Before I even start off with day 2, let me just say that the hotel room did not have a shower curtain and the guy had to klepto it from another room. How odd is that???
Ok…back to the story…after breakfast, we headed to Pacific Fertility Clinic. It was not that far from the hotel. When we got there, we check in and went right back to meet the doctor. Dr. S is very funny. I call him Dr. Suresh because I can't remember his full name, but…whatevs. He went over the whole IVF process. He showed us the needles the girls use to inject their medication and the devices he uses to retrieve eggs and implant the embryos. He told us that the female reproductive system is one big waste. Women are born with millions of eggs and slowly get rid of them-wasting them once a month. Interesting.
After our meeting, we headed to the waiting room and drank water so we could do our urine test. After a few cups, I was ready to go. As more time passed, I really had to go. Brian was called back first and I told him to ask them if I could please take the test soon. About 20 minutes later, I FINALLY was able to relieve myself. Then, I had to get blood work done. Usually, one would only have to give 4 to 5 vials of blood taken-as Brian had. But, NO, I have to be Jewish. The "Jewish Panel" as they call it, is 7 additional vials of blood…so I had 11 vials of blood. And we're not talking about the small ones. I had to sit for awhile after the blood. Then, off to the "Oval Office," as it was labeled, for sperm donation. Not impressed. You would think, knowing what a guy was doing in there, that it would be a lot nicer. There was a vinyl Queen Anne-shaped couch with a cloth covering it and a disposable sheet to sit on. The video collection was not that vast…I was looking at the titles, and then I realized that other men have probably touched their peepers before touching the videos and then had to go was my hands again. Brian was in before me, so whatever video he used would just have to do.
After that, we had to get a quick physical and the doc said we could leave…so we did.
After getting back to the hotel, literally 5 minutes later, my cell rang and it was the clinic saying we left too early and still had to meet with the financial lady. So we have to go back tomorrow.
Because of the time we finally got to bed and the early wake-up, we took a 2-hour nap. When I finally got up, I showered again and soon after, Kelly was there. We went to lunch at the Saddle Ranch, which had a mechanical bull-so cool. We had our waitress put Leighton on the bull before we left and took a pic of him.
Next, we drove out to Santa Monica. We took the scenic route-beautiful. Finally, we were at the Promenade and went window shopping. Lee met us for dinner and we went back to the hotel and off to bed.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Egg Donor...Take 2
I know I still have yet to post the additional information about California, but we just got off the phone with a new egg donor, Laura, and we really liked her. She was actually our second choice the first time, so hopefully she will work out!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Los Angeles-Part 1
Is it just me or is the flight from PHL to LAX EXCESSIVELY long? We watched 2 full two hour movies and they are still showing “MASH” and “Seinfeld, an E! True Hollywood Story.” We were supposed to leave at 6:10 but did not actually get airborne until about 7pm. Add 6 hours in flight and we should arrive there around 1am EST…of course time zones have changed, so it will be…what…10pm California time? Ugh!
Now remember, my faithful readers, I have been up since 6:30 am, did not nap during the day and cannot seem to get comfortable enough to sleep on the plane. Add that and the fact I just increased my dosage of meds today…and you’ve got one tired Geller! I mean, I might be going delirious at this point. Thank Goodness we don’t have to drive, but we still have to get our luggage…we probably won’t get to the hotel until 3am. That is like 21 hours. I get to sleep, wake up at and go to the fertility clinic. That is the second doctor’s appointment I have had in 2 days. Then, Friday night we are going to see Kelly and Leighton. Saturday is a day dedicated to one of my best friends from college…the woman who held ½ of my brain for 2 years in college…JO!!! I am so excited to see her!!! I am freaked about the flight…I am freaked about the clinic…but I am stoked to see my love! All of my current relationships with females, in one way or another, imitate some aspect of Jo and my relationship…yet as best as one tries…one can never find that girl who you can see yourself sitting next to in a nursing home…especially since we both like men…LOL…I did say I was delirious.
Oh, I forgot to mention that 2 days ago one of my student’s fathers came up to me and said he had a dream of me in a terrible car accident. He said that I was on my way to an airport…but I never told him or his daughter that I was flying anywhere, nor did I even mention a trip. He said he saw himself pulling me out of the car accident, so I am hoping him telling me that information was his way of “intervening” and now it won’t happen. It is now 12:20 EST and I can barely read my own handwriting, so I will pick this up after some sleep.
