11 weeks today! Update and life. #5 journey

Things have been going pretty good. The bleeding scare has been gone for awhile now. That didn't last long. Yay!!

I went to my OB last week and was slightly nervous, because you just never know. (as a surrogate/with IVF) I was still feeling nauseous and low energy, but I was worried that something "could" possibly be wrong. (Only because it's happened before) 

I think my Dr. was feeling the same thing for me. Hoping for the best, but not knowing what to expect.

We did a tummy ultrasound this time. I was 9 weeks, 6 days. I wasn't sure if we'd be able to see anything with a tummy ultrasound. However, he spotted Baby CeCe right away and said there she is and there's the heartbeat. Everything was measuring to perfection-9w6d. Her heartbeat was 170. I was so happy I could cry! Dr. T. was happy too.

Not the best pic. You can't see very much.

:(

I have been blessed to not have very much morning sickness. That doesn't mean I haven't felt sick, and I've dry heaved several times. With every pregnancy, I have plenty of nausea, everyday, almost all day long.

I've had that this time too, but I've only actually thrown up a few times. I think that could have been part of why I was worried, because with my (surrogacy) miscarriages, I was nauseas and tired, but never got sick. 

The down side is- I usually lose weight in the first trimester. Not this time! I did 3 rounds of IVF last year with my previous couple. All those fertility meds plus this pregnancy has packed on some pounds.

Surrogacy weight has not been easy for me to lose. 

I started looking more pregnant than chunky last week and decided it's better to wear maternity clothes than to have people wonder if I'm fat or pregnant. I hate that stage. So here I am wearing maternity clothes for the first time this pregnancy-

10 weeks 1 day

I can't wait out to round out more. When I took this, baby was the size of a lime. Yet I look like I'm carrying a small watermelon.  ;-)

The best thing that's happened recently?

This was 5-6 days ago and I've definitely been feeling little movements since. That's always reassuring inbetween Dr. visits.

More great news- I get to stop shots and medications June 4th! Less than a week left. I will not miss this-

Or sore hips.

Well, I think that's about it for my journey.

 I've been working on some awesome changes with my agency. I'm bringing on two partners and I feel good about things. 

:-)

Although, I admit, at times it gets overwhelming, especially when I'm feeling so sick and tired. 

About 3 weeks ago, my husband graduated from college. He got an AAS in Diesel Systems Technology.

I helped with the online classes and any typing/essays, etc. We were both glad to be done. So proud!!

He got an awesome job offer and starts June 2.

Life is good!

Utah's First Surrogacy Agency!

Yep, you read that right. Utah is catching up to speed in the surrogacy world. It's been a surrogacy friendly state for years and people are catching on. I've seen it grow like crazy here.

I've been in the surrogacy community since the beginning of Utah's new surrogacy law in 2005. When I was first introduced to surrogacy in 2002, I had no idea it was illegal in Utah at the time. However, the time wasn't right for me to be a surrogate at that point anyway. My first surrogacy wasn't even in Utah. I had moved to San Diego with my husband and had been re-introduced to surrogacy right before our move.

After the birth of my first surrogate baby, we bought a new house and moved back to Utah. I already knew I wanted to be a surrogate again. Each agency I used was in a different state than I was. (I have had positive and not so positive agency experiences) My 2nd journey ended in a miscarriage. 

My 3rd journey started in 2008. Utah was still figuring a few things out. It was pretty smooth though and I gave birth to twin boys via c-section in April 2009. They just turned 5 on Tuesday!

Along the way I would come across Intended Parents looking for a surrogate independently. They wouldn't always be a match for me, but I felt a strong desire to help them find someone else. I started helping people find matches in 2007.

I also came to know a lot of Surrogates and Intended Parents online in different Surrogacy communities back in 2005 when I first started out.

Plus I had people contacting me through my blog looking for advice or looking for a match.

I had been through different clinics, worked with different lawyers and agencies. I had a wealth of knowledge and information. I decided to put it all to good use and I created Once Upon a Surrogate *Stork Services*. It was a place where I could focus my energy on helping people. It was a place of resource with matchmaking and advice. I had toyed with the idea of starting an agency, but was overwhelmed. I decided this was the next best thing.

Recently, I went to a monitoring appointment at Utah Fertility Center, getting ready for my upcoming transfer. (Transfer was 4/2/14. We're pregnant!)

I had come to know the staff at UFC fairly well and I absolutely came to love the ultrasound tech that had been monitoring me with this journey as well as with my couple last year. I wanted a picture of me and her. Dr. Foulk happened to be there and I hadn't seen him in a long time. (I love Dr. Foulk too!) We decided he needed to be in the picture too. 

He said it was funny I was there because he was actually just thinking of me. He had found that something had fallen behind his desk. It was a note to call me about being a surrogacy coordinator. (from 2 years ago!) We had talked to me about it (2 years ago) and I was interested, but we could never get a hold of each other and it just never happened. (Now I know why he never called me back) We discussed the need for an agency in Utah and he encouraged me to start one.  It felt right. I had been training myself for it all along. without even realizing it. I had been gearing up for this, and had even stepped up my game more recently. Before wasn't the right time. The right time was Now! Things had come full circle.

I wasn't going to let either of us drop the ball this time. This was serious business. I had some homework to do and I got started. Again, this was all while preparing for my own embryo transfer as a surrogate. And then, sadly my grandma passed away. It was a lot to deal with at once.

Just like I was led to be a surrogate in the first place, I have since had many opportunities present themselves, with one thing leading to another. This is absolutely what I was meant to do. Surrogacy is an amazing thing to be a part of in any form. I feel truly blessed for this opportunity.

My resume now includes: Author, Agency Owner/Director, Blogger, Creative Entrepreneur, Surrogacy Advocate.

The agency is now in place and we have a great team put together. We are a low cost agency, providing different packages, including full services. We already have surrogates (Gestational Carriers) lined up and have a few Intended Parents interested. Our main focus is Utah. But we will work with other states as well. 

Come visit us: LovingStorkServices.com

Our greatest need is for Intended Parents and Gestational Carriers right here in Utah! We are looking for you right now! Spread the word.