Lincoln's Toy Story 2 Birthday Party... & free printable

My Little Man Is 2!!!!!!

Another year and another party.  How could my little boy be two years old already?????  Where did the time go?  Since he is my last baby I tend to savor the moments just a little more, and I find that with that comes going a bit overboard when it comes to birthdays.  This year was no exception!  I picked the theme Toy Story after we picked out Linc's Halloween costume.  This year he was Buzz Lightyear!  What better way to double the use of a costume that will only fit for a short period of time, than to center his whole birthday around this costume too!  

The Decorations:

My Little Man and I

I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do as far as decorations go.  Nothing too extravagant.

 Just a few key elements that would really set the mood.  Some of the items I was able to buy ready made such as the table cloths, the birthday banner, the cups, plates, napkins, and hanging decorations.  Other than that I couldn't find much so it was up to me to improvise.  Most of the big decorations you see here I actually made myself.  Some of them were created with the help of Pinterest.  Others were created from images in my mind.  Then there were a few that I really wanted to do that didn't come to be.  One of those was parachuting army men.  I wanted army colored balloons with army men attached as if they were parachuting.  Couldn't figure it out in the time I had though.  Boo!  Someone post a link if you ever create one!!!!

The Food:

This was an easy one!  What else do you serve at a Toy Story Party, but pizza from Pizza Planet?!?!  Can't pass up an opportunity to have a meal as easy as pizza!  For snacks we had Rex's Fruit and Veggie Tray and Mr. Potato Head's Potato Chips.  For drinks we had juice boxes, soda, water, and Hamm's Pink Party Punch (Yummmmm!!!!).  Then there was dessert.  Oh how I LOVE to plan dessert!  Just like Linc's 1st birthday, I planned a buffet of desserts to choose from with the help of Pinterest.  We had Alien Cupcakes, Buzz's Spaceship Crispy Treats, Army Men Battlefield Brownies, Jessie's Cowgirl Hat Cookies, and Woody's Sheriff Badge Cookies.  They were all so good, I couldn't possibly pick a favorite!!!!

The Dessert Bar

Alien Cupcakes

Battleground Brownies

Jessie's Cowgirl Hat Cookies
Woody's Sheriff Badge Cookies

Hamm's Pink Party Punch

I designed & Made the Pizza Planet Signs Myself From Foam Core

The Games:

I don't usually have games at our parties.  It just seems too hard to coordinate them and the kids really have a great time just playing with toys with their friends.  This time I thought I'd try games though.  We had a few self play games that were just there for fun, but didn't win prizes and weren't coordinated as to when to play.  Those were a huge felt Tic Tac Toe board, a huge Mr. Potato Head Felt board, a regular Mr. Potato head play station, a Toy Story coloring table, and an Etch A Sketch Photo Booth.  We had one semi coordinated game that guests could play at their leisure and a winner was selected at the end of the party.  This was Guess The Number Of Army Men In The Bowl.  Parents guessed for the younger kids, and the older kids got to guess on their own.  My one coordinated game was Hot Potato.  The kids LOVED this game!!!!  They actually wanted to play it twice.

Potato Head Table

Coloring Table

Reagan, My Middle Little

All My Littles

My Oldest Little With Her Friends

Our Whole Toy Story Gang

Even The Big Kids Had Fun At The Etch A Sketch Photo Booth

Can't Get Much Cuter With A Big Nose & Mustache

Hot Potato!

The Party Favors:

As soon as I saw these little bags on Pinterest I just knew that I had to have them!!!!!  The little alien bags are soooooooooo cute!!!!!!!  Plus they are so easy to make!  I filled them with your regular party favor treats, but the bags were the real fun.

I made both the claw and bags

I had a great time planning this party and an even funner time celebrating a big year with all our friends!  For more great ideas on how to plan your own Toy Story Birthday please visit my Pinterest Board for Linc's Birthday.  You'll also find out how to make a lot of the things you see here on my page.  While you're at it, you can check out Linc's 1st Birthday Party.  Oh how I love to reminisce and see where we were a year ago.

FREE PRINTABLE !!!!

You can print out your very own Toy Story Food Labels!!!!  Just click on the following links to print.  I print mine out on cardstock so they would be nice and ridged.  You can also open these documents in a photo editing program or something as simple as Microsoft Paint to erase the food names and create your own.  Enjoy!!!  Toy Story Food Labels Page 1  and Toy Story Food Labels Page 2.

Surro Files - The Moment Of Truth...

Well, it's been about two weeks since the embryo transfer and today is the moment of truth.  It's blood draw day.  Not only will they be checking my hormone levels, but they will also be checking to see if I'm pregnant or not.  The chances are pretty slim that I am since I did home pregnancy tests from last Sunday through Thursday with no luck.  I did get a light line on Wednesday, but it decided to disappear shortly afterwards.  Crap!  Both Belle and I agree that was a pretty evil trick to play on a couple and a surro that are already on the edge of their seats.  Just for the record... that was an Answer test, and I will not be using those again!

Back to my blood test though...  I completed the test this morning and should have the results later today or tomorrow morning.  We don't expect a positive so we've already been planning for transfer number two.  I won't know when that will be till after the blood test results, but my guess is that it will be either mid September or late September.  Not sure if it will be another natural cycle, but I certainly hope that it is.  Belle, Adam, and I are even throwing around the idea of transferring two embryos next time.  Anything to give us better odds at getting a BFP (big fat positive pregnancy test!!!).  I'll make sure to update you all as soon as I get word about the test.  Let's hope for a miracle!

