LT is Here! June 15, 2013

LT is here! I’m still working on my birth story but M&Ts sweet little boy entered the world at 41 weeks gestation, on 6/9/13 at 10:23pm. He shocked us all by tipping the scale at 9 pounds, 2 ounces. I was able to have the all natural delivery that I had hoped for – It was one of the most intense things I’ve ever done, physically, mentally and emotionally. It was a team effort and I couldn’t have done it without my Hubby, M&T, our two awesome doulas and my best friend who captured so many photographs that I will always treasure – Including pictures of M&T catching their sweet son as I delivered him and my OB stood back smiling <3. (I promise to share some when they are ready.)

Thank you all for following along on another amazing journey. My heart is overflowing with love for the second family I've been blessed to help create. Seeing M&T holding their precious angel after all the time they've waited and everything they've endured was a moment I'll never forget.

-Danielle

Hotel de Surro is still in operation June 5, 2013

That’s right folks, I’m still pregnant LOL. We are a little over halfway through the full term window of 38-42 weeks…. Currently 40 weeks, 3 days (almost 4.)

 

As of my last OB appointment, I was only 2cm dilated & 50% effaced. Which really means absolutely nothing but people always ask so there ya go.

 

The plan is still in place for an all natural, non-medicated delivery and that means that I reallllllly want LT to decide on a BIRTHday before my OB starts pushing induction. I have an appointment tomorrow for both an NST & a visit with my OB…. She may or may not schedule me for a medical induction, we’ll see how things go…

 

M&T have been in Southern California since 39 weeks and are getting super anxious about the arrival of their son…. I wish that I had a crystal ball or a functioning uterus timer to tell us all when I’ll go into labor… It would make things a lot easier 😉

 

If you could send us “go into labor before 41 weeks vibes” that would be MUCH appreciated. A “medically necessary” induction that isn’t really medically necessary isn’t an ideal scenario for either LT or myself but as the days drag on, emotions run high…. I’m more than ready to hand this sweet little guy over to his amazing parents. They’ve waited for him a long time and I know each day that passes feels like 1,000…..

 

Hopefully my next post announcing LTs birth won’t be too long from now.

 

Until next time,

Danielle & LT

Worth the Wait May 21, 2013

I apologize for my absence – Instead of excuses, I’ll offer you up tons of pictures of what’s been going on in our world. I’m currently 38 weeks, 2 days along with sweet LT! I got to join in his Mama & Daddy’s wonderful baby shower celebration and now we are counting down the days. M&T will be arriving to Southern California on Monday (just 6 days!) to await the arrival of their sweet boy. As long as he stays put until they are here, he’s welcome to come anytime after that. I am very excited (and only a little nervous) about the birth. I’m confident the team of wonderful people we have, including our two doulas, will give us the perfect natural, unmedicated experience that I’m hoping for. *Fingers crossed*

 

Without further delay, here are some awesome pics from our family shoot with my IFs and the twins and our maternity shoot with M&T by the amazing CDC Photography and M&Ts baby shower ❤ I hope you enjoy them!

 

First up, pics from our AMAZING visit with Esteban, Michele, Davide & Gabriel in January. I’m SO thankful to have these photos and look forward to repeating the photo shoot annually when we get together <3<3<3

 

Now some of the beautiful shots from my maternity shoot with M&T. Loving how these turned out ❤

And last, but not least, some shots from M&Ts amazing Peter Rabbit themed baby shower. I am so blessed to have been included in their special day and had the opportunity to meet so many family members and friends who are anxiously awaiting LTs arrival ❤

Myself, M, T and M’s beautiful Mama ❤

M’s stepmom, their first surro C, my beautiful Mama and myself ❤

With my own beautiful Mommy ❤

C, myself and M 🙂

A very special 33 Weeks belly shot with LT’s amazing Mama and Grandma <3<3

I’m off to finish up some special projects I’ve got in the works that need to be done before M&T arrive on Monday… I hope everyone who reads this is doing well ❤

Until Next Time,

Lots of Love – Danielle & LT

Happy Anniversary E&M! January 6, 2013

It’s so hard to believe another year has passed but here we are – The 6th of January 2013. Two years ago today, I met two very special men and the journey of a lifetime began.

