31 week update... Surrogate Side

Date: October 29th, 2013

How Many Weeks:  31 weeks!

Total Weight Gain: I'm guessing 18lbs - we'll find out for sure on Friday for our big ultrasound appointment!

Baby Size:  Pineapple


What is going on with this baby:

• He's going through major brain and nerve development.
• Eye development, too. His irises now react to light!
• All five of his senses are in working order.  I wonder if he now knows that he is kicking/punching those awkward parts.  Maybe he likes the sudden surprise movements on my part that his escapades evoke... ??  I was beginning to think that maybe we were beyond that, but low-and-behold... It starts back up today!

Maternity Clothes: Yes. Yes, I wear maternity clothes.  I'm almost beginning to wonder if I should just remove this little section.  However, I'm reluctant to make any changes.  Me and change don't mix well; believe it or not.  And, besides, I usually always come up with some little story to tell.  Just not this time.

Sleep: Great!  No problems, really.  I continue to toss and turn, but like I said last week, it is totally normal for me to do that without being pregnant.  Something that is really beginning to be a nuisance is leg cramps.  Whenever I stretch in bed, I have to be extra cautious not to stretch all the way down to my toes.  If I do (and don't immediately pull my toes back to my shin for relief), I will get the most massive leg cramp known to man.  Otherwise, sleep is great (and even the little angel hugs and kisses couldn't change that)!

Movement: I did it!  I got a video of the little bugger trying to punch/elbow his way out!!  I sent it to K&J - it was so cool.  But...I can't get it to post here.  LOL!  I've tried everything; post from my phone, send video to YouTube to post from there; copy and paste it -- nope, it's not working.  Sorry all!  K said that she'll try to upload it when she posts (which will be soon)!

Symptoms: Okay, hold on to your seats.  Get ready for the ramble of all that is achy (more like whining)... 

1. My back hurts.  Yeah, enough said about that.
2. I can't eat large (or even medium/small) meals without needing to take breaks.  Funny thing, just yesterday my husband looked at me during dinner and asked why I wasn't eating.  I took that as an opportunity to give him a little tutorial on my growing belly.  I lifted my shirt and gave him a demonstration as to just how much room my stomach has at this point.  I even explained that much of what I eat just sits in my esophagus until my stomach can digest over time (which, in turn, explains my breaks).  I even told him that if I happen to have to belch, if I'm lucky, some of the already chewed food will resurface with the bubble.  I ended the conversation with a good belly rub to show him that there is no stomach right there and that it is ALL BABY.  (wink, wink)
3. My jackets don't fit.  If I try to wear my winter ski jackets, baby boy is not happy.  I tried wearing one this past week and it felt like the little bugger was trying to claw his way out.  And, when I unzip the jacket, I can feel my belly expand.  I have since been relying on my peacoat that happens to only have a two-button closure just above the belly which allows breathing room. 
4. There are times (like this past Sunday) that are really painful.  There was so much pressure on my cervix.  I think my problem was I over-did-it on Saturday.  It was a long day.
5. My belly is making a good table - here's a positive one for you.  When eating, I find it necessary to pull my plate to my belly.  A problem I am facing, though, is sitting at my computer at work.  Maybe I should just pull my laptop to my "belly-table"... ?  Hmm.  Food for thought.
6. My belly is really beginning to stretch.  Although I never got any stretch marks with my own children, I still find myself thoroughly examining my belly for any trace of them.  And then I reapply lotion -- just to be safe.
7. Oh, and my back hurts.

Food Cravings/Aversions:  I ADORE APPLESAUCE.  That's it.  Carry on.

I'm looking forward to:  an ultrasound on Friday!!  K and her mother-in-law will be joining me for the appointment - so exciting.  (And, I just learned that this will be K's mother-in-law's very first grandchild!  Can you imagine how excited she must be?!  I can't wait to meet her.  And, they're both gonna be able to feel this baby boy move in my belly!  He won't be shy for them, right??  He moves all day long normally, so I have a good gut-instinct that he'll play nice.)  I was officially transferred to my new doctor at my last OB appointment since we plan to deliver at a different hospital so I will also have my intake appointment with my new doctor on that same day.  Since K was going to be here for this appointment, I thought that it would be a good opportunity to tour the hospital where we will be delivering.  I had delivered there before, but I thought it'd be nice for K to have an idea of what to expect and where to go.  Since tours are usually given in the evenings or on the weekends, I called the hospital to explain our situation.  They were very accommodating! 

Belly:

30 week update... Surrogate Side

Date:  October 21st, 2013

How Many Weeks:  30 weeks!

Total Weight Gain: 17lbs.  Although it's alarming to me to be gaining 1lb/week, my doctor does not seem at all concerned and continues to tell me that my weight looks good!  I'm going to believe her - she's the doctor, right?

