Whirlwind day

Today was a big day.  C&W were flying up with W's mom to do a hospital tour, stop by and say hi to Dr. B and get some new pictures of their little one.  C texted me when they got to the airport and I called the hospital to make sure they weren't too terribly busy with laboring mommas.  They said they had 4 on the board, but of course there's no way to predict when babies will come.  C texted me again when they landed and I headed to the hospital to meet them there.  We met in the lobby and then headed up to Labor and Delivery.  It was kind of funny because when we first got there, we walked up to the nurses station and I told them, "I'm not in labor."  LOL!  The head nurse took us to a labor and delivery room first and then walked us to the triage area, where we will go when we first get to the hospital.  She discussed that the baby will be staying in the room with them for most of the day/night.  They don't really keep baby's in the nursery.  On our way out, we saw the waiting area for friends and family and discussed the plan for when I go into labor a little bit.  

We walked over to Dr. B's office to say hi and she was excited to see all of us and meet everyone.  She was so sweet and asked if they had any questions and spent a few minutes chatting with us.  It was so nice of her to take just a few minutes to talk with us.

After we finished at the hospital, we decided to grab lunch at Panera (one of mine and C's favorite) before heading to the ultrasound appointment.  We got to eat and visit for a bit and C got to feel the baby move. Yea!!  So exciting.  After lunch, we headed to the ultrasound appointment.  This was pretty funny.  We arrived at the location right on time and we walked in, were greeted by a very outgoing, friendly gentleman.  I wasn't sure we were in the right place, even though the sign on the outside said "Storkvision"  It turns out, it was an insurance office that had recently moved in to that suite.  GPS took us to the wrong location.  Luckily, the actual location wasn't too far away, so we hopped in our cars and headed to the new address.  They were ready for us when we arrived, so I filled out a little bit of paperwork and then we headed back to the ultrasound room.  It was so big.  There was a very big screen TV at the front of the room and two couches (one on the left and one on the right) of the room.  In the back, was the bed/table where I would be when they did the ultrasound.  This is also the day we found out that this little baby is now breech.  Really?!  I had told the US tech that at our OB appointment on Tuesday, baby was head down, so she placed the wand closer to where the head would be and instead, we saw more butt/legs.  Thank goodness we had told her gender was still a surprise and we wanted to keep it that way, that she moved it pretty quickly and none of us saw anything regarding the gender.  She focused a lot on the face and got a few good views of the hands/feet too.  I think this really helped make it that much more real for C&W too.  Seeing their little babies face.

We got some great pictures of all of us after the appointment too.  Once we finished up with the ultrasound, we said our goodbyes so that they could head back to the airport and back home.  It was such a fantastic visit though.  It's always nice to spend time with them.

Such a cute little baby.  The technician kept commenting, "Look at those lips!" and how full they were.  

Later in the evening, there was an event at a local birth center where my doula with Baby "E" is now a midwife.  It was Belly Art Night.  They do these events once a quarter and I was really looking forward to it.  They have several artists that come to the birth center and paint all the 3rd trimester bellies.  I had asked C earlier if there was anything particular she wanted me to have them paint or something special they liked.  She said that she really liked dragonflies, so I had the idea of putting a baby dragonfly in a bubble with a Mommy and Daddy dragonfly looking in at the baby.  It turned out so great and it was such a fun evening!  

  

The picture on the right is me with my doula with Baby E's birth (now midwife) Gina.

All the beautiful bellies!!

32 Weeks

C & W's Baby in Week 32 of Pregnancy

What's up with the baby? She's starting to get ready for her big debut, tipping the scales at almost four pounds and topping out at just about 19 inches. In these past few weeks, it's all about practice, practice, practice as she hones the skills she'll need to thrive outside the womb — from swallowing and breathing to kicking and sucking. And speaking of sucking, C & W's little one has been able to suck her thumb for a while now. Something else to note: As more and more fat accumulates under your baby's skin, she's becoming less transparent and more opaque.

