Hello from Ashley...

Hello,

I thought I might introduce myself, I’m Ashley, Suzi and George’s Gestational Carrier.  I figured I might tell my story to help you understand both sides of the Surrogacy journey! 

I am 26 years old, a wife to Jason and a mother of 2 beautiful children, Benjamin- 5 and Caitlynn- 3!  They are amazing and I couldn’t imagine life without them! I am a General Manager for a mid-sized hotel and have been in the industry for 10 years. I am proud of my life and what I have accomplished and wouldn’t be where I am today without the help and support of my friends and family and of course, my faith.  Family is everything! 

For starters, I registered with Reproductive Possibilities after a good friend’s sister told me of her issues with not being able to have children.  I felt it in my heart that I was blessed with a gift, the gift of being able to have children when so many that wanted children could not have them.  Three people in my close extended family wanted a child so badly and due to one reason or another, were not able to have this child they so desperately wanted.  I knew that if this was meant for me to do that it would work out.  So, I sat on a “will not abort” list. I waited, and waited, and waited.  

Why will you not abort, you might ask? - Easy. I have an uncle that was blessed with Down’s Syndrome.  I can’t imagine life without him! And literally, if you answer no to the question- Will you abort for Down’s Syndrome? -then you automatically go on this list! Crazy!! I believe that every baby should have a chance at life, and who are we to stop them! Fun fact: 90% of all gestational carriers are on the will abort list.  There are only a handful of us that are on this other list. Most intended parents want to have the “say so”. This is one of the reasons Suzi and I are on the same page… ask her!

Well, after waiting for what seemed like forever, I got a phone call in the middle of the day in December 2011 from Reproductive Possibilities.  Are you still interested? YES!!! A thousand times, YES! She informed me that we could potentially have a match and when could I be on a conference call with the potential Intended Parents.  Well, I made Jason work at the hotel that day (free labor ;-), so we were both in the same building and for us that is HUGE… so she set us up for a phone call that day!

Right off the bat Suzi and I were finishing each other’s sentences.  What I didn’t say, she said.  A question I had, she asked it.  It was like we were always meant to do this.  Our coordinator even said she had never had a phone call quite like that.  She really didn’t even need to be on, it went that smoothly!  Ah, this was meant to be! We had 24 hours to think it through and make sure that we wanted to go through with this and I knew right away, I didn’t call right away because I wanted Jason to sleep on it.  After all, his wife is going to have someone else’s baby in her… think about that one! He texted me at 7am the next morning asking if I had called yet because he was excited about this and he was totally on board!  Needless to say, I was on the phone with Reproductive Possibilities the next minute.  

As Suzi mentioned in a post prior, I had issues with my gall bladder and had to have it removed a week before I was scheduled to go to PA to have testing done.  Oh that plane ride was painful.  Good thing there was ice on that plane and I brought my ice pack. I knew that I needed to “man up” and get this done so we could move forward with the process and by golly, we were not going to be delayed because of my stupid gall bladder!  We flew up on Wednesday night, and after picking apart the hotel, having my husband fix something in the elevator that drove me nuts and trying to tune out the construction noise in the room, (yes I’m certifiable, comes with the job) we were in bed by 1am and at the clinic for a full day at 8am. (7am my time) LONG DAY! 

We met Suzi and George for the first time face to face! OMG!!! It was like we had known them for years!  It was totally natural and I just felt assured, like I had made the right decision to continue with the process. Such a wonderful feeling!

Back home and back to work.  I healed up from my surgery, Spring Break aka Hell Week came and went, and here we are!  So totally excited for this journey to continue!  

Words cannot express the feelings that I have for Suzi, George and their family.  Such amazing people and I am so excited with the fact that I get to assist in helping them create the family they want so much; I am completely honored!  Honored that they chose me, honored that Suzi shares with me what most people in our situation do not.  We are not the average Intended Mother/ Gestational Carrier out there.  

My hope is that we can change the face of surrogacy and make it to where more people will follow our lead.  As a GS, how can you not get to know your Intended Parents to the fullest extent?! And as an IP how can you not get to know the person who is carrying your child?  Personally, if the roles were reversed, it would be much like the movie “Baby Mama”; I would move in with my GS just to make sure she was doing everything right… But, I am a bit strange that way J… I just have so much respect for them, that we are all going down this path together!  I am so excited to see what the future has for all of us!  So excited to get to text her in the middle of the day when her baby is moving and shaking… to call her in the middle of the night to tell her I want ice cream… (no I will not be doing that)… and I can’t wait for the day when they are on a plane to come here to meet their baby!  It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it!

Well it was nice meeting all of you, and I hope that Suzi lets me on here every once in a while!  I don’t have much to say… ha ha ha… other than I am so excited!!!