July 14, 2023 • 46 mins
WE WILL NOT CALM DOWN! Erin and Charissa are here for the biggest announcement in show history!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Aaron, You're a mom. You're a mom. Calm Down with
Aeron and Carissa is a production of iHeartRadio. Guys. Welcome
to the Calm Down Podcast. We got a lot to
talk about. A couple of things. Actors are on strike.
We're the only people working work for hire. Anyone need
(00:22):
me for a game show? CHRISA and I would love
to host. Okay, Second of all, Lebron, Lebron's ing, Who's
coming with me? Not retiring? I can say this and
it's not a headline. It's an opinion, but I could
write that article for you. Marco Robbie is killing the
Barbie looks. I mean, I know we talked about crushing
all of them. It's great. He looks amazing. I don't
(00:45):
know who the casting director is, but those two together great. Okay.
And then finally, I have seen from TMZ footage of
vander Pump Rules. They are filming and no one knows
where Rachel is. Where is she I think I saw
something last night as I was trying to go to sleep,
But you know, I'm really I can't concentrate of Sheena
(01:06):
giving it to one of the Tom's meaning yelling, but
I'm dialed in. I mean, where is Rachel? Where is she?
We should go, We should go as an extra. But
you don't really have a lot of time to go
out because the third and final headline of the week,
ladies in jener my life is over. Aaron Andrews is
a mother. Yo, yoday. I took my apologies to the
(01:28):
Calm Down Podcast for rearranging their schedules and everything. Thank
you. You guys have been so freaking patient and I love
you for it. Now, my girlfriend who's on the other
side of this, has been very patient with me through
these nine months because she has literally lived, breathed, and
her boyfriend's been carrying an egg for me. We'll get
(01:49):
to that coming up. Wait, okay, we're going to get
to all the specifics. But seriously, and I have cried
every happy tear for you, and I literally was going
to drive to the hospital and meet you as soon
as your baby boy came out. Now, tell the world
his name, tell me everything in that moment, and then
we'll work backwards on how this incredible nine year journey
(02:12):
culminated in a perfect baby boy. But tell me, like,
take me into the delivery room that day. WHOA, yes, exactly.
We gotta go. We gotta do an outline. Where are
we starting? Okay, where should we start? I want to
start with the moment that you saw him, because I
don't think you and I haven't talked about this. We've
talked about a lot of it. So the moment we
(02:34):
saw him, I think I was like, Hi, Hi. It
was funny because as soon as the nurses took him out,
they were like, he's got hair and he's really cute.
And we had had you know, it was kind of
crazy in the delivery room up until they got him out.
We can get into that. So I wasn't even thinking,
oh my gosh, does he have hair? Is he cute?
(02:55):
I was just like, is this guy? Okay, what's happening? Hey?
Another headline? Jets on hard knock. I know a quarterback
that's gonna love that. By the way, welcome to Aaron
Andrews in Motherhood. We're talking about the baby in the
birth analogies like breaking news. Back to you, Kevin and
Greg Jesus, I love you, Okay, go back to your baby. Okay.
So yeah, just was I was like Hi, Like it
(03:17):
was just kind of like they just like throw them
in your arms and it's all happening at once, and
it's wild and it's crazy, and like I remember, even
when we were getting ready to take him outside back
into our room, we put him in this rollie thing
and we're like, are we allowed to take him like
out like and they're like, yeah, put him in this
little rollie thing, which those are great. By the way,
we haven't even talked about that newborn in a stroller.
(03:40):
I got a lot to teach you before it's your turn,
we're going to talk about. Oh, I love that you
just said to me. I got a lot to teach you. Okay,
So you mean the actual like things that you see
in the movies where they put the babies in the
little like plastic dead thing and then which, by the way,
like our nursery is still a thing like oursen go
and one he didn't go into the nursery. He stayed
(04:02):
in our room overnight. All right, let's start in order.
Where are we'll start? I just wanted that moment that
you like, see because this has been a nine year journey,
which I know that we sit here and rightfully so
and can like make like funny little like qrps and
jokes and you can smile because you finally got the
baby boy that you've always wanted in granted, boy girl,
(04:25):
whatever it was that, I just can't imagine how grateful
and everything that you feel. But on the other side
of that, you know how difficult this has been. So yeah,
to start wherever you want to start, let's go, and
let's go through. Because I know that there's a lot
of people that listen to this podcast that are going
through similar things or have one through similar things, And
a lot of our listeners have been so awesome in
(04:47):
terms of reaching out DM wise of like books for
me to read, you know, when I hadn't divulged that
we were actually pregnant and so forth. So you know,
we have been pretty candid on this podcast, which I
have a appreciated, just about my journey and the struggle
I did nine years of IVF. Like you know, was
trying really really hard. You and I have talked about
(05:08):
it about trying to get eggs. I just couldn't produce eggs. Yes,
did my age have a lot to do with it, sure,
But also I was dealing with you know, cervical cancer,
and sometimes you know, your body just doesn't really do
a great job with producing these eggs, and that was me. So,
you know, we would get so long in the process
and you would just get one egg. Sometimes sometimes you
would get eleven. Sometimes you would get too well. Then
(05:31):
you want to mix in your husband's sperm and make embryos,
and you're waiting, you're weight and you're waiting, and then
you don't have any and you just feel I And
so I ended up having to do IVF. I did
nine or I did eight rounds of IVF. And don't
you always feel like CHRISA Like every vacation I was on,
every event I had to go to, I was shooting up,
(05:51):
like I feel it. I so many of our vacations
were affected by my freaking IVF. This was like my
first summer I didn't have to. We were in Montana,
I you know, Kelly and Matthew wanted to stay longer,
and I was like, I have to go home because
I have to go get you know, I an ultrasound.
Like everything I was doing for the last nine years
(06:11):
was affected by IVF. And it sucks because there's no
like rhyme or reason, there's no right timing. You just
it's like you don't even know when your right time
is going to be it to crapshoot. And by that
it's also the phone calls and the different things that
you're doing while you're trying to do your job, or
even the medical stuff that you had to go through
and wearing you know, unfortunately, like certain things in your
(06:34):
clothing because you had to have an operation, and reporting
on Packers Cowboys coming up in America's Game of the Week.
Like there's so much that little game. Yeah, exactly. But
that's to me, which is why when when you know
when you which will get to in a second, like
told me that this embryo took, and it's just like
(06:56):
it's so incredible. Okay, So starting at the very beginning,
you had how many embryos left, like how many like
did you know that you could like try to get
pregnant with. So we didn't have many at all, as
my doctor would say, less than a starting lineup. That's
one thing I loved about my fertility doctor so much
is that he knew for me my way to kind
(07:17):
of cope with things is sports. And so I would
be like, all right, what are we looking at follicle wise?
And you've got you have enough for a starting lineup.
You know, this one could be your point guard, this
one could be your starting quarterback, like things like that,
to tell me the strength of the embryos and all
that stuff. So less than a handful, less than a
starting lineup, which isn't great. And then we started realizing,
(07:38):
you know, I, when I was diagnosed with cervical cancer,
I should have gotten a second opinion. I didn't. I
went to the first doctor that told me that she
could get this out, and she didn't, and she packed
me open and I lost more of my cervix than
was necessary. But unfortunately the cancer went past the march,
(08:00):
so I had to have another surgery, and at that point,
holding a baby was just not going to happen. Literally,
we went to when we were like, okay, am I
going to try to get pregnant now? After cervical cancer.
We went to a lot of doctors that gave me
advice about if I did go into labor while and
work in a Green Bay game, or if I did
go into labor while I'm working a Patriots game, I
(08:21):
have to stay in New England. I have to stay
in Green Bay for the rest of my pregnancy, like
I cannot move. They even talked about like potentially stitching
me up so my cervix could hold it, but unfortunately
we made the decision there just wasn't enough there to
actually carry a baby, and which was really hard, it
was really hard to hear that. But COVID Easter, we
(08:44):
were in our house and we're normally at our friend's
house who has kids, Jackie Quick. We're usually there, and
we're usually with everybody who has kids, and we're just
here by ourselves, and we're like, this sucks, Like this
just sucks. This is I mean, my husband's great, we
love each other, but we're like what are we doing?
So it wasn't really until that Easter because we were
kind of like, well, maybe I will get pregnant, maybe
(09:05):
I won't go into labor, and maybe it was just
like this isn't working. I'm not getting pregnant. They don't
want to use the embryos on me because I don't
have very many and the potent may I'm older, the
stats are up against me, the numbers are up against me.
I probably will lose the embryos. So you know, finally
we were like, let's just try. Let's look into saragacy.
(09:26):
Let's see what we can find out and let's see
if it's even for us. So probably twenty twenty one,
we really looked into it and we finally found someone.
And this is a really difficult process. It's it's mentally exhausting.
You literally are. You go to an agency, they look
(09:48):
for candidates. Then they send you profiles or resumes of
different surrogates and maybe sarrogate of her and her husband,
and you kind of read it. You read it all
read all about their life, and you feel feel like
you really think that they're a good match. You could say,
I'd like to meet them. Then they read my story
and they read Jarrett's story of why we need saragacy
and why we're looking to go this avenue. Then you
(10:10):
get on a zoom because nobody does anything in person
anymore because of COVID, And you meet them and you
talk to them and you end up crying and you
end up saying, you know, thank you so much. This
would mean the world to me for you to you know,
be able to have my baby, and this is what
we've gone through as a family. It's a lot, it's exhausting.
Then from there you have to get legal involved and
(10:30):
they check them out and then you end up, you know,
having them looked at. So we went through that with many,
many different women. And my doctor was so so particular
and sensitive about who he chose as a surrogate because
I didn't have many, so we'd get so close and
if they had one little thing wrong with them, he
was like, oh my god, I can't I can't do this.
(10:52):
In twenty twenty one, we found a lovely, lovely woman.
We loved her so much. We adored her family, huge
hockey fans. They were just perfect. They were absolutely adorable.
They were right up the road. It was perfect. We
went into this very we just we didn't really know
the risk of it all. We thought it was going
to be so so easy to do, and we ended
(11:14):
up putting two embryos in and we lost them both
and that was so hard. And that was actually a
podcast we did and we didn't say what it was
and I was just sobbing. I think you were in
Lake Tahoe and I called you no Lake errolhead, sorry,
(11:35):
but I had the text because because we knew like
you had you know, these embryo, like the transfer it happened,
and just waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for
the news. And then I'll never forget that text that
I got from you where you're like neither of them were,
and I just my heart like I'll like cry thinking
about it, because you know, these are it's their goal,
(11:58):
like these are like when you only have a few.
