All booked and ready to go…

We just got home from Chicago and I feel like we just left. Christmas day didn’t give us snow, but some rain here and there. It was nice seeing everyone for the short time we did have. So many laughs, moments of joy, surprise and tears. A lot more memories we will treasure.
 Today we have been preparing for our trip to Seattle and finalizing Kevin’s trip to India/China. I just picked up Kevin’s passport and there I see it, a tourist visa to India and China. Kevin’s flights are arranged for his travel and we just received confirmation for his stay at the Taj Hotel in Hyderabad. He arrives in India on January 6^th and departs on January 10^th. He will then travel on to China to conduct business until the 19^th.
As for Seattle, we were cutting it close to the wire but we did find a flight and hotel stay in the downtown area. Our departure is on Saturday the 31^st at 8:00 am. Without delays we should arrive in Seattle at 11:00 am. To make getting around town easier (it being New Years Eve and staying downtown), we rented a car for the day. Lexi has arranged for all of us to meet at the restaurant called Von’s. Its right around the corner from our hotel and close walking distance to Seattle’s famous Market Place. 
As I sit here thinking about it all, I feel ”I can’t believe it’s all beginning to happening”. You wouldn’t believe the constantly thoughts, worry, wonder, fear that run through my head. Believe me when I say they’ve keeping me up at night.  I’m extremely exhausted. Not just from our process of surrogacy. It is also from our traveling, to work to the holidays, to me throwing a baby shower for my little sister in two weeks. I’m over my head. Yet I have this love in my heart that is so strong and so happy. My own self wont let me rest. I am slowly moving toward my dream of becoming a mother. I love thinking of the idea of being called mommy. I love thinking about when the day comes I can hold my child in my arms and watching him sleep. I really do hope this works. Wow, I’m scared…so scared. I know this won’t be easy. Heck, I’ve faced many challenges and jumped many hurtles to get here. I’m not going to give up. Fighting for what I want is what I do best.     

Communication with our egg donor..

After we all exchanging email addresses with one another Kevin and I took the first step to contact Angel. We explained who we are and what brought us to this point in our life. We told her that we would like to meet her before the process begins in India, and what are her thoughts? We told her that meeting together will allow us to have that connection with her and to thank her in person before all of this happens. It is something we would treasure. We had booked our flight for December 31st to Seattle. We will be arriving at 11:00am
This is the beautiful email we received from Angel” I'm very excited to meet you both and to tell you about myself, my family and anything else you may be interested in knowing.  I can tell you now that I believe it takes a certain person with a certain mindset to become involved with this as a donor.  I have that mindset for a number of reasons.  One is that I happen to know a couple personally who are struggling very much with being able to make their family complete and, to me, family is one of the most cherished things.  I myself know that (someday) I will love being a mommy as well.  However I am far from ready for that moment.  So to help a family get there is something I would hope someone would extend to me if I were to ever find myself in a position to not be able to.
 I look forward to your visit on the 31st!  I'm available in the day and can save all of it for you two; I will just have to work at 5:30 that evening.  Have you ever been to Seattle?  If not, I can help think of a nice spot to visit where you can also do a little tourism.  If either of you are wanting phone contact I'd also be open to that, I'm an open book:)   I hope you two are having a great holiday season so far and a safe trip up!
Upon receiving this email Kevin and were extremely elated. We have such high hopes and much excitement for this. But honestly deep down inside of me, I’m so scared. I am so nervous upon meeting Angel. I am worried that she wont like us. Or what if we say or do something that makes her think differently of us? Then she changes her mind to be our egg donor. Yeah I am paranoid. Then somewhere deep down inside of me I get this feeling, no it is an overwhelming emotion I feel It hits me like nothing I've ever felt. O my gosh, this is real and it’s all beginning. Needless to say I needed reassurance so we called Lexi and she made me feel much better.
My goodness, there is so much going on right now I can’t sleep. Kevin and we had my family Christmas dinner/ December birthdays celebration at my moms on the 17^th. Then that Sunday the 18^th, my niece Madison got baptized.  Then Friday the 23^rd we had to catch a redeye flight to Chicago to spend Christmas with Kevin family. All the while I'm, thinking and worrying and imagining our meeting with Angel. I just pray she like us..and we like her. 

We wanted to meet her…

So we are back from Europe and all we can do is think about our egg donor. We began to process Kevin’s passport as quickly as possible. Yet, all we could do was ask each other “wonder if we can meet her” What is she like? What are her beliefs in life, etc.. So on December 14^th, we called Lexi to ask what she thought of the idea of us meeting our egg donor, Angel. She informed us that she would ask Angel and get back to us. Verbatim from Lexi:” I heard from Angel and she said she thinks she would be available on the 31st for a few hours. She is open to whatever communication, so I will pass along her email address and you can reach out to her whenever. I will make sure to give her a heads up”. As excited as we were to have the opportunity, we said” We will plan to come to Seattle either on 12/30 evening or early 12/31. Sometime on 12/31 we can meet with you and Angel to meet and talk. We would definitely like to talk with her first of course before meeting her to "break the ice," if you will. Lexi agreed and passed on the message.

 In the mean time KIC was concerned about Kevin’s sperm donation. Lexi emailed us and ask” Kevin, you will be required to give 3 semen ejaculates over 3 days. So, you can book the return flight for the evening of 10^th Kevin said yes, and planned his itinerary to India.