JANUARY 2ND, 2022 - HAPPY 14TH BIRTHDAY!!!

FOURTEEN YEARS!

2008 - 2022.  Then. Now. LOVE.

Well it's almost time....

On this day just 14 years ago, January 1st, 2008 at 11 pm cst my water broke. Baby B n/k/a Ru decided it was time!  And 5 hours later, 3 healthy babies were born...

AT 4:05 AM CST...XIA WAS BORN!!!

AT 4:09 AM CST.... RU WAS BORN!!!

AT 4:12 AM CST.... ZHEN WAS BORN!!!

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY, Xia, Ru & Zhen! May all your wishes come true! 

Love You!

A Surrogate Mom (Kerri)

JANUARY 2ND, 2021 - HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Everyone!

A year ago when I was in LA for Christmas, I was able to visit with the Triplets, Ru & Miguel. I am loving the Facebook memories of that time and knowing that I have those to look forward to every year... until our next get together!

Crazy realizing that 15 years ago on Dec 31st, 2005, I was thinking about doing surrogacy for a family not related to me. 13 years ago at this time of my post, my water broke (thanks to Lil Ru) and the journey in my belly was coming to an end!

In a few hours (like 5 hours, lol), Ru & Miguel will have not ONE but THREE TEENAGERS! These last 13 years have been incredible for me to watch them grow up from this...

to this...

almost 13!!!

And, like I said, in 5 hours the Triplets will be THIRTEEN YEARS OLD!!!

Happy 13th Birthday, Xia, Ru & Zhen!!!

I am truly Blessed & Grateful for being able to see you three and your dads via social media! I look forward to visiting sometime soon!  I hope you all have a wonderful birthday!

(Picture from their Christmas Card)

Miss & Love you Stevens-Ortiz family!!!

Love Always from MN,

A Surrogate Mom (Kerri)

JANUARY 2ND, 2020 - HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

I look forward to this day, as it is my day to reminisce of the days that led up to a very special one, January 2nd, 2008.

Dec 31st, 2005 I was chatting online with a friend (Kate Powell) and she tells me that she is filling out an application to be a surrogate. She sent me the link and I signed up too! My application was completed in January 2006. On April 13th, I received a Potential Match and on April 14th, a single guy at the time... said YES. We met in May and confirmed the match. After three attempts at IVF, the triplets were conceived!!! The rest is history (and documented in this blog, lol).

July 2017 was the second time that I got to see the triplets since they were born BUT the first time that I ever got to hug them. I was not sure if I should hold them after they were born and then the nurses didn't think it was wise. :( So I am thankful that Ru & Miguel kept in touch and I got to watch the triplets grow up on Facebook! They came to Minnesota that summer to visit the hospital that they were born in... and to meet me! :)  

December 2019, I found out that my two oldest adult children purchased tickets for the kids and I to spend Christmas in California. My oldest daughter, Kaitlind, lives just 28 miles from the Triplets. So you bet, we got together. It was so great to see them and HUG them all!

Emma 15, Charlie 18, Kaitlind 23, Me, Xia, Ru, Zhen

Ru, Me, Miguel, Xia, Ru, Zhen

Well it's almost time....

On this day just 12 years ago, January 1st, 2008 at 11 pm cst my water broke. Baby B n/k/a Ru decided it was time!  And 5 hours later, 3 healthy babies were born...

AT 4:05 AM CST...XIA WAS BORN!!!

AT 4:09 AM CST.... RU WAS BORN!!!

AT 4:12 AM CST.... ZHEN WAS BORN!!!

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY, Xia, Ru & Zhen! May all your wishes come true!  It was wonderful to see you last week!  HUGS!!! 

Ru & Miguel, I am so happy we all got to spend some time together while we were in town. Love your beautiful family!

Sending LOTS OF HUGS & LOVE from MN!!

A Surrogate Mom (Kerri)

JANUARY 2ND, 2019 - HAPPY 11th BIRTHDAY!!!

“It takes a village to raise a child is an African proverb which means that it takes an entire community of different people interacting with children in order for a child to experience and grow in a safe environment. The villagers would look out for the children.“

Above is from Ru & Miguel’s beautiful wedding 4 years ago in December!
It is beautiful to see Ru, Miguel and the Triplets surround by a village of their friends and family. There is an incredible abundance of love and happiness here.

Every year, just before 11 pm CST, I make my blog entry wishing the Triplets a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!   Eleven pm CST is the time (eleven years ago) that my water broke for Baby B. Thus began the final part of my journey as their surrogate. Nurses tried to tell me that my water had not broken because their high tech tests said so. Thankfully I refused to go and the doctor ordered the ultrasound to reassure me. THANK GOD, right?! This is when they rush me to deliver the babies! :)

At 4:05 am CST on Jan 2, 2008, Xia was born, followed by Ru at 4:09 am and then Zhen at 4:12 am! I am crying as I write this... as always... I can remember their cries and seeing them first before each baby was taken away with their team of nurses.  And here they are with their dads today...

Happy “11th” birthday, Xia, Zhen and Ru! 

It’s amazing how much you have grown since I got to see you the Summer of 2017! You three are so truly blessed and I thank God for letting me help bring you into this world for your Dads! Hope you have a wonderful birthday!


Miguel & Ru, you are amazing parents. Sending LOTS OF LOVE & HUGS from Minnesota!!!


Love Always,
A Surrogate Mom (Kerri)

JANUARY 2ND, 2018 - HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

"The Triplets first 2 weeks of life were spent in very snowy, very COLD, very friendly Minneapolis, MN..."

