37 Weeks...

The past week has flown by - we've been really busy with our oldest child, Nathan, returning from the Air Force and celebrating one family Christmas.

Little A continues to wiggle around and kick me suddenly. I hope that I'll be able to see the outline of his foot before he makes his debut.

We had another check-up today. It's weekly now, but the nurse and doctor continue to test the same things: BP - 117/72; heart rate 83 (mine); weight gained 1.4 lbs (holiday cookies); tummy measurement: 37 cm; Little A's heart rate 130s.

Dr. V is predicting Little A will weigh in the 8 lb range :) This makes me happy because my first two children were 9+ pounders, but my last was only 8 lbs 5 oz and she was much easier to deliver. Of course he said this could quickly change, let's hope not!

One of my derby sisters is a photographer and I had her take some belly shots for me. I've always wanted pictures taken during pregnancy but never had the opportunity. She took them about a week ago and we had so much fun! The pictures will definitely be cherished by me.

28 Days until D-Day!!!

Just back from my 36-week doctor appointment. Here's the lowdown:

Total weight gain: 32 lbs (none since the 34 week appointment)

Blood pressure: 117/77 - yay!

My heart rate: 93 bpm (asked the nurse if this was normal and she said, "Yes," - I was just curious since my heart rate is usually much lower)

Little A's heart rate: 150 bpm (active guy this morning!)

Tummy measurement: 36 cm - right on!!!

Cervix: no dilation yet - which is good :) We don't want Little A to arrive before his parents!

Urine test: a little sugar again (same at 34 weeks). Dr. V asked what I ate this morning - just Raisin Bran, not a vanilla shake like the last time. He looked at my other blood work I had done a few weeks ago, and has decided he's not concerned with a little bit of sugar.


We talked about my last delivery and looked at the calendar again to see when January 11th falls. Dr. V is not predicting Little A's arrival before 39 weeks for sure, but just in case he gave me his personal cell phone number. How nice is that!!!

He continued by reminding me if I do have multiple contractions that are close together and painful...to go to the hospital. Then, he reminded me if my water breaks or starts to leak, or even if I think it could be...to go to the hospital. So, at this point if anything does start to happen...to go to the hospital and be sure. Since we are 4 weeks away from D-Day, he would not stop labor. Little A would be strong enough to survive outside his room/womb.

From here on out, I'll be visiting with Dr. V every week. Basically we'll go through all the routine checks and then in 2 or 3 weeks he'll check my cervix again to see if we're any closer to delivery.

Until next time...

32 Weeks!

Yesterday was our 32-week mark, so excited! I had the doctor appointment and everything is looking good. Blood pressure was low, only gained 1 lb (secretly so happy), urine tests were clear, and Little A's heartbeat was 130 bpm. During the heartbeat exam, Dr.V was kicked by Little A! It was so cute :) Little A really doesn't seem to like it when I lay on my back, so he is always moving when I do this - and Dr. V put the monitor on my belly and wallop! Little A got him good!

Dr. V did prescribe different antibiotics for me. I have been fighting bronchitis this week and the first one wasn't helping. After taking two pills after my appointment, I am already noticing the difference.

There weren't any surprise tests this time. I was thankful for that but in 4 weeks we will do a culture test and check my cervix to see if there's any "action" going on. Since this will be my fourth child to deliver, I am curious as to what the outcome will be as we get closer to D-day.

The next appointment: November 30th

Clogged Up

It's Little A again. I'm starting to feel bad for Ms. Goldilocks. She wasn't sleeping much before, because I like to roll around in the middle of the night and bounce on her bladder. But now, now she's got a head cold too! Poor thing. She has been sleeping on the couch for the past couple of nights in hopes to get better rest. This way she sits up. I didn't realize she was sleeping there until last night, so I decided to be as cooperative as I could last night and rest too. I kept my kicking, punching, and rolling around to a minimum. I think she slept better but I know she still feels icky today.

Hopefully with the weekend approaching she'll get more rest and get to feeling better.

Now to me...did you know that I am over 3 pounds now? And that I am almost 17 inches long? Yes, so that means I don't have much room in the home I am currently in. I keep trying to wiggle around, but sometimes my silly legs get in the way and I can't flip over! When this happens I just kick, kick, kick!!!

I overheard Ms. Goldilocks talking to someone yesterday. She said, "Only 9 more weeks!" Wait! What? What does that mean? 9 more weeks until what? I am so confused. I really like my room - it's nice and warm and I have this wet stuff to drink everyday. She does talk about the "daddies" - I know she just means, "my daddies" - I can't wait to meet them! I bet they have a nice room for me too.

Goodnight...time to rest

Time Flies

Here we are...week 30 starts tomorrow!

I am not sure how we got this far so quickly, but I am getting more and more excited for Little A's arrival. He's coming into the world filled with love and joy - his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. He'll definitely be spoiled.

Last week, (10/26/11) I saw my doctor for the first time in 5 weeks. Nurse T went through the routine again - urine test, blood pressure (105/68), weight ---YIKES---Little A isn't so little anymore. Well, maybe it's me who isn't so little; let's just say we have officially hit the 30 pound mark in this pregnancy and I still have the holidays to get through.

Dr. V came into the room and talked about how I was feeling. I told him about all the heartburn I have; yes, I even have heartburn after eating a banana. I think Dr. V was surprised by this but it is the honest truth. Of course the old wives tale says, "A lot of heartburn in pregnancy means a lot of hair at birth." In Little A's case - he better come out a monkey! Just kidding...

Dr. V measured my uterus - we're at 31 weeks, which doesn't mean Little A will debut two weeks early, but we'll be closely monitoring my growth. Dr. V asked me if this was going to be my last pregnancy. I said, "Well since I am getting older..." He just laughed! Then, I told him the only way I would be pregnant again is for my IPs.

Then Nurse T came in and said my glucose was a little elevated! What?!? Dr. V wasn't worried, but asked me what I had for lunch. Oops! Wasn't I suppose to eat that vanilla shake? MMM...maybe I'll go get another one now.

Finally, at the end of the appointment he reminded me that it was time for my RhoGam injection. This is an injection to help me form antibodies against the baby since I am Rh Negative. Nurse T made an appointment for me on the 27th, but before I could go to that - I had to give blood (which was totally unexpected for this appointment). Thankfully, the nurse who drew my blood WAS NOT the same one as last week! This was my "normal" blood nurse. It was quick and painless with no bruising.

The appoinment was over, everything is moving along smoothly and I'll be back on November 16th (32 weeks). Then at 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, & 40 (baby due!!!)

Glucose Testing

At my last doctor's appointment, Dr. V handed me this nice little bottle of orange liquid that would tell him whether or not I have developed gestational diabetes. In my past pregnancies, I've never developed it, but was surprised to have two very large babies that didn't result in c-section deliveries.

Here are some typical symptoms of women with gestational pregnancy diabetes:

Blurred vision, fatigue, increase infections, increased thirst, increased urination (I have this all the time!), nausea and vomiting.

Yesterday, I drank the orange drink - which didn't taste too bad. I remembered previously it being much thicker and nastier, but since Dr. V had me refrigerate it first that helped.

An hour later, I had to haul myself into the lab to have blood drawn. I've been going to the same clinic for almost 8 years now and the nurse pathologist has been the same, until today! I was so surprised to have someone new poking me. I am not fond of needles, especially when they are inexperienced so I was a little nervous. The nurse asked me 3x how to spell my last name before starting. I typically have good veins so it shouldn't be hard for anyone to get the blood, but for some reason, this new nurse decided she needed to dig around just a little. One vial was full and I was on my way. I can't imagine what would've been left on my arm if she needed to fill multilples.

Today I am left with a small bruise and a call from the doctor's office informing me that I do not have gestational diabetes! Yay!

Now, I can move on to the last trimester of the pregnancy with Little A moving around like a boxer. I have my next check-up on the 26th of October where Dr. V and nurse T will check my urine, weight, blood pressure, heartbeat and measure my every growing belly.

Once that is done I believe I'll be going to the doctor every two weeks until I am 36 weeks. Then, it will be every week.

It seems impossible that my IPs, my family, the agency and I are closer to the end of our journey than the beginning. I know my IPs are going to make wonderful daddies and I hope if and when they choose to have another child, they'll think of me to do this again for them.

A View from the Womb

Once upon a time there was a woman with curly hair, just like that of Goldilocks, who carried a child - that's me - for my daddies. She began growing me in April of 2010 and will soon deliver me into their arms, but before we get to that part I'd (yes me, Little A) would like to share with you my view from her womb over the last week.

Let's begin with last Saturday. She and her DH were very hungry, but they couldn't decide what to eat. Now you all know, that I love Mexican, I've been making her eat it a lot over the past few months so I suggested they have more - ok, I really didn't, but I think I had something to do with it. Well they went to a local Mexican place for dinner where my Goldilocks ordered a vegetarian meal. She ate some chips and salsa prior to her main meal too. Once she started eating she began feeling a little uneasy. It could've been because I was punching and kicking her the entire time, trying to get her to have more salsa. There was one cheese enchilada on the plate with red sauce, and I knew as soon as she started that first bite that our night was going to take a turn for the worse. She immediately got sick and had to run to the bathroom! What was going on I thought? This has never happened to us - I love Mexican! She returned to the table feeling a little better, but wouldn't eat anymore. So here I was, in the womb, still wanting chips and salsa and not really sure how to communicate it to her without jabbing her again.

We all left the restaurant and returned home for a long night. Her stomach, which is right next to my womb, was churning and making these horrible noises all night long. Therefor, I couldn't sleep. I kept moving around and around, but finally nestled into a cozy spot, and we both fell asleep.

On Another Note...
I love my womb, but boy is there something close to me that is bothersome. It fills up and deflates often and wakes me up. I'm not sure what Goldilocks is doing every 2 hours but once she's done I have a lot more space to move around.

