shopping was a lot of fun, Newsies was such a wonderful treat, but its the energy and the excitement that the town possesses that brings this small town girl back time and again.

-The transfer. We had two "great looking" embryos transferred into me. The excitement and the dreams that these two little specks hold will never cease to amaze. Of course we won't know how they are doing for a couple of weeks, but just the fact that they are in there after all of the preparation we have gone through is enough for me right now.

I can't even start a list of "bad/not good." The things that happened that I wouldn't put in the "good" list are rather insignificant when you really think about it. An uncomfortable transfer that went on longer than I was expecting, the nerves I had prior to meeting B & R, cramping after the transfer while on bed rest at the hotel... These aren't big things. In fact, I'd probably park them more into the "that's life" category instead. Of course, given my "special situation" not everyone experiences these kinds of realities, but that just makes my story all the more unique and special.

We are almost ready to land and this will bring my journey back down to reality. My kiddos will be there needing something for dinner, laundry will still have to be washed, I still need to prep for my class tomorrow. Reality. But now I have a little miracle inside as I live my anything but routine life. 

The two embryos/baby/ies first picture.

Just a little pregnant

This morning was THE morning. After breakfast at Panera (yummy!), we drove across the street to the Clinic. The doctor came in to the conference room where B & R and Shawn and I were hanging out. He showed us pics of the two embryos that were chosen for the transfer and had the typical consent forms for us all to sign. Then, we were off!

I was shown to a room to get ready for the transfer. Once I was presentable, the nurse came back with everyone and we were joined by the doctor. He started doing his thing (ladies, you know what I'm talking about! Kind of felt like getting a pelvic from a Resident, if you know what I mean) and a few minutes later we watched on a screen as the embryologist sucked the embryos into a tube. A few seconds later and he was in the room giving them to the doctor for insertion. We could kind of watch on the ultrasound monitor what was happening. The doctor removed the catheter and gave it back to the embryologist to check. 

The little buggers were in the catheter! The doctor said that sometimes happens when he pulls the cath out. Oh, well. Lets do this again.

Wouldn't you know it but they went back in the cath yet again! Sheesh! Apparently, they were "really sticky embryos," which is good, but we want them to stick inside me! 

The third time, the little buggers stuck where they are supposed to stay! As of 11:00a.m. eastern/10:00a.m. central I am pregnant.

I started cramping about 10 minutes ago, which is a bit over an hour since the transfer, but its nothing I'm going to complain about. Just enough to know that something's going on inside. :-)

I've been watching B & R and B hasn't stopped smiling yet. R is pretty excited, too. R commented on the way back to the hotel "I've got to drive even more carefully now as we've got special cargo on board." I'm so glad they are so excited.

Seriously, how cool is it that I get to have a part of making B & R's dream of having a family a reality? Not many people get to be involved in things like this. I'm so excited to be a part of this miracle!

The Final Countdown

Another lovely day, albeit not as busy as yesterday. We all decided to have lunch at a wonderful Mexican restaurant in a nearby town and then browse in some shops. Relaxing, right? Right.

Lunch was amazing at Hacienda Villa in Westport, Ct (I highly recommend it!). The food was great and the company even better. We shared stories all around and just chatted away. Then, we drove to a shopping area and walked around looking at shops. We had a lot of fun gaping at insane prices and talking. Then, it was back to the hotel for some rest before dinner in the hotel's dining room.

After spending time with B & R the one thing that has been hitting me is how comfortable I am with everything. Shouldn't I be a little bit nervous about the transfer? I did address my concerns with B & R tonight about possible negative tests and they quickly put my mind at ease. They are realistic about the odds and recognize this isn't an exact science. Obviously, we all hope that this transfer will result in a positive pregnancy and a healthy baby, but that's not guaranteed. They are okay with these facts and are willing to try again, should the need arise.

To be honest, that is exactly what I needed to hear. I know at the beginning of this round with B & R I was pretty guarded. After what happened with my last couple I've been pretty cautious. When I met B & R on Thursday, I felt a lot better about things, and after tonight's conversation I am so ready to do whatever it takes to help them with their miracle. T-13 hours until we are introduced to a miracle!

Our timeline for the week.

A Mini Breakthrough

With a more laid back schedule than my normal day to day I'm still continuing my morning progesterone in oil shot at the same time. 

The one change I made was I am able to heat my leg for a couple of hours after the shot. The wonderful result of this is that my leg isn't as painful with the swelling seemingly reduced. The bruising is minimal, too! Hurray for small miracles!

Getting to Know You

What an amazing day today has been. Shawn and I spent the day with B & R, exploring new places and getting to know them more.

