30 weeks!!!

Yay!!!  We made it to 30 weeks which is a big deal in the surrogacy world.  Both babies are doing GREAT.  I'm doing great too.  The heartburn and indigestion are still really bad and it's getting hard for me to be up on my feet for over an hour at a time.  My stomach muscles start to get really sore and my stomach starts to feel really heavy and I just feel this overwhelming need to sit down.  I've got this belly band thing that goes around my lower belly and helps hold it up and takes some stress off my stomach and back muscles and I need to start wearing it more.  Since I'm in the 3rd trimester now I've also noticed I've been getting tired easier.  Naps are very important these days.  I'm doing pretty good on my weight gain with this pregnancy I think.  I gained a good bit during my first trimester but I think I've only gained about 5 lbs since then so it kinda balances out.

Babies both move around a ton so I get to feel plenty of movement and I'm loving that.  I had an appointment with the specialist last week and the baby girl (did I mention we're having a boy and a girl) weighed 2 lbs 15 oz and baby boy weighed 3 lbs 4 oz so they are great sizes.  I really wonder how far along I'll go with the twins and if I'll go into labor on my own this time.  I've only gone into labor on my own once and that was with my first pregnancy and I was 4 days overdue.  I've carried babies over 9 lbs and over 11 lbs without going into labor so that's something I'm really worried about.  I've been measuring 10 weeks ahead at every appointment except the appointment I had yesterday.  Now I'm only measuring 8 weeks ahead...lol. 

The guys came up for the 20 week ultrasound and we had a great time.  It was so good to see them.  They brought their little boy and we all got together with mine and tommy's family for dinner two nights and everyone loved them.  We met up for my daughter's birthday and went to lunch then took the kids to the children's museum.  After that we walked down the street to the park and let them all run off some energy before we went to the hospital tour. 

I'm sure I'm leaving a lot out but I'm a horrible writer so it is what it is.  I'll add the pictures later.  I've got a new laptop and no pictures on here yet.

First OB Appt

Well, everything looks great.  I'll be 14 weeks in 2 days and I just had my first official OB appt today.  Just to catch you up, I had several appointments to check my hcg levels and they more than doubled  each time and my hormone levels were always higher than they had to be.  Then at my first ultrasound we found out officially that it was twins.  We had several early ultrasounds and everything has always been great.  I never had any spotting or complications or anything.

The guys have been great this whole time.  I couldn't ask for a better set of IPs, they never cease to amaze me.  In April we went to Florida on vacation and as soon as I mentioned that I was looking for a place to stay for our vacation they said that they have a time share in Orlando and that we were welcome to use it.  It was so nice of them to offer it to us and we had a great time and really enjoyed it there.  On Easter they sent the kids Easter baskets filled with goodies.  Then for Mother's Day they got me a mug with a picture of me, my hubby and kids on it and 2 necklaces.  Then this past weekend they sent me a spa gift certificate which I'm really looking forward to using.  I'm going to be so spoiled by the end of this pregnancy...lol.  They are so nice and always checking on me to see how I'm doing.

I'm seeing a different doctor with this pregnancy than I did with my last 3 pregnancies because my last doctor was very pro c-section.  They tried to scare me into a c-section with my first two pregnancies and I wouldn't agree to it.  Then with my third pregnancy I ended up "having" to do a section.  At my postpartum checkup I asked them about doing a vbac in the future and they said the only way they'd let me vbac is if the baby is under 9lbs.  I knew right then I needed to find another OB or I'd end up with another section.  So, I searched online for doctors that specialize in vbacs and asked around on some pregnancy groups online and that's where I found Dr. Tate.  I am so glad I found him.  He is very vbac friendly and specializes in vbacs and pregnancy with multiples.  I am very happy with my decision to change doctors.  It is definitely worth the extra drive time.

