Hormone Headaches

Oh boy.  Today I woke up with another pretty bad headache.  Had one yesterday too.  Apparently, it's probably caused by a hormone shift at the 6 week mark, which totally makes sense, as we were 6 weeks on Sunday.  Hopefully they won't last too much longer as things level out.  I did take a Tylenol yesterday and one today too and that definitely seemed to help.  I really try to avoid any kind of meds if I can, unless necessary, when I'm pregnant. 

6 Weeks

Gotta start somewhere and I guess 6 weeks will be as good as any.  Even though this is mostly bloating, at least it will let me see how much I really grow.  I will find what clothes I decide to use soon and then will take the pictures in the same thing every week.  Thanks to my DH, who is always my wonderful photographer.  He just took this one with my phone, so I know it's not the greatest. 

C & W's Baby in Week 6 of Pregnancy

You might be coping with full-blown pregnancy symptoms (sorry), but there's plenty of good news too. Your baby's jaw, cheeks, chin, eyes, ears, and nose are beginning to form what will eventually become one adorable face. In addition, her kidneys, liver, and lungs are developing, and her heart is now beating 80 times a minute (and getting faster every day). All this and she's still no bigger than the length of a nail head (about a quarter of an inch) from crown to rump!

What's going on with me - Week 6 Pregnancy Symptoms

Frequent urination: You’re eating for two and peeing for two these days, thanks to your kidneys, which are getting more efficient about ridding your body of waste (yours and your growing baby-to-be’s). You can blame your uterus too, which is putting pressure on your bladder now. To make sure you empty it all out (and save yourself another trip to the bathroom in ten minutes), lean forward when you pee. Then, when you think you’re done, pee again. (Might as well try — you’re there anyway!) - Definitely experiencing this one.  More so because I'm now being diligent about drinking as much water as I can.  I average about 100-120 oz/day, which I'm totally happy with.  My alarm usually goes off during the week at 5:30am, but my "body alarm" tends to wake me up at around 4:30am.  Makes it so hard to get up after going back to sleep for just 45min or so.

Fatigue: Building that baby (and the life support your growing fetus needs) is hard work, so it’s no wonder you feel exhausted. Listen to your body — if it’s screaming at you to take a break, then take five! But do fit in some exercise: Take a walk or a yoga class; the endorphins you release will lift your mood and help you sleep better. Just don’t overdo! - Yep, this one too.  I do well during the day, usually getting a bit tired in the early afternoon, but super tired by the time I get home.  Usually around 7:30 or 8pm, I'll doze off for 15 or 20 minutes and then stay up until going to bed between 10pm - 11pm.

Breast tenderness and changes: No, it’s not your imagination — your nipples are sticking out more than usual. They may be tender too (so definitely warn your partner about what feels good to the touch and what doesn’t). Why the luscious look these days? All the better to see you with, my dear! Your body is gearing up to breastfeed, and the darker areolas (the skin around the nipples) turn your nipples into a bull’s-eye for your newborn, whose eyesight at birth won’t be very good. - This was one of my first symptoms.  Still experiencing some soreness, but this is definitely easily dealt with.  Much less noticeable as long as I have my bra on and the kids don't hug me too tight.  hehe

Nausea and vomiting: Whether you are experiencing slight queasiness or hurling breakfast, lunch, or dinner (or all three), look on the bright side. (Though admittedly it’s hard to look at the bright side when your view is the porcelain goddess!) Women who experience some nausea are significantly less likely to miscarry than those who don’t. Combat queasiness by eating small snacks that combine protein and complex carbs — cheese and multigrain crackers, yogurt and granola, whatever your stomach can stomach. - This one is hit and miss.  I have had just a few mornings where I was a little queasy, but have been lucky enough to actually NOT vomit yet.  Let's just hope it stays that way.  I've been so blessed to only have "morning" sickness with my middle son's pregnancy and it was all day for the first 3 months.  I have had little to none with all my other pregnancies, so let's hope this one follows suit. 

Heartburn and indigestion: Here’s the not-so-great news — the chances of getting through the next nine months heartburn-free are nearly zero. That’s because the muscle at the top of the stomach that usually prevents digestive juices from backing up relaxes. But here's better news: you can minimize the symptoms if you don't rush through your meals and avoid clothes that constrict your belly. - This is one I have luckily avoided so far, so let's hope that continues as well.