There's a loud noise that wakes me up and Goldilocks always switches position after she hears this. I almost feel like she's turning me upside down! Then, I hear this soft, soothing noise. It lasts for a little while then stops.

Everything is quiet until I hear another voice, it must be a little girl that knows Goldilocks. She is really loud. She sings a lot and plays music. I like the music she plays.

My womb doesn't seem to be getting any bigger, but I hope I am.

25 Weeks

Today is another milestone for the little one - he could now survive with assistance from the NICU much easier if he was born today. When my IPs visited, they toured the hospital where we'll deliver and found great comfort in the NICU. It is very well-equipped for babies born early along with knowledgeable doctors and nurses. One of my IPs told me how different the hospitals in France are and how a baby born this early would more than likely not be saved. It's amazing how many are saved now in the U.S. and how they grow and mature into wonderful little people.

Last Friday, the 23rd, I had my 24-week check-up. It was pretty uneventful. I gained 5 pounds, I'm not sure what my running total is now, but I know it's more than my last pregnancy. I am still wearing a couple pairs of my jeans, so I don't feel like I've gained over twenty! My blood pressure was right where it should be and the baby's little heartbeat was pounding away at 140 bpm. He sure is a little squirt! Dr. V had difficulty catching him so we could listen to his heart, Little A was moving around so much! I don't Little A likes it when I lay on my back.

We'll be moving out of the second trimester next week and into my final trimester. The first two have been relatively easy, and I'm hoping the last one is too. I was thinking this morning how the holiday season is approaching and how I usually gain some holiday weight - at least this season, I have an excuse! Little A needs to eat some turkey, pies, and cookies, right?

Lately, my students have started asking more questions about the surrogacy. They are finally realzing, or should I say understanding, that Little A is not biologically my child. It's comical to listen to them sometime. Overall, most of my students feel it is an amazing gift I am giving. I know Little A is a gift - but I'm not giving him to anyone, he is supposed to be here, for my IPs...they are going to be wonderful parents!

Banana Boy

Banana boy has been extremely active - at night! I think he's already starting to prepare for the time difference when he moves from my womb to Paris. Over the weekend he woke me up twice around 2:00 AM - which is 9:00 AM in Paris - it felt like he was doing somersaults. After about twenty minutes, he calmed down enough so I could sleep.

My neighbor has been keeping an "eye" on my bump. When I first returned from Chicago in July she said, "Wow! You've popped out!" Since then, she's watched closely to see if I've grown at all. Each week...nope you look the same. LOL Honestly I think it is my clothing - but this last Friday, she said, "Oh yeah, I see it now...he's a growing!" I wish I could remember what I was wearing that day because I have been feeling huge everyday for awhile. I even measured my waist, well what once was my waist, and it has grown 11 inches since becoming pregnant.
Any guesses on how big my waist will get?

Banana boy is still sitting very low too. I have been able to get 2 1/2 hours stretches of sleep in recently compared to 1 before - my bladder is going to have a huge dent in it once he's born.

I'm not sure what vegetable or fruit he'll be compared to tomorrow, but I'm sure it's a big one! My IPs told me their ED is 6 feet tall and the IP is 6ft 3in, so he's going to be long...here's hoping his feet don't get stuck under my ribs!

Ultrasound Pic - 20wk2days

Baby Boy
20 weeks 2 days
12 oz.
heartbeat 135

Week 20 Update

The IPs flew to the United States this week from France. They were able to meet with our surrogacy agency to discuss legal matters once the child arrives.

Then, they drove to Iowa and had a barbeque dinner with me and my family. We really enjoyed their visit! When they arrived, they had gifts for everyone and brought some items for the baby. One of the IP's mothers sent gifts for the girls and for me. The necklace she sent is beautiful that has a very faint jingle to it. She bought one for herself to wear after her first grandchild arrives in hopes that the baby will recognize the sound and find comfort. It is a very beautiful necklace and I'll be wearing it often.

My DH was extremely happy with his gift from the IPs! They brought him a variety of beer from Germany. He immediately put one in the freezer to chill so he could drink it after dinner while they were still visiting. I know he's looking forward to drinking the others.

The IPs brought a baby bassinet/car seat, clothing, booties, towels and baby bunting for their child. Since it will be born during the Iowa winter, they will need the bunting. There was one concern with the bassinet because of United States laws with car seats. Infant car seats in the U.S. must be rear-facing, and their bassinet/car seat only lays down. They will be looking into this further to ensure they have the proper seat for safe travel while driving in Iowa and when on their return flight to Iowa.

Friday, August 26, 2011
We met the IPs at our local hospital for the BIG ultrasound. Everyone was allowed in the room which was wonderful. It was absolutely amazing to watch my IPs see their first child for the first time. The technician was very helpful and answered all of their questions. Of course they were concerned with the baby's health. She reassured them that everything looked right on target - the baby was measuring 20wk2day (perfect!).

At one point she tried looking for the gender but wasn't sure, so she moved on and did some other measurements. The baby was moving around so much which made it difficult to get an accurate picture until...there it was - left leg, right leg, and in between "boy parts"! I know one of my IPs was extremely happy, for a boy, but again mostly to know their little one was healthy!

After ultrasound, we walked to the women's center for a birthing tour. Our tour guide, Shari, was amazing. She was welcoming of surrogacy and very helpful with the paternity process. She led us to a delivery room where she patiently listened and answered every question my IPs had about the hospital, delivery and baby. Next, we went to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Of course this is not where any parent wants to be, but with first time parents it was important for my IPs to know that their baby was going to be in the best hands if it needed extra care and love.

Shari encouraged the IPs to take some classes when they return in January. She suggested the class "Baby Care Basics". My DH and I both took this class and feel it would be wonderful if they can utilize the resources at the hospital to give them more "newborn" confidence.

As soon as we were finished with the tour, one of the IPs called his mother! She was so excited to hear the news (although he woke her up) about her grandchild. She cannot wait to meet the little guy.

We left the hospital to go for lunch. After ordering we gave the IPs a gift - it was a super soft blankie, a set of toys for the car seat/stroller, and some blue clothes! It was so fun picking something out for their baby. They took pictures of the items to email to family. Too cute! We chatted about politics, the recession, and of course the baby. My DH and I reassured them both that we will be here for them when the baby arrives. We understand how nervous one can be with a newborn, but we want them to know we will help whenever they need.

The meeting of my doctor - the pregnancy and baby doctor was next! Once checked in at the office, I asked for the name of the baby - but I am not going to share here until January.
The nurse called me in. We went through the normal routine - urine check, weight and blood pressure. Everything is looking good but I gained 7 pounds in the 30 days! I think I'm up to 16 or 17 pounds - need to slow down.

The doctor came in the room and I introduced him to everyone. They asked if they could record what he would be doing, and of course he said, "Yes." He is the nicest doctor I've ever had - another reason why we need him to be my delivery doctor!

He talked briefly about the ultrasound and said everything looked good. The IPs had some questions in relation to the due date, induction, and chances of the baby arriving early. He said that is mostly depended on me, but the egg donor and IF could play a part too.

Next, he measured my uterus. At 20 weeks it should be about 20 cm but it was 22 cm - he said that was fine, nothing to worry about with it being a little bigger. Next, he checked for the heartbeat. I really don't feel the baby likes it when he does this - it's difficult to find and then once the doctor has it, the little boy moves around and it's gone - so it takes a little bit for him to get an accurate reading.

Saying Goodbye...
We left the IPs in a part of our town called "Czech Village". They were going to look around, return to their hotel, and head back to Chicago. We took some pictures and said our goodbyes.

It was a very emotional trip for everyone. I cannot wait to see them hold their little boy!

Much love to my IPs and their families who are anxiously waiting for him.

Waking the Baby

Now that the little one has been moving around a lot, my youngest daughter thinks it is fun to help! She has a small pink pig flashlight that she shines on my bulging belly and about thirty seconds later, little one is on the move! I never tried a flashlight with my own pregnancies, but read recently online that if you shine a light, it'll make them move.

Not only does light wake the baby but so does a variety of foods. In a previous post I mentioned the Mexican food, that has ceased -now anything with a sweetness in it. Not that I eat a lot of sugar, but I do have my ice cream (almost daily). Little one also likes tootsie rolls - which is chocolate, but not really. It'll be interesting to see if there is anything else that gets my surro-baby rolling around!

Last week, instead of me waking the baby the baby woke me up! He/she is getting so strong, strong enough to wake me from sleep. Who needs an alarm clock when you have an onion growing inside of you! I keep looking at onions at the market, but they see so small - and I realize measurments online leave out the length of their legs. Which means that my almost 8 week surro-baby is really about 8 inches long already, no wonder why I can feel it so much! Go ahead, measure out 8 inches, pretty BIG huh?

A few weeks and we'll have the 20-week check up (half-way!!!) and the BIG ultrasound with my IPs. They want to find out the sex of their baby - YAY! Then I can start saying I am carrying a, "petit garcon" or "petite fille" (little boy or little girl).

Cannot wait to see my IPs again!!!

Heartbeat

Little one's heartbeat - 140 bpm
You can really hear it around 11 seconds.
Sorry - the picture isn't lovely but the beating of the heart is a miracle!

An Avocado today

Well...just returned from my 16 week doctor appointment and found out that I gained 5 pounds this last 4 weeks! Yikes! That's a total of 8 - I am still wearing my "normal" clothes and haven't gotten into any maternity wear yet, but I have a feeling that door will need to be opened soon.
Over the next few weeks, the little one is going to double in size! That's right - go from only 4-5 inches long to 10 inches! I know by then, my current clothing will not fit the same.

The little avocado's heartbeat was at 140 today :) I was able to record it too. I emailed the IPs and cannot wait to hear from them. I am not going to upload it until I know they've heard their baby's heartbeat for the FIRST time...I can only imagine their joy.

Since this is an international surrogacy, legal things are just a bit different. I need to find my birth certificate for them along with getting a "statement of pregnancy" from my doctor. I'm not really sure what that is, so I'll be contacting TSC to see if they have a form to use for this. I hope so, because my doctor wasn't sure either.

