Week 32

8 months down, 2ish to go! Sam will be here in 14 days! Tim and I have been running around like mad people preparing the house for her arrival. It's always fun to have house guests, but it will be interesting this time for a few reasons. 1) Sam is staying for close to a month. We haven't had a "roommate" in years! 2) Sam will see my home in its natural form. For the past 11 months we've skyped for an hour a week in which I'm stationary and pretty successful at keeping my kids busy. Now she will see me interacting with my kids during the good moments, and the not so great moments. 3) She will watch me experience the last month of being pregnant - and for anyone who has experienced the end of a prenancy... It's not the prettiest. You're bloated, moody, and just feel gross all around. However, I am excited for her to feel her daughter move around for that last month when the baby is super active! It should be interesting!

I've also been told how big my belly had gotten this past week. I would believe it! My stomach is stretching like crazy on the inside and it is not comfortable. Luckily I'm still feeling pretty great so the discomfort is not a big deal.

I have to get back to making pies for Thanksgiving tomorrow so happy turkey day everyone!

Week 31

31 weeks! It's been an easy breezy week for me, pregnancy wise. I've been feeling pretty great. This little girly is still a crazy ninja, trying to bust out of every corner of my belly. She cracks me up. My son turned 2 this week, I have been busy wrapping up my final shoots of the year, and today my husband and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary. It's fun to think that when we look back at pictures from this year in our lives, baby A will be in the pictures, sort of.

The end is nearing! Sam has her flight booked to arrive in 20 days (I just plugged that into a countdown timer and had a mini panic attack! She's staying with us so there is lots to get done!!). My mom and I are throwing her a baby sprinkle in 22 days. Ben will be here in 49 days. Finally, baby A will be here in 53 days or less (insert HUGE panic attack here!)!! These countdowns don't include Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and all of our personal and social events going on! Man oh man!

Amidst all this craziness, I attended my monthly surrogate support group meeting last weekend. The owner of the agency had all of us over for a big Thanksgiving potluck at her home. We talked about something we haven't addressed before - postpartum depression as a surrogate. All of us there are mothers, so we've all experienced the aftermath of having a baby, but how is it different from having a child that is yours to take home versus having a baby for someone else and going home empty handed? There were some that were perfectly fine after, and some that had full blown meltdowns. I tend to be hit with the baby blues after but I've always chalked it up to sleep deprivation, hormones, and feeling like a dairy cow. I plan on being raw and honest about how I feel afterwards, because it's part of this process. I just know that whatever it is, I will have a solid support system from my surrofriends, friends, and family to get through it :)

Week 30

T.H.I.R.T.Y weeks?! Yep! It's a busy week for me personally, but an exciting week all around. We were camping this past weekend for my son's second birthday and have come home to a full schedule of appointments, photo shoots, and a last minute plane trip home for Timothy. I'm surprised I even managed to blog this week, but my regular readers are constantly thanking me for keeping up with my blog :) Speaking of planes, Sam and Ben have booked their flights and are confirming their travel plans. Sam is flying here in a few weeks and Ben will come in January. I'm excited for Sam to stay with us for a few weeks before baby girl makes her appearance. Our bi-weekly doctor appointment went well this week. She is ALWAYS moving. Constantly rolling around, kicking, having the hiccups, etc. However, we did find out that she is head down, which is exciting since she has been transverse for forever. That means she was laying sideways in my stomach. Now that she is head down (and hopefully stays that way), we can rule out worrying about a breech baby.

Sorry my post is short this week, but I have to tend to the 5 loads of laundry and full sink of dishes I have waiting for me :)

Week 29

You may spot my son, Ezra. He's been extra clingy!

 Last week in the twenties! Eeek! Super exciting! I'm feeling like a whale, and I have a cold. Yay... Everyone keeps saying how tiny my belly is, yet that just means this little girl is ALL where my internal organs should be. Haha. The reflux, kicks to my spine, it's all reminding me that this is coming to an end. I've started drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea. It's a tea that helps strengthen your uterus for labor. You drink 3-4 cups of it a day starting in your third trimester. It makes your uterus slightly contract and strengthens that muscle. I drank it when I was pregnant with my son and I had a breezy 7 hour delivery at 39 weeks. Much better from the 14 hour induction at 42 weeks with my daughter, my first. I have a few other methods, but those will begin later around 37 weeks. ((Note -- all of these methods are approved by my OBGYN and doulas. Make sure you talk to your doctor and do your research before trying anything you read in my blog, lol))

I met with my doulas this past week. They are so amazing. They brought books for myself to read to refresh my memory of what to expect from labor. Oh, but how can you forget labor and delivery? ;) People keep asking me why I hired doulas this time when I have never before, and I cannot deliver at home -- the answer is not simple. With the birth of our own children, Tim and I make an amazing team. He's right there with me, making sure I have what I need, and reassuring me that everything is going great. That moment our children were born, no one in the room except the three of us even existed in our minds. It's the deepest connection we ever have. YET, with this birth, this is not our child. Yes, Tim will be there, but I can imagine he's going to feel a little out of place, and I don't blame him. I want him to be able to be supportive for me, yet feel like he can step back and let Sam be my main support. I want the doulas there to keep the calm for everyone and just give me another source of positive energy. I want Sam and Ben to feel calm as well. I think a doula is amazing tool to have to reassure them that I am fine while laboring. It will just be organized and calm. They will also be there for those few hours postpartum when my hormones are flowing and I do not have a child in my arms. I can't wait to take a nap soon after, but also see Sam and Ben holding their daughter!