Bloating: Blame the progesterone that’s coursing through your body as you read this — this delightful hormone is essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy, but it also is responsible for your puff mommy-to-be look. Eat lots of fiber and drink plenty of water to avoid getting constipated, which can aggravate bloating. - See picture above.  LOL

Increased sense of smell: Now that you’re pregnant, you’ve got a bloodhound’s keen nose. You can smell your coworker’s lunch from across the room, the cologne your office-mate is wearing, and someone’s dirty sneakers (all at the same time!). What’s the deal with your supersensitive sniffer? Blame your hormones again. If your nose is making the queasies worse, surround yourself with some scents that may make you feel better (if there are any). Some to try: mint, ginger, and lemon. - This was the VERY first symptom I had.  I asked a colleague one day if she smelled something, although I don't remember what it was and she said no.  She is aware of pregnancy and told me, "you're definitely pregnant because...and pointed to her nose."

PIO gone wrong

I have been lucky to not have had any issues with the PIO at this point.  Even though this one look like it's painful, surprisingly, it didn't hurt at all.  I had this happen once with my first journey as well.  After I injected the needle, I aspirated it and saw some blood.  I withdrew the needle to change it out and re-do it.  Luckily, it worked just fine the 2nd time with no issues, but the next day I was left with this beautiful bruise.  : )  Still doesn't hurt, it's just ugly, as it's just all the blood that pooled under the skin from when I hit the blood vessel.  I'm glad I have a fairly large area I can use to inject, as I still have plenty of space to do future injections.

Girls Lunch

I had the great privilege to join C's mom and sister for lunch today.  I don't actually "go out" for lunch very often, so it was a nice break from work for a Friday.  C's sister was moving out of state the following Monday, so she wanted to meet me before she left.  I was so excited and thought it was so nice of them to take time out of their day to visit with me.  We met at Panera that was a close place for all of us and you can't ever go wrong with the food there.  Love it!  C and I have eaten there a few times too.  hehe  They brought me some beautiful flowers too.  Such a sweet gesture from them.

We sat and visited for a little over an hour before I had to get back to work and we talked about so many different things.  We talked about her move and what she would be doing there, what I do for work, my family, the pregnancy and how C told them about it.  Her family is just as nice as she is and I'm glad that it is so easy to talk to them.  Each step in this journey just reminds me how strong of a family support system they have and how much this little baby is going to be loved by them and their family. 

So beautiful!!  They even last a little more than a full week.  They smelled great too.

Happy Birthday and Anniversary!!! - Pt. II

Part two is the Anniversary.  It is C & W's wedding anniversary.  Just one of the many reasons I knew this was the right match.  Their anniversary is on "E"s birthday.  A little bit of karma if you ask me.  C made the cutest PowerPoint presentation to tell some of her family.  She's so creative and it was really well put together.  How exciting and what a perfect time to share!  I can't share the pictures, but she wrote a poem to go along with it.  It said:

Our 3 Years of Marriage

C & W

 

We were married on a hot day in July.

 

And flew across the world in the blink of an eye.

 

We had many adventures during Year 1

 

And celebrated our Anniversary with some Texas fun!

 

Year 2 brought many new adventures and we felt so lucky....

 

But some experiences were pretty sucky. 

 

But Year 3 will be the best yet, we say,

 

Because our baby is on the way!

 

Each slide had pictures of the different events and the very last one, she put a picture of the pregnancy test that said, "pregnant".  It made me cry watching it.  They have been through so much in the last few months and I'm so glad I get to be part of such a happy time.  They are going to make such great parents. 

Happy Birthday and Anniversary!!! - Pt. I

Ok, so I'm breaking the blogging rules today by posting twice, but I promise, it will be worth it.  So many special, happy events today!  The first of which is Baby "E"s first birthday.  Seriously?!  It's been a year already?!  It has definitely gone by pretty quickly.  I texted "A" this morning to wish "E" a happy birthday and I got the following text back, "Hi there!  I know I can't believe it has been a year.  I would not say it's flown by.  Ha!  I love my sweet little man and feel so blessed he's in my life.  It's hard to remember life without him!!  Thank you for the wishes and for bringing him into this world for me to love!"  Makes my heart so happy.  She sent me some pictures from his party too and he still looks just like her.  There were a couple that they were laughing together and it was SO cute!!  Just in case you didn't get to follow my first journey, here's the post from this day a year ago.  Makes me all teary re-reading it.  Such a joyous and blessed day.  I am even more blessed that I get to do this all again!!

Just as the title of the blog states, this was definitely one of those things worth waiting for. After all the hurry up and wait that is surrogacy, our failed first cycle and then each milestone with the 2nd successful cycle, it all came down to today!!!! In the end, it really couldn't have worked out much better.

I woke up at around 3am due to a contraction and I had to go to the bathroom. I went to the bathroom and then back to bed to lay down. I wasn't sure if they would stop or continue. I drank some water and made sure to lay on my left side. I closed my eyes and opened them a few minutes later due to another contraction to see the clock was only at 3:18am. At that point, I figured I would try one more time to go back to sleep and hope they would subside. No such luck. Woke up again a few minutes later so decided to get up and walk around a bit. Luckily for DH, he had been sleeping on the sleeper sofa the last few nights due to my snoring, so I didn't have to wake him quite yet. Good thing my bag was already packed because it seemed today is the day. Decided to go ahead and download a contraction app, so I could really see how far apart they were and how long they were really lasting.

I started contacting everyone and texted "A" first at a little after 4am since the contractions hadn't stopped so that she could start heading this way. She was going to get up, call her Mom and they would be heading this way around 5:30am, which would put her here around 9:30am or 10am. I figured that would be pretty safe and based on my last labor with my DD, she should have enough time. I went ahead and called my Doula, Gina too to give her the heads up that today was probably the day. I told her I was going to hop in the shower and see what happened from there. I also decided to go ahead and call my Mom and then hop in the shower. My Mom was actually scheduled to fly out for a work trip at 2:30pm this afternoon, so we were just hoping he would arrive in time for her to still make it. Got in the shower around 4:15am, still having some contractions during shower and when I got out. Called my Mom back when I got out of the shower and told her to go ahead and head over this way when she could. She would be the one taking me to the hospital, so everything seemed to be working out so far. Contractions continued, so I called Gina again at almost 5:30am and she headed over to the house as well. She was here in about 20 minutes and just before she arrived, I felt a small amount of fluid. It was clear, so I assumed my water had broken. By this point, contractions were becoming a bit more regular and closer together. Since my water had never broken with any of my own kiddos, I wasn't sure how much time we really had at this point. With all 3 of my kiddos, they ended up breaking my water when I was around 7cm. When Gina arrived, we discussed at what point we should head to the hospital. Contractions were now about 4-6 minutes apart and definitely becoming a bit more intense. At this point, I would've loved to labor at home for a little bit longer, but with my water leaking and knowing that morning traffic will start increasing soon, we decided to go ahead and head to the hospital at a little after 6am. Mom and I travel the same route everyday to work that we would travel to the hospital, so at least we knew about how long it would take. As we were leaving, I left a message for the photographer too to let her know we were heading to the hospital. Still had some good contractions on the way to the hospital too. We arrived at the hospital at around 7am and got all set up in triage.

 

I was actually a little disappointed, as I thought I might have been a bit further along than I was when she checked me. Once we got all the questions answered, hooked up on the monitor, she checked me (7:15am) and I was a good 2-3cm (10 is the max) and -2 Station (which means the baby is still not quite "engaged"). +3 is when baby is crowning. The nurse also confirmed that my water had broken. I called "A" to let her know where we were. It was a bit funny, because when I told her that I was a 2-3cm, she asked me, "and you need to be at 4, right?" I explained that we needed to be at 10cm before he would be here, so it really would just depend on how fast labor progressed. The nurse said that since my water had broken and I had only had a couple of contractions while being monitored, that they would give me 2 hours to walk around and get labor started back up again before giving me Pitocin to help kick it in (which I did not want). I was determined to have a completely natural birth this time without any meds if at all possible. While they monitored me in triage, I tried to call our photographer again, as I hadn't heard back from her. I was a bit scared that "A" and her Mom wouldn't make it in time, so wanted to ensure that the photographer was there to capture this birth "just in case" they weren't here in time. Gina started to make a couple of calls for back up photographers when Brandi called back and said that she was on her way. Yea!!! I really didn't want to settle for a back up unless absolutely necessary. Brandi had photographed our youngest DD's birth and we have some fabulous pictures from that!! Once I was done in triage, they went ahead and moved me to an L&D room. Got settled in the L&D room, had my blood drawn and they set up my IV lock.