PS: After arriving in LAX, we sat on the tarmac for almost an hour until a gate became available!
*Oh yeah…there is a girl on the plane who looks just like a famous actress…and she was reading a script before. She looks like the blond girl from “Mean Girls” whose boobs could tell the weather. I think she is in “Big Love” now.
**Her name is Amanda Seyfried and it was her! We spoke for a bit at baggage claim. She is going to be starring in “Mamma Mia” with Meryl Streep. She took a picture of my frog for her friend. She is my new favorite actress. She is soft spoken, very sweet, shorter than I thought and thinner than I thought. Jo said more people would know her as “Lilly Kane” (the dead girl) from season 1 of “Veronica Mars.”
MORE TO COME
Now remember, my faithful readers, I have been up since 6:30 am, did not nap during the day and cannot seem to get comfortable enough to sleep on the plane. Add that and the fact I just increased my dosage of meds today…and you’ve got one tired Geller! I mean, I might be going delirious at this point. Thank Goodness we don’t have to drive, but we still have to get our luggage…we probably won’t get to the hotel until 3am. That is like 21 hours. I get to sleep, wake up at and go to the fertility clinic. That is the second doctor’s appointment I have had in 2 days. Then, Friday night we are going to see Kelly and Leighton. Saturday is a day dedicated to one of my best friends from college…the woman who held ½ of my brain for 2 years in college…JO!!! I am so excited to see her!!! I am freaked about the flight…I am freaked about the clinic…but I am stoked to see my love! All of my current relationships with females, in one way or another, imitate some aspect of Jo and my relationship…yet as best as one tries…one can never find that girl who you can see yourself sitting next to in a nursing home…especially since we both like men…LOL…I did say I was delirious.
Oh, I forgot to mention that 2 days ago one of my student’s fathers came up to me and said he had a dream of me in a terrible car accident. He said that I was on my way to an airport…but I never told him or his daughter that I was flying anywhere, nor did I even mention a trip. He said he saw himself pulling me out of the car accident, so I am hoping him telling me that information was his way of “intervening” and now it won’t happen. It is now 12:20 EST and I can barely read my own handwriting, so I will pick this up after some sleep.
PS: After arriving in LAX, we sat on the tarmac for almost an hour until a gate became available!
*Oh yeah…there is a girl on the plane who looks just like a famous actress…and she was reading a script before. She looks like the blond girl from “Mean Girls” whose boobs could tell the weather. I think she is in “Big Love” now.
**Her name is Amanda Seyfried and it was her! We spoke for a bit at baggage claim. She is going to be starring in “Mamma Mia” with Meryl Streep. She took a picture of my frog for her friend. She is my new favorite actress. She is soft spoken, very sweet, shorter than I thought and thinner than I thought. Jo said more people would know her as “Lilly Kane” (the dead girl) from season 1 of “Veronica Mars.”
MORE TO COME
The Search Continues...
I guess everything was going too well…A wrench had to be thrown in the works…SH*T had to happen.
Brian and I received from very disheartening news this week, and after e-mails, research, phone calls and LONG conversations, we have decided that we must choose a different egg donor. "M" will not work out and it breaks my heart.
There are many reasons why we came to this decision…not just recent events. I guess I liked her for several reasons, ones that I still value, however, much of that has changed, in her, since she moved. Her new career path has been leading her away from our paths crossing, which is ironic, because they literally would have crossed this weekend while we were in LA.
Those who know me very well know that I value certain things and cannot stand others. She went from one end to the other rather quickly. I will not badmouth her nor say exactly what happened…if you need more details, you may ask me directly.
So, few many reasons, our search for an egg donor continues…hey…they say three times is a charm…right?
Brian and I received from very disheartening news this week, and after e-mails, research, phone calls and LONG conversations, we have decided that we must choose a different egg donor. "M" will not work out and it breaks my heart.
There are many reasons why we came to this decision…not just recent events. I guess I liked her for several reasons, ones that I still value, however, much of that has changed, in her, since she moved. Her new career path has been leading her away from our paths crossing, which is ironic, because they literally would have crossed this weekend while we were in LA.
