A Birth Announcement

Meet Dylan Jacob.

He is beautiful. He is perfect. He is loved by so many. 

Born: Monday, July 28, 2014

Time: 8:20 am

Weight: 7 pounds and 6 ounces

Length: 18 3/4 inches long

Proud Daddies: Robbie and Allen

Our birth story and more photos to come soon!!

7 weeks to go!

Today marks the 32 week mark. In just 7 short weeks we will meet this little man that is growing inside my womb. He is active and strong and growing at an alarming rate. Ok, so maybe not "alarming", but boy am I starting to feel it!

31 weeks on the left and 32 weeks on the right. Grow baby, grow!!

How am I feeling?:  I'm slowing down with each day and getting tired very easily. At times, my aches and pains are getting to be very difficult to handle. I caved last week and made an appointment with my chiropractor for some relief.  I'm the type of person that waits things out to see if my body will recover on it's own before seeking relief -- whether it be a small dose of Tylenol or a trip to the doc. This time, my body knew what it wanted and it wouldn't ease up until I gave in and sought out help. And thank gawd I did! My chiropractor worked her magic on my back and I instantly felt the tension disappear. Why the heck did I wait so long?? Stubbornness I guess.

Doctor Appointments: I passed the one hour glucose test last month. Yay!! At our last OB appointment, we were able to sneak a speak at this little dude. He has the most lucious lips!! I can not wait to meet this little one. We are down to appointments every two weeks now.

Weight gain: No comment.

Sleep: It's getting increasingly harder to get comfortable. Staying comfortable is another story. I'm constantly awakened while struggling to adjust positions or rescuing my arms and hands because they've fallen asleep and have become tingly. My belly feels very heavy and no sleep position is a good one at this point. Pillows are my best friends right now.

Mood: I'm tired. I'm crabby. I'm 8 months pregnant. Need I say more?

Exciting Moment: Getting to see Scoop unexpectedly in 3D during our last ultrasound. It's was pretty awesome. And he is simply beautiful.

A special visit with Peanut and his Daddies

Back in April I had the pleasure of spending a few days with my Peanut and his Daddies up in San Francisco. My friend Amy was able to join us too! Amy is very special to us - she attended Ari's birth and captured some of the most incredible moments. (check them out here and here!) We love you, Amy!!

Amy did a quick mini-session during our visit, too. Check them out below.

Our time with my Surro-Fam was short and sweet. I really enjoyed just being there and watching Ari interact with his Dads. It was nice to catch up with A & M too! It's been almost exactly one year since we've all seen each other, and that is way too long. I've made a promise with myself to see them more often.

Ari is so smart and such a beautiful little boy. He is very active too! I am looking forward to seeing them again very soon. Ari turns TWO this November, and I'm thinking that will be a great time for another visit.

25 weeks down and 14 to go!

Seriously? More than half way done with this pregnancy. It makes me sad to know that it's almost over. It makes me even more sad to know that this may be my last pregnancy, too. This will be my 4th c-section, and even though I've had great recoveries and with minimal scar tissue, you just never know how the next one will go. I'm crossing my fingers and toes that this delivery will go as seamlessly as the last three, and that I'm given the "all clear" to get pregnant just ONE MORE TIME.

As sad as I may be about this pregnancy nearing the end, I am ecstatic at the thought of witnessing Robbie and Allen fall madly in love with their new baby boy the second they lay their eyes on him. This is the part that surrogates dream about the most. It is an honor to see the new family bonding together, and it's an even bigger gift to watch that family grow over the years to come.

Taken a few weeks ago at our 23 wk check-up

How am I felling? We are currently 25 weeks and 3 days pregnant and I am feeling great! Seriously. No complaints. 

Doctor Appointments: Our next OB appointment is on May 5th - Cinco de Mayo! I will have the 1 hour glucose test and then we'll get to tour the hospital.

Weight gain: I've been at a steady gain of 2 pounds every 4 weeks. Not bad! *pats self on back*

Sleep: Sleep is going well. I'm getting more tired throughout the day as we progress further into this pregnancy, but i'm hanging in there!

Mood: My patience runs pretty thin past 8:00pm. Anything that my husband does past this time pisses me off or annoys me. The poor guy can't even drink a glass of water without me giving him the evil glare. 

Exciting moment: I recently celebrated my 32nd birthday in San Diego with my family and my IFs. Saturday was spent with my family lounging around the hotel pool and taking a boat tour around Mission Bay. Sunday (Easter) we enjoyed a fun-filled day at Sea World with Robbie and Allen. So much fun!

Husband. Mom. Me. Kids.

Me. (hot) Husband. Kids. IFs.

Robbie. Me. Allen.

I wasn't able to go on any of the rides due to having a little womb-mate. Everyone else enjoyed this ride and made it past the big drop with minimal splashing. What they didn't realize is that they've just entered the "Cannon zone", and guess who's behind the trigger!?! ME!!

Wait for it........

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Cannon shot!!! Score!

Bhahahahaha!!! Got 'em!!

They had no clue what was coming. Best. Moment. All. Day. 

