Joe's next....

Well... we have a home visit scheduled for Thursday. They will evaluate Joe and get to meet and talk to him some.... I'll keep you posted on how it goes... I'm sure he'll fail the crazy test.. :)

ArE YoU CraZy?!

Well... Trip to Chicago went well!

The drive gave me time to do some thinking... OH no! haha.... that thinking will be in my other blog... back to the subject on hand... Chicago.

I went and met up with the Director of Client Relations (Alicia) of the company I am going through for this surrogacy. We got to finally meet after first talking in the beginning of October! It was great to see the place and meet her finally. She and I got to discuss in great detail what the process should look like... along with my requests and desires.

I then got to take a wonderful almost 600 question test on the computer... as well as a 344 question SCAN TRON... yes you heard me folks... SCAN TRON.. ugh!!! I felt like I was taking my ACT... only these were some of the questions... Have you ever thought about killing yourself? Have you ever thought about what you would write in your suicide note? Have you ever told anyone you were going to commit suicide? Have you ever hurt yourself? Would you like to be a florist? Would you like to be a soldier? Would you like to be a librarian? Are you easily excitable? Would you like to be a forest ranger? ETC.... those are serious questions....

Anyway, I survived the testing. A couple of intended parents from the Netherlands had just flown in and met their surrogate for the first time... and they were in the office meeting.. it was pretty cool. I am avoiding having IP's from a different country though.. I'm looking for a couple from Illinois actually! But.... I'm open to a lot of things... we'll just have to see...

Anyway some pretty rigorous psych testing... as well as a more detailed run down on what it all looks like.... Here is the step by step journey we should be taking..

The Process, Step by Step

Step One: The Surrogate Mother Application and Evaluation Process
This application asks about your lifestyle, pregnancy, medical, and work history. After review... a lengthy phone interview will then take place from the coordinator. All medical records then are sent in for review and approval. Upon satisfactory review of OB records a meeting will take place and psych evaluation. Followed by a home visit by one a mental health staff.

Step Two: Matching Surrogate Mother with Intended Parents
Information will be provided to us about possible intended parents so that all parties can mutually select who they would like to work with. Once everyone feels comfortable with the profile selection, the surrogacy coordinator will arrange a meeting between all parties to discuss the partnership and expectations. This is one of the most important, crucial and reaffirming steps in the surrogacy journey- establishing a connection between the surrogate and loving intended parents.

Both parties meet with their lawyers to draw up contracts and get everything possible down in writing

Step Three: Surrogate Mother Medical Work Up
An appointment with the intended couple’s physician at their IVF clinic

Step Four: Surrogate Mother IVF Cycle
Medicine/shots/ etc to thicken my uterine lning as well as to sync my menstrual cycle with the intended mom.

Embryo transfer!
The embryos will be placed through the catheter and into the uterus for anticipated implantation.
then blood drawn and ultrasounds regularly to monitor the progress of the cycle.

Step Five: Surrogate Mother Pregnancy and Delivery!
Ba da Bing Ba da Boom!

Thursday....

Well... my first round of testing and appointments is this upcoming Thursday. I will travel into Chicago and be there for a good 3 or 4 hours for testing... all in the process... :) Thanks be to God. I'll let you know how it goes!

Why in the world would make you want to do THAT?!

When we first considered surrogacy... we had two kids at the time. It was back when we were getting out of the Marine Corps... we were looking into our future away from Daddy Warbucks and into the poor house of starting over, and actually as a joke started an Internet search for selling testicles. I had read an article or saw on the news something about selling testicles for a substantial amount of money, so jokingly we began searching that. We came across lots of ridiculous articles but I read a few articles on surrogacy... and they stuck with me. I began to think about what life would be like without kids. Without EVER having kids or being able to.... and I couldn't imagine it. At the time I knew a few people who were unable to carry.. and were undergoing fertility treatments to help out... and I thought about what a gift that would be to those people. We also saw what the monetary compensation was... which helps when you are looking at an unsure future. We went forward with it, speaking to a company in California and were approved... upon approval I started to have a change of heart. The timing wasn't the greatest, and I knew that I wanted as least one more kid of our own and wanted to make sure that if anything were to go wrong, I would be content with just the two children I had. So we walked away from it.

The idea resurfaced again after Ollie was born. We were financially content, we had three kids, both of us had secure jobs. We had recently became involved in a church family which became more of our lifestyle and less of church. We were happy and began talking and discussing it again as an option. It helped knowing that my friend Kristi had successfully delivered her surrogate baby just a few days before I had Ollie, and all went well with it. But, all talk was put on hold when I became pregnant with our wonderful little Charley.

Surrogacy came back on the table during my pregnancy with Charley... I have a good uterus... I might as well use it! I knew that this is something I wanted to do... and our family could handle doing. So here we are today... we filled out the paperwork this Fall, I have been in contact with the company that is based out of Chicago and Colorado since the first days of application. We have been gathering all the needed materials, doctor's notes of approval, my medical records of labor and delivery as well as all prenatal care. That was sure a task- I KNEW that it was from God though when I already had all the military records from Emery's pregnancy. If you don't know- the military and hospitals on base are notorious for being pains in the YOU KNOW WHAT... and I knew that would be a struggle. But, I already requested them back when I was pregnant with Ollie! Which was a miracle in itself that I didn't have to try hunting those down. I had a bit of an issue with BayLeigh's from CGH, but it all worked out and came together. The next waiting step was Joe's employment. We knew he was getting the job and our insurance would be changing, and we didn't want to start and have to deal with changing companies, etc. Joe received a phone call the day before I received my phone call. His phone call was telling him he would be starting on the 17th and insurance would begin at 1 am on the 17th with no probationary or waiting period; my phone call was scheduling our appointment and letting us know that our medical records were received, reviewed, and the green light was given. With everything in place here we are now.

We first researched the idea in 2007 and we are still at it in 2012- 5 years later..who knew a silly little google (or in that time yahoo search) for selling testicles could lead to this?! So back to why... or why now... well.. As far as why- we want to give this amazing gift to someone else that may not be able to! We want to pour into someones' lives the way God has poured a blessing into ours. YES, there is compensation involved. Is that why we are doing it?? Absolutely not... there's plenty of ways out there to make a living- and Joe just got an incredible, secure job. We are in for the giving not the receiving. OK we are a little selfish, or at least I am..I can't wait for the JOY that I know I am going to get out of this. So that's why... as for why now?!

God's Timing is Perfect Timing.

Welcome!

Announcing to friends and family.... hmmmm how's that going to go?! I guess we'll find out... Support or not support ... choose a side because I'm sure this will be a bumpy ride! Here is a sort of announcement on our family's blog :

http://homewiththebrewers.blogspot.com/2012/01/waiting.html