let me introduce you to my little *fertility* friend!

I am set and ready for charting again! I am using Fertility Friend just like I did with Joshua. It's basic and easy for me to understand :)

AF is due, well she's overdue but that's not unusual for me to be a few days off in either direction. I have been averaging 38 day cycles since AF returned when Joshua was 3 months old. Longer cycles are my normal, I've never been a 28 day gal. Today is CD 41. My back is hurting, I'm tired, I'm crampy and just overall feeling "blah". AF is just lingering and probably waiting for the most inconvenient moment to strike. If she happens to hold off until after Tuesday, that's totally fine because I have a Papsmear scheduled that afternoon with my midwife, Peggy. I forgot about how close AF was to showing up when I made the appointment. If I have to reschedule, no big deal.

                                                Look what came in the mail today!

100 sticks for my peeing pleasure, courtesy of H! I will admit that when I was charting/TTC my children, I was a POAS (pee on a stick) addict ;)

Hopefully if all goes well, we don't need all 100 of these bad boys.

I plan to start testing around CD 16 since I have longer cycles. Hopefully this coming cycle and next cycle will teach me enough about where my best 3 day window will be for the insemination. Accuracy is key! We want this to work on the first try!

I had my blood work done earlier this week, I am sure those results will be fine.

Right now, I need your AF dust, so we can get this show on the road!




random fact: I said AF six times including now. :)

Found a possible midwife

I am giving birth in Florida, in an area I know nothing about. H and I searched online for home birth midwives and only found 2. I was disappointed by this, we need more midwives in this country!

H called one and she didn't seem as H put it "warm and fuzzy". Plus she doesn't usually travel to where H lives and her office is 2.5 hours away. I trust H's judge of character and said I would call the other one, Dawn.

I spoke with Dawn and she seems real nice. She has no problem with me transferring care to her around 36 weeks and attending the birth. I'll need all my records from my midwife, Peggy, but that won't be a problem.

Peggy was my midwife with Joshua (2nd child) and attended his home birth. I wish she could travel down with me to Florida   , but that can't happen ;) Peggy will take care of my prenatal care here in Virginia during the pregnancy.

H and I will be speaking with Dawn more as time goes on. We are still in the early stages, but at least we know someone would be available for the birth.

We are slowly putting the pieces together to this puzzle :)

Pill Popper!

*Originally written on June 5th 2011 on a previous blog*

It's never too early to start taking care of yourself when it comes to TTC and pregnancy.

Luckily for me, I still have a lot left over from when I was pregnant with Joshua.

I took what I have on hand today.

Probiotics (2 a day) to prevent yeast and BV which are common in pregnancy

Calcuim + Magnesium and Vit D (4 a day) are all important minerals for a woman especially when pregnant, calcium and magnesium can also help relieve Restless Leg Syndrome, which I have gotten in both pregnancies starting in the 2nd trimester.

Prenatal (1 a day) with Folic Acid, Iron and Zinc

Iron (1 a day) because we are planning a home birth. We want to take all preventative measures against hemmorhage, though I have had no problem in the past with it.

I need to pick up some Fish Oil Omega 3, Emergen- C and much later on some Pregnancy Tea with Red Raspberry Leaf.

I am excited to get back into this regimen!

Here begins a Journey!

*Originally written June 4th 2011 on a previous blog.*

A week ago I decided to put my desire to become a surrogate into action. I posted a couple ads on websites that a friend (also a surrogate) recommended. I started receiving emails quickly with couples interested in me. I was very specific about what I was looking for....Parents who would agree to a home/natural birth, not circumcising, and breastfeeding via induced lactation or using donor milk.

One reply was complete opposite of what I was looking for, two replies were close but they didn't feel right.

On June 2nd, I got an email from a woman we'll call "H", her husband we will call "M". She absolutely loved everything in my ad. She even referred to me as her "parenting soulmate". I was instantly excited! I knew I had to reply and get to know them better. We exchanged a dozen emails over 2 days, added each other on Facebook,  and today we talked for over an hour on the phone. I felt comfortable with her, though I was very nervous at first. We have so much in common it was hard to not feel good about it.

After our call we exchanged more messages on Facebook. Come to find out, H knows a friend of mine online. My friend Meg had twin girls about a year ago. She placed her sweet girls up for adoption and H & M were one of the families who she contacted about it. Meg had nothing but good things to say about H & M. I couldn't believe those 2 knew each other! I knew it was another good sign.

I waited for Adam to get home, so I could tell him all about my conversations with H. I told him how I felt and how I knew this was the right thing to do. Every fiber in my body felt like screaming "help them! they deserve this baby!"

I messaged H this evening and told her I was ready to move forward. Everything seems to fit in place and we mesh really well already.

Now we begin a Journey....a Journey to create a new life, to complete this loving wonderful family.

I am going to be H & M's Traditional Surrogate (TS), meaning it is my egg and M's sperm.

We will attempt at home-insemination.

H & M live in southwest Florida. They endured 2 failed open adoptions before deciding to go this route. They have 2 daughters ages 14 and 11 who we will call T & J.

I will travel to FL for the insemination(s) and for the birth.

I am so excited and can't wait to see the look on their daughters' faces when they finally meet their little brother or sister. This one will be for keeps. No more will they grieve a loss because a mother changed her mind.

I am walking down the aisle and saying "I do" to this family. This is for life, we will forever be connected.

<3 <3 <3