Once we got all the initial items completed, I started walking the halls with Gina while Mom ran to get some breakfast for them. Once I started walking, it definitely didn't take long for the contractions to start back up and labor to get moving again. As I was walking, I was just hoping that labor would last long enough for "A" and her Mom to make it before this little guy arrived. After walking for about 20-40 minutes, contractions were definitely getting stronger and closer together. They were getting strong enough that I had to stop and breath through them. We headed back to the room so that the nurse could monitor the baby for a few minutes. The birth plan was for intermittent monitoring, so just 20 minutes of every hour on the monitors.

 

While the baby was being monitored, the contractions continued and I was starting to get a bit more uncomfortable. The nurse checked me again (8:43am) and at this point, I was 4-5cm, -1 station and 80% effaced. That's a significant amount of progress in an hour and a half. I guess the walking definitely helped things to progress. : ) While I was on the bed, the pain with the contractions was much more intense than when I was on the ball. I remember telling Gina that I might need some Demerol, and she was fantastic with encouraging me and keeping me focused without just telling me "no". I was having a pretty bad contraction while sitting on the bed and she just told me to look at her and do some breathing with me. I was able to get through the monitoring session and then to the balance ball. After the monitoring session, I was able to labor some on the balance ball, which made a huge difference in my labor experience.Being on the ball took the pain from around an 8, down to about a 5 or so and made it seem much more manageable. I labored on the ball for about the next hour or so and then had to get back on the bed to be monitored/checked again. "A" and her Mom arrived at some point during this part of labor, but I was pretty much in my laboring zone, that I didn't bother to look at the time. Ugh!! Being semi-upright on my back was THE most uncomfortable position for labor ever!! When I was checked this time, I was now at 7cm, +1 Station and almost 100% effaced.

Once this session was done, the nurse said that I needed to stay in the bed and couldn't get back on the ball so that she could keep monitoring the baby. Not too happy with that, but luckily, Gina had a suggestion for me to labor on my knees in the bed. They elevated the back of the bed, so that I could put my arms over the back and that was a lot better than sitting on my ass to labor. I was so glad that Gina was there and definitely couldn't have had the labor I wanted without her. After about 20 minutes or so in this position, I started feeling a bit like I needed to push. I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to turn over from the position that I was in, but after a couple more contractions, I was able to turn back over onto my back, so the nurse could do one more check. (10:15am) At this point, I was at 8cm. The nurse called for the Dr. to come in for delivery and when she arrived, my Mom and Brandi (photog) had to leave the room. I was unaware that my Mom had left my camera with Gina and I'm so glad that she did because she was able to capture the moments as baby "E" was born. The next few minutes were definitely a whirlwind. The nurse was having me push some with the contractions and when the Dr. arrived, she told the nurse to not have me push. I told her that I needed to push and she told the nurse, "then close her legs" and walked over and put my legs together. Once she was dressed and they had broken the bed down, I was able to start pushing again. I pushed just a few times and baby boy was here and ready to meet his Mommy! Baby "E" was born at 10:38am weighing 6lbs 7oz and 19.5 inches long. The look on his Mommy's face was everything I had hoped it would be and the joy and tears made my heart happy. That is the reason I did this. To help someone build their family and experience the joy and happiness that I experienced when I saw and held my three children for the first time. I'm so happy for her and for this experience that we have shared together.

Happy Dance, Happy Dance!!

I am totally doing the happy dance.  Today was a fantastic day.  I went by the clinic for the 2nd Beta blood draw on my way into work.  I'm so happy that they open at 7:30am, that way I can still make it to work by 8am.  I got there a little before 7:30, so actually had to wait for them to open.  There were several other people there too.  I always wonder what they are there for.  First consult, ultrasound, blood work, etc. and figure they may be wondering the same thing.  I didn't have to wait long and then went back for the blood draw.  Left around 7:40am and headed to the office.  Now, to wait for the results.  Here's the test from this morning, yesterday and the one from the morning of the first Beta too.

Now we just wait for the results.  Today they would be testing the HcG, E2 and P4 to make sure the hormone levels are good for that too.  I texted C when I was done to let her know. 

