Final post of 2017

What a year it has been! Every year seems to go by a little faster, despite trying to slow it down. I suppose that is all one can do - slow down and enjoy the journey!

We picked back up on our surrogacy journey in January of this year, so seems fitting the transfer should occur in January of this upcoming. 27 days to go if we remain on track.

Lupron is going well. My oldest 2 insisted on watching me today do the injection and the younger kept saying "ow ow ow I feel it - it hurts!" - she makes me laugh. The injection itself does not hurt but the headaches from it - have been rough. I was able to cuddle up with my youngest and grab a 2.5 hour nap yesterday. Though the headache really never went away, it was not as bad. I am going to head to the chiropractor this next week for a session or two and continue leading up to transfer.

I might also splurge (we can call it a late birthday gift to myself) and buy a shoulder/neck massager on amazon. The reviews are good, and the lady looks pretty happy (joke there, btw). I tend to get really tight in my shoulder area and hold tension there. So it really cant hurt, right? Has anyone tried one before they can recommend?

I take my last birth control pill tomorrow - yay! One less thing to remember ... for a bit. Then more will be added. Everything is laid out pretty clearly so I don't anticipate any issues!

-21 when I left the house this morning to go get gas and grocery shop. I was pretty jealous of everyone at home but there was no way we could wait another day and no way everyone was coming with. So off I went. I might have taken a little extra time walking around Target since I was alone - there were not many people out (I wonder why!) when I arrived and it was just starting to pick up when I left. 

I suppose I can be cheesy here and say ... until next year!!

Here we go

Injection #1 happened today. I did not stress about it and it was a good thing because I did not feel it. As my kids would say "easy peasy" (though they were very nervous for me).
I enjoyed a day out with  my family yesterday for my birthday - grabbed my favorite coffee treat from Starbucks and went to a local hibachi place for an early dinner! We spent most of today putting away Christmas and getting the house reorganized with all the new treasures that entered from Christmas celebrations. I hope it warms up a little so we can go to our favorite little hill and take the kids sledding one afternoon! No one (with good reason) wants to go out when it has been below zero the past few days!!

Flowers and Calendars

I had been watching for my med delivery today and I must have missed the delivery person by a matter of minutes while changing laundry because I noticed a package outside and it was most certainly not medications!

Aren't they beautiful?! They are a gift from our IPs. I might have moved them a few times now trying to find the best place to keep them - I think the dining room table wins out though since I can see it from most rooms on the main floor :)
(side note: I realized I really should find a more winter themed tablecloth!)

I had been thinking about how everything coming together before the years end seemed like the perfect way to head into the new year!

My med calendar arrived in my inbox this morning - I begin on the 28th. Which means, I can enjoy that one last cup of coffee on my birthday the day before! Seems pretty fitting :)

Legally ...

CLEARED!

And what an exciting feeling! As of Friday evening we were officially done with legal. We have an intended transfer date which is super exciting!! Not too much more now - I am pretty tired after a day with family and getting up at 4:30 this morning to teach .... but I will update again soon.

Oh, I know I said this in the last post ... but this nausea? Oh man. My husband is already poking fun at me with the random gagging. I hope it goes away soon - that was NOT the side effect I figured would show up when I started on the birth control!! But, staying positive ... just would not be upset if it went away soon ;)

the end ... to the beginning

It feels like forever since updating ... maybe not forever but a little bit at least. I started birth control - which I have not been on in over 7 years. It is making me incredibly nauseated. Which I read can be a common side effect in the first few weeks of starting it. Nausea is not on my list of top 10 things I enjoy, to say the least. But I am trying to take it in stride and just deal. Lots of water and eating small meals through out the day tends to help! I have been on a huge kick of home made soups and chili lately - and my instant pot makes it so easy. I have to say - I LOVE watching snow fall and the look of fresh snow. I also love the soups and stews that come along with winter. Driving in it and wet shoes - no thanks. I can leave that aspect! So now that I am off track ... let's refocus.

We have been in legal for about 2 or so weeks I think .. I might have lost track a bit, it happens.
I really have no idea what I was expecting. I knew there would be back and forth, some give and take. It was not awful, but not fun. I can't imagine anyone really likes being in negotiations.
I know we are, and I hope our IPs are completely comfortable and happy. It is interesting to watch language evolve and hope that your intentions are coming across how you want them to. It is so hard when you can not explain yourself directly!
My husband is involved with negotiations with his work often, so he knows how things go. He stepped back and had me navigate (of course giving opinion when he had it and supporting me - this has always been our decision so he was not going to take a total back seat) - and it was really empowering, and scary at times. But we have a great attorney who led us through everything step by step - never judged when we had questions and explained things that maybe I was reading or understanding differently.

I am so excited to move forward and I sure hope our IPs are too with us!
So as this journey of medical work ups, legal and no direct communication with the IPs, ends ... we are beginning a whole new journey of getting to talk to one another and get to know each other more as this process moves forward. It is starting medications and receiving our calendar that will lead us up to the transfer!

Until next time!