And This Is How It All Started...

When I got pregnant with my first baby back in 1997 I learned all I needed to know from the book, What to Expect When Your'e Expecting. I used the same book when I got pregnant again in 1999. When I found out I was pregnant with my third son in 2003 I learned that WTE was online and offered messages boards for groups of women expecting during the same month. I joined but didn't participate much until we were pregnant with our last baby in 2008.

I ended up a member of Born in February 2009 while pregnant with my daughter, Joelie. I didn't expect much but for some reason I was drawn to the 200+ women in that group. It was during the 9 months as a member to this group that I learned what came so easily to me (5 times over) didn't come easily to others. I read stories about IVF and watched as women struggled to get pregnant and carry a baby to term. I was there through heartaches and devastation as women miscarried or gave birth to stillborns. I shared in joyous occasions as premature babies defeated odds and were able to go home and I was there for all the birth stories of strangers that became lasting friends. My eyes and heart were opened to things I never took the time to see before. 

With all of this came a bit of guilt. Here I am... with five kids while there are women out there that are struggling to have just one baby. It's hard to understand why things like this happen and the answer was for me to do whatever I could do to help.
So after Joelie was born I researched being a surrogate and signed up for an online fertility group in hopes that I would be picked to help someone become a mom.