 

I know I post and gush over and over about how amazing our journey was but there are few other words for it (besides spectacular, miraculous, wonderful, etc.) The entire journey was such a blessing but I think the biggest blessing of all is that though our journey has now been “over” for more than a year… It’s really still happening each and every day. Not a single day passes that I don’t think about Esteban, Michele, Davide and Gabriel… Not a single week passes that they don’t send me at least a few new photos and not a single month passes that we don’t Skype at least once. I’m so very blessed that in creating their family, I expanded my own. The blessing never ceases to amaze me or fill my heart with so much joy. I will forever and always get to love my 4 Italian boys and know that we are their California family and always will be.

 

Happy Anniversary, Esteban and Michele. Here’s to another year of watching your sweet babies grow and sending you all our love, all the time, all the way from California.

 

-Danielle

I’m destined to carry….. January 3, 2013

Baby……………..

Babies. For other people. Who are awesome.

And who are going to be amazing parents.

You thought I was going to tell you whether M&Ts Little Tot aka LT was a boy or girl, didn’t you?

Sorry folks, you’ll have to wait until we get confirmation…

Monday M&T fly in for our 20 week anatomy scan!

Holy crap! Yep, I said 20 week anatomy scan.

Where is the time going?!

We are right around the corner from the halfway point

and 3rd trimester is in our sites…

I started feeling LT move pretty consistently. It’s a feeling I’ll never tire of…

Knowing baby is getting strong for his/her Mommy & Daddy

is an amazing feeling.

I promise an update and a gender reveal after Monday 🙂

In other surrofam news, Esteban, Michele and the twins are in Costa Rica!

Next stop?! Cali to see us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They arrive in just over a week and we are

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

excited!!! We have already planned out fun things to do and I can’t wait

to hug them all and love on my super adorable surrotwinkies!!!

I hope everyone had a great New Years and your 2013 is off to an awesome start!

Xoxo,

Danielle & LT

Happy Birthday Gabriel and Davide! December 18, 2012

In January of 2011, four strangers met for the very first time – And none of our lives would ever be the same again.

 

From our very first time spending the day together:

LA Zoo, April 2011

 

To beyond full term with two very special little boys:

38 Weeks – The morning I went into labor

 

To the day two amazing men became two of the worlds best Dads:

Hanging out while in labor

Meeting Gabriel for the first time

This journey has been one of the most special parts of my life and I will never forget a single moment. Esteban and Michele – Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your family – And allowing me the HUGE honor of helping you create your family. I am so blessed with the four of you and you will forever and always hold a very special place in my heart!

Gabriel and Davide – Watching you grow brings me so much joy. You have the best Dads two little boys could ever ask for. You are two very special little boys with family on more than one continent that loves you to the moon and back. We can’t wait to see you and your Daddies in January!!!!!! <3<3<3<3

Our first time all together – One day shy of 3 weeks old

 

6 months old

 

6 months old

 

And Today – Today my sweet surrotwins – You celebrate your first birthday. Such a memorable day for your Dads and your surrofam. Happy Birthday my loves, Happy Birthday ❤

1 year! Davide on the left, Gabriel on the right ❤

Beautiful Things… December 9, 2012

Twas just over two weeks until Christmas, and all through the house, this surromama was busy and neglecting her blog. LOL.

 

BUT, there is a TON of good news to share.

 

LT is growing perfect and is amazing and beautiful. Her Mommy and Daddy visited a few weeks ago for an OB appt and our NT scan, both of which were perfect ❤ And no, I don’t know for sure LT is a GIRL but I’m putting it out there, on the record, that I am pretty sure she is LOL. Her Mama is Team Pink too but both M&T will be absolutely THRILLED with either a boy or a girl. Speaking of baby parts, we will be having a 3D/4D ultrasound next Saturday!!! Eeeeek!!!!! Here is a pic from our NT scan. I was 11 weeks, 5 days 🙂

M&Ts precious LT – 11 weeks, 5 days

We got preliminary results from my first trimester blood screening and baby tested negative! All of our NT scan results were better than good as well! GO LT! I am still throwing up every morning but that’s par for the course with my pregnancies so we’re surviving. Most surrogates have easy peasy pregnancies and no morning sickness, etc but that’s not how I roll LOL. Sure, it’s not fun BUT it’s only a few months and the end result, seeing M&T holding their baby, is MORE than worth it.