As far as symptoms go I only threw up twice during the first trimester and as long as I kept something on my stomach my nausea wasn't too bad.  All other symptoms have been a lot more severe than a singleton pregnancy.  The heartburn and indigestion have been really bad as well as the gas and bloating.  Ever since I came off my hormones I've been having headaches and migraines almost daily.  I was extremely tired during the first trimester but it's starting to ease up some.  I HAVE to eat at regular times.  If I don't then I get nauseous, start sneezing (I know, wired symptom) and get a headache.  I don't know if my blood sugar getting too low or what but all the symptoms go away when I eat.  And we're not even going to talk about how much weight I've gained so far.  I started feeling movement at 11 weeks but it's still very light and random.  I can't wait until it gets stronger.

I go back to the doctor on Thursday to have some prenatal testing done and my gestational diabetes test.  Then my next appointment will be June 29th.  My appointment today went great.  Babies looked great, growing right on track.  He seemed a little surprised that my uterus was already so high, it's already almost to my belly button.  He said the reason it's so high is because it's not even in my pelvis anymore.

Beta Day

Ok, let me catch you up.  Everything went great with the screening and the guys liked my profile.  We ended up doing a video conference with the guys instead of flying out for a match meeting because their schedules were too busy at the time.  The video conference went great, we hit it off right away, and told GG we would love to work with them.  After that we got started on paperwork and contracts and all that boring stuff.  On March 16th we flew out to L.A. for the transfer.  We had dinner with the guys that night at the Cheesecake Factory and they had their son with them, it was the first time we'd ever met.  We all hit it off great, they are very very sweet and easy to get along with.

The next morning, on St. Patrick's Day, we all met at Dr. Kolb's office for the transfer.  They had two 5-day embryos to transfer and they were very good quality, they had already hatched and looked great.  They already have a little boy from their first surrogacy and are hoping for a girl this time.  They told the doctor they wanted to use one female embryo and then use the best looking embryo out of the bunch but no one knows if the second embryo is a boy or girl.  After the transfer I had to be on bed rest until the next day but the guys came to the hotel that night and we all went downstairs to the hotel restaurant for dinner.  After we ate the guys gave us some gifts that they had gotten us.  Tommy got some really good smelling cologne with a travel bag and stuff, the kids got some really cool night lights with a remote and everything, cool magnet tins and some of that really cool sand stuff with a sandbox and stamps for it.  I got an iPad mini with a purple case which completely floored me, I didn't know what to say, thank you didn't seem like enough.  They said they share a lot of pictures to the cloud and they wanted me to be able to see all the pictures of the kid(s).  It had only been about 9 hours since the transfer so I guess they were really expecting this to work, no pressure or anything you know, lol.

The next morning my husband and I went out for breakfast then walked a couple of blocks to a little mall.  I had been cramping since the transfer and after walking to the mall and doing a little shopping it got worse so we found a nice seating area outside and took a rest while waiting for the hotel shuttle to pick us up.  After that we caught our plane back to Georgia and went back to our normal routines.  5 days after the transfer I took my first pregnancy test and it was very obviously positive.  I bet if I had taken a test the day before it would have been positive also.  I took another test, 6dp5dt, and it was even darker.  

Today, March 30th, was my beta day.  I am 13dp5dt and it was the longest 13 days of of my life.  The doctors were hoping for anything over 100 today and when the doctor called me with my test results she said, "You're very pregnant!"  My hcg was 1,237!!!  So, needless to say we're probably having twins.  I'm very excited and nervous at the same time because I don't know what to expect with a twin pregnancy.  Also because I've never had a small baby and I'm probably going to be huge with two 8lb babies in there.  I've never gone into labor before my due date before so I'm curious if I will this time.  I plan on carrying these babies full term, I don't want to deliver them early unless it happens naturally or it's medically necessary.

I've got another blood test in two days and my numbers should be doubled by then (fingers crossed).  We're supposed to have another blood test April 8th then an ultrasound on the 10th before we leave for vacation on the 11th.  I can't wait for that ultrasound and I'm so glad we were able to squeeze it in before vacation instead of having to wait until after.

