My Surrogacy Journal

Personal Journal

2009-07-23T09:23:00.003-05:00

If anyone still visits here and would like to keep up with me on my personal journal, it can be found at http://jen1422.blogspot.com

:)

Update

2009-06-18T09:36:00.002-05:00

I just thought I'd give a quick update since it has been a long time!

I am doing wonderful. Just still trying to get rid of this weight! I'm definitely much stronger now, but the weight isnt really budging and its driving me crazy. Oh well. They say it takes 9 months to put on the weight and another 9 to lose it. We'll see! I lost ALL my baby weight within 2 months after having Quinn, but then again, that was only one baby and one baby's worth of extra hormones in my body. I think the pregnancy hormones are just now starting to leave my body. My chin acne is almost gone and my hair is falling out like crazy. Thats normal for me after having babies though...my hair doesnt shed much at all while pregnant but once the hormones are out of my system, the hair starts coming out. I'm STILL waiting for my period to come, too. That makes me nervous because being pregnant right now, so soon after delivering twins, is a really scary thought. Not to mention we arent even thinking about having another child until after our 10th anniversary vacation next year. Then we'll think about it.

This fall Quinn will be attending preschool 3 days a week and Ian will be in Kindergarten. It will be weird having both boys in school! But at least I will have a few hours a week to myself. I will probably just use it to do my grocery shopping in peace! :)

The girls are doing great! Last I heard, Lyla was outweighing Presley by a full pound! I cant believe they are almost 3 months old already. I hope they start to sleep through the night soon so mom & dad can get some good sleep. Uninterrupted sleep makes ALL the difference!

Well I hope everyone is having a lovely spring/summer! We just got back from a vacation to Wisconsin Dells. We stayed at Great Wolf Lodge and spent 3 days in the waterpark. So fun! The boys are in swimming lessons this summer at the gym, so hopefully next time we go back to the Dells they can swim and not bobble around in lifejackets. ;)

I'm growing a garden again this year. I did more soil prep so hopefully I have better luck this year. I'm growing Roma tomatoes, Big Boy tomatoes, Cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, bell peppers, marconi peppers, poblano peppers, strawberries, and basil. If I grew onions I would have a salsa garden! lol

Hope everyone is doing well! This will be a great summer! :)

Goodbye little girls

2009-04-13T09:18:00.008-05:00

Well Lyla was discharged on Wednesday and Presley was discharged yesterday, on Easter. M&B brought them over last night for a couple hours to visit and say goodbye. They are headed home today. After 5 weeks of being away from home I can only imagine how good it will feel for M&B to get back to their own house and for life to get back to normal. Well, their "new" normal, that is!

I got to hold both girls for a while and then I fed Presley her bottle while Chris fed Lyla. It was so nice to get to snuggle them for a bit! Even Quinn got to hold a baby and he was so excited!

I held it together until I hugged M&B goodbye...that's when I started to get all teary-eyed. Once they got in their car I started crying. This was the first time I had cried since the end of Feb when I was in the hospital for a couple days by myself. So it was time for a good cry. It's going to be strange to not have all of them around. I cant just go visit them whenever I want to. And its not just the babies I will miss. I will definitely miss M&B as well. Next time I see them all in person, those girls are going to be toddling around all over the place!! We'll go visit them next year...maybe for their birthday or during the summer. Until then I'll be happy to see pictures and get updates.

Well, goodbye little girls. Fill your Mom & Dad's lives with unimagineable joy. Go easy on them and keep up the good feedings and the good sleeping! It was truly an honor to carry you for 8.5 months and to bring you into the world nice and healthy. You dont even know yet how lucky you are to have 2 wonderful and caring parents like M&B. They have planned for you, waited for you, and have loved you before you ever even existed. You can never have too much love in your lives, so also know that you have people in Minnesota who love you as well.

Ah the twin diet

2009-04-02T09:08:00.002-05:00

20 pounds down, 20 to go. And then another 15 to get me back to my real starting weight...the weight I was before I started my mock cycle last March. I'm not too worried about it yet...I'm only a week postpartum!

The girls are still in the nursery, but they did pass their carseat tests yesterday! Hopefully they will both master eating their bottles without taking a snooze in the middle of it so they can get out of the nursery. And honestly, dont most newborns fall asleep while eating? I know mine always did. But I suppose the nurses know whats best. I cant even imagine how ready M&B are to go home!

I had to stop pumping a couple days ago. Pumps arent 'natural' so it really tore me up and caused some pretty yucky issues, so as much as I hated to stop, I really had to. I was super painfully engorged the last couple days but today seems to be better. The swelling has gone down and they arent as big or as hard as they were. I did the best I could though!

Today will be 45 and sunny so I am actually going to leave the house for once! We're going a little stir crazy here and this weather is nuts. We had snow yesterday and today will be relatively warm and sunny. So I plan to take advantage of it and get these boys out for some fresh air.

Ready for the weekend!

Quick update

2009-03-28T23:53:00.003-05:00

Well there's not too much going on over here. I'm doing good, just healing and sleeping...all that good stuff! Several people have asked me how I'm doing emotionally, and honestly I am doing just fine. It is a little weird now that we had this buildup to this huge moment, and now everything is calm and quiet. The last year was all about bringing a baby or two into this world for M&B and that mission was accomplished. So its just kind of strange that its all over!

I have been pumping breastmilk for the girls. Since they were born a little bit early, I know that breastmilk is very beneficial for them and I am determined to make it work! The last few days I was doing pretty well with the colostrum and then last night my milk came in. I woke up this morning in PAIN. I pumped this morning and got a decent amount, then tried again in the early afternoon and hardly got anything. I wasnt very happy with that, especially considering that M&B brought me some more containers for the milk and told me that the girls were gulping it down. So I was determined to keep this going for as long as the girls are here. I found my old Medela pump (I had been using the Medela Symphony that I rented from the hospital) and tried that and WOW it worked so much better than the double pump from the hospital! So I have gotten plenty of milk for them today. I am so glad we're back on track with the milk.

The girls are doing very well. They are eating well and will possibly get to have their IV's taken out within a couple days. They will have to pass the carseat test before they can leave though. But thats just to make sure they can fit properly and safely into a carseat. Very important! There's no real timeline of when they can leave though, so everyone's just taking it one day at a time.

I havent been up there to see them since the morning I left the hospital (Thursday). I've been trying to make sure I keep my distance, just because I've obviously never done this before and dont want to freak M&B out if I appear too eager to go see them. I'm pretty sure they know they dont have to worry about me though. I do miss those wiggly little girls, but its just like any other pregnancy where you birth a child and miss feeling him/her kick and squirm in your belly. M&B have been wonderful...with all the updates and the pictures and inviting me up to see the girls before I left the hospital. I think we might go up there tomorrow afternoon sometime so I can return the rental pump, drop off some milk for the girls, and of course visit with all of them. I'll have to check with them tomorrow and see if that would be ok. All 4 of us would be going and I dont even know if they'd allow Ian & Quinn into the special care nursery. We'll see!

I want to take a second to thank each and every one of you who has followed this journey, commented on my blog, and just overall supported all of us throughout the past year. I have never felt so much love from so many people all over the world. It is a truly amazing feeling to know that so many people are praying for you & thinking of you. My friends have been angels to me and my church has been amazing as well. They're even having people bring us meals for a few days! And Chris, my darling husband, has been awesome from day 1. I know he will be happy to no longer be on grocery/dinner/cleaning duty though! I am actually looking forward to getting back to normal and doing the things around here I used to do. And then my Mom, who has texted me every single day to check on me and make sure I was doing ok. Yes mom, I'm fine, I promise! :)

Well, time for sleep. I love sleep. :)

Introducing...

2009-03-26T16:56:00.006-05:00

Miss Presley (being burped by her proud daddy!):

And back in her isolette:

Miss Lyla (being fed by her proud mommy!):

And making a face:

Backtracking a bit, here I am before the contractions got painful!

And here I am in the OR, about to push:

I have tons more pictures, but these are the only ones I am going to share. The rest I think should remain private between my family and M&B's. :)

They're here!

2009-03-25T13:31:00.002-05:00

So much for my poll! LOL! And if you voted after already knowing I was in labor then you cheated! ;)

My water broke around 5pm last night, while sitting on the toilet of all places! M&B picked me up while Chris took our boys to the sitter, and we got to the hospital around 6:30. They hooked me up and my contrax werent very strong or close enough together, so they gave me some pitocin to get it going. It started to hurt around 9:30 and I was dilated to 5-6cm. Got my epi and was feeling great by 10:30. The doctor checked me around 12:30am and said I was complete!

They moved me to the OR just in case I needed a c-section. The doctor got me all set up and had me push...little Presley Skye came out in one push at 12:47am. She then was able to turn Baby B from breech to vertex, which wasnt very pleasant feeling. Lyla Brooke was born after 3 pushes at 12:54am. Both girls came out screaming! They both weighed 4lbs 15 oz...Presley is 17.5" and Lyla is 18.5". Their Apgars were 9,9 and 8,9. The nurse was in disbelief that they were so incredibly healthy for being preemies. She said she would have given them perfect 10s but she never even gives 10s to full term babies.

So despite being born at 34w4d, they will likely be released from the special care nursery as soon as its determined that they can eat and their sucking reflex is working properly. No NICU time at all! I just pumped some colostrum and sent it upstairs for the girls and I will continue to pump as long as M&B want me to.

The doctor told us that this was the easiest twin birth she had ever been a part of! It just went so well and so quickly. It really was perfect! The nurses teared up a bit when they saw M&B's faces when they saw their daughters for the first time.

Oh, and what was really cool was that even though we were in the OR, they let all 3 of 'my people' stay in the room. So Chris was there playing photographer, and M&B got to be right there were the action was. It was truly an amazing experience.

They invited me up to see the girls this morning when they went in there and they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL. No wrinkly, swollen newborn look at all. Beautiful round heads full of dark hair, precious dainty features, the sweetest little lips.

If I am able to, I will post pictures later. Its totally up to M&B and their comfort level. I could possibly even post the pics and then take them down after a couple days or so.

This was the most awesome thing I have ever done. M&B are the greatest and have truly made this the perfect journey I had hoped for. I dont get very emotional, so I didn't cry during the birth or anything, but my heart was just so filled with love for these girls and pride in myself and my body for doing such a good job. I set out to help create a family and all I ever wanted was to carry a big strong healthy baby for someone...and I lucked out and got to carry two of them.

So this journey has come to an end, but in other ways it is just beginning. :)

New Poll

2009-03-24T14:21:00.003-05:00

So I was talking with M via email and we thought it would be fun to put up a poll about when I will go into labor. So over there to the right is a poll for you to vote on if you are interested.

Here are the facts:

At 31 weeks I was admitted to the hospital because I was 2cm dilated and contracting 5-6 times per hour.
I am on a medication called Nifedipine which relaxes the 'smooth muscle' of the uterus. If I am even an hour late taking one, I start having more contractions. I was told I can stop taking it at 36 weeks which is next Friday.
I still contract a couple times per hour while taking the medication. When labor wants to start, this pill wont keep it from happening if its really time!
I am on modified bedrest, which is really just limited activity. I am allowed to run into the store if I need to grab something or go out to eat, or go to church. Just as long as I am not doing anything strenuous or that has me on my feet for any extended amount of time (no cleaning or cooking, etc).
I was induced with both of my own children...Ian at 39w2 days and Quinn at 40w1d. I wasn't more than 1cm dilated with either of them when their inductions were started.
I might have lost some mucus plug last week. Havent seen anything like it since, and I'm not sure thats what it was. Who knows!

So there are the facts! At the start of this week I was really feeling like it would happen this week. A lot of people think it will. I'm not sure anymore because I actually feel ok despite being very tired. But we all know labor starts whenever it wants to, and is very unpredictable!!

34 weeks!

2009-03-19T16:47:00.005-05:00

I wont technically be 34 weeks until tomorrow but since I had an appointment today I decided to go ahead and do the 34 weeks update along with my appointment update.

So, yeah! 34 weeks! The doctor said that at this point if I go into labor, they wont try to stop it and the girls will be fine, just may possibly need a little time in the hospital to fatten up and get their blood sugar stabilized. It's exciting, and kind of scary, to be in this "could go at any time" phase! Ideally we all want to make it to 36 weeks. At that point the girls will more than likely be able to go right home after a couple days.

Both girls passed their biophysical profiles with perfect scores today. They both did all their body movements pretty quickly, and then finally did their breathing movements. At the beginning they both had hiccups at the same time too! It was fun to watch them on the screen. I felt bad for them though...the hiccups lasted for a bit! The u/s tech didn't measure them this week so I have no idea what their estimated weights are. She said its better to do them every other week but up to this point I have had them every week anyways. Ah well. I imagine they are at least 5 pounds each now, considering they were over 4.5 pounds last week. I know its all an estimation and we wont know for sure until they are born though!

I might have lost some of my mucus plug (yuck, sorry) earlier this week. I asked the doctor if that would mean I have dilated further and she said yes. But she also said at this point it doesn't matter so she didn't check my cervix. So I could be sitting at 3cm right now! I think 4cm is considered labor...but I dont know for a fact. I remember when I was induced with my boys, both times they broke my water once I got to 4cm. So we'll see! I am really quite nervous about my water breaking. I've never had it happen spontaneously before. I wonder if it will happen when I get up to pee, or if it will happen in the shower, on the toilet, at church!!??

Which reminds me...I've got to get my bag packed!! Its hard because most of what I'd pack is stuff I use every day. But I need to at least get it started. I think I might buy some new jammies to wear in the hospital. Most of my jammies are from Old Navy several years ago....so its time for some new ones!

My next appointment is next Friday, the 27th at 9:45am. And yet again, I will not get to see my doctor. I will be seeing a totally different doctor than even the one I've seen the last 2 weeks. That frustrates me. I have to have this appointment every week, but they can barely accomodate me! What happens if I need to set up one more after this one, and they have nothing available Wed, Thur, or Fri? I guess I'd have the one on Fri, and then come back on Mon or Tues, which seems like a total waste. I think maybe I'm overthinking this and should just not worry about it...LOL.

My BP was 120/60, gained one more pound (total weight gain = 36 pounds), and urine was clear of ketones and protein. Still no swelling, too. So all in all, a very good appointment!!

Here is the 34 week development update for the girls (and do remember that twins develop faster than singletons, so the girls are usually further ahead than these updates say):

Baby acts completely like a newborn, with her eyes opened when awake and closed when sleeping. You may also find her settling into more of a routine for sleeping & awake times.
She has learned to blink. She can also see more clearly when there is a bright light on your stomach and probably has the outline of all your organs memorized!
Antibodies from your blood are being transferred to her. These immunities continue to build until birth. Then breast milk will add even more protection against disease.
Baby may have already turned to a head-down position in preparation for birth. If she is your first baby, she may be settling into the pelvis with her head pressing against your cervix.
Fingernails have reached the end of the fingertips now. She may scratch her face even before she is born!
Your little one's length is 17.7 inches (45cm) and weight is 4.7 pounds (2146 g).

And here is my belly, which never ceases to amaze me with its ability to get bigger and bigger, week after week! LOL. It appears to be a bit lower as well, as now I have a little bit hanging down over my pants in the front, which I didn't have last week. PS - say hi to Quinn, peeking in on the side!

Contraction log

2009-03-17T20:51:00.004-05:00

Just for the fun of it, I kept track of my contractions for 8 hours. They certainly pick up in the afternoon/evening.

9:51
10:01
10:10
12:57
1:07
2:57
3:14
3:26
4:02
4:14
4:22
4:51
5:07
5:50

Funny coincidence?

2009-03-17T13:25:00.003-05:00

The little animated babies over on the right side of my blog are spinning like crazy in their little bubble. And thats exactly what it feels like is happening in my uterus. LOL

Sometimes they move and wiggle SO much, and then other times I have to poke them to get them to budge. I wish they'd go nuts with movement when M&B are around. So far they have gotten to feel Baby B's head up at the top of my belly and feel her having hiccups. As I write this, Baby A actually has the hiccups. I cant feel hers as well as I can feel Baby B's since Baby A is down so low.

