Joe Grows a Family

Adan, Ella, and I...All pics are from her Quince BBQ we had at our house :-) Okay so things are finally cookin' 'round here. Shit's got real, yo! I mean, knock on wood and cross my fingers, because nothing's been easy and fast on this journey. However, things are finally moving and happening. Here we go! My sister, great niece, and Grandma Ellen  Not surrogacy related...But my 1st novel The Closeted Life of Claude Hartel is ready to grab on Amazon. All profits will be utilized to assist Adan and I in our surrogacy journey. Get it here: The Closeted Life of Claude Hartel  The response has been awesome. It has been a beautiful experience having people read the story that has lived in my mind and heart. It's almost like I had a baby. Bah! Everyone seems to be enjoying Claude and Jim's story. I'll be doing a live Q&A on Facebook Live this Thursday, August 20th at 8:00 PM CST. If you've read the book or are interested in reading t...

Infertility. 1 in 8.  That’s me. I’m that 1 in 8. That woman whose body isn’t able to do the most basic and natural work of being human: creating a baby. Ugh. Okay, so that sounds pretty pessimistic and dramatic. But if we’re being honest (and that’s the point of these blogs, right?) it’s certainly a thought that runs through my mind often. With the accompanying feelings of hopelessness, uselessness, anger, and deep, deep sadness. For what I’ve put my husband through (it’s not HIS fault I have this disease that has taken my fertility). For what I’ve put my family through (two families terrified to tell me about my sister’s and my sister-in-law’s pregnancies, and subsequently walking on eggshells around me during said pregnancies because they knew how badly I’d take it – how unfair is that to THEM?). For my poor friends who’ve had to listen to me cry and worry and have anxiety attacks for countless hours over the years. And because the clock is ticking and I see that label of “adva...