And then just like my heart like broke for you
in that moment. And we, like I said, we went
into it so blind. We kind of just thought, well, like, well,
well let's get it over with, let's have twins, like
it'll be like really quick and then we'll be done,
or if one doesn't take, we'll have the other. And
we kind of just thought that's how it went. And
so that was a really hard go for me. Jarrett
(12:20):
was so good because he kind of like mourned and
grieved right away. I remember he went upstairs and just
laid in our bed with our dog and just balled
his brains out. And I just kept thinking, Okay, we
have to get past this. We have to get because
that's just how I am. That's how I am with
like everything. Let's just hey, let's talk about the jets
on hard knocks, what's going on? You know, I just
don't want to get deeper, and I got really fucked up.
(12:42):
I don't know if you remember. I was just not right.
I just couldn't communicate my feelings about it. I think
I was scared to move forward. What does this mean
if I we just lost these two, we don't have
much left? What if we don't have success? We're now
going to have to find a different person. This is
all like crazy And I ended up having to get
some help because it was actually, I know I've told
(13:03):
you this, having a hard time like forming sentences. I
just was like missing words more so than usual. You know,
I'm good for that, but it made me kind of
deal with a lot. It was hard. It was really hard.
But I think the biggest thing it made me do
was start talking to you guys about it all more
because you're you're a tough cookie like you. Let us
(13:24):
in us is the proverbial. You know, your friend group,
your family, like we we know when and when you
don't want to open up about stuff, and it's like
it's hard because you don't want to press someone. But
when you love someone so much and you care about
them and you know, you know, you just want to
do anything that you can for them, so that's even
more of a reason why with your baby boy. Have
(13:45):
you said his name? Mat, I'm here, Maggaroni man, tell everyone,
tell his full name. It's Mac Roger for my grandpa
who loves sports so much Stole. So now all the
more reason why Mac being here and again and we'll
get into that other stuff of like the Megan Mitchell
(14:07):
story of like they choose you and like everything happens
for a reason, and like we've got a lot of
years something about that dinner at pawn shows at another night. Yeah,
they've run for episode two of this story because it's
so it's just so special. So as on the side
of heartbreak is the side of joy. So now being
able to sit here and go back on this journey
(14:28):
with you and really like think about how long it's
been for you, it's a testament to who you are.
And I know I've said this to you, whether it's
you know, at our pseudo baby shower, which I made
you have because you reluctantly didn't want to have that
and I respect that, but because you don't want the
attention to ever be on you. But you have worked
so hard and this baby boy is here because you
and Jarrett didn't give up, and that would be the
(14:50):
message I think, and I would hope that people like
you know there's always another option, even if it wasn't
your first choice. So after all of that happens, then
for you sort of what that next step was and
(15:12):
how you kept going even if it was so hard
dealing with myself talking about it with you guys was
a big one for me, you know, Like you said,
this led us to something and even greater. We then
found our kind of angel, one of our angels. Her
name is Stephanie Levitt. She actually runs family Match consulting
and her story is incredible and she's just an awesome person.
(15:34):
I love her so much. And she led us to
our surrogate. That wasn't easy though either. We had actually
a couple other people that we had interviewed. We got
really close with another girl that we thought we were
actually going to do it with the transfer with, and
that didn't work out obviously for all reasons that you know.
We're fabulous on the other end, but very hard at
the time. And Steph made this whole process just a
(15:59):
wonder full experience how it should be, and she led
us to our girl and our family, and I'm trying
to think. I think it was last summer maybe that
we met her. I think it was. I think it
was maybe like gosh, like May or June that we
met her. And yeah, we met her, and we did
(16:21):
a zoom with them, and we thought that they were lovely.
But it's kind of like this is like your sixth
or seventh interview with a surrogate. You know, you're like,
all right, let me cry and tell you my story again, Hello,
how are you? But you know, they were great. We
met him a few times for lunch and everything, and
then when she checked out medically and everything was good.
I was telling this story the other day. Obviously I'm
a person that can block my feelings, my emotions hide
(16:43):
behind sports. Not the healthiest thing to do. But I
was working a forty nine ers game in I think
it was probably like October, maybe the end of September,
right before the transfer, and I just blocked it all out,
blocked it all out, and then got on the plane
to go take off back to LA and I knew,
oh no, no, that wasn't even the transfer. The transfer
(17:04):
that was to find out if she was pregnant. So
on this Sunday, I'm flying home and I just was
looking out the window and I just started bawling because
I'm like, shit, this is happening tomorrow. We were texting.
I think I was like, I'm having a panic attack,
and I was like yeah. And then I was also
grateful that you were only on a forty five minute
flight because I was like, I need you on the ground.
(17:24):
I need you because I don't need you cross country
and then you checking out on me, and all of
a sudden, I'm like I can't get to you. So
let's make this forty five get home and get in
your bed, Like, would you like anything to drink before
we take off? Yes, I'll have three drinks, thank you.
I'll have Run white and Blue. Yeah. But it's really happening.
(17:46):
And so that's where like emotionally you were at there
and then and then the next day it was a
crazy day. Well, first of all leading up to that.
After the transfer, it takes about ten to twelve days
to figure out if they're pregnant. So my girlfriend Chrissa
Thompson and Kelly Stafford girlfriends drop off this huge care
package to my house and was basically the twelve days
(18:06):
of waiting to see if you're pregnant, and each day
had a note and a different gift. There were Disney magazines,
there were cuddly socks. There were jammis that I wear
all the time now my Kate'spade jammys. There were bathrobes,
there were lip glosses, there were like Charlotte Tilbury like
it was just so sweet and so of course I
(18:29):
had it back here like during the podcast and we
were filming, and I was like, oh god, people are
going to see this every day. Jeret would come down
and be like, so what is day three? Like what's
he four? Like what do you guns? Jarney? So but no,
we just wanted we you know, because I remember Kelly
and texting me and she was like, we have to
distract her. And Kelly's been very very open about her
(18:50):
struggle about the journey, journey exactly, and that is I
think the thing and hopefully to anyone that's listening, like
the support system, and whether that's you're am meeting get girlfriends,
or whether that's strangers that you don't even know, is that.
Unfortunately and fortunately this community is really really big and
if you lean on them, waiting rooms are packed if
(19:12):
you let your friends or even strangers like support you,
then you don't feel like you're so isolated. And I
don't know, I mean I have never I haven't went
on this journey that you have. You can only hope
to like support somebody in that be like, Okay, we're
here for you. So it was the Twelve Days of
Distraction and the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was so good.
Thank you Baby Jesus culminated in mac Roger Stole because
(19:36):
oh my gosh. So then we get through that week
because we're all in this together. You guys are doing it.
The Stafford's, the Thompson Candaries, like the Stole Andrews. Yeah,
like we're in it. My girlfriend Jackie, Heather, Meghan, my
other Megan. Yeah, like everybody's in it. They know we're
supposed to find out if she's pregnant or if she's not,
(19:56):
and that Monday, and so usually when you find out,
like last time we found out it didn't work, it
was about like four o'clock in the afternoon. So I
had said to you guys, like you guys were being
so sweet. And a lot of times friends don't know
how to react, like they don't know what to do.
They don't want to get in your way. But you
guys wanted to be helpful if it didn't work. And
I get that, So Kelly tell the story. Kelly had
(20:16):
the idea, We're just going to plan a dinner regardless,
We're going to plan a dinner because I this is
what happened when Matthew won this Super Bowl. Yeah, yeah,
we're planning a dinner. We're meeting at such and such
a restaurant, Dantannas. What who cares? What the saying at Dantanna's.
Let's say whatever time it was, we were going to
be at seven o'clock. And yeah, so then you're supposed
to find out I think like around four, right, was that? Yeah?
(20:41):
And then and then tell everybody what happened? Well, what
are you and Kelly doing? That? Whole time? You guys
are just texting right like have you heard? Have you heard?
Like of course you're updated. Do I have a wife again?
Why is a signal? Strong? I remember seeing that we're
waiting at South Beverly Grille and they're like, ohh And
I was like I'm going to need another drink. They're like,
you're already at your max psychopath, like you got to
(21:03):
go to another restaurant because I was like, we're waiting,
and we're waiting, and then like as time keeps going by,
and I was like, oh no, because now you're like,
oh fuck, like this might not be good enough. Times
like keeps going by. So I know we were just
waiting for you to tell us great news. But then
we got the text that's yeah. So I was laying
on the couch and it's like finally five o'clock and
(21:23):
I'm just like, I'm literally my heart is just coming
out of my check. I'm like, this is crazy. This
is like torture to put people through. Jared's stomach's killing him.
He's running up and down and so the stairs. It
was so finally I just I called the fertility clinic
and I was just like, I don't want to press
three for help. I don't want to press four for English, Like,
just get me an operator. I don't want to hear
(21:45):
this music. Just let me know what's going on. So
my sweet sweet nurse who I love so much, was like,
I am so so sorry. The test results are not
going to be in today. You're not going to find
out until tomorrow. And I'm like, they can't do this
to me. They cannot do this to me. And instantly
I went into let's call Neil Latosh with the rams,
let's call somebody from the chargers, like who do we
(22:07):
know to break into the lab? Like I literally thought,
who from the I'm gonna call Sean McVay right now,
I'm gonna call Sean McVay and ask for help, like
I need help to get into this lab. And she
just said, I'm so sorry. There's something we can do.
And I texted you guys and you were just like
and then our reaction was, how can we break it?
We're gonna get arrested into this lab. We don't care.
(22:28):
Let's go yep, yep. And Jen was like, we get
your clothes on, let's go. Let's go meet them, Like,
let's go meet them, and let's just go have a
time because sitting here, we're gonna drive each other nuts.
