36 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"I'm around 19 inches tall, weigh over 6 pounds and gain more than half an ounce each day!"

If that weight gain is close to correct, I am putting my guess in at right around 8 pounds for her birth weight. We will find out pretty soon....

I can't even believe how close we are. Going off of the 16th as the day they will induce me, we only have 20 more days to go. I guess it is possible that we have less than that, but I don't think I will go into labor early. I have made all the arrangements for my children to be tended, but I guess I should really pack a hospital bag just in case. I also need to teach Jason how to hand feed my baby cockatiels. I have 7 unweaned babies right now that he will have to care for while I spend a night or so in the hospital. That should prove to be interesting.

Marcella is quickly running out of room in my tummy. I am still measuring 41.5 inches around, which is the same as 4 weeks ago, but I know she is growing like a weed. When she is awake and moving my stomach rolls and twitches very visibly, and when I am in public I always wonder if anyone else notices.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and I didn't think I ate TOO much, but apparently I was wrong. I was stuffed and uncomfortable for hours. There just is not a whole lot of room for food in there these days with all that baby.

34 Weeks

I finally did the 3D ultrasound on the 13th. It was amazing. It was estimated that she already weighs 5.83 pounds. That should put to rest any fears about inducing labor a week early. The whole experience was great. The entire session was burned to a DVD. In it you can see so many cute things. She had the hiccups half of the time, and once she gave a great big yawn. At one point it even looked like she was turning her head to try to suck on something that came near her face. What a sweet little doll. I cannot wait to mail the DVD to her mom and dad.

Look at those cheeks!

33 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is about 4.75 pounds and almost 18 inches tall. Her central nervous system is still maturing. Only 46 days to go."

I had to cancel my appointment for the 3D ultrasound last month because of a family event. I am rescheduled for this Saturday the 13th and I can't wait. At 34 weeks gestation, she should be fairly filled out and look almost the same as she will when she is born. Plus, they will be able to tell me a fairly accurate length and weight.

I cannot believe how close we are now. I need to pack a hospital bag, and I need to get with Margie and make sure all my phone numbers are updated just in case. I don't ever think about the what-ifs, but last week a friend of mine who was supposed to be due in January had her baby at 29 weeks gestation. The little girl is fine, but she was 3 pounds 2 ounces. That was a big eye opener.

If I am induced on Thursday the 16th, that means Jason will only have to take 1 day off of work. He is off on Fridays anyway, and since I can go home from the hospital and sleep as long as I want to, I should be fine to take care of my own kids by the following Monday.

My next OB check ups are November 15th and November 29th. After that I will be going in once a week until delivery.

32 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is nearly 17.2 inches tall and weighs a little over 4 pounds. Her skin is getting less wrinkled looking. Only 52 days left to go."

So at my OB check-up yesterday, Dr. Grose agreed we should induce labor on December 16th so that everyone could make travel plans ahead of time and we can all be home for Christmas. To be honest, I told him one of my biggest concerns with waiting to go into labor on my own was the distance between Mark & Margie and I and the amount of time it could take for them to get here on short notice. I think if they were delayed it would be very hard for me to spend a half a day in the hospital with Marcella before they arrive. I am prepared for this, but I am still human. I want them to be here when she is born so that everything is cut and dry the way it was meant to be. If that date works for mom and dad, this means we only have a little over 6 weeks to go!

I am having fun with this. I measured again today and my tummy is now 41.5 inches around. I feel good though. She is starting to drop down out of my ribs a bit and I can breath better and I am a lot more comfortable. I have, however, developed tendinitis in my right foot because of irritation from a small amount of water retention. I can't see the swelling looking at my foot, but I know the body starts to hoard fluids this late in the pregnancy to make up for what it will lose during delivery. I thought I had just pulled a muscle, so I didn't even see the doctor about it for almost 2 weeks. It is painful some days, but it isn't a huge deal. The doctor said to get an insole for my shoes that supports only the heel, and to make a point of relaxing and kicking my feet up a few times a day since I can't take anything for it. It is starting to feel better already.

