Thursday, August 31, 2017

Bigger bump and an announcement

25 weeks down already and we are just bumpin' right along! (See what I did there)


I grow a little bit more each week, as is to be expected of course. I'm still in non-maternity bottoms although I am having to fasten the button together with a ponytail loop. I'm in maternity tops a bit more regularly although I find that some of the looser, flowy tops and dresses do just fine.

If this little guy decides to arrive early like the last one (and it's very likely he could!), we may only have 12 weeks left in this pregnancy. I think that will go by super fast as the holiday season approaches. I know P is super anxious to meet her little man!

I have nothing really interesting to report as far as the pregnancy goes - everything is pretty much par for the course: too much peeing and never-ending baby kicks. However, I do have some BIG personal NEWS...

During this journey, I have been considering what to do with my time after this little one arrives. This will be the 8th child that I have carried and delivered, and it's very likely he will be my final carry. As my little ones are growing, I am finding myself with some free time on my hands. With the support of my family and friends, I decided to get licensed as a professional realtor! I am officially working for my local Keller Williams office while completing this surrogacy journey. It's definitely a change of pace and a new venture I'm very excited to begin.

Thanks for letting me share this news with you all! I'll be back next week with an update from the next ultrasound as well as that awful glucola appointment.

Thursday, August 17, 2017

23 weeks!

We are 23 weeks into this thing already, and I have the bump to prove it!

Early AM messy hair - please excuse
I am still getting by with my regular (stretchy) clothes at the moment; maternity clothes are still a bit to big in the waist/belly. They're coming though, promise.

Little guy moves ALL THE TIME! We got to take another peek during our recent ultrasound a few days ago. We met with the perinatologist who performed the fetal echo to check on baby's heart development. Everything looked great - doc says he saw exactly what he hoped to see at this point. He did share with us (P was present) that IVF babies - all IVF babies, not just those carried via surrogate - have a slightly higher risk of still birth, therefore regular monitoring would be necessary as studies show that a health decline is usually gradual rather than immediate. So baby boy will continue to be monitored via ultrasound monthly for growth checks until 34 weeks, then we will proceed to weekly growth checks after that until delivery. This was also the protocol for my prior carries as well.

At the appointment, P was so sweet to think of me and bring me a treat from a nearby bakery...


This is a vanilla bundtlet with cream cheese frosting. I promptly took a bite as soon as I got home! It was a perfect after dinner dessert (I may have a bit of a sweet tooth!) and I did not share it with anyone.

Appointment day was pretty great as baby is doing well and the treat was just icing on the cake. 😉

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Anatomy scan looked great!

Our anatomy ultrasound went beautifully! P and Z were able to be in the room and see their little guy! At times, he was quite uncooperative for the ultrasound tech, forcing her to give him a little shake in my belly to encourage him to turn and face the right directions for her measurements. He is measuring exactly where he should be, now measuring only 2 days ahead. (Remember, he had been measuring 5 days ahead.) P was sent home with some very cute photos of course, but not before she graciously let me scan a couple to keep for myself.

little guy's profile

profile with left hand up and legs up, getting ready to kick!
My doc recommended that we have an additional ultrasound in a couple of weeks to complete a fetal echo under the care of a perinatologist due to studies that show a slight risk increase in heart anomalies in IVF pregnancies. This is standard and my OB saw no concerns on our ultrasound. I have the fetal echo scheduled for August 14; P is going to be at this appointment as well.

During our appointment, we also discussed the possibility of an early delivery (based on the last very fast delivery that occurred at 37 weeks). We may be a little ahead of ourselves but it's always nice to know what you might be able to expect. It's especially important for P as she plans to come and stay towards the end of the pregnancy - she doesn't want to miss the birth of course!

We scheduled my next prenatal appointment for Sept 7; I'll be about 26 weeks along, and will have to drink that dreaded glucola (50 grams of glucose!) for the gestational diabetes test. I'm always happy to get that over with.

I could tell that P and Z were very pleased with how well the appointment went; they are very excited to be getting closer to meeting their little one! Time will pass fast as they keep busy with their work and as we keep busy with the school year getting underway next week! Baby boy will be here before we know it!