Baby Size: Cucumber



What is going on with this baby:

• His skin is getting smoother.  And baby soft, I would assume...  Eager for the moment of his parents' first touch!
• But his brain is getting wrinklier -- to make way for all that essential brain tissue. 
• He's now strong enough to grasp a finger!  Oh, what a moment that will be!  I cannot wait to see this!!

Maternity Clothes: Of course!  With my continuous weight gain and the growth of this little bugger, I'm not going to be losing any weight any time soon...  There is just no going back.  (I did, however, try to wear a pre-pregnancy sweater the other day.  Let's just say that the maternity tank underneath got a lot of use.)

Sleep:  No complaints here.  It's funny how if I become startled, baby boy gets a move on!  He is kicking and squirming like a pro!  But, he's pretty quick to calm down so I can get back to sleep.  He's a sweetie!

Movement: Yep, he still likes to get down!  Just last night I swear there was a boxing match in my belly.  Not sure who or what he was punching/kicking, but that little man kinda freaked me out for a few seconds!  And, no, I wasn't able to get it on video...  Boo!  This baby boy obviously doesn't subscribe to the same fitness mindset as me (wink, wink):

Symptoms: My fatigue is becoming increasingly unwanted and more apparent.  By the end of the day, I literally just want to plop on the couch and sit there.  And when I finally  do make it there, I can barely tear myself away to even get to bed.  LOL!  Oh, and my back it hurting a lot, too.  Just really achy.  I think I need someone to give it a good crack/adjustment. 

Food Cravings/Aversions: Nothing specific.  Still adoring my desserts.  Last night, I set aside some time for making Halloween sugar cookies with the kids.  Really, they're for the kids.  o.O

I'm looking forward to:  being able to put my cute shoes on again.  I've been limited to my Stegmann clogs these days (not that I'm really complaining since they are the most comfortable shoes ever).  I'm having great difficulty putting anything on other than slip-on shoes.  It's beginning to get relatively cold here so my sandals are out of the selection cycle.  I even have a tough time getting my Uggs on!!!  My feet, I guess, have swelled a bit, so my Danskos are not my favorite right now.  All in good time.  All in good time.

Belly:

29 week update... Surrogate Side

Date: October 17th, 2013 (Happy birthday to my sister-in-law, Ellen, and nephew, Bo!)

How Many Weeks:  29 weeks!

Total Weight Gain:  Well, if I'm going with the 1lb/week average we've been seeing... I've gained 16lbs thus far.  OB appointment tomorrow afternoon for an accurate read.  No scales at home for this girl!  (Before this surrogacy, I never paid any attention to the scale at the doctor's office for my pregnancies.  I track it this time around for K&J and all of YOU!)  

Baby Size:  Acorn Squash


What is going on with this baby:

• He's getting a little cramped in there, since he's growing so fast. (Yeah, I'm feeling all of those jabs and kicks -- love it!  And, they are still occasionally directed in the awkward girlie parts... Not-so-love it!)
• He's growing white fat deposits under his skin, and his energy is surging because of it.  (Surging??  Oh, come on!  He can't get any more active!!!!  LOL!)
• Baby boy can totally hiccup now.  Haven't felt it yet, but I'm sure I will!

Maternity Clothes:  I can't find a perfect medium.  I have two different styles of maternity pants; elastic, stretchy belly band style and under-the-belly "regular" fit.  I prefer the under-the-belly style since I really hate the way the stretchy band feels over my belly.  I usually will just fold the band over so it sits just under my belly button - it worked well for a while.  However,  since baby boy sits so low, I am getting very uncomfortable when the band slides down or the regular fit pants begin to dig into my "under the baby belly crevice".  So, I've been doing a couple of things to relieve the discomfort -- pull the elastic band all the way up to my enormous boobies (that's a sight to see) or (gasp!) unbutton my already really low "regular" fit pants and pull my already "shrinking" top down to cover it up.  I'm beginning to feel (and maybe look) like a freak show!  LOL!  But, I wouldn't change a darn thing!  Things are awesome!

Sleep: Really good lately.  The belly is getting heavy when sleeping on one side for long periods of time, but nothing a quick flip doesn't fix!  I toss and turn a lot anyway - totally normal for me.  On a personal note, my baby girl has graduated from standing at the side of my bed and crying for me to get up to cover her with her blankie to simply asking for a hug and kiss and putting herself back to bed.  SCORE!  I don't even have to get out of bed!  I am woken up, of course, but who can complain when it's by a precious little angel asking for a hug and kiss??! 

Movement:  Yeah, let me just be clear.  K&J are going to have their hands full.  He can successfully evoke a quick reflex/reaction on my end when he ever-so-dominantly stomps on my bladder.  Kinda funny in a mixed crowd.