The guys have been very sweet today.  I asked them if they were nervous about possibly having twins and they said, "We would love twins but yes we are nervous and worried about you."  ❤️❤️❤️

Surrogacy Screening

I decided to sign up with GG again.  I really liked going with GG last time.  I know they've been doing this for a while and I feel safe with them.

So, on Monday, hubby and I are flying out to L.A. for our screenings with GG.  I also got a profile already.  It's so exciting!  They seem really nice.  They live in Arizona and this will be their second surrogacy.  They have a 7 month little boy from their first surrogacy and are wanting a sibling.  Come to find out their previous surro is in one of my surrogacy groups on FB...lol...small world.  I got to talking to her and she had nothing but good things to say about them.  She can't do another surrogacy for them because she had some complications after her last C-section and had to have a hysterectomy.  GG will send my profile to the couple after our screenings come back ok.  So, fingers crossed everything goes ok and they like my profile.

Nothing much new in my life.  Still trying to loose weight, unsuccessfully.  I am about the same size or maybe a little less than when I did the surrogacy for Nathaniel so at least I'm not bigger, that's good.  It just seems like no matter what I do or how little I eat I can't seem to loose any weight.  My body is very stubborn.  The only time I ever loose weight is after I have a baby so maybe I should just keep doing that...lol.

I have also been attempting to start my own photography business which has been very interesting.  I'm not a people person so the hardest part has been being around people I don't know and having to talk to them, I not much of a talker.  I've got a photography page on FB, it's called Jenibug Photography, if you want to look it up.

I'm just getting started in the photography world and I know I've got a lot of improving to do but I'm trying and look forward to getting better in the future.  And yes, those are my girls.  Alyssa is 7 now and Zoe is 5.

Working on weight loss

Well, I haven't been counting calories anymore and have gained back all the weight I had lost and I'm no longer in "one"derland.  :(  Now, my husband and I are doing a juice fast.  Today is day one and I was at 205 this morning.  I've never done any kind of fast before so this is a first for me.  I've heard people say the first week is the worst b/c you're detoxing and it's cleaning out your system and everything.  I really didn't think it was going to be very hard but now I'm starting to second guess that thought.  We got a Nutribullet and are basically going to try only drinking our fruits, veggies and nuts.  I had my first one earlier and it was actually pretty good.  I put spinach, half an apple, a banana, about 5 strawberries and 5 or 6 baby carrots.  It was a LOT to drink.  The Nutribullet works great though.  If you've ever seen the documentary on Netflix called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" that's what we're doing, except with a Nutribullet instead of a juicer.  Our goal is to do it for a month but we are going up to the lake for 4th of July weekend in 2 weeks and I doubt we are going to keep it up over the weekend.  I keep getting the urge to eat something, just out of habit when I'm fixing the kids food or I see chips or something laying out.  Something in my head says take a bite even though I don't feel hungry.

Nathaniel is a year old now.  He turned a year in April.  Him and his daddies are doing great.  I sure would like it if I got more updates and pictures but not much I can do about that I guess.  :'-(  I am going to be doing another surrogacy this year.  I'll probably sign up with GG again in August or September.  I just don't want to transfer until after my birthday in October.  I'm going to be 30 this year and want to be able to go out with my hubby and my friends and have a good time and a few drinks.  I can't wait to be pregnant again though.  I miss my prego belly.  I had to wait 2 years from the time I transferred to the time I am able to transfer again b/c my OB wouldn't clear me medically until then since I had a c-section.  I have never heard of anyone having to wait that long and I'm really thinking about finding a new OB.  Not just b/c I've had to wait so long but b/c they seem to have a high c-section rate and really push c-sections and I don't like that.  Hopefully I can find a good OB between here and Atlanta that has a low c-section rate and is covered by the surrogacy insurance.

Nathaniel's First Birthday!

Stressed

We've been going through a lot the past 2 months with my youngest daughter.  First, with her hitting her head really bad and having constant headaches for almost a month and having to have  a couple of CT scans.  Then she got sick one day, developed a fever and was very lethargic.  I took her to the dr and she said Zoe just had a virus and she would be fine.  This is her at the dr office.  Normally she would be running around the room.

