33 week sibling update... Surrogate Side

Date:  September 23, 2015

How Many Weeks:  33 weeks

Total Weight Gain: 20lbs 

Baby Size:  Durian

What is going on with this baby:

• Baby's eyes are being kept open while awake.
• Baby is also starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing.
• The bones are hardening.
• And baby is going through (more) major brain development — that's one smart baby!

Maternity Clothes:  Haha; of course. Are they getting tighter all of a sudden?! The time has come where I am doing regular "is my shirt covering my belly" checks. Even my hubby's t-shirts are not footing the bill these days as lounging wear. 

Sleep:  Eh. Not the greatest, but tolerable. My bladder seems to become full quite easily even when I avoid liquids at least 2 hours before bed as recommended. Lots of tossing and turning, but at least I can get back to sleep relatively quickly. 

Movement:  This prompt just makes me laugh. You wouldn't believe how much this baby moves. Any description I offer does not do it any justice. 

Symptoms:  Achey. My back hurts towards the middle to end of the day and my legs become "full" pretty easily. I can't really say they're swollen because they don't look it, but they feel full and tired when I walk or stand. 

Food Cravings/Aversions:  I don't know why I am in love with cake. Although I've used some great self-control lately and haven't had cake in a couple of weeks, I REALLY want some. 

I'm looking forward to: eating cake. 

Belly:

The Countdown Begins.......Parents Side

Where has the time gone? I apologize I haven't been as diligent in our blog updates as much this time around. Between moving a few times and new jobs for J and I, time has certainly flown by. J also had major spinal surgery a few months ago and is finally on the mend after a very long recovery. Still not a great excuse for our lack of writing.

We haven't believe it's only a matter of WEEKS before the baby is going to be born. We are so excited and can't believe Charlie is going to have a brother or sister. Yes, we know the gender, but G has not found out this time!

I really hope that we can keep it a surprise from G until delivery day, so far we have done a good job, but I'm sort of afraid to look her directly in the eyes when I see her, in fear that she will find out. She has been such an unbelievable trooper, this has not been the easiest pregnancy. The plan is to have the delivery take place at the same hospital as before. This has been an amazing few years and we couldn't be more grateful. It's hard to write into a blog how much we appreciate and love G.  We look forward to November and pray for safety for both G and the baby. I think Charlie is very excited as well!

32 week sibling update... Surrogate Side

Date:  September 19, 2015

How Many Weeks:  32 weeks

Total Weight Gain: Not quite sure... I'll have to get some numbers at next week's appointment. Stay tuned. 

Baby Size:  Squash

What is going on with this baby:

• Baby is getting ready for it's descent — baby is likely in the head-down position now.
• And baby is probably feeling even more cramped.

Maternity Clothes:  There's no turning back now. My pants have been bothersome as they are always falling down. This is partly my fault because I refuse to pull the band up over my belly. And then, when the band falls down, it cuts into the underside of my belly causing some discomfort. 

Sleep:  Not the greatest, but it could totally be worse. I'm tossing and turning quite a bit and needing to get up to use the bathroom. All par for the course at this point. 

Movement:  ALL. THE. TIME. And, it hurts. We had an ultrasound today and the technician was shocked by how much movement there was and the power behind it! Just this morning, I was drying my hair and watching body parts travel around my belly. It looked like a mouse caught under a blanket! 

Symptoms:  I still struggle with shortness of breath, but it's gotten better. My back has started to bother me some, but it's not too bad. By late afternoon, I am done; my body pretty much hurts everywhere. I took the kids shopping after school the other day for just a couple things and we ended up in there for two hours! Clearly, I was walking slow. And, I'm VERY tired. All the time. Bleh.  

Food Cravings/Aversions:  I'm not really craving anything per se, but I still seek out chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. Man, that sounds good right now. And, similar to my last couple of pregnancies, I really enjoy chocolate Cheerios. Not sure why?

I'm looking forward to: the home stretch! According to the ultrasound today, baby is measuring 4.5lbs... With 8 weeks to go... Eek. 

Belly:

31 week sibling update... Surrogate Side

So, I'm really terrible at these updates this time around... I have every good intention of doing them, but I just cannot seem to find the time these days! Between work, my babies, homework, football, gymnastics and whatever else comes up, I am at a loss. 

Anyway, here's some recent updates within the last few weeks:

I was notified by my lawyer (as I was laying on the beach during my vacation) that I was to "appear" for the pre-birth order hearing tomorrow. I explained to him that I was on vacation and he assured me that I could simply call in. So, the very next day, as I walked around Martha's Vineyard, I kept checking my watch to be sure I did not miss it. If any of you are following since our last journey, you will remember that things did not pan out too well for us in this arena last time around. We were denied a pre-birth order and required to petition for a post-birth order after Charlie was born. Although things ended up working out just fine, it was still a pretty chaotic and stressful predicament. So, I positioned myself on a park bench in Oak Bluffs and prepared for the call. I have to admit, I was a bit anxious and kinda nervous about the possible outcome. The call started and we made introductions. The judge was pleasant and the lawyers (both mine and the one representing K&J) reviewed the purpose of the hearing. The judge pretty much said that it was all made very clear and that we had all of our bases covered and, I quote, that he "just needs to sign the damn thing." And that, folks, was the end to the pre-birth order hearing. We did it!!

The next order of business that surfaced during these last few weeks have been a couple of OB appointments. Let me preface this with the fact that I had just returned from vacation when I had my first appointment. Turns out, I ended up gaining 6lbs in 4 weeks. What?! Lol! In my defense, this baby had a growth spurt, I swear... Or, maybe I had a lot of sweets? Nah. 

At my last OB visit, however, I learned that I lost 1lb in 3 weeks. Hehe! I also learned that baby is breech and has a great heartbeat of 140bpm. It's measuring a week ahead, but is perfect. The doctor wants an ultrasound next week to monitor growth since this is an "artificial reproductive" pregnancy. I think it's just an excuse to see the baby again. I also learned that I need to increase my dose of iron due to my levels being significantly low again. **sigh**

And, here we are; all up-to-date! I think...

As for this baby? Can you say M-O-V-E-R?! And, STRONG! Holy smokes! And I thought Charlie moved a lot. Forget about nightly performances; just touch my belly and this baby will fight you. No lie! Put 'em up. Put 'em up!

Baby belly anyone?

28 Weeks

29 Weeks

31 Weeks