Moving along

     First off, I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my blog. I really appreciate all of the questions and comments I get from people. I am really excited to share my story of the surrogacy process with others. There are so many negative stories that are out there that the good ones get forgotten. I have to say though, when I looked and saw how many page views I had I wanted to throw up a little. To think that I am sharing my thoughts with so many people is a little intimidating, but the fact that people are reading this encourages me to continue. So thank you!
     If you asked someone to describe me patient would NOT be a characteristic they would assign to me. This whole process from day one had been very trying. Ok, the initial application and interview were pretty quick but after that every step has taken FOREVER!!! Now, my logical brain totally understands that everything has to be in order and every t crossed and i dotted but my emotional brain doesn't care!! I want to do this NOW! From the interview to the screening was almost 2 months, then another month for clearance. Then a week or so before profiles and over a month until a match meeting. SOOOO SLOW!! Hopefully I will learn to be more patient by the end! But we have progress. We got our legal clearance on May 3rd and we got a calendar today! No, not a calendar for decoration, a calendar that says I go for my first monitoring appointment on May 27th and then start meds. Then off to Pasadena on June 22 to transfer either June 23 or 25. Now lots of biological crap can change those dates but it is still exciting to know the time is coming!
   Knowing that I may be pregnant in less than 2 months has sparked a little panic. I have this urge to exercise A LOT, which is not really bad. My first thought when I got the calendar though was "oh, shit! I need a drink, or a lot of drinks"! Now this is funny because in the last 6 months I have had half a beer and a strawberry daiquiri. I can probably count the alcoholic drinks I have had in the last year on one hand! The last time I drank heavily was almost 4 years ago. I have no idea why that was my first concern but even I had to laugh at it! I have been trying to wean myself off of caffeine for a while now. Yesterday I realized  that I am kind of sucking at that! I had a cup of coffee 2 teas and a diet soda. I am in search of a tea with no calories, no caffeine that tastes good. I usually drink diet peach or rasberry Snapple, so any ideas would be appreciated!I could totally do without soda but there is no way I would drink nothing but water. Other than that I don't have too many unhealthy habits left!
   The next month is super busy for us as the school year winds down and I prepare for my baby to graduate 8th grade ;(. I cannot believe I am that old!! Anyway, I am hopeful that all of the events will make the waiting easier and make it feel like no time at all. It is pretty amazing to think that by this time next year our IPs will most likely be holding THEIR baby! Now there are all sorts of things that could prolong the process, but I am hopeful that everything will go smoothly.
    I will also be starting my practicum in September. I am hoping that being pregnant will not interfere with that process. I will do a total of 2 practicums. The first one is 6 months. I don't foresee there being an issue with that one at all. Therapists get pregnant all of the time. It is the second one I am a little concerned about.  It may fall to where I deliver in the middle of it! I really hope that it is still not an issue. I really plan on taking as little time as possible off. This is the part where I trust God to guide me and put me where I need to be. I am confident it will all work out.
   I am sure you are all sick of hearing it, but I am so grateful for my family. I do not know many people who would move into my home for days at a time to make sure that my kids and my dogs stay on schedule. But my mom does it when ever I need her too. This can be bad though, because I feel like she goes so far above and beyond by doing this that I don't ask her to babysit really any other time, except occasionally for school. This means no dates for the hubby and I :( Now, there are other people I could ask, I am sure, but it is so much easier when you leave your quirky kid with people who know them and their issues well. Then there is my husband. He has stood by my side and supported me through not one, but TWO college degrees, allowed me to be able to quit my job and then chose to support me through this process as well. He has had to miss work and deal with my rants when things don't go as I want them to. He listens to a ton of stuff I am sure he couldn't care less about. And he will also be the lucky one to stab a 41/2 inch needle into my ass so I better be nice to him!! I am grateful for my cohort at school. Not every surrogate has a group of therapists to talk to twice a week for free! Ok, not for free, school is expensive :) But they are great. So many different views and perspectives. I am grateful for the few friends that I have that I know I could call on if I needed anything. I don't see any of them regularly, but I know they are still there. I am also grateful for my kids and their open minds and curiosity. I am surprised at some of the questions they ask. They put a lot of thought into this process and learning bout what is going to happen to us and learning all about our IPS. And I am especially grateful for our IP's. I had no idea idea when the agency said that they try to match our personalities that they would do such an amazing job! It's like having best friends that are REALLY far away. There are seriously times that my husband has not wanted to hear about something, mostly Grey's Anatomy, ( I know, who doesn't want to hear about Grey's?) where he has told me to email my IP instead. I really didn't know what to expect. I have heard so many stories about so many different kinds of relationships with IP's  and I am grateful that the agency brought me together with ones that are perfect for us.
   This is such an amazing process with so many emotions and experiences. I am so happy that I chose to follow my hear and do this. I can't wait for the next step!