8 weeks and all is well!

Great scan today, two sacs, two heartbeats (132 & 134), measuring 8 weeks, 3 days.

We are thinking about J&M's surrogate and her family and hope that they are doing well and that she isn't suffering from any morning sickness.  Would be nice to be able to do something special for her, think I shall look into it!

J's and my parents are down here visiting for 2 weeks, sure is nice to have them around.  When you live so far away from family, you really appreciate the time together.  I am glad that mom and dad are close to J and M's house so that they will be able to enjoy the twins (and I'm sure will be a HUGE help) and spend even more time with them than they have with our kids.  Our kids have such a special relationship with my parents, despite the fact that we only get to see them a couple of times a year.  Both kids excited about having little cousins to play with, but they have both mentioned that they're not sure about having to share their Gamma and Gampy too much.  I've assured them that there is PLENTY of love to go around, and that they get to be the BIG cousins who can help with the babies this summer.

Really neat to be able to share this process with them, they will know more about ART and surrogacy than most grown ups!   At least they will understand and appreciate how special each child really is, and that so many of us have to work extra hard to have our babies!   Maybe that will make them still be nice to me when they are teenagers.   Hope springs eternal, right?

Peaceful and positive thoughts to everyone!

K.

Yeppers!

We are very happy to inform you that two heartbeats have been seen during the scan.

Love those colorful e-mails!   Two little ones measuring right at 6w 1day, 120 and 124 beats per minute!

Haven't gotten to talk to J yet as she's in school teaching, but got a nice excited text from M. this am.  He beat me to the punch on this one!   

My kids are so very excited about all of this, and look forward to each step.  This has given us an excellent opportunity to discuss how babies develop, and everything that goes into making a baby, aside from the sex part.  Since both kids were conceived medically, I am perfectly fine with them thinking that all babies are made at the doctor's office at this point, and that the egg and sperm are handled by the lab.   Our time with this belief is short, however, as our 10 year old son is beginning to go through the early stages of puberty.   I'm clinging to innocence as long as possible!

I know that there have been many positives coming lately, but I want to send a special shout out to some special people who didn't receive the best news today - I KNOW that your time is coming guys, just hang in there!  You know who you are.

K.

Double bubble...

We would like to congratulate you once again as Dr. Jolly has noted two pregnancy sacs during her scan. Dr. Shivani has reviewed the reports & found everything within normal limit with her scan reports.Kindly note that her next scan will be done to check heartbeats and this scan will take place within one week.

Yowza!!!   J&M over the moon!  They've been planning to move to a larger home, so now they have true incentive(s)!   Keeping fingers crossed for two strong heart-beats next week, and lots of good sticky uterine walls for their Surrogate, Ms R.   

Another excellent news morning! 

Great early morning news!

Today was the day for J&M's first beta following their FET.  I couldn't sleep so I logged in at 3:30 am to see if there was any news, and sure enough within five minutes of logging in, there's a brightly lit colorful note from Neha.  BIG congratulations this time!  
Beta is 573.99!!!  Amazing number 10 days past blast transfer.   So, do you think I waited til a more respectable hour to call them with the news?   Of course not, woke them up and got to squeal in delight with my sister.   VERY COOL!  It's the most fantastic thing to get to tell someone you love so much news like this!  About HER!  Sure, they would have gotten the email in a few hours, but hey, I'm the AUNT, and darn it, I wanted to get to tell J!  Yes, I know, it's early in the game yet, but damn it, THIS TIME I'm going to just GO WITH IT, not OVER ANALYZE, and be relaxed and THRILLED for J&M.   I don't think any of us who deal with infertility and/or miscarriage breathe until the baby (or in this case BABIES?!?) are born and safe in waiting arms, but man, this is just totally awesome news and we should be able to celebrate a little bit, right?

It is now 7:12 am Dallas time, and I've not gone back to sleep.   Is it too early for champagne???  

(I think Neha's colors are rubbing off on me)!!!

Hope everyone doing well!

K

Anyone else live around Dallas, TX?

While we're waiting for FET in a couple of weeks, I thought it might be fun to find out who else in the  surrogacy world is living around Dallas.   I'd love to get a group together to go out for drinks or dinner sometime.   Still getting settled into our new home, and I need to make some new grown-up friends!

K.

Gearing up for FET

J&M much better after a few days of disappointment and sadness.   They are ready to go with the next step, so another wire transfer going out today.   Takes about 3-4 weeks to prep new surrogate for transfer.  Dr. Shivani is optimistic since they have some beautiful embryos frozen and waiting.

D&I and kids attempting to settle into our new home in Frisco, TX.  Movers arrived Monday, D. on business all week, great timing, huh?   Boxes and boxes surrounding me!!!

Hope all is well with everyone!

K.

Not This Time....

Latest scan results are in and there is not a fetal pole.   All treatment for surrogate stopped.

I do believe that this is going to work for J&M, just not this time.

K.

Hope springs eternal!!!

Sac visualized at scan yesterday!  One perfect little sac.   It was so neat getting to call J. as she hadn't seen the email yet.  We both were a crying little mess.   My kids were on the call with us and we were all just so relieved.

