Looking Back

One question that I've gotten since I delivered Gianluca, is will I be a carrier again. I must say that having the complications that I did have made me think a little bit harder about it. It really is a big risk to take, no matter what my personal history is. At my postpartum follow up visit I asked my doctor what his thoughts were, because I certainly would never do it if he didn't think I should. He thought it would be fine with one stipulation. He said he'd rather me just have a scheduled c-section instead of labor and have another VBAC. He said that way the situation is more controlled and he'd for sure be there. Which is exactly what Joe and I had agreed on when we had talked about it.

Of course, I'm not jumping the gun on this. I'm not even going to begin pursuing it (if I do at all) for at least a year. I need to give my body a break (and my family too!)  Right now I'm enjoying not being pregnant. I really thought that I would miss it, but I think the weight that I have lost has helped that. From pumping breastmilk, I'm down 20 pounds from when I got pregnant. Woo-hoo! Now, I just have to keep it off.

There is one way that I would be carrier again for sure. If Sarah and Brian would ask me to. I still would like to wait awhile (and I think they would too, lol), but I would definitely agree to do it again in a heartbeat. I would love to help give Gianluca a sibling.  As for doing it for a different couple, well, Sarah and Brian have set the bar pretty high when it comes to intended parents. ; )

All the while I was pregnant, people told me what an amazing thing I was doing. I always thought, "Eh, anyone could do this, I'm not anything special." It didn't really hit me until I saw him in Sarah and Brian's arms. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I really realized that if I hadn't carried him he wouldn't be here. I mean yes, I know it didn't necessarily have to be me. If not me, they would have had someone else as their carrier, but you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong though, I give all the glory to God. It really would not have happened if He weren't in charge.  I thank Him for giving me the ability to do what I did.

Just call me the Milk Maid

Back when I was still pregnant I had talked about how I was going to pump breastmilk for Gianluca. I wasn't sure if it would go that well because it can be difficult to establish a full milk supply by pumping alone. Well, apparently I'm not one of the difficult ones.  I didn't get to start pumping until the day after he was born because of my complications, but that didn't set me back at all. The lactation consultants at the hospital are super helpful. The one that I saw the most told me to get at least 8 pumping sessions in in a 24 hour period and that it didn't even matter if they were evenly timed out. I went by that advice and I've had nothing but success. By about 2 weeks after the birth I was up to over 40 ounces a day. I couldn't believe how much milk I was making!

It does take up quite a bit of time (about 30 minutes/session to get the full amount out), but I've gradually gotten down to fewer sessions a day. And surprisingly, I haven't seen a major decrease in my supply. I'm down to 4 sessions a day and still making between 35-45 ounces a day. The curve ball was thrown in last week, though. I went back to work. So far, I haven't seen a huge change, but I've only worked 2 nights.

I told Sarah I would pump as long as I can, so we'll see if I can work full time and still keep a full supply. I've told myself not stress about it because at least he's gotten as much as he has already. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could make it a full year though?

Brian's parents have been coming to pick the milk up every few weeks and the first time they came down they brought a small cooler. It was kinda comical. I ended up getting our big cooler out of the garage because there was no way it was all fitting in the little one!

I must say, an essential item to have is a hands-free pumping bra. It's let me do things while I pump instead of just sitting their idly. Because of it, I've also done a few things that I've never done before...like pump while in the car...as a passenger aaaand a driver. LOL Yeah, I'm sure it's quite a sight if anyone notices and I'd have some explaining to do if I got pulled over or in an accident, but hey when you're busting at the seams and still an hour away from home you do what ya gotta do, right? : )  The other day, actually, Joe was driving, I was pumping and talking away to him and not paying attention. Well, we drove by a group of junior high age girls who apparently saw me. Joe starts laughing and says, "You just totally grossed those girls out. You should've seen their faces!" Eh, whatev. Someday, they may be in a similar situation. If not, then they at least had a funny story to tell their other friends. : )

The Fourth Trimester

So, how am I feeling now, you may wonder? Well, I can break it down in two categories. The physical and the emotional.

Physically, my body bounced back pretty quickly. Which is what usually happens after I have a baby. I spent the first week and a half just hanging out on the couch as much as possible. The swelling in my legs and feet was pretty uncomfortable at times. The phlebitis in my leg was pretty ouchy until the swelling went away. My abdominal incision actually didn't feel too bad. The worst part of the whole thing was my left shoulder. What started out as a pinchy, annoying pain turned into sharp zingers anytime I moved my head or arm. What the heck? Why did my shoulder hurt so bad, when nothing had been done to it? Ah, but something had...
About 4 weeks after my surgery I recalled that one of the nurses told me she was trying to get my wedding ring off during surgery and I was fighting her. All pullin' my arm back like I didn't want that thing taken off my hand. Since I was still under general anesthesia, I'm sure I was pulling with all my might and pulled a muscle along my neck which then compressed a nerve in that area. The pain peaked around two weeks after surgery when it literally had me in tears anytime I tried to lay back in bed or reach my arms up. I ended up getting a massage and having a friend of mine that is a DO adjust my neck and back. That helped tremendously! Now, it barely bothers me at all.

Emotionally, everything with the delivery and going home without a baby went ex.act.ly like I hoped it would. While I was still in the hospital I got to visit with Sarah, Brian, and the baby. My kids got to meet him also. Everything felt like it was just how it was supposed to be. Sarah and Brian had their baby boy in their arms and couldn't have been happier. Now that I'm several weeks postpartum, I still feel great about the whole experience. Never once have I felt sad about not having a baby to care for. To be honest, and I don't mean for this to sound bad, at times I'm really kind of glad! Which, if you look back at the whole reason why I wanted to be a surrogate, I suppose that would be a good thing. : )  I've gotten to visit Gianluca a couple times in the last few weeks and that has been nice also. Plus, I am pumping breastmilk for him (that's a whole separate post to come), so I'm still serving a purpose in his life. I think the fact that I haven't just been cut off from them has helped with the emotional aspect.  I really do feel like I've made new friends through this process.

Part 3...'cause I don't know what else to call it.

Ok, so we left off with Gianluca's birth. Everything was looking fine and dandy with him. After getting me all situated, I sat up in bed to hold him and my ears promptly began ringing and I got a very disconnected feeling in my head. Just as I voiced this to Amanda, my nurse, the machine taking my blood pressure started to alarm. Yeah, my blood pressure was 70's/30's. I don't remember the exact numbers, but it was low enough that she immediately laid me flat again and opened my IV wide to get extra fluid in me.  Slowly my BP came up and my symptoms went away, buuuut I was having some major bleeding. Normally after delivering a baby, the top of the uterus can be felt around the belly button. The last time the doctor had felt mine this was about where it was, however after laying me back down and feeling it again it was over to the right and nearly up to my ribs. I was having some major bleeding and, having been a VBAC, the first thought was that my uterus was rupturing. This is nothing to screw around with and the doctor made it clear to me she was not keen on waiting to see if the bleeding slowed down.  In the mean time, the room filled up with several other nurses who came in to help. About 5 minutes later ( or less maybe) the doctor told me she felt that we should get to the operating room. I just nodded and said okay, whatever you think is best.  That sent everyone into a flurry. As in, emergency-stat-get-moving-now mode. Sarah snapped a quick pic of me halfway holding the baby.  All I kept thinking about was another coworker (and friend) of mine who had had a baby a little more than a year before and was sent to the OR emergently afterward. But, I never had a sense of "impending doom" or like I wasn't going to make it out. Except just before we went through the OR doors I thought about my life insurance policy. Yeah, I know that sounds dumb. I didn't even remember that I had this thought until a week or so later and I totally started laughing at myself.

The last thing I saw before leaving my L&D room was Sarah crying and saying she was so sorry. That was when I kinda lost it too. As they wheeled me out of the room, I squeezed my eyes closed so I wouldn't have to look at any sad eyes as I went by.

I really lost it once I was in the OR. I had nurses on either side of me telling me everything was going to be ok. Keep in mind these are girls that I work with and know well. It was comforting, but sort of scary to see the worried looks on their faces. And then a CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) was at my head telling me to breathe easy and I would be going to sleep. I calmed down and I remember thinking, "What is going to be my last thought before I go to sleep?" I think that question was also the answer.

Fast forward an hour or two (not sure how long I was out) and I woke up to being wheeled out of the OR and down to the surgical intensive care (SICU.)  So, turns out what we thought was my uterus rupturing was actually a piece of retained placenta. That and the lower part of my uterus wasn't contracting down like it should have. Both of which were the cause of my bleeding. In hind sight I really didn't need to have the surgery to see where the bleeding was coming from. But, that's just it. We only knew that in hind sight. My doctor didn't want to waste any time just in case my life was in serious danger. Yes, it made my recovery a little more rocky. I spent 5 days in the hospital instead of one like I had planned. I had to recover from a vaginal delivery and abdominal surgery. Incidentally, I also ended up with superficial phlebitis in a varicose vein in my right leg and had to have some testing done before I could be discharged from the hospital. My hemoglobin level took a couple days to stabilize from having a blood loss. But, ultimately I was fine.

My poor husband, on the other hand, was pretty shook up.  I pretty much viewed the whole ordeal with my nurses mind. He, however, saw me being rushed to the OR, saw nurses and doctors with worried looks on their faces, and had to sit and wait to find out whether I was going to make it out of surgery. Though I don't believe my life was every truly in danger, he didn't know that at the time. The next several days after the surgery he sat by my hospital bed and just watched me with a look on his face like he never wanted to leave my side again.  I just kept asking him what he was staring at. Did I have something in my teeth?

I hope I never know exactly how he felt while he waited for me to come out of surgery.

God put me in very capable, reliable hands that day. Having the knowledge that I have as a nurse, I can imagine many different outcomes to my situation. I'm thankful I got the one I did.

And the story continues.The Laaaaaabor and Delivery!

So, I left off with saying I had let the excited/nervous/anxious parents-to-be know that the show was on the road.

I made it back up to the hospital just fine, but was definitely feeling me some painful contractions. I had caught Joe in just enough time that he was able to leave work and actually follow me back up to the hospital and make sure I made it ok. We let the valet guys at the hospital park the car and the poor kid who was taking my keys looked pretty scared when I couldn't talk to him because I was having a contraction. Like I was gonna deliver a baby in his lap or something. Or maybe that was just my perception of it. : )

I made my way back up to L&D with a very surreal feeling...and very wet pants that I was hoped no one was noticing. I actually passed the husband of the last patient I had taken care of in the hallway and smiled and told him it was my turn too! He just laughed in disbelief and so did I!

When I made it through the doors of my department my friend Amanda was the only nurse around. She looked at me like "shouldn't you have gone home like an hour ago?" All I could say was, "My pants are soaked." LOL

So, by the time I got in my room and was admitted I was starting to have some serious pain. Like,"Um, I need that epidural sooner rather than later" pain. Which was taken care of very nicely and quickly, thank you very much! By that time Sarah and Brian had made it there...and the clock started ticking...and ticking...and ticking.

Of course, since his parents had made haste and gotten to Toledo as fast as they could, baby boy decided to take his time. At one point I actually started to think it was my labor with Grace repeated all over again and was going to have to have a c-section.  I made it to 9cm fairly quickly, but then putzed around for.ev.er.
But, finally I was fully dilated and ready to start pushing.

I only had to push for about a half hour, thankfully. Despite a few quirks in the delivery, he came out and pinked up and started crying pretty quickly, much to his mother's relief.

Though most of you probably saw it on Facebook awhile ago, here are his official stats:

Gianluca Anthony born at 4:21 p.m. on
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011.
8 pounds 1 ounce and 19 1/2 inches long.

And then, for me, the real fun began...

Alright, I guess it's time to share...

I've been wanting to share my birth story for well, um, almost a month now. The whole thing is going to be long, so I'm going to break it up into smaller posts, otherwise you might be here awhile...

So, here's how it started. I must begin with the day before. Tuesday, September 20th I went into work at 7pm and worked my normal 12 hour shift in labor and delivery. It was a fairly busy night and it seemed like every patient came in with her water broke. We joked several times that all we needed was for my water to break...Ha. Well, the little baby boy in my belly must have been listening. After my shift was over at 7am I was in our locker room changing back into my normal clothes (out of the hospital-issued scrubs we wear.) I had just gotten my pants on when suddenly they were soaked. My first thought was I had just lost control of my bladder...but... I had just gone to the bathroom less than 5 minutes before. I kept telling myself, "Noooo, my water didn't break. That would just be too crazy with the way we had been joking around earlier." I told a few of my co-workers what happened, but I insisted on at least trying to go home and pack a bag just in case. I was in total denial and I didn't want to look stupid in case it really wasn't broken. (I don't know what the percentage might be, but many women who come in thinking their water is broke end up going home shaking their head in confusion wondering how they could have wet themselves and not known it was pee...or other things, but we won't go there.) Anyways, I walked out with my friends and headed home, but didn't make it very far. I started having very noticeable contractions right away...along with more leaking. Wow, I really couldn't believe it was happening, but alas, it was.

