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!!

Is it hard for a surrogate to give up the baby?

No, it's not hard at all. We simply give back....

Read here:
http://www.donorconcierge.com/is-it-hard-for-a-surrogate-to-give-the-baby-up-by-pamela-macphee/

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Peanut turns ONE!

Happy birthday to my surro-babe, Peanut!! (a few days late. His birthday was Sunday, November 17th)

I have loved every minute of watching you grow and all of the updates that your daddies post on your blog. It's like I haven't missed a single milestone. I look forward to the next year and watching as you transform into an adventurous toddler!! Happy birthday, sweet boy. I love you so much!!

 

Ready to go!

My mid-cycle scan (ultrasound) and labs came back great today! My uterine lining is measuring 11.8mm and with a triple stripe (yay!!). In the surrogacy world, it's ideal to have a uterine lining over 7-8mm and with a triple stripe. The "triple stripe" occurs when the two uterine walls are so thick that they touch in the middle, creating an image on the ultrasound that looks like three stripes. The image below that I found on Google shows a great triple stripe. You can see it in the center of the photo.

We have a week to go until transfer day; Saturday, November 15th. I'm feeling good. My uterus feels heavy, tender, and achy. I chalk it up to the thick uterine lining I've got going on. I'm proud of my body and how well it is responding to the medications.

Next Saturday also happens to be my Surro-babe's 1st birthday party; He turns one next Sunday. I'm so bummed that I'll be missing his 1st birthday but hope to make a trip up north to visit him and his daddies very soon.

An Egg-cellent Brunch!

My husband and I attended a nice brunch with Robbie and Allen, Robbie's parents, and the egg donor and her boyfriend this past Saturday. It was so nice meeting the rest of the "baby making" team! Not many surrogates have the opportunity to meet the "other woman" (in a surrogacy with two dads anyway), so I feel very fortunate to have met their egg donor. She has asked to remain anonymous, so out of respect I have covered her face appropriately with an egg head.

The hardest part about brunch was keeping the transfer details from Robbie's parents!! I was so nervous I'd be the one to spill the beans by accident! I'm not good at keeping secrets and/or telling fibs. My facial expression always gives it away. Luckily, they didn't ask specific questions, so we're in the clear. Robbie and Allen have something special planned to announce the BIG news once we're officially pregnant, so the secret remains for a while longer.

Meds are coming along nicely. I'm starting to get that heavy feeling in my uterus, so I know the Delestrogen injections are working as they should be. I go in Friday for my mid-cycle scan and more blood work (story of a surrogate's life!). Fingers crossed everything looks perfect!!

Transfer in 9 days!!! Omg.