Look Who Came to Hang Out!

When the girls were about a month old I held an Open House for local friends, family and co-workers to come meet Natasha and Anjali. I thought it was wonderful that George and Sanj agreed to make the trip to visit us and show off "the project" that so many people were interested in. For most people, I am the only Surrogate that they know and I felt it important that they got to see the "end product" . . . a happy family overjoyed by the arrival of the children they longed for.

Here's a picture from 2008, the last time the girls came to my house


Since then, we tend to visit our Surro-family at their house. However, George and Sanj thought it was time to take a Sunday drive. So about two weeks ago, George, Sanj, Natasha, Anjali, Appapcchi and Auntie came to spend the afternoon with us. They also said it was okay if I wanted to invite some friends again . . . you don't have to tell me twice! ;)

A few things have changed since the last time the girls were up my way. Besides being older and now able to play with my kids toys and enjoy our backyard


this time they could also partake in the food . . . complete with "A" and "N" cupcakes that Ruby made for them




The day was filled with lots of giggles


Some things felt the exact same, including my Surro-friend Stacie who was 36 weeks pregnant with her surro-girlie "A" a little over two years ago and was 36 weeks pregnant with her surro-girlie "V" this time! Luckily, both times she didn't give birth at our Open House :)

No visit is complete without a group shot- here's one that we took

and one of just me and my surro-girlies



Ahhhhhh, Love!

Happy Valentine's Day

Okay, so I totally forgot to post this . . . .



I had a great Valentine's Day! Received pictures of Natasha and Anjali wearing the Heart bows I gave them at our visit (still have to post all that) and a special Valentine's photo of Gideon and Harper too! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

The Next Family

Last week I started to blog for The Next Family. If you haven't checked out their site yet, make sure you do.

They describe their site as, " . . . a diverse community where modern families meet. It is the start of an on-going, open-minded and sincere dialog between urbanite families, adoptive families, in vitro parents, interracial families, same sex parents, single parents and so on. It is a way to remind people that the Next Generation of families already exists in larger numbers than the old model of a “family unit”. The Next Family is the modern family."

My blog is located here.

There are several others blogging about their experiences too. To check out the list of Blogs you can Click Here.

I am excited to expand the audience I write for, another way to bring Surrogacy to the masses. As a sometimes taboo topic, I hope that along with my own blog, I can help people realize it can be discussed openly. I figure the more I talk about it, the more likely others may use Surrogacy or maybe even become a Surrogate themselves.

Surrogate Get Together

About a week ago I got together with other Growing Generations Surrogates that live around the Sacramento area. It is always great to talk with other women who really "get it" . . . it is soooo amazing. However, I don't think our waiter was as amazed since we were at our table for at least five hours. I do think it's important to mention that we did tip very well. How could we not after monopolizing his table that long and forcing him to edure stories of IVF, pregnancy and birth as he filled our drinks several times.

I also think it was funny the amount of times everyone went pee. I guess our bladder's aren't what they used to be! LOL

FYI- Between the 6 Surrogates in this picture, we will have birthed at least 13 babies for 8 different Gay Couples! (Yay Babies!)
At the time of this luncheon 3 of us had already delivered twins (myself, more than once), 1 just found out she was pregnant and the other two were 25 and 36 weeks pregnant, respectively. That was one fertile table! :)

Super Hero Status? YOU BET!

You know when you have friends that know you (and your uterus) so well that they send you incredible finds because they know it's right up your alley? Well, my friend Adriana shared a fantastic link,Vulva Love Lovely, with me. When I clicked on it, my heart skipped a beat, because what I saw was the coolest thing since sliced bread my uterus.

Now, as excited as I was to find a Super Hero Uterus Plushie, I was even more ecstatic when Jessica Marie agreed to Customize one to fit MY OWN Personal Journey as a Gestational Surrogate. I told her what I wanted- make the cape rainbow and put ALLY on the crest and she went to work.

Ladies and Gentlemen. Children of all ages. I give you . . . .
MY UTERUS' PLUSHIE DOLL!







She gets pregnant through IVF Faster than a speeding bullet.

Her Contractions are More powerful than a locomotive.

She is Able to leap over Homophobia in a single bound.

She's Not The Mom. She's Just The Stork . . . . She's Kelly's Uterus!!

Oh, I just thought of something- I may have to add my own scar . . . I want it to be realistic after all! *wink*


*To Kelly's Why I Posed for The NOH8 Campaign- CLICK HERE !

*To Kelly's Bumper Sticker Post- CLICK HERE!

Surrogacy/Pregnancy isn't always Pretty

This week a surrogate friend of mine had to stay a few nights in the hospital (31 weeks with twins). To stop the contractions, they gave her different medications that caused her to get really puffy and she had made the comment, "Will not be taking any more pictures of myself this pregnancy...Good grief, bed-rest, magnesium drip and stress for 3 days= one very swollen lady."

Of course I told her that she needs to still take pictures because otherwise she won't have awesome "HOLY CRAP" photos not to mention, an accurate account of her journey- the good and the bad. Sure we like to take pictures when our hair is done, make-up on and we're looking great. But that's not the WHOLE journey.

I, myself, have been guilty of not putting up photos when I don't look great (or I cut off my head to "save face"). It took everything that I had to post up the Post Delivery Picture after I had Gideon and Harper because I still looked very pregnant and my face was very swollen. But I figured what the hell, it happened. It wasn't "Pretty" but it happened.

So, I thought for Melissa's sake and other surrogates out there, I'd share a few "not so pretty photos" that remind me and my surro twins' Dads about the marvelous journey we went on. FYI- these are in no particular order and cover both journeys, not just the latest.

Fun times with injections (this one was done the night before the transfer by David)

I wish I would've taken a picture of the one that Sanj did for me after the transfer. However, I still have my PJ bottoms and lucky polka dot green underwear that have a blood stain from where I bleed all over after the injection. Ah, good times!

Fun Times with Swelling (this was after a trip to Disneyland in August about 29 weeks preggo with twins. I think it was the 8+ hours in a car with hardly any stops that really did it!)


More Fun with Swelling (after I was finally able to get one of my rings off)


Hooked up to the NST machine


Babies listening to their Daddies reading them stories



Fun times with IV's


When I look at these pictures, they are beautiful in their own way. They help me remember how marvelous the experience was and how I'm not sure I'm ready to give it up.

Because for every photo there is of me with an IV punctured into my hand or my a huge monster foot, there are also several of these . . .








. . . and isn't that worth it?

*(I have several from my last delivery that I can't share :( but They are just marvelous and would've been placed here if I could).

My Surro Family is Coming for a Visit!

I am so excited! George, Sanj, the girls and Appachhi are driving up to visit us Sunday. As a teaser they sent me the following video of the Natasha and Anjali playing "baby". Too cute!



We usually visit the girls at their home since they live so close to my in-laws. We have done a pretty good job of seeing them every few months. The last time they were up this way was for the Open House in December 2008, on their 1 month birthday. George and Sanj allowed me to invite some friends and co-workers to meet them and their new daughters. It was a wonderful day and amazing to share the final product with people in my life. I think even people who didn't really get Surrogacy, completely understood why I did it after seeing the babies in George and Sanj's arms.

Family is what it's all about. I'm smiling ear to ear right now just thinking about the families I've helped create . . . and become a part of. I am so lucky.