I have been eating a lot more lately. I think I will have another gain this week. Then again, I'm sure the boxes of Girl Scout cookies on top of the fridge arent helping anything. ;)

Also, I need a pedicure, desperately. My feet are all dry and my heels are cracked. My toenails are long and unpainted, since I cant reach them. I asked Chris to do it, but he quickly declined. I have a spa giftcard from some friends and I think I will try to get a pedi before I go into labor if my doctor says its ok. At least I will be sitting in a chair the whole time while they do my feet. They look so ugly right now. But at least they arent swollen! I'm glad its not flip-flop weather yet!

Daily pill count

2009-03-16T11:01:00.002-05:00

I just thought this was amusing. This is the number of pills I take in a usual 24 hour period.

5 Metamucil caplets
4 Nifedipine caplets
2 Colace softgels
1 prenatal vitamin
1 Unisom (not every day)
1 SlowFe iron tablet

Another belly shot

2009-03-15T15:48:00.004-05:00

On a messageboard I post on they have weekly photography challenges. They're just meant to be fun, nothing competitive or serious. This past week's was 'self portrait' and you could interpret it any way you want. Well I decided that I would do a nice frontal belly shot with my good camera. So here it is. It has been resized, softened, and had about 1/4 inch cropped off the top so my bra wouldn't show, but other than that it is unedited.

I took it today (33w2d) with my Nikon D40. Here are the specs of the shot:

50mm lens
Exposure: 1/100
f/1.8
ISO 1600

33 weeks!

2009-03-14T09:56:00.005-05:00

Boy a few weeks ago I wasn't sure if I was going to make it this far! And here we are!

I had my weekly appointment yesterday and had a couple special people there with me! Yep, M&B! The first portion was of course the ultrasound. M&B really enjoyed seeing their girls on the screen again, although it was difficult to tell what was what. Last time they got to see the ultrasound, the girls were small (20 weeks) so it was easier to know what you were looking at. Baby A got a 6/8 on her biophysical profile and Baby B got a 8/8. The only thing we didnt see with Baby A was the practice breathing movements. Last week both girls did everything they were supposed to in a very short amount of time, but this time it took the whole 30 minutes per baby to get the breathing movements. Baby B waited until the very end to do hers, but Baby A wasn't playing along. The tech said that was the most common one to not see (the breathing movements) on the ultrasound though.

Baby A was measuring 4lb 7oz I think (I was distracted and dont remember the exact weight), and Baby B was all the way up to 4lbs 14oz. I just dont understand that, considering Baby B was 3lbs 12oz last week. But its all just a measurement estimate anyways. It just seems to be inaccurate compared to the previous measurements. So we'll see! M&B got a few ultrasound pictures, including a couple 3D facial shots of Baby A. Baby B was still turned in towards my back so we couldn't get any good shots of her. I think the one they got of her (regular black & white picture) was of her spine.

Then I had the NST. I had to go in there alone because its done in this room about the size of a closet. Well they hooked up Baby A and the Toco (contraction monitor) and I think they forgot about me. I was in there for a LONG time. I read a whole magazine! I started to get cranky! I texted M, who was out in the waiting room, to let her know that I was still stuck in the chair hooked up to Baby A. Not too much later, they came in and switched it over to Baby B. Both babies did great on those, and I was actually having a few contractions. I never really felt them....maybe one or two of them. But they werent enough to concern anyone.

Then the nurse checked my BP and it was 110/70. My weight went up by 2 pounds, and my urine analysis came back clean...no protein or ketones.

When it was time to see the doctor (not my usual doctor) I had M&B come back with me so they could talk with her. I know M was pretty nervous about Baby A not getting the 2 points for her practice breathing movements. The doctor said it wasnt that big of a deal yet and we'll recheck at my appointment next week. She also said my results for the GBS (Group B Strep) test came back positive. I wasnt very happy about that! I never had GBS with either of my boys so I dont know how the heck I have it now! Its a common bacteria found on the skin, the vagina, and anus (which they swabbed all of when I was in the hospital a couple weeks ago...ugh) and some people are just carriers of it without ever being sick or anything. I couldn't find anything definitive last night on the internet about how someone can go from not having it, to having it. But its fairly common and they will put some antibiotics in my IV when I'm in labor and that will keep the babies from possibly picking it up as they pass through the birth canal. But still, I'm pretty ticked that all the sudden I have GBS.

It was really cute when M&B were calling the girls by all the different names they had picked out, trying to see which names the girls responded to. I think they are getting closer to nailing down the names for sure, but only time will tell. And it looks like they will have plenty of time to decide! And no, I wont be telling you their names....thats up to Mom & Dad. ;)

Here's the girls' 33 week development:

Amniotic fluid is at its highest level during your pregnancy.
Baby's head size has increased 3/8ths of an inch due to rapid brain growth.
Neurons and synapses are developing in huge numbers -- forming connections in baby's brain will give her the skills she needs to thrive as a newborn. This week, she may be able to coordinate sucking and swallowing with breathing.
While most of her bones are hardening, her skull is quite pliable and not completely joined.
The bones will be able to move slightly to make birthing easier.
Baby takes intermittent deep breaths -- of water! That's okay, though since she gets oxygen from the placenta. This breathing exercises muscles and encourages her lung cells to produce more surfactant (a protein essential for healthy lung development).
Your infant is now 17.2 inches (43.7cm) long and weighs 4.23 pounds (1918gm).

And here is my 33 week belly. I took it late in the day so I look a bit tired. M&B made us dinner last night (chicken enchiladas) and they were fantastic! So we got to spend quite a bit of time with them, which was really nice. We will hopefully see them again on Sunday. It's just such a relief that they are here and we have our 'middle of the night' labor plan and our daytime labor plan. Now we can all just relax and wait for the show to begin! :) (but hopefully not for a few more weeks!)

Yay!

2009-03-11T22:39:00.003-05:00

M&B have made it to Minneapolis! So now I can relax a little and stop worrying that they wont make it in time for the birth! I just need to make it at least 2 more weeks.

My appointment is Friday at 1:30 so I will update again later that day, possibly. We will be hanging with M&B that day so I may not get the chance until Saturday. :)

32 weeks!

2009-03-06T16:56:00.003-06:00

32 weeks and doing great!

I had my appointment a bit ago and everything went perfectly! Baby A is still head down and weighs 4lbs 3oz, and Baby B is breech and weighs 3lbs 14oz. They both got 10 out of 10 on their Biophysical profile and NST. They did so well that the tests went pretty quickly. I had a different ultrasound tech this time and she explained everything we were looking at and she even flipped to 3D to try to get a couple pictures. Unfortunately Baby A had umbilical cord in her face and Baby B is turned facing into Baby A, so she was unsuccessful. I hope I get her for my next ultrasound next week...she said she would try again to get some 3D pictures since M&B will be there with me! While I was on the monitor for the NST, I didnt have a single contraction. I have had very few this week, so when my doctor saw the monitor and heard that I havent had many, she said she would stay out of my cervix today! So I didnt have a cervix check and it seems I didnt have a reason to anyways. Everything is going wonderfully. I am still on limited activity, but she said I can do a bit more as long as I'm not contracting. Yippee!

No weight gain recently. I am still sitting at 31 pounds gained, which is very good. I have very little to no swelling, and my BP was 110/60 which is nice and normal for me. All in all, a GREAT visit! I go back next Friday at 1:30. I wont see my doctor though, I will see the one who saw me in the hospital. I like her too though.

Oh and I should mention that I just LOVE my doctor. She said even if Baby B stays breech, I can still have a vaginal delivery if Baby A is head down. She said she is pretty "old school" and has no problem attempting to deliver Baby B breech if all conditions are favorable. She said the thing to worry about is if Baby B tries to come down shoulder first, in which case I would end up with a c-section anyways, which is the worst scenario - a vaginal AND a c-section is quite an undertaking! But she said that doesnt happen very often, and they could try and turn Baby B around too. So it looks like I'm going to get my vaginal delivery! :)

Well here is the 32 week update for the girls!

Baby is up to 3.75 pounds now and is 16.7 inches (42.4cm) long.
You might notice she's not moving around as much now. Don't worry! She is fine -- just running short on room. She still has plenty of growing to do though, believe it or not!
All five senses are working. Your little one is fascinated and practicing testing these out as much as possible!
Toenails are completely formed even though she may not be quite ready for a French manicure.
Hair on your infant's head continues to grow in.
Brain scans have shown that babies have periods of dream sleep (REM) starting around the eight month.

And my fabulous belly!

Another growth spurt?

2009-03-03T12:54:00.003-06:00

I think we've got another growth spurt going on here...my groin is killing me! In a couple days it will be better, but goodness this is uncomfortable. I cant even fathom how my belly will get any bigger. It seems like its so huge already! When I sit down to use the restroom, I have to lean all the way back against the tank...LOL.

I think I read somewhere that once you start measuring 41+ weeks (which I am!) you start expanding to the sides moreso than out front. Either way, the human body is a wonderous thing with its ability to stretch way beyond its normal size! I mean, have you even seen the pictures of the Octomom when she was pregnant? Whenever I feel stretched to the limit and sore, I just think of how SHE must have felt being 30 weeks pregnant with 8 babies.

I am still doing great. I'm taking the Nifedipine around the clock, which makes me nervous because its primarily for chest pains, and it seems to be keeping the contractions away. Either that, or just the fact that I am relaxing more. I am looking forward to my appointment on Friday. I love the ultrasound part! The NST is kind of a pain just because Baby B likes to turn away from the monitor and the nurse has to keep coming back in to reposition it on my belly, and then we have to track movements and heartrate for a certain amount of time. Baby A stays in the same position but I think its just because she is head down and has nowhere else to go! And then there's the good old cervix check....hopefully there has been no more progress! I would be VERY surprised if there has been, considering I sit on my butt all day. I think we'll be just fine though.

Our PBO stuff is almost done. Chris and I had our copy signed and notarized, and the attorney's office will be picking it up tomorrow morning. It feels good to have this done so that once the babies are born, M&B's names will go straight on the birth certificate and all the other good stuff that goes along with it. Its another thing to check off the list!

Well I will update again on Friday after my appointment. I've stopped hoping for ultrasound pictures but if they surprise me with some, I will happily post them! :)

31 week belly picture!

2009-03-01T16:11:00.002-06:00

Well I took a belly pic today since I dont ever want to skip a week! So here I am in my 31 week twin belly glory! :)

I have a few more stretchmarks this week, but nothing too bad. At least they arent that obvious from the picture! ;)

FFN was negative!

2009-02-27T13:27:00.003-06:00

I'm going home today! Chris' plane has arrived back into Minneapolis and he will be up here in a little while to get me once he picks the kids up from Beth's house.

I am so relieved, as I'm sure M&B are as well. :)

I will be on bedrest at home, but not strict bedrest thankfully so I can still take care of the kids without having to bring someone in. They are also sending me home with a prescription for Nifedipine. I have to take it once every 6 hours, around the clock. It should keep my uterus quiet and not contracting much.

So this is fantastic! I cant wait to go home, but I really cant wait to see Chris & my boys. :)

31 weeks!

2009-02-27T10:45:00.004-06:00

Well this entry is coming to you live from the hospital! Dont worry, everything is fine.

This story starts at 5am on Wednesday morning. We got up and took Chris to the airport. He had to go to Florida on business for a couple days. So we dropped him off, then came back home for a bit until registration was open at the school Ian will be going to in the fall. I took the boys and registered Ian for kindergarten, then we came home and had some lunch. Then I had to take them to my friend Beth's house because she was going to watch them while I was at the doctor since Chris was out of town.

So then I went in for my first biophysical profile appointment at 1:15. It started with an ultrasound where the tech was looking for each baby to have certain kinds of movements within an allotted amount of time. She was looking for big body movements as well as small motor movements such as hands opening & closing. Both babies passed and got the maximum 8 out of 8 points. Baby A weighed 3 lbs 9 oz and Baby B weighed 3 lbs 7 oz. So nice and big! The doctor was impressed at their sizes and said whatever I've been eating/drinking, to keep it up!

Next was the NST (non-stress test). They hooked up a monitor on my belly for Baby A. I had to squeeze a trigger whenever I felt her move and the monitor tracked her heartrate in conjunction with my clicks. She did great and got her 2 out of 2 points for that. Baby B kept moving away from the monitor when it was her turn, but she did great as well and got 2 out of 2. So both babies got the maximum 10 points!

Lastly, my doctor did a cervix check. This is where it gets crazy and from this point on my day was like a blur. 3 weeks ago I had a cervix check and was totally closed and firm, all that good stuff. Well Wednesday I was 2cm dialated and soft. Lots of women can walk around for weeks at 2cm dialated, but my doctor seemed to be concerned the most that I had no idea this was occurring. I couldnt think of any one particular time within the past 3 weeks where I had any more discomfort or pain than usual. I've actually felt great, so this was a huge shock to me. She didnt want to jump the gun and send me to the hospital unnecessarily, so she conferred with another doctor at the clinic and she agreed that I should come in for a steroid shot for the babies in case they are born early, and some monitoring for my contractions (I had been having up to 4-5 an hour in the evenings for weeks now but they never hurt), and then the FFN (fetal fibronectin) test to see if we were looking at labor within the week or not.

She wanted me to check in right after dinner that night. So I start to freak out a bit. Chris is out of town and where were my kids going to go for a couple days? I dont know that many people in MN yet since we haven't lived here very long. Luckily my friend Beth said she would keep them for the couple of days, so I knew they would be in good hands. So we went home and I ordered us a pizza, then we got their bag packed and my bag packed and I took them back to Beth's. Her husband drove me to the hospital since it was downtown and I had never driven there before. That was definitely a load off my mind!

I got checked in and the first thing they did was give me a betamethasone shot, which is a steroid for the babies' lungs. It matures them more quickly so if they are born early, they can breathe air much easier. The nurse said that while in the womb, babies lungs are full of surfactant which makes them kind of sticky and they stick together which would make it more difficult for them to breathe once they were out in the air. Another surrogate I know who is a nurse said she has seen first hand that the shot is incredible for any baby born early. So that made me happy. I think the whole stressful situation had me contracting quite a bit that night. I had 6 within an hour, and the another 6 within the next 30 minutes. So they gave me a shot of terbuterline which was basically like a big ol shot of muscle relaxer just for the uterus. The contractions stopped immediately, although while I slept they came back to about 4-5 an hour overnight which everyone was fine with. I slept decently that night, which was actually better than I had been sleeping at home. I was so tired after being up since 5am that day, and then the excitement of the day, so I slept well and only woke up to pee once.

Yesterday was pretty quiet. I was down to 2-4 contractions an hour...and keep in mind that none of these have ever hurt. They have all been just a tightening of my stomach and nothing more. So even when they were more frequent, I felt fine. I also have no other signs of pre-term labor. No bleeding, cramping, back pain, discharge, pelvic pressure, rectal pressure...nothing. So they moved me to the long term bedrest part of the hospital since things were looking fine. I have a bigger room with a shower, a LCD TV, DVD player, microwave, table fan, and the bed is comfy. Also included in the rate of the room is Integrative Care, which are things like massages, aromatherapy, accupuncture, accupressure, reflexology, etc...based on what you need. They thought I could use an aromatherapy massage to bring my stress levels down and relax me. So I had a lovely massage with lavendar oil and relaxing music, and then she left me with a little envelope with a tissue in it that has the lavendar oil on it, for a refresher whenever I need it. She recommended that someone come in the next day to give me another one. I can live with that! I was only hooked up to monitors twice yesterday...no contractions at all each time, and both girls still doing great. I received another betamethasone shot last night..and let me tell you..that shot HURTS! Big needle, lots of meds, and it stings going in. Not fun! But totally worth it, of course!

Last night was wonderful. I turned the fan on and had it blowing on me (I get hot VERY easily) and turned the TV to the relaxation channel which has relaxing music and scenery. This was around 11pm or so. And I was knocked right out. I slept until 5am and got up to pee, then went back to sleep until 8am. I really needed this good sleep! I had my breakfast, then they hooked me up to the monitors again...no contractions, babies doing great, and then I got to take a shower! Chris will arrive back into MSP around 1pm and he will bring the boys up here to see me. So I am glad to be all showered and have makeup on. At some point they still need to give me the FFN so we can see what the next step is. If its negative I can go home and do bedrest or modified rest there because it means 99% chance of no labor within the next week. If its positive they will keep me here for bedrest because it indicates 30-50% of delivery within the week...which we dont want! I am pretty sure it will be negative...I mean despite the dialation I dont have anything else going on with my body. No contractions, no pressure, nothing. So we will see.

