22 weeks

This has been a pretty exciting week!

How am I feeling physically? Heartburn is my biggest complaint (which responds well to Tums, though seems to be increasing in frequency). The weird tongue thing I had with my daughter seems to be getting worse slowly, but it isn't too bad, yet.

Doctor's Appointment: I had the "20 wk anatomy scan" and OB appt this past Monday. I am happy to say that Gummy Bear is still a HE and everything looked great during the ultrasound. They take tons of pics and measurements and use some of them (head circumference, torso length and leg length, I think) to guess the weight and gestational age. It put him at 15 ounces and 20wk5da (he was 21wk2da, so very close). The tech spent about 40 minutes getting all of the pics and video she needed. I am always amazed at the detail you can see on the ultrasound. It is so cool to see the 4 chambers of the heart and the valves opening and closing as the blood flows through!He was being a smidge stubborn and would not change positions, so the tech could get the arm and leg on the other side. I think she finally got what she needed:o) Then it was on to my OB appointment.Everything there was good, as well. GB's heart-rate was 146 bpm both times. My next OB appointment is January 28th.

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Weight Gain: 5 pounds total!

Face

Sleep: I am a tummy/side sleeper. So far, I can still sleep in my comfy position- on my tummy with one leg bent, so slightly off to the side. When I can no longer sleep on my tummy, it will take some time to adjust. The waking up to empty my bladder at night has started, but luckily it is 0-2 times per night and not too disruptive yet. Overall, not too bad.

Mood: Things are moving along well. I can't wait to see R & T holding their little Gummy Bear. My sister and her family, including my 3 month old niece, whom I haven't met yet, are to visit at the end of this week, so I am super excited about that. and the next two weeks will probably fly by.

Movement: Definitely feeling more movement the past week, or so. This week I am feeling him at more times during the day, though after dinner is still his favorite, consistent time to play. I am feeling him down really low, which is different than I remember with DD, but maybe I am just not remembering the early stuff as well.

Exciting Moment(s): Gender confirmation and the ultrasound:oD

Milestones Achieved:
Gummy Bear weighs about 15 ounces now. He's also around 11 inches from head to heel. Now that he's got more developed eyes and lips, he's looking even more like a newborn. He's sleeping in cycles -- about 12 to 14 hours per day (Source: thebump.com)

 Next Milestones/What I am looking forward to: I have been able to feel a few "kicks" from the outside, but I look forward to those increasing and maybe even being able to video him moving for his daddies.

22 weeks

20 weeks

HALFWAY!!! I can't believe we are halfway through this pregnancy. It has flown by and I am soooo excited for what's to come. T & R are on their babymoon and I can't wait to hear about their trip when they get home:) They did a good job of spoiling my family for Christmas. We also had a great Christmas, (actually 3 of them;o)

How am I feeling physically? Heartburn is my biggest complaint (which responds well to Tums, though seems to be increasing in frequency). The weird tongue thing I had with my daughter seems to be getting worse slowly, but it isn't too bad, yet. The eye twitch seems to have gone away. I finally feel like I look pregnant, which is fun.

Doctor's Appointment: My next appointment is January 7th. It will be a long one, with the comprehensive anatomy u/s followed by a regular OB appointment.

Weight Gain: IDK- About 2 pounds, I think (I don't remember what my starting weight was on my home scale, so I will have to do a comparison, next time I go to the Dr.)

Sleep: I am a tummy/side sleeper. So far, I can still sleep in my comfy position- on my tummy with one leg bent, so slightly off to the side. When I can no longer sleep on my tummy, it will take some time to adjust. The waking up to empty my bladder at night has started, but luckily it is 0-2 times per night and not too disruptive yet. I have also started remembering dreams, which is not so good because it means my deep sleep is being interrupted. Overall, not too bad.

Mood: This is a busy time of year. With me being pregnant and DH studying for his big engineer's test in April, I feel like I have been a little moodier than usual, but the spirit of the season helps:o) DH was able to take this past week off, so that has helped us get organized and be more relaxed.

Movement: Definitely feeling more movement the past week, or so. He seems to be most active after dinner until bedtime.

Exciting Moment(s): Feeling more movement:o) We discussed our birth plan which was fun because I got to learn some of the things that T & R would like to have happen when their baby is born. Things like who is going to cut the chord, what his last name will be, who will hold him first (I think this one may still be under discussion;o).

Milestones Achieved: 
Gummy Bear weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)
He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).  (Source: thebump.com)

Next Milestones/What I am looking forward to: My next OB appointment and "20 week" u/s is January 7th, where we should get confirmation that all is well and confirm that Gummy Bear is a he! Hopefully, movements that I can feel will be increasing over the next few weeks.

18 Weeks

Sorry, this is a couple of days late. It was a fun and busy weekend!

How am I feeling physically? Heartburn is my biggest complaint (which responds well to Tums, though seems to be increasing in frequency). The weird tongue thing I had with my daughter seems to be getting worse slowly, but it isn't too bad, yet. The eye twitch seems to have gone away. I finally feel like I look pregnant, which is fun.

Doctor's Appointment: We got the results for the genetic testing and it came back negative:o) My next appointment is January 7th. It will be a long one, with the comprehensive anatomy u/s followed by a regular OB appointment.

Weight Gain: IDK- I haven't been on the scale recently.

Sleep: I am a tummy/side sleeper. So far, I can still sleep in my comfy position- on my tummy with one leg bent, so slightly off to the side. When I can no longer sleep on my tummy, it will take some time to adjust.

Mood: This is a busy time of year. With me being pregnant and DH studying for his big engineer's test in April, I feel like I have been a little moodier than usual, but the spirit of the season helps:o) 

Movement: Still feeling a few flutters here and there.