My family dressed up as vampires last weekend for Halloween. It was funny because I kept getting comments from people saying 'I don't think that is how vampires reproduce. The second most common comment was 'oh boy, you are getting close, aren't you?'. I don't know how to answer that one. How close is close? I still have a month and a half to go.

30 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is over 3 pounds and 16 inches tall. Her skin is turning from red to pink from the fat deposits. Only 66 days to go."

I had an OB appointment today. Everything looks great. Baby is finally head down. Up until this last visit she was still breech. My doctor said it was not a concern at the time.

I am now close enough to delivery that I will be going in for my OB check ups every two weeks instead of every four weeks. After 36 it will be once a week and they will start checking me each time for cervical changes.

Sunday I met a woman who recently put in an application with Reproductive Possibilities to be a gestational carrier herself. She is a good friend of my husband's sister Brenda, and when she expressed interest in being a surrogate Brenda gave her the name of the agency I was working through. I am so excited to see that other people are becoming aware of this program. It has been amazing for me and I think there are a lot of people out there who would really enjoy doing this. A lot of people say that they have considered it, but they never really knew how it worked or where to start. Hopefully more and more women will begin to realize that it is really an option for the average person and it can make a huge difference in their lives as well as in others'.

I hope she is reading this. Good luck Velvet.

29 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is 15.5 inches and weighs almost 3 whole pounds. She can also open and close her eyes. Only 73 days to go."

My tummy measurement this week is 39 inches, and I have gained a whopping 6 pounds.

28 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is about 15 inches tall. She is beginning to regulate her own temperature and blood production. Only 84 days to go!"

I can't seem to get enough sleep this week. It is funny because I feel alright during the day, not overly tired, but if left with no reason to get up in the morning I could easily sleep until noon. Today I laid down to cuddle with Jason (he is on graveyard shift so he sleeps all day) and I accidentally took a 2 1/2 hour nap. I woke up to a two-year-old who had pulled off her diaper in her crib and now I have a mountain of sheets and blankets that need washed because they smell like pee.

I went through my closet again today. I put away all the small/first stage maternity clothes that are getting too tight on me and pulled out all my size mediums. I am gaining a pretty good wardrobe again, but I sure wish I hadn't given away all my original maternity clothes when I decided I was done having kids. I guess this time around I know to hold on to all this stuff- you just never know what the future will bring.

Yesterday I found a picture taken the night before I had my son Ashley in 2003. I was HUGE! I don't think I will get quite that big this time around. After all, it was my genes as well as Jason's that made Ashley a 10+ pound baby, and this little gal doesn't share any DNA with us. Then again, I haven't asked how big Mark was when he was born either. I could be in for a surprise.

27 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby weighs about 2.4 pounds. Her eyelashes are growing and she is finally getting covered in cute baby fat. Only 91 days to go!"

I think the 'Honeymoon Stage' of this pregnancy is over. I am getting big and starting to get uncomfortable. I measured again today and my belly is 38.5 inches around. That means I have grown an inch and a half in the last 2 weeks. My poor husband probably wants to start sleeping on the couch by now to get away from all the pillows I use for support at night.

So I had a pretty good laugh with myself a few days ago. I bought a new top that I absolutely love. It is a stretchy black snakeskin print. I had been wearing it for at least two hours before the irony of the look hit me. In my current condition, I pretty much looked like I was digesting a rabbit! Oh well, I love the shirt. I will just hope no one else catches on to what I see.....

I made an appointment to go do a 3D ultrasound in October. I am so excited. I wanted to do something fun for the Mom and Dad to be- Lord knows they have done much more than they needed to for Jason and I. The studio I am going to will record the whole thing onto a DVD as well as print out 2 color 3D photos and 5 black and white 2D photos, and put all the pictures they take onto a disk so we have a digital copy. Counting down the days. I have seen some great shots online where you can see the baby's face perfectly before they are even born. I wish they had had neat things like that when I was pregnant with my own children.

26 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is 14.4 inches tall and by now you may be able to hear her heart beat using a stethoscope. Only 98 days to go!"

Oh it is hard to drag myself out of bed these days. That is the only problem I have. I feel good but I am soooo tired sometimes. It can be pretty hard to get a good night's sleep between having a belly in the way and having to get up a few times in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I made the mistake of sleeping against the wall last night and with no stomach muscles left, I had a hard time getting up out of bed. I need the edge where I can roll over and fall out when I need to get up without waking Jason!

Yesterday I learned what the baby's name might be. I won't post it here because I don't know if it is common knowledge yet, or if it is final. But I will say that I am absolutely delighted.

At the drugstore this week I had someone ask me if I was "still planning on giving this baby up for adoption." That hurt my feelings a lot. And I was already having a rough day because me and my youngest daughter both had strep throat. The person who said it was someone I really do like in general, but she just could not understand what I meant when I said this was not my baby to give. I actually told her no I was not and I do not think her parents would be very happy about it if I did. Thankfully, that kind of thing doesn't happen very often. Most people- if I tell them or if they hear about it from some one else- do have a fairly good understanding of the concept and think it is really neat. It seems like anyone who understands the in-vitro process understands how easy it would be to transfer someone else's embryo to your body.

25 Weeks

Development calendar says:

"Baby is just under 2 pounds and is 14 inches tall. She can now respond to noises from outside the womb. Only 105 days to go!"

I am just in shock at how fast this pregnancy is flying by. I have nothing to prepare or stress out about being ready for, so I am not constantly counting down. This is a very new feeling for me, and I have to say I like it. It seems like with my own children this was already the point of asking 'are we there yet' one day, and the next saying 'oh boy I need more time'. It is nice to be able to be excited and happy without all that overwhelming anticipation. I bet mom and dad are starting to stress a little by now, though.

I measured around my tummy today and it is 37 inches at the biggest point. Amazingly, I have only gained 2 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight and I am now 6 months along. Looking at the pictures I guess I was a lot fatter then. Now I am losing weight everywhere else and just gaining a baby bump. At our check-up earlier this week I asked my doctor if this was ok, and he said I am as healthy as a horse. I also asked him to take a peek and reassure me that she was still a girl- I would hate to have Mark and Margie get a surprise later. She IS still a girl.

24 Weeks

I am starting to feel big finally. I feel great, though. Quite often I forget I am pregnant until I try to get up off the couch or I bump into something!

The baby is very active, and very strong. There have already been times when other people can actually see her kick and move around when I am holding still. She hates it when there is any pressure on my stomach, and she fights back. If Jason puts his arm around me when we are sleeping it doesn't take long before she starts kicking him. I doubt he has ever noticed this, as he is a very sound sleeper. I just lay there and try not to laugh.

Our next OB visit is on Tuesday the 7th.

I did my 20 week ultrasound today, and it's a girl! Everything looks great. She appears to be perfectly healthy and growing at the right rate.

Profile. You can even see her little nose.

Here is a cute shot. This is the kind of picture that should be enlarged and framed! If you can't make it out, it is her bum and the backs of her feet curled under her.

Ultrasound 7 weeks

Side View & Yolk Sack

Front View

One Little Line

I told myself I wouldn't, but I just couldn't wait. I purchased a pack of early result home pregnancy tests. I did one test Saturday and one Sunday, all the while knowing that it may be entirely too early, so I would not let the negatives get me down. Sunday night I actually had a dream that I took the next test and got a positive result. I woke up at 4:00 am on Monday morning and tried to go back to sleep, but I kept thinking of the dream. So I took the test, and true to my feeling, that little pink magic second line appeared this time. Over the course of the day I have run back to look at the test dozens of times. I just cannot get over this tiny little line that means so much to two people who deserve it.


You can barely see the second line on the left. It may be faint, but it IS there. A friend of mine was sceptical when I showed this to her, but I know that it is impossible to get a false positive result.

This is a testament to the 'First Result' Early Result pregnancy tests. With my own children I could never get a positive result on a home test until around 5-6 weeks. This came up at 3 weeks and 3 days, which is actually only 5 days after the embryos were transferred into my uterus. I find that to be amazing.

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part

My mom and I flew to New York on April 6th, and I did the embryo transfer on April 7th. Now on day 4 after the procedure, I can hardly wait until the 15th when I go in for a pregnancy test.

After all this time preparing for it, the procedure was so quick and easy that it just seamed surreal. In the days after, I kept thinking that I should feel different now, which even I know is completely ridiculous.

The embryos are graded on viability, and two grade As, which is the best quality, were transferred. I do not fully understand if this ups the odds of success. I think they try to do everything as best they can, but it all comes down to statistics in the end. I was told at the clinic that I basically had an 80% change of a successful pregnancy, but on their website (for my situation) it basically says that each of these two embryos has a 78% chance. Together, that makes the odds of at least a single pregnancy even higher.

Ready Or Not

I started my hormone injections March 5th. For the first 12 days I did one subcutaneous injection daily of Lupron. March 16th I added twice weekly Delestrogen, given intramuscular. Yesterday I stopped the Lupron and it has been replaced with once daily Progesterone. Today I also started taking two different antibiotic pills.

The retrieval was done TODAY. Jill said they got 12 good eggs. Now I am waiting for Margie to hear from the embryologist tomorrow. I was told that the most likely scenario is that I will be flying out Tuesday for a Wednesday embryo transfer.

I counted it up on the calendar, and I wonder if Margie knows that based on the April 2nd retrieval, the baby/babies will be due on Christmas Eve. I think that is fitting. What a wonderful Christmas for them! Ok, I know that if they get twins they will surely be born a little earlier than that, but I still think it is a neat due date.

I think I will be sent in for the pregnancy test on around April 16th. But I cannot imagine it not being successful. I think it is just a matter of whether they get one baby or twins.

Post Trip...

Jason and I finally got to go to New York to meet Mark and Margie! We flew out January 14th, 2010. We checked into our hotel that night and Mark and Margie picked us up Friday for our big appointment in New Jersey. At one of the IVF clinics they ran a bunch of tests on all of us and then gave Jason and I a lesson on the hormones I will be taking, and Jason even got to practice sticking me with a needle. Then we went to another office for our psych evaluations. We got to spend the entire day Friday with Mark and Margie, and then Jason and I went sight seeing Saturday and half of Sunday since they had been generous enough to set us up for the entire weekend.

Long story short- we love Mark and Margie, Manhattan was wonderful, and we had an amazing time. I am also putting up a separate post on my personal blog about all our running around.

Now I just wait for Jill (my IVF coordinator) to let me know when to start taking my injections. The next time I go out there it will be for the actual embryo transfer.

New York bound in one week!

It is finally here. I signed up with Reproductive Possibilities in August of 2009 and was matched with Mark and Margie in October. With every ones' busy schedules it has taken 3 months to find a time when myself, Jason, Mark, Margie and all the doctors we need to see would be available.

Jason and I fly out on Thursday the 14th! One week from today. I finally get to meet my amazing couple. We will arrive late in the evening Thursday and head to our hotel, and our appointment at IVF New Jersey is on Friday the 15th.

Margie and Mark were kind enough to set us up for 3 nights in Manhattan, even though they only needed us for 1 night, and in New Jersey. We get to go sight seeing and I am sooo excited. There is so much to see and do there that it is overwhelming. This is not the kind of thing we would be able to do on our own. The funny thing is, I am most excited to see things that most New Yorkers probably yawn at- like Central park! It will be amazing and I will take plenty of pictures.