Multiple Balls in the Air

We so so appreciate everyone's heartfelt advice and encouragement. There are so many people out there in so many different stages of this process -- and it's so good to know that we are all not alone as we navigate surrogacy, parenthood, adoption, imagining life with or without a child. For what it's worth we are still moving forward. No giving up here. No quitting. Just a pause in all the noise of this process. Let's just say we have multiple balls in the air and one of them we're hoping to drop...or two. I'll leave y'all with that. Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there.

MOM'S ROCK!!!

xxoo
D and B and C

Period. Yuck.

Once again it's taken days to write this -- April got her period on Sunday. I dunno people. Give me some advice here. This is attempt number five and while we got pregnant on the second try, it's been tough to keep the flame burning with the way we are doing it. And to think we were so pumped just six months ago, thinking that this was the one...and here we are...considering what to do next, with who, and how, when, etc etc.

Maybe I should just stop blogging, get busy, and announce that we have a baby when we ACTUALLY have one...instead of complaining about it on here.

Ok, buh bye...we've got our work cut out for us.

:-)

No news really

Well no luck this past try. And then our surrogate had to travel for the holidays all the way in to late January so we missed the last cycle. Our next attempt(s) start tomorrow and I'm like "enough already...it's time this happens!" Just a little frustrated with all the emotions and anticipation, hopes and disappointments. I understand this is something you can't manufacture on cue, but I really do feel like we've put in our best efforts here and we are still empty-handed after almost two years of working at it (albeit we did not have our first embryo transfer until October 2009, but still, we've been working, working, working!). In fact, we've been working so hard on all kinds of things (that thing called work, too), that I neglected to announce that last year we introduced an extremely cute little girl to our family. It was an impulse adoption, after we lost both our older dogs in a year's span, but she's been a joy and a lot of sleepless nights -- let's just hope she's preparing us for a baby...SOON. Here are some pics of little Chloe.

Belated Happy Holidays to All...!

With much love and appreciation for all your support,

-Doug, Bill and Chloe

A very interesting article

www.newsweek.com/2011/01/30/meet-my-real-modern-family.html

Light at the end of the tunnel

Finally a sign that our next attempt is in clear sight. It's been over 4 weeks since the miscarriage and over two months since our surrogate's last period, so we are definitely ready for our third attempt...December 15th our next round of inseminations begin (oh joy). Apparently our surrogate dreamed about this monster of a period coming and there it was the next day...(I think she actually called it a tsunami-like period but maybe that's too much sharing for this blog). And hey, is it truth or just myth that says women can be more fertile after a miscarriage? I'm staying positive and saying "YES"...

I'll tell ya, once we are fathers I'll be so glad to NOT worry about tracking "Aunt Flo" or the other multitude of nicknames a woman's period has (props to you girls!). We'll be done with that part...and many of you have said that once the little miracle DOES arrive, all the work that led up to it, the worrying, the tracking, the flying to India, the fertility drugs, the money, the search for another surrogate and egg donor, the inseminations...and on and on, really does become the distant past. And the most important thing is that you have this new life and light in your life. We are just SO READY, and had no idea what it would take to get there. But here we are, still marching forward. I have to say there are times that I look at our blog friends who have had their child(ren), some who I started following after our failed attempts in India, and can't help but scratch my hairless head and wonder why Bill and I are still at ground zero. I know this will happen, it's just crazy how much something like this can test you, your relationship, and your faith in something that really is out of your control (and body, for that matter). And as I said in August 2009 regarding my worries of failing in India (which seems like a lifetime ago), we just have to trust the universe.

I hope this finds everyone enjoying the Christmas spirit, their new arrivals and preparing for the merriest time of the year. More news from the flight deck soon...

D & B

It's taken a week to write this...

I've thought about it and every time I have to write a negative post it's usually short and sweet. So here it is...this time we most likely had a chemical pregnancy and we lost it last week Thursday. It's taken a while to write this because the day after it happened Bill and I had to go to Florida for his new job. Needless to say traveling to "the happiest place on earth" aka Orlando was a bit strange after we found out but what can we do? We will be trying again after our surrogate gets her next period so that's a positive. At least we got pregnant and know it's possible. That gives us comfort. It'll be nice to get back on Sunday and see our pup Chloe and just be in our own home. More to come...

Pregnant

I feel like we've been waiting so long to post this result, and we know it's early, but we are pregnant! This Sunday it will be about five weeks along...so every day is super important and makes this all more viable. We are extremely thankful to our willing surrogate, and for the speed at which this has happened, after only TWO tries. I still am scratching my head a bit and can't believe we are at this point...when it was just a little over a month ago that we were trying to figure it all out.

All I can say is that this at-home turkey baster method worked and for now we are heading down the road we've wished to be on for some time now. I know it's going to be a whole new set of worries -- getting through the first trimester (something to really look forward to around Christmas time!), and then the next six months after, and the delivery, the emotions, it's all going to be something we'll never forget and something to (hopefully) ponder in coming entries. For now, though, we can say it, we're PREGNANT!!!...and loving every minute of it so far. Really hoping this all sticks.

Thanks to all for their support and encouragement. This blog experience has been so helpful. :-) THANK YOU THANK YOU...