Snuggles with the Christmas Elf

The family and I had a great holiday visit with A&T and Baby G. On Wednesday we went into Chicago for the evening and enjoyed a nice low key night with the surrofam. Mr. Giovanni greeted us at the door and before I even had my coat off was reaching out to me. **love** Either this lil man doesn't have a hint of stranger anxiety yet or he still recognizes me. We've been keeping our visits so regular, the longest has been 6 weeks, that I wouldn't doubt he finds me familiar. He spent a lot of time in my arms as we chatted in the kitchen while FIF prepared dinner. We then went downstairs to get my girls comfortable in the family room where I set Baby G down on the floor to join them. He didn't hesitate in showing off his crawling skills. He's got his own individual style, one knee on the floor and but he uses his foot on the other side to propel himself, it gives him a lil more speed. :) He's getting more steady when he stands and still loves to jump. I see steps in this guys future before his first birthday for sure.

After some visiting Giovanni went down for a little snooze, the girls played with all his toys and the adults enjoyed a delicious dinner and some great conversations.

After awhile baby got up from his catnap so we decided to exchange gifts. FIPs gave the girls some fun toys that kept them busy. They generously gifted me charms for my Pandora bracelet and a Pandora necklace so my collection can continue to grow. They are beautiful and I'm so thankful for their generosity. Jason received a book "1001 MOVIES You Must See Before You Die" so that should keep him busy for awhile. LOL They also gave us a copy of Cinema Paradiso, the movie they watched together on their first date. The movie is set in 1980s Rome, Italy, and tells the life story of a famous Italian film director through flashbacks. I know a bit about the movie because it was playing on the DVD player while I was in labor ... I didn't get to watch much of it though. Perhaps now I can sit down without any interruptions. ;) I do remember the soundtrack to the film was beautiful, that was playing during the actual delivery and one the nurses even commented on how lovely it was.

The evening ended with some more chit chat over dessert. Finally about 12:30 AM we decided it would be best to head home with our sleeping brood.

It is always so great to spend time with A&T and of course get in snuggles with Baby G too. This past year has brought them so much joy and I know they've treasured every minute and I'm so honored to have been a part of it all. Seeing them as a family enjoying the holiday season just makes my heart so full. I am very grateful to have them all in my life and that they continue to share Giovanni with me. It has been an amazing year with so many blessings.

Preheating the Oven (again) !!

Today I met with K&S and I'm very excited to say we are matched!!!! Our face to face meeting was great and we both expressed we'd like to move forward before even leaving Family Source Consultants [surrogacy agency]. I know for Jason and I it was very relaxed and warm and we enjoyed getting to know this wonderful couple.

I mentioned before that they are from Chicago which will allow them to be very involved in the journey. I'm excited to share another close relationship with my IPs, something we both seem to agree on. We have a lot in common too so I have no doubt we will have an easy time developing a friendship over time.

They've been through a lot in the last two years while struggling with infertility but have such a positive attitude and outlook. Unfortunately K&S have been dealt more than their fair share of disappointments which have included two dangerous ectopics, an early miscarriage as well as several failed IVF attempts. They've come to a place where they can either continue to gamble with the odds - which haven't been in their favor - or go with an option that has a more predictable outcome. Surrogacy will allow them the opportunity to still have a biological child and hopefully avoid more heartache. The decision of using a surrogate is not an easy one I am sure and I was impressed with how at ease and comfortable K&S are with the decision. There are still many variables and unknowns but hopefully with some faith we can see their dream of a family come to be. I'm very honored that K&S are willing to put their trust in me to carry and care for their lil miracle(s).

So where do we go from here? We will begin getting all the preliminary things checked off the list; medical clearance, psychological evaluations, contracts and more. The process is a little overwhelming but from experience I can say it's not all that bad. Once we complete all that it may be a bit of a wait before we transfer in the spring (my request) but hopefully it will go by quickly.

Here we go!!!