Those who know me very well know that I value certain things and cannot stand others. She went from one end to the other rather quickly. I will not badmouth her nor say exactly what happened…if you need more details, you may ask me directly.
So, few many reasons, our search for an egg donor continues…hey…they say three times is a charm…right?
Monday, December 17, 2007
Colorado Springs
I wrote the following blog over three days, so it might seem a little disjointed…
Today we woke up at about 7am and got ready to go. Final packing, toiletries, etc. I actually felt bad about leaving Captain. I wanted to bring my stuffed Chocolate Lab Captain, but at the last minute, when I thought about going through security with a book bag, suitcase, belt, shoes, phones, and a jacket, a stuffed dog might be pushing it.
We were getting ready and I called the parentals…AKA Captain’s doggie sitters, to go over final details. We grabbed our bags, got in the car, and drove off. My stomach was in knots. I could not believe the nervous feelings permeating my body. I am not a fan of butterflies in my stomach, especially before a flight. Brian had to remind me to think of this as an interview, even though I am pretty sure it is a totally different feeling. Don’t get me wrong, I am not scared about meeting Noemi and Chris, I am just nervous. It seems everything these past few months have been moving fast. Not just the baby stuff, but life! A second ago, it was the first week of school, and now we are days from Winter Recess. This past week was packed. I had to go to different places every day after work, which I am not used to any longer. I had Family Academic Night until 7pm on Thursday, dinner for Sal’s birthday on Friday night, and then an early morning flight. I have to pause occasionally to remind myself, “Eyes on the prize.” But, I hear Violet’s mom’s voice from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (Missi Pyle) saying it to Violet…I know…weird.
Our flight to Minnesota was turbulent. It left about 30 minutes late due to some mechanical conditions, which made every turbulent bump seem more severe than it probably was. Thus far, it is 11:37 am EST, I am about to land, yet am NOT impressed with North West Airlines.
Random thoughts…do Jim and Dan ever get airsick from turbulence? How much does a Flight Attendant make? Why is the one chick so cheery and the other seems bitchy? The bitchy one looks like she has had too much Botox but Brian thinks she looks like an Asian version of Posh Spice…but she is not even Asian. Ok…flight gate change-we have to switch planes, which we tried to avoid…oh well.
And Brian said that “we are never flying North West again!” The switch of planes, no big deal-but the fact that we had a 10 minute walk from one terminal to the other made him not so happy.
So we got to Colorado Springs (second smallest airport I think I have ever been to) and went to the hotel-Antlers Hilton. I liked it…seemed very popular with the locals. We shall stay there again. Brian called Noemi and we decided to take a cat nap befog going to dinner.
Chris and Noemi met us in the hotel lobby. First, let me say that Noemi has striking beauty. Her pictures do not do her justice! Second, Chris is muy guapo. Finally, they make an adorable couple! They complement each other well.
We headed out to dinner (in walking distance). Cute place, many drunken Santa’s…made me think of Selina doing the Santa Run in Philly. Anyway, they had some very exciting news…they got married on December 6! It was a civil ceremony, just the two of them, but they are now husband and wife (CONGRATULATIONS!). Chris said immediately after, he bought Noemi a hot dog and soda-their first meal as husband and wife. And then he had to go back to work. Too funny.
After dinner, they convinced us to go to Karaoke. Brian did not sing, but he did play Noemi in pool. We then went to another bar for more Karaoke. As the night went on…yup…I got drunk…SHOCKER! Don’t remember much…Brian said he sang Karaoke…But I have to say, I had a blast. We all bonded!
Noemi and Chris are GREAT! I love them. I am SOOOOOO happy she is doing this for us. She is sweet, and friendly, and happy, and honest, and …well, she is just great. She will be a terrific carrier. And Chris is awesome and funny, so she will be in good hands.
All in all, the visit was better than I could have asked for. Maybe, if I was not hung over this morning, I would have enjoyed my breakfast-that would be the only thing I would change. So, basically, thank you to all who kept us in your thoughts and prayers because our gestational carrier is phenomenal. Now, continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers in the New Year because Noemi told us the doctor said we can be pregnant as early as the end of January and Brian and I still have to go to the fertility clinic in a few weeks-probably mid-January, maybe over MLK Jr. Day holiday.
Thanks for taking the time to read-and please comment!