I'm gonna, you know, cause some sort of pain or whatever,
like to my heart. So I was like, all right, fine,
So we got an Uberg, we went up to Hollywood
(22:49):
and we had a night. Oh my god, we had
a time. In this particular case, Steve my boyfriend had
been carrying around this little dish with an egg, like
a raw egg for how long at that point, like
a month the transfer. Yeah, so since the transfer, he
had been carrying around this egg and continued to carry
(23:11):
it around until we found out that it worked, and
then kept it in our refrigerator until we met Mac
because he's like, just because we wanted to make sure
through the entire pregnancy, like it was like his. I
have so many pictures of Steve and random faces, the
flat family things of like you take the picture of
like the random cut out, like and we're in Asia,
(23:32):
We're in this hiffel tower. There's seven hundred photos in
my phone with Steve with the egg just randomly around.
But yeah, so he brought the egg that night and
it was excellent. We were wild, wild, and at one
point I got way to whatever with my hands and
broke the egg and you guys realized they broke out
(23:53):
and that minor craft there was a minor crack. But
I was like, okay, that's okay, that's okay, this doesn't
mean anything. We're still good. Uh. But yeah, we tried
to get you through that night, and then I had
to leave on an early flight the next day to
go wherever I was going. So then I was like,
oh shit, like when we find out this news, if
I want to, like, I better have Wi Fi on
(24:14):
this plane, like okay. So then the next day happened
and I am I have to connect through somewhere, and
I remember being like, oh my god, I don't want
it because I don't also want to annoy you, like
I need what's happening. What's happening. But then I finally
like my phone starts ringing and it's FaceTime with you
and Kelly, and my plane's about to take off, and
(24:36):
you tell me on the plane that if it weren't
I crying like staring, and I have this I have
this cot over my head and it's like because I'm
trying to like muffle, We're about to take off. Then
close the door on the plane. Yeah, close the door.
And so then you tell me it worked, and I
spilled my coffee all over it goes down, I like
(24:57):
down the woman next to me, and they at this point,
I'm just hammered. I'm about to get escorted off the
plane because they think I've had way too many which
has happened at the bar but in this case, I
was like hysterically crying, like tears of joy, and it
was just we have like stupid pictures of the FaceTime
screen shots from that day, but like, oh my god,
like that feeling for you and remember hold on, remember
(25:20):
the flight attendant going, ma'am, you need to turn off
your phone and you put a blanket over you. You're
like Kristen Wig and Bridesmaids. You're like, I'm sorry, my
friend is pregnant. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, and
you're crying like you are so lucky they didn't kick
you off that plane. But I was once crazy, Yeah
no I didn't. I look like a stone, but I didn't. Yeh.
(25:40):
I was like, actually kick me off this plane. I
dare you too, because I'd love to finish this conversation.
Oh my gosh. It was so exciting. So then for you,
so this journey in a colonia and like the news
(26:01):
that you've been waiting, you know, the nine years, your
whole life here and like you and Jared having that moment,
and then for you, like how did the pregnancy for
your starting it? Did it feel like it went by
fast or like because how is that process for you
and how did it feel sort of being like, you know,
just letting this and of course be the member of
your family now, but like, you know, somebody carry your
(26:25):
baby and that's sort of all the psychological stuff that
goes with that and thinking about it daily. I feel
like now looking back at it, it does seem like
it went by fast. I mean, we were in the
middle of a football season. The first time we went
to go hear his heartbeat. I had conference calls and
zooms with the Packers and the Cowboys because they were
playing that Sunday in America's Game of the Week. So
(26:47):
I remember we went to go listen to his heartbeat
and see it, and then I had to race out
of there, and Jared's like, let's go celebrate, and I'm like,
I have to get in the car. Zach Martin is
calling me. I've got to do an interview with Zach
Martin as my husband's at the bar, you know, having
two Savean blancs celebrating hearing our kids heartbeat. And then
I'm like, hey, we got to make this quick because
we got we have Aaron Rodgers at three o'clock. He's like,
(27:09):
can we toast our kid? Like really, so you know,
it's like I was like trying to cram in a
football season and then deal with you know this, you know, pregnancy,
But it did seem fast, I think looking back at
it now, she was everything is everything that we and
anyone could ever want. A surrogate, super calm, super chill,
(27:32):
the opposite of real mama, so positive, maybe the opposite
of real mom. No, I'm kidding. She's a mom already.
She has two kids of her own, she has four
kids total, but she also has her husband. She is
a great wife, she's a great friend. So she's like
everything we wanted in a sarrogate. And then that even
like culminated in the delivery, Like we'll get to that.
(27:54):
But she was such a freakin' baller through that. So
she's amazing. She's everything I'm not in terms of being calm,
so chill. She knew she had done Sarahenacy before, she's
a mom. She just kind of really led us through it,
held our hand, which was incredible. Also a sports fan,
here's a fun one. When I had my playoff games,
(28:15):
she would turn the TV up so he could hear
my voice. No, they did the same thing for Jarrett
when Jarrett was on TV so he could hear Jarrett.
So yeah, they just got it and they really just
guided us through this whole thing. It was awesome. That
is so special because we talked about this. There are
not enough words to describe the self angels of the service. Yes,
(28:37):
I don't even and I would love I mean I
know that of course, the anonymity and rightfully so whatever,
but like I just want to do like a whole
like conversation with like how and why and all the things.
And obviously you know, let's talk Arrious on the podcast
one time. Let's bring her in. Yeah we should, we
definitely should, but like, wow, what an incredible person to
(29:00):
do that. I mean that is like the ultimate act.
So that's so and so thoughtful. Like oh, you know
because again we hear all the time like babies, and
the woman can like hear music, and so for her
to turn up your voice, that's so sweet. I know, sweet,
she's the best. She was the best. And like you know,
just to fast forward to delivery and all that stuff,
that's where you know, we had a great relationship with them.
(29:22):
We'd go meet them, we'd text them, we were on
a family text chain with them everything like that. But
it wasn't until the delivery that it was like, wow,
I mean she just I mean it just the relationship
just moved to a whole different place. And we had
a little bit of like kind of an emergency in
the delivery room. Nothing major. She just dilated really really fast.
(29:46):
He dropped. They wanted to, you know, kind of get
his heartbeat like back chill like. They didn't lose his heartbeat,
but they wanted to get him ready for delivery, and
that's stressful for the baby when they're going through the
birth canal. All the things we talked about it countless
number of time am I going to be in there?
Am I going to watch? What? Am I going to do?
I don't know. We have a good friend that just
went through Sarahgacy. He and his wife were so lovely
(30:09):
to me to tell me what they did, and that
really helped a lot. But once again my sarrogate. She
guided us through this with her husband as well, and
we kind of walked in and they were working on
getting the baby calmed down before delivery. They also wanted
to get her doctor in there in time because the
doctor had left. Nobody thought she was going to give
birth that quickly, and she, you know, everybody's kind of yelling,
(30:33):
and I'm up against the wall and I'm like, oh god,
what's happening. And I said to Jared should we be here?
Should we be here? Should we be here? And He's like,
we're fine, We're fine. But I had my head facing
the wall because I didn't want to be in the
way of the doctors and the nurses and a lot
was happening. They were trying to stabilize a lot of things,
and Jarrett was seeing a lot of stuff. So then
all of a sudden, a nurse grabbed me and said,
(30:54):
she wants to hold your hand. She wants to hold
your hand. And I was like, I don't want to
get in the way, and she's like, go be with her.
They grab me. I walk around and it's the most
unbelievable thing, and then I'm like, Jared, Jarreed, come be
with me. She grabs my hand. Chrissa and this woman
like like she's giving birth. I look at her, she's
(31:15):
her baby tear just coming down her eye one tier.
She's like just an angel, a machine just crushing. And
at that moment, Jarrett and I turned into like the
biggest sports fan, and we're like, come on, you can
do it, like you got this girl. And I think
I've showed you this picture. I think Jarrett hasn't. And
this is where I'm so proud of my husband and
(31:37):
I'm just like really following his lead in this is
that he we have this picture and he can't wait
to show everybody. It's the perfect picture of what Sarah
Gacy should be. I'm kissing my girl on the head
and Jarrett is just holding the nurse as she's like
cleaning up Mac, and he's like, you know, he looks
like he won another cup, and it's like that is
the perfect picture of Sarah Gassey and he just like,
(31:59):
you know, they gave us Mac and we was like,
oh my gosh, okay, and it was just so crazy.
But then Jarrett could not wait to give him to
our girl to just be like, look what you did.
It was amazing. That says everything about me. If you
have a fantastic experience, that's what you feel like, that's
what you feel like because you're just like you knew that, yeah,
this person's giving a birth, but this person is giving
(32:21):
birth to your kid, and they are like rock stars
doing it. Jarrett couldn't wait, and he has this picture,
like he shows it to everyone. I know he probably
showed it to you and Steve, but like he's like,
look at this picture. This is the first time she
saw him. Like it's so sweet. And then we we
had a moment when we said goodbye to her in
the hospital the next day and she came in to
(32:42):
say goodbye and all her family was with her and
that was really emotional and like she said bye to
Mac and Jarret closed the door and he walked back
into the hospital room and he was just crying, and
I was like, what's happening, and he goes, that's it,
Like it's just she did so much and that's it,
Like that's not it. She's a part of our family forever,
Like that's not it. But yeah, it's really cool. That
whole thing is like another level. I remember you just
(33:06):
said that, you know, you know who you're talking about
who helped you sort of from that outside perspective of
what to expect. So if you could give anybody advice,
I know it's so fresh because baby bears like brand new.
What advice do you have or mothers that are on
the other side of you know, waiting for their surrogate
(33:26):
or just sort of like what kind of wisdom can
you now bestow upon someone that might be listening that's
like hasn't had their baby yet or is thinking about
this sort of your big takeaways on the chapters of
surrogacy and sort of what you've learned throughout this like
incredible process. It's a lot, It's so much to take
in mentally, and I would recommend being with a great
(33:49):
group that like our Family Match Consulting are our woman Stephanie,
who matched this with this arrogacy. No text was too
late or too early in the morning, no text was stupid,
no question was ever you know dumb or you know,
I know that's redundant, but she just she literally held
our hand through it. She also got to know us,
(34:10):
so she knew who to place us with, who to
match us with, and that was really helpful, especially when
you know you even get like what you're packing when
you're going to the hospital, like I don't know what
I'm bringing, you know, like all those things. So I
would say that was the number one thing for us
Family Match Consulting. This is not an ad. I can't
hype her up enough you need someone that you really
(34:32):
trust because it is a whole new territory we had
never been a part of before. You have a ton
of questions. You have people in your life asking you questions,
so you want to get those answered. And that was big.
