So.....

This will be my last update for about 2 weeks or so, or until I sign the contract, which will probably be by the end of the week.

I just spoke with Julie, and my part is done except to sign the contract as previously stated. Otherwise, now we sit and wait for all the results from the Psych tests for the IP's and Donor and the blood work and stuff from the Donor.

This is going to be 2 very long weeks. =(

But, in the end, when I can hand that baby to my IM, she is going to be so thankful. I've never really seen someone who wants a baby as bad my IM. The look in her eyes, it's indescribable. She told me Dr. Akerman (the IVF Dr.) said the inside of my uterus was "beautiful" so the environment is great for a baby.

They agreed to the changes in the contract we made, which was like, rental car reimbursement, gas reimbursement, babysitting reimbursement, paying for the hotel during my stays in Miami for the transfers and some medical issues like there was something in there stating to "pull the plug" on me should I be a vegetable on life support, but only after the baby is born. I had them take out the "pulling the plug" part altogether. Thomas and I want to keep me on life support for a year or two to give me a chance to "come around". Those basic changes and some misspellings lol
I don't remember changing anything else, but I'm sure there were a couple things. I'm not allowed to disclose the exact amount I am being compensated, so don't ask. I can't reveal my IP's identity either, so that will not be answered if asked.

Anyway, so now it's hurry up and wait and that's where we are!

I met my IP's!!

I met my IP's this morning at 11 a.m. at Open Arms with Souad and it was wonderful! A little comforting to know they were as nervous as I was. They are so genuine and so easy to talk to, I couldn't ask for a better IP couple.

My IP's gave me a journal to track pregnancy progress for them, and it's in French, but they want me to write in English for the baby, who will be bilingual. I also found out today, they are going to do a gender selection if possible and they want a girl, so as long as more female sperm create good eggs then we can get a girl, but it all depends on what God wants for the IP's, so we will see!

I know as of right now at 3 p.m. they were meeting with their Lawyer to get the contract finalized and signed and notarized, then Souad is gonna probably have me to do mine and Thomas's signatures here tomorrow or maybe Wednesday and get the ball rolling on everything!!

My IP's also gave Thomas and I a personal gift, which, honestly blows my mind. They gave us a French cook book, completely translated to English. I couldn't get Thomas to put it down and we are going to have some yummy food here once we get settled and can buy the stuff to cook some it.

I'm so freaking excited!!!

New news....

So the original donor is no longer interested since she is a new Teacher and can't take the time off work to do the donation and the new donor my IP's chose has already donated 3 times, so we know she's had all her genetic testing and taken care of everything. Julie at Open Arms should have some sort of schedule for me and to make things even better she (the donor) is already on BC pills so we are like ready, set, match to go as soon as we have some dates. I am also meeting my IP's Monday, which I am a little nervous about but ready to do. Moving over the weekend and getting settled than having all this at once is a bit much, but it will fly by.

Now I'm off to work to think about what's ahead and I can't wait to be preggers and give my IP's a new baby or babies!!

This Morning...

Julie from Open Arms called this morning, apparently the IM sent me an e-mail I never got and they were worried I changed my mind! I found it in my spam folder (thank goodness I haven't emptied in a while!) and I wrote her back then went to google translator and had it translated to French then pasted that to the e-mail and there ya go. I meet them at the agency in a week (the 30th) and I am super excited. Julie also said the Donor starts her period at the end of the month, and they have to get her blood work done on the 2nd day of her cycle, so I should have all answers and calendars ready to go by the 1st week of the Month of September hopefully and we can start the medications.

Also had a long phone conversation with my Attorney this morning and had to change a few things in the contract that weren't previously thought of like,  if I am on bed rest or in the hospital for any extended amount of time, who's gonna care for my kids, or how am I going to pay for that care and all that.

I should know if the updated version is good or not sometime next week and then go get it signed and ready to go!

I'm so excited and so tired!!

Final News until my period next month....

I got a call and an e-mail from the fertility clinic Nurse, Marcie.

All my cultures came back good too, except for something called "Ureaplasma", which if you look it up is something only tested for in other countries and the only reason I was tested for the bacteria was because it can cause miscarriage.

