What is a surrogate mother?

Something I hope to be posting more about in the months to come is surrogacy.  While the journey is just beginning for me, I believe it will be one of the most rewarding adventures I will ever be a part of.

However, most people don't really now much about surrogacy.

sur·ro·gate
a substitute, especially a person deputizing for another in a specific role or office.
"she was regarded as the surrogate for the governor during his final illness"
synonyms: substitute, proxy, replacement

So, if you don't know already, a surrogate carries and delivers a child for an intended parent or parents to raise.

A surrogate comes in two basic forms: a traditional surrogate (TS) or a gestational surrogate (GS).

A traditional surrogate uses her own eggs and a gestational surrogate doesn't.  This is the most basic of descriptions.

This is my small, somewhat official announcement of intent.  We're not too far into this yet, but it is something my family and I are pursuing with great pleasure and pride!

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4 Reasons Not to Have a Wedding

Stereotyping would lead everyone to believe that all little girls spend their childhoods dreaming of being a princess and (when they realize the unlikeliness of that happening) planning their big day in a white dress.

Well, believe it or not, I never had even thought about wedding planning as a child. It was just never one of my dreams to have some big, extravagant wedding. I actually cringing a little right now.

My husband and I have been married for over 5 years now. We were wed by a judge in a local courthouse. We "celebrated" the weekend before we were married by resting comfortably in our new apartment and taking the weekend off work. We were wed on a Monday afternoon, about an hour after I left work for the day.

1. You don't have a couple extra thousand dollars.

Even inexpensive weddings typically climb past $1000 after you break down all the real expenses. Even if that's spread over time, could you and should you have used that money for something else? We skipped the fancy wedding and reception and put the money toward our first apartment and the baby we were expecting. Instead of entering into marriage with some extra debt, why not take that money and apply it toward something like a first home, student loans, an emergency fund, etc.

2. You don't like to ask your friends to pay for your wedding.

This one drives me a little crazy. I've never understood the, "Want to be in MY wedding? Yeah? Okay, I'll need X amount of money for your bridesmaid dress for MY wedding." I know not every wedding works this way, but it seems to be more and more common, especially when people are trying to save money. If that's the case, see point 1!

3. You might get divorced.

Ouch! That one hurt, didn't it? Divorce rates are crazy high, so it's possible, but let's hope it's not probable. Anyway, dropping a couple thousand dollars on a wedding only to get divorced in a year, two years, or five years seems crazy!

4. You'd rather celebrate time wed, not getting wed.

This was a big one for me. I'd like to have a vow renewal someday to celebrate being together X amount of years. I think that's a cause for celebration, more the just celebrating getting married. I'd rather celebrate staying married.

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6 Back Carry Friendly Babywearing Exercises

Recently I told you how babywearing benefits babies, but there are also some benefits for moms, as well!  One of these benefits is that it helps mom lose the "baby weight."  Now, this is just referring to regular ol' babywearing.

However, some of us like to take it a step further and exercise while babywearing.  Whether it's frequent or occasional, babywearing and exercising can be an efficient way to get your exercise in while keeping baby close and happy.  Baby also acts as a natural weight for momma during the workout.

I compiled a list of back wearing friendly workout moves for babywearing moms (or dads) and then scoured YouTube to find some videos on proper form (if you cared to know).  Put these together in whatever combination works for you and you have a Back Carry Babywearing Workout Routine!

I also came up with a quick routine for you, if you didn't want to wing it.  It's at the bottom of the post.

1. Squats

2. Planking

3. Push ups

4. Lunges

5. Chair Dips

6. Lunge Kicks

BONUS!!!