Alive and doing well...

Hey there my bloggers!

I'm so sorry for being a HUGE slacker! We all are doing well and just let the time slip away.. Since my last post I have graduated College with a Bach degree in Digital Photography and working hard on getting my own business going.. My hubby and kids are great and life is good:)

As for my surro family they are doing great as well! The beans are growing fast and are in my opinion the cutest twins EVER. In just over a week Jason and I will be on the flight to Norway for a fun visit with our surro family and of course I couldn't be more excited! I will plan on blogging and sharing photos once we get home:)

Thanks for coming back!

Happy 3 months to my beautiful baby beans

I know, I know! I can't believe it either, my surro babies are 3 months old!..

As my sweet Surro family has settled back at their home in Norway, the guys are enjoying fatherhood. I've been enjoying the updates I receive either by text and fun photos or videos and hearing about the next stage they've entered. I'm proud to say the babies are growing healthy and very happy, but how couldn't they? With all the love surrounding them I don't think it could be any other way.

Smiles from the sweet Agnes


Smiles from the handsome Tellef


I miss them like crazy but so happy they're back home and enjoying the normal family life, as we are too. I've been busy with the holidays, kids, mini vacation and now back to School. Like I said in my goodbye post to the beans, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of them and I know that will never change.

Back to Cali

This past weekend I flew to a little place I like to call "Land of Surrogates" aka California. These past few years I've been privileged to have some of the most beautiful women in my life. These ladies are past, present or future surrogates and I know for a fact I would not have been so successful in my journey as a surrogate without their amazing support and friendships.

We have this secret group on FB and no we don't have a secret handshake but we like to keep this group very small so we can all feel like we can share and be completely honest with each other and it has done nothing but made us stronger women not only with surrogacy but as wives, mothers and friends. We've been through more in the past year than most friendships see in a life time.

One of my first Surro friends is Andrea, she had commented on my blog a few times during my transfer process and it was a friendship made from then on. Without getting too cheesy and mushy, I adore her and our friendship means more to me then she'll ever really know. That being said I couldn't stand it any longer, I had to meet her in person! With timing this just seemed to be the best, I just having the twins and her just starting on her meds I flew to Cali to spend the weekend with her!

Well the bonus of having her in Cali, there just happens to be a few more ladies in the area (or a days drive away) and during my stay these other wonderful ladies, Stacey, Katie and Laura were able to spend some time with us also. BONUS!

The weekend was filled with talking, laughing, sight seeing, eating, drinking and just chillin.. As Andrea took her first shot of her journey and Stacie taking her last shot, the timing was more than perfect. It was like going to spend the weekend with girls I've known my whole life. I loved every minute of it and when the weekend came to an end it was sad to say our goodbye's but happy for this time together.

So again surrogacy is a wonderful thing.. I've gained a new family and wonder friends that I care for in so many ways. And looking forward to meeting more of my girls in the future!

Andrea and myself


Me, Stacie, Andrea and Katie

Goodbye...For now

Tellef and Agnes,

Five days ago you boarded your first Airplane, this flight was taking you home where you will grow and make memories. I'm sure you had a huge welcome home from many friends and family that have been waiting patiently to meet you both.

Five days ago I closed a chapter in life, a long chapter of many memories and emotions. I knew saying goodbye wouldn't be easy, you both have changed my world and not just mine but my family too. We will never be the same here in MN because of the both of you. Myself, Jason and our children have learned to love in a way that most don't experience. You both gave us so much just while growing in my tummy and then this past month watching you grow out of your newborn clothes has been a blessing.

As I say we closed this chapter, I am excited to say we have started a new one, this one will be filled up with updates and photos of you both growing and hitting those milestones that your daddies will be so proud of. I can't wait to see the changes you will make and hear your voices as you first start making sounds. I'm proud of you both for growing as well as you did and being so perfect, and yes I mean PERFECT.

I can promise you both that there won't be a day in my life that you don't cross my mind. If it's just something that reminds me of you or a memory that I let myself fall into, and for that I thank you. To be able to love as many people as you can will only make your heart grow stronger. And there will always be a spot in my heart for you both and your family.

