Happy Birthday to the Papa-to-Be !!

Happy Birthday to Sid !

This picture was taken on the day we found out we were pregnant!



Happy Birthday to Sid... my friend, my Partner... and soon-to-be Co-Parent!    We've been together almost 15 long years now, and we have had our share of up's and down's, like any couple does.   We've been through good times (Buying a house, promotions at work, starting a family), and bad times (deaths in the family, being laid-off, ... our new windows not fitting during replacement in the middle of summer...)... and through it all, he has been so wonderful!  Sid is definitely an eternal optimist - he is always a "glass-half-full" kind of person.   He can always see the best in people, and has NEVER met a stranger!  It continually amazes me that within seconds of meeting someone, it's like Sid has known them his whole life.    He is an amazing person, and I'm lucky to have him!   Sid, you are going to be a GREAT father, and there is no one else I would rather share this new journey with!   Look on the bright side.... although we will be older than most parents when the kids grow up, we will be able to get rock-star parking and good seating at graduations when we are in our wheelchairs !!    Love you !

Sister.... Sister....

Sid and I are so lucky to have some pretty special people in our lives.  Right at the top of the list are both of our Sisters, who this entry is dedicated to.   We hope that our kids wind up having as special of a bond as we do with our Sisters.   So, Lucy and Cinde... Thank You... for all do for us, but mostly just for being the special people that you are !

Aaron's Sister... Little Cinde-Loo-Hoo:  

     
       As the story goes, the first time I was going to meet my sister, I was SOOO excited.  This strange thing had been in Mom's tummy for what seemed like forever, and now it was coming home.  My Dad told me that I could hold my Sister, but only if I was in the middle of the bed, surrounded by pillows (I was only Three).   The time came, they took the bundle and put it in my lap.  I had the biggest smile (I know this from pictures taken).... and then.... the little brat peed on me!   They say I handed her back, and didn't want anything to do with her for months!   It would be decades before our relationship improved...
       Really, we did have some legen-dary fights; but between fights, we had some fun.   The thing is she was a little terror as a child - she was like the Tasmanian devil, spinning from one thing to the next - sometimes in a good mood - sometimes not, one just never knew.   Luckily she grew up...
        As we grew up, we became closer and closer, and were actually able to have conversations.  Since then, we have been to HELL and back together; we have still had some pretty notable disagreements, but we both know we will be there for each other whenever we need it.
        With the upcoming arrivals on the way, Cinde has been awesome!  She has really helped us out already, sending gifts, and clothes, and along with Sid's Sister, planning a great Baby Shower for us.    These little kids are so lucky to be coming into the world to the waiting arms of such a great Aunt !


Sid's Sister.... Hebe-Thing (aka: Lucy):

    Since this is Aaron's post, I will let Sid add some special memories of Lucy in a later post.   But I can tell you, she is a pretty special person!   I've known her for close to 15 years now, and she has to be one of the most driven people I know, but laid-back at the same time.   I know she struggled to complete college - but then after she finished her undergrad degree she just kept on going.   She recently completed her Masters in Education.  That would be amazing enough - but consider this... she did her Masters program after adopting a 9-year-old Son and while raising a pre-teen - but wait, theres more!  She also took on not one, but two sets (at different times) of boy/girl siblings as a Foster caregiver.  The kids she has now are just under 3 and 1 year old.  So, with three kids at home (two under 3), finishing up the school year as a middle-school teacher, and working on her thesis this past year, she was able to finish her Masters.  WOW... just amazing!   On the weekend of her Masters graduation, she planned our first Baby Shower (along with Cinde, and with the help of Hector, her husband).   A weekend that should have been all about her accomplishment, she shared with us.  She Rocks!!    What a great, strong, funny, and loving person our children will have with their "Tia Hebe"!! 

We can't wait to introduce our kids to these two special women.   Sid and I both know that our Sisters will be with us every step of the way, and we are looking forward to all of the new memories we will all make together !

June Showers bring August Diapers

Sorry for the delay in posting... lots going on these days... In the last week Aaron has dodged Tornado's in Chicago while on a business trip, and Sid battled a computer virus that we still haven't totally recovered from.... but on to more important news...