Ru & Miguel, Triplets' Daddies

Ten years ago on this day and time it was 11 degrees, just saying.
Today at this time as I write this, it is 11 below ZERO.  Nevertheless, it was COLD then and now.  I still can recall Ru showing up at the Court House in Hennepin County with a jacket lined with wires and a remote going through security!  To us in MN, that is pretty funny.  For those of you who did not get this... he had a heated jacket!  

This year was so special for me because for the first time after carrying them for 33 1/2 weeks, I finally got to HUG the Triplets!  I am not the children's biological mother but I am the birth mom.  I saw each baby as they took them out of my belly and cried happy tears.  I didn't hold the babies, but then I never held my own (until they were cleaned up, lol).  I realized later on that I would have been ok and wished that I had taken a few moments to hold each baby to say good-bye.  Their dads mentioned that they would bring the kids to MN when they were older so they could see where they were born and to meet me.  So thankful and blessed to have that time with them this summer.

July 2017

When we started this journey together, Charlie and Kaitlind were able to fly out to California with me for our first transfer.  That was a lot of fun, especially because Charlie was in Kindergarten at the time and Ru was a Kindergarten/1st Grade teacher.  Emma was too little.  She is 3 years older then the Triplets.

Thank you, Ru & Miguel and Triplets, for always remembering me and I am so thankful for Social Media.  I have enjoyed watching your family grow over the last 10 years!  You are amazing parents.  

Xia, Ru, Zhen,

A VERY HAPPY 10th BIRTHDAY!!!

Much Love & Hugs & Kisses,

Kerri

A Surrogate Mom

JULY 2ND, 2017 - MINNEAPOLIS, MN

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA....THIS IS WHERE IT BEGAN...

9 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS AGO

Which WAS 114 MONTHS AGO

Which IS 3.469 DAYS AGO

The date was... January 2, 2008.  The Stevens-Ortiz's family became a Family of 5... The Triplets were born... healthy and ready at just 33 1/2 weeks!  Not bad for Triplets.  My work of growing and keeping the Triplets safe in my womb had come to an end.

I am very proud to be their Birth Mom. In our contract, I chose no contact after other then a request for a picture Christmas Card every year because I knew I'd be curious as to what they looked like.  (Mind you, I am not their Biological Mom.)  Having been adopted at birth, I always wondered who I looked like.  So I am thankful that their parents allowed me to change my mind because it has been incredible to watch them grow up... thanks to Social Media.  I know too that their dads wanted the Triplets to know about me, so that truly is a blessing.

The Triplets are greatly blessed, highly favored and deeply loved.  I am thankful that I was chosen to be the one to help bring them into this world.  I am not sure if I publicly shared this in my blog but one thing I really wish I had done after the triplets were born was to hold them and have closure. I am not sure if closure is what I'm trying to say but there was an emptiness (for a little bit) from not having that opportunity.  I assure you, it was NOT post-partum depression.  It was more like something I needed to do for myself.  I did go on to do another surrogacy and the family let me hold their baby after he was born... and I was totally fine.  I guess you just never know how you will feel in this situation until it actually happens.  It's the chance you take.

Honestly, I'm not sure if "emptiness" is what you call it because I know through being in contact since the Triplets were born, my life has been full of joy and happiness watching them grow up, being loved by a Village of Family & Friends. Maybe it was just one of those times where you think...I should have but now I know for next time.

I have to get going now... shower and get ready.  The kids and I are going to have dinner soon with the Stevens-Ortiz Family!  I anticipate LOTS of hugs!!!

Love, Hugs & Kisses,
Kerri - A Surrogate Mom

JANUARY 2ND, 2017 - HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY!!!!

It's been 9 years gone by.  The memories still strong in my heart.  This is my story exactly 9 years ago at this very minute....

My water broke for baby B at 11 pm on Jan 1st. An hour later DH and I made it to the hospital. Wasn't having any significant contractions. Was hooked up to monitors and stuff. They did a test 3 times that came back negative, meaning my water never broke. LOL well there is NO way I would have pee'd like that on accident! And the nurses were telling me that their tests are quite accurate...best on the market. OK whatever. So they were going to send me home...but do an ultrasound before I went. So DH calls the IP to tell him false alarm b/c I knew that he probably didn't listen to me when I said to wait about flying out until I heard from the dr. lol DH said he did make a flight but couldn't get out until 6:30 am his time (which was 8:30 am our time). Anyways...the gal was having a hard time measuring fluid for the babies...the dr comes in and says baby B has no fluid....Prep her for surgery. LOL what? You just told me I was going home and we told the IP it was false alarm. ROFL So then I was super bummed b/c I was thinking I'd be going to Bingo that Saturday! lol DH called IP back and said it was time...for real! By this time, I think it was 2:30 am?? I think it took over an hour to get prepped and stuff.

And just like that...9 years ago on January 2nd...with 3 Teams of Nurses waiting...

AT 4:05 AM CST...XIA WAS BORN!!!
AT 4:09 AM CST.... RU WAS BORN!!!
AT 4:12 AM CST.... ZHEN WAS BORN!!!

I can still see images in my mind of the babies as they came out.  So beautiful and healthy. To watch them grow up through pictures and videos on Facebook has been a blessing.  The Triplets and their Dads are the luckiest people in this world, surrounded by many friends and family who love them dearly.  


I love you all....Xia, Ru, Zhen, Ru & Miguel!!!

Happy 9th Birthday, Xia, Ru & Zhen!!!

LOVE, HUGS & KISSES!!!
Kerri - A Surrogate Mom