POP goes the baby bump!

How am I felling? We are 19 weeks and 1 day pregnant. Baby "Scoop" is growing rapidly. These last few weeks I have been eating non-stop. This kid can eat! I feel like I am constantly eating and never full.

Doctor Appointments: We had our 2nd trimester ultrasound and anatomy scan this morning. Scoop is measuring well, and even 4 days ahead. He's always measured a few days ahead since our very first ultrasound. Any bets on how much this kid will weigh at birth?

Today we were given hospital registration forms. We're already halfway done with this pregnancy and it's time to register for the delivery! So hard to believe. It's just flying by. Our next appointment we'll try and see if we can schedule the c-section date.

Weight gain: I've been at a steady gain of 2 pounds every 4 weeks. Not bad!

Sleep: Going well!!*knocking on wood*

Mood: Stable. But maybe I should confirm that with my husband?

Exciting moment: Booking my plane tickets for a good (Surro) friend's wedding, and extending that trip to see my first surro-babe, Peanut, and his daddies next month!!

Hello 2nd trimester. How I've longed for you!

I just love the second trimester of pregnancy. I get most of my energy back, the belly starts to "pop", and I get that lovely pregnancy glow. Finally, after 16 long weeks, I had a spurt of energy last weekend and I went to town on cleaning out closets, organizing the kids' toys, and planting some flowers. I have been wanting to do this for quite some time now but I just couldn't muster up enough energy to get anything done during the first trimester. It felt great to get so much done over the weekend.

I am currently 16 weeks and 2 days pregnant with "Scoop", as my IPs have nicknamed this little dude. Our first ultrasound together and the baby looked like a melted scoop of ice cream (mostly the placenta and yolk sac were visible), thus "Scoop" was created! Scoop currently loves bagels with cream cheese, milk, Mexican food, and chocolate. Oh, and Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream chips.

How am I feeling: I'm feeling great! I finally have enough energy to make my family dinner after work and can even stay up with them until 9:00PM now. My energy is coming back and I'm a more functional mom these days. I do have body aches and pains much earlier in this pregnancy compared to my last three, but I plan to start seeing a chiropractor here soon to take care of it. Robbie and Allen were so sweet and gifted me a pregnancy massage for Valentine's Day. It will definitely come in handy and I will be making my pampering appointment very soon.

Doctor appointments: Our next OB appointment is Tuesday, March 11th. We'll also have our second trimester ultrasound and anatomy scan at this appointment. My IFs have been able to make every appointment so far for this pregnancy. It's nice having them there and so they can experience this pregnancy to the fullest.

Weight gain: So far, I've gained 5 pounds this pregnancy.

Sleep: Sleep is going well so far. I'm able to sleep comfortably and stay asleep all night.....unless I have to pee.

Mood: I feel my mood has stabilized now that I'm in the second trimester. I'm still very sensitive though and will cry at the silliest of things.

Exciting moment: Robbie and Allen gifted my family tickets to Disneyland for Christmas. We finally had the chance to use the tickets this week and spent the entire day making memories together. It's been a dream of mine to take my kids to Disneyland now that they're older. Ticket prices are outrageously expensive and darn near impossible to afford for a family of 4. Robbie and Allen made our dreams come true and we were so grateful for the generous gift!

16 weeks pregnant and Scoop's first trip to Disneyland

 

15 weeks and it's a.....

We'll be 15 weeks tomorrow (Monday). Time is flying by with this pregnancy. I've been feeling my newest belly buddy move since about 11 weeks. As each week passes, the movements and kicks get a little bit stronger. I felt the first hiccups last week. Feeling the baby move is one of my favorite parts of being pregnant. This has been the earliest that I've ever felt movement in any of my pregnancies.

Not having to suck in your gut for 9 months feels fantastic (another pregnancy perk). Except when you haven't quite "popped" yet. Then it just looks like your gut has exploded and you've over stayed your welcome at the all-you-can-eat buffet one too many times. I'm anxiously awaiting my bump to grow into a beautiful baby belly.  My regular clothes are fitting pretty snug now but my maternity clothes are still too baggy. Such an awkward stage.

Morning sickness has hit me pretty bad this pregnancy. Even after stopping meds four weeks ago the nausea has continued. This is why I kept saying it's definitely a girl.  I had morning sickness till about 16 weeks pregnant with my own daughter. With my son, I didn't have much of any morning sickness, and with my first Surro babe, Peanut, morning sickness stopped as soon as I came off all the medication.

It's gotta be a girl!

The magic combo of Unisom and B6 has been a life saver to help take the edge off of morning sickness this pregnancy. Totally a girl.

The daddies elected to do the first trimester Harmony blood test at 12 weeks pregnant. Its's a fairly new test that you can have done just by a simple blood draw from (Surro) mom. It checks for certain genetic abnormalities and it's also able to tell you the gender of the baby!! Girl. Girl. Girl. Everyone is saying it's going to be a GIRL!

Well, we've got the results back and this baby is perfectly healthy!!! Growing right on track and even a few days ahead.

Without further adieu, I give you the gender of my newest belly buddy!!
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It's another BOY for this surro-momma and I couldn't be more thrilled!!! Robbie and Allen are over-the-moon ecstatic at the thought of not having to deal with a vagina in the house and this baby's wardrobe is already growing at warp speed.

11 weeks pregnant and our first OB appointment

As of Monday, I am 11 weeks pregnant with one healthy little bean. We had our first OB appointment of this pregnancy and everything looks great! My OB and nurse were so excited to see me back again and helping another family. I'm thrilled to be able to use the same OB as my last surrogacy.

This baby is a feisty one. I've been feeling the first flutters since last week. This is the earliest I've felt movement with all of my pregnancies. I don't really look pregnant yet, but I am sure starting to fill out! I can't wait for the bump to grow. I've been eating for two more and more these days. I get full quickly, but hungry more often. I feel like I am constantly eating. I'm making healthy food choices so the constant eating doesn't feel so bad.

Next up: We'll be going back in the next week or so for our first trimester screening. There's a new test out where we can find out the sex of the baby just by a simple blood test taken from me. Everyone is super excited to know the results. I'll have to come up with a fun idea for the gender reveal. Robbie and Allen aren't going to get away with a simple phone call to find out the sex of their baby!

How I'm feeling these days: I'm hanging in there. Nausea was getting the better of me, but then I remembered the magic combo that all of my surro-sisters rave about: Unisom and B6. This works like a charm and the magic combo last all day! I take a half of a Unisom and a B6 pill every night and the nausea is pretty much gone. AND I'm sleeping well too, thanks to the Unisom. I wish I would have used this combo for my other pregnancies!

What I'm looking forward to: I'm really looking forward to looking pregnant. I love watching my belly grow and feeling the baby move around inside of me. It's such an incredible feeling.

Until next time.....

Shit just got REAL real!!

You've waited long enough. So, here it is!!!

A faint positive line was seen on the evening of day 4 and you can see the progression from there!! 

Our surprise reveal to Robbie and Allen. They live in the condos to the right of this picture.
Their front door faces the parking lot that we're standing in.
We pulled up early Sunday morning on November 24th and called Robbie to tell them to come outside.
This is what they saw!! We had a video camera set up to catch their reaction, but my husband recorded the WRONG FRONT DOOR!! So, all you hear is their reaction while you're looking at someone else's front door. 

A little gift for R & A. What could it be?

A closer peak....

It's positive pee sticks!!!!

I had to explain how to read the pregnancy test. 

"Filled with PRIDE" indeed!

My beta results came back as 471 at 10dp5dt and 7825 at 17dp5dt. I'd say we're positively, absolutely, without a doubt pregnant!!! And there is a definite possibility of it being TWINS!!

Ultrasound next Wednesday. The suspense continues!!

Our Embryo Transfer

I know, I know....a little late (ok, a lotta late!) on blogging. Sorry!! I'm working full time these days and once I get home it's all about the kids and whats for dinner.

So, let's get caught up!

We had a 5 day fresh embryo transfer on the morning of Saturday, November 16th. 2 perfect embryos were transferred into my womb. The embryos where wheeled into the room in an incubator and we were able to view them under a microscope prior to the transfer. It was amazing to see the two little guys, healthy as can be! Everything went perfectly. My uterine lining was great, too, and measured at 11mm!

After the transfer, I spent my 24hrs bedrest at Robbie and Allen's home. They live around the corner from the IVF clinic and it just made sense to stay there and save money on a hotel room. I jokingly told Robbie that as long as I have a bell to ring and a personal chef, I would happily stay with them at their home. Living up to his promise, Robbie had a bell at my bedside and he whipped up some home made ice cream for us!! The remainder of the day was enjoyed lounging on the couch and watching movies together. It was perfect. We wrapped up the evening with story time for the little embryos. We laid there together as Allen read the little embryos their first book. It was quite the moment! Allen plans to read to the baby/ies at every chance that he gets.

By Noon on the day of the transfer I was already feeling cramps. I knew to expect cramps after the embryo transfer, but these cramps never went away. I just knew that the transfer was successful because these were the same exact symptoms that I had after my last successful transfer which resulted in my first surro-babe, Peanut!!

The remainder of my bedrest stay with R & A was wonderful and very relaxing. We all enjoyed a great home made breakfast before I headed home to my family and to wait for our first beta blood test in 10 days. Oh the suspense!!!

Allen having a look at the embryos through the microscope. Such a neat moment!!

The nurse preparing R & A's embryos for transfer. 

Little Robbie embie on the top left and little Allen embie on the top right. 

The nurse explaining the embryo quality to R & A.

Transfer complete!!
As I rested on the table for 30 minutes, Robbie and Allen placed their
hands on my tummy and had a little chat with the embryos. "Snuggle in tight little ones!"

2 little embryos transferred!

A wonderful surprise delivery from my Minnesota Love, Amy.
She spoiled us with chocolate covered pineapple, strawberries, apples, and bananas.
So delicious!

Thank you for hosting my bedrest, R & A! I truly enjoyed my stay!!