Happy Halloween!

 

Had such a fun Halloween this year.  We have a costume contest at work and my office got 2nd place this year.  Not too bad at all.  The office that got 1st place, totally earned it, so we were happy with 2nd.  I actually busted out my sewing machine and did my first start to finish project with it.  I sewed all the yellow beanies for our costumes and made the headbands and goggles.  I was the Beedo, Beedo minion and had such fun with it.  I made the lights using a shrink wrap gift bag and just molded it over a mason jar and then hot glued it to the inside of the lid.  It was a lot of fun.  After work, we went trick-or-treating with some friends of our little ones and got in lots of walking and treats.

It was really neat to walk around and every now and then I would hear a kid say, "Beedo, beedo" and so many others that told their parents, "It's the beedo, beedo minion."  Hilarious.  So glad I had such a fun costume.

Me Trick or Treating with my little Ninja and Ariel. 

 

When we got home from Trick-or-Treating and the kiddos were in bed, I decided to paint my belly like a pumpkin.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  I just did it in front of the mirror, so I could see everything.  Luckily, I had some Crayola paints from one of my oldest son's projects.  The mouth was the hardest part, but I think it turned out pretty good.  : )  I texted it to C and said, "Your little pumpkin says goodnight."



19 Weeks and Surro GTG

 

 



C & W's Baby in Week 19 of Pregnancy
Have you ever seen a mango dipped in cheese? Well, that's what the baby looks like this week due to a little growth spurt (she's about a half pound in weight and six inches long) and a substance called vernix caseosa. This greasy white stuff covers the baby's skin, protecting it from the surrounding amniotic fluid. (Without it, she'd look totally wrinkled as she entered the world.) The vernix sheds as delivery approaches, though some babies still sport a bit of the coating at birth.

Your Body in Week 19 of Pregnancy

One minute you're lying peacefully in bed and the next your calf muscle feels like it's about to explode. Leg cramps during pregnancy are pretty common (no one knows exactly what causes them, but muscle fatigue or compressed blood vessels are the likeliest culprits) and tend to strike at night. You might also be wondering about tingling and numbness in your fingers and toes about now. It's a weird sensation but totally normal, probably a result of your body's swelling tissues pressing on nerves.

 

The Preggos - Krystal (12 wks, Singleton), Lisa (20 weeks, Twins), Vanessa (32 weeks, Singleton), and Me (19 weeks, Singleton)

 

Today, I got to get together with some of my wonderful surro-sisters.  We had lunch at Babe's in Carrollton and it was a great visit.  So many wonderful ladies.  It was nice to meet a couple of new ladies just starting out in there journeys and those that I have followed since beginning my first journey.  Surrogacy is such a wonderful thing and I love being a part of such a supportive community as well.  

18 Weeks

 

The usual pictures.  Baby is now the size of a sweet potato.  Our DD had a soccer game in the early afternoon and it was such a beautiful day outside.  My oldest DS took the picture of me in my wrap shirt.  This shirt is super comfy and I'm so glad one of my surro sisters posted a link to it a while back.  http://baby.steals.com/

C & W's Baby in Week of 18 of Pregnancy
My pregnancy back pain may have me tied up in knots (see below), but baby's getting ready to bust a move. At five and a half inches long and five ounces in weight, he now may be large enough for me to feel him twisting, rolling, kicking, and punching his way around the womb. Plus, he's developing yawning and hiccupping skills (I may feel those soon, too!) and his own unique set of toe and fingerprints. (Definitely been feeling some very small movement here and there.  Nothing too big or consistent quite yet and I really have to be paying attention to it.  Can't wait for the movements to get a bit more noticeable.  I'm really hoping that by our appointment in a couple of weeks, C & W may be able to feel them too.  *fingers crossed*)

My Body in Week 18 of Pregnancy

Oh, my aching back! If you've uttered those words more than once this week, here's why: Your uterus, now about the size of a cantaloupe, is causing your body's center of gravity to shift, pulling the lower back forward and pushing the abdomen out (so now everyone can see that you’re pregnant!). On top of all that, joint-loosening pregnancy hormones are wreaking havoc on your muscles and ligaments, adding up to one big ouch! (Luckily, no back pain yet.  I have been going to the Chiro regularly and it has been fantastic.  She specializes in Pregnancy chiropractic and every time I go in there, just about everyone is pregnant.) 

NSR: State Fair Fun

 

Today we had a wonderful day at the State Fair of Texas.  My Mom and oldest nephew came over to go with us.  The morning definitely started out a little chilly, so we waited a little late to leave.  We have had a lot of rain in the area over the last week and half or so, and even though it was a cold start to the day, when we got to the fair a little after noon, it was so crowded.  We had planned to go on this day since before the fair opened because it's the only Saturday that our oldest son didn't have a marching band competition.  Honestly, we probably couldn't have picked a better day.  As we were loading up in the car, our neighbor across the street asked if we were going to the fair and if we needed tickets.  Apparently, they had gotten some from one of their Mom's and they had decided not to go.  4 FREE tickets!  Fabulous!!!  We paid it forward some because that meant I had extra coupons when we got there, so I gave those to some of the people around us in line.

 

We had to park in the furthest lot, but they had trams that ran back and forth to pick us up.  We were all so excited and ready to try some food.  We had twisted taters, roasted corn (twice), funnel cake corny dogs (Fletcher's only of course - twice), classic ice cream bar, fried s'mores, turkey legs (twice), and of course, we always get the cotton candy to take home. Oh, c'mon, we all know you go to the fair for the food. LOL!

 

When we got there, we went to the petting barn first, where the littles had so much fun seeing and petting the animals.  They really liked the baby pigs the most, who were under a heat lamp because it was still a little cool inside the barn.  The funniest part was DS trying to "pet" the rooster.  It pecked his hand.  It didn't really hurt him, but definitely startled him.  We had the twisted taters after that and went to watch the dog show.  It was fun and the dogs did some amazing tricks. 

 

 

 

After that, we headed to the kids favorite area.....the Midway!  On the way to the Midway, our oldest son and my oldest nephew spotted a Doomsday Preppers obstacle course.  Of course they did fantastic and finished at 1:24 sec and each got a bag with a shirt and a couple of other things.  Not too shabby for a free event.  We ate a turkey leg while they were waiting in line for the course.  The kids rode plenty of rides and even my little ones are dare devils and will try to ride just about anything they can get on.  Some, they were just tall enough for.  Those things that spin around and go upside down.  Of course, no rides for me this year, so my Mom, hubby and oldest had to fill in and they did a great job.  They rode a few rides and then we got some corny dogs.  Mmmmmm!  They were so yummy!  We had a funnel cake too and then the kids rode a few more rides.  Nope, no one got sick.  After spending a few hours at the midway, we decided to head to some of the exhibits.  The food and fiber building and the car show buildings. 

 

Once we made it through the food and fiber building, we headed to the auto show buildings, but it was getting close to time for the parade, so we decided to scope out a spot to watch.  We didn't have to wait too long before it started and we loved it just as much as the little ones.  The older boys were waiting in line for a car simulator in the auto show building, so we let them skip the parade.  The best part for me were the amazing stilt walkers in their elaborate costumes.  They were so beautiful!!  Here are two of them.  there were several others too.

 

 

After the parade, we headed to Big Tex and to grab another Corny Dog.  I totally blame wanting seconds on the baby....and of course all the walking I did.  I'm sure between the baby and walking, I probably burned a ton of calories.  We got a good family pic in front of Big Tex (the first one our youngest son had the best smile on his face, but DD had her hand over her face, so I'll have to get in photo shop to swap his head at some point), but this one will do for now.  At least we're all looking at the camera and there are no photo bombers.  After our Big Tex photo op, we headed to the Texas Star.  It is the largest Ferris Wheel in North America.  All the kids wanted to ride it.  I haven't been on it since I was much younger and to be honest, going up the first time was a little unnerving, but it was still fun.  It was definitely a bit more chilly 20 stories up.

 

My Mom with all the Grandkids.

 

It was such a wonderful, fun filled day!  Can't wait for next year. 

 

 

Most of our wonderful food below.  The pic of the funnel cake is on my phone, so I'll have to add that later and I missed a pic of the Fried S'mores because I didn't eat any of that one.  hehe 



 

Wonderful Roasted Corn and my beautiful Momma!  This is one of all of our favorites.

 

Classic Ice Cream Bar and the BEST....Fletcher's Corny Dog.  With Mustard of course (although the littles still prefer ketchup).

Turkey Leg - Before......and after.

Cotton Candy to go.  6 bags are a bit hard to carry, so they gave us a bigger bag to put it in.

 

 

Happy Bump Day!

Ok, so I probably won't do this post every week, but in the Surro world, Wednesday's are "Bump" days.  Haha, instead of "hump" days, of course.  : )  Here is my "Bump" Day pic. 