In other news... My girls started back up at school today.  I can't believe my oldest is now in the 2nd grade and my middle is in the 1st grade!!!  They're getting so big now.  This past weekend we went out shopping to get their back to school outfits.  Don't they look hip?!?!  Good luck girls!!!!  I hope this year is great for you both!

Don't forget to check out my "Surrogacy" tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed

*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*

Surro Files - Memorial Day Weekend

The kids and grandma playing in the sand and water at Shaver Lake, CA.

Happy Memorial Day!!!! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. We had an awesome weekend! Our whole family and my Inlaws all went camping at the Edison Campgrounds in Shaver Lake, California. This is Brian and I's favorite place to camp. The pine trees, the lake, the fire pits; It all says camping to us. I won't lie though. The trip wasn't all toasty hotdogs and s'mores. Linc didn't sleep well which means I didn't sleep well and the propane for the heater ran out in the middle of the night leaving us all ice cubes in our beds. Burrrrrrrrrrrr! Other than that it was great though. We roasted s'mores, played at the lake, went Geocaching (see my post on Geocaching if you don't already know about my latest obsession), and hiked on the nature trails. Can't wait for our next camping trip in July at Pismo Beach, California, and back at Shaver in September. Yay!!!!!

Geocaching in Shaver Lake, CA

Ok, I know you're not checking in to hear about my camping trip though. I'm sure you want to know about how the surrogacy is going. Well I'll tell you, it's flying by!!!!! This past week I took my last birth control pill and continued on with the Lupron injections. Most of the time the injections have gone great, but I've had a few bad days. Sometimes I hit a vein and bleed. Darn veins getting in the way! It's not bad though. A little pressure stops the bleeding and it doesn't hurt. I did have one day it did hurt though. Not sure what happened. I also tried my stomach one day. That didn't go so well. I went in to puncture and the needle bounced off my belly and I started to bleed. Freaked me out. Not sure what went wrong, but I haven't tried it again. I think I'll just stick with the legs.

So what's to come? I have a monitoring appointment on Wednesday (ultrasound and bloodwork) to check how my body is doing. If all looks well then I'll start Estradiol on Thursday. The'll keep monitoring me each week, and if all looks well for the egg donor and I then we will be flying to Connecticut for the transfer the week of June 17th. So soon!!!! Belle and I are still talking everyday as the big day nears. Both of our schedules are pretty packed till then, but no amount of busyness could cover up the excitement. We'll be there soon Belle and Adam! I hope I don't let you down.

Don't forget to check out my "Surrogacy" tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed

*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey

Surro Files - Our Surromoon in Oahu

Standing at Laie Point

Now I know most of you have heard of a Babymoon (one last big trip before you have a baby).  This is kind of like that, but instead it's one last big trip before we start the surrogacy process - a Surromoon (I totally made this name up).  We actually had this trip planned long before we decided on doing the surrogacy, but Brian and I had both agreed that we wouldn't do the transfer till after this trip.  This was our last time to let loose, jump in a hot tub, have a drink, go surfing, hike a mountain... you know... all the crazy stuff that I can't do while pregnant.  Let me just say, it was AWESOME!!!

Turtle Beach

For our Surromoon we went to Oahu, Hawaii.  This was our first time to Hawaii.  Everyone keepstelling us how great it is, but when Allegiant Air announced it was going to have direct flights from Fresno to Oahu for $100 each way, were were all over it!  Oahu here we come!!!  We left on Saturday and came home on Friday (that's the only flights they do out of Fresno right now).  Brian booked a room at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore (yes, the one in (Forgetting Sarah Marshall).  We're not big city folks so the North Shore was just our style.  We also got an amazing deal at the hotel (about 1/3 of what regular rates go for)!!!  Sure, they were under construction updating the whole hotel, but it really didn't bother us at all.  So what did we do while on our trip???  Let me tell you...

We Ate LOTS of Food!

What else do you do on vacation?  We ate, and ate, and ate some more!  There were so many places I wanted to try and I'm pretty happy to say that I almost tried all the ones I wanted to try.  They were DELISH!  The first place we hit up was Nico's on Pier 38.  OMG!  This was so yum and they had lots to choose from.  Brian got a fish wrap and I got some of the Hawaiian favorites (beef stew and orange chicken).  We also got some peanut butter cheesecake and creme brulee cheesecake.  Yum!  The prices were great too.  At the resort we tried a couple of their restaurants.  The super fancy one was under construction, but Ola's was awesome and the view was even better sitting right on the beach.  We also tried their new Kula Grill which is all authentic island food.  None of that compared to our favorite find on the island though.  If you ever head out to Oahu you have to save some room for the shrimp trucks!!!  I'm drooling just thinking about them.  We tried three of the most popular shrimp trucks on the island.  Giovanni's is probably the most well known shrimp truck.  I loved that it was by a shopping market, a shaved ice stand, and the awesome corn stand that we unfortunately didn't get to try.  Romy's seemed to be the most popular with locals but seemed the hardest to peel.  It had the best garlic topping!  Our fave hands down was Macky's shrimp truck though.  The shells just dropped off and their lemon pepper shrimp was to die for!  We also had this awesome pie that's noted to make locals cry just thinking about it.  It's a chocolate haupia pie from Ted's Bakery.  YUM!!!!!

Shrimp trucks on Oahu, Hawaii

We Climbed Diamond Head

Diamond Head is a huge crater that overlooks all of Waikiki and beyond.  It's a 2 mile hike there and back at a fairly steep incline at some points, but all the huffing and puffing was worth it just to see the view at the top.