As Dr. Shivani reminded me last week, everyone in this game of life, infertility, and surrogacy, can really only take it one week, one scan at a time until the baby is delivered and in our arms.

So, at 6 weeks we are attempting to breathe and just wait til the next scan where hopefully we will see a fetal pole, and maybe a heartbeat.

On another note, we are ALL hoping that Bernadette is indeed on a plane on her way home to the US so that she can get Hayden set in his new hospital (India provided top notch care, but everyone agrees it is time for the very specialized care that he will get at his world renowned medical center), so that Duane can finally meet his children in person instead of on a blurry Skype screen (can't wait for photos of that reunion), and that Bernadette can sleep in her own bed, in her own home, next to her hubby with Princess Scarlett sleeping in her own crib.   Or between Bernadette and Duane as I can't imagine him letting either one of them out of his sight and touch for a while.   What a journey for all of them, we wish them peace, love, and tons of healing and hope.

See you all next week!
K.

We're on the tilt-a-whirl

Okay ya'll how's this?  Beta is now 1504.   Repeat ultrasound in a week, but how on earth are we going to survive without going insane?   We American's are so used to the RE's here in the states performing betas every 48 hours and becoming slaves to the numbers.   I don't know which way is the right way.   I think in this case it might be nice to see a repeat Beta in 48 hours to see if there is a pattern of normal rise, but Dr. Shivani is our expert, and I will NEVER throw in the "But in America" thing, because things are done differently in India, and we all have respect for that.  Deep respect for that.  I don't want to be a pushy American.   It's hard enough to bridge the cultural divide without stepping on toes, I never want to offend the woman who really does know best.  And face it, Americans as a population don't have the best standing in the rest of the world right now, so focused on stupid chicken are we.  Oh don't get me started on that one.  I believe in civil rights for EVERYONE.   I support families of all sorts, not just in the so called "traditional" sense.

Again, this is a repeat to me, had similar thing happen, and I can't remember which pregnancy.   I have all of my journals and all of my records from those years, but the box is somewhere on a moving truck in Maine waiting to make its way down to Dallas with the rest of our stuff around the 15th.   I am hoping that I look and find out that it was one of the two pregnancies that ended in the birth of our children.

I am too old for this.  LOL.   I'll do anything for my little sister, and my wonderful brother-in-law, so I'm strapped in and committed for the entire ride, even though the tilt-a whirl makes me dizzy and sick.

Thoughts, experiences, anyone want to share while we wait?   Thank you to everyone who wrote condolences after yesterday's post, I guess the Fat Lady hasn't sung quite yet.

Best to All!!!

The ups and downs of this journey still take me off guard

J and M did not receive good news today.  No visible sac.  They are, we are, very disappointed and sad.  I found myself reliving all of those false starts D and I had along the way.  All the hopes at the positive tests, and the crash back down to earth at the ultrasounds.   It never EVER gets easier.  Even after having my own children, I never forget what those hard years felt like.  I felt it again today.

However, we all know that these things can and do happen.   J feels terrible for the surrogate, she knows that this woman has a heart, and will feel disappointment as well.   Dr. S. feels terrible too, I know that she takes each pregnancy and each negative personally.   We all know in our family that we are with the best in the industry.  We all have faith and trust and we KNOW that Dr. Shivani will make it happen for J&M, it's just going to take a bit more time and patience.

I told J to go out today and purchase a pint of Ben & Jerry's.  It's a sad ritual that my girlfriend A and I used to do when we got a negative test, or when I had another m/c.   A bottle of wine and a pint of B&J.  Each.   A temporary solace, but a good one.

K.

And.....

It's POSITIVE!!!!!    Wonderful news!  J&M are over the moon!  Beta is 58.6, a little on the lower side, but that can be for a variety of reasons, and we are anxiously awaiting the 6 week ultrasound.   It was really great being able to tell my sister personally because M. did not have access to his work email on results day, and I was copied on it from darling Neha at SCI.   I am so happy for my sister and brother in law.   The scan will allow us to hopefully freely celebrate, it is so early in the process.   I wonder if anyone involved in surrogacy or with infertility ever takes a positive result for granted, or if we all have this feeling of cautious optimism?  At any rate, J&M's surrogate is PREGNANT!

This is a bit of a delayed blog, I forgot to hit the publish key!   We are in the midst of our move to Big Dallas, and I've been a bit all over the place.   This is such a happy time for our family, and this news is the icing on the cake.

I hope that everyone is having positive news.

Kim Hendrix
Complete Surrogacy Solutions

2 weeks so slow, yet so fast!

18 mature eggs fertilized; four 8 cell grade embryos transferred on the 15th; 11 8 cell grade 1 & 2  embryos frozen.   Great results I think!   Testing on the 29th.   J&M cautiously optimistic and excited.

D&I in middle of move from Maine to Texas, finally reunited with out kiddos after a month of them staying with my parents and visiting with J&M while we packed everything and prepared for the movers.   Long road trip ahead, and testing day will be the same day we arrive in TX.  

Exciting and stressful times!!!  Hope everyone doing well!

