Hoppy Easter

2 years ago today...

...I lay nervously on an exam table hoping to become pregnant.  A few days later we learned that we were successful and our pregnancy journey began.  To celebrate our transfer-versary, I thought that today would be a good day to take a walk down memory lane.

THE JOURNEY

March 6, 2013

February 6, 2013

Every 6th of the month is special, 

but February 6th is extra special because it's also George's birthday!  

Happy Birthday George!

First Haircut

Seriously.  That is one handsome kid. And his Papi is lookin' good too!

The 6th Of The Month

I'm one of those people who would always refer to my kiddos as 3 months old, 6 months old, 11 months old, etc., but once they hit 12 months, they were ONE year old.  At 18 months, yes, they were a year and a half old.  I would talk with some of my mommy friends who proudly shared that their baby was 15 months old, or 22 months old, or, wait for it....43 months old.  Ugh.

When people ask me about the twins and how old they are, I often have to think for just a minute.  My reply is often, "They're over a year old now!".  And soon it will be, "They're a year and a half old!"  One thing that I have noticed with Gus and Milena that I never had with my own kids is that I'm acutely aware of the 6th of every month.  Their monthly birthday never slips my mind.  This doesn't necessarily mean that I immediately know how many months old  they are, and when they're 2(ish), I certainly won't be referring to them as being 26 months old, but I wonder if there will ever come a time when the 6th of the month arrives and I don't reminisce about "the 6th."  The 6th is a very special day of the month for me.  I think about Farid, George, Gustavo and Milena EVERY day, but I like the fact that on the 6th day of each month, I'm just a little more aware, reminded just a teeny bit more, of an unforgettable experience that will forever hold a space very near and dear to my heart.

Happy 6th of the month!  

And in case you're wondering, Milena and Gustavo will be a year and a half old in 4 months.  

Merry Ho Ho and all that good stuff

What an adorable family!

Christmas 2012

Faces

Hold on to your hearts folks, because these kids are out to steal them!

Every picture I see either makes me melt, laugh, tear up or smile.

Just take a look at these faces!  

13 months of absolute adorable-ness.  (It's a word - I promise.)

ONE YEAR OLD!

Happy Birthday Milena and Gustavo!

The world has become a better place since the two of you entered it 

just one year ago.

The year in pictures:

2 days old

1 month 

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

ONE!

Happy Birthday Kiddos.  I love you so, so much!

11 Months Old!

Happy

\

Happy

Happy

And just like the hokey pokey, "That's what it's all about."

Happy 11 months Gustavo and Milena!  Hugs and Kisses!

The New TV Family

The New Normal.

Modern Family.

Guys With Kids.

Just a sampling of some of the television shows you can tune into this season.  The shows will make you laugh and they'll make you cry but most importantly, they will help to  change the way our society views family.

Obviously, The New Normal is a show that many surrogates and intended parents were excited about watching.  The feedback on the show is mixed.  Some love it and some hate it.  Some feel it "represents" and others argue that it's not realistic. Personally, I'm enjoying the show.  Sure, there are plenty of things that aren't an accurate representation, but in my mind there is a more important shift taking place.

Shows like these are creating characters that we fall in love with as viewers.  Character development is crucial for any TV show that's going to experience success on prime time.  Not only are the characters in these shows well developed, these shows are portraying a non-traditional family.  We have a single mom and surrogate mother.  We've got stay-at-home dads.  We've got gay couples who are creating families via adoption and surrogacy.

The more our society sees a variety of families, the more likely it is that it becomes accepted as the norm, and if we could just be honest with ourselves, the non-traditional family IS the norm!  It's our reality and we should embrace that.  These shows are helping to reinforce the fact that although families may LOOK different, if you peel away what the family "looks" like, you're simply left with....a family.  Not a gay family.  Not a divorced family.  Not a "non-traditional" family.  Just a family.

And as an incredibly lovable surrogate once said: