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 :)

Week 24

SIX months down, less than four to go! This week I was able to capture a small video of baby A kicking and send it to Sam and Ben :) It was super exciting! This upcoming month I will be entering my third trimester (I know, already?!) and finally starting my prenatal appointments with my doula! Our monthly Dr appointments will soon be every other week, and then before we know it, every week.

Week 23

We made it! We made it to the week of viability :) Woohoo!! Only 17 weeks or so left to go! I've been under the weather these past few days, so I'm excited to be feeling better to write this week's post. I've been craving EVERYTHING pumpkin, so thank goodness it is Fall, and pumpkin everything is available in stores!

I'm excited for this week's post. After S read my blog last week, she sent me an email giving me permission to start using their REAL names in my blog! I didn't even ask her, I think just like me, she wants to read her name in this blog too. I'm excited because now I won't have a slight heart attack worrying about slipping their names in a post. This little bean's parents names are -- Sam and Ben <3 Those are actually their nicknames, but it's what I call them, so it will do. She also said she cannot wait to take pictures together for us to post. At the beginning of the journey, we have all been careful to keep their identities private and keep their faces off this blog, and now we may have a family picture to post at the end :) Truly inspirational. Sam and I (hehe, love it!) are counting down the weeks for her to come stay with us. I'm very excited for her to spend time with us at the end of the pregnancy, but I'm also nervous for her to see me at the end of a pregnancy. If you've ever experienced the end of a pregnancy, you know what I'm talking about. You're miserable, you feel like a whale, you're swollen... it's just not cute at times. It will be fun. I'm ready for this little girl to be reunited with her parents.

Week 22

Only 18(ish) weeks to go! This little girl is going stir crazy, I can tell. She is CONSTANTLY moving. She's too funny. She's currently breech, so she should just shimmy her way to being head down if she has all this time to play. We have our monthly Dr. appointment tomorrow, so hopefully S & B will be able to skype during it. I have been nesting like mad these past few days. Nothing in this house has not been touched, organized, or cleaned. It has been over 100 degrees outside the past few days, so I have plenty of time to be in the house getting things done. S & B said they are busy putting together Baby A's room too, so hopefully I will get some pictures soon! If I get their approval, I will share. S has great taste in design and style so I know it will be adorable! Next week is the week of viability, which is very very exciting! This means if she was born anytime after next week, she would have a great chance of survival outside the womb with extensive medical help. Of course I don't want her to come until she is full term, but if something were to happen, it would be medically possible for her to survive.

Week 21

We are officially on the downhill side of the pregnancy :) This week we had the full anatomy scan for baby A. She was such a ham. The ultrasound technician said that she was the most stubborn baby she has ever scanned. She is perfectly healthy, measuring exactly where she should, and has a feisty personality already! The tech was so sweet and put all the images on a disc, along with a handful of clips, so that S & B can keep them forever. We got video of her waving, playing with her feet, and yawning. Amazing clips that I don't even have of my own children. Next week we have our monthly doctor appointment. These weeks are flying by! Before I know it S will be here, after Thanksgiving, to stay with us until baby A makes her arrival! Due to work schedules, B will not be able to make it until closer to the due date, so I hope he doesn't miss it!



I also want to take this time to thank all of my readers for following my journey :) Your messages and words of encouragement have been so sweet. Today we celebrate 10,000 views to my blog! So amazing! Thanks again!

Week 20 - Halfway Point!!

We did it! We made it to the halfway point!
I've been doing a lot of reflection this week. Although I have only been pregnant with this sweet little doll for only 5 months now, mine and my family's life has revolved around this process since January. Like I said last week, I thought I would start feeling her externally soon. Sure enough, just a few days after, I felt her kick from the outside. Like all of my pregnancies, as soon as you feel the first flutters, things start to feel real. Not with this pregnancy. It's been absolutely surreal and please bear with me if I get all over the place.

Taking my injections never made this feel real.
Going to my transfer never made this feel real.
Getting a positive pregnancy tsest never made this feel real.
Ultrasounds never made it feel real.
Hearing the heartbeat never made it feel real.
Feeling flutters never made it feel real.
Feeling her kick my hand on my belly - she is real, and she is coming soon!

I keep staring at this keyboard trying to think of the words that I'm feeling, but it's unlike anything I've felt before. They're not bad feelings, and they're not feelings of sadness... but they're different. As a family, we are not celebrating the upcoming arrival of "our" baby like we normally would. We are excited she's coming, and everyone acknowledges her, but it's different. I'm not preparing our home for a new baby. I'm not shopping for a new baby. I'm not diving into my books or browsing names for a new baby. I am keeping my distance, emotionally, from this one. Not that I would EVER want to keep her, I just don't want to be emotionally crushed when she goes home with her mom and dad. That's as easy as I can put it.

Week 19

Woo, week 19!! Next week, little girl will have been baking for 5 months! She's about 6 inches from head to rump, and weighs around 8 ounces. I have a feeling that we will be able to feel her from the outside soon. She has been getting pretty strong lately. S & B just got back from their holiday and we should be skyping this weekend. It's been almost a month! Too long!

The craziest thought though, is that she has actually been in existence since February when her mom and dad came to create their embryos! And to think she's actually pretty young compared to some of the other embryos that were transferred to my surrogate friends. Science is so amazing.