The view from Diamond Head

We Went Surfing

Oh yes, you heard me right!  That's not my stunt double, but actually me on a surf board riding the waves of the North Shore.  Ok, my daughter said that's not a wave but I assure you that I was moving forward no matter how small that wave looks.  I totally would have went out again, but my ribs, hips, and elbows were a bit bruised after the 2 hour training session.

Surf lessons at Turtle Bay Resort

We Walked Across The Ocean To Goat Island

I kid you not.  We seriously walked across the ocean to this little island just off the shore of Le'ai.  Goat Island is about 500 ft to the small island, but you have to take it really slow.  One slip and you'll be a bloody mess as you fall on the coral in the ocean.  We went in the morning while it was low tide.  I thought this would be easier, but it was actually easier to walk back when the tide was higher and if I fell, I'd just fall in the water.  When we got over there the beach was completely deserted, but after we walked back the rest of the people on the beach realized that you could walk there and our private beach was taken over.  If we were smart like this other couple though, we would have taken a kayak out there.  It looked way easier.

The walk to Goat Island

We Sailed Out On A Catamaran

Brian booked us a ride on the Maita'i Catamaran with views of Waikiki and Diamond Head.  It was awesome seeing the city view from way out at sea, but I realized after we got on the boat that I forgot to put sunscreen on my legs and feet.  BAD MISTAKE!  I could feel my skin burning to a crisp and for the rest of our trip I just looked like that white girl tourist that doesn't know how to put on sunscreen.  Ooops!

We Searched Out The Film Locations of Lost & The Hunger Games

Brian and I are HUGE Lost fans!!!  Can you think of a better show???  Anyways, we were totally excited when we found out that the show was filmed on Oahu, so you can bet that I searched out all the Lost film locations.  There were quite a few locations, but we just visited a few.  First we headed out to the camp site of "the others".  Did you know that it's actually a YMCA camp?  We couldn't go up to the houses, but we took some pictures.  I even saw some of "the others" walking around.  Freaky!  Haha!  We also visited the crash site of the plane on the beach.  Last night we watched that first episode and it was awesome to see we were standing right there!!!!  We also went through the woods by the Turtle Bay Resort where Jack, Kate, & Charlie ran from the monster, as well as the Banyan Tree's where various scenes were filmed.

The Lost plane crash site / The Banyan Trees / The village of "the others"

The night before we left home I found out that the second movie from The Hunger Games was also filmed here!  I was actually reading that book on the plane ride to Oahu.  Of course I had to see it and play out my own scene from the Hunger Games as a dead victor.  Yes, I know I'm a dork.  Haha!

The Hunger Games (Catching Fire) film location on Oahu

We Went Geocaching

Ok, this is my new found obsession and I'm going to dedicate a whole other post to exactly what it is, but I'm seriously obsessed now and found 7 caches while I was there.  I would have found a ton more, but Brian's not sold on the whole Geocaching deal yet and just thinks I'm a dork (haha!  clearly true).  I know he'll come around though.  Who doesn't love a good treasure hunt???

Geocaching finds

We Went Snorkeling at Sharks Cove

Shark's Cove is noted to have the best snorkeling on the island and I can totally see why.  The area is completely blocked off from the crashing waves of the ocean so lots of fish can swim around in small pools with lots of coral.  We brought our digital water camera so we were able to get some great video of the fishes for the girls to see.  The water was also warmer than the ocean water since it was shallow and got lots of sun.  Beware of sea urchins though.  There are tons of the spiky little boogers all over the place!

Snorkeling in Sharks Cove

We Hung Out At The Pool

This was Brian's favorite part of the trip.  His idea of vacation is sitting in the pool throwing back Maitai's, so we dedicated 2 days to just relaxing.  This gave me lots of time to catch up on my Hunger Games book (I'm on the 3rd one).  The Turtle Bay Resort has a nice pool; two of them actually.  The main pool overlooks the ocean and has a couple little coves you can sit in.  the second pool has a slide and a waterfall with a second waterfall that goes into a kiddie pool.  This is the one we were in most of the time since it had more shade.  Ok, when I say "we" went in, I really mean Brian since I'm not the swimming type, but I did go in once.  Brian went on the slide and cracked us up by getting stuck.  Guess it's just meant for the little ones at the resort.  Haha!

Turtle Bay Resort swimming pool

Heading Home...

So that was our surromoon trip to Oahu, Hawaii.  We checked out a few other places, but those were the highlights of our trip.  By the end we were ready to get back home to our little munchkins.  I missed them so much!  We tried to Skype with them whenever we could but at some point you just want to wrap your arms around them and give a big hug!

And So It Begins...

Technically cycling for the transfer has already begun.  I started my birth control pills to sync my cycle with the egg donor on the day we flew out to Oahu last weekend.  Next weekend I will start my Lupron injections.  It's just so exciting to finally get started and I can't wait to see the future mommy, Belle, again when we fly out to Connecticut for the transfer next month!

Don't forget to check out my "Surrogacy" tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed

*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey

Surro Files - We're Accepted, We're Matched... Wow, That Was Fast!

Ok, it's been another SUPER busy week around here in the surrogacy world.  I'd have to say this has been the craziest, busiest, most exciting week yet!  When I last left you I had just done my social worker screening call that past Friday and Brian was scheduled to have his call later that Monday afternoon.  If all went well we were going to be accepted with the agency.  Well, you guessed it... Brian's call went great and we were accepted!!!!  I was soooooooo excited!  After a month of filling out applications, getting medical files together, and lots of waiting, we were finally moving on!  Well, that was on Monday.

