Cautious Celebrations

Ever since we found out that our surrogate was discharged from the hospital last week, we've been celebrating guardedly.

To show our appreciation for Meera's sacrifice being on strict bed rest for 6.5 weeks, we sent her a card expressing our gratitude, along with a cake and flowers.  If any of you wish to recognize a special event for your surrogate, SCI suggests Ferns N Petals.  We can recommend them too, as the delivery was timely (next day) and the cost was surprisingly very reasonable.  We asked if the staff could send us a picture of Meera when she received the flowers, and they were able to provide the following:



Sorry to blur Meera's face since she is truly a lovely person outside as well as in,
 but we do want to respect her privacy.

 

This past Sunday we met up with fellow bloggers and IPs from the Dallas area to celebrate our ongoing pregnancies and in one case the successful birth of twins.  Those in attendance included Travis and myself, Tim and Nathan (Two Men, One Dream… 8,172 Miles Away), Kim (Surrogacy in India, an Involved Aunt's Persepctive), and Mark (non-blogger; he's "marktex" in the SCI forum).  We invited Critty (My Dreams are in Far Off Places), but she was away in Oklahoma visiting family in preparation for her impending baby pick up.  Six babies (that we know of) from the Dallas area through SCI! 

Kim had just returned from India, so she had loads of information and stories to share about the process.  We tried to take it all in and make mental notes about flights, apartments vs. hotels, diapers and formula, and of course the dreaded FRRO.  Naturally, we also reminisced and relayed anecdotes about India and its myriad of experiences to be had.  From all the delicious food and the unfortunate instances of Delhi belly, to the Taj Mahal and the pesky guides steering you to the shops, to crazy Rahul and his fantastic drivers, among many of the beautiful people one encounters in India.

It was really great to socialize in-person with folks who share a common bond.  It reminded us what a great community this is, one in which you become a member by deliberate choice, not chance.  And we are lucky to be a part of it.  Cheers!


P.S. 16 weeks!  Grow baby, grow!

"So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye"

We are thrilled to report that as of last night, our lovely and long-suffering surrogate has been released from the hospital!  It has been a loooong, anxiety-ridden six and a half weeks, but her bleeding has finally stopped. The SCH has partially resolved and shrunk in size, so the medical team decided it was safe to discharge her.  She will still have regular check-ups with the obstetrician and remain on bed rest, but in the surrogate apartments where she can be more comfortable and with her family close by.  What a relief for us, as well as for them, I'm sure.  Along with telling the hospital "so long, farewell, auf widersehen, goodbye" and "अलविदा" (Hindi), I have a feeling Meera was glad to say:

And we are equally delighted to say adios, au revoir, cheerio, and ciao to the first trimester!  At 14 weeks, we are officially in the second trimester!  When we got the email informing us that Meera was being discharged, I thought I would have been jumping up and down for joy, but it was more like a huge exhale from holding my breath for over six weeks, a sigh of relief, a weight being lifted off of us.  We still have a long way to go, but if these past 13 weeks have taught us anything, it's to appreciate and celebrate the good news, as things can turn on a dime.  So while we take it one day at a time, we are cautiously celebrating this huge milestone.

 



Finally, we have to acknowledge and express our gratitude for all the support we have continued to receive from our family and friends in person and online.  We received so many comments, emails, texts, and calls helping us to cope over this difficult time.  We appreciate all the advice and words of encouragement, as they definitely helped us manage the doubts, fears, and stress of this process.  And of course we are thankful to Dr. Shivani, Yogita, Meg, Margarida, and all the medical team and administrative staff at SCI for keeping us updated and taking care of Meera and our little one. 

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughts and prayers.  They worked, and we are truly grateful.