Baby issues and bad admin?

I went for a scan last week for the baby. In IVF pregnancies in the uk, you get 4 scans instead of the normal 2. This was my third.
The babys mother came by train to see baby Frankie.
Well the scan went fine. Baby is fine, perfectly healthy
Phew...
But...
There is a problem with the cord. The blood flow is intermittent.
"So, What does that mean?" we asked.
If it stays the same, we have to scan once a week until the baby is born. If it gets better, then we carry on as normal. If it gets worse we may have to deliver.
I am 29 weeks pregnant.


I know someone who delivered a perfectly healthy girl last year at 29 weeks. She turned out to be completely fine. She is thriving now. I looked up the stats for babies born at 29 weeks and discovered that 98% are born healthy (but obviously small) Technology is wonderful.
Needless to say, knowing this, put my mind at ease that even in the worst case scenario, little Frankie had a very good chance of being ok.
The mother, understandably was terrified. I told her that he was very strong. I could feel him kicking all the time. I did everything I could to put her mind at ease.
We went back for the next weeks scan. The sonographer scanned.
"There's nothing wrong at all. They made a mistake." he said
Phew!
But...
At the clinic after the scan we were told that the sonographer that day had scanned the wrong thing and wasn't qualified to scan for the right thing. Please bear in mind that this was done at a proper hospital. We had our notes with us. How is it possible to scan for the wrong thing?
We were told to come back the next day for yet another scan.
Which we did.
Before I'd even got up on the table and had my belly covered in that horrible goop stuff, The sonographer (a different one this time) said
"There's nothing wrong."
She scanned us anyway.
In the space of ten days, we had been given 3 scans and been told
There's something wrong,
There's nothing wrong, it was a mistake,
There is something wrong possibly but didn't scan the right thing,
There's nothing wrong, we just reported it wrong.


Now, to me it was just an inconveniance but can you imagine how Frankies mother felt? After years of heartbreak trying to concieve, ivf failure, miscarriage.


At least the story has a happy ending (not that we are at the end yet) Baby Frankie is still kicking away and the mother has got so many scan pictures, she could wallpaper the house with them!


I hope your week was better
Love J

Dear Arizona!!!!

Dear Arizona. I love you, I really do. You are hot & sunny. You have the Grand Canyon which is probably my favourite place on earth but making a law allowing companies not to serve gay people.Seriously? Not cool!
I was thinking of taking your name for one of my characters for one of the Guardians of the Light sequels but now I may have to rethink it!
Love J

Ouchy fingers!

I've written approx 12,000 words today, 25,000 this week and nearly 75,000 in the last six weeks. My fingers hurt:)
The second Guardians of The Light book is coming along nicely.

Surrogacy

Ok, well I did promise.


Surrogacy is still a relatively rare thing. For example, I got an email from a surrogacy website recently saying they had a record number of surrogate births this year. The number? If i remember rightly, it was 25. Not many in a year and that was a record!
I've never met another surrogate so I can't tell you why I wanted to do it. i think the real reason was that I've been lucky enough to have children of my own. They bring so much to my life. I can't imagine being without them. I know how lucky I am. I also know there are others not so fortunate.
Mothers aren't made when someone gets pregnant, some people are born mothers. Others have children and don't have a maternal bone in their body.
The baby, I'm currently pregnant with has a wonderful mother. she's a mother through and through but her body will not allow her to get pregnant. we have become great friends over the last couple of years. She is grateful to me for carrying her child and I enjoy spending time with her.
We went for a scan today. Baby was totally healthy but there was a problem with the cord. Nothing major but they have to scan me again next week. The doctor seemed unconcerned but the babys mum was so upset. It must be such a worry to her, not being around her child (she lives a long way away from me) I tried to calm her as much as possible. Baby has been kicking like a trooper. I guess we will find out next week if they will need to deliver early. I'm not worried at all as the doctor said it was only a precaution. I know I will have to text babys mum a lot this week to keep her mind at ease.


I've had a lot of strange questions since become pregnant as a surrogate. I'll answer the most common now.
1) won't you want to keep the baby?
-Nope - done enough nappies already thanks!
2) Did you have sex with the father?
-Nope. IVF baby. It's not even biologically mine!
3) How much are you getting paid?
- In the UK, it's illegal to be paid for being a surrogate. I get expenses.
4) Will you be a surrogate for me?
- No. Sorry! This is a one time only adventure. I've loved doing it but I'm seriously looking forward to going on a lot of rollercoasters this summer - You can't do that whilst being pregnant!


Although Anais' situation is very different to mine, she goes through a similar thing in Endless Winter. Read about how she gets on.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HOIHR2K


Love J

One of those days

Have you ever had one of those days?
I'm having one right now. It's been so bad that I had to take the kids to McDonalds for lunch!
First of all, and the worst thing, I can't talk about which I know is really infuriating. Why mention it at all if I'm not going to tell you about it? Well, really because it's personal and it started my day off on the wrong foot.
Then I came home to find four dead fish in my fish tank. Never a pleasant experience. The worm that had somehow managed to end up slithering around on my kitchen floor didn't help matters much either!
Finally, (and I say that in the hope that despite it being only half way through the day, nothing else horrible will happen) my son dropped my phone on the floor, shattering its screen. Grrr


I was planning on talking about surrogacy today but I guess that will just have to wait til next time.
I hope your days are better!


Love J

Valentines day

As per my last post, I am pleased to announce that I am repeating my little experiment but in reverse.
From 10th Feb - 14th Feb, Endless Winter will be on a kindle countdown on Amazon.com. Just in time to inject a little romance into your life (along with adventure) for Valentines day.

Now for me, unfortunately, this year, I will be un-valentinsed (Yes, I'm aware I made up a word)
Actually it will be the first un-valentines valentines day for me in many a moon!
I plan to buy myself some choccies and cuddle my children (pretty much like any other day really)

So all you un-valentiners unite. I'm sending out love to you all - I'm not sending out my choccies though. You'll have to buy your own!



Have a wonderful Valentines day everyone
Love J

The results of me putting the price of Endless Winter down in the uk were quite interesting. I actually sold more in America that day. Now I know that America is a much bigger country and therefore the potential for sales is much higher but come on people!!! Marketing is entirely alien to me. I am the kind of person, that if everybody likes something, I'm guaranteed to hate it and vice versa. i have to admit I don't understand most of the things that are popular culture. In fact I barely watch tv at all (except Big Bang Theory.) I don't know much about the latest trends and if you asked me what is number one in the charts, well there is only a slim chance of me having even heard of them and even less chance of me caring.
"Well, you're old!" I hear you say.
Yes, I admit I'm long past my teenage years but if I'm honest, I was like this even in my teenage years. I loved Tori Amos (Still do!) and most people say "Who?" When I talk about her.
The three people on my 'want to see list' this year are Elton John, Dolly Parton and Lady Gaga.


If you asked me who won America's got talent, Britains got talent, Anywhere's got talent, Celebrity dancing I'd do anything to be on tv in the jungle, I wouldn't have a clue. I do know the name of Tori Amos' new Album though which is enough for me! 
Does this help me market anything? Not at all but at least I watch what I want!