On Tuesday I received my commitment letter from Circle.  It basically just reminded me what I was committing myself to by becoming a surrogate.  I'm committing my time, my families time, committing to keeping the parents up to date on their child,  committing to travel, committing to the compensation, and many other things.  There's a lot that goes into being a surrogate and they want to make sure I've really thought about this.  I have and we signed and e-mailed our commitment letter back to Circle that day.  In addition to the commitment letter, I also was contacted by their psychologist to schedule a time to take the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory).  It's basically a 338 question true/false test that determines your personality structure and psychopathology.  A lot of government agencies use it in their hiring process.  I scheduled to take the test on Thursday.

On Wednesday morning I received my prospective IP's (Intended Parents) profile.  It was my friend Belle and her husband Adam's profile!  So exciting!!!  Ok, I act like I was so surprised, even though I did request to be matched with Belle and Adam, but hey, you never know what might happen. I was worried that Circle might find some reason we couldn't be matched together, so till we were matched I tried not to get my hopes up.  Although Belle and I have known each other and been in contact on and off for the past two and a half years, it was so fun to read through their profile to get a closer look into their lives, what brought them to the decision of surrogacy, and what they expected out of the journey.  I also got to see a few pictures of them which was fun since I hadn't seen any pictures in awhile.  Of course I let Circle know we were totally interested in proceeding and the next step was to set up a Skype call to talk even more in depth about each other and decide if we wanted to be officially "Matched".

On Thursday I had my MMPI psych evaluation.  Ok, normally I like to pride myself in being prepared and ready to go, but I was anything but prepared when my meeting time came up for the test.  I should have reviewed the instructions ahead of time on how to log in and complete this test.  It's a video conference call completed online.  The psychologist watches you and answers questions via web camera while you answer 338 true or false questions.  Luckily I looked somewhat put together by the time we started, but I did have to run to get my ID and shut down a whole bunch of programs that were making my computer run slow.  Ugh!  Anyways, I was sooooo thankful that she blacked out the webcam so I didn't have to watch her while she watched me take the test.  I was nervous as it was.  The questions were slightly strange.  Anything from "Do you hear voices?", to "Do you want to be a florist."  When I was finally done she said that it looked like everything was ok, but they would contact me if anything looked out of sorts.  Phew!  Glad to have that over.

Thursday part two... Originally I was going to schedule the Skype call to talk with Belle and Adam for Friday morning.  I did not realize how hard it would be to schedule talking time when one of us lives in California and the other lives in England.  There's an 8 hour difference between us two!  We finally settled on calling at 9pm our time and 5am their time.  Not an ideal time, but I think the excitement helped to keep us all awake.  You probably don't know, but I have a terrible fear of Skype.  Ok, not so much a fear, but it's really awkward.  I hate that little picture that shows me talking.  Who wants to look at them self talk?  Maybe if I play around with it I can figure out how to turn that little picture off.  Anyways, Belle knew this and understood (since her husband has a similar dislike of Skype), so when we got our call that night she decided to make it a voice only call.  I'm sure I could have gotten through a regular video call and after a minute would have been fine, but it was definitely a sweet gesture.  Better yet, our call went great!  It didn't feel awkward at all and Belle and Adam were so easy to talk with.  It was like we were old friends getting re-acquainted (I guess we are in a sense).  For those that might not remember from past posts, Belle and I were in the same small chat group while I was trying to conceive Linc (my youngest), so we have already been through so much together.  The call did give us time to talk about a few questions we had regarding family, the surrogacy process, and life in general.  It was really nice.  That is until my little guy decided to wake up in the middle of the call wondering why we weren't in bed too.  Oh, well.  I guess we've got lots of time to talk from here on out so next time I'll just time it better without a cranky little man.  We said our goodbyes and off to bed we went.

Friday morning (for me that's 5am since Linc wakes so early) I sent off my e-mail to Circle stating that our call with Belle and Adam went great and we would love to be officially matched.  Belle and Adam had done the same.  Sooooooo... WE'RE MATCHED!!!  It's so exciting moving forward and knowing that I will get to share this special time with such an awesome couple that I feel I know so much about already is awesome.  Each day from here on out is so exciting knowing that we're getting that much closer to bringing Belle and Adam's little miracle into the world.  Now it's onto contracts.  Bla!  It'll probably take a month to get those.  Till then we'll just sit and wait and talk about the awesome future to come.  Next week I think I'll introduce you to the happy parents to be.  I was going to do it this week, but I've talked too much already.  I just know you're going to love them as much as I do!

*Don't forget to check out my "Surrogacy" tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed*

*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*

Surro Files - Weaning, Periods, Screening Calls, Oh My!

I skipped writing last week since it was so slow around here on the surrogacy journey.  Just a whole lot of waiting.  Well this last week it's really picked up on so many fronts.  I weaned Linc, started on birth control, got my period, had all my medical records approved, and had my social work screening call.  Phew!  Now that's a lot in a weeks worth of time.

If you caught my post last week (not listed in my surro files) then you already know that I have officially weaned Lincoln.  I'd been talking about doing this since early December, but kept putting it off for one reason or another.  He got sick for a couple weeks this winter and quite frankly, I found that we got a lot more sleep if I just breastfed him.  I was just too tired to tackle the task of weaning.  It was only when we had made the official decision to become a surrogate that I got the push I needed to get serious with weaning.  With each pregnancy I never started my period till I completely weaned and in order to do all my medical testing... and obviously to get pregnant... I needed to have Lincoln completely weaned and my periods back.  It was a long two month process (you can read all about it on my official post about weaning Linc), but we're finally completely on cow milk and Linc doesn't seem to mind a bit.

