Love(ly)

I was talking to some friends about how lovely the wedding photos were and a few of you were asking if I could share more... so with Hanne & Tommy's permission, I have added an album at the bottom of this blog. These are some of my favorites, although there were so many gorgeous shots it was hard to choose.

Beautiful and timeless!

Thanks for sharing your day with us in these photo memories!

My First Belly Pix

Obviously not the prettiest sight to behold, but I just had to share my "loopy lupron colors" with you all... funny! Guess it has taken me a few tries to get the injection completed without nicking a blood vessel on the way out. I think JP was upset too that I didn't include him in the merriment last night. Now that I'm down to 5u of Lupron an evening, I figure I can do it myself. I will enlist his services again when we start PIO next month!

Baseline, Babies & Bagels

Uneventful baseline ultrasound done this morning at CRM, all looked well... lab/blood work done. She said unless I hear from them today, we're on track. I don't expect to hear from them at all. I start Estrace and baby aspirin tomorrow and get to decrease the dose of Lupron... yipppeeee!!

I brought the boys with me this morning and they were good while they waited in the waiting room. With them, I was able to drive in the "sane lane" and make it through traffic very quickly. I thanked them! I then explained why were were headed to a doctor downtown. When I said I was doing this so we could give Hanne & Tommy a baby, Oliver says, "Are they going to give the baby to someone else then?" I think I have a bit more explaining to do. He thought that Hanne & Tommy already had three children (from pictures of nieces and nephew he had seen), so why would they need more? Three is a good number. That brought us into a discussion about "What is a niece and nephew?" to which Henry made a very good reply, and that led into "then what is a cousin?". They were rewarded with a bagel from Einstein Bros. Bagels for their patience. It was their first visit to this particular bagel shop and they loved them!

Definitely another learning opportunity and a plus to share with my children! I am so very thankful I can show them how to be compassionate and giving.

I am spoiled.
Spoiled am I.

Well, I'm not sure there are words enough to describe the surprise & joy I felt when I received and opened the package sent to me via post across the ocean. What a great sense of humor you have, Hanne, even JP said we're alike in that way. I wish I could have called you up right then and giggled with you but I knew you were fast asleep. Thank you... the gifts and sentiment are so very sweet. And the timing couldn't be more perfect, but I'm sure you knew that?!

The boys were excited to see me opening the gifts and were very inquisitive as to "why" you would send gifts. I think it's starting to sink in for them that I'm doing another surrogacy. They are happy too that you're coming back to visit in July!

I took my last BCP today!!
My first ultrasound is Tuesday morning... that appointment is to check the lining of my uterus to make sure it's good and thin to start the next step of pills & injections.

Lupron Flowers

A bright, beautiful and cheery flower arrangement arrived yesterday... all the way from Norway. Well, okay, just down the block.

Hanne & Tommy, thank you for thinking of JP on Father's Day and me with the start of my Lupron injections! The aroma is wonderful and they add a little more sunshine and warmth to our kitchen!

First Shot Down

I get the impression that JP likes poking me with needles! I was going to attempt the Lupron shot myself, but he was interested in helping, so I let him. Took us a while to get a bubble out of the syringe and in the end, I think we gave up and quit worrying about it. So we're off to the races with the start of injections and cannot wait to do the transfer... in just a little over a month!!

Lupron (leuprolide acetate) is an analog of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). When given as a subcutaneous (just below the skin) injection, it will stimulate the "turning-off" of your pituitary gland.

On your marks! Norway are ready for action

I finally have my IVF-meds ordered from the UK. Since it was not allowed to ship meds from the US to Norway, we had to do some comprehensive "IVF-meds in Europe-inquiries" - and with a lot of googling and good help from some ladies on the SMO, I now have meds coming soon to our house.

While Julie starts on Lupron on Sunday, I won’t start until June 23. Fortunately I can stop taking the birth control pills on June 27 - and Tommy will, hopefully, have his normal, non-hormonal wife back... Unless the Lupron takes me to an even higher level of "hormone craziness"... So maybe Tommy and JP will have a lot of light frustration to share the next weeks to come.

The Lupron is meds that are meant for downward adjustment of my ovaries - then on July 5 I will start to take meds (Follistim shots once a day) that will heavily stimulate the ovaries to develop and mature as many good eggs as possible - before egg retrieval around the July 14. I will try to act as a GOLD HEN and deliver loads of Miracle eggs.... SO this is basically what I can do in the baby making-part of the journey. I cannot express my heavenly admiration for Julie that is prepared for a whole pregnancy. A TRUE ANGEL!

While dealing with prescriptions, dates, medical directions and information, phones with nurses, practical arrangements etc etc etc... you can almost forget the reason why you are doing this. But that's the thing with this journey; you have a higher goal, but need to focus on all the small steps day by day to get there... We have been through the choosing agency part, the matching, the first meetings, the contracts, the IVF-preparation... And now finally we are about to start the baby making - and watching a silly soap-opera here the other day that showed a hospital birth - I just burst out in tears (hormones yes). Suddenly I had the foresight of our birth to come at the Abbott-Northwestern hospital. This is why we do all this stuff - to have a baby, to become parents, to become a family... It’s unbelievable that we have reached this far already. We so look forward to every event coming up the next weeks... And don’t know how we can ever be able to thank Julie and her family for them being here for us - willing to help creating miracles...

So long from Hanne

Vials and needles and syringes - oh my!!

My prescriptions arrived by FedEx yesterday and after a quick inventory ~ all is accounted for and I'm all set for this cycle to begin!

Nurse Consult

I met with DeNae at CRM this morning instead of Dawn. The meeting was short and sweet. I clarified a few questions on my calendar & protocol and was on my way. Shots start Sunday!

Taking Inventory

I am checking the inventory of syringes, needles and such this week. Hanne is going to fax in our prescriptions and it won't be long before we're both human pin cushions! My RN consult is next Monday morning at CRM. This is a meeting to go over the calendar, protocol and answer any questions I might have about the process.

Haven't inventoried my clothes yet, but so far I'm doing a good job of getting rid of things (donating them) that I know I won't wear again in a year. I am also happy to report I have steered clear of the clearance racks at the local maternity shop too!