Sunday, August 19, 2012

Our Little Martians

This week we received the e-mail we've been anticipating: the arrival of the 20 week scans. The 3D scan I find a little creepy. It's all getting a little more real by the day...

Martian #1 - 20 weeks, 1 day

Martian #2 - 19 weeks, 6 days

Friday, August 10, 2012

Human Resources Hell

Yesterday I decided it was time to break down and let the powers that be at work know of our upcoming baby plans. I was kinda dreading explaining the whole process and answering the nosey questions. Turns out women from 5 cubicles over where listening in to my story and a small crowd gathered around me and the maternity coordinator. "Why India?" "How much did it cost?" "I saw this on Oprah!" "Are your babies going to be Indian?" All I wanted to figure out was how much time off Ruben and I were going to get.

This must be my HR coordinator.
After a lengthy explanation, I was handed a 75 page "Maternity Packet." As I flipped through the packet later in the day,  I wondered if anybody was listening to me at all. The packet was clearly not meant for me. Bullet number 9 was "How to discretely express and store your breast milk while at work", while Bullet number 2 explained the importance of not going into labor at work.

Later in the day I marched back into her office. "I'm not lactating, not adopting, and not going into labor. Ruben and I are leaving for India on December 14. What do you need from me?"  She had no idea. After a 45 minute phone call to headquarters in Dallas, she still didn't know. Turns out a company with 80,000 employees doesn't have a clue what to do with 2 gay men working for the same company having children via a surrogate in India. Looks like somebody in Dallas is gonna have to get busy making a new folder for this scenario!




Friday, August 3, 2012

Baby Practice

Every year at about this time, it seems that half of the island of Puerto Rico descends on my house, turning it into a bed and breakfast for Ruben's family. We do enjoy the visits, but they can be exhausting after several weeks. The other night at about 2 am I got up to have a bowl of cereal (one of my bad habits). As I crawled back into the bed, I asked Ruben, "Who's that woman sleeping on the floor in the living room?" "Oh she's my cousin's godmother's sister," he said. I guess most would flinch but I've gotten used to it...

Part of the posse this year is Ruben's nephew, born on my birthday and now about 6 months old. He's a handsome little fella and providing us much needed practice in all things "baby." Tonight just might be the night I attempt my first diaper change!

Taken right before a major spit up landed all
over my iPhone.
I was told to get used to this!
Feed me Tio Ruben.