My second task I accomplished towards surrogacy these past couple of weeks was starting on birth control.  I figure since we don't plan on doing an embryo transfer till as least May, I want to make sure Brian and I are covered so I won't get pregnant.  Ack!  That would not be good.  I also figured the pill would help jump start my cycles again and the IVF clinic would probably put me on the pill to sync my cycles with the egg donor anyways.  With all that said, I probably should have waited to start the pill because ...

My third task I accomplished towards surrogacy started just a bit early.  Yep, I got my period, but not when I should have based on my birth control pills.  I'm guessing another month of the pills will throw everything in line, but I just wish I would have waited till my period started to start the pill.  I had a feeling that my body was already falling back into place right before I weaned Linc off the last feeding, but I was doubting myself so I started the pill anyways.  Oh well.  No worries.  At least I'm a step closer in the process.  I need to have two periods before I can move on to my medical screening.  They'll check all my hormones, uterus, ovaries, and more, so they can make sure everything is in working order.

Fourth up on my list of accomplishments this past week ... my medical records were reviewed by an IVF doctor and approved!  Yay!  It took awhile to get everything from my OB/GYN and delivery hospital, but it all checked out so we're good to go.  Yay!!!!

Last up ... I had my social worker screening call this past Friday.  I was so nervous because I didn't know what to expect but it was really a breeze.  They said it could take anywhere from 2-2.5 hours, but it ended up only taking 1-1/2 hours.  The social worker gave me a breakdown of what to expect from here on out and answered any questions that I had.  We also went over about a million questions regarding my family and I.  We went over everything from the basics such as what I liked to do in my spare time, how close I was with my family, and how my friends would describe me, to what my childhood was like, how I met my husband, and where I saw myself in 5 years.  All of my answers will go in a profile they will make up so they can skillfully match me with a couple that has the same interests and background as I do.  I'll admit that my mind blanked quite a bit, so I'm scared to see what this profile actually looks like, but I've never been one for on the spot answers.

So anyways, that's where we are at the moment.  All that's left is Brian's social worker screening call today and then we'll have an answer as to if we are accepted or not.  I'm on pins and needles!!!  11:30 am can't get here soon enough.  After that it's on to matching.  Still hoping all works out that we'll be matched with my friend that I met while trying to conceive Lincoln.  That would be the most awesome experience ever!  It would just be great to go through this with someone I know and care about already.  Enough talk about that though.  I don't want to jinx myself.  I'll talk more about matching next time...

*Don't forget to check out my "Surrogacy" tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed*         

Surro Files - The Application Process

Well a week has went by and I'm pretty much just twiddling my thumbs right now. Like Linc, crawling is not my style, and I much prefer to run. There's not much I can do though. My application is being reviewed and they're waiting on my medical records from the hospital and my OB, so waiting is all I can do.

Twiddle, Twiddle, Twiddle...

For all of you that might be curious as to what I've done so far on the application process, here it goes:

The first application I filled out was online.  I admit, it was a lot longer than I had expected for a first application, but I managed to get through it.  It went over all the basic minimum requirements to be a surrogate, my expectations for being a surrogate, my health history as well as my whole family's health, my legal history, and my basic all about me information.  Yep, 19 pages and a day later I was finally done with the initial application.  Amazingly enough though, I heard back from Jeni with Circle Surrogacy the very next day.  I just want to take this moment to say I love Jeni!  She's been reviewing my application, answering all my questions (yes, I have a million), and helping me get through this whole application process.  She's one of the main reasons I decided to go with Circle.  She's awesome!  With that said, I passed the first application review!  Phew!  On to the next phase of the application process... the second application.

Yep, application #2.  This application wasn't quite as long as the first, but it took a little longer to gather all the information needed.  It took me a week to be exact.  I'm sure if I didn't have a one year old hanging on my leg every waking moment of the day I could have done it wayyyy faster, but I'm not in a big rush so no worries.  The main portion included more questions about my surrogacy expectations, my criminal/financial history, medical history information regarding my past pregnancies, release forms to get my medical records, background check release forms for all adults living in my house (good thing we're a pretty down to earth boring household), personal references, and health insurance information.  In addition I also had to provide pictures of my family and I, fill out another backup health insurance application, and a HIPPA release form.  I turned that all in last Monday, February 4th, and here I wait.  Now I'm just waiting for Circle to review everything and obtain all the information they need to make a decision on whether or not we move onto the next step.  It looks like my medical records are going to take a week to obtain so we have at least a week of thumb twiddling.  They also have to do our background checks, read over my health insurance to see if surrogacy is included, and call my references.  I know it's only going to be a week or two, but it's going to feel like FOREVER!  I keep telling myself we have plenty of time since I can't get pregnant before May anyways, but it's still hard to be at a stand still.

Twiddle, Twiddle, Twiddle...

*Don't forget to check out my "Surrogacy" tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed*

The Surro Files - Picking an Agency

Well, it’s been a week since we made our official decision to become a surrogate.  Since then I’ve been researching agencies like crazy to see which one feels like the best fit for us.  Actually I started researching agencies about a month before we made our decision, but just this past week I dove head first in and really took a close look at each one.

So what is an agency you ask?  An agency is who you can rely on to coordinate all the different steps that go into surrogacy.  They screen all parties to make sure everyone is physically and mentally ready to make this journey.  They pair up surrogates with intended parents based on legal factors, personality factors, and what each party wants to get out of the relationship.  They coordinate all the legal work (oh the contracts that go into surrogacy).  They coordinate the surrogate, parent(s), fertility clinic, egg donor, lawyers, and all other parties involved.  Sometimes you just don’t realize how much goes into creating this little miracle, and I personally just felt more comfortable leaving all this planning in the hands of an agency that can make the whole process run smoothly.

So where did I start?  I started with my good old friend Google of course!  Where else would I start?  Haha!  It was at that point that I realized this was going to take a lot more research than I had planned.  There are tons of agencies all over the US, and because California is such a surrogate friendly state, there were enough agencies in California to make my head spin.  Who should I go with?  Which one is the best?  I needed some help.  My next step was to search for online communities for surrogates.  I needed advice from those who had already, or are currently going through an agency.  I wanted to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Let me tell you, that’s exactly what I got.  I found three different chat forums that really helped me out.  Surrogate Mothers Online and All About Surrogacy are both online communities for surrogates and those looking for surrogates.  I also found a group on Facebook called Surrogate Mothers.  I find it convenient since I'm a Facebook freak.  Yes, I can admit it.  They've all been great resources for me to ask all the questions I have about surrogacy and to search out feedback on different agencies.

Once I got a good feel for what was out there, Brian and I talked about what we wanted in an agency. We decided that we wanted an agency that was well established, personable, and gave us an overall good feel.  With that in mind, these are the agencies that I ended up contacting:

Growing Generations - I was interested in Growing Generations because it's one of the biggest agencies in the US and located in Beverly Hills California, so I wouldn't have to travel far for the initial meetings and embryo transfer.  The downside was that I kept hearing bad feedback from other surrogates about this agency.  Surely there had to be a reason the company was one of the biggest though.  They can't be that bad.  That being said, I found them quite nice when I contacted them.  They even answered my questions about the bad feedback which I thought was awesome of them to address.    

Surrogate Alternatives Inc. - What drew me to Surrogate Alternatives was the personable factor.  It just seemed like out of all the agencies, they really put a lot of effort into getting to know their surrogates and keeping the communication open between them.  They hold monthly meetings and yearly family vacations.  They are also located in San Diego California, not too far away, and who wouldn't want to visit San Diego?  That being said, San Diego is still about 8 hours away so monthly meetings isn't quite a realistic vision for me.  

Expect Miracles - I went against the grain on this one.  Expect Miracles isn't as established as the other agencies I was looking into and they're not as big either.  What made this agency stand out was just how highly recommended they were.  Everyone on the chat forums was talking about them.  I also liked that they are based in San Diego, but low and behold they have monthly meeting in of all places... Fresno!  Yep!  Right in my home town.  Brian and I actually went to one of the meetings and got to meet with one of their coordinators.  I loved how honest and sweet she was.  Unfortunately we had some misunderstandings that we couldn't get past in the end.  

Circle Surrogacy - I also went against the grain on this one.  I was going to stick with California agencies, but Circle is actually located clear across the US, in Boston, MA.  Two of my friends are with Circle (one a surrogate, and one an intended parent).  They both raved about how great Circle is and after I contacted Circle myself, I had to agree.  They are also a very large, well established agency, which is what Brian was looking for.  Although they're clear across the US, they do all their screening via Skype, phone, and e-mail and medical screening is done at the fertility clinic of the parents choice, so the fact that they're so far really doesn't matter.

So who did I decide to go with???  I decided on Circle.  I love how quick they are to respond and how super nice they are.  I also like that they are a well established agency that's been around for awhile.  I know they're not in California like I had planned, but I really don't ever have to go to their office so it really doesn't matter where my agency is.  I've already passed their initial application and now they are evaluating all my medical records, health insurance, and background   It's a whole lot of paperwork, but I know it's totally worth it and I'm excited to keep moving forward.

*Don't forget to check out my "Surrogacy" tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed*

A New Adventure Begins - The Gift of Surrogacy

I'm excited to say that my family and I will be embarking on an exciting new adventure very soon. After years of toying with the idea, I've finally decided to give one of the greatest gifts I can give. I've decided to become a surrogate mother for those that do not have the option to birth a child on their own. I've been wanting to do this for awhile now, but only recently has it become an option and agreed upon by my my husband, kids, and I. It will be a group effort so we don't take this decision lightly, but now that we've decided, I know it will be an amazing journey and a life learning experience.

Gestational Surrogate:   A gestational surrogate is a woman who is implanted with an embryo(s) that contains the egg and sperm of the intended parents. In cases where the intended mother is unable to produce healthy eggs and/or the father is unable to produce healthy sperm, the gestational surrogate will be implanted with an embryo(s) that contains donor eggs and/or sperm. Once pregnancy is achieved, the surrogate mother will carry the baby to term on behalf of the intended parents.

I first thought seriously about becoming a surrogate in 2009 when one of my best friends found out that she had went through menopause extremely early in life and could no longer have children on her own. Had she have decided to, I would have gladly carried a child for her or given her my eggs. Since then the idea has remained in the back of my mind. It wasn't till recently that the idea came back to the front of my mind again. Over the years I've met hundreds if not thousands of women trying to conceive children of their own. Some got pregnant quickly in their journey. Others were blessed after years of trying. Then there are others that are still trying after many years of repeated attempts. That's when my friend Belle contacted me. I met her on Fertility Friend (a trying to conceive website) while I was trying to conceive Lincoln. I left the site after Lincoln was born but Belle had kept up with me through my blog. She e-mailed me to let me know that she was now on her fifth and last IVF attempt. Hopeful, but wanting to be prepared, Belle was already planning the next step. They had decided if this attempt didn't work they would use donor eggs, donor sperm, and a surrogate. With this plan in place she was excited and hopeful that they would soon have the baby they so much desired. IVF attempt #5 did fail and she's already begun the process to search out those that will make this dream come true. I would love to help her out, and maybe if the timing is right our paths will cross, but even if they don't I wish them all the best and can't wait to help create a miracle for a deserving couple looking to add a baby to their family.

And so our journey begins. Through my blog I will keep you all updated on the process and how things are going. It might be a long road but we're very excited to walk down this new path in life and hopefully bring life, love, and happiness to another couple.

I'm going to try and keep this journey organized through the tab at the top of this page titled, "Surrogacy".  Feel free to follow me as I continue on this new road in life.

*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*

Ending The Day With Words Of Love - our new bedtime routine

Let me just start off by saying I love my kids. I've always tried to say, "I Love You," a million times a day, in a million different ways.  That said, I do know that I get mad at times.  The girls won't do their homework; Lincoln won't sit still while I change his diaper; my husband won't change a diaper.  Yes, there are times I get mad and words of love are the last thing on my mind.

Well recently a few events have happened that have weighed heavily on my heart.  The first most of you might have heard about was the terrible deaths of 20 elementary children in Connecticut.  How could this happen????  How could someone kill innocent little children that have only begun to live their lives? Those dreams of becoming a firefighter or ballerina (or in my girls' cases, a veterinarian and a mommy) will never get to flourish.   Their dreams will never become a reality.   What's worse is the thought that those parents never knew that morning would be the last time they would see their children's happy faces.  That morning would be the last time they could say, "I love you."   I think of all the times I drop my kids off at school mad because they're fighting once again or they are running late.   I think of the last stern look they will see before going to class, and it kills me.   I also think of the shooter (yes, I think of him as we'll) and wonder what type of life he had to make him do such a thing.  Was there love? Was there encouragement?  Did he have the support he needed?

Aside from the tragedy in Connecticut, I've been faced with sadness in my own home.   Not the sadness of death, but the sadness of a child questioning themselves and losing their self esteem and confidence.  My daughter who is now in the first grade recently informed her father and I that she has a baby name.  She's the only one in her class that will grow up with a baby name.   I hardly think that Riley is a baby name.  She also informed us that she needed to get rid of her bangs because they make her look like she has a uni-brow and that she has a mustache.   My heart aches that she would have such feelings about her image at such a young age.  I suppose this is when those insecurities tend to be formed, but should they?  Why must society create these standards that only a few can meet?

Ok, I'm rambling on now.  So what is my point?  My point is that I want my children to know how much I love them.   I want them to know how special and beautiful they are not only to me but everyone in our family.   I want them to know that the sky is the limit and there is nothing wrong with dreaming big.   I want them to know that although I maybe be stern at times in order to raise respectful, polite, smart, independent children, I still love them and always will.

With that in mind I tried to come up with a way to show this love each and every day.  I started with the basic and obvious ways.  I toned down my temper, I increased my affection, and I decreased my time on the computer and phone (but that's a whole other post).  In addition to these obvious changes I made one other change and the girls are quite excited about it.  We started a new bedtime routine that ends each night on a loving note.  Each night we all take turns telling each family member in the room something positive.  It can start with, "I love you because...", "Thank you so much for...", "I'm so happy that you...", etc.  The compliments are endless as long as it's something positive about that person.  We always do this before the lights go out in the girls room so the last thing they hear before they close their eyes is something positive and full of love.  We've been doing this since last Wednesday and so far it's a big hit.  I always ask who wants to go first and both the girls are super excited and can't wait to spread the love around the room.  To keep things simple we only comment for those that are in the room.  Last night it was just the girls and I but usually we have the whole family if Linc is awake and Brian is home.  Here's an example of how things go...

Reagan to Riley - "Thank you Riley for swinging me on the swing today!"

Reagan to Mommy - "Thank you mommy for making cookies with us today!"

Riley to Reagan - "Thank you Reagan for playing outside with me today!"

Riley to Mommy - "Thank you mommy for taking me to a fun party today!"

Mommy to Reagan - "You made beautiful gingerbread cookies today and I just know your friends will love them!"   

Mommy to Riley - "You are so smart playing Words with Friends!  You really thought up some great words today."

So that's how our night went.  It only takes a few minutes each night, but the benefits are huge!  It not only helps to strengthen our bonds and build self esteem, but it also reminds us all that even the little moments are noticed and treasured in our family.  It's the little moments that count.  I strongly urge each of you to set aside some time each day to make sure that the ones you love know you love them and why.  It's so easy to go on thinking that love and appreciation is obvious to those around us, but sometimes we just need to take the time to say it.

Proshtapulnik - A Bulgarian Starting To Walk Party

We have a walker!!!  Linc just started taking his first confident steps while we were on vacation early last month.  Then when we got back from vacation he kept at it for another week or two, and then really took off.  Now he's all over the place and he gets there fast!  I'm not so sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but he's pretty proud of himself and we are too.  We're so proud that I think this is cause for a celebration!  I've been part of a mommy group ever since I got pregnant with Lincoln.  We're women all across the world that were all due to have babies in November of 2011.  Most of us are in the US, but we do have some in Australia, Canada, Africa, and more.  We all have our own ways of bringing up children and our own traditions that we share with the rest of the group.  One tradition really stuck with me when a Bulgarian mom shared it with us all.  The tradition was Proshtapulnik.  It's a very old tradition in Bulgaria where they celebrate when a child learns to walk.  There are tons of Proshtapulnik videos on YouTube that show this very old, yet still very popular tradition in action and when this mom showed us hers, I just knew that I wanted to celebrate Linc's first steps the same way.

