Week 20

Yesterday marked the start of Week 20 and I'm now officially past the halfway point on my journey to parenthood. With the scheduled c-section taking place as early as Week 38, I'm a mere 18 weeks away from becoming a Dad!

It's 5:20am and I'm at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport waiting to board my flight to Calgary. This weekend marks a very special time as I'm going to meet (in person) an amazing family I first met nearly 7 months ago thanks to a virtual introduction. My friend, Brad and his partner, Daniel, were recently blessed with a little boy named Layton, who was born via their surrogate in Panama on August 16th. Over the past several months, Brad and I have been in regular contact and he's been an amazing source of information and support for me.

I feel very fortunate to have met Brad and had the opportunity to follow in his footsteps as he, Daniel and Layton have navigated their way through their own amazing (and sometimes complicated) journey. For me, this weekend will be an opportunity to connect with new friends, learn some best practices and provide much deserved thanks to Brad for his continued support. And with any luck, I'll win a few quarters from the Crane girls (Michelle, April and Sonia) in a battle of 45s)!

On a random side note, Brad works at WestJet with my cousin, April's husband, Tyler. And Brad was the recruiter who hired April during her tenure at WestJet a few years ago. If our meeting wasn't meant to be...I don't know what is???!!!! What I do know, is that this great big world of ours is actually a pretty small place, filled with many wonderful and unique people, all deserving of happiness. And to meet other Dad's who have realized their dream of starting a family through surrogacy, is one blessing I am most grateful for.

Next week marks another major milestone, our Week 20 ultrasound. As of yesterday, both Margarita and the baby continue to be doing great. The baby is a little over 6 inches in length, weighs approximately 9 ounces and sits in the mid-80s growth percentile. I'll have more photos and updates next week. Time to board the flight. As always, thanks to EVERYONE for your continued love, encouragement and support!!!