Continued from page 2

Teaming With Love

Thursday February 27, 2003 11:06 AM EST

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Pete's support was also critical. "You need to have the right kind of spouse who's going to really embrace this," says Konigsberg. "He has the responsibility of taking care of their three daughters and making sure his wife is comfortable." Their early impressions of Pete, 49, a corporate health and safety project manager, have been borne out. "He's very protective of Deborah, Joan and me," says Konigsberg. Pete says, "I get the benefit, by marriage, of being around."

On Oct. 10 at a hospital near L.A., Lunden held Deborah's hand as the embryos were transferred to Deborah's uterus. "Jeff left the room when we actually did the stirrup thing," Lunden says, laughing. Relations grew intimate so quickly that both were in the room for the first ultrasound on Nov. 7. "Deborah was lying down," Konigsberg recalls. "The doctor said, 'Would you like to hear the second heartbeat?' And I said, 'We're having twins?' I looked at Joan. ... I gave Deborah a kiss. ... Then, I kissed Joan." Says Lunden, with a laugh: "He didn't know who to kiss first!"

Since then the couples have been in constant contact. The women speak daily; the husbands exchange e-mails. "Joan," says Bolig, "is easy to talk to because she remembers what it's like to be pregnant." Lunden knows all about her surrogate's first 12 weeks of morning sickness and her ongoing heartburn, as well as the twins' every kick and hiccup. "She really gives me a sense of the pregnancy," says Lunden, "so I can enjoy the experience."

Lunden's daughters -- Jamie, 22, Lindsay, 19, and Sarah, 15 -- are also getting a vicarious thrill. "Lindsay says, 'I want to go pick everything out with you,' " says her mom. As for Sarah, the only one who still lives at home, "She's really psyched she's not going to be the youngest anymore." All three daughters, says Lunden, will make great babysitters. "This experience has made our family that much closer," says Konigsberg. "At a time when these girls are gaining independence, this has been an experience where they have been able to come back to the nest." While the Boligs' girls (Alexandra, 14, Victoria, 12, and Kate, 11) understand that the babies are not their siblings, they too are delighting in the pregnancy. "They've said they are proud of me," says Bolig. "They tell their friends, 'My mom's a surrogate.' "

Back home in suburban Connecticut, Lunden and Konigsberg have already picked out cribs and changing tables, though not names. For the last month they've been practicing late-night feeding shifts in their six-bedroom modern house. "I'll say, 'Honey, you get a good night's sleep -- tonight I'll take care of the twins,'" says Konigsberg, smiling. "So when they actually arrive, it will be Joan's turn." As they look ahead to the delivery, they talk about the day they'll tell the twins about their origins. "I'm going to say, 'Kids, your mommy needs to tell you something,' " Konigsberg jokes. "Not only will we tell them," says Lunden, "but hopefully they'll meet the Boligs at some point. Our hope would be that Deborah and Pete remain part of our lives and connected to us forever."

-- JILL SMOLOWE
-- NATASHA STOYNOFF in Cincinnati