Week 34

I have to make this post short and sweet - we are leaving to pick Sam up in just a few minutes. I had my 34 week check up yesterday and baby A looks and sounds amazing. Just about five weeks left! I promise I will update Sam's arrival soon. We have a full schedule this weekend so we will be very busy!

Week 33

I swear I just posted a few days ago! Time is just flying by! Thirty three weeks down, yes! On Friday it will be 7 months since I had the transfer. It seems like that was years ago. But what's not years away is Sam's arrival -- 7 days! I'm freaking out! It's a mixture of anxiety and nervousness, but mostly excitement :) I think it will help make the end of this journey a reality. Of course I have one more post before she arrives, but I'll keep you guys included in her arrival. Now I just need to find a translator app for my phone ;)

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!

Week 28

Hello, third trimester! Just got off of skype with Sam and Ben :) It was especially important for us to skype today because it is the two year anniversary of Are's (Ar-ee) birth and passing. It's a day like today that makes me very grateful that they chose me to bring their daughter into the world. We are only three short months away. Sam will be coming to stay with us in 6 weeks until Ben can come in January. It will be nice to have her here so she can enjoy the end of the pregnancy with me. I see lots of shopping in our future ;) I had maternity pictures taken on Friday for Sam and Ben, so I have included a sneak peek. Even Sam and Ben haven't seen them! As a photographer, it was weird to be on the other end of the lens, but love that I have talented photog friends to make it enjoyable! I have a doctor appointment in the morning and a meeting with my doulas tomorrow evening! Lots to look forward to. I also passed my glucose test! Woohoo!

Week 27

Last week of the second trimester! I cannot believe how fast these weeks are sneaking up on me! Months ago I could not wait to be at this point, and now that it is here, I want it to slow down! I'm trying to enjoy this last 3 months with baby A because I know our time together is limited. I'm so excited for her mom to hold her and kiss her, but I will miss her. I received the final documents regarding her birth and records this week. The legal documents state that myself and Tim, my husband, are in no way her legal or natural parents. It was a strange feeling reading that, but I immediately lit up when it listed Sam and Ben as her natural and legal parents! It was really neat because I received these documents on their wedding anniversary. What an amazing gift to receive on that day! Today I completed my glucose test, so I should have those results at my doctor appointment next week. I hope I passed! That test is the worst. You can see the bandage wrap still on my arm in the picture. I didn't even realize I had it on still until I went to edit the picture haha! I'm still feeling great (other than a little kink in my back) so I really just want to soak up these next few months!

Week 26

Another week down! Only 14ish weeks to go! Had a Dr. appointment this morning - baby A sounded amazing! We are now going to the doctor's office every 2 weeks since the third trimester is just around the corner. She has been so rowdy lately. Last night, my husband Tim was playing on the floor with our children about 6 feet away, and he could see my belly rolling around like crazy. She has her mother's energy ;) So much energy that I now need to go see a chiropractor soon. This little girl has tweaked my back somehow. But she's worth it :) I also need to go do my glucose test this week, blehhhh. The glucose test is the worst. It tests for gestational diabetes. I will have to go to a lab and drink a liquid that taste like kool-aid with about 8 cups of sugar in it. Then, they make you sit and wait for an hour before they draw your blood. Sounds easy, right? No. The drink is ridiculously disgusting, and if you vomit within that hour, you fail. If your blood sugars test too high, you fail. You have to come back and do it for another 3 hours. Man oh man! Luckily, I've never failed with either of my own children, but I will knock on wood for this one as well! Wish me luck :)

Week 25

25 weeks! Weeee! This week I was asked every day when I am due. Soooo I am guessing it's very obvious now? ;) It cracks me up when people ask my children if they are excited to a big brother or sister and my 5 year old answers with "That's Sam and Ben's baby. She's not our baby." The looks we receive until I explain the situation are priceless!

This week I have been suffering from acid reflux and a tweaked sciatic nerve in my back. I am not one who is familiar with acid reflux so it took me a while to realize what it was. Reminds me of when I was pregnant with my son, Ezra, and thought I was having a heart attack until my husband, Tim, let me know that it was just heart burn. Haha. The joys of pregnancy! It makes sense since the baby is squishing and moving all of your organs.

I got a sneak peek of baby A's nursery! It's super adorable. Sam went with a crisp white nursery with hints of lavender and deep purples. I made a cute banner for her months ago that amazingly matches her nursery! I can't wait to see pictures of her all cozy in her own crib at home :)