I was glad I had to work today, because I knew that would help keep me busy while waiting for results.  It was a pretty busy day, so didn't really worry about it until a little after lunch.  At a little after 3pm, I texted C to let her know that I hadn't heard anything, but had sent our NC a "reminder" email.  At close to 4pm, still hadn't heard results, but at least got an email back saying, "Still waiting!!!!" from our NC, so I least we knew she had it on her radar.  I will say that she has definitely been more prompt this time around, which has made things so much less stressful.  I asked if she wanted me to the monitoring clinic and around 4:30pm, I got an email saying that she was on the phone with them.  Yea!!  Almost got 'em.  At 4:37pm, I got the call with the results......Hcg was now at 483!!!  Woohoo!!  That is an awesome #.  Over double, which is great.  We were hoping for at least 66%, which would've been 330 and double would've been 398.  Our NC was so excited for us too.  She said that she and Dr. M were crying they were so happy and that she was not going to leave the office until she had those results for us.  She said that we would probably have the E2 and P4 back in the next day or two and would let me know as soon as those are back too.  She said the next appointment will be the ultrasound and we can do that in Houston or here in FW and would be Monday, 7/29.  I explained that Monday's are really tough for me, so she said anytime that week would be fine.  I told her I would talk to C & W and decide if they want to do it here or in Houston and let her know.

I couldn't wait to call C, so as soon as I hung up the phone with our NC, I called her.  I told her the number and explained the doubling.  Now they can start telling their families.  I can only imagine how hard it's been keeping it a secret.  The estimated due date based on the transfer will be 3/23/14.  I sent C a calendar that will calculate it for you and she said that W's birthday is 3/24.  What a fabulous birthday present this little baby is going to make!

1st Beta Day!!!

Well, I had an option to go to Houston for the first Beta, but I would've needed to spend the night there because they only do them before 7:30am.  They were also flexible to me doing it here, which I opted for.  I thought I was going to have to go to the local clinic on Monday morning because they aren't open on Sundays, but luckily, I called a local hospital that is only about a 5 minute drive from my house and they could do it and have results in about 20 minutes.  Awesome!  I had emailed the NC on Friday to let her know where I would be going on Sunday and she said she would let the weekend nurse know.

I got up at 6am (yes on a Sunday), gave myself my PIO injection, took a shower, got dressed and headed out.  Of course the rest of the entire house was still asleep.  My littles did get up when I was in the shower, but we instructed them to go back to bed because it was SO early.

I got to the hospital at around 10 after 7.  I haven't ever been to this hospital before, as it is brand new, so I asked the desk where the lab was.  They asked me for my paperwork, which I gave them and then they proceeded to get me "registered".  This whole process took a good 30 minutes.  I was starting to worry that we wouldn't have the results in time to get them back to the clinic.  I wasn't sure how long they would have staff there.  Finally at about 10 'til 8, I got to go back and the lab person came and did the blood draw.  He said that he would let me know as soon as the results were back and confirmed it would take about 20 minutes.  I wanted to hurry and get there, so I hadn't eaten breakfast and of course, I was hungry.  I headed to the cafeteria because the Starbucks in the hospital is closed on Sunday.  I grabbed some oatmeal and played on my phone during my wait.  It was so quiet in there.  It was kind of nice.  I headed back downstairs after 20 minutes just to be told that they couldn't release the results to the patient.  They said they did fax them to the clinic though, so figured I'd give the clinic a little bit of time and see if they called.  : (  Well, guess it was worth a shot.  I texted C to let her know that the blood draw was complete and now we had to wait for the results. 

At around 10:30am, I texted C to tell her that I still hadn't heard anything and she hadn't either.  I decided I would go ahead and call the clinic because I didn't know how long they would be in on Sunday.  I had to leave a message for the on call nurse.  At close to 11am, I finally got a call and she said that she wasn't expecting any results for me today.  I explained to her that I told our NC on Friday that I would be going and she had told me she would leave a note for the weekend nurse (who I assume is who I was talking to).  She was so nice and said that she would go up and see if there were any results.  I texted C to let her know and she told me that she was on her way into an engagement party, so wouldn't be able to talk until after.  I told her I would send her a text. 

The weekend nurse called me back at 11:36am and said, "Well, you're very pregnant"  Best news!  I was so excited and she told me the number was 199, which is great for a first number.  I texted C as soon as I got off the phone with the nurse and gave her the number.  I knew she was still at the party since it hadn't been very long and just texted her to call me when she finished up and had a chance.

We had already made plans to go see Despicable Me 2 with my mom and nephews at 1:50pm, so we were already in the theatre when C called me.  Luckily, the previews were just starting, so I stepped out so I could talk to her.  She sounded so excited too and I was so happy for her.  I explained what the nurse had said and that I would continue all meds and then go back on Tuesday morning for the next test.  They will also test my progesterone and estrogen level with the next Beta as well.  We want the Beta number to rise by at least 66% and would love for it to double.  They are still going to wait on telling their families until the 2nd Beta is in and I completely understand that.  I'm sure it's gotta be hard since they already know. 

