We are two different families living and loving life in sunny Florida, one in Miami and the other near Tampa Bay. I’m D’Ann, a 30 year-old mommy of three very spirited (to say the least) little girls. I hope one of the many highlights of my so called “midlife” will be becoming a gestational surrogate (GS). The Husband and I run a construction based business that at any given time I either love or love to hate. We were both raised in the Midwest without any cool cultural roots, just two plain ole’ slices of American white bread. The closest television family that I could equate our family to would be a mix of Debra, from Everybody Loves Raymond, and Doug, from The King of Queens (minus the gut -The Husband notes) saddled with the Tanner girls (D.J., Stephanie, & Michelle) from the late 80’s family hit Full House.
My intended parents (IP’s), code named Lucy and Ricky, are a professional couple who have a two-year-old son named, little Ricky. Have I mentioned that big Ricky is from El Salvador and Lucy jokes that a day in her life is like starring in an I Love Lucy episode? Little Ricky was conceived and carried by Lucy herself after their fifth IVF attempt. Lucy developed severe preeclampsia at 26 weeks and little Ricky was born at 28 weeks. The time has come to attempt a sibling for little Ricky and los papis (mom & dad) have decided it is safer to go about it “new school” style by using the art of reproductive technology (ART) along with utilizing a surrogate (me!).
We welcome you to take a peek into the amazing and sometimes controversial world of gestational surrogacy. Join us “first timers” as we navigate our way while promising to pass any practical knowledge right on down the line to you – along with our tears, fears, laughter and hopes. Maybe you’ll be challenged to think about preconceived ideas about surrogacy or maybe you’ll laugh out loud at our sometimes outrageous antics. (Lucy wanted to introduce family from El Salvador to me while I was doing volunteer work where I wear period costume from Florida pioneer days – imagine Little House on the Prairie, um awkward.) Anyway, I digress. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up joining the surrogacy world yourself and at the very least you’ll probably learn and memorize every blessed acronym known to ART.
What Exactly We’re Workin’ With:
Lucy and Ricky have four blastocysts (fertilized eggs) just chillin’, literally, at the fertility clinic. They are frozen in “straws” of two. Frozen embryo transfer (FET), here we come!
Lucy & D'Ann