Today we woke up at about 7am and got ready to go. Final packing, toiletries, etc. I actually felt bad about leaving Captain. I wanted to bring my stuffed Chocolate Lab Captain, but at the last minute, when I thought about going through security with a book bag, suitcase, belt, shoes, phones, and a jacket, a stuffed dog might be pushing it.
We were getting ready and I called the parentals…AKA Captain’s doggie sitters, to go over final details. We grabbed our bags, got in the car, and drove off. My stomach was in knots. I could not believe the nervous feelings permeating my body. I am not a fan of butterflies in my stomach, especially before a flight. Brian had to remind me to think of this as an interview, even though I am pretty sure it is a totally different feeling. Don’t get me wrong, I am not scared about meeting Noemi and Chris, I am just nervous. It seems everything these past few months have been moving fast. Not just the baby stuff, but life! A second ago, it was the first week of school, and now we are days from Winter Recess. This past week was packed. I had to go to different places every day after work, which I am not used to any longer. I had Family Academic Night until 7pm on Thursday, dinner for Sal’s birthday on Friday night, and then an early morning flight. I have to pause occasionally to remind myself, “Eyes on the prize.” But, I hear Violet’s mom’s voice from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (Missi Pyle) saying it to Violet…I know…weird.
Our flight to Minnesota was turbulent. It left about 30 minutes late due to some mechanical conditions, which made every turbulent bump seem more severe than it probably was. Thus far, it is 11:37 am EST, I am about to land, yet am NOT impressed with North West Airlines.
Random thoughts…do Jim and Dan ever get airsick from turbulence? How much does a Flight Attendant make? Why is the one chick so cheery and the other seems bitchy? The bitchy one looks like she has had too much Botox but Brian thinks she looks like an Asian version of Posh Spice…but she is not even Asian. Ok…flight gate change-we have to switch planes, which we tried to avoid…oh well.
And Brian said that “we are never flying North West again!” The switch of planes, no big deal-but the fact that we had a 10 minute walk from one terminal to the other made him not so happy.
So we got to Colorado Springs (second smallest airport I think I have ever been to) and went to the hotel-Antlers Hilton. I liked it…seemed very popular with the locals. We shall stay there again. Brian called Noemi and we decided to take a cat nap befog going to dinner.
Chris and Noemi met us in the hotel lobby. First, let me say that Noemi has striking beauty. Her pictures do not do her justice! Second, Chris is muy guapo. Finally, they make an adorable couple! They complement each other well.
We headed out to dinner (in walking distance). Cute place, many drunken Santa’s…made me think of Selina doing the Santa Run in Philly. Anyway, they had some very exciting news…they got married on December 6! It was a civil ceremony, just the two of them, but they are now husband and wife (CONGRATULATIONS!). Chris said immediately after, he bought Noemi a hot dog and soda-their first meal as husband and wife. And then he had to go back to work. Too funny.
After dinner, they convinced us to go to Karaoke. Brian did not sing, but he did play Noemi in pool. We then went to another bar for more Karaoke. As the night went on…yup…I got drunk…SHOCKER! Don’t remember much…Brian said he sang Karaoke…But I have to say, I had a blast. We all bonded!
Noemi and Chris are GREAT! I love them. I am SOOOOOO happy she is doing this for us. She is sweet, and friendly, and happy, and honest, and …well, she is just great. She will be a terrific carrier. And Chris is awesome and funny, so she will be in good hands.
All in all, the visit was better than I could have asked for. Maybe, if I was not hung over this morning, I would have enjoyed my breakfast-that would be the only thing I would change. So, basically, thank you to all who kept us in your thoughts and prayers because our gestational carrier is phenomenal. Now, continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers in the New Year because Noemi told us the doctor said we can be pregnant as early as the end of January and Brian and I still have to go to the fertility clinic in a few weeks-probably mid-January, maybe over MLK Jr. Day holiday.
Thanks for taking the time to read-and please comment!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Boy Baby Name
The public has spoken. The name Zachary was the winner, which we like for the second boy. The name Daniel, a close second, will be our first boy's name.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
First Official Trip
We have set our first official trip to see Noemi and her fiancee, Chris. We will be in Colorado Springs on Dec. 15 and 16!
Keep us in your prayers!
Keep us in your prayers!
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