The test on the bottom is from this morning.

Busy Saturday and Lots of fun

We had a very busy day today, which is pretty typical for us.  We went to a birthday party for a friend of youngest DS at a local pool and it was so much fun.  The kids had a blast and we got to cool off a bit in the water too.  I couldn't swim, , but still sat with my feet in the water and went under the "mushroom" with the kiddos too.

Such great memories.  We were there from around 9:30am until about noon.  We stopped and grabbed some lunch on the way home too.  When we got home, we all got to take a nap.  LOVE naps.  We took it easy the rest of the evening and it was really nice to not have anything to do the rest of the day.



Getting Darker

5.5dp5dt (7/10@10:30pm), 5.75dp (7/11@5:40am), 6.5dp (7/11@10pm), 7dp (7/12@10:10am)

First test I took is not in the picture, but was taken the morning of the 10th at 4.75dp5dt (4.75 days past 5 day transfer) and it was super light, but visible (even to my DH's non-surro eyes).  The next was darker and then I got the positive on a digital.  I still continued to test to confirm that the pregnancy was still progressing.  Yea!!  They continued to get darker, which means that the Hcg being produced is growing and we should have a pretty good number on Sunday for our first Beta.  I've been texting C with some of the newer tests too, so she can see them get darker too.  So exciting!!!  Can't wait to see what the number is on Sunday.  I know they usually want to see at least 50 and I definitely think we'll be there.

Good news!

Well, I've had some pregnancy symptoms, so figured I would try an HPT.  I tried one last night and got a line.  I've been starving and so thirsty everyday and my boobs are starting to get a little bit sore, which I didn't experience at all with our last cycle.  I took a test tonight and it had a pretty good line and darker than yesterdays, so I decided to try a digital and this is what I got.....

OMGosh!!  So excited!!  I had to call C & W to let them know.  I texted them to see if they were available for a chat, but didn't hear back for a little bit.  I thought maybe they were already in bed since they've been moving all day.  I got a text back a little after 10pm from C saying that they were still up.  Yea!  I actually FaceTimed with them so that they could see the test.  We chatted for a minute or so about their move and how it was going and then I told them I had a surprise and held up the test.  I think they were in shock for a couple of minutes, but we're all so excited.  Now we just have to wait for the 1st Beta test, which will be Sunday or Monday.  I'll continue to test each day to confirm they continue to get darker.  That will mean this little bean is growing.  Definitely another step in the right direction.

Resting up

After my relaxing night, I was excited to sleep in until around 7am, when I got up and did my injection and then headed back to bed for a bit.  I ended up getting up again about an hour later and decided to go ahead and take a shower and grab some breakfast.  I just went downstairs to grab some fruit and a couple of croissants and took it back upstairs.  I hung out in bed most of the morning and headed downstairs around 11am to get some fresh air.  I sat by the pool on one of the lounge chairs and it was so nice outside in the shade and the music playing down in the courtyard.  I had my laptop with me, so I wasn't bored.  I ended up grabbing a flatbread for lunch.  They have wait staff that service the pool area, so it was super convenient.  It was really yummy too.

 

I had texted with C a couple of times that morning and they were finishing packing up their house for the move later this week.  She was sweet, asking me if I was doing ok and make sure I wasn't bored.  I told her, not at all!  I was enjoying my time relaxing by the pool.  After I finished my pizza, I decided to head back upstairs to the room and take a nap.  That was nice.  I have to make sure I give this little one plenty of opportunity to continue to grow strong.  After my nap, I texted C to see if they were still up for an early dinner, as I knew they had been busy packing up for their move all day, so would've totally understood if they were too tired.  She said they were definitely still up for an early dinner, so they came to the hotel and we decided to go to Ruggles Green, so they just parked and we walked over because it was SO close.  You could see it from the balcony of the hotel.  I had eaten there before with "A" back when I was in Houston for a visit and appointment when we were cycling with baby "E".  I remember the food being really great! 

 

 

W had a flatbread and C & I had a quinoa spaghetti with turkey meatballs.  The food was fantastic and I couldn't even eat all of it.  I always enjoy visiting with them and learning even more about both of them and their families.  After dinner, we headed back towards the hotel and I guess the band had just started and there was a saxophone player and he was awesome.  We all stood in the courtyard for a few minutes and listened to him play.  He was actually walking around, playing at the same time.

