This is what surrogacy is supposed to look like.

Sometimes it all goes right and I get to end my long working weekend with a smile, a beer, and a few happy sappy tears of thankfulness that I get to do something so meaningful with my life.

The truth is, this job is h.a.r.d.  I worry all the time about my surrogates.  I wake up thinking about the Intended Parents that I’m having a challenging time matching. I cringe when it takes me a day longer than I wanted to process an application.  And sometimes I feel the weight of so many hopes and dreams and expectations and worry that I’m going to let someone down.

A good night's reward.

But not tonight. Tonight I got to visit with the kind of surrogate team that makes my heart fill with joy.

The surrogate gave birth to the little boy she was carrying Thursday night, at a very early 32 weeks.  

Mom and Dad were in the NICU snuggling their itty bitty 32 week old skin-to-skin, noticing his every crinkle wrinkle and soft baby snort. 
They were wondering over his tiny pudge, and marveling that their surrogate had done such a good job getting him to them.  They were absolutely filled with grace and love and joy.  

And their surrogate!  She glowed.  I’ve never seen a woman so beautiful and committed to her Intended Parents.  Her first thought was of them.  And when her husband told me how emotional he was when he saw the baby, well, their generosity touched me to the very depths of my soul.

And when I stopped at the elevator, I lost any sense of professionalism and just let the tears slide down my cheeks.  Because that moment of seeing those people form a family made everything else in the entire world fade away.  

This is why.