Now, M&B have been awesome through this. I dont know how they have stayed so calm...I think if the situation was reversed I wouldnt be as calm! I think it definitely helps that I am NOT actually in labor though! LOL. If the FFN comes back negative, they will come out here next Sunday...so still moving up their original plans by a couple weeks. If it comes back positive they will come immediately. I am so thankful that their jobs are so flexible and they can work from here if they end up being here an extended amount of time. Right now the first goal is to keep the girls in until 34 weeks and my ultimate goal is at least 36 weeks! I have a friend who was a surrogate and carried twins, and she was in the hospital at 29 weeks with possible pre-term labor issues, but ended up needing to be induced at 37 weeks anyways! So its definitely possible the same will happen here. I just do NOT want them born pre-term at all. I've read that 35-36 weeks is full term for twins, since they mature more quickly in the womb that singletons, so thats what I really want to get them to. And this is mainly of course for their health, but also because nobody wants to be labelled with having a pre-term birth. In the surrogacy world you are labelled as damaged goods basically, and I want to have the option of doing this again in the future. Of course I am nowhere near ready to think about doing this again yet! But I want to have the option just in case. I've had such a great experience so far with M&B and their babies, and the whole pregnancy so far (besides this little speedbump!), so I would be afraid that it wouldnt go so nicely next time! So we'll see.

Well here is the 31 week developmental update for the girls:

The rate of physical growth slows down just a bit, but even though she doesn't get much longer, she will gain a lot of weight the rest of the pregnancy.
Fat continues accumulating. This layer of fat turns her skin from red to the rosy pink she will have as a newborn.
Calcium, phosphorus and iron are being stored and her bones are growing and hardening.
Baby is 16.2 inches (41.1cm) long and weighs 3.3 pounds (1502gm)
Her brain enters another period of rapid growth, producing hundreds of billions of new nerve cells! Amazing!
She may move to the rhythm of music. Studies with heart rates show that she also prefers some types of music to others -- already!
Lungs are the only major organ left to complete development. Remember, that while you may be anxious to meet your little one that these last few weeks can be vital - with each day increasing your baby's ability to breathe on her own.

Obviously I dont have a belly pic today since I didnt bring my camera with me to the hospital! I do have my cell phone but the picture wouldnt be very good. So I will do that later.

They just came in and gave me the FFN test so I should know within an hour whether or not I get to go home, and whether or not M&B will need to get here ASAP. The doctor is pretty confident that it will be negative at this point, so thats wonderful news.

I will update once I know anything else. But so far so good!

30 weeks!

2009-02-20T09:44:00.005-06:00

Week 30 is upon us! I am officially in the home stretch! It has gone by so quickly, but I know that just like any other pregnancy, pretty soon it will start to slow down as I get bigger and more uncomfortable. I cant even imagine how excited M&B are getting!!

I had an appointment yesterday but it was boring and uneventful. I didn't even get to see my own doctor because she was out doing some kind of emergency surgery. So luckily they were able to squeeze me in with another doctor. They just did all the basic stuff...urine check, weight, blood pressure, fundal height (uterus measurement), and checked the babies' heartbeats. I start going every week now, and my next appointment is Wednesday which is right around the corner already. Each appointment (biophysical profile) will be approximately 90 minutes. I will start with an ultrasound, then a non-stress test, and then see the doctor which I assume will include cervix checks. I thought I was supposed to have a cervix check yesterday but the doctor said that the number of contractions I've been having aren't worrisome and not enough to change my cervix. I suppose we'll see for sure next week. I'm just glad I'll get to actually see my own doctor! I haven't gotten to see her in a long time. The doctor yesterday also gave me some Metamucil samples (pills, powder, and wafers) to try and see which form I like better. The iron pills they have me taking have caused some major constipation (ew, I know) and the Colace and tons of water aren't helping. Sooooo, hopefully I will have some relief soon!

Well, enough about me. Here's the 30 week update:

Baby is nearly 3 pounds now (but I'm sure the girls are bigger than that!)
Her head is getting larger to accommodate a period of rapid brain growth. Don't forget to continue to "teach" baby in the womb by exposing to music, literature, and simply talking to her.
A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her. As she grows and fills your uterus, the amount of amniotic fluid will decrease. Funny, you certainly won't feel any lighter!
She spends more and more time practicing opening and closing eyelids. Her eyes can move from side to side, following a light source. She may even reach out to touch the light.
Early lanugo is beginning to disappear that served to protect your baby's skin from the water in the womb. Your little one's own hair may begin to appear.
Toenails are entering their final growth stage.
Bone marrow is now in charge of red blood cell production. These red blood cells will continue to service your child's body by transporting oxygen and removing the wastes (carbon monoxide and other gases).
Baby has the capability now to produce tears -- yes, within the womb.
By the end of this week, baby is now 15.7 inches (39.9cm) long and weighs 2.91 pounds (1319gm).

And here are my belly pics. I actually took them yesterday since I actually had clothes and makeup on! :)

29 weeks!

2009-02-13T12:29:00.005-06:00

Well, I must be the most boring surrogate alive. I have nothing new to report. I'm sleeping better, I feel great, and I've almost outgrown the maternity shirts I bought a while back. Luckily the pants still have plenty of room...that means I'm growing only where I need to now and not in my thighs anymore! (maybe....haha)

Here's the 29 weeks update:

Baby's head is in proportion with her body now. She appears more like a newborn each and every day!
Fat continues to accumulate under the skin -- only now preparing for entering the *real world*.
Your baby's brain can control primitive breathing and body temperatures.
Her eyes can move in their sockets. Soon she will be able to follow a blinking light.
Baby is increasingly sensitive to changes in light, sound, taste, and smell! Various studies show that baby may indicate preferences (or disdain) for particular tastes or odors at this stage
She is also moving from side to side, but probably still is head up. In the next few weeks, she will move to the head down birthing position. At times you may feel as if she is performing somersaults for a circus act!
Her length is now approximately 15.2 inches (38.6cm) and weight is 2.54 pounds (1153gm)

And here is my weekly belly shot! Maybe I will do another one with my face in it at some point. I dont wear makeup unless I am going somewhere, and I refuse to put a picture of myself without makeup on the internet!

Next appointment is Thursday, February 19th at 3pm!

28 weeks!

2009-02-06T11:49:00.005-06:00

I am now 7 months pregnant and in the 3rd trimester! I've been carrying and nurturing these little girls since August 13th. It seems like it is going so fast!

I am very sad that I have to miss the surrogate support group meeting this time around. It's tomorrow in Chicago. This meeting is going to be huge! There will be 5 or 6 birth stories, and then all the other ladies who are pregnant or about to transfer, and the new girls as well. I dont get to go to another meeting until the girls are born, and then I will be giving my birth story. I miss everyone. The last 2 meetings I've gotten to go to were here in MN and had hardly anyone there. These meetings are so important and are really helpful for all the surrogates no matter which phase they are in. I cant wait to hear all about it. :)

Not much of any update from me today, since I updated on Wednesday about my appointment and everything. So I will jump into the good stuff: the girls' development.

Eyebrows and eyelashes are now very noticeable!
Hair on baby's head is growing longer. Some babies are born with almost none at all, while others appear to be ready for their first haircut!
Eyes are completely formed now. Quite a view from inside!
Your baby's body is getting plump and rounded. Most of that increase is muscle tissue and bone. Fat will be added during the third trimester.
Muscle tone is improving. Preparation for the Olympics feels like it is taking place in your womb!
Lungs are capable of breathing now (but baby would still struggle and require medical attention if born now)
Talk to baby often, reading stories, singing songs and more. She can recognize your voice now and will often calm to it later on!
Your baby weighs in now at 2.2 pounds (1005gm) and is 14.8 inches (37.6cm).

Well it looks like the girls are already ahead of the curve on weight! So now they'll just continue to put on weight and grow a few more inches.

Here's my belly today:

Appointment today

2009-02-04T12:34:00.004-06:00

Well I had a great appointment today! I passed my Glucose Tolerance Test with flying colors. My number was nowhere near the threshold of Gestational Diabetes! And the Glucola wasn't as bad as I had remembered. The worst part was trying to drink the whole bottle within 5 minutes.

Both girls are head down! I'm doing a major happy dance over this. I know there's a chance that they could flip around between now and their birth, but having a normal vaginal delivery means a lot to me and knowing that as of right now its a possibility has me feeling relieved!

Miss A is weighing in at 2.7 pounds and Miss B is weighing in slightly smaller at 2.6 pounds. They are about 15 inches long too. I am measuring 34 weeks, if I were carrying a singleton. So I was previously measuring 8 weeks ahead and now its only 6, which is fine.

BP was great, urine was a little concentrated so they want me drinking MORE water (I drink water all day long, and everytime I wake up at night already!), and I am slightly anemic. So they want me taking Iron pills, but to do that they want me taking Colace regularly to counteract the constipation caused by the iron pills. Isn't being pregnant fun? hehe. My hemoglobin was 10.5 and needs to be 12-13 for Iron.

I'm sleeping a little better, but now I also have VERY itchy skin (mainly on my feet) which keeps me awake at night. I got some suggestions from some friends and last night I covered my feet with Sarna Anti-itch lotion and then put socks on. I slept very well last night. So it seems that I have found something that works and should help me sleep more easily without taking Unisom. I got some Vaseline Cocoa Butter Oil Gel for my stomach and other itchy parts. It smells really good, so I smell like a chocolate treat until you get to my feet, and then I smell like medicated lotion!

There has been no talk of scheduling a c-section nor an induction at this point. I was reading on some twin forums last night and it seems that its very possible and common to carry to 38 weeks with twins, although by that point you're begging the babies out! The uncertainty is the only part that's making me anxious at all but I know they'll come out when they're good and ready.

Well thats it for now. I will be 28 weeks on Friday, so I will have a new belly pic and some developmental updates. :)

The below picture has my cervix at the top, Baby A's head on the left and Baby B's head on the right. And I think that's Baby A's arm between them but I cant tell for sure since I cant tell where the membrane seperating the girls is.

Go Steelers!

2009-02-01T10:17:00.003-06:00

Well today is Superbowl Sunday and people have asked me who I'm rooting for. Of course I want the Steelers to win. I've got two little Pittsburgh babies in my belly!

Also, I agree that my belly looks smaller in my recent picture compared to the one before it. It's a combination of my posture, the lighting, and my clothing I think...because I've still got a big old belly! The girls will be growing a whole INCH this week alone, so I'm thinking my next picture or two will show some major growth. :)

Happy Sunday everyone!

27 weeks!

2009-01-30T14:42:00.006-06:00

Hello 27 weeks! We're almost into the 3rd trimester now....the final stretch!

I'd like to say things have been uneventful around here, but that wouldn't be accurate this week. Tuesday I guess I ate some spaghetti that had been sitting on the counter too long. I know I put it in the fridge Sunday afternoon, but when I went to eat it Tuesday it was already on the counter...I just figured that either I did it and forgot that I did, or that Quinn did since he likes to play in the fridge. The spaghetti still felt cool so I went ahead and heated it up and ate it. Wednesday night I started having horrible stomach cramps and nausea. My first thought was that I was going into premature labor, but the pain seemed to be towards the top of my belly only. I had no idea what was happening so I called the afterhours line at my doctor's office and they told me to go to the hospital's Maternal Assessment Center to make sure. I had to go to a hospital that was 45 minutes away in downtown Minneapolis because the hospital I am using isnt equipped to handle babies born before 32 weeks. I'm glad I know that now! But they wanted me to head downtown just in case. So I got there and they were able to determine fairly quickly that what I was feeling were not contractions. I was hooked up to the monitor and they found both girls' heartrates and they remained perfectly fine throughout the whole ordeal. The contraction monitor wasnt picking up much at first, but once I got up to use the restroom (diarrhea) and came back to my room and threw up in the trash can, I started to get dehydrated and I had some regular contractions. They weren't strong or anything (measuring as high as 26...nowhere near the 70-80 range as when I was in labor with the boys) but they were coming in regular intervals so they put me on an IV to hydrate me. They decided to go ahead and run the FFN test, which tests for a certain protein on your cervix that predicts pretty accurately if you will go into labor within the next 2 weeks. It came back negative, and my cervix was high, firm, and completely closed. All very good signs! So after I was on the IV for a couple hours, the little contractions slowed considerably and then I was discharged. I continued to throw up in a bucket in the car on the way home though. And all day Thursday I felt weak and tired and still couldnt really eat much. I basically drank water and Gatorade all day to make sure I had enough fluids. I slept really well last night...I think I only woke up once to use the restroom and refill my water cup. And today I feel pretty much 100% better. I've been able to eat and drink like normal.

The girls are doing fabulous. They didnt give me an ultrasound at the hospital so I dont know how they are laying but I will find that out at my appointment next week. I can tell that they both favor the right side of my belly, because sometimes it looks all distorted towards the right. I'm getting to the phase of "Guess that body part" so that will be fun!

My groin pain has subsided again. I think with each little growth spurt the girls & my belly have, it loosens up my pelvic ligaments and thats what causes the pain. Sometimes its excruciating to walk or even just to lift a foot to put on pants. But it comes and goes and it seems like it coincides with growth. So its just something I have to deal with I guess. Its not permanent, so no big deal!

Here's the girls' development for 27 weeks:

Your little one's brain continues its rapid growth. Don't forget to share music, conversation, and even books with baby!
Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. Baby's hearing continues to develop, he or she may start to recognize your voice as well as your partner's.
Lungs continue to grow and prepare for functioning outside of the womb. Each day in the womb greatly increases survival rates!
She also continues to take small breaths and although she's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when she's born.
Eyelids are now open more. Baby can distinguish between light and dark.
Retinas have formed.
Baby will grow over an inch this week alone! You may suspect this phenomenal growth rate repeats in the preteen years!
Average size is now 14.4 inches (36.6cm) and 1.9 pound (875gm).

And here is my belly picture from today. Next week I will hopefully have ultrasound pictures to post too. :)

26 weeks!

2009-01-23T10:49:00.006-06:00

Another week has gone by already! Not much to report...just looking forward to my next appointment on Feb 3rd! Well I am not looking forward to the glucose tolerance test, but I suppose I'll just have to deal with it!

M&B sent me a zip file full of music that they will be playing for the girls as they grow, along with some files of them reading some classic childrens' stories. I made a playlist with a story. then 3-4 songs, a story, 3-4 songs, etc. So yesterday I started putting headphones on my belly so the girls can hear this music and the voices and they will be more familiar with them once they are born. Yesterday right after I put the headphones on my belly and hit play on my laptop, the girls started kicking like crazy. It was B's voice reading a story to them. I think it probably startled them but I thought it was cute. As I type this right now, I've got the playlist going. This was actually M&B's idea and I thought it was an awesome one! I've included a picture of me sitting in the recliner with headphones on my belly down with my belly pics. :)

Well here's the 26 week developmental update:

Your baby may weigh about two pounds now (average is 1.7 pound, 760gm) and is 14 inches (35.6cm) in length
To support the fetus's growing body, the spine is getting stronger and more supple.
Though no longer than the span of the average adult hand, it is now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings, and some 1,000 ligaments.
Air sacs in the lungs form now.
Lungs begin to secrete a greasy substance called surfactant. Without surfactant the fetal lungs would stick together and couldn't expand after the baby is born.
Although they've been sealed shut for the last few months, your baby's eyes are opening and beginning to blink this week. Depending on ethnicity, some babies will be born with blue or gray-blue eyes (which may change color in the first 6 months of life) and some will be born with brown or dark eyes.
Retinas begin to form.
Brain wave activity for hearing and sight begins to be detectable.
Fetal brain scans show response to touch.
If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn her head, which according to researchers, means his optic nerve is working.

And here are my new belly pics:

25 weeks!

2009-01-16T11:36:00.006-06:00

It's time for my weekly update!

Everything is still going smoothly. I had a couple of weeks where I felt great, but now I'm sore again. It seems to be lightening up again though. I guess it's just one of those things that I'll have to get used to. It feels like as the girls get bigger they are putting more pressure on my pelvis, which takes my pelvis a week or two to get used to. No biggie...I suppose it could always be worse! :)

Here's the 25 week development update:

The structures of the spine begin to form -- joints, ligaments and rings. These will protect the all important spinal cord which serves as the information transmitter for your child's body.
Blood vessels of the lungs develop.
Baby's nostrils begin to open. There is a study out of Belfast that suggests babies at this stage have the capability of scent preferences!
The nerves around the mouth and lip area are showing more sensitivity now. When baby is rooting for food later on, these will be valuable!
Her swallowing reflexes are developing.
Dexterity is improving. Your baby can make a fist and would clasp objects placed in palm.
Your child has now obtained an approximate length of 13.6 inches (34.6cm) and weighs 1.46 pound (660gm).