My Body in Week 32 of Pregnancy

This week, your body may start prepping for delivery day by flexing its muscles — literally. If you feel your uterus bunching or hardening periodically, those are practice contractions, otherwise known as Braxton Hicks. These rehearsals (typically experienced earlier and with more intensity in women who've been pregnant before) feel like a tightening sensation that begins at the top of your uterus and then spreads downward, lasting from 15 to 30 seconds (though they can sometimes last two minutes or more). How do you know these contractions aren’t the real thing? They’ll stop if you change position (try getting up if you’re lying down or walking if you’ve been sitting).

(Feeling great and no Braxton Hicks)

Attachment?

I was shopping tonight and as the sales person was walking me to the register, she asked me how far along I was.  I told her and she then pointed out that the cashier was pregnant too and just a couple of weeks behind me.  I was getting a lot of stuff and the transaction was going to take a while, so we got to chatting.  Typical pregnancy questions, "Is this your first?  Boy or Girl?  When are you due?"  She was pregnant with her 2nd and was planning on a birth center birth.  Then of course, the conversation continued when I told her my answers and that I was a surrogate.  I love being able to educate people about surrogacy because even though it is in the news so much more these days, there are still so many people that don't really understand it because they've never known anyone that's been directly involved with it.

During our conversation, the BIG question came up.  Don't you get attached?  She explained how attached she was to her own children during her pregnancies.  This is actually one of my favorite questions.  The truth, in my opinion, is that you can't carry a baby for 40 weeks without becoming somewhat "attached".  However, the attachment is different.  It is not the attachment I felt/feel for my own children.  The best way I can explain it is that I do care, love and have some attachment to this little one, but it is more like a niece/nephew, a caregiver/nanny/child relationship or even a long term friendship.  Although some of my kiddos teachers have "loved" my children, it's not the same love that we have for them.  I always consider myself the "babysitter".  I'm going to do my best to care for this baby until they are born.  This little one has two great parents who love them so much and I am so excited to be a part of the process of building their family.  My belly will be empty once this baby is born, but my heart will be full knowing that there are two new parents loving their little one, as I love my children.

Here is a great article.
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/work-education/meet-the-baby-carriers/indexp3.php

31 Weeks...Single Digits

 

C & W's Baby in Week 31 of Pregnancy

Weighing in at three-plus pounds and measuring 18 inches long, C & W's baby is quickly approaching his birth length — though he's got to pack on another three to five pounds before D-day. Also developing at an impressive clip: baby's brain connections (he's got to make trillions of them!). He's now processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five senses. He's also putting in longer stretches of sleep, which is why you're probably noticing more defined patterns of wakefulness (and movement) and rest (when he’s pretty still).

My Body in Week 31 of Pregnancy

Chances are your diaphragm is feeling a little cramped these days. Okay, a lot cramped. That's because your uterus is pushing up against it (and all the other organs in there), crowding your lungs and making it more difficult for them to expand fully. The result: Your body is spare on air and will be until your baby drops near the end of pregnancy in preparation for birth. But don’t worry:  Baby is as happy as a clam because he’s getting his oxygen from the placenta.

Wow, only 9 more weeks to go!  Amazing how fast it's flying by.  

30 Weeks! Flying by.

This picture is actually from 30w2d.                    

C & W's Baby in Week 30 of Pregnancy

My belly’s increasing size is a definite clue that C & W's baby is getting bigger every day, weighing in at over three pounds now (he’ll be packing on the weight at a rate of half a pound per week for the next seven weeks). Also growing daily is his brain, which is actually starting to look like the real thing with those characteristic grooves and wrinkles. And now that their little genius can regulate his own body temperature and turn up the heat, he'll start shedding lanugo, the downy body hair that's been keeping him warm up until now.