So....  What is Proshtapulnik?  Well, it's very old Bulgarian tradition that is celebrated once a child starts walking confidently on his/her own.  This is not those first two or three teeter totter steps and then fall type of walking.  This is when your child can actually walk from point A to point B without landing on their bum most of the time.  It is believed the party will ensure that the child will not stumble while walking and will have a life without roadblocks to hold him/her back.  Bulgarians often joke that when someone trips often while walking, his/her parents did not do this party for them.

The making of my Proshtapulnik Bread

So what happens at this party?  Well first things first.  You will need some bread.  Most Bulgarian traditions involve bread and this is no exception.  The mother must knead and bake the bread from scratch herself even if she's never made bread before (yes, this is me!!!).  I've NEVER made bread before so what did I do?  I consulted my good friend Google to help me with the task.  Here's the bread recipe that I used.  Now being the quick to act, not to read type of person I am, I failed to realize that the bread was supposed to be round.  Boo!  Oh well.  They don't always make them round, but the very old tradition calls for round bread.  Tough cookies!  My bread is a loaf.  The next step is literally a step.  You can either have your baby step on the bread to imprint their feet on it, or you can do as I did and just create little feet with bread dough on top.  Another option would be to put food coloring on your baby's feet and let that imprint into the bread.  However you do it, you need feet on top.  Don't mine look so cute?!?!  Well, until I baked it.  Make sure you check your bread often.  I burnt mine a bit.  My friends just say that's a sign that Linc will be so fast that his feet are on fire!

Last Sunday was our Proshtapulnik Walking Party for Lincoln.  I didn't invite a crowd.  It was just our family and my In-Laws.  We all got together for a nice lunch at our home to celebrate.  The tradition calls for older children to be at the party and luck may have it that I just happen to have my two older daughters, Riley and Reagan.  The idea behind this is that young children tend to play, have fun, and run around the house, which is said to make the child’s life full of joy, and he/she would learn to walk and run without stumbling.  The first step at party is the running of the bread (I totally named that myself).  The bread is given to a child which can run (and is known to not fall frequently, so that the frequent falls are not transferred to your child) to run or walk quickly, but carefully not to stumble, around the room or around the table with the food for the guests so your child would have a life without stumbles and walking without stumbling. Alternatively, if there are no children at the party mom can run with the bread, before she rolls it or another adult who is known to be crafty and rarely stumbles while walking.  In our case I had both girls run the bread around the kitchen.  They were so excited about it!

After the running of the bread, the mother takes the bread (if it's round) and rolls it on a white cloth (any white fabric) toward a low table with objects laying on it (I'll talk about the table with objects next).  The white cloth symbolizes a life bright and free of evil.  I on the other hand did not bake a round bread so I just set the bread on the table.  Lincoln then walked on the white cloth over to the table.  He must walk, not crawl!

Our Proshtapulnik walking table setup

Now on to the really fun part!  You set up a low table (coffee table height is really good) with objects that represent different professions.  I used a cow to represent a profession with animals (veterinarian, zoologist, farmer etc.).  I used a football to represent a profession in sports.  I used a crayon sharpener to represent a profession in the visual arts.  I used a tambourine to represent a profession in music.  I used a book to represent a profession in literature or teaching.  I used a police car to represent a profession in law enforcement.  I used a computer mouse to represent a profession in technology.  I used plastic grapes to represent a profession in the food industry.  I used a lincoln log (LOL!  Get it?  Lincoln?) to represent a profession in architecture or engineering.  I used a credit card to represent a profession in money such as a banker.  I used a stethoscope to represent a profession in the medical industry.   You can pick your own items and meanings but you always have to have something that represents a profession having to do with money (not sure why, but that's what I hear).  **Update:  I found out more about the money ... Money (in some form: silver/gold coin, debit card, actual coin or bill) has to be on the table to ensure (or at least hope to ensure) that he/she will be able to earn at least enough money to not starve. And of course you can tag on it a profession too that has to do with handling money…"

Lincoln has made his selection.  It's the police car!  He will go into law enforcement!

Once your child gets to the table he can pick up to three items from the table.  Some people only go with the first item, but others let them pick up to three.  The child must pick up the item, not merely touch it.  The first item they pick up is said to represent what their future profession will be.  If they choose more than one item then maybe they'll change professions a few times?  Linc looked at the items for about a minute then directly went to the police car (which he has never played with) and picked it up.  He didn't even consider picking up another item.  He was done with one and went to play with it on the floor.  We were all very excited!  He picked the same profession as his daddy.

Reagan is loving her slice of bread!

After the item(s) is chosen then all guests eat a piece of the bread.  The baby gets the first piece.  I can't say that Lincoln was too excited about it.  Might have to do with mommy's bad baking skills.  Next the other children at the party are served, and then the adults.  The bread is served with honey and salt (a salty spread or feta can also be used).  The honey represents the sweet moments in life and the salt represents the not so sweet moments in life that help us appreciate the sweet moments.  A word to the wise ... put more honey on your bread than salt.  Who wants more bad than good anyways?  ; )  **Please note: Honey should not be given to children under the age of 12 months**

Yum!  You have to love any celebration that involves food.

After the ceremony it's time to eat and celebrate!  We had a super scrumptious lunch.  Yum Yum!

Now I know this tradition is not one typical in the US, but who says we can't adopt it?  I think we should all celebrate our babies first steps with such enthusiasm and excitement.  We only get these moments once and it makes me tear up to know that this will be my last baby that I will watch grow into an adult.  I will cherish these moments always!