Another site I read for updates says babies at this stage are 2 pounds already. So I'm sure the girls are somewhere between the two.

I dont know if anyone noticed, but I added more Important Dates to my blog, over on the right side. I start the 3rd trimester on February 6th! That's not very far away! We're just sailing through this thing! It has been wonderful! :)

Now here are my new belly pics. I'm posting one with my shirt covering my belly, my bare belly, and then a front shot of my bare belly. I think the frontal shots are awkward looking, but I figure I could post one here and there.

Oh, and...

2009-01-09T15:27:00.003-06:00

I had a checkup on Monday and everything was great! I have gained a total of 28 pounds, which is right on target. My blood pressure was great, the girls' hearts sounded great, and I'm measuring big. My doctor said you typically measure 3 weeks bigger with twins and I am measuring 8 weeks bigger! I'm not sure what that means other than that the girls are both presenting right out front. If they spread out and scoot my internal organs around a bit, maybe I'll start to measure 'normal'. LOL

My next appointment is Tuesday, February 3rd, which is bittersweet because that would have been when I was due had the first transfer worked. If it had worked and it was twins, I would have probably had them by now! Or I'd be pretty close! But everything happens for a reason and these 2 little girls were meant to be M&B's daughters. My mother-in-law always says you have the children you are meant to have...and I can say that is definitely true with my boys. I always wanted a daughter but now that I have two boys I honestly wouldn't want it any other way.

Anyways, at my next appointment I will have my glucose screening, which tests for gestational diabetes. I have to drink this sickeningly sweet glucose drink, and then have my blood tested an hour later to see how my body is processing the sugar. As long as I pass it, I'm good to go. If I fail it, I will have to come back in for a 3 hour glucose test!!! And then if I fail that one I will have to go on a diabetes diet! I never had GD with my kids, so I am hoping that remains true for this pregnancy. I will also start getting growth ultrasounds at every appointment, starting with this one. And then at 32 weeks I will start getting biophysical profiles of the girls as well as ultrasounds and NSTs (non-stress tests). And I think thats when I start going every week! Or maybe that starts at 30 weeks....not sure. I will find out next time. I just cant believe I am this close to the end already!

24 weeks!

2009-01-09T15:01:00.006-06:00

24 weeks today and nothing new to report, at least where I am concerned! LOL! I still feel great. In fact the more I do, the better I feel. Too bad its January in Minnesota and I cant really get out and do much! I had a playdate with a friend & her son this morning and it was so nice to get out of the house and actually have some adult interaction! The boys were very well behaved too, so they made it easy for me. So I will actually be wearing clothes in my belly pics today instead of my jammies. I even took one with my belly bared since you can see it better that way. It's amazing how slimming my black shirt is...my belly looks much smaller when I wear it!

First up, the girls' 24 week update:

Bring on the bulk! Baby gains about 6 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs.
Her body begins to fill out with her appearance increasingly becoming more like a newborn.
Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing her distaste.
Little creases have appeared on her palms. The muscular coordination of her hands has improved as she sucks her thumb.
Over the next seven days the sweat glands will be forming in the skin.
Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" and cells that produce surfactant, a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily.
This week your baby is officially considered viable.
Baby weighs 1.3 pound (600gm) and is 11.8 inches (30cm) long -- almost the length of a ruler!

And here they are, kinda! ;)

23 weeks!

2009-01-02T15:42:00.007-06:00

Here we are at 23 weeks! This is the 'age of viability' where babies born at this gestation have a 15% survival rate. It's small, but a chance nonetheless. These girls are going to stay nice and snug in here for much much longer though!

I'm feeling pretty good. The back pain hasnt really been bothering me much. I'm not sure if I've just gotten used to it, or if I've corrected my posture enough for it to take some pressure off my lower back. Either way, I'm happy!

In 3 months, M&B will arrive in Minnesota to await the birth of their daughters! I will be between 35 and 36 weeks at that time, which is full term for twins, so they can make their appearances anytime after that point. If they decide to come a little earlier, I think the plan is for M to come immediately and for B to follow when he can. I'm aiming to keep them in until April 1st no matter what, so hopefully they will both be present for the birth.

Speaking of the birth, I need to start doing a birth plan. Nothing crazy...just that Chris, M, & B are to be in the room with me at all times, M&B can cut the cords if they want to, they get to hold the babies as soon as they're cleaned off, in the case of a c-section I want M to be in the operating room with me, etc. The plan is a little more important with this birth than with my own kids, because I need to make sure everyone understands that all the typical things that happen after birth need to include M&B before anyone else. I also need to work out how to get 3 ID bands for us, because they HAVE to give me one since I'm delivering the girls, but they typically only give one other (to the birth partner/spouse/whoever). The ID bracelets are important because you only get access to the babies in the nursery if you have matching bracelets. So I'd like to get one for both M&B so they can go get the girls in the nursery whenever they want instead of only one of them being able to. Just a technicality. I also need to pre-register for the hospital, although when I did that before Quinn was born it did no good. I showed up expecting just to check in and everything, but had to fill all the paperwork out AGAIN. So we'll see!

Here's what's going on with the girls' development this week!

Proportions of the body are now quite similar to a newborn although thinner since she hasn't begun to form body fat.
Bones located in the middle ear harden.
Your baby is able to hear. (Dads, did you know: low-frequency sounds mimicking a male voice penetrate the abdomen and uterine wall better than the higher frequencies of the female voice?)
The eyes are formed, though the iris still lacks pigmentation.
The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. She has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars.
If born now, your baby has a 15% chance of survival, her odds going up with each passing day.
The average baby at this stage weighs 1.1 pound (501gm) and is 11.38 inches (28.9cm) long.

And here is my new belly pic! I decided to bless you all with my bare belly this time so you can see that its more round these days. The stretchmarks arent showing too bad, either.

100th post!

2008-12-29T22:17:00.003-06:00

This is the 100th post in this blog! I guess I've had a lot to talk about this year! :)

I've been having 'growing pains' for about 2 hours now. I just KNEW I was going to have a growth spurt this week. Most twin surros I've talked with had a spurt around 22 weeks. I've also had a foot (I think) in my ribs. It feels like Baby B is turning herself around from transverse to breech, and back...and pressing out against my belly to aid her gymnastics. Baby A just kicks and squirms like usual. They have been extra squirmy today...no doubt caused by needing to expand their home a bit.

I'm getting some more stretch marks, too. And I'm sure there are plenty more to come! Let's just say I am glad the holidays are over and I can get back to NOT eating fudge, cookies, cake, etc. We hadn't spent much time at home over the past couple of weeks so we were at the mercy of my inlaws (and their tasty treats!) and several restaurants. The girls have been eating a little TOO well, thats for sure! Back to normal now though. :)

OH...and this may be too much information for some of you, but I am producing colostrum (early milk) already. I definitely didnt produce any this early with my kiddos, so I think its interesting, and worth noting.

Well thats all for now. I just thought I would take note of my suspected growth spurt. I will have a new belly pic on Friday, along with my 23 weeks update!

22 weeks!

2008-12-26T20:48:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! We sure did! Sorry for the late update, but today is Chris' birthday and we have been gone all day.

Everything is going great. Just getting bigger and bigger by the day! I'm starting to be able to sense the girls' personalities...well, the best I can at this point anyways. Baby A is the more active baby. She moves around quite a bit more than Baby B. Baby B gets wiggly while I'm eating, and then in the evening while I'm relaxing. But Baby A wiggles and kicks periodically throughout the day. I'm willing to bet that Baby A is going to be the more active of the girls, and Baby B will be the more laid back one. It will be interesting to see if I am correct. Only time will tell...M&B will have to let me know someday. ;)

Well here's what the babies are up to this week:

Baby weighs close to a pound at this point!
Baby can now hear your conversations more clearly than before!. When you talk, read, or sing, expect her to hear you. Studies have found that newborns will suck more vigorously when read to from a book they heard frequently in utero.
Eyelids and eyebrows are fully formed.
Fingernails have grown to the end of the fingers.
Be prepared for all those "Why" questions coming! Your baby's brain has entered a stage of rapid growth, especially in what's called the germinal matrix. This structure deep in the middle of the brain serves as a kind of factory for brain cells and disappears shortly before birth. But the brain's amazing expansion program continues until around the five birthday.
With some help from mom, baby's liver is starting to break down bilirubin, a substance produced by red blood cells.
If your baby is male his testes begin their descent to the scrotum.
Primitive sperm have formed and he is producing testosterone.
Length is 10.94 inches (27.8cm); weight is nearly 1 pound (430gm).

I thought about doing another belly pic today but decided the change will be easier to tell if I give it some time between photos. I've heard a big growth spurt occurs around 22 weeks...so we'll see!

21 weeks!

2008-12-19T15:50:00.002-06:00

21 weeks! Nothing new here. Just feeling the girls kick and squirm more and more, as they get stronger! Last night Baby A had the hiccups for a few minutes. I kept feeling "thump....thump...thump". Too cute. I have gotten bigger over the past week, I think. I definitely feel like it, and some of my pre-preg t-shirts dont even come close to fitting over my belly anymore! I have a new belly pic that I will post at the bottom of this post so you can see for yourselves. I think this may be the last belly pic in which I can wear my OSU shirt. Time to retire it, I suppose! Although I've heard that some of my readers will be glad that it goes away! ;)

Here's whats going on with the girls this week:

White blood cells are under production. Leukocytes (or white blood cells) form our body's defense system. They help fight infections and diseases.
Your little one's skin has changed from translucent to become more opaque.
Your infant's tongue is fully formed. If you were able to peek you might catch your son or daughter practicing giving you a raspberry!
If your baby is a girl, her womb and vagina are formed. Unlike males, females have a limited supply of eggs in their lifetime. At this point your daughter will have 6 million eggs. This amount decreases to approximately one million by birth.
Baby swallows more this week. After your baby takes in amniotic fluid, his body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel. This is good practice for his digestive system!
Wake and sleep periods become more consistent. Some research suggests that baby sets her internal clock to match the outside world's even before birth! Your eating and sleeping habits as well levels of light and noise serve as her signals.
Length is now measured crown to heel.
Baby measures about 10.51 inches (26.7cm) and weighs nearly 12.7 ounces (360g).

So they each weigh almost a pound, and are almost a foot long! I can really tell! LOL

Here's my big ol belly:

Next appointment is Jan 5th. :)

20 weeks!

2008-12-11T14:00:00.004-06:00

Well I will jump right to the good stuff since I know you've all been waiting....

We had the ultrasound this morning and both babies are measuring right where they need to be. Both have all organs and body parts, no deformities or anything. And both babies are.....

GIRLS!

The choice on the poll that got the least votes is what they ended up being. Even I was wrong, as I was sure there were one of each. But there were clearly no boy parts on either baby. I could just sense the visions of pink & purple girly things going through M's head. Hopefully one of them will grow up to like hunting/fishing/sports for B's sake, but I know they are both going to be daddy's little girls.

We got some good pictures of the babies so I will post some but will leave out the gender shots. I dont know how they'd feel about their babies' girly bits being put on the internet, so I will err on the side of caution and not post those here. Each picture tells you which baby you're looking at.

So congrats to M&B on your two healthy beautiful baby girls! Now we just cruise on through to the finish line! :)

Appointment today

2008-12-08T20:03:00.003-06:00

Well I had a prenatal checkup today and everything was great. I've gained lots of weight, which my doctor was happy with (thank goodness) and my uterus is measuring right on track. The babies' heart rates were good, although very different. The baby on the left's heart rate was slower than the baby on the right. My doctor said that if there is any truth to the correlation between gender and heart rate, she bets I am carrying one boy and one girl. I told her that has been my guess all along. So we'll see on Thursday! The gender poll closed today, and most of you think its one of each as well. :)

My next checkup is Jan 5th. I'm hoping to not have TOO much weight gain since we're going through the holidays here. Lots of goodies and treats to eat!

In other news, we have been slammed with snow lately. I am hoping we get the last of it for a while tonight. We dont need any delays or issues with M&B's flights into the city! I think the snow is beautiful but I hate driving in it!

Well I will update again later in the week when I have the big news to tell. :)

19 weeks!

2008-12-05T10:28:00.002-06:00

Every week that goes by is another celebration! Less than a week until the ultrasound and then we'll know for sure that both babies are healthy and their genders. I will make sure to update everyone as soon as I get the 'all clear' from M&B. After the ultrasound I will just kind of be on autopilot for a while. I will have a gestational diabetes test somewhere towards the end of the second trimester, and besides that, I'm pretty sure we'll just be crusing towards the finish line. Pretty soon I will be receiving more frequent ultrasounds and 'non stress tests' where they check the babies' movements and heart rates.

So here's what's going on at 19 weeks:

Your baby has the same awake and sleep patterns of a newborn. He has a favorite position for sleep and recognizable active and rest periods.
Throughout baby's body, nerves are being coated with a fatty substance called myelin, which insulates the nerves so that impulses can flow smoothly.
Scalp hair becomes apparent this week. It has sprouted and continues to grow.
The milk teeth buds have already developed and over the next few days the buds for the permanent teeth will begin to form behind the milk teeth.
If baby is female the uterus starts to develop. If you're having a girl, the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are in place.
If it's a boy, the genitals are distinct and recognizable.
Your baby is swallowing amniotic fluid and his or her kidneys are making urine.
Your little one's size is around 6.02 inches (15.3cm) and 8.47 ounces (240gm).

I'm sill feeling good overall. The back pain is getting worse though. I went grocery shopping the other night and within 20 minutes my back was killing me. It's sciatic pain, so it was my lower back, down through the back of my thighs. Last night I made some cookies, and then had to make dinner, so standing in the kitchen for a couple hours killed my back too. I couldnt even clean all the dishes...I had to go sit down. I'm not sure what I can do about this back pain, so I just try to stay off my feet as much as possible.

Well the next time I update it will be after the ultrasound. If you want to vote in the gender poll to the right, you only have until Monday! :)

18 weeks!

2008-11-28T14:36:00.003-06:00

Wow it feels like I just updated...because I did! ;)

Nothing new to report. We had a great Thanksgiving with our family and had lots of good food. I had turkey with gravy, sweet potato casserole, corn casserole, stuffing, homemade rolls, green been casserole, mashed potatoes, and some truffle pie for dessert. Probably some other things I cant remember as well. We have some family friends in town from Amsterdam so it was nice visiting with them. They brought lots of chocolates and Belgian treats, and we snacked on them before dinner. Yesterday was Chris' little brother's birthday and he turned 16. So we are all going out to eat tonight...at the Mall of America...on Black Friday! It should be crazy!

I got up at 5am and went to Target this morning. There was a line all the way down the front of the building and around the side. It was crazy! I wasnt even there to get any of the 'special deals' that everyone else was after, except for the Nintendo DS with new Super Mario Brothers game, for Ian for his birthday. I got all my shopping done this morning! But of course my back hurts now so I am relaxing with my feet up until we go to dinner tonight.

Here's what the babies are up to this week:

Vernix (a white cheese-like protective material) forms on baby's skin with the lanugo (soft, lightly pigmented hair covering the body and limbs); both serving to protect your baby's skin during the months in water.
Your placenta continues to grow and nourish the baby. Don't forget those prenatal vitamins!
Tiny air sacs called alveoli begin to form in lungs. He'll be putting these lungs to good use in just a few months!
Her vocal chords are formed. She goes through the motions of crying but without air she doesn't make a sound.
Features of baby's heart, including ventricles and chambers, should be visible during an ultrasound.
Your baby measures about 5.59 inches (14.2cm) this week and weighs about 6.7 ounces (190gm).

And here is my fabulous belly:

17 weeks!

2008-11-25T09:07:00.004-06:00

Here we are at 17 weeks! Well I am technically closer to 18 weeks now since I didn't get to update on Friday. But thats ok. :)

We visited some relatives that we haven't seen in years and that was very nice. I got to tell everyone about the surrogacy and they were all very very supportive and asked lots of questions. I am so lucky that nobody has said anything negative to me about being a surrogate.