We decided to go in to New York City for the day. B had never been and its been quite a while since R has been there. We drove to a near by station and hopped on a train to the city. 90ish minutes later we were at Grand Central Station.

We decided to shop first so off to Canal Street to find some fun bargains. B & R humored me and encouraged me to find the perfect handbag. (I found a cute one!) Then, we checked out Century 21, a large discount department store by the World Trade Center. Next, it was to Times Square for the obligatory tourist thing and to pick up theater tickets. B & R bought tickets to see Newsies, a musical I have been wanting to see for a while. It was amazing and I loved every minute of it!

Now, we are back on the train heading for the hotel so we can rest up for whatever adventures tomorrow holds! 

As for the embryo transfer, we received an email today stating that the transfer will take place on Sunday at 10:30. We are all pretty excited to have a date and a time to look forward to! 

It's been so wonderful to spend time with B & R. As more time passes that I am able to spend with them the more excited and grateful that I get to be the one to help them welcome a precious miracle.

Travel and a Wonderful Meeting

I finally got to meet B & R and they are wonderful! Absolutely wonderful... I'm so glad they chose me to help them have a family!

To recap our day, we got up at 4 am to get ready for our day. A quick shot in the leg later and we were on our way to the airport for our 7am flight. Two and a half hours (and 49 oz of liquids!) later we arrived at New York's JFK. 

After we picked up our rental car we started driving toward Connecticut. As it was getting close to lunch, we stopped in a "random" town, Rye, NY. What a lovely town! After checking out a couple of restaurants, we chose a little French bistro and enjoyed baguette sandwiches.

Back in the car, we drove toward our hotel and enjoyed the scenery. It was nice to visit with my hubby and spend some time with him as we traveled.

Our glitch for the trip (hopefully!) happened when we arrived at the hotel. My reservation was in place, but the hotel was not paid for. I quickly called the Agency and talked with someone who helped me out. Ten minutes later, the Agency's credit card was faxed over and my room was secured. 

I text B & R and let them know we had arrived and waited to hear back as we checked out our room. They asked to meet us in the lobby at 6 for dinner.

I've been nervous about meeting B & R. What if they don't like me? What if we don't hit it off? What if... 

My fears all vanished soon after meeting them. They are so friendly, down to earth, and just nice! Yeah! I am so glad they chose me to help them!

We enjoyed a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant. The food was good but the conversation even better. From my perspective we all clicked well. I'm very happy with how things went!

They are very concerned with how things are for me. They asked how I was handling the shots and if the transfer would be painful for me. I was honest with them, but know this is part of what I signed up for when I agreed to be a gestational surrogate for them. I hope they don't feel too bad about any discomfort I may be experiencing. 

They also told me that we/they should hear from the Clinic tomorrow morning by 11. The Clinic will tell us if the transfer will happen tomorrow, Saturday, or Sunday. Odds are that it will happen Sunday. We will see! It's "hurry up and wait" for a miracle! Good night!

Almost Time

So many things have happened in the last couple days... I will try to recount them.

-Monday night I had my first IM PIO. It wasn't fun and I had to talk myself into it (see previous post.)

-Tuesday morning I had my second shot. It also wasn't fun, but it was easier to talk myself into than the first one. I also started taking several more meds on Tuesday.

-Tuesday afternoon I received a call from PC informing me that B & R offered to pay for all of Shawn's travel expenses for the trip this weekend. Holy cow and woo hoo! What an amazing blessing my IP's are! Super sweet people that I am blessed to be working with.

-Wednesday morning. Another shot. Have I mentioned that I'm one of those people who bruise easily? Well, I am. Sticking a one inch, 22 gauge needle filled with 1mL of a really thick liquid doesn't help things, either. (See picture of thigh). 

-Wednesday night. I'm trying to pack, make dinner, email with B & R, clean the house, make sure everything is lined up for the people shuttling my kiddos around while we are gone, etc. You know, the basic mom stuff.

I think that's about it. I'm still not packed, but I have several dresses on my bed ready for packing. I have a load of laundry in the wash and another in the dryer. I have a ton of butterflies in my stomach from nerves, excitement, etc. I've tucked the kids into bed, made tentative arrangements for the dog, and started a list of things I need the sitters to do while we are away (dance registration, drop off a kid, etc.)

My excitement keeps building with every preparation and accomplishment. I can't wait to meet B & R tomorrow. There is so much I want to know about these wonderful people who are letting me be a part of their miracle.

My bruised thigh from this morning's shot. Gross, I know. It looks worse than it feels.