Our best friends, Jane and Cookie, were nice enough to host a Baby Shower for our Arizona friends this weekend.  Jane and Cookie worked really hard to make it a great day... even concocting special "Blue & Pink" Cosmopolitans as refreshments.  We also have to thank our good friend Amy Stonestreet for taking care of most of the food and serving dishes for the appetizers.   We are so lucky to have such great and supportive friends.

Thanks also to everyone that showed up on a VERY warm day - at 2pm when the party was getting started, the temperature outside was somewhere around 107!  Everyone was very happy to come inside and enjoy the A/C !

We have been very lucky to receive some great presents - some pictures are below.  Everything we received will definitely be used - there was nothing that we received that we think needs to be returned.  I think we have a tie for the most creative gifts... Our friends David & Vince (of BellaDaddy fame) gave us a beautiful "Onesie Bouquet" with beautiful silk flowers; and our friends Rick & Eyndiyah came up with the great idea of Onesies with the theme of "3's" ... Three Dog Night (more Sid's time than mine..haha),  Three Blind Mice,  Three Amigos, BLT... (yes, 1-Bacon, 1-Lettuce, 1-Tomato), and finally.... "3's Company"... two pink Onesies with Chrissy and Janet, and one blue with a picture of Jack.... it was just HILAROUS !  Finally... as if Jane & Cookie hadn't done enough for us already, they were so generous to gift us with not ONE but TWO!! CARSEATS!!   Jane's Sister-in-Law and Brother rounded it out with the third carseat... now we are ready to roll !!  (Good luck to the Car Seat Tech that has to secure all 3 seats in the car!).

Its just overwhelming to receive all of this love and support from our friends and family.  We just can't wait to introduce our children to all of our wonderful friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors.  A special shout-out to the "Lewis Avenue Crew" (including Joe, Heather, and Sophia who recently moved) - all of our great Neighbors that came over to visit... We have the BEST neighbors in the world... (hope they will still be around after the kids arive..lol).   Also, thanks to the "USF Crew" (both past and present) that came to visit and share some Cosmo's!

Thanks to everyone for making it a special day that Sid and I will remember forever !

Aaron & Jane... Pink shirt, so I had to start with a Blue drink !

Sid was feeling like a kid with a Mickey T-Shirt...

but started with a Pink Cosmo to round out the "adult" side!

Diaper Bouquet... So Creative!

BLT Onesies!  Makes me hungry...

3's Company Onesies... Jack, Janet, and Chrissy... Oh My!

Yay...Everything fit in the Car !

Feelings...Nothng but... Feelings... whoa...whoa...whoa...

Ok... Rant alert... no pictures to pretty up this post... just me talking about my "feelings"... (And Kudos to you if you get the song reference of the title... you are obviously as old as we are..haha).

Where to start... This surrogacy journey is so weird; you start off not knowing much about it, just wanting a baby.  Then, as you go, you learn more and more, meet more people involved, and learn from them.  I would be remiss if I didn't thank everyone (Family, Friends, Neighbors, etc) who have helped educate us on the ways of pregnancy, surrogacy, fatherhood, etc, etc... as we have progressed through our journey.  Our wonderful SurroMama and SurroDaddy (her husband) have definitely been giving us as much wisdom as we can soak up along the way, and we will always be indebted to them...

However... what not many people help you understand is that if successful through this process, you wind up creating life (or in our case, lives...), and those new lives are genetically related to you.   As Sid and I continue this journey, and get closer to the finish line (which rapidly becomes a starting line for a LONGER journey...), we are going through our lists of things to do.  This week we purchased the Nursery furniture - a big step forward.  Another big step is clearing out the room that will be the Nursery.  As we are doing this, its hitting me "we are actually making room for OUR children, who will live with us for years to come" (I know... you are thinking I'm a little slow on the uptake if I'm just realizing that, right?)... But seriously... WOW.... in a few months, we will be a household of 5 (6 with our Harry-Dog)... after being a household of two for the last fifteen years (yikes!?!).   Its mind boggeling...

