The day we transfered our embryos - it worked!
January 22, 2011 
47 Days until due date. It's hard to imagine that I will actually be a mom in a few weeks. I've been trying to picture Karlin giving birth to our baby but my mind draws a complete blank. I'm fuzzy. The only sensation is my pounding heart. Odd, because I am a photographer and spent ten years of my life working for magazines in New York City. That's what I do. I make images. Yet I can't imagine what it's going to be like - labor and delivery. Is it fear? Or not allowing myself to believe that this is actually going happen after so much struggle.
A year and a half ago when my fiance Kenny and I left Manhattan and moved to down south. We traded our busy city lives, East Village apt on St Marks for a beautiful victorian house on 7.5 acres of land in across from a cotton field in Murfreesboro, NC. How we got here is a whole other story. This is a magical place where our son can fish with his dad, collect bugs in mason jars and maybe one day get a horse. We wanted to find a place where a kid.
Reproductive Medicine of New Jersey describes a Gestational Carrier as: a woman who becomes pregnant, carries a fetus throughout a pregnancy and delivers the child for another couple. The GC has no genetic link to the fetus she is carrying.
We had less than a 30% chance that we would actually get pregnant because we were in our 40s. Viable egg production drops off like a ski jump
In February 2007 I underwent ten days of intense hormone injections, daily sonograms and blood work. It was amazing to get six viable eggs extracted from my one functioning ovary. Then Kenny did his thing in the men's lab, three days went by and his sperm and my eggs hung out in a dish. Embryology confirmed the results that we had three embryos ready to be put on ice. They were frozen for two years.
ENTER KARLIN, BABY MAMA!
June 16th, 2010 we were finally ready after juggling schedules, baby/dog/house sitters, flights, medications, drug companies, doctors and life. After a long day of travel Kenny and I picked up Karlin at international arrivals from Canada at Newark Airport. Kenny made a sign that said Baby Mama and he stood with all the limo drivers. I spotted her then her big smile. We all laughed which lessened our stress. Then the lost luggage. A whammy! Karlin had packed all her meds in her suitcase that was somewhere in Toronto. We got through that one after emergency calls to RMA and a 24 hr CVS. Navigating Jersery was a nightmare.
The next morning at 6am we checked in at the clinic RMA to make sure Karlin's levels were good. The transfer was booked later in the afternoon, we had four hours...what to do? Target. Odd feeling to shop when our embryo transfer was about to happen. After all the hoping and praying we were at this moment. Doing reproductive medicine is rife with stray emotion and anxiety. But the results are a baby. The whole procedure only took 20 mins and when Karlin was wheeled out of the room we took a collective sigh. Finally it was done.
I have learned to let go of the results which kept my sanity. I haven't seen Karlin since I said a teary good bye at Air Canada. Kenny took our photo in front of departures I look tired and worn out. Karlin looks pretty and vibrant in her new J-Crew sweater. We hugged and she disappeared inside the terminal. I said many prayers over the last few years for the life of our unborn child. This is not just our story. People from across Canada and the US have been praying for us all. I have received so much love and support which will touch my heart forever. Thank you.
Check out Karlin's blog, Miracles + Science http://klr01.tumblr.com/
Reader Comments (4)
I am still in love with this story. I look forward to the arrival of Tate Thomas and all the joy and growing love it will bring your blended family.
Blog on!
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