I called Joe and told him what was going on. He immediately asked why I was leaving the hospital. Duh! But I was still insisting on trying to make it home real quick to get my things together, that is until I had to stop talking to him to breathe through a contraction. That's when my L&D nurse side kicked in and reminded me that this was my 4th baby, I was a VBAC, and I was still leaking like a bad faucet.  So, I gave Sarah and Brian a quick call to give them the scoop. I made sure to tell them not to freak out and drive too fast, but that their baby boy was deciding to make his debut a little earlier than we thought. (Prior to this, we had been planning on having my labor induced exactly one week later.) I was exactly 38 weeks that day, Wednesday September 21st.  Let the fun begin!

Why Now?

I've managed to stay physically healthy pretty much this entire pregnancy. But, of course, now that the kids are back in school the germs are spreading. In the last month I've had 2 colds. The first one was pretty mild and not really bothersome. But 2 days ago I was hit! Hit like a Mack truck by this nasty bug. Normally, I can still function pretty well, but being 37 weeks pregnant and pretty tired already has not helped. My sleep is already interrupted by frequent bathroom trips, so a stuffy nose and cough just add to the fun.  My poor husband has been dealing with the same illness too, plus dealing with me! I always seem to have a snoring issue towards the end of pregnancy and the stuffy nose has not helped. Sorry, Honey : (
Hopefully this nastiness doesn't linger, because I sure don't want to deal with it while in labor.

Last night, after dealing with my crabiness and irritability, my oldest son, John, said the sweetest thing to me. He knew I wasn't feeling well and said, "Mommy, tomorrow I'm going to do everything for you, all the cleaning and even the dishes! But it'll have to be after I get home from school." What a sweetheart!

On a positive note, I had my weekly OB appointment on Wednesday. Always the highlight of my week : )
He checked me and I'm 2-3 centimeters dilated now instead of 1-2 from last week. Yea!
Although, as much as I want to go into labor on my own, I hope it doesn't happen until after next Friday. Why, you ask? Well, silly me, not thinking about just how pregnant I would be, signed up to take a test to become certified in inpatient obstetrics.  This is a test that RN's can take after having worked in their field for a couple of years. So, if I pass, when I sign my name at work I will put RNC after it instead of just RN. So, what happens if I can't be there next Friday to take this test? I have to pay $125 to have it switched to another date! Ouch! Yeah, poor planning on my part...

36 Weeks...In the Home Stretch!

I had my 36 week appointment today. Dr. Bishop checked me to see if I was dilated and, lo and behold, those contractions I've been having have done a little something. I was 1-2 cm dilated (how open the cervix is) and 60% effaced (how long the cervix is.) Not anything to be crazy impressed with, but I was glad I wasn't closed and thick. It's a good start for 36 weeks, at least.

I'm getting to the point of being ready to deliver...especially every time I wake up to pee in the middle of the night! Which is usually about every 2 hours exactly.

However, my journey with Sarah and Brian won't be ending after the little mister is born. I had been tossing around the idea of pumping breastmilk just for my own benefit (weight loss) and possibly donating it to a milk bank (Yes, they are out there, in case you didn't know!), but wanted to offer it to Sarah and Brian first, of course. I wasn't sure how they would feel about it because we had never discussed it before. I told Sarah if she was totally grossed out by the thought of using someone else's milk I wouldn't be offended, but wanted them to have first dibs on it. Well, she was thrilled by my offer! So, I will be making my best effort to establish a good milk supply for him. I'm kind of anxious about it though, because exclusive pumping is a daunting task.  But I'm doing some research and making sure I've got the adequate equipment to (hopefully) set us up for success.  If anyone reading this has done exclusive pumping from the get-go please, PLEASE give me your advice and voice of experience. : )

As a side note, when Sarah told me she wanted my milk, I totally got teary-eyed! Blame it on the hormones or whatever, but I was touched. : )

35 Weeks =)

35 Week Ultrasound

I had my final ultrasound today to get an estimate of the baby's weight and how much amniotic fluid he's floating in.  Oh, and to check his position. Last time, at 29 weeks he was transverse. I knew he wasn't like that anymore because of the shape and feel of my belly. And, lo and behold, he did just what he was supposed to do...flipped to the head down, or vertex, position.  Yea! This was good news because if he was breech we'd be scheduling a c-section.  So, now we just have to pray that I go into labor on my own to make things easier, since I'm going to VBAC.  I've been having contractions fairly frequently, more than I remember noticing with my last pregnancy, so I'm hoping they're actually doing a little something to get my body ready for labor.

Anyways, back to the ultrasound. The estimate of his weight was 5 pounds 13 ounces (+/- a pound) and he was measuring exactly 35 weeks. That boy has been spot-on with his gestational age every time!  From here on he'll gain about half a pound a week, so I'm guessing he'll be between 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 pounds when he's born.  Sounds perfect to me : )

My fluid level was 18cm, which is in the normal range, high normal, but still normal. Way less than when I had Grace. With her it was 31cm. And I'm sure that was accurate because, oh boy, when Dr. Bishop broke my water it was a FLOOD!  Even as a nurse, I don't think I've seen a patient with so much fluid.  So, as long as I keep my blood sugar within normal range we should be ok.

We tried to get some good face or profile pics of him, but the little stinker was covering his face with his hands and at least one foot! Amazing how flexible babies are.

It's hard to believe he'll be here so soon. I can't wait for his Mommy and Daddy to meet him!

Can't sleep, so I guess I'll blog...

Have I ever said just how much I love my husband? I'm sure I have (and if not, shame on me!), but I'd like to reiterate some of the reasons why.

First of all, for always encouraging me to follow my dreams.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know that sounds REALLY cheesy, but it's so true.  If I didn't have his support in my surrogacy journey, who knows if I'd have ever really done anything about it.  He's the one that kept asking me if I had filled out my application for the agency way back almost a year and half ago.

Secondly, for putting up with me. For putting up with me being pregnant. For putting up with me being pregnant and irritable and tired and tearful and whiny and grumpy and just plain mean sometimes.  Before we started this whole journey, I reminded him how sucky (for lack of a better word!) the first trimester is. And this time around did not disappoint. Looking back, I think I spent most of February, March, and April laying on the couch sleeping as much as I could!  I was so exhausted. I'm sure I drove him crazy. But we got through it. Now we're in the third trimester, and Oh, Boy! The mood swings come out of nowhere.  Just tonight before bed I got very irritated and he picked up on it.  Fortunately, we communicate very well and he gently asked me what my attitude was about.  I knew it was about something stupid and didn't want to seem like I was picking on the little things, but he pulled it out of me anyways. I ended up crying, then laughing about it and apologizing for being silly. ( In case you're wondering, it was over pieces of cucumber that he dropped on the floor when he was feeding our iguana. Dumb, I know.)

And lastly, for being who he is. ( I mean, I love him for a lot more than 3 reasons, but I don't want to bore you. And maybe I already am. You may have stopped reading 2 paragraphs ago.)  We've never just had the traditional roles in our marriage.  As many of you know, Joe is an amazing cook. He would cook dinner every night if he had the time. He never ceases to amaze me with what he comes up with. Me, on the other hand, well...I'm getting better. I'm just not very creative when it comes to cooking.  I'm always impressed with how he knows just the right way to cook things. Where does he get this knowledge from?
As many of you also know, he not only works, but also goes to school full time. I tease him that he's the never-ending student, but seriously, I admire him for what he's doing. He could have just settled for a mediocre job that he really didn't like, but made decent money at and would have never really been satisfied.  Instead he's pursuing what he really wants.  And yes, it's taken awhile, but he's much closer to the end now than he was a few years ago.  All this, while working and raising a family.

And that is what is most important to him. Our family. He makes sure that the kids and I are taken care of no matter what.  And by that, I don't just mean a roof over our heads and food on the table. He's a true man of God.  He's making sure, along with me, that our children are raised in a strong Christian home. That, to me, is what is most important. I could go on and on and on about that subject.

So, there ya go. I think I got a pretty good catch when I married Joe Shinaver.  There isn't anyone out there that's quite like him.

I love you, Honey : )

34 week thoughts

Being 34 weeks pregnant now, I get asked frequently how I am feeling. I'm still feeling great, just tiring out a little more quickly at times. However, even more frequently I think I've been asked how I feel about getting closer to my delivery date and all the emotions that will come with that. Though I still don't deny that I may have some sadness about delivering a baby and not going home with one in my arms, I think what will make me the most sad is that the whole journey will be over. Right now I'm very much needed and counted on to keep this baby boy growing and as healthy as possible. Once he's on the outside, though, my part will be over.  But, all I have to do is remind myself why I am doing this in the first place.  To give someone the chance to have their own child when they otherwise would not have been able to.  And to hear my husband tell me how beautiful I am when I am pregnant... ; ) Kidding.

No, really, I can't say it enough. I feel so blessed to be a part of this journey with Sarah and Brian. Not only am I helping them fulfill their dream of having a child of their own, but they have helped me fulfill my own dream of being a surrogate. This whole entire experience has been absolutely wonderful. I wouldn't change a single thing.
I feel so grateful that they chose me to be their carrier. And I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Fingersticks, Carb Counting, and More!

Last Friday I had my appointment with the diabetic educator and dietitian at the Maternal Fetal Medicine office. As an OB nurse, none of the info was really new to me, plus I had done the same spiel when I had Alex, even though I wasn't technically gestational diabetic that time around...long story.  So, I basically knew what to expect. They gave me ideas for meals and snacks and told me when to check my blood sugar. The main idea is limiting carbohydrate intake, but still making sure I get enough to have a balanced diet. The main meal that I'm having trouble adjusting to is breakfast! I'm a cereal girl all the way, and that just isn't gone happen much anymore. I mean, I can have it, but I just have to limit the portion. Which is a good idea anyways, but you know...

So, when I wake up in the morning I check my fasting blood sugar. Then I check it again 1 hour after each meal. Yep, that's 4 times a day! Fortunately the glucometers they make now require very little blood, so I barely feel the fingerstick. So far my sugars have been very good and I've been able to follow the diet fairly easily.  It's really not bad at all, I just can't have whatever I want, whenever I want. Ah, well.

We're quickly approaching the 32 week mark and I can't believe it. I have to keep reminding myself that sooner than I realize D-Day is gonna be here (Delivery day, ha ha.)  I do love the anticipation of it, though. Would you believe that I'm toughing it out and going camping twice in the month of August? lol We don't have a bathroom in our camper, so this requires me to walk outside to the bathroom in the middle of the night...at least twice...yeah.  How much does my husband owe me for this? ; )

Meet Our Family

Last Thursday after my OB appointment, Sarah and Brian stuck around Toledo and had dinner with us. They had not met our kids yet and we thought this would be a perfect opportunity. Joe wanted to take them to a Toledo landmark for dinner and suggested the original Tony Packo's. My reaction was, "Really? You want to take them to the East Toledo?" LOL You really can't beat a Tony Packo's chili dog, though.

We got done with our appointment around 3:15 and headed over there for an early dinner. Joe met us there with the kids. It was nice because the restaurant wasn't very busy at that time, either. I always get a little nervous when my kids are around people they've never met before because you never know how they are going to behave. All in all, they were pretty good and they took to Sarah and Brian right away. John was his usual outgoing self and wasn't afraid to talk to them at all. (Hmmm...who does he get that from, Honey?) He cracks me up with how "grown up" he sounds when he talks sometimes. Alex, who is usually shy anways, was very quiet for about the first half of dinner and wouldn't really even make eye contact with anyone. Eventually, though, he opened up, especially when Sarah got him talking about playing Angry Birds :). Grace was a little in between the boys. She wanted to glue herself to my lap, but interacted with us pretty well.

Dinner was yummy and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. By the way, I had their chicken chili and it was delish! And I'm not a huge chili fan.

So, now when we talk about Sarah and Brian at home, the kids will have faces to put with the names.  : )

Carb Counting, Here I Come...

I had a good feeling it was going to happen, and today I found out for sure...I failed my one hour glucose test. The cutoff is 130 and mine was 163. That's the highest one I've had out of any of my pregnancies. Normally I would do a 3 hour test to confirm that I have gestational diabetes, but given my history with my last pregnancy we decided that I might as well just see the diabetic educator and start monitoring my blood sugars. I don't recall if I've shared it before, but with Grace I failed my one hour test, but passed my 3 hour test with flying colors...however, Grace ended up weighing 9# 2 oz and I had an excessive amount of amniotic fluid. Both were pretty good indications that I was probably diabetic with her too, just more borderline maybe since it wasn't detected by my 3 hour test.

So, there goes one of my top five things I love about being pregnant (Remember from my last post?) I will no longer be able to eat whatever I want. Phooey. Ah, well. Just gotta think about keeping this little guy healthy.

On a good note, I had another ultrasound today and my placenta is definitely not covering my cervix or really even close enough to it to be a problem.  The baby was in a transverse position, meaning he's laying across my belly instead of head up or down. This is not concerning to me because he still has plenty of time to flip, but when he does I'm just hoping he settles in head down, so we can still plan for a VBAC.

All in all, things are moving right along and the baby looks great. : )

You know you're pregnant when...

You have to remember to cross your legs when you sneeze...or else, well, you know. This happened to me about 4 times at work last night.  All I have to say is (and sorry if this is TMI) thank God for pads! lol  I know at least all of you ladies will appreciate what I'm saying. : )

With all 3 of my other pregnancies I had this weird numb/tingly/achy feeling in the top left corner of my belly once I got so big, about 26 weeks or so. It was like a skin/muscle stretching pain. Not terrible pain, just irritating. The weird thing is, this time around it's on the right side. That along with a back pain that is on the same side. I had the same back pain with the other 3 too, but on the left side. Weird. Why this time is it on the opposite side?

Anywho, how did I get to be 28 weeks already? Time is just flying by. Before I know it my kids will be back in school and it will be baby time! I have to tell you, it really is so nice to not have to plan for a new baby in the house. I am able to just enjoy being pregnant and I LOVE IT! : )

So, along those lines here are
THE TOP 5 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BEING PREGNANT:

5. The clothes. Yes, I love wearing maternity clothes. Nowadays, they are considerably fashionable and SUPER comfy. It's like wearing your "fat" clothes everyday, but still looking cute. ; )

4. The conversation. Who doesn't like talking to a pregnant lady? I know, there are some annoying people out there who ask dumb questions, but for the most part I enjoy hearing other people's stories of pregnancy and childbirth.

3. Eating. I love that I can eat just about whatever I want, because when I'm not pregnant that is not the case. And if I say I want it at 10:30 at night, nobody questions it. lol

2. Feeling baby movement. There's nothing like it.

1. Just the good feeling I have in general. Especially when the third trimester comes around. Yeah, I get more uncomfortable and it's harder to move, but I just like the way I look and feel. It sounds cheesy, but I feel like I'm fulfilling my appointed purpose. : )

26 weeks 3 days :)

26 weeks and randomness

So, it's been way too long since I've posted. I think it's mainly because summer is here and I've got more energy to run around here and there with my kiddos, so I've been on the go more. It's funny, at times I still forget that I'm pregnant. Weird, I know. But since I don't have to worry about planning for a new baby and buying things and choosing a name and such...I sometimes get so distracted with life around me that I forget the little mister is there until he squirms around. And there's a LOT more of that going on. At times it seems like he moves a ton for being only 26 weeks :)

So, last week I had another ultrasound to check where my placenta was. It's still low-lying, but Dr. Bishop still thinks it won't be a problem. Just to cross our T's and dot our I's (as he put it), I'm going to have another ultrasound in 4 weeks (well, 3 now, since it's a week later.) I think this is the most ultrasounds I've ever had in a pregnancy! Not complaining though, at all. It's always nice to see how he's doing. It's hard to believe after this next appointment I'll be in my third trimester and going to the doctor's every 2 weeks instead of every 4.

Anyways, Sarah was unable to get out of work last week for our appointment, so Brian brought a few special guests with him. The Grandma's! :) I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting each of their mothers. They were both very nice and very respectful of my privacy during the appointment, despite me telling them not to worry about it! I'm nearly as excited for them as I am Sarah and Brian and wanted them to feel welcome and truly be a part of the experience.  They were both very grateful to see the baby on the ultrasound and I'm so glad that they were able to come.

I've been daydreaming a lot recently about how the labor and delivery of this baby will go. Each of my babies have made their entrance in their own unique way. With John, I pushed for 2 hours almost to the minute and had an epidural that really didn't work that great. Though I look back on it with fond memories, I really wouldn't want to repeat it. With Alex, I went into labor on my own, which was wonderful (I was induced the first time around, which was fine, but nothing compared to natural labor) and had a great epidural and pushed for about 20 minutes. He, however, gave us a little scare towards the end because his heart rate dropped with every contraction, but he came out just fine. And of course my sweet little (Ha!) Grace, who decided she didn't want to come out like her brothers. I was induced with her because we already knew she was on the bigger side. My labor progressed quickly, but then got stuck at 8-9 centimeters dilated because not only was she 9 pounds 2 ounces, but she was face up instead of face down. It's (in most cases) a lot harder for a baby to come through the pelvis face up. So, she got stuck and I had to have a c-section. Which really wasn't a bad experience either. I really just felt like I had done a million sit-ups. Otherwise, I bounced back just like I did with the boys.

So, that's why I've been thinking about this delivery so much...I'm not really sure yet which way little mister will make his grand entrance. My goal is to have a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) because I'd like to have at least one more surrogate baby and I don't want to have too many c-sections. But, if I have to have a c-section, then I'm ok with that too. Either way, I just can't wait for Sarah and Brian to meet their son.  I get giddy with excitement just thinking about it. Sigh...he will be here before we know it.

On a side note, I had a dream last night that I had twins (don't remember if they were boys or girls) but their names were Tachy and Brady.  You have to be in the medical profession to find that amusing...why in the world would I dream that??? lol

22 weeks and 2 days!

It's a...

BOY!!!

I posted it on Facebook, but forgot to put it on here (duh!) so, sorry to anyone left wondering. It's kinda strange how all along I have felt like this baby was going to be a boy. The only thing that made me second guess myself was that the day of the ultrasound I had a dream that I was having twin girls for a friend of mine (who, mind you, just had a baby girl 8 weeks ago! Sorry, Erin, I wouldn't wish that upon you at this moment in time!) and when I woke up I thought, "Hmmm...maybe it is a girl?" But, nope! If you could see the ultrasound pic (which some of you have) you'd see there's definitely no denying it! lol This little guy is half Italian... ;)  That may be a little inappropriate, but I couldn't resist!

This is the time I love...

This point in pregnancy is probably one of my favorite times because I'm just big enough that people can tell I'm pregnant (or most anyways; there may still be a few who wonder if I'm just a little rounder in the middle.), but not hugely uncomfortable, I'm well into the second trimester, so my energy level has returned to near normal, and I'm feeling lots of movement. I feel great! I secretly love the attention my pregnant belly gets...shhh, don't tell :) It makes for good conversation, especially this time around. As I've said before, I love sharing this experience with my family and friends...and the odd friendly stranger or two.

If any of you out there has ever thought about being a surrogate or are just more curious about the whole process, please feel free to ask me. I'd love to point you in the right direction to start your journey :)

21 weeks

Today we had our big mid-pregnancy ultrasound. Everything looked absolutely perfect! The baby was in breech position (which is ok for now) and was very cooperative. The little peanut was estimated to be about 1 pound 1 ounce, which is right on track.

Of course you're probably wondering...did they find out the sex? Well...yes, but I'm not at liberty to share yet! :) Soon enough, though. Once they tell their families then I'll be sure to post it.

The only issue we saw on the ultrasound was that I have a low-lying placenta right now, but the top of it stretches up to the top of my uterus, so Dr. Bishop is not really concerned about it. Placentas only move up as the pregnancy progresses and the uterus grows. We're going to check another ultrasound in 4 weeks just to make sure, but it shouldn't be a problem.

I'm so excited that everything is going so well. Time is just flying by, too. I'm feeling more and more movement. John (my 5 year old) has been asking me when he'll be able to feel Sarah and Brian's baby move. And Grace points to my belly button and says, "Baby button!"  Not sure where she got that from.

And I can finally say I feel GREAT when people ask me how I'm doing. The fatigue is gone and I've got way more energy. It's wonderful!

Odd Questions I Get

I never mind talking about my surrogacy journey, ever. I love sharing my experience with people and in general most have many questions...sometimes some very odd ones. Here are a few of the ones I can remember most.

"Do you know them?" - When I've had people ask me this they didn't mean was I good friends with them. They meant am I completely doing this blindly for strangers I know nothing about.  Seriously. Of course, I have had people ask if it's for someone I'm friends with already, but on more than one occasion I've been asked if I know WHO THE PARENTS ARE.  This just baffles me. I mean, I know people give babies up for adoption without knowing who their baby is going to, but this situation is a little different...actually more than a little.  We weren't just randomly put together to create a person. Sorry if I'm sounding a little harsh, but I'm always taken aback when I'm asked this.

And then there are the people who do seem a little surprised at how little time I have actually known Sarah and Brian. Which I can totally understand. We met in October and by January I was carrying their baby.  It really is kinda crazy when I think about it, but that is where my faith comes in. I knew I wanted to be a surrogate for 4 years before I acted on it. I knew the type of couple I wanted to carry for. I knew what my intentions and motivations were. I had the support of my husband and family the whole time. And, of course, I prayed about it. And now that I'm carrying their baby, I pray over him too. (I'll say "him" to simplify things) I pray that this child will have a wonderful, happy childhood and grow into a strong, responsible, successful adult. I pray for God's protection to be over him as he grows and develops, both before and after birth.  That even though there will be trials and difficulties in life, that he will be able to learn from these experiences and become a better person because of them. I pray these things over Sarah and Brian's child just as I do for my own children.

Ok, so I went off on a little tangent there, but a good one. Back to the weird people, I mean questions. ;)

"What if you don't want to give the baby up?" - Uuuummmm...it's not my baby to give up. And I really don't want to have my pants sued off.  And I really don't want another baby in my house because it would have to live in the garage. I already have 3 kids sharing one bedroom! No, really I do expect to have some sad feelings when I leave the hospital with empty arms, but when I think about the excitement that Sarah and Brian will be experiencing it makes it all worth it. And believe me, my arms won't be empty for long. My 3 monkeys at home will have them filled back up in no time. Wait, now that I think about it maybe I should see just how long I can extend my stay at the hotel...I mean hospital. ;) Kidding.

And finally, drum roll please.

"Was it planned?" - WHAT?!?!?! (This question wasn't actually posed to me, but to one of Sarah's family members.) I don't think I would've been able to respond.

I'm sure as the belly gets bigger and more people ask me about the baby, I'll get a few more good ones to share.

17+ Weeks...

I had my regular check-up with Dr. Bishop on Friday. Everything went great and I was in and out within half an hour. The baby's heart rate was in the 140's and sounded good. My blood pressure was fine and my weight stayed the same as last appointment, which is fine too.  I've never gained much weight with my pregnancies, which I'm thankful for because I gain weight easily non-pregnant. With my boys I gained about 20 pounds and with Grace I only gained 10. With each of them I lost about 5 pounds in the first trimester, which is true for this pregnancy too. So, I have yet to even gain back the 5 that I lost, but my doctor is ok with that and it's actually pretty common.

One new pregnancy "symptom" I started experiencing this week...Movement! I was really surprised to be feeling the little peanut already, I'm not sure why, but I was. This was about the time I started to feel movement with my boys, but with Grace it wasn't until about 22 weeks because I had an anterior placenta, meaning the placenta was at the front of my uterus and cushioned any little kicks I would have felt earlier.  I was excited to share this news with Sarah and Brian because it's such a reassurance.  I'm sure it's got to be such a good feeling for them.

So, the next appointment will be our mid-pregnancy ultrasound. It's scheduled for May 26th, so I'll be 21 weeks and 1 day pregnant. It's going so fast, especially thinking that we transferred this baby as a tiny little 3 day embryo back in January. And now it's May. Wow. It's gonna seem like I've been pregnant for.ev.er. LOL

By the way, if you haven't noticed, I added a little poll to the right side of my blog for you to guess what the sex of this baby is. Please feel free to take a guess, I'm curious what you all think!

Just Checking In

So, it's been more than a week since my last post. I know you're all just checking your computer every 5 minutes to see if I put up a new post (Right?), but I really don't have a lot to talk about right now. Not much has changed. I'm still really tired, but have little bursts of energy here and there (which then tire me out! lol) I've lost about 5 pounds since the beginning of the pregnancy, which is normal for me. My appetite changes so much. Believe me, I haven't been depriving myself of anything. If it sounds good I eat it! I just get full quicker. Plus the things I've been craving (apples, oranges) are healthier.  I have been experiencing more frequent heartburn, which I don't remember having this early with the others. In my other pregnancies I just used tums to treat it, but I know it's just gonna get worse, so I asked Dr. Bishop for a script for Prevacid.  My insurance doesn't want to cover it because you can get a different dosage of it over-the-counter, so I'll have to see what we can do about that. In the mean time I bought some Pepcid AC and it really has helped.  I read in a magazine that they actually made a link between the hormone that grows hair and having heartburn in pregnancy (You know, the old wive's tale about mothers who have a lot of heartburn in pregnancy birth babies with a lot of hair?) So, how much hair is Sarah and Brian's baby gonna have? ;-)

Another symptom that has popped up earlier than I expected is waking up to pee in the middle of the night! At least once a night, sometimes twice already! I guess 4 pregnancies makes for a weaker bladder. But, all in all, I don't have lot to complain about, though if you ask my husband he may disagree! (Hey, I gotta have someone to gripe to.)  

I've noticed that my belly has started to stick out a little bit more, but I fear I'm entering that stage where people start to think, "Is she pregnant or just fat?" But especially when I'm laying in bed, I can feel the roundness of my growing uterus. : )

12 weeks 6 days

I had my regular OB appointment today with Dr. Bishop. We listened to the baby's heartbeat on the Doppler and it was in the 150's and sounded great. As usual, I was in and out of the office in about 20 minutes.  Dr. Bishop always says I make his job easy, but honestly I really don't have much to complain about.  Sarah and Brian weren't here for this appointment, which was totally fine since it was such a quick appointment.  Next month will be the same way, but then the appointment after that will be the big 20 week ultrasound which they, of course, plan to be here for.  

So, we're already headed into the 2nd trimester. The time when a woman is  supposed to start feeling better and getting more energy...Yeah, not so sure how much of that will be going on. Don't get me wrong, I am feeling better, but how much energy can I really expect to have when I'm chasing 3 kids around plus trying to keep up with housework and working 36 hours a week? But it's ok, because I expected this and still chose to do it. It's my only real complaint and it too will pass...right? ;)

When I picked Alex up from school today his teacher asked me if I went to the doctor's because Alex had made sure to tell everyone that I was going to have the baby in my belly checked. I told her yes, that I had and she promptly congratulated me on my pregnancy. And I promptly filled her in on the whole situation. She said it all made better sense now because when she asked Alex if he was going to be a big brother again he said no, that the baby wasn't coming home with us. We had a laugh over the whole situation, but it made me feel really good about being upfront and honest with the kids from the get-go. I guess maybe he understands a little more than I thought?

Q&A #5

Can you still, uh, you know...?


Yes..'nuff said.

Q&A #4

Can anyone at all be a surrogate as long as they are healthy physically and mentally? Could a college kid do this for health insurance?


I'll tell you what the requirements are for most agencies first. 

• You have to have had at least one child of your own. (Most require you also have custody of that child.)
• You have to be generally healthy and no major medical history.
• Never had any STD's.
• Be between the ages of 21-38 (some say 42, depending on health.)
• You have to pass a psychiatric evaluation.
• Most require that you not be on Medicaid (welfare.)
• Be average weight for height.
• Non-smoker and no history of drug abuse.

That being said, there are the emotional aspects to think about too. You really have to be comfortable with the thought of carrying a baby for 9 months and then hand it over to its rightful parents. You also need to be comfortable with the idea of possibly losing your fertility in the process due to pregnancy or delivery complications. It's because of this that most surrogates wait until they are done having their own children before they choose to carry one for someone else. 

So, could someone do this for health insurance? If you mean, are they automatically given health insurance because they are pregnant, then no. Most intended parents pay for the health care costs out of pocket because even if the surrogate has insurance, many insurance companies have surrogacy exclusions. Meaning, if it's not your own baby that you're carrying they aren't going to pay for it. However if one wanted to use the money they are compensated with to purchase their own insurance, then I suppose they could, but probably wouldn't be able to until after the baby was born.


There is also the option of matching with intended parents independently avoiding the middle man of the agency. This option is cheaper (Most agencies charge around $10,000 for their services.) but can be much riskier. You can skip some of the steps, but most intended parents don't want to chance that the surrogate they are choosing isn't really going to try to keep the baby or try to get as much money out of them as possible. And vice versa, most surrogates want the security of knowing the parents are going to do what they say they are going to. That's not to say it cannot be done safely and securely, because agency involvement or not you still have be sure you are comfortable with each other. The whole process requires an immense amount of trust.


I don't try to pretend I know everything about surrogacy, because I certainly don't. Fortunately, everything I've been through has gone very smoothly. I've read peoples stories where the situation has gone very wrong or has been very difficult, so I count my blessings. I've learned a lot by doing research online and my biggest resource is www.surromomsonline.com . Just about any question you may have can be answered on this site and through its message boards. It's a wonderful tool to have handy.

First Prenatal Appointment and Another Ultrasound

So, it's been a little longer than I planned since my last post. I'm 9 weeks and 5 days and boy...am I feeling it. Last week I was soooo tired. It seems a little better, but not much.  I've also been having an upset stomach. Not really nauseated, just feeling icky. The foods that I normally love don't even sound good. I was the same way in my other pregnancies too.  What does sound good is cereal. I could eat it for every meal. Also I've been craving fruit. Which was the same in my other pregnancies as well. I was telling someone this and they said, "Well, at least that's better than craving McDonald's!" Very true! :)  I've also had a really bad taste in my mouth, which I do not remember ever having before. I think it could be from the meds that I'm still on (prometrium and estrace) but I'm not sure. So, I've been trying to chew gum most of the time between meals.

I just can't wait to get some of my energy back! I feel bad for my family because I've been very unmotivated to to do anything around the house.  I know Joe gets frustrated by this (Love you, Honey!) so I try to do as much as I can. He's been really great, though, and helps me a lot despite being in school and working.  I think this is one of the times where being a night shifter is a disadvantage.  I stay up all night for work 3 nights a week and then sleep during the day and I've found that even on my nights off when I do sleep at night I still have no energy in the morning. I don't find the motivation to do anything until after noon!

So, at 9 weeks pregnant last week we had another ultrasound and first prenatal appointment with my OB physician. Everything looked great on the ultrasound and the little peanut was measuring exactly 9 weeks like it should. And boy, was that little peanut wiggling! It was cracking us up. Like it had its own little soundtrack in there and couldn't resist dancing. The heartbeat was 178 because it was moving around so much!

I was really looking forward to having Sarah and Brian (Yep, they gave me permission to use their names in my blog! Yea!) meet my OB, Dr. Bishop. As I've said before, I really really like him.  As most of you know I am a labor and delivery nurse, so I work with him, but I was a patient of his before I worked in that department. I've found that I love working with him just as much as I love being his patient.  I hope that they like him as much as I do!

Q&A #3

Do you worry about postpartum depression issues related to giving the baby up? Or do you feel like the overwhelming sense of doing something awesome for someone will compensate? 


In a few words, No and Yes.


That being said, I'm not going into this with unrealistic expectations. Right now I feel like I won't have much problem delivering a baby and having it go straight into the arms of it's mother. But when that time comes and my hormones are shifting and surging I'm almost sure I will have some sense of loss. That is why I am trying to prepare myself for that even when I don't feel that way right now.  Just thinking about how joyful the moment will be when my IP's physically have their baby in their arms reminds me why I'm doing this and makes me so happy that I'm able to do this for them.  There are some women out there who are Traditional Surrogates, meaning the baby they carry is biologically their own (they use artificial insemination) and that I know I could never do. I would never be able to give up a baby that is mine. It takes a very special person to do that, and many families have been helped by them.


Joe and I have talked about planning some sort of vacation after I deliver so that I will have something to look forward to.  The timing will have to be just right, though, because he'll be in school, as will the boys. I'd love to be able to just get away with Joe and go somewhere we've never been before. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but I'd like this trip to be as stress-free as possible! :)  So, hopefully we'll be able to work something out around our schedules.