But...what also comes with this realization is that our babies are 100's of miles away from us.  Of course, this is by design for several reasons... Firstly, Arizona - while beautiful - is WAY too red of a state to think of allowing surrogate births... second is that we love the idea of our children being born in California, like both Sid and I were (although, I'm from the REAL California...Northern CA - our ongoing joke). 

In a "traditional" pregnancy, if a Dad-to-Be was wanting some "belly time",  talking to the baby, or just waiting to feel a movement - there would be countless opportunities, from the time he woke up next to his wife, to the time they went to bed..... But for us, we have to cram that into visits where a whole lot else is usually going on... and feeling "shy" to touch someone elses belly... I mean, carrying our kids or not, we don't really feel comfortable just feeling Heidi up on our whim... (and I'm sure she appreciates that... lol).

I LOVE that Heidi & Family are growing and nuturing our kids, and I know that they are being cared for with the most love, caring, and compassion that anyone can give them - which means a lot;  but at the same time, I'm beginning to feel so connected to these little "beans" - even this far away - that it's hard to know there is so much geographic distance between us.

So... Dear, Dear, Dear babies A, B, and C.... know that your Daddy and Papa love you SOOO much, and we are working hard to get things ready for your arrival home someday soon!  Be good little babies, and stay safe right where you are for at LEAST 8-10 more weeks... because no matter how much we want to see, hold, and kiss you....your job now is to get as strong as possible before we meet.  Love always & Forever... Daddy & Papa  ( & Harry).....

Harry is waiting for some playmates!  

Signed Picture Matte from Shower...

Everyone at the shower signed a picture matte with shots of each baby from the 20 week u/s and the pic of our hands on Heidi's belly ... So cute! See the three monkeys on the bottom?? Lol!

Thanks BellaDaddies !!

Three Years ago when we were thinking about starting this crazy journey toward parenthood via surrogacy, we were put in contact with a great couple that had a two-year-old daughter at that time.  They really helped us understand the process of Surrogacy, and were patient enough to answer so many of our questions.  We recently re-connected with them, and saw their now almost 5-year-old daughter who is even more beautiful, smart, witty, and intelligent than before.  After reconnecting we also learned that they had moved and are now very close to us ... Yay!!   They posted the nicest commentary on our journey on their blog - if you get a chance, check it out at BellaDaddyBlog.blogspot.com.   Thanks Guys, and Miss Bella, the almost 5-year-old Diva!

Little Miss Bella looking like the Diva she is ! 

Our First Father's Day Card !!

A surprise came in the mail this week... we actually got mail from our Little Bean's!!  We got the sweetest Father's Day Card in the mail from Heidi & Family, and "We Love Daddy" keychains.  It's amazing that with all H & J are going through growing our little sprouts, they had the time and forethought to think of us.  This is just reason number 6,567 that we are so blessed and grateful to be experiencing this journey with them.    It's amazing to think that our children are more that just "a gleam in our eyes", and they are actually alive and on this planet, growing stronger each day until we finally get to meet them!  Sid and I have thought about being parents for so long, thinking "One day...", and now we have a more definite date that our "One day..." will be here... (sometime around or before Labor Day, so appropriate, huh?).   Thank you to all of our friends, relatives, and blog followers that have and continue to support us through this journey, and as always, thanks to H & J for helping to make our dreams come true !

Last one... I promise...

Another day, another registery... Babies R'Us didn't have the style of car seat we wanted, so we found them at Buy Buy Baby...  Like the other registeries, you can find ours under either Aaron Bell or Sid Cuecha, Phoenix, AZ, with a due date of 8/31/2011 - cause, c'mon, we all know these kids aren't going to wait much longer than that !

http://www.buybuybaby.com/regHome.asp?

NEW, for your Shopping pleasure... (hehe)...

We are now registered at Target for ... what else... Baby Stuff... mostly "daily" kind of supplies, some toys... and of course more clothes... haha... Thanks for taking a look !

http://www.target.com/registry/baby/portal?ie=UTF8&ref=nav_targetbabylogo