Matching: MUCH worse than dating!

First let me introduce myself.  My name is Abbe, I live in Iowa.  I've lived here all my life and for the most part, I love it here.  I have 2 boys, a 5 year old, Zach, and a 7 month old, Bradin. I love my boys...and they're boys through and through!!  They love to get dirty, play outside, help "work" on projects (it's an added bonus if it's a messy project!), ride motorcycles, and wrestle around.  Also, I'm a gabber (even online!), so don't start reading a post with only a minute to spare, it's going to take you longer than that, I can almost guarantee it! Those of you who know me will understand!
Since shortly after Zach was born (it was a FANTASTIC pregnancy-I was one of those pregnant women other women hate...never really complained, enjoyed almost every aspect of being pregnant) I started thinking about surrogacy.  Not really seriously, since I knew I wanted another child eventually, but thinking about it.  Last March we were surprised to find out we were going to have Bradin, and after he came along we were sure we were done having kids.  Then I began thinking more seriously about surrogacy. 
I can't imagine how it would feel to be told you can't have children.  As a mother, there's nothing better than the feeling of your baby kicking inside you, giving birth to him, then watching him grow up into a little gentleman!  While I know I'll never be able to help infertile women feel those pregnancy feelings, I can help by providing the biological child they crave so badly. 
So, here is where it starts: On April 9, 2010 I was looking online at a surrogacy community website, surrogatemother.com  and got to chatting with a wonderful couple from near Chicago.  Long story short, we just clicked.  We exchanged emails, several per day, for a while, then I sent them numbers for a contract, such as what I'd like to receive if I had to undergo a c-section, amniocentesis, or any other invasive procedure.  Also, what expenses they would cover in addition to any medical bills.  Everything seemed to be going well, they were just concerned about the Iowa surrogacy law.  Since there is NO Iowa surrogacy law, it makes it a bit more complicated.  In Illinois, they are able to simply go to an attorney, draw up a contract which includes the numbers we all agree on, have everyone sign it, and away we go to the clinic to begin transfer.  In Iowa, you have to get a pre-birth order (PBO).  From talking to a surrogacy attorney here in Iowa, it sounds like you just have to fill in the blanks in a form she has made up, she files it in my county with a judge, judge usually signs off on it that day (one time a judge wanted to look at it a bit closer, so it was 2 days later when that one was signed off on), then after the baby is born, file an amendment with baby's name and such so the IP's (Intended Parents) names can be put on the birth certificate.  Not  too difficult, right? and that way it's all legal I suppose.  Anyway, this has been bothering the IL couple, along with the fact that their RE (reproductive endocrinologist) has viewed my medical files and states that I'm good to go except my weight.  They want my BMI (body mass index, there's a formula using height and weight to figure it,but you can find free BMI calculators all over the place on the internet) below 35.  So, after about 2 months of talking with the IPs from Illinois, we left it at while I lost the weight (only about 5 lbs away today!) we'd just wait and if I or they found someone else in the meantime, then it wasn't meant to be. 
Today I was online and a lady just randomly started chatting with me.  At first I was very confused, thinking "Am I supposed to know this lady?" then I realized she was searching for a surrogate.  This couple is from Pennsylvania and they seem like a very nice couple. Our husbands have 1 thing in common: harleys.  Anyway, she and I chatted for a while this morning and I sent her my contract numbers I had sent to the other couple, and she and her husband are going to discuss them and get back to me.  The drawback to the IL couple is that they were hoping we could deliver in IL so they don't have to do the PBO.  The PA couple is happy with me using my regual OB (the AMAZING Dr. Heather Marthers from Washington, IA) and delivering there.  I know Dr. Marthers was very excited the day I went into her office to drop off the address to send my records to and sign the release.  I can only imagine how excited she will be to doctor a surrogacy!! 
Anyway, that's me and the beginning of my journey.  The hardest part (from what I understand) is matching.  I can't wait to find that perfect couple and add them to my "family".  As the IM (intended mother) I spoke with this morning said "you can't go through everything a surrogacy entails and NOT become like family!" I love ti and I'm going to remember it forever!