Your dads have invited Jason and I to come visit your home this summer, I can not wait to meet up with you again! To be able to snuggle and kiss your cute cheeks is the sweetest gift your daddies could ever give me:) But till then you do your best to grow and be healthy, and I know you will have no problems doing so because of the love that surrounds you.

Love,

Surro-momma Amy

Photos of my Surro-bean-loves

I've been so busy loving on the cute baby beans and spending time with my Surro family and loving every minute of it! But I did promise photos, I would love to share all but that might be a little overboard hehe... Here a few of my favorites from birth and just some from other visits.

Here was most of our cheering team in the waiting room!


Not such a great photo of me, but pretty much gives you the idea of how i was feeling;)!

Here is a great shot of the guys before we met the babies :)


Meeting the babies for the first time xoxo


Our first visit with the babies after coming home, can you tell I'm a little proud here!


Hubby and I


All the Turkeys on Thanksgiving day xoxo


And last, here is one of the photos I took for their first photoshoot, aren't they the cutest things EVER!


This past 6 weeks have been amazing in many ways. I've had the joy of getting to know the babies, the dads and the grandparents of this beautiful family. This week they will go back home and start what will be the most amazing journey they will ever take and I couldn't be any more excited for them. I am lucky to have had this "extra" time and will always hold these memories close to my heart.

Beans into babies - Birth story

Well we didn't make it to 38 weeks but we did make it through Trick r Treating! Before I start with what will end up being a small novel I would love to say baby A and baby T were born on 11/1/11 in the hour of 2am, both weighing in at the same 8.1 pounds and 21 inches and are 100% PERFECTION.

G and S came into town on Sunday and we spent a great evening of craving pumpkins and eating dinner with them and our children, knowing the guys were running off of no sleep and a 6hr time difference they left to get settled into their apartment.

The next day was Halloween which with 4 kids under the age of 10 is a pretty big deal around here.The day flew by and I was excited to meet the guys for our 3pm Ultrasound and OB appointment. Babies were perfect (of course) and baby girl was still butt down, so we chatted it up with the doc about the birth plans and how we would like to see it all go down. I left the appointment feeling good and prepared for the big day (Nov 16th) but now back to my babies and getting them out the door for some big time Halloween fun.

The guys were sweet enough to come over and walk with my hubby and kids around the neighborhood while I stayed back and handed out the candy. Feeling extremely tired from the long day and all the excitement from the guys being here we said our good nights and we decided we would hook backup on Wed, giving them time to unpack and get comfy in there new place.

About 30 min after they left and me in the middle of helping my little man brush his teeth I there in my bathroom experienced for the first time ever, my water breaking on its own! lol Best thing EVER! Of course at first went and sat on the pot thinking maybe I was wrong but within minutes I knew it was for real and then the CRAZY began:)

As hubby is calling the guys I'm trying not to make a mess everywhere as I'm walking grabbing things and getting the kids ready and out the door. We made to the hospital in record timing thanks to my husband and his want to become a race car driver;) We met the guys and my parents at the hospital and were checked in within minutes.

Before I knew it we were set up in a bed and everyone was ready to go. Going in for a C-section they wanted to do a ultrasound to make sure they knew where baby A and B were hanging out.. That's when we found out baby girl had turned and was now head down! YAY for vag birth!! I was in complete shock that she had moved and I would be able to push these beans out, which made this whole thing just that much more awesome!

After waiting a few hours, which felt to me a few minutes babies were ready to come meet their daddies. We had the whole delivery level to ourselves. The nurse staff was amazing, really truly amazing. They not only did everything they could to make all of us feel welcome and comfortable but let all three of the guys be a part of the delivery. So in the OR we had myself (of course) hubby next to me and the daddies next to the baby warmers and 16 hospital staff members..lol yes 16 sets of eyes on my lady parts. That was a first....

Ready to go and ready to push cause again I'm kind of a rockstar at giving birth, baby girl made her entrance with a lovely scream and daddy S was able to cut her cord and the nurse let me take a quick peek before she was put into the warmer, she was perfect. Just like I knew she would be. But my focus needed to be back on baby boy now and getting him out into this world, my job was half way done. About 30 minutes later and giving it every little thing of what I had left to push I was able to get baby boy out with no problems. He came out with a nice scream and cry as daddy G cut his cord and I was able to see that he was also a perfect baby.