Q&A #2

Do you feel like the Intended Mother may deal with jealousy issues due to you being able to get pregnant so easily? In the end she is receiving the "reward", but do you think she will have a hard time seeing you pregnant knowing that she won't ever experience that?


This is a difficult question to answer because I am not her and will never be in her position.  I can totally understand any jealous feelings she would have because I know how much I have enjoyed my pregnancies and if I had not been able to experience this I would feel like something major was missing from my life.  However, as we all know, sometimes in life we have to make difficult decisions and I'm sure my IP's have made many to get to the point where we are right now.  I know that if I were in her position I would probably do everything in my power to have a child as well. I know this though, God has plan for every life, including the way it is brought here to this world.  I also believe that God has a way of protecting us even when we don't realize it. Like those times when you get angry for getting stopped by a red light, only to drive 2 minutes down the road and pass a horrible accident. You can only wonder, "Would that have been me?"


And in our situation, I think they have chosen to see that the pros (having their own biological child) outweigh the cons (not being able to experience carrying and delivering a baby.)  I hope that I've made them feel like I am available to them anytime, because I want them to be involved in every single bit of this journey.  I know that I'm doing this as a service to them, but how can I not feel honored and blessed to be part of such an incredible journey. This is their show, I'm just a   supporting actress.

Q&A #1

So I'm going to do some Q&A sessions here and at my husband's suggestion I'm going to answer one question per post...just to keep you all coming back for more! ;) (And so my posts aren't forever long!)


How are you preparing your kids for this and will you get to see the baby after it is born?


Joe and I have 3 kids. John is 5, Alex is 3, and Grace is 1. We've told all of them that mommy is going to have a baby, but the baby isn't mommy's baby and she's not going to be bringing it home after it is born (Thank God! lol) John is old enough to understand that I can have a baby for someone else, but young enough to not ask too many questions about how it all works. Alex just simply accepts it all as fact and goes on about his day. And Grace, well she's too young to think about anyone but herself and probably won't realize much happened.  All in all, though, we're being completely honest about the whole experience with them. They haven't met the IP's yet, but they will at some point along the way.


As for seeing the baby after it's born, I'll be able to see it, but I want to give the parents as much privacy as possible. I know they aren't going to just cut me off after the baby is born.  Ideally, I'd like see pictures every once in awhile and maybe get together occasionally. I'm totally open to whatever they choose.  We have a really good relationship so far.

The Ultrasound Results Are In...

We officially have ONE healthy little baby growing!  Everything looked really good and the baby had a heartbeat of 138, which is perfect. It's supposed to be anywhere between 120 and 160. Now that we've established that everything is progressing as expected, I get to switch to my regular Ob/Gyn (Whom I love and can't say enough good things about!) for the rest of my prenatal care. 


This is such an exciting time. With all of my pregnancies I have lived for that next appointment and couldn't wait to hear that heartbeat on the Doppler. This one will be just as exciting, yet different of course, but in a good way. Because this is my 4th pregnancy (in 5 1/2 years, no less) it almost feels like I'm just getting back in the saddle and I have to remind myself what an exciting and new experience most of this is for my IP's.  I remember when I was pregnant with John (my oldest) and loving every single step along the way and having the excitement and anticipation of what was to come.  Not that I didn't have that with Alex and Grace, but when you already have little ones at home to keep you busy you just don't get to enjoy it like you do with the first.


Thank you all for your prayers that have gotten us to this point. Please continue to pray that this pregnancy goes smoothly and without complication. Children are a gift from the Lord and I'm so blessed to be a special part of that for two wonderful people.

I had a dream last night...

I had a dream last night that I had an ultrasound and it showed we were having twins! Weird thing about the dream was that the ultrasound was done by Dr. Arias who was a maternal fetal medicine doctor at The Toledo Hospital (where I work) and passed away several years ago.  Don't know why I would've dreamt that because I  never saw him as a patient and really didn't work with him that much either. Hmmmm...

All I know is, I sure can't wait until February 15th to find out!!!  I'll be sure to keep everyone updated.

The 2 Week Wait

So, after the embryos were transferred we had to wait 2 weeks from the day of the egg retrieval to find out if I was actually pregnant. Of course, this time drags on very slowly. I took several cheap (dollar store-cheap) home tests that were all negative, but I was expecting that. It just satisfied my need to check just in case it came up positive. However, the day before I was to have my blood drawn for a beta HCG (an early pregnancy hormone) I had the chance to buy a First Response Early Result pregnancy test and just couldn't resist. And lo and behold...it was positive! I was so excited and immediately took a picture of it on my phone and sent it to my IM.  We were both thrilled and I was so happy to share that news with her.


The next day (Wednesday January 26th) I had my blood drawn, and even though I had taken the home test, I was still anxious. It came back with a result of 205.  >5 is pregnant, so I was more than a little bit pregnant ;).  Ideally the number doubles every 48-72 hours, so I had it drawn again on Friday and the result was 481. So, it more than doubled!  This was very reassuring.


So, that's where we are right now. I'm pregnant, but we don't know yet if it's one baby or two... :P 
I have an ultrasound scheduled for Tuesday February 15th. That's still a week and half away!!! This waiting period is even worse, I think.  Part of me just knew that the transfer would work. I mean, why wouldn't it have? I got pregnant without trying twice (Hello Alex and Grace!) and this time was very calculated and planned out.  But, since we put TWO embryos in there...well, you never know.  Both embryos implanting happens quite frequently, especially since our embryos weren't frozen and were such good quality.  So, my IP's could quite possibly be doubly blessed!

Getting you caught up

Ok, so it's been awhile...a long while.  I promise I'm going to do better. My last post I talked about how I wanted to be a surrogate (more accurately, a gestational carrier.) We got everything settled with RAI and in October we were matched with a great (more like AWESOME!) set of Intended Parents (IP's). Everything has been almost surreal since then. I met with their reproductive endocrinologist in early November and started the preparation necessary to carry a baby.  On Wednesday January 12th they retrieved the Intended Mother's (IM's) eggs and mixed 'em up with the Intended Father's (IF's) sperm and made some really good embryos.  3 days later, on January 15th, two of the best embryo's were transferred into my uterus. The whole process for me was very easy and painless (other than having a full bladder with an ultrasound head being mashed into it.)  My IM had it the worst; from what I've heard egg retrieval is not a very fun procedure. Google it and you'll get the idea. So, after the embryo transfer the waiting game began...


Here is a picture of two 8 cell embryos (this is not the actual picture of ours, just one I found online, but you get the idea.)

It's amazing to me that we all start this way (smaller, actually, and from two separate single cells!)  God is so amazing! I am so excited and honored to be a part of this journey.