I'm feeling good these days besides the back pain I've mentioned previously. It only bothers me when I've been on my feet for any extended amount of time though. Other than that, I feel wonderful!

Here's what's going on with the twinkies at 17 weeks:

By week 17, baby weighs about 4.97 ounces (140gm) and is 5.12 inches (13cm) long.
He or she has a much more normal "human" appearance now.
She holds her head more erect and her body and limbs are longer in proportion to her head.
Pads are forming on his tiny fingertips and toes. Soon those individual swirls and whorls will be apparent.
Her eyes are looking forward now, but they are still firmly closed.
Meconium (composed of products of cell loss, digestive secretion and swallowed amniotic fluid), is accumulating in the bowel. This black gooey substance will become baby's first poop!
The umbilical cord is growing thicker and stronger and continues to rush blood and nutrients to your growing baby.
If your child is male the prostate begins to develop.
Her skeleton is transforming from cartilage to bone. The bones remain flexible to make the journey through the birth canal easier.

So I am just about halfway through now, considering most twins are born around 36 weeks. It seems like it has gone by pretty quickly so far, but I know it will be crawling by towards the end. I bet it feels like an eternity for M&B already! At least the second half will be full of shopping and preparing, for them though.

Well, I will update again on Friday. It's only a few days away, and then I'll be 18 weeks!!

Hello!

2008-11-24T22:10:00.002-06:00

Sorry to leave you hanging! We were visiting some relatives who dont have internet! Can you believe it? I could check my email from a cell phone, but couldn't post on here.

I am 17 weeks and feeling great...getting bigger every day. I will give a good update tomorrow once I've had some good sleep!

Maternity Clothes

2008-11-17T10:12:00.002-06:00

Well I did it. I finally broke down and bought some maternity clothes. But I wasnt happy about it! lol

I got 2 pairs of pants and 6 tops at Motherhood Maternity. My problem is that nobody has maternity clothes in styles I like. I dont need dressy things and I dont want frumpy t-shirts. Does anyone make cute casual maternity clothes for women who want to retain some sense of style while pregnant? I LOVE the clothes on http://www.apeainthepod.com but frankly, those clothes are not in my budget. Why does the cute stuff have to cost $195 for a SHIRT?

Someone needs to design some cute, budget friendly maternity clothes for hip women. I think there's a huge market for it!

I used the belly expander when I tried the clothes on, and what's funny is that it only gave me a glimpse of how big I will be when I'm about 28 weeks along. They dont have a belly pillow big enough to show you what a twin belly will look like. So I just might end up needing bigger clothes down the line. Or I might just hibernate in my house, wearing PJs all the time so I dont have to worry about it. haha

16 weeks!

2008-11-14T11:56:00.004-06:00

Here's whats going on with the babies at 16 weeks! Look, twins!

Fat begins to form underneath skin, providing baby with insulation for the coming months.
Did you know that both baby and placenta are now about the same size?
Your little one has reached 4.57 inches (11.6cm) and approximately 3.53 ounces (100gm).
His head and neck are held straighter now.
This is a week of "mights!" You might hear the tiny thumps of his heartbeat with an external monitor now.
The genitals are developed sufficiently that an experienced sonographer might be able to determine if your baby is a boy or a girl.
Her heart is pumping as much as 6 gallons of blood a day and beats at a rate about double your heart rate.
If you could take a peek inside, you would witness your child's reflexes in action! (Sucking, swallowing and blinking are now evident.) She is probably even hiccuping even though you don't feel it yet!
Your baby has learned to breathe! This is apparent from the regular movements of his chest. Isn't it amazing that he is able to breathe "underwater," inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid? These actions help the lungs to develop and grow.

For some reason 16 weeks feels like such a milestone to me. Maybe because it signals "4 months" or maybe because its just a few weeks away from the halfway point. I'm not sure...it just feels so neat to be 16 weeks along right now. I guess technically I am almost at the halfway point anyways since I know I wont go to 40 weeks!

I am feeling great. I mean it...really really great. I'm just barely still able to sleep on my stomach, but with one leg hiked up to roll me a little bit to the side. Pretty soon it wont be possible at all! I will definitely have to buy a pregnancy pillow to curl up around so I can sleep comfortably. I've also heard about something called the Belly Bra which is a tanktop/support garment that has an elastic band built in to help lift your belly. It takes the pressure off of your lower back. I wanted one when I was pregnant with Quinn, but I think this time it will be a necessity.

I already have pregnant posture, too. I dont think I am waddling yet though. Whenever I get up from the couch I have to brace myself and get up carefully, otherwise it feels like I'm pulling a muscle in my abdomen. Chris thinks its funny that I'm having to do it already.

Here's my new belly picture. I think I look smaller than I did 2 weeks ago, but I think its all in the posture. I even wore the same shirt for comparison.

So everything is going great! I did have a little bit of a freakout due to some bleeding, but it ended up being Chris' fault, and very common...so I'll leave it at that. ;) The bleeding didnt last long at all, and my doctor told me what signs to watch out for that would mean I would need to come in and be seen...such as clots, cramping, or contractions. But I've had none of that, and I feel great so there's nothing to worry about.

Can you believe it's getting so close to Thanksgiving already? I know I've got a lot to be thankful about this year and I cant wait to spend the day with my family. :)

Appointment

2008-11-12T15:42:00.003-06:00

I had a doctor's appointment today and everything is great! I have gained a total of 10 pounds (2 pounds in the first trimester, and the other 8 in the past 4 weeks!). I think I'd be panicking if I were only carrying one baby, but since I'm carrying twins I'm doing just fine.

The babies are both doing great. They gave me an ultrasound, but it was on one of those really old ancient machines that aren't good quality for actually seeing anything. But the doctor just wanted to check and make sure both babies had good heartbeats, and they did. My cervix is still firm and closed, and all the other things its supposed to be.

We ended up having an issue with the scheduling of the Level 2 ultrasound though. When I made the appointment for Dec 8th, nobody told me that I had to go across the street to the hospital and have it done there, by a Perinatologist, since I'm carrying twins. So I found out today that I cant have my Level 2 at my doctor's office like we planned. So I called to set up my appointment with the Perinatologist, and they are booked solid on December 8th. They didnt have any Mondays or Fridays available, and I started to panic. M&B already have their air tickets booked and they have projects and things at work that we have to schedule around. So after a little bit of back and forth with M, we managed to find a date that works for her & B, as well as the Peri's office. So we are now scheduled for December 11th at 9:30am...which just happens to be Ian's 5th birthday. :) I'm glad we were able to get a date agreed upon, because there was no way I was going to have the Level 2 without M&B there to see it!

So all in all, a good appointment, with a little bit of stress thrown in. I also had to deal with my insurance company but it was minor and they were really nice and are going to get the issue taken care of. :)

15 weeks!

2008-11-08T08:00:00.004-06:00

Well here we are at 15 weeks already...and getting closer and closer to the 20 week mark! The heartburn is still going strong and I'm still getting up 2-3 times per night to use the bathroom. But in general, I feel good! I have more energy and rarely get nauseated. I really love the second trimester!

So here's what's going on with the babies at 15 weeks:

You may begin to feel some fluttering movements as baby kicks, flails, twists and turns (but don't panic if you don't yet). She can also grasp, squint, frown, grimace and maybe suck her thumb!
Baby's legs have grown longer than the arms and the body is now longer than the head.
And you'll be happy to note that he is moving those arms and legs often!
His skin is very thin -- so thin blood vessel are visible. It's covered by a fine, soft layer of hair called lanugo. Lanugo comes from a Latin word meaning "down." This hair is thought to help insulate your little boy.
The three tiny bones in his middle ear have begun to harden. The auditory centers in baby's brain haven't developed yet, so she might not really understand what you say but her hearing capacity is in the process of developing.
Fingernails and toenails are growing.
Eyebrows are beginning to grow and even the hair his head is sprouting. It will probably change color and texture after birth.
All this and your little one is an amazing 3.98 inches (10.1cm) long and may weigh 2.47 ounces (70gm).

This morning when I woke up, I rolled onto my back and just laid there for a few minutes. I laid really still and I could feel the babies. Baby B is at the top of my uterus, near my bellybutton and Baby A is down lower. I could feel movement in both places. I'm sure its only a matter of time before they are karate chopping me!

Yesterday we got the first snow of the season. It was beautiful but it melted by the time the afternoon rolled around. It's lightly snowing right now but its not going to stick. I love this time of year. I really dont mind the snow as long as I dont have to drive in it! And I'm just hoping that the weather is nice when M&B are here on Dec 7th and 8th. But even if it is snowy, its pretty to look at. :)

Next week I will have a new belly picture. I havent weighed myself...I've been too afraid to. I've been eating a lot these days! I will get my official weight from my doctor next week. I have an appointment on Wednesday afternoon.

Special Day

2008-11-05T15:15:00.004-06:00

Well today is a special day.

No, I'm not talking about what happened last night. lol

I've been feeling babies wiggling around all day. Today the kicks and wiggles became strong enough for me to clearly tell that they were just that, and not gas bubbles or other intestinal disturbances. They wiggle more after I eat, so luckily for them I have been eating all day. :)

I cant feel them on the outside yet, but in a few weeks I'm sure they will be strong enough to be felt on the outside of my belly. Wouldn't it be awesome if M could feel them when they're here in a month?

14 weeks!

2008-10-31T15:43:00.003-05:00

Well here we are at 14 weeks already! The second trimester has been all I'd hoped it would be. I still cant eat certain things, but the nausea is mostly gone and I've learned a little trick for dealing with the tiredness: If I let myself lay on the couch and be lazy in the morning, I'm ruined for the whole day. If I get up and do things and keep myself awake, then by afternoon I am good to go. So no more being lazy on the couch in the mornings!

I keep saying how I will need maternity clothes soon, but its kind of sad to think I need them already. But I am carrying TWO babies, not one, so its to be expected. I want to go to Gap Maternity but the only Gap around here with maternity clothes is in Mall of America. And I try to avoid that place like the plague! I'm gonna have to give in soon though.

Well here's what's going on with the babies' development at 14 weeks:

Thyroid gland has matured and baby begins producing hormones which will be used throughout his or her life.
In boys, the prostate gland develops
In girls, the ovaries move from the abdomen to the pelvis
Little one may have learned to suck his thumb by this point!
The bones are getting harder and stronger by the day!
Baby's skin is very transparent still
Lanugo (very fine hair) covers the baby's body and will continue to grow until 26 weeks gestational age - Generally this will be shed prior to birth. Its purpose is to help protect baby's skin while in all that water!
Baby is 3.42 inches (8.7cm) long (the size of a lemon) and weighs about 1.52 ounces (43 grams) - approximately the weight of a letter!

And, as promised, here is my big belly. I decided to spare you all from having to see my pale, fleshy skin this time. ;) My pants are as low as I can get them so that they will still fit, so its making my behind look enormous. Its big but its not THAT big. haha

I will have another doctor appointment in a couple weeks. I am going to beg and plead to get an ultrasound just so we can check in on both babies and see how they're doing. I dont know if they will allow it or not, but it cant hurt to try!

Nothing else is really going on. Today is Halloween and Chris will be taking the boys around from house to house while I stay home and hand out candy to whoever stops by our house. Ian is going to be Venom (the black Spider man) again this year, and Quinn is going to be Batman. Chris and I wont be dressing up like we did last year since we wont be going anywhere due to lack of babysitter. Maybe next year!

Dont forget to vote on Tuesday! :)

My hair

2008-10-30T16:25:00.002-05:00

So I was waiting until I was out of the first trimester before I dyed my hair. I dyed it a couple weeks ago. I'm really enjoying the darker look! I even felt like straightening it. I had put in some highlights but I think I would have rather left them out. So here's my new color:

Dont worry...a new belly pic is coming tomorrow with my 14 week update!

Here it comes

2008-10-27T14:26:00.002-05:00

I've gained 3 more pounds, for a total gain of 5 pounds. :) By the time my next appointment comes around, I should have caught up to where I should be!

The heartburn is back too, but that's to be expected the larger my uterus gets. I have these Tums Quick Dissolve packets and they seem to work decently well. If it gets really bad, I know I can take Zantac. But lets hope it doesnt get to that point.

:)

13 weeks!

2008-10-24T19:16:00.004-05:00

Week 13 update!!

Your infant is about 2.91 inches (7.4cm) and weighs around 0.81 ounce (23gm) - This is about the same weight as 4 quarters.
If you could peek in again you may spot baby as he begins to practice inhaling and exhaling movements
Eyes and ears continue to move and develop
Baby's neck is getting longer, and the chin no longer is resting on his chest
Her hands are becoming more functional - Baby may find it comforting to start playing with her fist.
At this point all nourishment is received from the placenta
On your next doctor visit you should be able to hear heartbeat with a Doppler by now - (Don't worry though if you can't, the heartbeat can be confirmed through U/S). Baby's heartbeat is much rapider than your own and may remind you of the race towards birth that he is running!

The babies are the size of peaches now! I feel like I am growing bigger every single week. I am waking up 2-3 times each night just to go pee. The nausea seems to be going away but I'm still pretty tired all the time. Hopefully that will change soon too.

Nothing else is really going on. Things are pretty uneventful, which is good thing right now. :)

12 weeks!

2008-10-17T16:29:00.003-05:00

Well, depending on what website you look at, I am either entering the 2nd trimester or still a week away from it. The 2nd trimester is supposed to be the magical, uneventful trimester and I am looking forward to it! Here's what's going on in this uterus of mine this week:

Vocal cords begin to form
Those precious eyes begin to move closer together
Ears shift to their normal place on the side of the head
Intestines move farther in to your child's body
His or her liver begins to function - Responsible for cleansing the blood, storing nutrients, and providing needed chemicals, this is an important event!
The pancreas begins to produce insulin
Guess what? Baby's average size is now at a whopping length: 2.13 inches (5.4cm) and weight: 0.49 ounce (14gm)

So there are two plums in there this week that have made my belly look like this: (keep in mind I have only gained 2 pounds...the jeans I'm wearing are getting snug and they used to fall off of me)

Tomorrow I will put up a gender poll. I'm so anxious for the ultrasound on December 8th! But I know that nobody is more anxious than M&B are! Ian has decided that the babies are a boy and a girl. Whenever he refers to them, he now says "the little boy and girl" in my belly. So...is he right? We shall see!

Appointment update

2008-10-16T12:06:00.003-05:00

Well I had my appointment yesterday and since it was my first official appointment for this pregnancy, it took forever! I had a physical, pap smear, blood pressure, urine analysis, weight, fundal height check, and fetal heart tones check. AND they took 5 vials of blood. AND I had to get a flu shot. When she did the flu shot the first time, the medicine blew out the sides of the needle where it connects to the syringe. So I had to get stuck a second time in the arm so I'd actually get a dose of the flu shot.

We were able to get a clear heart rate for one of the babies, it was 164. We could hear the other baby's heart beat but it wasnt loud enough for the doppler to pick up to register the heart rate. But it sounded about the same. So that was very nice...to get to check on both the babies! She said anytime I feel nervous and want some reassurance I can come in for a fetal heart tones check.

This morning I woke up with a headache. I took some Tylenol but it wont go away. I just want to go to sleep and see if it goes away. =( I hope I dont get sick from the flu shot. Ugh!

OH - I gained 2 pounds. Finally!

My next appointment will be in 4 weeks when I am around 16 weeks pregnant.

Intelligender

2008-10-13T19:25:00.003-05:00

Someone showed me the website for this product called Intelligender. It's a pee test that is supposed to predict the gender of the baby you are carrying. It detects something in your urine that is gender specific. In the case of twins, if you get a 'Girl' result then both babies have to be girls. If you get a 'Boy' result then at least one has to be a boy.

It's only $35 and I am soooo curious to see if its accurate, come ultrasound time. According to their website, you can use it as early as 10 weeks pregnant. You have to be off of Progesterone for it to work, and I am. :)

Sooo tempted! I know two people personally who tried it and it was correct.

http://www.intelligender.com

Things I can eat often (or: Welcome to the land of 'aversions')

2008-10-13T12:29:00.003-05:00

Here's a list of some foods I can eat repeatedly. This only matters because there is a large list of things I can only eat once or twice and then the thought of it turns my stomach.

cottage cheese
yogurt
bagel w/ cream cheese
Del Monte fruit cups
100 calorie pack of plain Pringles
ceasar salad (but last time I made one, the lettuce was bitter)
chicken burrito from Chipotle
fries

Anything else is a crapshoot. I've been craving chinese food and a loaded baked potato for a few days now. Once I get to feed my cravings, I wonder if they will be added to the 'things I can eat often' list or the 'things I never want to see again' list.