Symptoms:  Braxton Hicks have surfaced more regularly.  My legs are very sore by the end of the day - especially my right leg where all the pretty "little" veins are.  Just yesterday, it felt like both legs (especially the right) were on the verge of cramping, but never got to the full-fledged cramp.  Just that uncomfortable, but tolerable, annoying feeling. 

Food Cravings/Aversions:  Still loving food, but in smaller portions -- all day.  I get full pretty quickly and let's just be honest here; it really sucks to have to stop eating when you're enjoying a meal.  So, there are times I stuff myself silly because it just tastes so good.  Now, I'm not just talking about my love of desserts.  (Really, I'm not!)  This pertains to everything; breakfast, lunch and dinner. And then, I just sit and sulk and scold myself that I won't ever do that again.  Until next time...

I'm looking forward to:  the holiday season!  Just (finally) decorated my house for Fall/Halloween.  My children get so excited when the decorations come out.  They see their old artwork and creations from the previous years and love to hang them on the walls.  They enjoy "sprinkling" the house with artificial leaves -- super fun to watch!  Excited for K&J to be able to experience these moments with their own little one soon enough!  They may even get a Christmas baby!! 

Belly:

Edu-ma-cate the Judge... Surrogate Side

So, if you follow this blog, you're probably wondering about the status of our pre-birth order.  (Maybe?)  Well, our attorneys submitted a motion to have a pre-birth order hearing and our motion was DENIED by the Judge.  Let me just tell you, seeing the official nature of these documents and then seeing "Motion Denied" was heart wrenching (and scary).  Boom!  It hits you pretty hard.  My immediate thought was "uh-oh"...

Well, luckily, I have a pretty great attorney who immediately calls me after receiving a relatively freaked out responding email to his news about the standing of our motion to the court.  (In my defense, I did apologize for the erratic nature of that reply.)  I mean, I was just a little bit overwhelmed with what I just learned and a flood of worry surfaced.  I had lots of questions begin to emerge all at the same time.  He proceeded to explain what the denied motion really meant.  The bottom line, it was a "scheduling" matter; not to be confused with calendar scheduling, but rather a "timing thing".

My attorney explained that the Judge didn't really dismiss the request altogether, but would like to revisit this after this baby is born because he doesn't feel like he has the authority to make that order prior to the birth of the child. (Umm, dang right you can - you're the JUDGE!)  The Judge even said that all parties can participate via telephone at a post birth hearing -- so that's a positive step in the right direction that he will, indeed, grant a post-birth order; releasing my name from the birth certificate and granting all parental rights to the rightful parents, K&J.  I asked my attorney why he denied it in the first place if he would just grant a post-birth order after I deliver and my attorney said, "good question". 

He went on to give me a better insight to the nature of the Judge we so fortunately were assigned.  Our Judge is an "older gentleman" who is not as well-versed in the progression of medical technology as we would like him to be.  I was like, really?!  I relay this information to K and she says to me, "so we get the guy who doesn't get medical technology??"  Yep.  We're just that lucky. 

After making if very clear to my attorney that I would really like to have this all taken care of before this baby is born, I went into my (probably a bit over-reactive) questions and concerns:

1. Will my name be on the birth certificate?  He says that in all likelihood, no.  But, if it does need to be, it will be rectified ASAP (within the first 5-7 days).  Sooo not fair to K&J.  They are the parents, not me, and should be given their rights to parentage at the get-go.  I had no part in creating this glorious child. (Okay, apart from carrying it, of course, but that's been the easy part!)
2. Will K&J be treated as the parents at the hospital?  (I certainly don't want that responsibility!)  He says most definitely.  Should we have to wait until after the baby is born for a post-birth order, I will execute a power of attorney before the birth of the baby which gives K&J full parental rights and authority when this precious child is born.  (DUH!!! They ARE the parents!)

After some back and forth with all parties involved (well, not really - we pretty much were all on the same page, LOL!), it was decided that we will be requesting that the Judge reconsider and will be filing a memorandum that goes into further detail of how and why he can grant the motion for a pre-birth order while outlining former cases and verdicts.  And, not to mention, the best interest of this unborn child to have his biological parents be able to make any and all decisions in relation to his well-being.  We are hoping the Judge can see that it would be a much better idea all across the board to grant this birth order before this butterball is born.

So, in essence, our attorneys are EDU-MA-CATING THE JUDGE. Let's all keep our fingers crossed!

28 week update... Surrogate Side

Date: October 10th, 2013

How Many Weeks:  28 weeks!

Total Weight Gain:  2 additional pounds since my last OB appointment making a whopping 15lbs total!  Doc says she's happy with my weight gain!  I, personally, cringed when I saw 150lbs show up on the scale...  YIKES!

