Ovulation Testing....Not for the Faint of Heart!

Yesterday was my first day of ovulation testing. What an experience!! I had pictured it quite differently, but as usual it was not as I had imagined! I woke at about 5:55 (of course, since my alarm was set for 6). I was kind of excited about the testing, so I went ahead and got up. Unbeknownst to me, so had my 5-year-old. So I knew it was going to interesting from the start. When you buy the kit I bought, it comes with 20 test strips in a little canister. It says in the instructions that they're only good for 30 days after you open it. Guess who was more curious about the tests than reading the instructions? Yeah, that's me. So I opened the canister a week ago, but it's OK there's only 20 tests. But I digress. Back to the narration: it's first thing in the morning. I'm still groggy, and I have an audience who is FULL of questions. I open the canister of tests and get one out. No problem. Then I pull out the enclosed cup for peeing in. Problem. Have you ever ordered something to go from a mom & pop restaurant and had your condiment come in a little plastic cup with a lid? That's the cup they gave me to pee in. I tried, I really did, but no matter where I'd put the cup, my stream managed to go RIGHT BESIDE it! (sorry, I know this is not a post you're going to want to read while eating your wheaties) Needless to say, if I'm successful with this ovulation kit thingy, I'll be able to pee in a soda bottle by the end of the month! Next I do the dip, then wait the 5 minutes it tells you to wait. Of course it's negative, my least favorite auntie packed her bags and left the day before, but it was an experience I'll never forget!
Have a great day everyone!!!

Moving Forward!

We are officially matched.  We shook (and hugged) on it today!!  We've contacted an attorney about drawing up a contract and are awaiting a response, I've been given the OK to get ovulation test kits and begin testing and charting, and now we're just waiting on the contract to be done and signed so that we can start insems.  We've decided none of us are going to do psych evals.  It seems to be a waste of money when you've familiarized yourself with each other so well.  I know, I know, its for everybody's protection, but I just don't think we have much to worry about in that department, we all know everyone else is a bit crazy ;) hehe!  SOOOO....if anybody has any tips on little things you can do to get preggers, let me know.  I've heard of eating pineapple (not gonna happen, it makes me sick) and eating beans.  Anything else??  Anyway, I'm just so excited to announce that I am in fact going to be a surrogate mother.  I wasn't sure we would make it to this point!!!  I love my IPs!! Henry is still pretty shy, but Emily makes up for it :D They're just a fun couple!!
I better get going, sounds like I'm going to get blown away in a storm in a minute!! Stay safe!!

We're A Match!!!

I and the boys met Em and Henry yesterday evening after I got off work for supper at Pizza Hut.  They were FANTASTIC!!!  Poor Henry is so shy, he pretty much just sat there and smiled, but he interacted very well with my kids, so that's good.  If he can do that with a stranger's kids, he'll be a great daddy!  Em and I did most of the talking, we were all pretty nervous, but we're all glad we got the initial nervous meeting out of the way!  After Pizza Hut, they followed me to my house and we talked and talked some more.  They had a few questions for me as far as the contract goes, and I had a few for them.  I sent the 2 sample contracts with them, and my "price sheet" thingy.  We discussed a few options as far as insems go, such as how many nights to attempt per month, stuff like that.  I think we'll be buying an OPK (ovulation predictor kit) and I'll have to start using it soon.  We got lucky, my pill cycle ends tomorrow!  I was kind of nervous that they wouldn't like me, and of course they were nervous that I wouldn't like them, but they already felt like family to me.  I haven't talked to Henry much before now, but still I've seen so many pictures and heard so much about him, I just feel like they're not strangers. 
So they're coming back today for lunch and more talking and to meet Bubba.  They said our kids were beautiful (which I know they are hehe) but its always good to hear it from the outside.  I think Henry and Bradin really hit it of.  Although Zach was quite a charmer, too.  He actually jumped into Henry's lap at one point and was being silly.  I hope they (and I) didn't scare them off!! Although I did get a text last night when they got back to their hotel saying they had found their way back and wouldn't be running off tonight lol. 
It's amazing to me that they were so nervous.  I mean, they're looking to see if they want me to carry their baby, they are checking me out physically to see if I look like a fit person for that.  They're also checking out my kids to see if they want a child that might have some traits similar to my kids.  The only thing I looked for in them was to see how they acted around my kids (which, for a first time nervous visit, they did amazing! At bedtime I had to tell Zach it was time to stop and they stopped playing with him and got unexcited looks on their faces so he would stop playing.  How perfect!!) and if they creeped me out (which they didn't).  I will be very comfortable handing their baby over to them, with the understanding that I will still be in touch with them after they go home. 
Anyway, that's how it went yesterday evening, it was like a dream come true!!!  I'm going to go finish my potato salad for lunch today and get ready for the day! Hope everyone has a fantastic day!! I know I will!

Nervous!!!

They're coming tomorrow, I think!!!!  It's about 9 hours from them to us, so they left or are leaving today, they are planning to spend tonight somewhere about halfway here, then coming the rest of the way tomorrow and are going to stay int Mt. Pleasant.  Bubba is on night shift tonight and tomorrow, and has to go in an hour early tomorrow, so we decided that after I get off work (if Henry agrees to this) that they might grab pizza or something easy like that and bring it to my house and we'll hang out a little bit.  That way the initial meeting is over with and we won't be so nervous about Friday.  And Alicia is coming over tonight after Bubba leaves for work and we'll get those cobwebs and bathrooms taken care of, then I'll just have the last minute stuff like vacuuming and picking up toys to do and we'll be ready for company!!! Plus, if they see the house clean tomorrow evening, I won't feel quite as pressured to have it as clean for Friday lol!  Anyway, gotta go take my big boy for his checkup so he can go to kindergarten this year!!  He's getting SO BIG!!  And I'm such a proud mama, he has an owie he says the dr. needs to look at while we're there.  We'll see if he remembers it.  Have a great day, I'll try to update tomorrow evening or Friday morning, but I can't promise anything until Saturday!!

Names!!

So I've been following another FANTASTIC surrogacy blog.  This woman needs to be a writer or columnist or something if she isn't already.  Anyway, she found a great way to get around calling her IPs just IM and IF and stuff.  She calls them Lucy and Ricky, their son is Little Ricky and the baby is Enzo.  SO....we decided (IM and I, she sort of follows it as well) that it would be a great idea to "borrow" so we're going to do it!!  She and the IF have decided upon Emily and Henry (from wizard of oz) and then the baby will be Dorothy or Hunk (or both if needed)!  So, that's my update for now.  I've been cleaning up the house, added a new piece of artwork in the front bathroom, just to update it a bit, organized the kitchen cupboards, cleaned off the kitchen table (yes, I actually have one!), reorganized the living room so it's more usable, lots of little stuff like that.  I think I'm almost ready for Em and Henry to come!!  Just need to get my good friend Alicia to come over and get the cobwebs and the bathrooms for me (it will be TOTALLY worth the money!! I hate bathrooms!!) and I think we'll be set!!

Just over a week!!

Well, the date has changed, but only to move it up one day.  So now they will be visiting August 13th, that's next Friday!!  Of course I'm getting nervous and freaking out about the house being clean and such (those of you on facebook probably have seen a little bit of that lol) but I know I need to just relax.  I've printed off 2 sample contracts and we are going to go through and fill them in sort of, then take that info to the attorneys to have the actual contract drawn up, should all parties decide to continue on after next weekend. 
Also, we are looking at filing our own step-parent adoption.  Since I'm married, any child I give birth to is considered Bubba's.  a step-parent adoption (from what I understand) simply states that the IM is the mother of the child and that Bubba and I relinquish our parental rights.  For an attorney to file this costs $3000 plus expenses.  Ouch.  In order to save money, it sounds like we're going to try to do it ourselves.  Talk about a nail-biter!! I tried to sleep through government in high school, so I know as little as possible about the legal system!  Fortunately I have a friend who is married to a lawyer who has referred me to a professor at the University.  I have yet to call that professor, but I have the number!!
Anyway, that's the update as to what has (or hasn't) been happening lately.  Just a lot of us chatting online and texting and realizing how much more alike we are than we originally thought! 
Oh, and I read another surrogacy blog where the surro gave her IPs and the baby nicknames.  So I'm seriously considering ripping her idea off...I'm going to have my PIPs weigh in on the nickname suggestions! We'll see what we come up with!
Everyone have a great week, expect a huge update (hopefully good!) next weekend!!! Say a prayer and cross your fingers next Friday!!