And another thing, you know, Stephanie really guided us on
is the fin The financial burden of this whole thing
is incredible. It costs a lot of money to do this.
(34:55):
And it really got me to thinking. And I know
I talked to you a lot about it, is that
it is for me. I did this because I was
not able to carry a baby. That was just not
our option. It wasn't a luxury thing. It's not because
I didn't want to be pregnant on the sidelines. I
would have loved to have been pregnant on the sidelines.
I think the guys would have gotten a kick out
of it. I'll tell you one of those guys, and
(35:15):
I'm gonna remind you because he I'll tell you. I'll
tell you after it. But okay, who So I told
Travis Kelsey when I saw him at the charity event
that you know these and I hope you don't care,
but he's sending me a little care, I know, but
like I told him because he said, you a badass
like baby Louis Vauton like things. But he was so excited.
(35:41):
It was the same reaction that Terry Bradshaw gave when
you showed Terry the ultrasound picture when we were in
Las Vegas and the guy's face, and I like, that's why,
like I just I'm so excited, like for so many reasons.
But yeah, so Travis like, oh my god, that's like
just so excited for you because you have you are
(36:01):
the sister to so many of these guys, you know,
and like they're the big brothers, and now like Mac
has so many big brothers, so it's really really special.
I think that's the part that's tearing me up because
I like, I've talked about all this stuff, but like
I haven't talked to the boys. Yeah, you know, and
like Brian Davill texted me the other day and he
read it and he's like, I'm so happy, and it
was just like those boys know you like right that, Yeah, yeah, yeah,
(36:25):
you're the I mean the journey and the hours and
you have spent so much of your life not being
able to start your own family or or starting it
later in your life because your life has been your
professional career. Yeah, but that has been your family, right,
And I feel the same way. I sit here and yeah,
I don't have kids, and like so many those are
that's our family. That's our family exactly. So it's just
(36:47):
like becomes this extended group that just is so excited
for you. And I know that what you want is
other people to be able to have the same opportunity
that you know you have had. And you just mentioned
that there is a huge financial burden, So I think
it's really special you spoke about it on the Today's
show and the platform there, and I know that it's
(37:07):
really important for you to be vocal about this process.
So what do you want people to know that maybe
didn't get a chance to hear what you said earlier. No,
we're going to wrap up this never ending podcast after this.
I do want to talk about this one point quickly,
and I have two funny athlete stories about this whole thing.
I do want to talk about the financial burden. That's
one thing I learned a lot through this whole thing
(37:29):
is that you know a lot of people do this,
yes for a luxury purpose, but a lot of them
do it because it's their only way that they're going
to have a baby. And I just every time we
would talk to Stephanie or write a check, I just thought,
oh my god, think of people in the LBGTQ community
think that this is their way to have a baby
for you know, men a lot of obviously, and then
(37:50):
think about people who went through cancer like I did,
spend all their money on these medical bills, and now
if they want to have a kid and this is
the only way to do it, they've got to pay
for IVF and sarrogacy. It just a lot of it.
I think we need to rethink the way we talk
about it. We need to make it comfortable in conversations,
and then I feel like it's going to be easier
(38:12):
for people to realize people need financial help for this.
So Stephanie, who I've talked about a lot, I noticed
that she would align herself with this group called Baby
Quest Foundation, and she actually helped a woman go through
sarrogacy and she helped get it financed. And Baby Quest Foundation,
I want to say it right, they actually are on
(38:32):
a mission to make parenthood happen for those who cannot
afford the high cost of IVF, sarrogacy, egg and sperm donation,
egg freezing, embryo donation. They're focused on helping couples or
singles in this journey, especially those who are cancer survivors,
military personnel, regardless of genitor and sexuality. They've given out
twenty grants to help people get their babies. And this
(38:53):
is just something that I'm really really really excited about
aligning myself with. I just I feel like we have
a purpose. I feel like we have a voice for
all this, and I'm really really looking forward to it,
so more to come on all of that. I think
that's so special because it is it's not something that
you should be you know, you should feel like, oh,
I can't do it because of financial reasons. So knowing
(39:16):
that there's options, I think that's really special to pay
it forward because that is the ultimate thing, is that
you have the ultimate gift now and you've had a
lot of people that have helped you along the way,
but that all want to help others. I know you're
quick to deflect, yeah, attention, but it also starts with
you and Jared and that you know that that that
athlete mindset that you guys both have like you don't
give up, and you didn't give up, and now you
(39:37):
have a baby boy. So I have to ask the
question of like, what has been the best part about
being a mother, albeit your short tenure, what has been
like the greatest thing, Like what has surprised you the
most good and bad? Like changing diapers or like like
give me the good, the best, the biggest surprise, good
and bad. Just kind of studying his face watching my
(39:58):
husband with him, Jared Is, I was like, I'm your
Dutch hotter to Jared really hot, hold a bit, I'm
your dad, I'm your dad. And then because we're both
super competitive, not so much with each other, but just
in life, it's like, all change the diaper. I want
to try this because we both want to nail it, Yeah,
to be better than each other. I'm setting a tested this.
(40:19):
I'm sitting on your couch because I was like, I
need to see him immediately, like the second like I
got over there, he needed deciper change. And you guys
were like, so it's really sweet to watch you guys
as a team. I love you. Where it's like, oh no,
you can hope if you do it, Like it's just
really special to see your relationship now with Jared in
a completely different way, and seeing you hold a baby
like is my like magic. I'm so happy for you there,
(40:42):
I'm really happy for I love you and I can't
thank you enough for just helping and guiding me through this.
And and somebody asked me the other day, when is
your like real big cry going to happen? I think
I'm very much like Cameron Diaz from the Holiday, like
I know it's going to come. I don't cry right
away about things. And somebody told me you're gonna cry
when that baby, like he's a newborn now, he eats, sleeps, poops,
(41:05):
and like that's it. It Like she's like when he
acknowledges you when you walk into the room and he
hears your voice. I feel like he's doing that now,
but not really. Two quick funny athlete stories about this.
I can't wait to get more because obviously we're announcing
it today officially like it's been announced, but like we're
commenting on it. A couple of weeks ago, we were
at the Fox seminar and you are so lovely and
(41:27):
you're so wonderful, and you give a shout out and
you say Fox's Family and we have a new Family edition.
Rob Gronkowski is sitting there. I mean she hears Aaron
Andrews just you know hat newborn son Mac, and he goes, oh, really,
I was just with you a three weeks ago. I
didn't know she was having a base Sarah get Gronk,
Sarah Get. But I love him so much, like, you know,
(41:49):
like I was just with her three weeks ago. But
I notice, so it was a bag. Sure I didn't
have Yeah, actually I just discovered that you can have
a baby in three weeks. And I'm already back in
my skinny jeans. Like it's so I God love that.
It's very on brand. We uh. We saw Tom Brady
in February and my husband was so excited to tell him,
(42:10):
and they were skiing for a bit together. And then
I saw Tom later that day and he gave me
a big hug and he's like, congratulations, Like I had
just come off doing the Super Bowl, Like we had
a kick ass broadcast, great game, Mahomes comes back from
an injury. You know, I get Kelsey and Mahomes and
I go thanks. The game was awfo hundred fifteen million viewers. Yeah,
one hundred and fifteen million viewers. TV goes, congratulations, so
(42:33):
happy for you. I was like, thanks, it was like
one of the best Super Bowls I've ever worked. I
was like mahomes Kelsey was. I was like, we missed
you and it was a time and he was like,
I mean about the baby, and I was like, oh, yeah,
this is my favorite. Is that. It's so great though,
because again, and this is like one of the many
(42:53):
reasons why I'm so excited for you, because like now
your first thought will be like he's here. It's so
different because like, you know, like we would be sitting
there and we're in Montana and Steve orders a cake
and he says happy third trimester, and the waitress three master,
the waitress didn't hear him correctly, and she and it
(43:15):
says happy third Measter, and we all just we all
started cracking up because we're like, it's your third trimester,
and like just you know, and this is Aaron. She's like,
happy third trimester, Like but like cheers, here's us and no,
it's honestly, I'm so happy. Like Aaron, you're a mom.
I love you. You're a mom. Guys, when you're a mother,
(43:36):
you know, that's gonna be that's my favorite phrase. You
can say forever. Now, wait, has he pete on you yet? Paper? Oh?
That was the story I couldn't tell when I got
the tattoo. One of our good friends, a little he
was like, a he's like a thirteen fourteen year old.
He saw this and said, Aaron, you're a mother. Yep,
sure am, Augie, sure am. Has he peed on me? Yes?
(43:59):
He pe on me right in the hospital that night,
and then he's peed yeah, peede on me during a
diaper change here and then peede through his diaper one time.
So we're good, We're gold. You. Well, I cannot I
couldn't be happier for you. And I just can't wait
for like all the stories and like I know now
(44:21):
that you being able, I got a lot of stories, guys,
I got a lot of stories building up for the
past nine months. I'm dying now. You the other part
that I'm so excited because I'd start to say something
and I'm like, Nope, can't say it yet. So don't
you know, relieved? This is real? Scoopid. Yeah, finally Yeah. Also,
like we're great like liars or actresses. We've been holding
this in for nine months. We've been lying to our audience,
(44:42):
you know, but not to ourselves. Here's a teaser for
next week. Sugar water is the pits. And also here's
the other thing. I can't wait to go on a
rant about this stuff you have to buy for newborns.
Here's the thing. I've been for nine months keeping this
in and dying to go off about it. But I
am next week when you tell me to get a
bascinet and the fitted crib sheet and I can't find
(45:06):
a waterproof pad protector to put with it. Just make
it a package. Just make it like I'm going to
Chick fil A and I'm getting the sandwich and the
value and the sprite. Just give it to me, like
I don't want to have to be doing measurements and
looking around. Guys, this could be a lot. Easy guy.
She's a mother, She's a mother for this, this this,
I'm a mother. Well this is the headline of the week.
(45:27):
Aaron Andrews and Jared Stole. Congratulations on your perfect baby boy,
mac Roger Stole. Welcome to the world. I'm already obsessed
with you. I ask you for like pictures every single day.
I love you so much. And Erin. I'm so freaking freakin'
happy for you. Love you, love you, love you, love you.
Calm Down with Erin and Carissa is a production of iHeartRadio.
(45:50):
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio apps, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Aaron, You're a mom. You're a mom. Calm Down with
Aeron and Carissa is a production of iHeartRadio. Guys. Welcome
to the Calm Down Podcast. We got a lot to
talk about. A couple of things. Actors are on strike.
We're the only people working work for hire. Anyone need
(00:22):
me for a game show? CHRISA and I would love
to host. Okay, Second of all, Lebron, Lebron's ing, Who's
coming with me? Not retiring? I can say this and
it's not a headline. It's an opinion, but I could
write that article for you. Marco Robbie is killing the
Barbie looks. I mean, I know we talked about crushing
all of them. It's great. He looks amazing. I don't
(00:45):
know who the casting director is, but those two together great. Okay.
And then finally, I have seen from TMZ footage of
vander Pump Rules. They are filming and no one knows
where Rachel is. Where is she I think I saw
something last night as I was trying to go to sleep,
But you know, I'm really I can't concentrate of Sheena
(01:06):
giving it to one of the Tom's meaning yelling, but
I'm dialed in. I mean, where is Rachel? Where is she?
We should go, We should go as an extra. But
you don't really have a lot of time to go
out because the third and final headline of the week,
ladies in jener my life is over. Aaron Andrews is
a mother. Yo, yoday. I took my apologies to the
(01:28):
Calm Down Podcast for rearranging their schedules and everything. Thank
you. You guys have been so freaking patient and I love
you for it. Now, my girlfriend who's on the other
side of this, has been very patient with me through
these nine months because she has literally lived, breathed, and
her boyfriend's been carrying an egg for me. We'll get
(01:49):
to that coming up. Wait, okay, we're going to get
to all the specifics. But seriously, and I have cried
every happy tear for you, and I literally was going
to drive to the hospital and meet you as soon
as your baby boy came out. Now, tell the world
his name, tell me everything in that moment, and then
we'll work backwards on how this incredible nine year journey
(02:12):
culminated in a perfect baby boy. But tell me, like,
take me into the delivery room that day. WHOA, yes, exactly.
We gotta go. We gotta do an outline. Where are
we starting? Okay, where should we start? I want to
start with the moment that you saw him, because I
don't think you and I haven't talked about this. We've
talked about a lot of it. So the moment we
(02:34):
saw him, I think I was like, Hi, Hi. It
was funny because as soon as the nurses took him out,
they were like, he's got hair and he's really cute.
And we had had you know, it was kind of
crazy in the delivery room up until they got him out.
We can get into that. So I wasn't even thinking,
oh my gosh, does he have hair? Is he cute?
(02:55):
I was just like, is this guy? Okay, what's happening? Hey?
Another headline? Jets on hard knock. I know a quarterback
that's gonna love that. By the way, welcome to Aaron
Andrews in Motherhood. We're talking about the baby in the
birth analogies like breaking news. Back to you, Kevin and
Greg Jesus, I love you, Okay, go back to your baby. Okay.
So yeah, just was I was like Hi, Like it
(03:17):
was just kind of like they just like throw them
in your arms and it's all happening at once, and
it's wild and it's crazy, and like I remember, even
when we were getting ready to take him outside back
into our room, we put him in this rollie thing
and we're like, are we allowed to take him like
out like and they're like, yeah, put him in this
little rollie thing, which those are great. By the way,
we haven't even talked about that newborn in a stroller.
(03:40):
I got a lot to teach you before it's your turn,
we're going to talk about. Oh, I love that you
just said to me. I got a lot to teach you. Okay,
So you mean the actual like things that you see
in the movies where they put the babies in the
little like plastic dead thing and then which, by the way,
like our nursery is still a thing like oursen go
and one he didn't go into the nursery. He stayed
(04:02):
in our room overnight. All right, let's start in order.
Where are we'll start? I just wanted that moment that
you like, see because this has been a nine year journey,
which I know that we sit here and rightfully so
and can like make like funny little like qrps and
jokes and you can smile because you finally got the
baby boy that you've always wanted in granted, boy girl,
(04:25):
whatever it was that, I just can't imagine how grateful
and everything that you feel. But on the other side
of that, you know how difficult this has been. So yeah,
to start wherever you want to start, let's go, and
let's go through. Because I know that there's a lot
of people that listen to this podcast that are going
through similar things or have one through similar things, And
a lot of our listeners have been so awesome in
(04:47):
terms of reaching out DM wise of like books for
me to read, you know, when I hadn't divulged that
we were actually pregnant and so forth. So you know,
we have been pretty candid on this podcast, which I
have a appreciated, just about my journey and the struggle
I did nine years of IVF. Like you know, was
trying really really hard. You and I have talked about
(05:08):
it about trying to get eggs. I just couldn't produce eggs. Yes,
did my age have a lot to do with it, sure,
But also I was dealing with you know, cervical cancer,
and sometimes you know, your body just doesn't really do
a great job with producing these eggs, and that was me. So,
you know, we would get so long in the process
and you would just get one egg. Sometimes sometimes you
would get eleven. Sometimes you would get too well. Then
(05:31):
you want to mix in your husband's sperm and make embryos,
and you're waiting, you're weight and you're waiting, and then
you don't have any and you just feel I And
so I ended up having to do IVF. I did
nine or I did eight rounds of IVF. And don't
you always feel like CHRISA Like every vacation I was on,
every event I had to go to, I was shooting up,
(05:51):
like I feel it. I so many of our vacations
were affected by my freaking IVF. This was like my
first summer I didn't have to. We were in Montana,
I you know, Kelly and Matthew wanted to stay longer,
and I was like, I have to go home because
I have to go get you know, I an ultrasound.
Like everything I was doing for the last nine years
(06:11):
was affected by IVF. And it sucks because there's no
like rhyme or reason, there's no right timing. You just
it's like you don't even know when your right time
is going to be it to crapshoot. And by that
it's also the phone calls and the different things that
you're doing while you're trying to do your job, or
even the medical stuff that you had to go through
and wearing you know, unfortunately, like certain things in your
(06:34):
clothing because you had to have an operation, and reporting
on Packers Cowboys coming up in America's Game of the Week.
Like there's so much that little game. Yeah, exactly. But
that's to me, which is why when when you know
when you which will get to in a second, like
told me that this embryo took, and it's just like
(06:56):
it's so incredible. Okay, So starting at the very beginning,
you had how many embryos left, like how many like
did you know that you could like try to get
pregnant with. So we didn't have many at all, as
my doctor would say, less than a starting lineup. That's
one thing I loved about my fertility doctor so much
is that he knew for me my way to kind
(07:17):
of cope with things is sports. And so I would
be like, all right, what are we looking at follicle wise?
And you've got you have enough for a starting lineup.
You know, this one could be your point guard, this
one could be your starting quarterback, like things like that,
to tell me the strength of the embryos and all
that stuff. So less than a handful, less than a
starting lineup, which isn't great. And then we started realizing,
(07:38):
you know, I, when I was diagnosed with cervical cancer,
I should have gotten a second opinion. I didn't. I
went to the first doctor that told me that she
could get this out, and she didn't, and she packed
me open and I lost more of my cervix than
was necessary. But unfortunately the cancer went past the march,
(08:00):
so I had to have another surgery, and at that point,
holding a baby was just not going to happen. Literally,
we went to when we were like, okay, am I
going to try to get pregnant now? After cervical cancer.
We went to a lot of doctors that gave me
advice about if I did go into labor while and
work in a Green Bay game, or if I did
go into labor while I'm working a Patriots game, I
(08:21):
have to stay in New England. I have to stay
in Green Bay for the rest of my pregnancy, like
I cannot move. They even talked about like potentially stitching
me up so my cervix could hold it, but unfortunately
we made the decision there just wasn't enough there to
actually carry a baby, and which was really hard, it
was really hard to hear that. But COVID Easter, we
(08:44):
were in our house and we're normally at our friend's
house who has kids, Jackie Quick. We're usually there, and
we're usually with everybody who has kids, and we're just
here by ourselves, and we're like, this sucks, Like this
just sucks. This is I mean, my husband's great, we
love each other, but we're like what are we doing?
So it wasn't really until that Easter because we were
kind of like, well, maybe I will get pregnant, maybe
(09:05):
I won't go into labor, and maybe it was just
like this isn't working. I'm not getting pregnant. They don't
want to use the embryos on me because I don't
have very many and the potent may I'm older, the
stats are up against me, the numbers are up against me.
I probably will lose the embryos. So you know, finally
we were like, let's just try. Let's look into saragacy.
(09:26):
Let's see what we can find out and let's see
if it's even for us. So probably twenty twenty one,
we really looked into it and we finally found someone.
And this is a really difficult process. It's it's mentally exhausting.
You literally are. You go to an agency, they look
(09:48):
for candidates. Then they send you profiles or resumes of
different surrogates and maybe sarrogate of her and her husband,
and you kind of read it. You read it all
read all about their life, and you feel feel like
you really think that they're a good match. You could say,
I'd like to meet them. Then they read my story
and they read Jarrett's story of why we need saragacy
and why we're looking to go this avenue. Then you
(10:10):
get on a zoom because nobody does anything in person
anymore because of COVID, And you meet them and you
talk to them and you end up crying and you
end up saying, you know, thank you so much. This
would mean the world to me for you to you know,
be able to have my baby, and this is what
we've gone through as a family. It's a lot, it's exhausting.
Then from there you have to get legal involved and
(10:30):
they check them out and then you end up, you know,
having them looked at. So we went through that with many,
many different women. And my doctor was so so particular
and sensitive about who he chose as a surrogate because
I didn't have many, so we'd get so close and
if they had one little thing wrong with them, he
was like, oh my god, I can't I can't do this.
(10:52):
In twenty twenty one, we found a lovely, lovely woman.
We loved her so much. We adored her family, huge
hockey fans. They were just perfect. They were absolutely adorable.
They were right up the road. It was perfect. We
went into this very we just we didn't really know
the risk of it all. We thought it was going
to be so so easy to do, and we ended
(11:14):
up putting two embryos in and we lost them both
and that was so hard. And that was actually a
podcast we did and we didn't say what it was
and I was just sobbing. I think you were in
Lake Tahoe and I called you no Lake errolhead, sorry,
(11:35):
but I had the text because because we knew like
you had you know, these embryo, like the transfer it happened,
and just waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting for
the news. And then I'll never forget that text that
I got from you where you're like neither of them were,
and I just my heart like I'll like cry thinking
about it, because you know, these are it's their goal,
(11:58):
like these are like when you only have a few.