I ended up taking her to the ER that night b/c her fever was up to 103 and wasn't coming down with tylenol or anything.  They sent us home telling us that she was fine, she just had a virus and to keep her hydrated.  After we got home she was walking really funny and we couldn't figure out why.  That was a very scary night.  I was up with her most of the night and her fever got up to 103.6 and she started having hallucinations which was really freaky.  This is her the night she was having the hallucinations.  I have no idea what she was staring at, there was nothing there :/  Several times she started talking to the hallucinations and trying to hit them.

Then I noticed a rash about the size of a slice of bread that was red, hot and slightly swollen on the top of her thigh but didn't think too much about it.  The next day she still had a fever and was vomiting and i took her back to the dr and they still said the same thing.  Within 2 days the rash spread down the front of her shin and she still had a fever and was vomiting.  We ended up taking her to the ER that night (a different ER) and they still told us that she just had a virus and she was fine.  They gave her a bag of fluids b/c she was dehydrated and took some blood to run some tests that were supposed to be ready the next morning and we all went home for the night. 

The next morning I went back up to the hospital by myself to get the test results.  When the doctor told me that all her test results came back normal I couldn't take it.  I broke down right there.  I was just so scared and we had been taking her to the doctors constantly and no one was helping us, just saying she had a virus and she would be fine.  Here is a picture of the rash after it had spread down her leg...

You can see it's starting to spread onto the top of her foot on that bottom side.    2 days after taking her to the hospital her whole foot was red and swollen and she could barely even move her toes b/c they were so swollen and she couldn't walk anymore.  I took her back to the doctor again and she took one look at Zoe's foot and said that it definitely wasn't a virus and she put her on some high dose antibiotics and said it looked like she had a bacterial infection.  They also sent us for x-rays which they said looked fine.  She wasn't able to walk for 4 long days and the antibiotics didn't seem to be doing much.  After 4 days on the antibiotics her foot was still red and swollen and hot but she could walk on it a little.  After 10 days on the antibiotics she was walking on it but still favoring that foot a little and it was still red, swollen and warm, just not as red, as swollen or as warm.  So the doctor said we needed to take her to a childrens infectious disease specialist (very scary thing to hear the doctor say).  The pictures don't do it justice, it was much redder in person.

So we took her to the infectious disease specialist and he said to take her off the antibiotic, that it wasn't an infection but he wasn't sure what it was but put her on the steroid, Prednizone.  He said that whatever it was that it wasn't anything serious (insert HUGE sigh of relief).  He said that if he had seen her sooner he probably could have given us a diagnosis.  Then he sent us over to the childrens hospital for MORE x-rays and bloodwork.  Everything came back normal, yet again.  A few days after coming off the antibiotic her foot started to REALLY look better and she was finally able to wear her shoes again.  And now her foot is back to normal :D 

And, just because I LOVE pictures, especially pictures of my beautiful girls, here are some pictures I recently took of her...

And her sister, Alyssa...

And one more of Zoe from today :)

During that time that all this was going on with Zoe I was so consumed with everything that I didn't contact the guys (I and A)  Then about 2 weeks ago I e-mailed "I" and updated him on everything that had been going on and asked about the baby and everything and I still haven't gotten a response.  I sent him a text the other day too and no response.

The worrier in me says that something is wrong, that they're mad at me and want me out of their lives (I know that's probably crazy but it's basically every surrogates worst case scenario).  Then my more rational side says that they're just busy with trying to balance work and the baby and everything is fine, they'll contact me when they get a chance.  But like a very wise surrogate friend said, "A simple text takes so little time but means so much."  Anyways, here are the most recent pictures I have of him (they are from last month).  He is 4 months old now and already weighs 20lbs!

Nathaniel with 2 of his cousins.  I love that face...LOL!

On another note, my agency contacted me the other day wanting to know if I wanted to come back for another surrogacy :D  HELL YEAH I DO!!!  I can't wait to be pregnant again.  I keep seeing women with pregnant bellies and I miss it so much.  It's just an amazing feeling and I think knowing that the pregnancy is for a greater purpose makes it even more rewarding. 

