Happy New Year ... A look backward...

Well, we made it to 2012!  There were a few times over the past few months I wondered who would survive; Sid and I or the kids... yes, it was an either/or proposition more than a few times.  Luckily, Mother Nature really knows what she is doing... just when things looked the darkest, those cute little buggers started smiling, and have hardly stopped!  Just the other day, I came into the nursery in the morning to get the kids up (after they slept all night...YAY!), and little Caitlin didn't see me at first.   As she lazily moved her head over and spotted me, I was watching her.... I actually laughed out loud at her reaction... she did a double take (like "am I dreaming?"), and then broke out into the biggest smile I have seen her have as yet, and started shaking her hands and feet in joy!   I'm sure she was happy to see me, but I think she also probably wanted to get the heck out of the crib also!    Riley has been a little smile monster also, all of a sudden - we can't call him the "Grumpy Old Man" anymore - he is always smiling!   Little Kelsie has had a rough few months - she had some congestion due to underdeveloped/small windpipes, and just when she started to grow out of  that, she started chronic spitting-up... pretty bad.   We no sooner got her on some medication to control that, and she came down with a cold... and promptly shared that with her brother... (I knew that would happen soon, as Kelsie is in the middle in the shared crib, so it was bound to travel both ways).  Even with all of that, our little trooper is powering  through it all, and her smile lights up her whole face.   It's so nice to see  her smile after a few rough obstacles to overcome, we finally feel like she feels up to growing and developing like her siblings, rather than having to focus so hard on trying to feel good. 

Sid and I are hanging in there... like we have a choice!  We had LOTS of family come visit us over the holidays, and they helped a lot.  We also have come to rely on our wonderfuly "Nanny Dani" - Danielle - more and more every day.   After spending several days with the kids all day long over the holidays, I definitely can appreciate what Danielle faces daily...although she can go home at night and sleep through the night, which helps I'm sure.

We are continually surprised by all of the people that ask "do you think you will keep in contact with your surrogate", or people that are surprised when they hear that we are in almost daily contact.   HELL YES, I want to scream... this woman, and her family, sacrificed a lot for us, and we all become very close.  Yes, surrogates are compensated - but YOU try carrying triplets (over 15# of them prior to delivery no less) and then tell us if any compensation is REALLY enough!  So yes, in a nutshell, we hope that Heidi and her family are in our lives for the rest of our lives - and maybe longer if the kids bond and carry on relationships after we are gone.

One of our most difficult challenges these days is trying to get ANYTHING done, especially taking, reviewing, downloading, and posting pictures.  We feel so bad that we haven't done more to "document" these first few months.   However, if a choice between caring for them or documenting their lives, well, of course they come first!   This is why the present that Heidi gave us on New Years day was so special.  She painstakingly reviewed 1,000's of photos and made a video montage with music about our Journey toward parenthood.   It is nothing short of AMAZING !!  Please check out the link below, but be warned, have kleenex handy!

Check out The Journey - 2011

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to All !

Our First Christmas Picture - An Arizona Snow Globe

Well, it looks like I'm a few days late for my "regular monthly post".   I really do mean to post more often, but time seems to be going amazingly fast.   In just over a week, the Arizona Triplets will be 4 MONTHS OLD... amazing!   It's been a whirlwind of activity; most good, but some VERY challenging times as well.  Over all, we continue to be so blessed with happy, healthy children that are growing right on target.   As of this week, Caitlin is in the lead at 13# 14oz,  Riley is just behind at 12# 13oz, and Kelsie is bring up the rear at just about 11# 10oz.    Ms. Caitlin Marie has graduated to diaper size #2.  We've come quite a way from Preemie diapers, trying to get them to eat 30ml through the bottle versus a feeding tube, and waiting for the umbelical cord stump to fall off and heal up.

We are spending the holidays at home, of course.  Our great family are all coming to visit us.  We can't wait to see everyone, but I have to confess, I'm a little nervous about having this many people in our house at the same time, and getting the kids to sleep on a somewhat normal schedule.   Sid keeps telling me that it will all work out, and I'm sure he's right.

The pictures on this post were taken a few weeks ago.  It was actually the first "public" outing in AZ for the kids.  That is, the first time we ventured out in public, without going to the doctor office.  Everything went fairly well - we are getting a "little" better at getting the Triplets dressed, in car seats, and out the door... but it still takes about 45 minutes to an hour.   So, we finally get out the door, down the driveway, and on our way.  We went over to a shopping center not far from the house.   On the drive over, the sky got darker, darker and darker still.... yup... we made it to the parking lot just in time for the rain!   We made it out of the parking lot... and then  people noticed us ... two men with three babies... and the "wow, are those triplets..." comments began.   Everyone was nice,  but I was really wanting to get out of the cold.  At the end of the short visit, all I wanted to do was get back into the heated car.  We were there long enough to take the picture above, buy some stuff and Bath & Body.   The next stop was our friends house, Jane & Cookie, and their puppy, Kirin. 

We are still having good moments and not-so-happy moments, but thats life, right??  Over the past few weeks, all three kids have been smiling from ear-to-ear at the sight of us, and really, thats what it's all about ! 

Caitlin Marie

Kelsie Jeanne

Riley Connor

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from all of us !

The "Dumbo" Post ...

So ever since I can remember, I have had "big" ears... not freakishly huge, just a bit bigger than maybe they should be.  Turns out it was a family thing... My Dad's father should have been able to hear pins drop in the house next door, but it skipped my Dad, and bingo... Maybe Riley has a chance...

Tonight I found out the perfect use for larger ears and earlobes.   After feeding Caitlin, I was holding her, and just having some Daddy time with our little girl (Ok, sounds nice, but really I was just hoping it would tire her out so she would sleep longer tonight... oops, did I just say that out loud?).   She is our little "coo-er", she makes all of these great gurgling baby noises.  As I was holding her, she reached up, and grabbed my "larger-than-life" earlobe... ADORABLE... I'm so wrapped around her little fingers!  Seems my big earlobes are the PERFECT size for her little hands!

Caitlin thinking about how best to keep Daddies up all night... Plotting her scheme...

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!  

Aaron's new project!! A blog is born!

Aaron Hard at work trying to get the formatting on the blog all lined up...