Kim Hendrix
Complete Surrogacy Solutions India

Eggcellent Retrieval

YEAH!!!! 19!!!  Just got the retrieval number from J&M's donor.  We took a little poll last night, and guess who picked the lucky number?   The good thing about ICSI is that extra bit of science which makes the odds so much more in J&M's favor.  The perfect single sperm injected into the perfect egg, and hopefully they all grow beautifully.  Surrogate has been selected, J&M wanted Dr. Shivani to select the best person for them, which made that part so simple.   We all have so much faith in Dr. Shivani.  We know she cares for every single person involved in this transaction, from the Intended parents, to the donors, to the surrogates, and to her staff.   And, I know she cares about each baby born as if it were her own, and in some ways, they are all her children.   Such a miracle for all of us involved.  Yes, it takes time, money, emotional investment, and the first try or two might not work, but we are all confident that it will work in the end.   We are so fortunate to live in such a world of science and technology.

Eggs a coming...

Egg retrieval set for the 11th, we're all hoping that J&M's donor is doing well and full of wonderfully developing follicles.   Next step is the selection of the Surrogate.  Should have the profiles in the next day or so, but I wish we could just ask Dr. Shivani to pick the best candidate based on her endometrial lining and "child birthing" hips.   In reality, we all know the hips don't play as much of a role as the lining, which is important when it comes to implantation of embryos, still it's one of those things that we think about.   I have excellent child birthing hips, but still ended up with c-sections.

Our kiddos are still down in NC hanging out with my parents and J&M.   J&M are so amazing with our kids and I know that they are going to make excellent parents.   We have some news on our home front, we are moving from Maine to Dallas, TX at the end of this month, so we have a flurry of activity going on at the house, yard sales, purging of junk, and I start packing today.  Movers come on the 18th, and we depart Maine on the 20th to go pick up our kiddos and make the long drive down to TX.  

Very busy time for all of us!  Hope that everyone is doing well.

Stimulation!

Our beautiful ED started her stimulation yesterday.  We are all so excited and nervous.   I wrote to the team at SCI to ask if they could please mention to her how much we all appreciate what she is giving to our family, and that she will be remembered.   I hope that the donors know that they aren't just a face and a number on a sheet of paper and that once the deal is done that people forget their involvement.   Perhaps some donors wish to forget?   It must be odd to know that somewhere in the world an exact genetic match who you will never meet is walking, talking, and growing.  When "our" donor is an older woman, will she wonder?

Our children are down in the Outer Banks of North Carolina visiting my parents, and spending lots of time with their favorite aunt and uncle, J and M.   I love that they look forward to spending time with family.   In David's line of work, we move quite a bit and have never lived very close to our family, so our kids look so forward to their summer visits with Gamma and Gampy.   David and I look forward to it also, we try to reconnect as a couple during these weeks, though this time David is extra busy and stressed with work.  So, I'm in a mad organization mode.  I painted the bathroom yesterday, and am organizing my office because I'm going to be working again from home.   Interesting development indeed, which I will post at a later date!   I'm so excited because I'm going to be doing something that I feel is important, is helpful to so many people, and is something in which I will learn so much.   I've been searching for a new career for a long time, and have turned down many opportunities because I've been wanting to find the right thing for me, and for the family.    Again, I'm not at liberty YET to post what I'll be doing, but trust me, it's pretty amazing!!!

Hope everyone is well, and receiving lots of positive news.  

July can't come soon enough!

The application sent, now we are waiting for J &M's first choice donor to be ready to cycle in June/July.   I think they picked an excellent donor, J just fell in love with her the first time she saw her photo and had a strong feeling about her, so they opted to wait until she will be ready rather than choosing another donor.   I have to say that it was totally surreal looking through all the photos of the women willing to go through this process and it was hard for J & M to set aside the A vs D aspect, feeling that the D list might need the financial assistance more than those on the A list.   In the end, she chose the donor who jumped out at her in the first place.    She is a sweet looking young woman attending University.  
J&M won't be able to travel to India prior to a birth, but I have some flexibility and am not sure I can wait until a birth to see the facilities and to meet the team.   This whole process has ignited a spark in me and I am totally thrilled that the option of surrogacy exists for so many people.  I struggled with infertility for many years, and David and I touched the surface on the idea of adoption.  Back in "those days" (which was only 8 years ago) International adoption was still a relatively fast vehicle to have a child.   Guatemala sometimes delivered children to waiting parents within months of a successful home study, China was viable as were many other countries.   It is such a shame that those avenues have become closed due to a few corrupt operatives - there are so many children needing homes in this world, and too many barriers to entry for many willing parents.    Surrogacy programs like SCI should be applauded for its openness to families of all types,  and I will be a strong advocate and want to insure that the programs are solid, protected, and that all the positive aspects can be touted in the media, instead of the trend of mainstream media to exploit any negatives.    I've been reading all of the blogs, and am hopeful that we can have many success stories sung from the tree tops.     Peace and love to everyone along this journey, and a special shout to Bernadette - keep the updates coming, we are all hanging on your every word and experience!