And then just like my heart like broke for you
in that moment. And we, like I said, we went
into it so blind. We kind of just thought, well, like, well,
well let's get it over with, let's have twins, like
it'll be like really quick and then we'll be done,
or if one doesn't take, we'll have the other. And
we kind of just thought that's how it went. And
so that was a really hard go for me. Jarrett
(12:20):
was so good because he kind of like mourned and
grieved right away. I remember he went upstairs and just
laid in our bed with our dog and just balled
his brains out. And I just kept thinking, Okay, we
have to get past this. We have to get because
that's just how I am. That's how I am with
like everything. Let's just hey, let's talk about the jets
on hard knocks, what's going on? You know, I just
don't want to get deeper, and I got really fucked up.
(12:42):
I don't know if you remember. I was just not right.
I just couldn't communicate my feelings about it. I think
I was scared to move forward. What does this mean
if I we just lost these two, we don't have
much left? What if we don't have success? We're now
going to have to find a different person. This is
all like crazy And I ended up having to get
some help because it was actually, I know I've told
(13:03):
you this, having a hard time like forming sentences. I
just was like missing words more so than usual. You know,
I'm good for that, but it made me kind of
deal with a lot. It was hard. It was really hard.
But I think the biggest thing it made me do
was start talking to you guys about it all more
because you're you're a tough cookie like you. Let us
(13:24):
in us is the proverbial. You know, your friend group,
your family, like we we know when and when you
don't want to open up about stuff, and it's like
it's hard because you don't want to press someone. But
when you love someone so much and you care about
them and you know, you know, you just want to
do anything that you can for them, so that's even
more of a reason why with your baby boy. Have
(13:45):
you said his name? Mat, I'm here, Maggaroni man, tell everyone,
tell his full name. It's Mac Roger for my grandpa
who loves sports so much Stole. So now all the
more reason why Mac being here and again and we'll
get into that other stuff of like the Megan Mitchell
(14:07):
story of like they choose you and like everything happens
for a reason, and like we've got a lot of
years something about that dinner at pawn shows at another night. Yeah,
they've run for episode two of this story because it's
so it's just so special. So as on the side
of heartbreak is the side of joy. So now being
able to sit here and go back on this journey
(14:28):
with you and really like think about how long it's
been for you, it's a testament to who you are.
And I know I've said this to you, whether it's
you know, at our pseudo baby shower, which I made
you have because you reluctantly didn't want to have that
and I respect that, but because you don't want the
attention to ever be on you. But you have worked
so hard and this baby boy is here because you
and Jarrett didn't give up, and that would be the
(14:50):
message I think, and I would hope that people like
you know there's always another option, even if it wasn't
your first choice. So after all of that happens, then
for you sort of what that next step was and
(15:12):
how you kept going even if it was so hard
dealing with myself talking about it with you guys was
a big one for me, you know, Like you said,
this led us to something and even greater. We then
found our kind of angel, one of our angels. Her
name is Stephanie Levitt. She actually runs family Match consulting
and her story is incredible and she's just an awesome person.
(15:34):
I love her so much. And she led us to
our surrogate. That wasn't easy though either. We had actually
a couple other people that we had interviewed. We got
really close with another girl that we thought we were
actually going to do it with the transfer with, and
that didn't work out obviously for all reasons that you know.
We're fabulous on the other end, but very hard at
the time. And Steph made this whole process just a
(15:59):
wonder full experience how it should be, and she led
us to our girl and our family, and I'm trying
to think. I think it was last summer maybe that
we met her. I think it was. I think it
was maybe like gosh, like May or June that we
met her. And yeah, we met her, and we did
(16:21):
a zoom with them, and we thought that they were lovely.
But it's kind of like this is like your sixth
or seventh interview with a surrogate. You know, you're like,
all right, let me cry and tell you my story again, Hello,
how are you? But you know, they were great. We
met him a few times for lunch and everything, and
then when she checked out medically and everything was good.
I was telling this story the other day. Obviously I'm
a person that can block my feelings, my emotions hide
(16:43):
behind sports. Not the healthiest thing to do. But I
was working a forty nine ers game in I think
it was probably like October, maybe the end of September,
right before the transfer, and I just blocked it all out,
blocked it all out, and then got on the plane
to go take off back to LA and I knew,
oh no, no, that wasn't even the transfer. The transfer
(17:04):
that was to find out if she was pregnant. So
on this Sunday, I'm flying home and I just was
looking out the window and I just started bawling because
I'm like, shit, this is happening tomorrow. We were texting.
I think I was like, I'm having a panic attack,
and I was like yeah. And then I was also
grateful that you were only on a forty five minute
flight because I was like, I need you on the ground.
(17:24):
I need you because I don't need you cross country
and then you checking out on me, and all of
a sudden, I'm like I can't get to you. So
let's make this forty five get home and get in
your bed, Like, would you like anything to drink before
we take off? Yes, I'll have three drinks, thank you.
I'll have Run white and Blue. Yeah. But it's really happening.
(17:46):
And so that's where like emotionally you were at there
and then and then the next day it was a
crazy day. Well, first of all leading up to that.
After the transfer, it takes about ten to twelve days
to figure out if they're pregnant. So my girlfriend Chrissa
Thompson and Kelly Stafford girlfriends drop off this huge care
package to my house and was basically the twelve days
(18:06):
of waiting to see if you're pregnant, and each day
had a note and a different gift. There were Disney magazines,
there were cuddly socks. There were jammis that I wear
all the time now my Kate'spade jammys. There were bathrobes,
there were lip glosses, there were like Charlotte Tilbury like
it was just so sweet and so of course I
(18:29):
had it back here like during the podcast and we
were filming, and I was like, oh god, people are
going to see this every day. Jeret would come down
and be like, so what is day three? Like what's
he four? Like what do you guns? Jarney? So but no,
we just wanted we you know, because I remember Kelly
and texting me and she was like, we have to
distract her. And Kelly's been very very open about her
(18:50):
struggle about the journey, journey exactly, and that is I
think the thing and hopefully to anyone that's listening, like
the support system, and whether that's you're am meeting get girlfriends,
or whether that's strangers that you don't even know, is that.
Unfortunately and fortunately this community is really really big and
if you lean on them, waiting rooms are packed if
(19:12):
you let your friends or even strangers like support you,
then you don't feel like you're so isolated. And I
don't know, I mean I have never I haven't went
on this journey that you have. You can only hope
to like support somebody in that be like, Okay, we're
here for you. So it was the Twelve Days of
Distraction and the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was so good.
Thank you Baby Jesus culminated in mac Roger Stole because
(19:36):
oh my gosh. So then we get through that week
because we're all in this together. You guys are doing it.
The Stafford's, the Thompson Candaries, like the Stole Andrews. Yeah,
like we're in it. My girlfriend Jackie, Heather, Meghan, my
other Megan. Yeah, like everybody's in it. They know we're
supposed to find out if she's pregnant or if she's not,
(19:56):
and that Monday, and so usually when you find out,
like last time we found out it didn't work, it
was about like four o'clock in the afternoon. So I
had said to you guys, like you guys were being
so sweet. And a lot of times friends don't know
how to react, like they don't know what to do.
They don't want to get in your way. But you
guys wanted to be helpful if it didn't work. And
I get that, So Kelly tell the story. Kelly had
(20:16):
the idea, We're just going to plan a dinner regardless,
We're going to plan a dinner because I this is
what happened when Matthew won this Super Bowl. Yeah, yeah,
we're planning a dinner. We're meeting at such and such
a restaurant, Dantannas. What who cares? What the saying at Dantanna's.
Let's say whatever time it was, we were going to
be at seven o'clock. And yeah, so then you're supposed
to find out I think like around four, right, was that? Yeah?
(20:41):
And then and then tell everybody what happened? Well, what
are you and Kelly doing? That? Whole time? You guys
are just texting right like have you heard? Have you heard?
Like of course you're updated. Do I have a wife again?
Why is a signal? Strong? I remember seeing that we're
waiting at South Beverly Grille and they're like, ohh And
I was like I'm going to need another drink. They're like,
you're already at your max psychopath, like you got to
(21:03):
go to another restaurant because I was like, we're waiting,
and we're waiting, and then like as time keeps going by,
and I was like, oh no, because now you're like,
oh fuck, like this might not be good enough. Times
like keeps going by. So I know we were just
waiting for you to tell us great news. But then
we got the text that's yeah. So I was laying
on the couch and it's like finally five o'clock and
(21:23):
I'm just like, I'm literally my heart is just coming
out of my check. I'm like, this is crazy. This
is like torture to put people through. Jared's stomach's killing him.
He's running up and down and so the stairs. It
was so finally I just I called the fertility clinic
and I was just like, I don't want to press
three for help. I don't want to press four for English, Like,
just get me an operator. I don't want to hear
(21:45):
this music. Just let me know what's going on. So
my sweet sweet nurse who I love so much, was like,
I am so so sorry. The test results are not
going to be in today. You're not going to find
out until tomorrow. And I'm like, they can't do this
to me. They cannot do this to me. And instantly
I went into let's call Neil Latosh with the rams,
let's call somebody from the chargers, like who do we
(22:07):
know to break into the lab? Like I literally thought,
who from the I'm gonna call Sean McVay right now,
I'm gonna call Sean McVay and ask for help, like
I need help to get into this lab. And she
just said, I'm so sorry. There's something we can do.
And I texted you guys and you were just like
and then our reaction was, how can we break it?
We're gonna get arrested into this lab. We don't care.
(22:28):
Let's go yep, yep. And Jen was like, we get
your clothes on, let's go. Let's go meet them, Like,
let's go meet them, and let's just go have a
time because sitting here, we're gonna drive each other nuts.
I'm gonna, you know, cause some sort of pain or whatever,
like to my heart. So I was like, all right, fine,
So we got an Uberg, we went up to Hollywood
(22:49):
and we had a night. Oh my god, we had
a time. In this particular case, Steve my boyfriend had
been carrying around this little dish with an egg, like
a raw egg for how long at that point, like
a month the transfer. Yeah, so since the transfer, he
had been carrying around this egg and continued to carry
(23:11):
it around until we found out that it worked, and
then kept it in our refrigerator until we met Mac
because he's like, just because we wanted to make sure
through the entire pregnancy, like it was like his. I
have so many pictures of Steve and random faces, the
flat family things of like you take the picture of
like the random cut out, like and we're in Asia,
(23:32):
We're in this hiffel tower. There's seven hundred photos in
my phone with Steve with the egg just randomly around.
But yeah, so he brought the egg that night and
it was excellent. We were wild, wild, and at one
point I got way to whatever with my hands and
broke the egg and you guys realized they broke out
(23:53):
and that minor craft there was a minor crack. But
I was like, okay, that's okay, that's okay, this doesn't
mean anything. We're still good. Uh. But yeah, we tried
to get you through that night, and then I had
to leave on an early flight the next day to
go wherever I was going. So then I was like,
oh shit, like when we find out this news, if
I want to, like, I better have Wi Fi on
(24:14):
this plane, like okay. So then the next day happened
and I am I have to connect through somewhere, and
I remember being like, oh my god, I don't want
it because I don't also want to annoy you, like
I need what's happening. What's happening. But then I finally
like my phone starts ringing and it's FaceTime with you
and Kelly, and my plane's about to take off, and
(24:36):
you tell me on the plane that if it weren't
I crying like staring, and I have this I have
this cot over my head and it's like because I'm
trying to like muffle, We're about to take off. Then
close the door on the plane. Yeah, close the door.
And so then you tell me it worked, and I
spilled my coffee all over it goes down, I like
(24:57):
down the woman next to me, and they at this point,
I'm just hammered. I'm about to get escorted off the
plane because they think I've had way too many which
has happened at the bar but in this case, I
was like hysterically crying, like tears of joy, and it
was just we have like stupid pictures of the FaceTime
screen shots from that day, but like, oh my god,
like that feeling for you and remember hold on, remember
(25:20):
the flight attendant going, ma'am, you need to turn off
your phone and you put a blanket over you. You're
like Kristen Wig and Bridesmaids. You're like, I'm sorry, my
friend is pregnant. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, and
you're crying like you are so lucky they didn't kick
you off that plane. But I was once crazy, Yeah
no I didn't. I look like a stone, but I didn't. Yeh.
(25:40):
I was like, actually kick me off this plane. I
dare you too, because I'd love to finish this conversation.
Oh my gosh. It was so exciting. So then for you,
so this journey in a colonia and like the news
(26:01):
that you've been waiting, you know, the nine years, your
whole life here and like you and Jared having that moment,
and then for you, like how did the pregnancy for
your starting it? Did it feel like it went by
fast or like because how is that process for you
and how did it feel sort of being like, you know,
just letting this and of course be the member of
your family now, but like, you know, somebody carry your
(26:25):
baby and that's sort of all the psychological stuff that
goes with that and thinking about it daily. I feel
like now looking back at it, it does seem like
it went by fast. I mean, we were in the
middle of a football season. The first time we went
to go hear his heartbeat. I had conference calls and
zooms with the Packers and the Cowboys because they were
playing that Sunday in America's Game of the Week. So
(26:47):
I remember we went to go listen to his heartbeat
and see it, and then I had to race out
of there, and Jared's like, let's go celebrate, and I'm like,
I have to get in the car. Zach Martin is
calling me. I've got to do an interview with Zach
Martin as my husband's at the bar, you know, having
two Savean blancs celebrating hearing our kids heartbeat. And then
I'm like, hey, we got to make this quick because
we got we have Aaron Rodgers at three o'clock. He's like,
(27:09):
can we toast our kid? Like really, so you know,
it's like I was like trying to cram in a
football season and then deal with you know this, you know, pregnancy,
But it did seem fast, I think looking back at
it now, she was everything is everything that we and
anyone could ever want. A surrogate, super calm, super chill,
(27:32):
the opposite of real mama, so positive, maybe the opposite
of real mom. No, I'm kidding. She's a mom already.
She has two kids of her own, she has four
kids total, but she also has her husband. She is
a great wife, she's a great friend. So she's like
everything we wanted in a sarrogate. And then that even
like culminated in the delivery, Like we'll get to that.
(27:54):
But she was such a freakin' baller through that. So
she's amazing. She's everything I'm not in terms of being calm,
so chill. She knew she had done Sarahenacy before, she's
a mom. She just kind of really led us through it,
held our hand, which was incredible. Also a sports fan,
here's a fun one. When I had my playoff games,
(28:15):
she would turn the TV up so he could hear
my voice. No, they did the same thing for Jarrett
when Jarrett was on TV so he could hear Jarrett.
So yeah, they just got it and they really just
guided us through this whole thing. It was awesome. That
is so special because we talked about this. There are
not enough words to describe the self angels of the service. Yes,
(28:37):
I don't even and I would love I mean I
know that of course, the anonymity and rightfully so whatever,
but like I just want to do like a whole
like conversation with like how and why and all the things.
And obviously you know, let's talk Arrious on the podcast
one time. Let's bring her in. Yeah we should, we
definitely should, but like, wow, what an incredible person to
(29:00):
do that. I mean that is like the ultimate act.
So that's so and so thoughtful. Like oh, you know
because again we hear all the time like babies, and
the woman can like hear music, and so for her
to turn up your voice, that's so sweet. I know, sweet,
she's the best. She was the best. And like you know,
just to fast forward to delivery and all that stuff,
that's where you know, we had a great relationship with them.
(29:22):
We'd go meet them, we'd text them, we were on
a family text chain with them everything like that. But
it wasn't until the delivery that it was like, wow,
I mean she just I mean it just the relationship
just moved to a whole different place. And we had
a little bit of like kind of an emergency in
the delivery room. Nothing major. She just dilated really really fast.
(29:46):
He dropped. They wanted to, you know, kind of get
his heartbeat like back chill like. They didn't lose his heartbeat,
but they wanted to get him ready for delivery, and
that's stressful for the baby when they're going through the
birth canal. All the things we talked about it countless
number of time am I going to be in there?
Am I going to watch? What? Am I going to do?
I don't know. We have a good friend that just
went through Sarahgacy. He and his wife were so lovely
(30:09):
to me to tell me what they did, and that
really helped a lot. But once again my sarrogate. She
guided us through this with her husband as well, and
we kind of walked in and they were working on
getting the baby calmed down before delivery. They also wanted
to get her doctor in there in time because the
doctor had left. Nobody thought she was going to give
birth that quickly, and she, you know, everybody's kind of yelling,
(30:33):
and I'm up against the wall and I'm like, oh god,
what's happening. And I said to Jared should we be here?
Should we be here? Should we be here? And He's like,
we're fine, We're fine. But I had my head facing
the wall because I didn't want to be in the
way of the doctors and the nurses and a lot
was happening. They were trying to stabilize a lot of things,
and Jarrett was seeing a lot of stuff. So then
all of a sudden, a nurse grabbed me and said,
(30:54):
she wants to hold your hand. She wants to hold
your hand. And I was like, I don't want to
get in the way, and she's like, go be with her.
They grab me. I walk around and it's the most
unbelievable thing, and then I'm like, Jared, Jarreed, come be
with me. She grabs my hand. Chrissa and this woman
like like she's giving birth. I look at her, she's
(31:15):
her baby tear just coming down her eye one tier.
She's like just an angel, a machine just crushing. And
at that moment, Jarrett and I turned into like the
biggest sports fan, and we're like, come on, you can
do it, like you got this girl. And I think
I've showed you this picture. I think Jarrett hasn't. And
this is where I'm so proud of my husband and
(31:37):
I'm just like really following his lead in this is
that he we have this picture and he can't wait
to show everybody. It's the perfect picture of what Sarah
Gacy should be. I'm kissing my girl on the head
and Jarrett is just holding the nurse as she's like
cleaning up Mac, and he's like, you know, he looks
like he won another cup, and it's like that is
the perfect picture of Sarah Gassey and he just like,
(31:59):
you know, they gave us Mac and we was like,
oh my gosh, okay, and it was just so crazy.
But then Jarrett could not wait to give him to
our girl to just be like, look what you did.
It was amazing. That says everything about me. If you
have a fantastic experience, that's what you feel like, that's
what you feel like because you're just like you knew that, yeah,
this person's giving a birth, but this person is giving
(32:21):
birth to your kid, and they are like rock stars
doing it. Jarrett couldn't wait, and he has this picture,
like he shows it to everyone. I know he probably
showed it to you and Steve, but like he's like,
look at this picture. This is the first time she
saw him. Like it's so sweet. And then we we
had a moment when we said goodbye to her in
the hospital the next day and she came in to
(32:42):
say goodbye and all her family was with her and
that was really emotional and like she said bye to
Mac and Jarret closed the door and he walked back
into the hospital room and he was just crying, and
I was like, what's happening, and he goes, that's it,
Like it's just she did so much and that's it,
Like that's not it. She's a part of our family forever,
Like that's not it. But yeah, it's really cool. That
whole thing is like another level. I remember you just
(33:06):
said that, you know, you know who you're talking about
who helped you sort of from that outside perspective of
what to expect. So if you could give anybody advice,
I know it's so fresh because baby bears like brand new.
What advice do you have or mothers that are on
the other side of you know, waiting for their surrogate
(33:26):
or just sort of like what kind of wisdom can
you now bestow upon someone that might be listening that's
like hasn't had their baby yet or is thinking about
this sort of your big takeaways on the chapters of
surrogacy and sort of what you've learned throughout this like
incredible process. It's a lot, It's so much to take
in mentally, and I would recommend being with a great
(33:49):
group that like our Family Match Consulting are our woman Stephanie,
who matched this with this arrogacy. No text was too
late or too early in the morning, no text was stupid,
no question was ever you know dumb or you know,
I know that's redundant, but she just she literally held
our hand through it. She also got to know us,
(34:10):
so she knew who to place us with, who to
match us with, and that was really helpful, especially when
you know you even get like what you're packing when
you're going to the hospital, like I don't know what
I'm bringing, you know, like all those things. So I
would say that was the number one thing for us
Family Match Consulting. This is not an ad. I can't
hype her up enough you need someone that you really
(34:32):
trust because it is a whole new territory we had
never been a part of before. You have a ton
of questions. You have people in your life asking you questions,
so you want to get those answered. And that was big.
And another thing, you know, Stephanie really guided us on
is the fin The financial burden of this whole thing
is incredible. It costs a lot of money to do this.