The whole time my husband stayed next to my side giving me the love, support and courage that he had done with our own. I get tears in my eyes as I write this part because I truly am blessed to have such an amazing husband and I know I couldn't have found that strength inside me to deliver two babies the way I did without him next to me.

After babies were born they were taken with the dads to be weighed and cleaned off. The next hour was spent with hospital staff coming into my room to congratulate us and tell me how amazing we all are and how they will never forget our story. I had no idea what to expect from the hospital staff with our "situation" and did worry that there might be a point that we would feel uncomfortable or something would be weird but not at all, these men and women were great, they made all three of us feel so comfortable and I know I will never forget some of their faces:)

I was able to see the babies the next morning and it was great to finally put faces to the kicks and punches I've had from them these past months. Besides my own children these babies are the most beautiful newborns I'v ever seen! And seeing the guys as dads for the first time was one of the best parts to the end of this story, just that proud daddy look on both their faces made it all come to a wonderful ending. They will never be the same again and I know they will be great dads and these babies have a wonderful life in Norway waiting for them.

So there you have it. After a long journey my part is done. I have made it possible for these two men to become dads, to have a family. I know I feel happy, loved, amazing, and all that good stuff. Am I expecting to be really sad or to break down and cry? No, I don't find this experience sad or depressing. I know my hormones are whack right now and maybe I'll need a good cry in the shower, but it will be a cry of - wow...did I just really do that?. Some of my closest family/friends have asked me how I'm doing and I think they are trying to do their best to let me know they are here for me and I love that, I love to know if I need to talk to someone I have that support. But for now I lean on my husband and my surrogate friends. For my husband I feel he really is the only one that can even come close to understanding what I just went through and for me that's working. And of course my surro friends, because if it wasn't for them I would've gone into this whole thing clueless.

For all you that have followed me on here or on Facebook, I will say it again. I thank you from my heart, the support that was given to me, my family and the guys played a huge roll in this. Surrogacy is an amazing thing and I will never forget all the ups and downs and of course my Norwegian family that I helped make xoxo

*Stayed tuned for the next blog post of photos**

Coming to the end..

This weekend the proud parents to these two babies I have spent so much time with will be arriving in Minnesota and soon after the baby beans will follow.

I have so many emotions running through my body and mind these past few weeks. I will first say that I am not worried about "giving them away" because again I'm not. They aren't mine. They never have been. I am sad to know this journey that I (we) started so long ago will be done. I will no longer be needed for their family. My "job" is done. With that being said, I feel even more strong about the fact that my other "job" my family, my kids will have me back 100%. That they won't need to share me any longer.

This past year I have grown in so many ways and I'm not just talking in the belly size. I have grown in my photography business and learning to become more professional and setting goals for myself within the industry. As a wife I've learned to show my husband how much I care for him and depend on him by just taking the time to sit and talk, to make sure we still have the "just us" time. As a mother I have learned that this is the most important job I will ever have and taking that time to read a good book with your kids before bed makes you a better parent. My friendships this past year have been a little more of a challenge. I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing women thanks to surrogacy. The fact that I've only met a few face to face is crazy to me when I think some of these women are some of my closest friends I have today.

As my husband and I were cleaning the house I came across the 5 page profile of the guys that I received while in CA. I had to sit down and read it. It brought back so many emotions. I remember reading it like a dozen times on the flight back home with my husband, first thoughts honestly were -
1)Norway! that's so far away..
2)Those are some good lookin guys!
3)They seem so happy and look like they need to be dads;)

I couldn't imagine doing this for any other couple then G and S. The friendship, the trust, the connection between us all has made this as successful as it is today. They have done such an amazing job being a part of every little thing. I'm sure I could have had a couple here in the same state and not felt as close as I have with these two men.

So knowing there is just a short month left of all of this, I have no sad tears, no regrets. I have excitement, love and just all smiles to know that this was a perfect surrogacy journey.

I went into Surrogacy wanting to help a couple have a family but also to help me become a stronger person and without a doubt I can say I have. I will never be the same person I was before I signed up for this.