Here's a small example of things I cannot eat anymore.

Ice cream, any variety
peanut butter (plain or on a sandwich)
Frosted Miniwheats cereal
Anything Mexican other than Chipotle (I'm so sad!)
Pretzels
Chocolate (I have a ton of Halloween candy and havent touched the chocolate stuff!)
Bananas
Grapes
Pizza

I have two pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream in the freezer that likely wont be eaten by me. I was eating it every night, and then all of the sudden....I just cant. Pregnancy does some really silly things to your body and mind sometimes.

Appointments

2008-10-13T10:50:00.004-05:00

Well I will have my first official 'new OB' appointment on Wednesday at 2pm. I wish I could have an ultrasound just to check in and make sure the babies are doing well. I think they are just going to weigh me, measure me, check my cervix, talk about any concerns, etc.

I also scheduled my big ultrasound for December 8th at 9am. That's only a month and a half away!

11 weeks!

2008-10-10T08:51:00.010-05:00

Nearly all structures and organs are formed and beginning to function.
Fingers and toes have separated.
Hair and nails begin to grow
The genitals begin to take on the proper gender characteristics - It will be just a few more weeks before your ultrasound can show if you are having a boy or a girl! Have you been dreaming of pink or blue?
Amniotic fluid begins to accumulate as the kidneys begin to function - This fluid, consisting primarily of water, helps provide a cushion for your baby while she's nestled within your womb.
The muscles in the intestinal walls begin to practice contractions that digest food.
Your baby is about 1.61 inches (4.1 cm) long and weighs 0.25 ounce (7gm).

So I've got two limes rolling around in there! I swear I feel them bumping around already. Sometimes its obviously gas bubbles or something, but other times it clearly feels like little bumps and nudges. I knew I would feel them earlier since they're twins.

Well I am off the Progesterone injections but I have to use Prometrium suppositories (3 times a day) for 11 more days. They are pretty gross. I think I'd rather be doing the injections! LOL.

Ian is really interested in the babies. He knows to be careful around me and not use my tummy as leverage when he gets up from the couch. I've fully explained that these are M&B's babies and that they will not be coming home with us when they are born, and he is very happy about that. But he does like to hug my belly and say "Mama, I love these babies." He's such a sweet boy. I wonder, if he was in school right now, if he'd be telling everyone at school his own version of this? haha

Chris is out of town until Tuesday so I'm on my own with the kids until then. Yesterday went well, although the boys have already said that they miss their Daddy. When I went to sleep last night, it was so quiet without Chris' wall-rattling snoring, that it was hard to fall asleep. It was just too quiet. But once I was asleep, I was totally knocked out! I might take the boys to an apple orchard this weekend if I feel brave. I've been stuck in the house so much lately...I really need to get out and do something interesting.

Well...the second trimester is around the corner! Already! This pregnancy seems to be going pretty fast for me now, although I know its crawling by for M&B. I remember feeling like I was pregnant for an eternity when I was pregnant with Ian. It took us 2 years to conceive and I was totally impatient and couldnt wait to meet him and see who he looked like, what his temperment was, etc. My pregnancy with Quinn flew by since we had so much going on...we sold our house & moved from TN to MN during the pregnancy, then lived with my inlaws for a couple months until we found a house to rent. I sure miss my Mother In Law cooking for me every day. =)

I really want a cake doughnut. Too bad we dont have any doughnut shops around here. Just grocery stores with bakeries...but its not the same. =(

Weighty Issues

2008-10-09T16:33:00.004-05:00

Never in my life have I had trouble GAINING weight. I really dont get it! I eat as much as I possibly can. I've even taken the advice of my book about carrying multiples and having full fat, premium ice cream every night before bed. I eat more junk than I ever have in the last couple of years...but my metabolism has shot through the roof! I wish it would give me energy too, but I guess I cant be that lucky. I can eat a big meal and then an hour or so later I get those really strong stomach growls and that feeling that you're starving and your stomach is going to start dissolving itself.

So here's where I stand with my weight = 0 lbs gained.

I thought I had gained a couple pounds, but next time I weighed myself I was back to my normal weight. When I started injections in March (for the mock cycle) I weighed 140. That's the smallest I've ever been. By the end of the mock cycle I was at 155 and I have hovered there ever since. 155.4 to be exact. I would really love to have this metabolism once the babies are born...thats the truth! Especially because I will be hitting the gym HARD once the doctor clears me in the spring. But good golly...this is NOT the time to not be gaining weight! Everyone tells me that eventually the weight will pile on and that the babies are getting plenty of nourishment. So I'm sure in the future I will be posting 'OMG I gained 10 pounds in 2 weeks!' or something similar. ;)

Now, where's that Halloween candy I bought today...

10 weeks!

2008-10-03T09:12:00.005-05:00

Well I am now into the double digits! 10 weeks pregnant today! Here's what's going on with the babies at 10 weeks:

Baby is now called a fetus in "medical terms".
The most critical part of your infant's development is complete. Now you are headed into a period of rapid growth.
While a bit strange to envision, baby's head is now about half its length - Soon the rest of the body's growth will catch up but this area is prepared to keep up with the rapid brain development!
Eyelids fuse shut and irises begin to develop - Eye color is also determined by this point.
Placenta begins to function this week or next - The placenta is the organ responsible for both the provision of nutrients along with the removal of waste to keep baby growing strong!
Baby will be about 1.22 inch long (3.1cm) and weigh 0.14 ounce (4gm) at the end of this week

And here is my belly pic for 10 weeks. I'm rapidly outgrowing my clothes! My uterus is roughly the size of a 16 week singleton pregnancy.

And the babies are about the size of prunes (1.2 in long)

Tomorrow is our quarterly surrogate support meeting here in Minneapolis. I cant wait to see everyone again and meet the new girls. I will also get to officially announce my twin pregnancy. Some of the girls already know but it will still be exciting to announce it. I will also get to see my counselors again and I just love them. Ooh...and we get free dinner! :)

I'm doing well. Same old, same old! I need to go grocery shopping right now, but having to think of meals to make and write out a list is making me feel... 'ugh'. I have a love/hate relationship with food still. Come on second trimester! :)

OH - and I stop progesterone this week, thanks to the placentas kicking in and providing all the progesterone these babies need! No more nightly shots!

Yay!

2008-09-27T21:59:00.002-05:00

I got my medication weaning schedule!!

I have a week and a half of progesterone left (nightly injection) and about 3 weeks of Delestrogen (every 3rd night) and Estrace (2x day). I'm so excited! Soon I will be able to just go to bed when I'm tired instead of having to sleepily load up a syringe and stick it in my behind! Plus this also means that Shady Grove is confident that my body will carry these babies on its own without the help from the meds. I'm so happy! I will celebrate the day I take my last injection! :)

9 weeks pregnant!

2008-09-26T16:58:00.007-05:00

No belly picture today. I am going to wait until next week. I think we'll see more change every 2 weeks or so. :)

Here is the 9 week update: Baby is officially a fetus and no longer an embryo!

Baby has begun movement - While still too small for you to feel, your little one is wriggling, shifting, and dancing already! Makes you almost wish for a window to peek in whenever you want!
Most joints are formed now - and trust that your little one is practicing bending and flexing.
Fetus will curve its fingers around an object placed in the palm of its hand - This is amazing to see! At only nine weeks, if you happen to have an ultrasound, you may observe your infant fascinated by everything he or she can lay their fingers on (mainly other fingers, toes, ears and nose!
Fingerprints are already evident in the skin
Average size this week -- length 0.9 inch (2.3cm), weight 0.07 ounce (2gm)

I'm doing ok...dont want to bore you with any complaining so I will just say I am still having difficulties eating. I almost asked for an anti-nausea medication at the doctor's office today, but I would rather wait it out and see if it passes soon rather than have to take a medication. It's perfectly safe for pregnancy, and MANY girls I know have to take it, but they are also actually vomiting and I am not. So I will hold out and see if it gets better. Ginger Ale helps sometimes...other times the carbonation makes it worse. I'll live. ;)

Now here's the best part of this post: ULTRASOUND PHOTOS! :)

Baby A's body and Baby B's head:

Baby A (the little circle in with the baby is his/her yolk sac) and Baby B. If you look really hard you can see little arms on Baby B.

Here is a 3D photo of the babies. She isnt sure which is which since she had to rotate the screen so much to get a good shot of both of the babies. The baby in the front looks bigger just because its closer to the ultrasound wand. You can see the umbilical cord connecting with the yolk sac with the baby in the back.

Ultrasound

2008-09-26T15:58:00.003-05:00

Today's ultrasound went great! Both babies are growing well and measuring right where they should be. They were both in sync with heart rate...176bpm. I got some good pictures and even a 3D photo as well.

I will post a better update in a few minutes...I am going to scan in the ultrasound photos. :)

Answer for Janice

2008-09-19T21:51:00.002-05:00

I will answer your question in a blog entry because I dont know how to contact you otherwise!

We used one of the MD locations of Shady Grove. Our transfer was in Rockville. We transferred 2 5-day embies on 6/18. So you wanna know how I made it through the 2ww? Well the first week I tried to keep my mind off of it. I went about my life like normal and didn't allow myself to sit there and overanalyze every little twinge or emotion. I took a HPT on 5dp5dt and it was negative, which really put me in a bad mood. The next night I took another one and it was positive. Getting the positive test was what helped me make it through to the beta. I took another (digital) test on 10dp5dt and it came up positive immediately, so thats when I really believed that I was good and pregnant.

You didnt mention in your comment if you have cheated and tested yet, so I am assuming you are just holding out for the beta. The 22nd isnt too far away now! Good luck and I hope your FET was successful! Please update me! :)

8 weeks pregnant!

2008-09-19T10:35:00.003-05:00

8 weeks 8 weeks 8 weeks! I'm 2/3 of the way through the first trimester! haha

Well I have actually been feeling better the last few days. I still have some nausea, but I have a little more energy and I've been able to eat a bit better too. It really helps that Chris has been absolutely wonderful and has been helping me out some. He has made dinner a few times, he has let me sleep in more in the last few weeks then he has in the last few years...LOL...and he isnt nagging me about the house being a disaster. I do need to finally do some laundry today before Chris runs out of clothes to wear to work!

Here is what's going on in my belly this week: (but x's 2!)

Cartilage and bones begin to form - At the end of this week baby will have already completed 1/5th of the journey 'til his birthday!
The basic structure of the eye is well underway - The position is more "newborn" like already!
The tongue begins to develop
Intestines move out of the umbilical cord into the abdomen.
Body grows and makes room - Two months along and this little one is growing inside and out by leaps and bounds!
The fingers and toes have appeared but are webbed and short
Baby's length (crown to rump) is 0.61 inch (1.6cm) and weight is 0.04 ounce (1gm)

I have finally put on a couple pounds now that I am able to eat better. I am definitely bigger than I was in my 6 week belly picture! Here's my new belly pic:

Its time to start buying bigger clothes. I'm able to mostly live in my jammies right now since I dont really go anywhere, but soon I will need something for going to church, grocery shopping, dr appointments, etc. I think the people at the gym are probably thinking "Wow, even though she exercises 3 times a week she's getting bigger!" HAHA if they only knew! At some point I may have to stop exercising. I dont do anything high intensity...just some walking on the treadmill and some elliptical machine. But carrying twins is a totally different ballgame from carrying one baby, so I know I will have to make some lifestyle modifications. Which is perfectly fine. Anything I can do to keep the babies healthy and strong, I will do it!

I am excited for my next ultrasound on the 26th. Any opportunity to check on the babies and make sure everything is ok is fine by me! Plus I will get some more pictures to send to M&B. I bet they've been showing their pictures to everyone ever since they got back home!

I will be putting up a gender poll once I reach the second trimester. I know M&B are curious to see what you all think we've got in there. Since 80% of you were correct about me carrying twins, I cant wait to see what the majority votes for with the genders! October 18th is the day I will set up that poll. So watch for it! :)

Time to prepare

2008-09-16T17:25:00.002-05:00

Well I went to the library this morning and checked out a couple books about being pregnant with multiples. One is called "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads" by Dr. Barbara Luke and the other is called "Expecting Twins, Triplets, and More" by Dr. Rachel Franklin.

I want to know the best way to keep myself and the babies healthy. The first book has a nutritional guideline in it that is purely for making sure the babies have high, healthy birthweights. So I have lots of reading to do!

Speaking of eating...I am really having a hard time with my eating. Thinking about food makes me feel more nauseous. Thinking about cooking anything makes me feel yuck. Nothing sounds good, nothing tastes particularly good, but when I do eat something my stomach feels a bit better. I can eat things that are made for me or given to me. I know that sounds weird...but preparing it myself really makes me sick. If Chris makes me something to eat, I can eat it just fine. If we go out to eat, no problem. Its making it very difficult for me to eat well. I need some kind of prepackaged meals that are healthy but not 'diet food' since I am obviously not looking to lose weight!!! I dont know if that even exists. I hope this feeling goes away soon so I can eat normally again. I love to eat and I cant wait for my body to love to eat too! haha

Other than that I am good...still exhausted...still have to take a nap everyday. But the nap never feels like enough!

I try not to complain because no matter how awful I feel it is totally worth it. But I know M&B appreciate the honesty so I will continue to tell you all how I really feel. I know it will get better eventually...and honestly it could be SO much worse. I'm just thankful to have these two little twinkies growing strong in my belly no matter how yuck I may feel at times. :)

Can you believe it!? TWINS! I'm still just amazed and soooo stinking happy for M&B. It's so amazing. Absolutely amazing.

The moment we've all been waiting for!

2008-09-15T13:42:00.004-05:00

Well, we had our ultrasound this morning. M&B got to be in the room with me, which was awesome. The room was small so the monitor was turned towards the tech and they were standing behind her. I couldn't see anything! I laid there patiently, waiting for the tech to say something...ANYTHING. Eventually I just said "Well is there one or two!?!?" And the tech said, "It looks like there are two sacs here." I said "I KNEW IT!". I just knew it! She had to check and make sure both sacs had babies with heartbeats and they did.

Baby A's heart rate was 138 and Baby B's heart rate was 156. Nice and strong! They gave me an estimated due date of May 3rd, but since its twins they will be born in April. M&B were absolutely thrilled. It seriously made my day...no, my whole YEAR...to see the looks on their faces when they saw their BABIES on the screen for the first time. Now they get to do all the fun planning and shopping, and choosing names. The names part wont be easy but I'm sure they will choose SOMETHING before the babies are born. ;)

So today was an awesome day. M&B got to meet my doctor and she answered all of our questions and let us know what to expect with monitoring and such with a twin pregnancy. I need to gain 35-45 pounds (yikes!) and M wants me to start NOW. haha

We need nicknames for the babies so they dont have to be known as Baby A and Baby B for the rest of the pregnancy! Anyone have any suggestions? :)

7 weeks pregnant!

2008-09-12T12:45:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates...I have been absolutely exhausted. I nap while Quinn is napping during the day and I go to bed fairly early but I just never feel like I've gotten enough sleep. I cant wait for the energy boost that the 2nd trimester provides!

Here is a baby update:

Elbows form - Again, taking a peek inside you could see your baby's fascination with bending and flexing. Later you will swear you can enlist your child as the star of the next "Karate Kid" movie!
Fingers start to develop - These digits often become your baby's first toy!
Feet start to appear with tiny notches for the toes - It is fascinating that at less than a half inch, your little guy (or gal) already is leaving "footprints" on your heart!
Ears eyes and nose start to appear - Although they may resemble an alien life form, these all "shift" soon enough into a more normal appearance.
Intestines start to form in the umbilical cord - Did you know that initially the intestines are not formed inside your baby's body?
Teeth begin to develop under the gums - Thankfully, right now you won't be dealing with teething pain!

The ultrasound is Monday! We are looking forward to seeing M&B even though they wont be here very long. Please be thinking about us on Monday morning...we're hoping for a nice strong heartbeat!

I hate to cut it short but its Quinn's naptime and I am looking forward to my nap as well. :)

6 weeks pregnant!

2008-09-05T07:33:00.007-05:00

Today I am officially 6 weeks pregnant so its time for a pregnancy update.