(34:55):
And it really got me to thinking. And I know
I talked to you a lot about it, is that
it is for me. I did this because I was
not able to carry a baby. That was just not
our option. It wasn't a luxury thing. It's not because
I didn't want to be pregnant on the sidelines. I
would have loved to have been pregnant on the sidelines.
I think the guys would have gotten a kick out
of it. I'll tell you one of those guys, and
(35:15):
I'm gonna remind you because he I'll tell you. I'll
tell you after it. But okay, who So I told
Travis Kelsey when I saw him at the charity event
that you know these and I hope you don't care,
but he's sending me a little care, I know, but
like I told him because he said, you a badass
like baby Louis Vauton like things. But he was so excited.
(35:41):
It was the same reaction that Terry Bradshaw gave when
you showed Terry the ultrasound picture when we were in
Las Vegas and the guy's face, and I like, that's why,
like I just I'm so excited, like for so many reasons.
But yeah, so Travis like, oh my god, that's like
just so excited for you because you have you are
(36:01):
the sister to so many of these guys, you know,
and like they're the big brothers, and now like Mac
has so many big brothers, so it's really really special.
I think that's the part that's tearing me up because
I like, I've talked about all this stuff, but like
I haven't talked to the boys. Yeah, you know, and
like Brian Davill texted me the other day and he
read it and he's like, I'm so happy, and it
was just like those boys know you like right that, Yeah, yeah, yeah,
(36:25):
you're the I mean the journey and the hours and
you have spent so much of your life not being
able to start your own family or or starting it
later in your life because your life has been your
professional career. Yeah, but that has been your family, right,
And I feel the same way. I sit here and yeah,
I don't have kids, and like so many those are
that's our family. That's our family exactly. So it's just
(36:47):
like becomes this extended group that just is so excited
for you. And I know that what you want is
other people to be able to have the same opportunity
that you know you have had. And you just mentioned
that there is a huge financial burden, So I think
it's really special you spoke about it on the Today's
show and the platform there, and I know that it's
(37:07):
really important for you to be vocal about this process.
So what do you want people to know that maybe
didn't get a chance to hear what you said earlier. No,
we're going to wrap up this never ending podcast after this.
I do want to talk about this one point quickly,
and I have two funny athlete stories about this whole thing.
I do want to talk about the financial burden. That's
one thing I learned a lot through this whole thing
(37:29):
is that you know a lot of people do this,
yes for a luxury purpose, but a lot of them
do it because it's their only way that they're going
to have a baby. And I just every time we
would talk to Stephanie or write a check, I just thought,
oh my god, think of people in the LBGTQ community
think that this is their way to have a baby
for you know, men a lot of obviously, and then
(37:50):
think about people who went through cancer like I did,
spend all their money on these medical bills, and now
if they want to have a kid and this is
the only way to do it, they've got to pay
for IVF and sarrogacy. It just a lot of it.
I think we need to rethink the way we talk
about it. We need to make it comfortable in conversations,
and then I feel like it's going to be easier
(38:12):
for people to realize people need financial help for this.
So Stephanie, who I've talked about a lot, I noticed
that she would align herself with this group called Baby
Quest Foundation, and she actually helped a woman go through
sarrogacy and she helped get it financed. And Baby Quest Foundation,
I want to say it right, they actually are on
(38:32):
a mission to make parenthood happen for those who cannot
afford the high cost of IVF, sarrogacy, egg and sperm donation,
egg freezing, embryo donation. They're focused on helping couples or
singles in this journey, especially those who are cancer survivors,
military personnel, regardless of genitor and sexuality. They've given out
twenty grants to help people get their babies. And this
(38:53):
is just something that I'm really really really excited about
aligning myself with. I just I feel like we have
a purpose. I feel like we have a voice for
all this, and I'm really really looking forward to it,
so more to come on all of that. I think
that's so special because it is it's not something that
you should be you know, you should feel like, oh,
I can't do it because of financial reasons. So knowing
(39:16):
that there's options, I think that's really special to pay
it forward because that is the ultimate thing, is that
you have the ultimate gift now and you've had a
lot of people that have helped you along the way,
but that all want to help others. I know you're
quick to deflect, yeah, attention, but it also starts with
you and Jared and that you know that that that
athlete mindset that you guys both have like you don't
give up, and you didn't give up, and now you
(39:37):
have a baby boy. So I have to ask the
question of like, what has been the best part about
being a mother, albeit your short tenure, what has been
like the greatest thing, Like what has surprised you the
most good and bad? Like changing diapers or like like
give me the good, the best, the biggest surprise, good
and bad. Just kind of studying his face watching my
(39:58):
husband with him, Jared Is, I was like, I'm your
Dutch hotter to Jared really hot, hold a bit, I'm
your dad, I'm your dad. And then because we're both
super competitive, not so much with each other, but just
in life, it's like, all change the diaper. I want
to try this because we both want to nail it, Yeah,
to be better than each other. I'm setting a tested this.
(40:19):
I'm sitting on your couch because I was like, I
need to see him immediately, like the second like I
got over there, he needed deciper change. And you guys
were like, so it's really sweet to watch you guys
as a team. I love you. Where it's like, oh no,
you can hope if you do it, Like it's just
really special to see your relationship now with Jared in
a completely different way, and seeing you hold a baby
like is my like magic. I'm so happy for you there,
(40:42):
I'm really happy for I love you and I can't
thank you enough for just helping and guiding me through this.
And and somebody asked me the other day, when is
your like real big cry going to happen? I think
I'm very much like Cameron Diaz from the Holiday, like
I know it's going to come. I don't cry right
away about things. And somebody told me you're gonna cry
when that baby, like he's a newborn now, he eats, sleeps, poops,
(41:05):
and like that's it. It Like she's like when he
acknowledges you when you walk into the room and he
hears your voice. I feel like he's doing that now,
but not really. Two quick funny athlete stories about this.
I can't wait to get more because obviously we're announcing
it today officially like it's been announced, but like we're
commenting on it. A couple of weeks ago, we were
at the Fox seminar and you are so lovely and
(41:27):
you're so wonderful, and you give a shout out and
you say Fox's Family and we have a new Family edition.
Rob Gronkowski is sitting there. I mean she hears Aaron
Andrews just you know hat newborn son Mac, and he goes, oh, really,
I was just with you a three weeks ago. I
didn't know she was having a base Sarah get Gronk,
Sarah Get. But I love him so much, like, you know,
(41:49):
like I was just with her three weeks ago. But
I notice, so it was a bag. Sure I didn't
have Yeah, actually I just discovered that you can have
a baby in three weeks. And I'm already back in
my skinny jeans. Like it's so I God love that.
It's very on brand. We uh. We saw Tom Brady
in February and my husband was so excited to tell him,
(42:10):
and they were skiing for a bit together. And then
I saw Tom later that day and he gave me
a big hug and he's like, congratulations, Like I had
just come off doing the Super Bowl, Like we had
a kick ass broadcast, great game, Mahomes comes back from
an injury. You know, I get Kelsey and Mahomes and
I go thanks. The game was awfo hundred fifteen million viewers. Yeah,
one hundred and fifteen million viewers. TV goes, congratulations, so
(42:33):
happy for you. I was like, thanks, it was like
one of the best Super Bowls I've ever worked. I
was like mahomes Kelsey was. I was like, we missed
you and it was a time and he was like,
I mean about the baby, and I was like, oh, yeah,
this is my favorite. Is that. It's so great though,
because again, and this is like one of the many
(42:53):
reasons why I'm so excited for you, because like now
your first thought will be like he's here. It's so
different because like, you know, like we would be sitting
there and we're in Montana and Steve orders a cake
and he says happy third trimester, and the waitress three master,
the waitress didn't hear him correctly, and she and it
(43:15):
says happy third Measter, and we all just we all
started cracking up because we're like, it's your third trimester,
and like just you know, and this is Aaron. She's like,
happy third trimester, Like but like cheers, here's us and no,
it's honestly, I'm so happy. Like Aaron, you're a mom.
I love you. You're a mom. Guys, when you're a mother,
(43:36):
you know, that's gonna be that's my favorite phrase. You
can say forever. Now, wait, has he pete on you yet? Paper? Oh?
That was the story I couldn't tell when I got
the tattoo. One of our good friends, a little he
was like, a he's like a thirteen fourteen year old.
He saw this and said, Aaron, you're a mother. Yep,
sure am, Augie, sure am. Has he peed on me? Yes?
(43:59):
He pe on me right in the hospital that night,
and then he's peed yeah, peede on me during a
diaper change here and then peede through his diaper one time.
So we're good, We're gold. You. Well, I cannot I
couldn't be happier for you. And I just can't wait
for like all the stories and like I know now
(44:21):
that you being able, I got a lot of stories, guys,
I got a lot of stories building up for the
past nine months. I'm dying now. You the other part
that I'm so excited because I'd start to say something
and I'm like, Nope, can't say it yet. So don't
you know, relieved? This is real? Scoopid. Yeah, finally Yeah. Also,
like we're great like liars or actresses. We've been holding
this in for nine months. We've been lying to our audience,
(44:42):
you know, but not to ourselves. Here's a teaser for
next week. Sugar water is the pits. And also here's
the other thing. I can't wait to go on a
rant about this stuff you have to buy for newborns.
Here's the thing. I've been for nine months keeping this
in and dying to go off about it. But I
am next week when you tell me to get a
bascinet and the fitted crib sheet and I can't find
(45:06):
a waterproof pad protector to put with it. Just make
it a package. Just make it like I'm going to
Chick fil A and I'm getting the sandwich and the
value and the sprite. Just give it to me, like
I don't want to have to be doing measurements and
looking around. Guys, this could be a lot. Easy guy.
She's a mother, She's a mother for this, this this,
I'm a mother. Well this is the headline of the week.
(45:27):
Aaron Andrews and Jared Stole. Congratulations on your perfect baby boy,
mac Roger Stole. Welcome to the world. I'm already obsessed
with you. I ask you for like pictures every single day.
I love you so much. And Erin. I'm so freaking freakin'
happy for you. Love you, love you, love you, love you.
Calm Down with Erin and Carissa is a production of iHeartRadio.
(45:50):
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio apps, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hosts And Creators
Erin Andrews
Charissa Thompson
Popular Podcasts
40s and Free Agents: NFL Draft Season
Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily join forces to break down every team's needs this offseason.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.