You Want a Baby. I've Got a Uterus. Let's Do This!

It's time for an update and I figure Father's Day (or rather Fathers' Day) is the perfect time for it.

The decision has been made. Much to the chagrin of a few people in my life, I will be proceeding with the process of a third journey. I know their only concerns are for my safety, and there's nothing wrong with that. They all seem to be supportive, they just don't want anything to happen to me. For the record, I totally understand that, I don't want anything to happen to me either.

However, just to point out there is a larger chance of me:

. . . getting killed in a car accident. Yet, I still drive a car every single day of my life- and with my kids!

. . . getting killed in a plane crash. However, I still fly various places to visit people- sometimes with my kids in tote!

Heck, my father's sport of choice when I was growing up was Skydiving. Not the safest activity to participate in and I remember being pretty freaked out about it at times (especially before my wedding when he started diving again) but he did it anyway because he enjoyed it even though he knew there were risks. Come to think of it, my dad has lost more friends skydiving than I have friends who have given birth. My count- zero . . . and when your friends are made up of women, including surrogates, we're talking a looooooot of birthing going on! :)

My OB has signed off on another journey, although he did say he'd rather me carry a singleton this next time instead of twins again and I agree! He said that I could do another twin pregnancy, whether it was a surrogacy or my own, but if I did, he'd watch me more closely. I take his opinion over everyone else since he has seen my uterus first hand and has my medical files. If he had said No, I would've shrugged and said, okay. But he didn't!

While, I know some may be bummed by my decision to proceed, they know I am an educated woman that makes informed decisions and that I am not feeling pressured by anything or anyone.

I am not being held against my will in a Criminal Surrogacy Ring!

I am not a woman from a third world country (possibly?) being exploited so a western couple can have a baby. (My feelings about Indian Surrogacy will have to wait for another post as I still don't have a concrete opinion about it- I'm all over the place).

I am not destitute. As I've stated many times before, my family is financially fine without the money from surrogacy. We bought our house before any of my journey's, we do just fine without it ;) A surrogate friend once shared they had a family member ask her, "If I give you the money would you not do this." She laughed and reminded her that she's not in it for the money, that like me, she's in it for the entire journey. The journey that ends with helping create a loving family.

SOOOOO . . . what are the next steps? Well, for me, even though this will be my third time with my same agency, I still have to go through the process of applying and being screened again.

In the next few weeks I hope to pass the Medical and Psychological Screening and of course the background check. I'm not too worried, although I do think my blood pressure will shoot up once they put the cuff on my arm, definitely "white coat syndrome".

I've already filled out the application with Growing Generations.

My Insurance situation has been straightend out.

I've signed and gathered all the paperwork (Surrogacy agreement, pay stubs, consent forms, etc.)

I've revised my Profile and Pictures. This part is my favorite to complete . . . introducing myself, sharing my family, and reminicing about my last two journeys. This is actually where the title of my blog came from. Someone asked what you should say on the profile and letter to the Intended Parents (how winded to get) and I joke, " I just say: You want a baby. I've got a uterus. Let's do this!" . . . I mean really, does it need to be more than that? Maybe a photo pointing to my pregnant belly with the subtitle, "ehhhhhhhhhh???!!!"

****UPDATE*****

Just wanted to share an email from my dad:


I just spent about 30 minutes discussing with Mamaw your decision to take "the final journey", defending your position on surrogacy with a small discussion on gay rights and the need we all have for a willingness to "learn new tricks". As "an old dog", I may not always agree with you, but I am a seeker of truth and understanding and try not to allow the prejudices, bias and habitual thinking that we all struggle with to control my thoughts and actions. Your happiness and success, as defined by you, are and will always be at the top of my desires. I may not always voice my thoughts when they are conflicted, but know that I always support you even when I'm at odds with your methods or motivation.

I'm very proud of you, Kelly. You're an extremely intelligent and compassionate woman. I take pride in your independence even when it bumps up against my own.

I love you, Kel.

Sneak Peak!

Our Pride Shirts Arrived . . . .




Proud Surrogate INDEED!!!!

2011 Surro Shirts for Pride

I think we have a WINNER!!!!



Or Maybe Two?




Some of you have seen the magic that is The MuthaCrafter . . . I, like many other Surrogates and Moms have used her art as a profile picture on Facebook and even have a few things posted throughout my blog, based around her idea.

On her Facebook Fan page she explains the idea began in 2007, while she was a few months pregnant and selling her jewelry at a craft fair. She looked around and thought, "I'm the craftiest bitch here, I am making people!" (Doesn't she sound like someone I could hang out with?)

She sells her items on several different sites, including Etsy and Cafe Press.

My surro friend Stacie and I decided that we wanted to use a compalation of her ideas (and have her design them since it's her original artwork) for our PRIDE shirts this year. So we messaged her that we wanted her graphic, but with the rainbow circle we have seen her use in the past along with either, "Proud Surrogate" or "I make families. What's your Super Power" on it.

TO BUY YOUR OWN GLBT SURROGATE SHIRTS- CLICK HERE.

I'm going to probably get one of each . . . Proud Surrogate and The Super Power one. I find that one can never have enough customized clothing to show off ones' uterus.

Do you have a Surrogacy Blog?