Until then I have been working on loosing some weight.  I went back to my pre pregnancy weight without doing anything and have been wearing all my regular clothes since about a month after delivery but I was already heavy before I got pregnant and this is something I've really been needing to do.  I've been using myfitnesspal and tracking my calories and we try to walk or ride bikes in the evening if we can and I already lost 6 lbs in the first 2.5 weeks.  I'll weigh again in the morning and hopefully that number will go up at least a pound :)  I'm only eating a maximum of 1280 calories a day and some days it's hard b/c I've been having some major cravings the past few days but it's paying off and I'm losing weight so I'm gonna stick to it.  One thing I got REALLY excited about the other day was when I finally broke through the 200 lb barrier.  I have been over 200 for a very long time (probably close to 10 years) and I was very happy to be back in "one"derland :D  I bought a new pair of jeans the other day to celebrate (a size smaller than I would have bought pre pregnancy:).  I think it was the first pair of non maternity pants I have bought in years.

I highly recommend myfitnesspal though.  I never thought counting calories would work for me but it has and the app makes it super easy to calculate everything.  Also, it really opens your eyes to how many calories you were consuming a day (no wonder I couldn't get below 200), how many calories are in things and what the correct portion sizes are.  I love it.  My husband has been using it too and has lost 13 lbs in 2.5 weeks!

Feeling good

Tomorrow will be 4 weeks since my c-section and I'm feeling great.  My incision has pretty much healed and the numb spots on my stomach aren't bothering me as much.  I'm wearing my pre pregnancy clothes and last time I weighed myself (a week or so ago) I was 4 lbs away from my pre pregnancy weight.  Funny story, the first time I weighed myself after coming home from the hospital it said that I had GAINED 7 lbs.  I had just delivered an 11 lb baby, how is that even possible?  LOL!  I guess it was just from all the IV fluids they pump into you before and after the c-section.  I was really worried this time that I wouldn't be able to loose the weight since I'm not breastfeeding and I gained a little more than I did with my own pregnancies (20 lbs vs 15 and 12 with my kids) but it has just came off like before without me doing anything and I am SO glad.  Of course my husband always says I look great but it always feels good to hear it from someone else.  Today I had two other people compliment me.  They said I didn't look like I'd just had a baby and I looked very slender :)  I can't wait to get back in the gym and loose some weight.  I want to be under 200 lbs this summer, that is my goal.  I haven't been under 200 in almost 10 years!

  Why yes, I did recently deliver an 11 lb baby :)

Baby Nathaniel is doing good.  I talked to "I" last week and Nathaniel had been giving them a hard time and had been especially fussy and hard to get to sleep at night.  They took him to the doctor and ended up changing his formula and putting him on gas drops and he's been doing much better.  It's hard to believe he's almost a month old already.

Alyssa only has 3 weeks of school left and I can't wait.  I am SO not a morning person and I love the summer.  The summer is when we really get to do stuff as a family and the kids get to experience so much new stuff.  I love taking them to new places.  We recently got them a small pool and they LOVE it.  They drive me nuts every single day begging to get in the pool, rain or shine, day or night, it doesn't matter to them.  We also got season passes to the zoo and I can't wait to take them.  And we are planning on taking a trip to Florida this summer.  Alyssa has been begging me to take her to Florida for at least 6 months now.  She wants to go to the beach an go visit her friend, Aubrey, who moved to Florida and go visit "I and A" and baby Nathaniel :)

Alyssa (left) and Zoe (right) waiting on the pool to fill up.  They were pointing at the clouds and talking about what they look like :)

This is how a 4 year old writes lady bug and caterpillar...LOL!

Alyssa got a soccer trophy!

The coach made paper plate trophies for all the kids with different things on them for each kid.  Alyssa's was "Major D" for defender b/c of how she would run up and block the goal trying to keep the other team from scoring.

Her coach and teammates

Zoe in her new bathing suit ready to get in the pool :)