I am still exhausted and now a touch of morning sickness has crept up on me. For a good hour last night I was so nauseated I couldn't do anything but lay down on the couch. And this morning I have a bit of queasiness, though nothing like it was last night. Hopefully this little trend goes away quickly. I've got kids to play with, meals to cook, and a house to clean! LOL

Here is the baby's development at 6 weeks:

The arms and legs continue to develop - These limbs are stretching out more and more. Later on you will be feeling those feet and elbows up close and personal right in your bladder!
Brain is growing well - Did you know that over the course of the remaining months that your baby's brain will develop over 100 billion neurons? This is just the beginning!
Lenses of the eyes appear - If you could catch a glimpse inside, you would notice your baby's appearance becoming increasing like a newborn's.
Nostrils are formed - The position of the nose seems to shift into its proper place as well. Soon, the nerves running from the nose to the brain appear.
Intestines grow - Initially these are actually located outside the baby's body within the umbilical cord.
Pancreas - Your baby is now equipped to deal with digestive enzymes and take on processing the insulin and glucagons the body needs to function.

Since I am 6 weeks pregnant today, that means only another 4-6 weeks of injections! It will be nice when all of that is over. I know my bottom will sure appreciate it! And I will start the second trimester on October 18th. Right smack in the middle of fall....my favorite time of the year. I cant wait to go to an apple orchard and buy big bags of Honeycrisp apples. I am craving them so bad but they aren't in season yet. They are seriously the best apples ever...and they were developed here at the University of Minnesota! And of course we will have to pick a pumpkin from the patch to decorate and put out on the front porch. I cant wait to see how many kids go Trick or Treating in this neighborhood. I think I will have Chris take the boys out while I stay in and give out candy. Oh I love fall so much.

And now I leave you with my first belly picture.
Right now it's mostly bloat, but hey I've gotta start somewhere.

Um

2008-09-03T21:38:00.004-05:00

So whoever voted that I am carrying triplets needs to make themself known! LOL

Beta #3!

2008-09-02T14:46:00.002-05:00

My third and final beta (thank goodness!) was 12,166! Exactly where it needs to be!

Now we all have to sit here in anticipation for the next 2 weeks until the ultrasound on the 15th. Hopefully the time will go by quickly!

Beta #2! And an update

2008-08-29T19:17:00.004-05:00

So I am finally home from the fair...with a full belly and a sunburn. I couldn't ride any rides (for two reasons...#1 I am pregnant and #2 someone had to sit with Quinnie!) but I still had a great time. My father-in-law took us and paid for everything. It was a really long, fun day. You dont want to know what all I ate, but I will say that although we ordered all the horribly bad fair food you can imagine, we split it all so I only ended up having a couple bites of each thing. So, not too bad. I finally got my rootbeer float, too.

Ok onto the beta news. My beta came back at 3303!! A nice solid number! I needed my previous number to at least double within 48 hours, and it did more than double so we're good! According to betabase.info my doubling time is 32.27 hours! I have to go back in for one more beta on Tuesday, and then 10 days from that will be the ultrasound (Friday 9/12).

Today I am officially 5 weeks pregnant with 'Baby C' (or the C Babies). Here's whats going on at 5 weeks: (All instances of "your baby" are of course aimed at M&B!)

First heartbeats begin - If you have an early ultrasound you may not be able to recognize this tiny being as a baby, but there is no mistaking what it feels like seeing your child's heartbeat on that screen. That rhythmic beat is echoed in your own heart.

Umbilical cord develops - This is your baby's lifeline in utero. It bears the responsibility of pumping in oxygen, removing waste, and supplying the necessary nutrients for the remainder of your pregnancy.

Blood is now pumping - All four heart chambers are now functioning, insuring your baby's body will receive all it needs over not only the remainder of your pregnancy but throughout life.

Most other organs begin to develop - Your infant's lungs start to appear, along with her brain. Already your little one is preparing for a quest for lifelong learning!

Arm and leg buds appear - While they may not appear to be much at this stage it is ok to dream of the future. Just imagine your ballerina twirling and jumping around your kitchen floor. Or perhaps you will have the precocious boy that throws the perfect pitch -- right through the neighbor's window.

I am feeling great. Some fatigue everyday around 3pm, but thats to be expected when you're growing another human being and trying to take care of your own kiddos and husband. I've heard that morning sickness usually starts around 6 weeks or so, so we'll see if I can escape it like I did with my boys. Here's hoping!

Tomorrow

2008-08-28T19:54:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is beta #2! My appointment is at 9am, and then we are all going to the MN state fair. So I wont be home until late tomorrow to update about my beta results. I will, however, call M&B once I get the call from my doctor. I can leave everyone but them hanging for a few hours. ;)

Most people who hear my first beta number think I'm carrying twins. It is entirely possible since we transferred two embryos! So we shall see in a couple weeks at the ultrasound! I wonder how high my beta will be tomorrow? It needs to be at least double my previous number. I can feel the additional hormones pumping through my body. My temper has been extremely short today. I yelled at Ian and felt so bad about it. He just wouldn't stop bugging me about his internet not working and I told him that I cant fix it and he has to ask Daddy about it. I feel so bad. =( I think going to the fair tomorrow will make up for it!

Currently craving: a rootbeer float. Alas, I have no rootbeer. :(

PREGNANT! Beta = 1178!

2008-08-27T15:25:00.003-05:00

First of all - I totally tested last week. *giggle* I was just good about not posting it on here. I got a positive test last Tuesday, the 19th. I was 6dp5dt. I then got a beautiful 'pregnant' on a digital test on Saturday morning.

So I knew I was pregnant. Then the symptoms started and I just KNEW that it was going to work this time! I've had heartburn every day, after everything I eat or drink, since 4dpt. I've had the crampy/stretchy uterus and the bloating too. And now I have the only kind of morning sickness I ever get, and that's "nothing sounds good so I dont want to eat but I have to make myself eat SOMETHING".

My beta came back at 1178! So really we could have one in there or two! I go back for a redraw on Friday morning to make sure my numbers are rising appropriately, and then depending on that number I may or may not have another beta on Monday. Then I will have my first ultrasound 10 days from my last beta. M&B will be flying in for the ultrasound. We'll all find out if there is one or two babies growing in there! :)

So there's the exciting news! I'm so excited to finally get to experience this surrogate pregnancy and to share it with all of you. I will post baby development updates, belly pictures, and of course my cravings/aversions/feelings/symptoms/etc.

CONGRATS M & B! :)

Still waiting!

2008-08-27T12:41:00.002-05:00

Well they've had my blood since 8:30 this morning and results are back within a couple hours. So now we're just waiting on someone who has the time to call and 'interpret' them for me. All I need to know is the number! No interpretation necessary! Argh!

I called and left a message for the nurse to call me ASAP with my results. Dont they know the whole country is going crazy with anticipation here? hehe

Betas

2008-08-26T14:50:00.002-05:00

There is a big beta list on the surrogate messageboard I post on, and I just checked it today to see what the beta levels usually look like around 14dp5dt. As it turns out, the levels are all over the place! Here's the breakdown:

14dp5dt
Singleton: 75, 138, 178, 209, 435, 640, 688, 711, 853, 861, 913, 963, 1000, 1078, 1112, 1546, 1690, 2050
Twins: 1103, 1275, 1398, 1632, 1890, 1941, 1973, 2179, 2273, 2951, 2980, 3150, 3520, 3603, 3760, 6823
Trips: 1611, 2440
Quads: 5300

I an anxiously awaiting my beta tomorrow! I need a big healthy number! But not TOO big...LOL.

Appointment is confirmed!

2008-08-25T10:17:00.004-05:00

I called my doctor's office to make my appointment for Wednesday morning, and they wanted me to come in today so they could order my results STAT and get them back for me today. I wish! I told them that I have to come in on Wednesday, per Shady Grove's orders.

I know my doctor is very hopeful for us and a big healthy beta number! I think I am the only surrogacy they've had and it has been a learning experience for everyone up there. They have finally understood that I am 'special' when it comes to certain tests and ultrasounds. I think my lab nurse, my ultrasound tech, and my doctor are all very excited and hopeful of a positive outcome this time! I cant wait for them to meet M&B when they are able to come for the ultrasounds and stuff.

I am anxiously awaiting my results on Wednesday!!

Frustration

2008-08-22T09:42:00.004-05:00

My nurse at Shady Grove never calls me back. She never called back when I asked to have my beta moved up and I left her a message earlier this morning telling her that I need refills on all my meds. I wonder if I will hear from her today since I REALLY NEED MY MEDS! And with the previous cycle she rarely called me back.

Please call me back! I dont like talking on the phone myself, but in a professional situation I think its imperative.

She actually used to answer her phone, and now she doesn't.

Please call me back. Or I will flood you with calls today.

EDIT: She called me back! She is calling in my refills of the meds I need, and she said they still need me to wait until the 27th for my beta, because they know what my level SHOULD be at that point so to move it up would throw it off. I still think this was way too long for a beta. Last time I didn't have to wait this long. But whatev. I just go with the flow. :)

My beta is forever away!

2008-08-20T10:42:00.002-05:00

Today is 7dp5dt or 12DPO. I am feeling good. Sore breasts, tired, bloated...but overall feeling good. I woke up sweating around 2am this morning and felt a little nauseated but quickly went back to sleep.

My beta isnt until Aug 27th which seems very far away. I wonder why they are making us wait a longer amount of time this time? I still have a full week until beta day! And by then hopefully I will have some big huge beta numbers.

Well thats it for my update. I feel pregnant, but I also felt pregnant last time and we all know what happened with that.

So, we wait.

Gettin the itch!

2008-08-17T15:21:00.003-05:00

I must say that I am proud of myself for not obsessing this time about whether or not I am pregnant. Today at church I started getting the itch to test since I have two pregnant friends there. My friend Molly was due a couple days ago and is rather large and uncomfortable, and my friend Noelle is 8 weeks pregnant and having terrible terrible morning sickness. She has already been hospitalized once from dehydration! So after being around preggies, I've been analyzing how I'm feeling. I cried through each prayer this morning. Not sobbing or anything, but teary eyes and sniffly nose. I never cry through prayers! We were praying for all kinds of things...for Molly and Noelle, our pastor when he goes on his ministry retreat, for our message today, for us to give God control over certain aspects of our life that we are struggling with, etc. So maybe some hormones are kicking in! Or maybe it was just a really good spiritual day for me. We will see!

I also devoured a burrito at Chipotle. But that's really nothing new. That burrito was totally awesome.

In other news, my backside is pretty bruised up from all the injections! Putting a needle through an area that's already bruised and swollen is no fun. But of course its all SO worth it. I used to actually be afraid of shots and needles, so I was very proud of myself when the time came for my very first injection and I stuck it in without fear or panicking. I've come a long way. Sticking a needle in my rear is like second nature now! ;)

No, I'm still not going to take a test unless M asks me to. :)

More details

2008-08-16T16:43:00.003-05:00

Deana has requested more details so here's what I remember:

M had 14 eggies retrieved and I think 10 of them fertilized. By the time I made it out to Annapolis there were 8 still growing, and then by the day of transfer (3rd day) there were 6. The doctor said there were 2 embryos that were definitely growing faster and stronger than the others, so they transferred those two. I dont know if any made it to freeze...I just texted M to ask and will update once I know that information. I really hope they had some to freeze this time! That would make a sibling project much easier down the road. =)

I am feeling good. No 'signs' yet but today is only 3dp5dt. I haven't even been tempted to cheat and take a test...and yes I know it would be WAY too early to test right now anyways. ;) I'm just trying not to think about it so that I dont sit here and obsess about it. I'm just taking it easy.

I will update when I have more to tell. And hopefully its good news!

Transfer complete!

2008-08-14T21:46:00.002-05:00

We had our transfer on Wednesday! We put in 2 beautiful embryos (M even got a picture of them this time!) and everything went smoothly. I did my 24 hours of bedrest, and M brought me dinner (homemade by her friend K) to my hotel room. So I got plenty of rest, and was up at 5:45 this morning to get ready to head back home. I left the hotel around 6:45 and made it to drop my rental car off pretty early. So I had lots of time at the airport. I read a couple magazines and started reading a book. My flights went well (MUCH better than the flights on my way out there!!) and I was very happy to get home to my boys.

So now I relax and try not to think about it too much. My beta is on Aug 27th, and I wont cheat and use a home pregnancy test unless M wants me to. I have a feeling she will, though! ;)

This cycle has felt much more relaxed. I think its a great sign. Everything just felt better this time. I will be taking it super easy through the weekend and making Chris wait on me, hand and foot! Hahahaha!

So now, once again, we wait!

Excitement!

2008-08-06T15:21:00.003-05:00

So we all just found out that M will trigger tonight, which means we will transfer on Monday or Wednesday! I just changed my flight to leave Sunday afternoon and return on Thursday. Wow that's just a few days away!!

Woohoo!!

2008-08-05T15:15:00.002-05:00

Estradiol - 2249
Progesterone - 0.9
Lining - 8.8mm
Ovaries - suppressed

=)

I heard from M that she has some mature follies already so she may trigger earlier than Friday! How exciting! In less than a week I will be headed off to Rockville for the transfer! It seems like we've all been waiting a while for this. I hope this is OUR CYCLE!

Ready for takeoff

2008-07-25T11:10:00.001-05:00

Estradiol = 18
Progesterone = 0.7
HCG = 0
Lining = thin
Follicles = 0

Woohoo! Starting Delestrogen and Estrace today!

Appointment

2008-07-24T22:08:00.002-05:00

Well today I had my baseline U/S and bloodwork. They could only get me in at 4pm today so my results wont be back until tomorrow morning. But once they're in, they will forward them on to Shady Grove. I do know that my lining is thin (yay) and the Lupron is working and has suppressed my ovaries. There were no follicles to be seen (yay). So now we wait for my estrogen and progesterone levels, and my blood pregnancy test which will be negative. Once the results are faxed to Shady Grove then my nurse will call and let me know that I can stop the Lupron and start the Del Estrogen. Yay for bigger needles!

I just cant believe that in a little over 3 weeks we'll be transferring again! Hopefully for the final time! I had a new radiologist do my U/S today so I got to tell our story all over again. Everyone I tell is so supportive and thinks its so neat what technology can achieve these days.

On a sad note, there was a notice on the desk when I signed in that my old doctor, Dr. Agee, had died recently. He retired at the end of last year, and apparently it was because he had a terminal illness and didn't tell anyone. He finally succumbed to it, whatever it was. He delivered Quinnie and it was a wonderful experience. Dr. Agee was my favorite doctor I've ever had. So sad. I cried on the way home today because I was remembering all the silliness and the jokes during Quinn's birth. I'm glad that some of my pictures from Quinn's birth have Dr. Agee in them. Such a nice old man.

Lupron - day 2 (again)

2008-07-19T09:35:00.003-05:00

I had my second dose of Lupron last night. I'm trying to decide if its affecting me the same way as last time or not. I had a headache yesterday, which I rarely get, and today I feel pretty blah and rundown. Last night when I was laying in bed my heart was racing (tachycardia) and it was hard to get to sleep. I will have to take a look at last cycle's Lupron entries on this blog to see what issues I had last time.

But all in all everything is going ok. I have bloodwork and an ultrasound on the 24th. I was able to schedule both at my doctor's office for the first time...usually I had to do the bloodwork there and then go somewhere else for the ultrasound, but this time I get to do both. The only bad part of that is that I could only get in at 4pm that day, so my bloodwork results wont be back until the next day. I will have the E2 (Estradiol), P4 (Progesterone), and Beta HCG (pregnancy test).

I'm so excited to get started again. I felt like a bum these last few weeks because I dont really have anything to talk about. I haven't gotten to talk with M&B much either. I've just been busy doing nothing...haha.

Meds are here!

2008-07-16T14:37:00.004-05:00

Well my meds arrived today! I start the Lupron tomorrow. I am so excited to get started again!

Please be thinking of all of us during this next month of cycling. I pray that cycle #2 is the charm! M and I both have to endure a lot during this portion of the process (although she has it worse than I do with the egg retrieval!) but it will all be 100% worth it if one or both embies stick around.

So here we go again! Bring on the needles! :)

Happy news

2008-07-09T14:48:00.003-05:00

One of my online friends, Deana, is pregnant via surrogacy! Her surro Buffy has just been confirmed pregnant. Congrats Deana, Luke, & Buffy! :)

Now its my turn! hehe

August transfer, here we come!

