Blair, American Intended Parent in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Explain your reasons for wanting a surrogate/donor:

We have a lot of love to give, and our IVF process has been difficult thus far. We’ve had two carriers fall through and it hits us harder every time. This morning, I was daydreaming and told Jacob: “I want a kid who will curl up and watch tv with me, who I can take to the park, who has your eyes, whose personality shines through, who I can read to and teach love. What do you want?” My husband said: “I just want them to have your laugh. I want to hold them, I want them to call me dad, and I want them to have your laugh.” The way in which he said it told me he was tired but still hopeful that this will happen for us. And his strength and perseverance when I was ready to throw in the towel has just made me love him more. I want to be a mom more than I want anything. But, I would be happy for the rest of my days if I could see him be a dad.

How would you best describe yourself(s):

I’m a reader, an author, an activist, and a loyal friend. I’m always laughing, overly empathetic, and always wanting to help. My husband is an amazing cook, a boxer, a cycler, brilliant, and kind. We have settled into a really comfortable, happy life together. We own a bookstore/wine bar in Lafayette, Louisiana. I am a former attorney turned Director of Admissions Coordinating and Recruiting at LSU Law School. My husband is the branch manager of Southern Bicycle Company. He’s also back in school, studying to teach high school history! We have two dogs that are like our babies. Birdie and Doug. We have a large number of friends that we have hand picked to be a part of our family. We also love our family but we live a tad far away from them.

Use this space to communicate a letter to potential Surrogates/Donors:

Hi! I’m Blair, and the really cute guy in the photos is my husband, Jacob. We live in Louisiana and have been together for 11 years; married for 7. We’ve basically grown into adulthood together, changing, evolving, and growing in love and compassion. We’ve known for a few years that I cannot physically carry a child to term. We were hopeless for a while before finally considering IVF. We’re so ready and looking for a gestational carrier. We want to go on this journey with you, care for you has you grow our baby, and help you with things you can’t do while pregnant. We want you to be our friend and to keep in touch after birth as much as you want. At the end of this month, we will start injections and then egg retrieval. So a late summer, early fall pregnancy would be a dream. We want honest and open communication, a healthy lifestyle, and a stable home environment. We can’t wait to meet you!