My Body in Week 30 of Pregnancy

These days you may feel as if you've got a flamethrower in your chest. Heartburn is one of the most common (and annoying) pregnancy ailments and here's why: The same pregnancy hormones that cause your body's pelvic muscles to relax so you can deliver your baby also relax the ring of muscle that separates the esophagus from the stomach. The upshot? Food and digestive juices can head upstream from your tummy into your chest and throat — hence, the infernal inferno. Your expanding uterus, now exerting pressure on your stomach, only fuels the fire.
Definitely experiencing heartburn quite a bit these days.  I try not to eat anything too late at night, as when I do, that's when it is the worst.  One night, I had to sleep sitting up.  Ugh!

29 Weeks

C & W's Baby in Week 29 of Pregnancy

How big is the baby this week? She weighs nearly three pounds now and measures about 17 inches. Though she's getting pretty close to her birth length, she still has to chub out a bit. In fact, over the next 11 weeks, she'll more than double — or even come close to tripling — her weight. And as she grows and the room in your womb gets tighter, you'll be less likely to feel those big kicks and more likely to get poked by an elbow or jabbed by a knee.

My Body in Week 29 of Pregnancy

Unsightly yet harmless, varicose veins are simply swollen blood vessels that often surface on your body for the first time during pregnancy, especially if your mom or grandma had them. You may have a mild case (minor achiness and swelling) or you may be unlucky enough to experience real pain and bulging blue veins, usually from the ankle to the upper thigh. There are things you can do to alleviate this veiny situation, including watching your weight, keeping your blood flowing, and avoiding heavy lifting.

Week 29 Pregnancy Tip: Counting Baby's Kicks

Have you counted baby's kicks today? Once you've passed week 28, you should be counting them every day. To make sure that you do — and to make sure that everything's A-OK in your belly — make a habit of counting your baby's kicks twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Best to do your counting lying down (since babies are more likely to kick up when your lying down — a pattern they tend to continue after they're born). If you can't lie down, sit. Count any and all movements (even swishes and rolls) until you hit ten. If you haven't reached ten within an hour (your little Rockette may just be on her break right now), have a light snack and try again — that blood-sugar rush is likely to get baby on the move again. Just remember that fewer than ten movements within two hours warrants a call to your practitioner. Chances are everything's fine, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.

I actually have a kick counter app on my phone that can track the kicks and use it several times a week.  This little one is definitely very active.

Surro Sister GTG

L-R (Rebecca, Me, Beth, Krystal, Kristina and Dominique)
Rebecca is new to surrogacy and currently matched.  The rest of us have completed at least one journey already.

I have been so blessed throughout both of my journeys for a fantastic support system, from my family to IP's to my surro sisters.  I'm lucky to live within such close proximity to several other surrogates and that we are able to get together every now and then to visit and catch up with each other.  This was a smaller group than usual, but we all still had a good time visiting with each other.  I was at my oldest son's soccer game before the lunch and then had to get going to our middle son's basketball game after, so it definitely made for a very full day.  I really try not to miss a GTG because sometimes we go a couple of months in between, plus Dominique was here from Houston visiting family, so I definitely wanted to see her again before she headed back.  She is one of the surrogates that met me in Houston after one of my appointments last year.

I was excited that I got to break in my new shirt that C &W gave me for Christmas.  It says "Their Peas......my pod".

Happy New Year!!!!

Our Happy New Year Pic!!!  Just after midnight.

Happy New Year!!!!  2013 was fabulous and I am so excited what 2014 is going to bring.  We have stayed in the last few years with the kiddos and it's been just fine.  DH was off work, but I had to work until noon.  Not too bad.  We decided to just cook a nice dinner here at the house and have a little toast at midnight. 

We cooked steak, mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and roasted asparagus.  I did make some white cheddar mac and cheese for the littles (per request) because it's their favorite. 

After dinner, we watched the New York NYE party and the littles played on their Kindles.  They actually stayed up all the way until midnight and then we had a toast.  We had gotten some apple/grape sparkling cider for me and the kiddos and some champagne for hubby.  It was a really fun evening.  I drew on my belly and texted it to C & W at midnight to wish them a Happy New Year.  2014 is going to be a big year!