 

 

After listening for a little while, I decided to head back up to my room to lay down for a few minutes and then head down to one of the couches on the balcony to listen to the band again.  C & W headed back home.  They will be picking me up in the morning to go to the airport and head back home to my family.

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

TRANSFER Day!!!

I was lucky enough to get a pretty good nights sleep.  I still ended getting up pretty early.  I had set my alarm for 6:30am, but ended up waking around 6am.  I went ahead and got up, did my PIO shot and then hopped in the shower.  I held my necklace and made my same three wishes again.  I had acupuncture at 8:30am and I was going to meet C & W for breakfast at 7:30, so we would have enough time to eat before making the 5 minute drive over to the clinic.  : ) 

Not the best picture because the lighting wasn't great, but it will do.  All ready to go!

I headed down to the lobby to meet C & W.  It was a continental breakfast, but was still great.  All kinds of fresh fruit (including pineapple), mixed dark berries with strawberries, cereal, yogurt, and pastries.  I had some fruit and a good amount of pineapple and a wonderful almost croissant.  They were SO good.  After breakfast, we headed over to the clinic.  I drank about 1/2 a bottle of a 33oz bottle of water on our way.  We got there in plenty of time for my acupuncture.  I went back and it was so relaxing.  We had such a great evening the night before, I was already really calm and the acupuncture just helped that.  I really visualized a lot during this treatment.  I could see my uterus with the embryo in it and growing.  I saw a lot of purple light, which was even more calming.  After I finished the acupuncture, I emptied my bladder because it was really full already and then we walked across the hall to the clinic.  We didn't have to wait too long before they called me back for my blood work.  C came back with me and it was very quick.  The site she placed the needle hurt a bit when she did it and it usually never hurts and when I removed the bandage, I realized why.  She had scraped the needle across my arm.  Ouch!  Luckily, it wasn't too bad and didn't really last very long.  Shortly after my blood draw, they called us all back to get ready for the transfer.  Of course, the nurse tried to make me worry (again) just like before the first transfer that I hadn't had enough to drink since I told her I emptied my bladder after acupuncture.  OMGosh.  Really?!  I knew I would be fine because I still had half a bottle, which I wasn't going to finish, but figured I should just to be on the safe side.  We went back to a waiting area and I had to put on the lovely hospital gowns.  Yes, gowns.  One open to the back and the other over it open to the front, like a robe.

So fashionable.  : )

Once I was changed, the nurse came in with all the required forms.  Luckily, it was pretty quick, they have us each say our names and last 4 of social for C & W and DOB for me because my bladder was starting to feel full.  I had already finished the other half of my water and took my Valium.  We all signed the forms and they told us the embryo thawed well and everything was ready.  We walked back to the procedure room and they said it would be a few minutes.  I think there was only one ultrasound tech there and she was busy at the moment.  Finally, she came in to check my bladder and said I was an over achiever.  I knew that by the way I was feeling.  Shortly after, the Dr. came in to do the transfer.  She is so nice and really easy going.  It was a bit of a whirlwind and finished so quickly.  I had to lay there for another 20 minutes before I could get up.  After 20 minutes, the nurse came in and said that we could head out.  I went straight to the bathroom as soon as I got out the door.  Oh, that felt so much better.  I got dressed and then we took a picture of all of us by the fountain in the lobby.  After that, we got on the elevator.  As we were heading down, I realized we forgot about my 2nd acupuncture, so back up we went.  I guess the Valium was definitely helping me relax.  I went back for my acupuncture and fell asleep this time.  When I was finished, we all walked to the car and headed back to the hotel.  C & W were going to go ahead and check out and I was going to rest up.  It was now close to noon.  I changed into my gown and climbed back into the comfy bed.  I crashed pretty hard and slept really well until almost 3pm.  C texted me to see how I was doing and we were trying to decide about early dinner.  We decided to meet at 5:30pm for dinner, so I went back to sleep for just a little bit longer and slept for another hour.  I'm glad I was able to get so much rest. 