Baby Size:  Eggplant


What is going on with this baby:

• He's starting to develop more fat, so his wrinkly skin will start to get smoother.  Getting more adorable by the minute!  I just can't wait to see this baby boy meet his parents!
• His lungs are mature enough that he'd probably survive if he was born now. Wow!  But, I'm going to suggest that he stay put for just a while longer.  Let me help you fill that wrinkly skin some more.  K?

Maternity Clothes:  Tops are getting shorter...  Really, they are.  Must be the washing and drying process.  

Sleep:  Same old, same old.  I have been really fortunate to not have any discomfort or issues with my sleep.  If I remember correctly, I don't believe I had any problems sleeping with my own either.  Apart, of course, from the midnight potty runs...  I just don't know how my bladder fills that quickly with SO much fluid??  It's not like a drink a gallon of water before heading to bed or anything!  Geesh!

Movement:  I cannot say this enough; this boy moves ALL THE TIME!  K calls him her wild child.  I think she may be onto something......  Bahahaha!

Symptoms: Apart from the usual (boobs and veins) that I don't think are going anywhere anytime soon, some of the sporadic ones have subsided.  I don't really have headaches much.  My back only hurts occasionally.  But, I am beginning to get winded more easily and more frequently.  And, I can't eat too much at one sitting because if I move too quickly I can feel some of it come back up.  Kinda (really) gross, but hey - it's happening!!  Why not document it??

Food Cravings/Aversions: I'm still loving food, but didn't quite enjoy the not-so-delightful non-carbonated orange glucose beverage I had to drink on Monday morning.  I was actually worried that I wouldn't be able to enjoy all the foods I love (ahem, desserts) so thank the heavens above, I passed my glucose screen with flying colors!  Not even close to failing - not something I have ever experienced before.  I failed the first round with my son (passed the next) and only passed by 1 point with my daughter!  Both of my children were LARGE babies (9 & 10lbs) and both of their blood sugars crashed upon birth.  Doctors told me I was borderline diabetic with both.  But, this time around, it's NOT MY DNA and woot!  I passed by a landslide!  Maybe this baby will be smaller than my own??  Either way, I'm not really worried.  My 10lb-er was a super easy delivery; 4 pushes in less than 15 minutes and she was out and ready to eat! 

I'm looking forward to:  seeing my family again this weekend!  We live just too far away from each other...  Pregnancy related: still waiting to get this little butterball's belly performance on video for K&J!  And, getting more funny messages from K&J like the one below:

Belly:

27 week update... Surrogate Side

Date: October 2nd, 2013

How Many Weeks:  27 weeks!

Total Weight Gain:  13lbs - who knows!  Maybe more??  I have another appointment tomorrow afternoon.  Maybe I'll do an update if I'm not on the floor with astonishment...  I've been "feeling" fat these last couple of days.

Baby Size: Rutabaga


What is going on with this baby:

• He's practicing inhaling and exhaling with his rapidly developing lungs.  Getting ready for his big debut in a few months!  What a beautiful sound that will be!
• It's official: Baby's showing brain activity! And his brain will keep on getting more complex.  He's gonna be one smart cookie - just look at his parents!

Maternity Clothes: Yeah, there's no turning back now. 

Sleep:  Not bad.  There are some nights that I have a difficult time, but it's not really from discomfort.  It's more from my pregnancy-induced insomnia.  My brain just won't stop turning!  However, just last night, I had some trouble finding a comfortable position.  This belly is getting bigger and baby boy doesn't like to be smushed.

Movement:  Oh heck yes!  He sits so low that I can see movement just above my pubic bone.  No lie.  I have NEVER seen movement there before.  Kinda weird!  This boy is gonna be a soccer player. He is.  He is...! (Those who know me well, will catch the Billy Madison reference - one of my favorite movies.)

Symptoms:  New one for ya!  Backache.  My belly is stretching so much lately that I am having some back discomfort.  By the end of the day, it kinda really hurts.  Giving my children tubs at the end of the day is almost impossible.  Almost (wink, wink).  But hey, I am superwoman!  I do it all!

Food Cravings/Aversions:  Unfortunately, nothing is aversive.  I like it all.  I am going to be a huge blimp come the end of December.  I have told my husband to stop getting my favorite ice cream.  If it's in the house, I can't say no.  However, just the other night, I texted my husband the following:

And, he did. 

I'm looking forward to:  getting more texts/emails from K about her baby purchases and "essentials" questions!  K&J just purchased their crib and changing table - it's so cute!  She's sent questions about strollers and rocking chairs.  I love that they are getting things ready for their bundle's arrival.  Makes me feel so good.  This is what it's all about.  Love it! 

Belly: