Where to begin?  Well, the big news for me personally is my daughter, Jenny, has picked a wedding date!   Just a few weeks ago she decided June 6^th is the perfect day for her and Doug to say “I Do”.   You can imagine how crazy our lives have been to make this happen.  It is obviously meant to be as everything she has wanted has been attainable.  We all want our daughters to have their dream wedding, but we expect to have more than a couple of months to pull it together!  Did I mention that I am off to Spain in early May?  My trip was supposed to be 5 weeks long, but I’m trying to condense it to no more than 3 weeks as I don’t want to miss anything leading up to my girl’s special day.  Thanks to all of you for your warm wishes of happiness for Jenny & Doug!

My last blog left off with the impending births for Megan and Cassandra.    They decided to deliver just days apart with Cassandra delivering little Marta on 2/16 who weighed in at 8 lbs 1oz.   And Megan chose 2/19 for Jana to make her debut weighing 7 lbs 5oz.  Two sweet baby girls!

We have so much to be grateful for.  These past few months have brought healthy babies to the waiting arms of their parents with the help of their awesome Surrogate Moms.  And now we are in the midst of creating new pregnancies.  Send positive vibes to Keyly, Brianna, Amber, Crystal, Olivia, Melissa, Ashley, Brandi, Wendy, Karlee & Sara as they approach their transfer dates in the coming weeks.  Have a great week!!

Well, Michele did deliver a gorgeous baby boy, Hugo, on Feb. 5^th as I mentioned in my last blog.  His parents call him their “Prince”.  He definitely is being treated like royalty, so it is fitting.

I was wondering who would be next, Tracy or Cassandra.  Well that very night, Tracy called and said she thought she was in labor.  I know I said, “No you’re not!” as I thought for sure she was pulling my leg.  We had just spoken hours earlier and there were no signs of labor or indication that it was on the horizon.  Then I realized she was serious.  So I called the parents about 9:00pm and they were having dinner.  The mom-to-be said her husband told everyone that they would need to have an early dinner because he had a feeling his son would be born that night.  My first thought was 9:00pm was an early dinner?  And then I remembered my dinners in Europe and knew that it was early for them.  I’m sure this new Dad will tell the story of how he knew his son would be born to everyone who will listen.  It took a little longer than we expected, but finally Daniel arrived in the morning of February 6.

Then Breann and I were waiting for Cassandra to say it was time.  So I was pretty surprised when Linda called to say she was in labor on February 10.  With twins, we know there is always the risk for preterm labor or delivery.  But Linda also was just cruising along showing no signs of labor and Boom! All of a sudden, it’s time!  She made it to 33 weeks and the boys, Fredrik & Marcus, were 5 lbs each, so it is all good!  Whew!  What a week…wait, it was only 5 days that had passed since Michele had delivered.  Wow!

So we are waiting for Cassandra and Megan now to complete our busy month.  It has been so wonderful to share in these beautiful moments with our Surrogate Moms and the new Parents.  What a privilege it is to be a part of their incredible journeys.

Stay tuned for more news in the coming weeks.

It is hard to believe we are already well into February.  I vaguely remember the year starting and making some new year’s resolutions.  One was to write in my blog every week.  I am pretty much fulfilling that one.  I will need to find my notes to see what else I pledged for this year and hopefully I am staying true!

February is a big month for us.  We have several babies due.  Amanda jumped the gun and delivered on January 26^th.  No problem because *Melissa arrived safe and sound and only spent one day in the hospital.  Yeah Amanda!!  Michele is arriving to the hospital at this moment.  Her nervous but excited Couple are there with her.  Of course, Brian and Breann are there, too!  I can’t wait to hear all the news about Hugo’s arrival later today.

I wonder who will be next.  Tracy or Cassandra?  Megan is sure to finish out our month for us.

Stay tuned for the weekly update!

Carol

The H1N1 “pandemic” has caused quite a stir.  Breann and I are faced with something that I have never encountered in all my 18 years of managing surrogacy cases.  All of the hospitals in San Diego are limiting the amount of people allowed in the delivery room to only 2 or 3 persons through the entire flu season which they say is until May.  Inevitably, this leaves Breann and me out.  And in some cases, both of the Intended Parents can’t be at the birth of their child either.

Needless to say, this change has caused a lot of panic for Couples and their Surrogate Moms who were counting on us being there for support and to manage anything that needs to get done.  At first I was uneasy about it, too.  Hundreds of things crossed my mind that would require our attention or facilitation.  I called the hospitals hoping they would make an exception for these special circumstances, but no one would budge.  How could they not see the importance of our being there?  I was so wrapped up in the attendance of the birth, that I lost sight of the big picture.  I took a step back and gained my perspective back.  A sense of calm set in and I’ll tell you why.

It occurred to me that we have given everyone what they need way ahead of time.  You probably think I am referring to the court orders or something tangible like that.  But I am not.  I am talking about something that goes much further back, before the Surrogate Mother and her Couple became a match.  The Surrogate Mothers in our Program are exceptional women and some of the best moms I have ever met.  I have seen them take on the Intended Parent’s quest to have a family as their own personal mission.   The Intended Parents are incredible too.  They trust us and their Surrogate Mom with the most important thing in their life.  They are in awe of their Surrogate Mom and appreciate more than words can say the gift they are receiving.  I know they truly care for her and her family.  This combination is the best foundation for a perfect outcome.

Although it is disappointing that we are unable to attend the births, we must maintain our perspective.  It is but a moment that will fade with time.  We still participated in the most significant event of their lives and that will live in our memories forever.