OB Appointment

Had an OB appointment today to check on this little one and everything is going well.  I just took the morning off work since my appointment was for 8:45am.  I stopped for a Jamba Juice on my way to the Dr's office since I didn't really have time to eat anything quite yet.  I headed to Dr. B's office, got signed in and waited for my appointment.  "C" got called to NY for a luncheon, so wasn't able to make it, but these appointments are usually pretty short anyway, so no worries at all.  I got called back, gave my urine sample, which all came back clear.  Then I got on the scale.  Only gained .2 lbs since the last visit.  Not bad at all and I'll take it, as I know there will be plenty added on in the next few weeks. 

Blood pressure was good too at 128/72 and baby's HR was 145.  I recorded the OB's Doppler to send to "C" after the appointment.  Dr. B said that everything is going fine and will see me again in 4 weeks.  So our next OB appointment is in 4 weeks and it's actually scheduled the day before our US appointment.  : )  I know it will be here before we know it.

17 Weeks

 

C & W's Baby in Week 17 of Pregnancy

My how this baby has grown! She's about the size of your palm (or an Onion), weighs about five ounces, and is developing some body fat (join the club, baby!). Her heart is now regulated by her brain (no more random beats) to beat 140 to 150 times per minute — about twice as fast as yours! What else is up? She’s practicing the survival skills she’ll need at birth — like sucking and swallowing.

My Body in Week 17 of Pregnancy

Now that I'm starting to show (yeah, that's been happening for a few weeks now), chances are that friends, coworkers, and even strangers may feel the urge to reach out and touch your belly (So far, just one of my surro sisters, but I'm totally ok with her doing it.  : )  No strangers or others as of yet, so we'll see what happens). If you don't mind, that's fine. But if you do, speak up kindly but firmly. More new developments with your body: a slight vaginal discharge (leukorrhea) and a greater sensitivity to allergens these days — both are totally normal — and the appetite of a truck driver now that the queasy feeling is (probably) gone.

Week 17 Pregnancy Tip: Snoring

If your partner finds your new snoring habit about as sexy as a hippo in a thong (which, by the way, you're starting to feel like), take heart. The stuffiness that often triggers world-champion snoring is common and temporary, another unexpected (make that inexplicable) side effect of those pregnancy hormones at work (that’s right, even your nose is affected by pregnancy hormones!). Try putting a humidifier in your bedroom, using one of those nasal strips on your nose to open up your nasal passages (doesn't look pretty, but it works for some people), or sleeping on a couple of pillows to keep your head slightly elevated. And if he still complains, buy him a set of earplugs — or banish him to the couch for the night; after all, it's more important that you get a good night's sleep these days. (This wasn't a big problem until a few weeks before baby "E" was born and DH did end up sleeping on the couch.  Let's hope it waits just as long this time, or maybe doesn't show up at all.)

16 Weeks

 

C & W's Baby in Week 16 of Pregnancy

C & W's baby now weighs in at a whopping three to five ounces, and he's four to five inches in length. The bones that are now in place in his ears means he can probably hear my voice as I talk to DH and pals and sing in the car. While he’s getting used to my voice, the tiny muscles in his body, especially the ones in his back, are gaining strength, so he can straighten out a little more. And thanks to his developing facial muscles, C & W's baby is capable of making a few expressive frowns and squints, even at this early stage. (Don’t worry, those frowns have nothing to do with the sound of voices!) And his eyes are finally working, making small side-to-side movements and perceiving light (although the eyelids are still sealed). Peekaboo!

My Body in Week 16 of Pregnancy

It's hard to watch yourself gain weight during pregnancy, even when you know there's a wonderful reason for it. The challenge, though, is to try to embrace your body's new shape and think of every pound you put on as a sign of good health for you and your baby. As long as you eat right during pregnancy (minimize junk and maximize nutrient-dense foods) and get regular exercise, you'll be fine in the long run. Remember, every woman is different and gains (and loses) at her own pace. One way to show your changing shape some love this week and feel better about yourself in the process: Buy a garment (or accessory) that makes you feel pretty at your new size (and don't forget to buy underwear that fits!). Another part of you that’s swelling — the membranes in your nose, leading to congestion.
Learn more about your body this week and nasal congestion during pregnancy.

Coming Out

Today was the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness month, so I figured, what a better time to "come out" than now, since that is the reason this journey began.  All of my family and several of my friends have known since the beginning, but not all of my work colleagues know, as we have several locations and don't see each other very often, but several are friends on my FB page.  I was so excited to make the announcement about this journey and hopefully encourage my friends at the same time to be more aware of breast cancer and that it can affect anyone.