SUPERDADS PORTRAIT - Christian & Mark

This week, we celebrate Fatherhood.
A special occasion for us to share the story of Dads we've been getting to know from Australia and New Zealand.

Meet Christian & Mark, proud dads to Frankie (4yo) and Lulu (10 months), both born via surrogacy.

About you

We are a same-sex couple who turned to Facebook to find a surrogate mother back in the days and welcomed our first child Frankie in 2018!
In 2021, our whanāu grew again with the arrival of our gorgeous baby girl Lulu who broke up "the boy band" !!
Originally from Auckland, we started the journey to become parents around 5 years before Frankie was born. But the actual process, which involved counselling, regulatory approval, criminal record checks, in home reviews, Ethics applications and adoption took more than three emotional years and plenty of stressful moments before our baby boy arrived.

Our wee guy is so chilled and content, but we are just besotted by this tiny human. It is so cool. Something we have yearned for, for a very long time.
Two years after our son was born, we got a message from a stranger on Instagram offering to carry their second child "if they were interested". We jumped at the chance to meet, and the rest is history, with Lulu now 9 months old.
We were astounded at the laborious and unnecessary process required just to get Government approval to have a baby and then came the adoption process.
We  started a petition calling on the Government to simplify the laws around Surrogacy and Adoption which has garnered over 40,000 signatures. The Government are now reviewing the laws and the changes are underway.
Mark and I share our daily lives, the ups and downs, travel adventures and life as a two-dad family on our Instagram page @LoveFromYourDads which shows "that we are just like everyone else when it comes to parenting two kids".

What’s your favourite things about being dads?

The laughs and fun things we get to do with the kids. They are hilarious and we do so much more now than we used to - like going to theme parks and fun fairs (my favourite!) and lots of games, swimming, and just general activities that we are forced to do. But honestly sometimes we just want to sleep all day. How do kids have so much energy?!?!? ALL THE TIME!!

What is your #1 feeding tip?

Honestly no idea haha....Frankie was a great eater when he was young, then he hit the threenager years and has become very fussy! But early on, we thought variety was key. We weren't too precious (and still aren't) ensuring the kids have more adventurous meals.
We don't good separate meals for the kids, they eat what we eat which can be problematic ;p but hopefully it will balance out as they grow up.

Is healthy food important for your & your family ?

Absolutely! You are what you eat, and we want our kids to be healthy and strong, with good immunity. Good healthy food is so important for our kids’ little tums.

Any advice to other couples who’d like to go through surrogacy?

I created a platform called Love Makes A Family and it is a match making website to meet people who want to help others grow their family. It brings together egg donors, surrogates, sperm donors and intending parents, and it is totally free. So I would suggest signing up and see where it takes you.
Also be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster. You will need a lot of stamina and persistence - it is a long invasive journey (as it currently stands before the Government changes this!)
GOOD LUCK! It is totally worth it and once you have your child in your arms, you forget everything.