The next four weeks will go by fast I am sure. I'll return to teaching full time in three weeks, then school begins and I'll have 5 new sections of sophomores and juniors. Finally, the IPs will fly here from France for the BIG ultrasound, hospital tour, and doctor appointment. I'm still not sure if they plan to find out the sex of their child - I hope so!

Cannot wait to see them again!

15 weeks 6 days

A quick update:
Baby Orange loves Mexican - I think I could eat it everyday! I believe I had some 4 days in a row, and now it is time for more :)

I haven't been sleeping much. :( The ever growing belly is beginning to get in the way of being comfortable. I will probably start looking for one of those "mommy" pillows. Also, if I am laying on my side and roll to my back I instantly have to use the bathroom! What's that mean? I'm in my second trimester and I shouldn't have to use the bathroom as much but this little one must love the bouncing on my bladder!

Tomorrow - baby appointment. I hope I can record the heartbeat this time. I know my IPs would be ecstatic to hear it!

Baby will be an avocado tomorrow - that's BIG!!!

Announcing Via Facebook

Since most of my family, friends, and co-workers don't see me daily in the summer I thought it was time to announce the gestational surrogacy to all. At first I was a little worried and debated about announcing at all. Some people have their opinions and I really didn't want to hear any of them! This journey with my IPs has been amazing, therefore anyone else raining on my parade was unwelcome.

Much to my surprise! Everyone that has commented or sent me a message is ecstatic for me and the IPs. It amazes me how the ones closest to you, can accept you for all of your decisions without judgement. It's a great feeling to know I have the support of many.

I've really been feeling well. Still hungry as ever, but that gives me an excuse to have an extra cookie! No, not really, but it does encourage me to eat more fruits and veggies. Also, I've really tried to integrate more dairy - but if you know me at all, drinking a glass of milk is the last thing I want to do. Instead I've found a great yogurt -cherry crisp! It's delicious.

Only five weeks from now, and I'll be back to work full-time. The summer has gone by too fast already. Any ideas on how or what to tell my high school students?

Next doctor appointment: July 27 - hoping to capture the heartbeat on a recording for the IPs!
~Much love,
The Rolling Stork

Baby Bump

It's official as of July 1st! The baby bump has arrived and there aren't too many shirts in my closet that can hide the belly! I took my first photo while in Chicago and emailed it to my IPs. I'm trying to download it from my phone too, but it is not cooperating today.

I'll keep taking one every four weeks just so everyone can see the progress.

I am feeling so much better these days. Still using the bathroom frequently but if that's it - I can definitely handle it.

I notified all of my friends, family and contacts on Facebook today. I figured since the baby bump is noticeable, it was the easiest way to "tell" everyone without going into too much personal detail.

Other than that, not much to report. I'll be 14 weeks tomorrow!

12 weeks

We're almost out of the first trimester which means little bear has grown to the size of a plum and has developed all of its major systems. This week it will be working on reflexes - so opening and closing it's fists! How amazing is that!

Yesterday, I met with my family doctor. Dr. V is wonderful. We talked about the surrogacy, and I told him a little bit about my wonderful IPs. He is very excited because after giving my DH a vasectomy three years ago, he thought it failed! LOL Then, he remembered I spoke to him about becoming a surrogate. Let's just say he was relieved.

We went through the normal questions of a pregnancy and reviewed my previous deliveries and miscarriage. We talked about the weight of my full-term babies, but then said, "Well it might not matter because the IP and ED will play more into that then you!" Yikes, I really hope both of them were small when they were born.

The last part of my exam I laid back on the table and anticipated hearing little bear's heartbeat. He put the gel on my abdomen and turned on the sound. I'm not sure what the tool is called that he uses, but I'll ask next time. After a while and swipes across my abdomen we still couldn't hear anything. I knew it was early to hear but since the 10week ultrasound had such a strong heartbeat, I thought for sure we'd hear it. Dr. V continued pressing and prodding in hopes to get a clear sound. There was nothing. I started to worry a little and Dr. V must've sensed this so he said, "It is early. The heart is about the size of a pea, so it is hard to hear. I'll see you back in two weeks." All the while he was saying this, he was still going back and forth over my abdomen and then about 5 seconds later - BAM! There it was - we could hear the heartbeat! I was so excited and a bit relieved. He counted the beats and said it was, "About 170 bpm." Very strong! Dr. V is so patient, that is why I love him! I'm glad he kept trying.

The twenty week ultrasound is also scheduled. It's right after I return to teaching full-time but we needed to schedule so my IPs can plan on returning here and seeing their little miracle. It will be wonderful to see them both again and it's only 8 weeks from now!

I've decided that my IPs are going to have their hands full! Little bear doesn't let me sleep much, loves cheese in the middle of the night, and was already being stubborn!

Baby Bear

Baby Bear
June 15, 2011
Measuring: 10 weeks 1 day
Heart rate: 166 bpm

Olive Oil...

This has possibly been one of the longest weeks of my life! We are currently 9 weeks 2 days pregnant with a little olive and I'm exhausted. The nausea has somewhat subsided, but insomnia has kicked in ten-fold. I haven't had a good nights sleep all week. The best time I get sleep is when my three-year old is napping. It must have something to do with not being in my normal routine - going to work all day. I did start working out again lightly. It's so difficult to change when you were working a forty hour week, skating hours and working out 3x a week. I went down to doing nothing...except for being a mom and a rolling stork.

I had my first OB appointment on Monday (8 weeks 5 days). It was with the OB history nurse. It was an adjustment talking to a complete stranger about my journey, give as many details as I could, and then hear her say, "Now you know, there are 14 doctors in this office so any one of them could deliver in January." WOW! This was not what I was expecting to hear. I knew it could be who was on call, but what if I deliver during the day - will my OB doctor come to the hospital? I was under the impression she would.

Needless to say, I left the appointment frustrated. I am planning to call my family doctor (who delivered my three year old) and see if he'll please go thru the journey with me. My daughter was one of the last children he delivered, he was just ready to move on after delivering babies for 20+ years. He joked, "The hours aren't so great!" I just cannot imagine having a stranger deliver this little miracle.

On another note...the 12 pounds I lost from December to February has now become only 9. Yep, that's right...I've already gained 3 pounds!!! From what I've read online...that is typical. I just didn't expect it quite yet.

Next week I'll have another ultrasound. The RE doctor wants to make sure Olive Oil is doing well. I am excited to see at 10 weeks because the little olive will look like a teddy graham. It will have little arms and legs and will be wiggling around. Even though I won't be able to feel it myself in a few weeks, it is still cool to see on the screen.

Not Quite a Peanut

Although I feel like my belly is growing, the baby is not quite a peanut yet. As of today, it has doubled in size since last week - wow what a growth spurt! A raspberry it is...relating the embryo to food kind of fits my current situation, since I cannot stop eating! Yes, I know, I am eating for two, but really people this has got to stop! I eat every two hours (if not sooner) and have a sleeve of saltine crackers at my disposal almost all day long.

Last night, I told my derby family about the pregnancy. They were all shocked, but excited for me and so supportive. Many of the girls asked more questions and genuinely seemed interested in the process of becoming a gestational surrogate. When I think back to how I started this journey it still amazes me that it took almost 2 1/2 years to get to where I am today. All the paperwork, two different agencies, and wonderful IPs have brought me to this point.

My IPs sent an email over the weekend talking about their mothers. It was "Mother's Day" in France. Not only will this baby make them parents, but it will give their mothers their very first grandchild. I cannot express how wonderful it is to be a part of their happiness and joy.

Baby Blueberry

Baby Blueberry's 1st Ultrasound

May 26, 2010

Measuring: 7 weeks 1 day

Heartrate: 138 bpm

Right on target!

Congratulations to my IPs!

Tuesday

Well yesterday turned into a day full of morning sickness! I couldn't believe the wave of nauseousness that came over me around 11 AM. It was terrible. I felt so light-headed and I didn't have any snacks here at work. Once lunch rolled around, I ate a grilled cheese sandwich. It was so good. It also helped subside the dizziness.

After a couple of hours though, everything was back! This continued into the evening, all the way up until I went to bed. I realized taht I needed to make sure to take extra food for work today. I've been eating about every two hours and it seems to be helping. I can tell when it is time for a snack, because any movement causes my head to spin.

I looked up a question today: "How soon do you start showing in your later pregnancies?" Since I've been pregnant a few times, I know my tummy will pop out sooner but I didn't expect this! It's almost like those cartoon eyes from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" Now it could all be a side-effect of the medications I'm taking, but I don't think so. I'm just under 7 weeks, I realize the little pea is turning into a blueberry, but this belly of mine is growing quickly.

Excited for the ultrasound Thursday.

6 weeks 5 days

Last week seemed to fly by. I finally went to the walk-in clinic to get some medication for my sinus infection. Dr. U is very thorough and was concerned about the pregnancy, but reassured me that amoxocillin was the safest drug to take. It was strange having him and the nurse congratulate me for being pregnant. Since this child is not mine, I don't feel it is "me" that should be celebrating, it should be my IPs.

My IPs sent an email late last week. They are so cute! They've told their families about the pregnancy, but they also know that the farther along I get the better chances of survival. I sent them a website address where they can look to see what is happening to their little embryo. They've never been pregnant before, so this is a whole new world for them.

Exciting stuff going on this week! Our first ultrasound is only three days away. I'm nervous but excited. Last time my DH and I went for this u/s, we did not receive good news. I am feeling so different about this one though- everything on my surrogacy journey this second time has been so positive and full of love, I am trying to be optimistic.

18dp3dt

Final BETA = 1,865
More than doubled in 48 hours!!!

Set up my first ultrasound for May 26 @ 8:00 AM.

Now it's just more waiting...boo!

Only One More to Go!

An update:
11dp3dt - BETA 56
13dp3dt - BETA 161

16dp3dt - BETA 782!!! (this is almost 5x what it was at 13dp) - it's only supposed to double in 48-72 hours.

Tomorrow we have our final BETA. Then, the ultrasound will be the week of May 23, 2011.

At first I thought, there's one little french bean growing inside, but after yesterday's BETA...I'm not so sure. A surrogate friend of mine had a BETA of 345 at 13dp3dt and found out she's carrying twins!!! I've never carried twins, but I think it would be wonderful for my IPs to have two baby beans!

_____
Symptoms to date:
Frequent urination
Heavy feeling in abdomen
Headaches
Nausea
Diarrhea
Tender & tingling breasts
Mucus filled nose! BLEH!

1st BETA

Went in this morning around 8:30 for my first blood draw. Waited all day. Then finally, my nurse emails me asking, "What lab did you go to? I haven't heard anything yet." Seriously?!? I couldn't believe it. Two other surrogates knew their results by noon today! I emailed her back and gave her contact information.

4:15 and I still hadn't heard anything!!! I called the lab myself. The receptionist said they faxed the information at 4:00 pm. ERR...So, I called my nurse, no answer. Sent her an email asking if she'd heard anything.

Then...it came. An email from her confirming the pregnancy! Woot! Woot!

I knew I was pregnant - I mean I've taken 5 tests since Sunday morning (May 1st) and they've all been positive, but knowing that the blood test was positive was even better news.

My IPs received their email too. They responded with such joy, enthusiasm and love.

Now we all continue to wait...until the next blood draw(s) - 5/6, 5/9 & 5/11.

Still waiting for some symptoms - I did sleep like a baby last night. I've had a runny nose now for two days. I read somewhere that is a symptom of pregnancy.

Until Friday...
The Rolling Stork

8dp3dt

After testing for 3.5 days - with Clearblue tests (digital and +/-) I was still seeing a BFN. Although on 7dp3dt, the digital was working very hard. It kept blinking and blinking. I actually walked away a couple of times last Saturday night before it finally popped up saying, "not pregnant."

The next morning I woke and had zero tests left. I started cleaning the house for the birthday party and sent a text to my DH asking him to stop somewhere and pick up some more tests! What the heck! I've never been addicted to anyting in my life, but this POAS was spiraling out of control. Of course he knew of my obsession and went ahead and picked up - not one, but TWO boxes of the First Response Early Result. There were 5 tests! He thought that would keep me occupied until May 4th at least (BETA day).

I didn't run upstairs to POAS but I wanted to. I waited until I knew I really needed to go. At 10:00 am on May 1st my eyes finally saw a BFP! The two little pink lines were a sight!

I immediately emailed my IPs, my BF, my case worker and another surrogate. My IPs couldn't see the picture :( I was so sad. I wrote to them explaining that we had a BFP. They are so excited and will now wait for the BETA.

Two other surrogates and I all have had BFP in the last three days :) I'm so excited for all of us, but more than anything happy that all of our IPs will be expanding their families!

_____

Now, as "The Rolling Stork" I am trying to figure out what to tell my teammates. They are an amazing group of women, but only being 4 weeks pregnant...I want to keep it a secret until I am past 8-10 weeks. Leaving my skates hangin'...literally.

5dp3dt

Alright...so I was hoping for a miracle when I POAS this morning! LOL of course the little hourglass flashed and flashed but it said, "not pregnant." I knew in my head that it would say this but I thought with 2 perfect little blasts nestling in for 9 months that maybe my body would've started secreting that wonderful hormone called: hCG.

So I let out a sigh, put my cell phone away - because I was ready to take a picture and email it off to my IPs if it would've said, "pregnant" instead.

I moved on with my morning routine: orange juice with my morning estrace pill and inserting the lovely white suppository into my...well you know.

By the time I got to work I was still thinking about being 5dp3dt. I began googling the net (yes, again), and came across this awesome information from an infertility forum. Read below:

This is what happens in a 3dt:

1dpt - Embryo is growing and developing.
2dpt - Embryo is now a blastocyst.
3dpt - Blastocyst hatches out of shell on this day.
4dpt - Blastocyst attaches to a site on the uterine lining
5dpt - Implantation begins, as the blastocyst begins to bury in the lining
6dpt - Implantation process continues and morula buries deeper in the lining
7dpt - Morula is completely implanted in the lining and has placenta cells & fetal cells
8dpt - Placenta cells begin to secrete hCG in the blood
9dpt - More hCG is produced as fetus develops
10dpt - More hCG is produces as fetus develops
11dpt - hCG levels are now high enough to be immediately detected on HPT

I cannot tell you what a relief this was to see! So as of today...the little blast(s) is/are probably just starting to snuggle in and get cozy!

I'm looking forward to the weekend. It'll be busy with Snow White, Charity walks, a derby bout, and a birthday party. I'm thinking I'll stay away from the store too - so then I'm not tempted to buy another HPT. We'll just wait until Monday! (my other pregnancies, I never had a BFP until 10dp!).

A Little Background

A little background...

For the past year, I have been playing roller derby with an amazing group of women in Iowa. They have given me something that I've never had before - a TEAM. As an adult, many of us forget about what made us happy as children, for me I found it again - skating. Roller derby is a sport that is intense, quick, full of strategies, frustration & fun. I've bulit friendships with women that I would typically not encounter during my day and they are some of the most amazing, considerate, giving women I know. Roller derby will be something difficult to give up for the next 9 months.

What that means is this: I am a gestational surrogate for a wonderful couple.

My surrogacy journey started many years ago. Before marrying my DH, I told him that it was something I've thought about doing since I was 21. He listened to me tell him about my sister who thought she'd never have kids. By the time my sister was 30 - she was finally pregnant with my first nephew. Although I knew I wouldn't be a surrogate for her, it was still something I thought about doing for another person. I've always enjoyed being pregnant (ok, maybe not the last 2-3 weeks) and I knew being a surrogate was in my future. Finally, when the time came, after my DH and I had our child, I began researching the topic.

I discovered an agency out east and went through the application process, medical screening and three transfers with an IP from Sweden. Sadly, our third transfer ended in March 2010. It was an amazing year with my IP. I wish I could've given my IP a child, but it was not meant to be.

After some soul searching and joining the roller derby, I told myself I wasn't finished pursuing this dream. The dream of carrying someone's little miracle! I looked closer to home for the second agency. This was a much better match for my, my DH and family. My new agency met with my family and I in September 2010. We were also screened by a psychologist, which was different from the first journey.

The next step would be to wait for a "match". Our case manager said it could be 6 months to a year before we could be matched with the perfects IPs. In my head I kept thinking about roller derby. I had already passed my WFTDA test and was placed on the A team. I had a lot of work to do, rules to learn, but was eager to be a part of the TEAM. By this time, I'd played one home bout in front of 100s of fans...that was exciting.

When the case manager called a few weeks later, I was in shock! She found potential IPs for us and thought we'd all be a great fit. Both parties were able to read applications and look at photos of one another. We all decided we would move forward. In November of 2010 it was official - I would help my new IPs become parents in 2011.

Since I miscarried with my first IP, the new Fertility doctor wanted to run some special blood tests to ensure that I wouldn't have another miscarriage. After the medical screening was complete in January 2011 we all knew we were ready. Everyone was trying to be ready for a February 2011 transfer but their ED (egg donor) would not be. This pushed everything out for an April 2011 transfer and gave us more time to complete the contract stage.

The contracts, not so much fun, were finalized a week before I started my Lupron injections. These injections were not bad during my first journey, so I can say I was looking forward to getting the wheels rolling. Once you sterilize the injection site, Lupron lid, you can draw up the 10cc. It still amazes me how much I've learned about IVF in the last two years. The injection site is always my abdomen. I could use my thigh, but I have something in my head keeping me from stabbing my thigh - crazy, I know. My fleshy tummy seems meets the requirements easily. Each day I alternated the side to inject - I actually started getting mini-bruises. This is nothing compared to PIO injections. Can I get a holla? (from others using PIO)

After a week of my injections, I headed to the hospital for a lining check and to see if my ovaries were supressed. My u/s tech was so nice - I remember her from the last journey. She said everything looked good with my ovaries and my lining was thin - just like it should be. YAY for a cooperative uterus!

I continued the Lupron and began taking Estrace. The new med is a small, blue pill 2x a day. It is used to "build-up" my uterus and get it ready to welcome an embryo or two.

I had two more u/s before the big day. The first one freaked me out! The u/s tech said I had soem small follicles in my ovaries. I'm not supposed to have any! I'm not the ED!!! YIKES! Luckily, my clinic nurse said it was nothing to worry about. The second u/s was at the fertility clinic. The doctor is so calm - my lining was measuring at 9.5 so it was "ready".

Now it would be wait time...because the ED was not ready last week :(

4dp3dt

At this point it seems like time is standing still. BLEH! I'd love to find a HPT that would tell me right now if my IPs are expecting! Everyone always talks about the tww - it is awful. I guess one thing to look forward to is we only have to wait 10 days for our first BETA. Six m,ore sleeps to go.

Once again though I'm finding myself obsessing about how early other surrogates, women ttc have see the BFP or the digital words "pregnant". After spending countless minutes, ok...hours on the Internet, I've come to the conclusion that I really should not even bother POAS until Saturday morning at the earliest...boo!

The cramping that I've had since Saturday has continued, but to my surprise it could just be a side effect from the Crinone. This was another big BOO! :( I finally read the pamplet that came with the medication to see what side effects were typical. Well I have about 5 of them - go figure! 1. Cramping 2. Heavy boobies (LOL) 3. Swelling 4. Frequent urination at night 5. Bloating

Honestly, I've been pregnant 6x myself - so you would think I would be able to tell the difference! Nope, not this stork.

At least it's hump day and my week is almost 1/2 over with. I do have a busy weekend with derby, charity walks, and a 3-year olds birthday party!!! I know these activities will keep my mind off of those pesky HPTs!