I got the Qs... can you help with some As?

OK, SO WE RECENTLY NARROWED DOWN OUR CHOICES TO A TOTAL OF 4 - THEY ARE NOT ALL FROM THE SAME PLACE - THERE ARE 3 PLACES.

SO QUESTION 1 IS DO ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY PLACES THAT YOU SUGGEST WE STAY AWAY FROM?

OUR #1 PICK, WHO ON PAPER SEEMS ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE MAY HAVE TO BE TAKEN OFF THE LIST COMPLETELY B/C IT TURNS OUT THAT HIS PLACE MAY NOT ACTUALLY SHIP TO NY. SO WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR FROM THE PLACE.

SO QUESTION 2 IS... HOW WERE YOUR SHIPPING EXPERIENCES? ANY NIGHTMARES? ANYTHING I SHOULD ASK THAT COULD MAKE OR BREAK THE DEAL?

OUR 2ND CHOICE WHO MAY BE MOVING TO THE #1 SPOT IS NOT WITHOUT PROBLEMS EITHER. ALL HE HAS AVAILABLE ARE IUI SAMPLES. BUT HE SEEMS MORE LIKE US, AND HIS BABY PIC COULD EASILY BE PUT RIGHT NEXT TO DAWN'S AND THEY COULD PASS FOR SIBLINGS.

SO QUESTION 3 IS... CAN YOU USE AN IUI SPECIMEN FOR AN AT HOME ICI ? WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF TRYING THAT?

WE HAVEN'T REALLY LOOKED INTO THE LAST 2 BECAUSE WE ARE REALLY ATTACHED TO THE FIRST 2. WE ALSO REALLY WANTED TO TRY TO DO THIS AT HOME INSTEAD OF AT A DOCTORS OFFICE BUT WE HAVE A LIMIT AS TO HOW MANY TIMES WE WILL TRY AND (BECAUSE OF A FEW CIRCUMSTANCES) WE WILL ONLY HAVE A WINDOW OF A FEW MONTHS DURING WHICH TO TRY.

SO QUESTION 4 IS HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE ONLY TRIED BUT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT HOME? HOW MANY HAVE TRIED BOTH AT HOME AND DOCTOR BUT HAVE ONLY BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT DOCTOR?

A FEW PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTED THAT WE DOUBLE UP SAMPLES TO INCREASE THE NUMBERS AND OUR CHANCES -

SO QUESTION 5 IS DID ANY OF YOU HEAR THE SAME THING? DID ANY OF YOU TRY IT AND FIND SUCCESS?

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST... ANY ADVICE AT ALL THAT YOU CAN GIVE ABOUT THINGS THAT WE SHOULD LOOK FOR OR ASK ABOUT WHEN DEALING WITH A SPERM BANK WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU EVEN READ THIS - I KNOW I READ ALOT MORE BLOGS THEN I COMMENT ON - BUT ANY HELP WOULD BE HELPFUL.

SO MY LAST QUESTION IS MORE A POLITE REQUEST... CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH US?

THANK YOU ALL FOR EVEN STOPPING BY AND READING THIS - IT IS NICE TO KNOW FROM OUR VISITS TO ALL OF YOUR BLOGS THAT MAYBE WE DO NOT HAVE THE SAME STORY AS YOU ALL BUT THERE IS A PIECE OF US THAT WE CAN RECOGNIZE IN ALL OF YOU AND THAT TAKES AWAY SOME OF THE FEAR AND DOUBTS. ALL OF YOUR STRENGTH AND DETERMINATION AND LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER IS UPLIFTING AND SO IMPORTANT TO US. SO WHILE WE MAY NOT COMMENT MUCH AND DO NOT HAVE THE FRIENDSHIPS THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE CREATED... WE JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU... THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SUCH AMAZING PEOPLE... THANK YOU FOR FIGHTING FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN... FOR BELIEVING IN YOURSELVES AND EACHOTHER... AND FOR SHARING YOURSELVES . ALL OF OUR GOOD THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU ALL NO MATTER WHERE IN YOUR JOURNEY YOU ARE. WE ARE RIGHT BESIDE YOU IN SPIRIT.

update

FIRST THING FIRST... The Piglet is ok. The doctors gave him the all clear and said the bigger the head the bigger the brain in his case. I hate it when doctors try to be funny.

As for all of us, we are back from our trip and for the most part it all went well. We had a good time but it was wierd in a way when we were in Disney. the last time we were there the boys were so little and now ... well u can see from the picture they are not little anymore. Dawn and I were exhausted by the time we came home. Definitely not as relaxing as an r family cruise would have been. Maybe next Summer right before we ttc. Well, I am back to work and buried up to the eyeballs with work so I am gonna keep this short.