So, A round of antibiotics for me and my hubby and then when my period starts, the medications get shipped to me. Lupron and estrogen and progesterone....lol so much fun. It's all in good taste though, when those Parents see thier baby for the first time....

I'm so excited!!

The Contract...

In my previous post, I forgot to mention that on the 16th I got the 1st draft of the carrier agreement from my Lawyer, which came from the IP's Lawyer. (By the way, the IP's pay for your Lawyer). They call it a rough draft because it can be modified to fit, but it's a basic of what the IP's want. It tells of Pwer of Attorney and many other things that could happen and how many transfers, embryo's etc. Again as previously posted, I'm only allowed to tell so much.

I honestly never imagined it getting this far at all and we're now down to the final stages of this journey with the contract agreement, next is medications for syncing periods and then the transfer. The first and hopefully only transfer.

The chosen donor is local to us and is also a school teacher whose identity I will never know, but she has to take time off work so now we are just sitting and waiting on her. Patience is a virtue!

From the beginning....

In late May 2010 I began scouring the internet for a surrogacy agency, and preferably one that was close to home. I came upon Open Arms Consultants, who happen to be right down the road. I applied online after reviewing their website and within a week or so I got a response from Souad Dreyfus, the founder of Open Arms Consultants.
Souad is a wonderful person, very sweet and very professional. They asked for my insurance information and had a set of IP's (Intending Parents) waiting to meet me as soon as the IP's came in from France.

The process was explained as I had many questions. Hopefully, I can answer many questions as I write more. You have to be in good health, have had at least 1 biological child of your own, have the full support of Family and no mental health issues. Those are the basic requirements.

I was told that once an IP couple chose me, I would then be going for a Psych Eval and then meet with the Doctors at the Fertility Clinic in Tampa and get blood work to check for infectious disease (i.e. HIV, AIDS etc.) and then they would get both the Intended Mother and my periods in sync where we could coordinate for the embryo transfer.

So, around the 26th of June I got a call to meet with the first set of IP's that liked my profile and we met at a local Starbucks. (This was also the first time I met Souad as well!!) It went well and we exchanged questions and stories. I got a call from Julie, Souads assistant, that the couple was ready to move forward, but we would be waiting for them to get their blood work back from the Fertility Clinic in Tampa. I found out a week later that somethings needed worked on, and that the couple would not be needing me until they got whatever issues worked out. I was sad =(

I then got another call from Souad a few days later and I had a phone call with her and another French Couple! We had a wonderful, long phone conversation about all the do's and don't's and beliefs and any problems and promises to meet in person and so on. Souad calls me later and tells me we need to set up my Psych Eval and get the ball rolling!
(Also, in the particular case, which could happen, the IM (Intended Mother) has had a hysterectomy so we will be using a donor egg, which means her and I sync up rather than myself and the IM)
I got my Psych Eval scheduled for 8/2/10 and drove to Tampa with my husband and went and met the Agency Psychiatrist. It was a lot of questions and a personality test (I don't know, it was strange!!). I was told they want to make sure you are in good mental health and in the right mind not to try and take the baby as your own upon the birth and what not.

My results came in good (as I knew they would) and I moved on to going to a Fertility Clinic in Miami. (The reason for the clinci in Miami and not in Tampa is because of the Paternal age....Tampa clinic has a limit). I'm only allowed to reveal so much information, so sorry If I am vague.

The agency booked me a flight and I set out for a day long trip to Miami on 8/9/10. I had a great flight there, and back and Miami is beautiful. It rained the whole time I was there, but it was still beautiful!
I met the Dr. in charge of my case at the clinic, had blood work and a hysteroscopy done. A hysteroscopy in case you don't know is when they use a camera and go inside your vagina and look at your cervix and uterus and tubes to see their conditions and make sure you are in good enough shape for the procedure ahead!

Well, I got my blood work results yesterday and I am soon to start all my medicines to get me ready for the transfer, which the nurse stated was Luprin injections and birth control pills.
I will update as I get more info, but for now, that's all!!