Hey all! I know I follow quite a few blogs regarding Surrogacy but I wanted to give you the chance to leave your own blog address and description in the Comments Section.

Feel free to do a little intro (Surrogate? IPs? Former IPs that have graduated to Parenthood?) and include the link to your blog that discusses Surrogacy*.

*Blogs that are not about Surrogacy will be removed as I'd love for this Comments Section to be a resource for people who are looking for stories of personal surrogacies.

Can't wait to read your posts!


Your comment could look like this:

I'm Kelly a 2x GS (identical girls 11/28/08 and B/G twins 10/12/11)
http://www.justthestork.blogspot.com/

and I blog about surrogacy for The Next Family
http://thenextfamily.com/topics/family/surrogacy-family/kelly-rummelhart/

Living Vicariously Through Photos

On my Private Surrogate Group on Facebook we share pictures of bellies, Intended Parents and surro babies. I love seeing all their photos and of course love to share my own. I especially have a place in my heart for big ol' belly pictures. I think it's because I love being pregnant and I love having a big belly full of babies! Hell- some of the times I've felt the sexiest was when I was pregnant. I really do miss it. A lot of women say they want to get back to their pre-baby body, sure, I do too . . . but you know what I'd like even more than that? A Pregnant Belly! When I see the pictures and read the posts about those that are currently preggo, I get a little jealous.

I think I've said this before but one of the reasons I enjoy being a Surrogate is that I get to be pregnant, have the big belly for a few months and NOT have to raise another child. I totally enjoy being pregnant. I have cherished the 5 times I had "the belly" and even though now I have a flabby, stretchy, C-section apron tummy, I wouldn't change anything. Which brings me to the next Surrogate sharing phenomenon- "getting stitched back together." I have a few friends, some of which were Surrogates, who have visited "Dr. Lookin' Good". I have seen the before and after pictures of the abdominalplasties, Boob Lifts, Boob jobs and I'll admit it- I'm jealous.

So- I'm at a kind of cross-roads. With insurance issues (supposedly) behind me, do I go for one last journey? One final affair with the belly? Make sure I do all the things I forgot to do the last two surro-journeys? Henna on the Belly? Belly Cast? Monthly Belly Art with the kids? OR do I retire from being a Surrogate and make the much needed Tummy Tuck/Boob Lift appointment with the plastic surgeon? OR do I have the best of both world's? Do one last hurrah and then go under the knife . . . right in time for my 20th high school reunion and a few years shy of my 40th birthday? My thirties were for babies and my forties and beyond will be for me. Like Angel said, "Today for you. Tomorrow for me!"

So which is it?

Start the process of dieting, exercising and the much needed Tummy Tuck to regain (or the closest I can come) my College Spring Break body?


Or bring a loving couple a child and a big belly for me?


Decisions, Decisions. I guess I need to really think about it all . . . but you know what they say . . . the third time is a charm.

Visiting my Girlies!

On Easter, my family and I had the pleasure to go visit George, Sanj and the girls. We were only able to hang out for about an hour or two (Easter with the in-laws) but we had some Easter goodies for Natasha and Anjali and we were dying to see them . . . especially after the videos they sent me.

The day started out memorable with my son Sawyer spilling a completely full cup of hot cocoa all over the floor. Luckily, by now George and Sanj are used to having twins that spill things. When you don't have kids, the spills can get annoying. It reminds me of our trip last summer in LA visiting out other surro-family. The guys insisted it was fine for the kids to eat pizza in the living room while we hung out and ate in the dining room . . . Fast forward to about fifteen minutes later and there are greasy handprints all over their couch. Last month, when their house was on the market, I swore you could see the handprint in the listing. :) And when I flew down last month to visit, the couch wasn't there anymore. I laughed and asked if they threw it away because of the grease but I guess the buyers wanted it (and the handprints came out) . . . or at least that's the story they gave us!

Anyway . . . . after the hot cocoa spill everyone took turns playing games on my iPad (no one played Smurf's Village)




and then next was an impromptu Yoga class. Ruby does yoga as part of her Physical Education at school and was teaching the girls some of her favorite poses







Eventually we had to go (about 5 hours less than most of our visits) so they walked us out knowing they would see us again soon. Gosh I love them!

My Venus of Willendorf Mother's Day Gift

Wanted to share with you the awesome Mother's Day Gift that my father and Step-mom sent me. The picture is the actual Venus of Willendorf, but my parents sent me my own replica figurine and I LOVE IT!

They know me so well! I guess once you buy yourself a custom uterine plush, you send the message that "normal" gifts just won't do! ;)

You may have seen this work of art before, but if not, it is a limestone carving of a female figure. This piece of prehistoric art was carved around 22,000 BCE. Several people believe that it celebrates fertility (hence the larger breasts, abdomen, etc). I know modern day c-sections were not the cause of her abdominal roll, but it certainly looks like the c-section "apron" that several women I know have been left with, including myself!

Of course with Art, just like Poetry, everyone can have their own opinion of meaning. When I see this figurine, it makes me think of a someone very similar to me . . . someone who has had several children (maybe some of them not her own), someone who carried either big babies or multiples, someone who used their body to bring about love and life and was left rounded, stretched and soft but above all a selfless mother.