 

In other news, I got to Skype with my Italian boys today!! They just moved into their new house a few weeks ago so I got the grand tour courtesy of Esteban and Gabriel (who are excellent tour guides, btw) and everything is BEAUTIFUL! They even showed me the room for us to stay in when we visit 🙂 The twins are getting SO big which is to be expected since THEY ARE ALMOST ONE YEAR OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy cow. I seriously have NO idea how so much time has passed and how in the world they are SO big. It’s such an amazing feeling to see them together and know I had a small part in helping make that family. My heart has a very special place just for the four of them ❤ They are coming to visit in January and I feel like a kid on Christmas morning every single time I think about seeing them 😀 😀 😀

 

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the Christmas season!

 

-Love, Danielle and LT! ❤

Sounds speak louder than words… November 8, 2012

I owe you guys SO much but for now, sounds speak louder than my words ever could.

I’d like to introduce you to M&Ts sweet lil baby. I’m totally on Team Pink. <3<3

 

LT 10 weeks, 4 days <3<3<3

A Nod to the Universe… October 11, 2012

Even if you aren’t a believer in signs or good omens or anything of the sort, these horoscopes are hard to ignore. Thanks, universe. We need this.

 

My horoscope:

You deserve a wonderful weekend. Lately, you have had too much to contend with and you are still feeling tired and drained from this. Worse, your guard is up. You keep expecting new difficulties to arise at any moment and fear that even the most hopeful developments will start turning into mirages that vanish as soon as you get close to them. Yet even if you have been suffering out in the desert of disappointment, you are now nearing a genuine jungle where hope grows high and rivers of reassurance flow freely.

 

M’s horoscope:

Either you have to trust that a process is taking place in its own sweet time… or you have to take control, manage a project, push for a result and drive a situation forward with your own sheer determination. That’s a perfectly viable plan. It’s what many people do every day, with some degree of success, albeit a fair degree of stress. But why waste energy where none really needs to be expended. In your life now, there’s a natural sequence of events taking place and you are safe, to some extent this weekend, to rely on these.

 

T’s horoscope:

How deep is the ocean? How far does it go? Only people who spend a lot of time on boats really know the answer to this. For most of us, the sea is just a big mass of water that you spot when you get to the end of the land. But it stretches out far beyond the horizon. Indeed, it covers so many miles that we can hardly comprehend its vastness, even in our imagination. Within your heart there is an ocean of love, hope and faith. Somehow, this weekend, life brings you an opportunity to sail out and explore a host of positive possibilities.

 

Read into it as you wish – Me, I’m choosing to read exactly as it says. The universe wants this baby for M&T just  almost as much as the three of us do.

 

LT – Sweet, sweet Little Tot – You are already so very loved and so very wanted. Your Mommy and Daddy love you more than life itself and I can’t wait to see them holding you for the first time. I have every faith that you are growing big and strong right now and cannot wait to see your precious heartbeat on Sunday. So many people are pulling for you. Stay with us sweet little bean ❤

 

❤ Auntie Danielle & LT

PUPO October 6, 2012

I know I owe you all an update and you have my most sincere apologies that it has taken SO long. Without further delay, here’s our transfer story – How I got PUPO – Pregnant Until Proven Otherwise.

 

After nearly missing my flight due to a ton of unexpected traffic on the 405 (thank you SoCal fires! NOT) I made it to SF in the evening on Friday September 14th. M&T picked me up at the airport and we all went out for an amazing Italian dinner. That day was the 1 year anniversary of when I lost my Papa so I welcomed the distraction of such an exciting day to come. After dinner we got all checked into the hotel (which was beautiful) and spent a little more time together talking about everything under the sun before M&T headed home and we all turned in for the night.