2008-06-24T20:38:00.003-05:00

Shady Grove called me with some dates yesterday for our next cycle! I will start Lupron on July 17th (the day after I turn 27!) and stop the pill on July 19th. I should start my period around the 23rd, have my baseline ultrasound and bloodwork on the 24th, then a lining check on Aug 7th, M's retrieval should be on the 11th, and then our transfer will be somewhere between Aug 13 and 15. It seems SO far away, but at least we have some sense of direction now!

So in the meantime I am just hanging out on birth control pills and waiting patiently.

I know I've been quiet lately, but after the chemical there just hasnt been anything to talk about. I went to Memphis by myself on Thursday and stayed through Sunday night. I had such a great time with my friends while I was down there. A vacation was exactly what I needed. But it was good to get home and see my boys. They all missed me very much.

Ian is in sports camp this week...Mon - Fri from 9am to 12pm each day. He is learning soccer, basketball, and baseball. He gets a t-shirt, a basketball, and a trophy after the tournament on Friday. His coach told me that Ian hasn't been listening very well and he seems to have a short attention span. A father standing nearby said "Yeah, well he's a boy!" I thought that was funny but its so true. Ian is so interested in everything around him that he cant pay full attention when he needs to. I hope this isnt a precursor to him having ADD or something. While he's at camp Quinn and I get to spend some good time together so that has been nice.

We've all been spending a lot of time outdoors which has been good for all of us. It keeps me off the internet all day and the boys get some exercise. I just wish the mosquitoes wouldn't have come out...they must like the way I taste. =(

Well thats all for now. Just wanted to update since it has been a while and I finally have an update to tell.

Oh the cramps!

2008-06-09T13:05:00.002-05:00

I've been waiting for this day to arrive, but now that its here I just want it to go away!

My last period didn't have cramps like these. It was NOTHING like this. Has it been 4 hours since my last dose of Aleve? I need some serious pain relief, now! complain, complain, complain

Thank you for the comments on my previous entries. It really helps to have people *in this* with me, no matter where you're at compared to myself. This whole experience has been like a whirlwind so far, and now to have this calmness and period of rest will just rejuvenate me for the next go-round.

Now, back to the medicine cabinet...

Better today

2008-06-06T12:03:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling much better today. I had an emotional moment yesterday but I'm fine now. Tomorrow is the quarterly surrogate support group meeting and I was hoping to have good news to announce. Instead I will have bad news.

But at the next one I'll have good news to tell everyone.

Logically I know there was nothing I could have done to make those embryos stick, but emotionally I feel like maybe there was something I could have changed. I cant start doubting myself or my body.

Everything will be fine.

Now bring on my period so I can get it out of the way.

Why?

2008-06-05T12:09:00.002-05:00

Why didn't those embies stick? Why?

Did I do something wrong? Should I have rested longer than I was told to? Should I have just let the boys get into stuff instead of constantly having to keep them out of trouble? Was it something in my diet? I took my meds at the same time every night, in the proper dosages so I know it wasnt that.

I should be happily pregnant right now. And M&B should be seeing their embryo sacs on an ultrasound right now.

We will be transferring again in July/early August. That seems so far away.

Its official

2008-06-03T12:22:00.002-05:00

My beta yesterday was "less than 2". So I officially had a chemical pregnancy. I will stop my meds starting today and once my period returns I will get back on birth control pills and we'll start again. At least we'll be able to jump back into it right away.

6

2008-05-30T17:08:00.002-05:00

Well my beta today was 6. Yes, just 6. The first positive test I had was 5 days after the transfer. So at that point my HCG had to be at least 15-20 to be picked up on a test. For it to be lower now means I had a chemical pregnancy. That's where the embryo implants and tries to grow, but something stops it from growing.

I've never had any kind of loss before, so for my first one to be someone else's potential children really makes me sad. If the embryos stopped growing, that means that there was something not quite right with them, but its still sad to know that those 2 embies are gone. Telling M the bad news was harder than I thought it would be. In fact, I couldn't even call her, I had to email her. I was crying when I called Chris to tell him so I knew I couldn't keep it together if I talked to her on the phone.

I was just so sure I was pregnant. And apparently I was, but only for a brief time. I have a re-draw on Monday where they will confirm the end of the pregnancy and will have me stop all of my meds. My period should return within a few days to a week or so afterwards.

And then we try again. And we'll try it again and again until we get it right. The end product is all that matters...a healthy baby or two for M&B.

Tomorrow we are celebrating Quinn's 2nd birthday. I had forgotten all about it since I've been so preoccupied lately. Luckily he's so young that he wont notice that he doesn't get a big party like Ian did for his birthday. We're going to the Mall of America, to the themepark inside (Nickelodeon Universe), and then to Rainforest Cafe for dinner. He'll have a good time, even though he will only get to ride a few of the rides. :)

Well the beta has come and gone. Now I can stop obsessing about it, and move on from here. Next time I wont be taking any tests. I will wait for the beta. I've learned my lesson!

Time stands still

2008-05-27T12:37:00.002-05:00

Friday is an eternity away. I called Shady Grove and left a message for our nurse (yesterday) letting her know that I got some faint second lines on some tests, and if they want me to do an earlier beta I will. But she hasn't called me back yet. I'm not sure if she works Tuesdays or not. For some reason I have it in my brain that she doesn't. Hopefully I'm wrong and she calls me today.

Either way, I wont be updating until next week sometime. I am going to lay low for a bit and let M&B tell everyone themselves when we know for sure. And once its 'all clear' I will continue my blogging. I think I have more readers than I realize, and I know the word will spread quickly. So I will just 'disappear' from the blogosphere for a week or so. But if pregnancy is confirmed I know I'll have tons to write about. :)

So keep hoping, praying, thinking about us all.

Total chaos

2008-05-25T22:43:00.006-05:00

So let me tell you about my chaotic weekend.

It all started Friday night...with a faint second line. Every test I had taken previously was totally negative. The space to the left of the control line was white as snow. But not this time. There was a line! Chris could see it so I knew I wasn't crazy. I was so excited and couldn't wait to tell M&B, but I wanted to be sure so I waited until Saturday morning and tested again. I took a strip test and there was a line but it was lighter than the one the night before. I took a digital and it said Not Pregnant.

Disappointment set in and I knew this was not going to be easy. I had imagined and planned out this wonderful scenario where I got a bright beautiful positive test, then took a digital test and recorded it on my camera as the test popped up to say "Pregnant". I was going to record an excited congratulatory message for M&B and send it to them. That's how it was supposed to happen. Instead, Saturday morning I cried and kept it to myself. My perfectly thought out plan wasn't going to happen. I was glad I hadn't told them yet.

Saturday night I decided I would test again. After all....false positives are incredibly rare. Let alone getting several of them. So I took another test, and the line came up darker than the previous tests. My hope was renewed. I was happy, yet reserved and nervous. If I tell them about these positive tests, will the next one I take be negative? Will that moment of excitement and joy be ripped away from all of us? I fretted about whether or not to tell them yet. I decided I would sleep on it and decide in the morning.

This morning's test was very faint. This is where I decided to STOP PEEING ON TESTS. It's only going to stress me out and drive us all crazy. I got several positive tests, although the darker lines were always in the evening, which is typically the reverse of how it should be. I sent M an email telling her what was going on and about the difference in the lines on the tests. I didnt want to disappoint her, but I also didnt want to get her hopes up just in case I ended up with the worst luck on the planet and got several false positives. I then decided to send her a picture of the test so she could see it for herself.

Today we are 7dp6dt. Still technically early for testing. I'm going with the feeling of "I'm pregnant" until proven otherwise. My blood test is on Friday the 30th, however they may move it up since I've gotten some positive tests. I do feel pregnant now. I have a feeling of fullness in my lower abdomen, with the pulling/stretching sensations I've felt previously with my own kids.

I ended up calling M because time had gone by and she hadn't checked her email. I figured it would be better to call anyways. It was a great conversation and I can tell they are excited but reserved, as anyone would be. In this situation its so much more nervewracking since so many peoples' futures and happiness are at stake and at this point, its hard to trust faint positives. Once we get the blood test back and my number is good, I think we'll all celebrate in our own way.

This weekend has been an emotional roller coaster. As a surrogate, its a lot of weight to bear to know that one little test carries the happiness of all involved parties. We want the fairytale experience....pregnant on the first try, no morning sickness, no health scares, easy labor & delivery, lifelong friendship with our IPs. I've read enough stories online to know that it rarely goes this well, but it CAN and it DOES. And I wont lose hope that we will have that fairytale experience.

So we all sit on pins and needles until the blood test. If it is negative, will I regret getting their hopes up with the faint lines I have gotten? M&B are wonderful IPs and I am very comfortable telling them anything and everything...but I don't want to be the reason for any sadness. But really...how common is it to get several false positive tests? I think its slim to none, so I am standing here and proclaiming that I am, indeed, pregnant and that M&B will be parents around 2/2/2009.

Sick

2008-05-22T10:43:00.003-05:00

I am so sick! I think I have a sinus infection or maybe just a really bad cold. My sinuses are clogged up so I have a sinus headache, my body aches, and I'm extremely tired. I wish I could sleep all day. And since I don't know my pregnancy status yet, I'm not taking any medicine. I'm not willing to chance it!

It all started on Tuesday with a sore throat. Ian has the sniffles and a stuffy nose too, and Quinn woke up today with a crusty gross nose. Chris seems to be the only one escaping it. At least the boys dont feel as miserable as I do...they are just going about their day normally while I camp out on the couch, dozing in and out.

It was horrible last night when we were watching the last episode of House. We had recorded it and watched it around 10 (well I watched it...Chris fell asleep!) and the last 20 minutes or so was just heartbreakingly sad. So I was bawling through it with clogged up sinuses...I was a big stuffy, runny mess.

Today is 4 days past our 6 day transfer. I took another test (I took one yesterday too) and it was negative. I know its still really early and everyone keeps telling me I shouldn't be testing yet. But it's so hard when I've got a ton of pregnancy tests laying around. I just want to keep going until I see that second pink line pop up! I *feel* pregnant, but I am also miserably sick too, so who knows. I'm staying positive though!

Updating from the road!

2008-05-19T15:40:00.007-05:00

I was going to wait and update once we got home, but since I've got the laptop hooked up to Chris' phone and Loree requested an update, here it is! :)

The transfer was bumped to Sunday morning, making it a 6 day transfer. I had never heard of a 6 day before, but the nurse told me that they never go past 6 days so we didn't have to worry about being bumped again. That was good news considering we were leaving Sunday morning to drive back home!

M&B picked me up from the hotel at 7am and we headed to Rockville for the transfer. We ended up getting there pretty quickly since there was no traffic at all. I drank a bottle of water and before long my bladder was very full. We got to the clinic and signed in at 8am but ended up having to wait 30 minutes or so before we were called back. We must have looked very interesting to the other people in the waiting room because the nurse called "Jennifer and M" and we were of course followed by B. We all had a little giggle about that.

Once we were in the room and the doctor arrived, she talked to us about the remaining embryos and said she recommended that we transfer two. We were all in agreement about transferring 2 to begin with, so it was an easy decision! She threaded the catheter into my uterus, then called for the 2 best blastocysts from the lab. They brought them into the room in a tube and inserted it through the catheter. We watched on the ultrasound screen as she injected them into my uterus...we saw a little flash of light. It was a very neat experience! It was over as quick as it had begun and after a trip to the restroom we were ready to go. I hated to 'transfer and run' but Chris and the kids were there to pick me up so we could head home. We drove to Dayton, OH afterwards and I had my feet up on the dash the whole time. It was the best way I could do my 24 hours of bedrest. We are currently about 3 hours from home and just passed by Wisconsin Dells where all the waterparks are.

Physically I am feeling good. This morning I was very tired and slept for several hours in the car. I also felt some little pinchy feelings in my uterus area and I am hoping it was implantation! I have a little bit of breast tenderness but that could also be from the hormones in my injections. Its so funny how you analyze every little twinge when you're hoping to be pregnant. I did the same thing when I was trying to get pregnant with my own kids. I have read online that with a 6 day transfer the blasts implant very quickly, usually within 24 hours, and they start producing HCG quickly as well. I may be crazy but I will probably start testing on Wednesday since I know of someone who received a positive on the 3rd day after transfer. Or I may wait until Thursday or Friday to have a better chance of seeing a positive. Once I get a positive I will let M&B know first, of course, and let them tell their friends & family. I will wait to post it on here because I want them to be the ones to let everyone know. I probably wont wait too long to post on here because I know there are several people who read this who don't know M&B and will be anxiously awaiting the news. ;)

So there's the big update! If I have any more 'symptoms' I will be sure to post them. And maybe if the clinic emails M a picture of her babies I can share the photo on here (with any personal details cropped out, of course!)

Hello from Annapolis!

2008-05-15T22:00:00.002-05:00

We arrived, safe and sound, in Annapolis on Wednesday evening. The drive wasn't too bad. The boys were surprisingly very good throughout the whole trip. We rented a van with a DVD system so Ian watched a Tom & Jerry DVD over and over and over (not for lack of trying to get him to watch something else!), and Quinn just slept and sang and played with some toys.

We didn't transfer today. It got bumped to Saturday. So we're officially doing a 5 day transfer. M's egg retrieval yielded 22 eggs, of which 16 were mature and 10 fertilized. As of this morning all 10 were still going strong. Hopefully tomorrow's fert report will be great as well, so that even after we transfer 2 (and in 9 months deliver 1 or 2 healthy babies) there will be plenty left to freeze for the future. I'd hate for M to have to go through the stim & retrieval process again. It doesn't sound too pleasant!

We all went over to one of M&B's friends' house earlier today for a cookout and to socialize a bit. The boys had a great time with K's children (and hopefully weren't too destructive!) and we had a great time talking and getting to know M&B better. It was such a nice day today...it was perfect for spending time outside. The boys crashed when we got back to the hotel, and Chris & I stayed up to watch our Thursday night line up. I cant believe Lost is on at 10pm on the East coast. I could barely keep my eyes open and Chris fell asleep halfway through it. :)

Tomorrow we shall tackle Chuck E Cheese in the morning, and then in the afternoon/evening sometime we will probably go to dinner with M&B and M's parents who are coming into town. I'm sure we'll do some sight seeing around lunchtime as well. I am dying for some GOOD seafood. You can't go to Maryland and not eat crab!

My next update will come after the transfer on Saturday! It's the moment we've all been waiting for!

22!

2008-05-12T19:10:00.002-05:00

She had 22 eggs retrieved! Woohoo!!

Lets all send M some good thoughts and well wishes, as she's in some pain.

And away we go!

2008-05-12T17:25:00.002-05:00

Well we are heading out in the morning! We will stay the night tomorrow night in Ohio with some relatives, then drive over to the DC area on Wednesday. We were originally going to fly but last minute plane tickets are INSANELY expensive and we like driving anyways. Plus it will be easier on the kids to not have to sit still and be quiet like they would have to do on a plane. We are renting a car with a DVD player for the trip so they should be fairly entertained!

Today is M's egg retrieval. I dont know if she had it already or not but I cant wait to hear the results! Hopefully they get lots of big juicy eggs and lots of them fertilize.

I've added PIO injections back into the mix as of last night. I dont know what it is...maybe because its pretty thick...but it sure makes me sore! The Delestrogen never bothers me but the PIO sure does. And I've got 12-13 weeks more of it! haha

Well I will update after the transfer. It's set for Thursday if we do a 3 day transfer, or Saturday if we end up doing a 5 day. I dont know what the criteria is for each type, but I know we all want whichever way that will maximize our chances for success.

My friends at the surrogacy agency are cheering me on this week. Its so wonderful to have so much support!

Appointments

2008-05-08T12:35:00.002-05:00

Well I had my last pre-transfer appointments this morning! My uterine lining is a 9 with a triple striped lining (which is exactly what we needed!) and my bloodwork results just came in: Estradiol (E2) is at 1500 and my Progesterone (P4) is at 1.8. So I am ready to rock!

M's stimming seems to have gone even better and more quickly than was planned so we will probably be moving the transfer up. It was originally set for either May 17th or 19th, but now its looking like early next week! I will update when we all know for sure. I'm eagerly anticipating the phonecall from my nurse this afternoon. I'm going to have to bump our plane tickets up and change the car rental as well. How exciting that both of our bodies are ready to go RIGHT NOW!