I got up and got dressed for dinner.  C & W picked me up and we headed to a restaurant in CityCentre called McCormick and Schmicks.  It was primarily seafood, but I got some steak medallions with the absolute BEST mashed potatoes I've ever had. They were red bell pepper and white cheddar mashed potatoes.  OMGosh, fabulous!!  After dinner, they drove me back to the hotel, as they were going to meet the previous owners of their house to go over a few things.  They will be moving next week.  There was a bakery that was not far from the hotel at all.  I could actually see it from the balcony.  I walked over there and got the most amazing macaroons.  They had so many different flavors and they were fantastic.  I decided to lounge by the pool for a bit and listen to the music being played on the stage below.  Sadly, some people arrived and started smoking, so I moved over to the balcony, which was still great.  This way I could watch everyone in the courtyard below, lounge on an outdoor couch and enjoy my macaroons.  Mmmmmm!!  I will definitely have to pay this place a visit next time I'm in Houston.  I need to see if they deliver. 



 

Macaroons!  Lemon, Chocolate, Hazlenut,
S'mores and Coconut were the best!

Wonderful listening to the music below and watching
all the families.

  

It was a wonderful end to an absolutely wonderful day.  Getting lots of rest and letting this little one snuggle in nice and tight.  



Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!!!

It was definitely a busy day, but filled with family, fun and travel to Houston.  Hectic, but all worth it.  I started the day with the family at the 4th of July Parade in Arlington.  It is something that I've been going to since I was little and I even marched in the Parade with band in high school.  It's a tradition that I like to keep up for my kiddos.  Although oldest DS doesn't enjoy it nearly as much as the littles, we all still had a lot of fun.

Jeesh, I feel so short next to oldest DS and DH.  : )

After the parade, we headed to IHOP for brunch, as youngest DS has been bugging me for weeks to go there.  Right after we finished eating, we headed home so I could finish packing, as I had a couple of things in the dryer I needed to throw in my suitcase.  Got everything packed and gave the littles hugs and kisses because they were going down for their naps.  I headed to the nail salon for a mani/pedi before heading out for my trip.  I thought I would have plenty of time, but I ended up cutting it awfully close. 

I got there about 1:30 and they typically do them both at the same time, but today, I only had one person doing both of them.  Don't get me wrong, it was a fabulous pedi.  So relaxing and she did a great job with the leg/foot massage.  By the time she finished with my pedicure, I only had about 20 minutes before I needed to be home and get going to the airport.  I actually had her just go ahead and do the polish, without doing the manicure, which was fine.  She did such a great job.  I copied an idea one of my other surro-sisters used and they turned out fantastic.

 

After I let them dry for about a minute or two, I headed out to the airport.  The two boys were up, so gave them more hugs and kisses, but DD was still napping, so I didn't get to tell her by.  I did tell DH that I would FaceTime with them later.  Technology is so wonderful.  I made it to the airport right at an hour before my flight.  It was originally running about 5 minutes late, but when we got on the plane, there were only 9 of us.  Wow!!  It was the least amount of people I have EVER seen on a flight.  Therefore, we ended up getting into Houston about 5 minutes early.  Guess we made up some time with the plane being so light.  hehe  C & W met me at the airport.  They had been at the Astro's game, so we stopped by their place so they could pack a bag.  They were going to have a stay-cation at the same hotel for the night.  Such a great idea.  The hotel is in an area called CityCentre and there was a big 4th of July celebration planned.  They packed a bag and then we headed to the hotel to drop off our things before going to dinner. 

The hotel is beautiful and very modern.  If you are ever in the area and need a place to stay, I would definitely recommend it.  It is Hotel Sorella. 

 

There are so many restaurants and shops nearby too.  After we checked in and dropped off our bags, we walked over to Brio for dinner.  We have a Brio at home too, but I've never been before.  It was fantastic!  DH and I will definitely have to go for dinner sometime back home.  The atmosphere was good and the food was great.  W ordered a carpaccio appetizer and OMGosh!!  We all laughed when it came because it was HUGE!!!  It was on a plate that we called a boat, it was so big.  It practically took up half the table.  We all ate some of it, but there was still some left.  C & W gave me such a sweet card and beautiful gift at dinner.  Made me all teary.  They are so incredibly sweet!  IM has one just like it.  I made three wishes before I put it on and made the same three right after (just to make sure). 

 

After dinner, we walked out of the restaurant to people everywhere.  The streets were packed with everyone waiting for the fireworks.  We decided to walk back to the hotel, hoping that they would only be allowing guests in, which happened to be the case.  Yea!!  We walked up to the pool area and found a good spot.  We didn't have to wait too long before they started, but I really enjoyed visiting with C & W and listening to the live band that was playing in the courtyard below. 

 

 

It was such a wonderful night and we are all so excited and hopeful for tomorrow!!