 

Our transfer on Saturday September 15th was not scheduled until 1:00p (well that’s the time they asked us to be at the clinic) so we were all a little lazy at the hotel, enjoyed a breakfast in my room, talked some more and then it was time to get all decked out in our good luck gear. And boy, oh boy did we have the good luck charms covered. We both had lucky socks, mine the rainbow ones I wore when I got pregnant with my surrotwins and M’s four leaf clovers – I had my lucky BumpFairy shirt – M had a lucky sock monkey from a group of friends she and T have that are also fighting infertility – We had a very special bracelet from our Sassy sisters – And we had bracelets that I had made by the amazing Sabrina at BangleSnaps (click on the company name to check her out on FB!) The bracelets each had several stones that symbolized various good luck, calming, healing vibes and even IVF success. They were beautiful and it was wonderful to surprise M with them. Here is a pic:

Our beautiful BangleSnaps transfer bracelets ❤

The very special Sassy bracelet and journal plus a First Response Pregnancy Test with lots of preggo dust on it! LOL

 

After getting dripped in luck, we headed to a local deli for a light lunch. The sandwiches were delicious and the perfect thing to be full but not too full before it was time for Little Tot to snuggle in with Auntie Danielle.

 

We arrived at Zouves Fertility Center just before 1pm, filled out some paperwork and then the wait began. Before too long we were called back into Dr. Zouves’ office. He gave us a report on how beautifully M&Ts Little Tot had been thawing out the day before and she was just perfect! She scored as high as he scores embies so we were all very pleased with that!
Once we all got suited up in our fancy scrubs and head gear, we were taken back to the transfer room. We got to watch Little Tot being placed in the catheter and it was THE coolest thing I have ever seen. He/She was MOVING around like crazy in the petri dish! M&T are going to have their hands full! 😉

 

Ready for Transfer!!!

 

Transfer of M&Ts sweet Little Tot was completed right around 2pm PST on 9/15 and couldn’t have gone any more smooth than it did. Once transfer was done, the weekend of being completely LAZY was in full swing. T was amazing to M and I – He went out and brought us back food, the Wii, laptops, etc. I wasn’t even allowed to get up and get my own ice! Since I’m used to being a full time Mommy, it felt SO weird to be the one laying around doing nothing but T assured me I was doing something very important and working much harder than him to bake their sweet baby 😉 M&T spent a TON of time at the hotel with me which I LOVED. We talked about so many things, gave Little Tot aka LT so much love and I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment.

 

After an incredibly lazy and blessed weekend and some lovely flight crap (don’t fly American Airlines, people) I was headed back home on Monday afternoon. It was SO hard to say goodbye to M&T but I felt so positive that things were going to be great and I promised to take great care of LT until we saw them again.

 

At 5dp5dt (5 days past our 5 day transfer) I got to talk to M on the phone and give her some pretty great news.

 

Does this even need a caption?! LOVE it ❤

 

10dp5dt we had our beta blood draw to tell us how much HCG Little Tot was producing. Keep in mind that my beta on the same day with Esteban & Michele’s angels was 153…. Imagine my surprise/shock when M called me to give me the good news – Beta was 193!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are as pregnant as we can be right now! LOL. My friends and family definitely have been making the multiples jokes but I don’t think lightning can possibly strike the same surro twice and give M&T identical twins LOL.

Two days later at 12dp5dt, we had another beta. A doubling time of 48 hours is ideal so we were looking for a number of approx 390. Imagine my surprise/shock YET AGAIN when M called. Did we have a 48 hour doubling time? No sir/ma’am we did not. LT is an over achiever! With a doubling time of less than 31 hours, our beta was 574!!!!

 

After two very positive betas, we got a date for our heartbeat ultrasound! On October 14th, in ONE WEEK, I will be headed up to SF to see M&T and we will all get to witness an amazing moment.

 

Nothing is for sure with IVF/Surrogacy/Pregnancy and it’s been a long road for M&T so I’m staying 100% positive for all three  four of us that everything will be great and sometime around June 2 2013, M&T will be holding their precious baby. Please send us your good thoughts and extra prayers if you have them. I will update again after u/s.

 

Love, Danielle