Anyone who's ever been apart of surrogacy knows it can take many phone calls to plan out the early details of the process. Just this week alone, I'm sure I've logged several hours of chat time with my IM, the clinic, the nurse, pychologists, and my doctors to get things coordinated. Luckily, my IM and I are so much alike that we both like to get things planned and sorted out in advance. We're both flexible (because you absolutely HAVE to be with surrogacy!) and can adapt to change, but there's something about having tentative dates that makes my inner control freak say, "Ahhhhh!"

A lot has happened since my last post:

• I am starting a new job on February 19th. I am lucky enough to be leaving a very good job and joining a great place closer to home with a little less of a demanding schedule. Being a mom of three makes for a very busy calendar, so this was a move that felt right for this time in my life.

• I'm flying to California for a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) and mock transfer on February 14th! Yes, V-day will now stand for Vagina-Day! (Thank you to my surro-friend, Meredith, for that) This will be my first trip to California (and I have a short layover in Phoenix so that will also add Arizona to the states I've been to...and yes, I'm counting it b/c I can!) so I'm really excited. It also means that things are starting to get real!

• I met my friend A for a drink Thursday. "What's the big deal?" you ask? Well, it's a HUGE deal because the friend was someone I'd never met before! I actually met A through my last blog. She was a potential IM that emailed me and we hit it off instantly. I was pregnant with baby L (first surrogacy journey) and we exchanged emails often. She's also the one that sent me the lovely Margarita bouquet in the hospital when I delivered. As you can imagine, I was incredibly thrilled to finally meet her and give her the big hug I'd been saving for so long! She's the proud mommy of twins now, but was able to sneak away for some girl talk. We chatted away for 2.5 hours and it felt like it was 2.5 minutes!! Needless to say, it felt like we were old friends and I can't wait to hang out with her again. -We received a tentative transfer calendar! Dates are still being discussed, but I'm 90% sure we'll be transferring on March 22nd! We're doing a "needle-free" protocol, but that's a bit of a misnomer as there are estrogen shots. Of course, those are nothing like the PIO shots I did with my first journey. Truth be told, I was almost bummed when I heard we weren't doing shots. I know, I'm weird!!! This from the girl that used to pass out at the sight of needles. Anyway, once I regained my sense, I was completely fine but it will be interesting to see if the vaginal suppositories are really as messy as everyone says. As long as they WORK, that's all I care about. :)

• The least important and exciting thing is that I had to sit through 2.5 days of insurance training. For anyone that cares, I was at a Certified Insurance Counselor institute in Houston. This particular one was a Property Institute. I know, you're just dying to know what a bunch of insurance nerds do at their secret insurance classes, right? We read policies, laugh at unbelievable claims pictures and make lame insurance jokes. There, treasures of the insurance world unveiled! :) I only share this part because I want the world to know how dedicated we insurance people are to covering the world's ass(ets). So, it's on to contracts for us. We have to have all of our legal finished by March 1st. It should be plenty of time but things never go according to plan, so it's nice to have some time in there for any delays. Luckily, J and I have hashed most everything out and this ain't our first rodeo (there's your Texas reference) so I feel like it should be a pretty smooth process.

One thing I want to comment on is my first journey. Surrogacy journeys are like onions. Oh wait, no, that's ogres.

Surrogacy journeys are like children. Just like you don't love one child over another, you treat your journeys as separate and special times in your life. Sure, you pick up things from the first experience and apply them to the second. You know a little more and you're a little more comfortable. So, each experience is unique, even if similarities exist between the two. I think having one journey under your belt can help to enrich the next, but they are indeed individual experiences that do not replace one another. So, my first IPs and baby L will always have a special place in my heart. And just as my heart grew to fit my second and third children, I feel like my heart's growing a special spot for J, D and their son N. I'm thankful for reasons to grow and can't wait to tell them to clear a spot for a new little one in their hearts!