Exciting Moment(s): Finding out that GB is a BOY! 

Milestones Achieved: Head to rump, your GB is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that I'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born.  (Source: thebump.com)

Next Milestones/What I am looking forward to: My next OB appointment and "20 week" u/s is January 7th, where we should get confirmation that all is well and confirm that Gummy Bear is a he! Hopefully, movements that I can feel will be increasing over the next few weeks. We have also started the paperwork for the Pre-Birth Order that will put T and R's names on the birth certificate and legally confirm their parental rights.

18 Weeks

Merry Christmas. . . A little early!

Ever since I scheduled the "20 wk u/s" for Jan 7th (which is 21 wks, by the way), I had been thinking about finding out the gender of the baby before then. I knew T and R wanted to know, but I wasn't sure how badly they wanted to know, so I slyly asked. On a 10 pt scale, I got a 10 and a 7:o) Then the wheels started turning. I called the place I went to when I was pregnant with DD, and scheduled the appointment for Monday, December 3rd:o) I wanted this to be a surprise, early Christmas present from us, so I wanted a clever way to tell them the news. My first idea involved shipping a gift, but after I found out how much shipping internationally is, I had to come up with a different idea. The best I could come up with was a mini slideshow. I think it did the trick! I sent it to them as a video, but have included it below as pics of each slide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you make your guess?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No peeking!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bet some of you could tell from the picture:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you dying to know for sure?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here it comes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drumroll, please!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you guess correctly? Well, I know 2 of my Aunties got it correct. Obviously, we all just want a healthy baby, but it is fun to know that Gummy Bear is a HE:-D And even more fun to not have to wait 5 more weeks to find out. Pretty soon, he may even have a name.

16 Weeks

How am I feeling physically? Well! No real major symptoms. I have had some very mild round ligament pain (from my uterus growing), heartburn (which responds well to Tums) and my lower abdomen feels fuller. The weird tongue thing I had with my daughter seems to be starting, but it isn't too bad, yet. The eye twitch seems to have returned:(

Doctor's Appointment: I had my 16 week OB appointment on Tuesday. Now starts the ho hum appointments: weight, blood pressure, urine dip, GB's heartbeat on doppler, questions (which I rarely have any). They are pretty quick appointments and should be similar until we get near the end. This time I also had to do the blood draw for the 2nd tri genetic testing. Everything looked good and we should get the results from the genetic testing in a couple of weeks.

Weight Gain: 1 pound

Sleep: I am a tummy/side sleeper. So far, I can still sleep in my comfy position- on my tummy with one leg bent, so slightly off to the side. When I can no longer sleep on my tummy, it will take some time to adjust.

Mood: good, excited to see how excited T & R are about their baby.

Movement: Still feeling a few flutters here and there.

Exciting Moment(s): Nothing too exciting these past two weeks, but stay tuned!

Milestones Achieved: Now, s/he's about 4.6 inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces. S/he's listening to your voice, thanks to tiny bones forming in the ears, growing hair, lashes and eyebrows and forming taste buds. (Source: thebump.com)

Next Milestones/What I am looking forward to: My next OB appointment and "20 week" u/s is January 7th, where we should get confirmation that all is well and find out if Gummy Bear is a he or a she! Hopefully, movements that I can feel will be increasing over the next few weeks.

I started out overweight, so I feel like I still just look fat, but my family swears I look pregnant, so, here you go- my first bump pic:)

16 weeks

14 weeks

How am I feeling physically? Well! No real major symptoms. I have had some very mild round ligament pain (from my uterus growing), heartburn (which responds well to Tums) and my lower abdomen feels fuller. The weird tongue thing I had with my daughter seems to be starting, but it isn't too bad, yet. The eye twitch seem to have gone away.

Doctor's Appointment: I had the NT u/s Wed. We got great news that all of the genetic abnormalities that they screen for came back negative! Of course, the wigly little Gummy Bear decided s/he wanted to rest during the u/s and wouldn't move into the right position, but the teach got a good enough picture anyways.

Weight Gain: negligible (5 oz between my 2 OB appointments)

Sleep: I am a tummy/side sleeper. So far, I can still sleep in my comfy position- on my tummy with one leg bent, so slightly off to the side. When I can no longer sleep on my tummy, it will take some time to adjust.

Mood: good, excited to see T&R go through this pregnancy

Movement: The past couple of days I have been feeling a few flutters here and there.

Exciting Moment(s): Feeling the first movements and getting lots of great pictures and news to share with GB's daddies.

Milestones Achieved: S/he's probably sucking his thumb and wiggling his toes in there! Kidneys are making urine, and the liver and spleen are doing their jobs, too. And he's growing lanugo, a thin, peach-fuzz-like hair, all over his body -- it will help him keep warm!

Next Milestones/What I am looking forward to: My next OB appointment is Nov 28th. The movements I can feel should increase.

12 weeks

I have seen fellow surrogates do a pregnancy update in a consistent format and thought it would be a good thing to have here. I hope to do one every other week, for now (and maybe next time, I will start including a bump pic;o).

How am I feeling physically? Well! No real major symptoms. I have had some very mild round ligament pain (from my uterus growing), heartburn (which responds well to Tums) and my lower abdomen feels fuller. My left eye has been twitching a bit, but it seems to be decreasing in frequency. The weird tongue thing I had with my daughter seems to be starting, but it isn't too bad, yet.

Doctor's Appointment: I had my first official pre-natal appointment with the OB/GYN (that other one was the intake appointment) this past Monday, October 29th. It was basically like a regular annual GYN appt- PAP, pelvic exam and breast exam with the addition of getting to listen to the baby's heartbeat on doppler. When it came to this part the NP told me not to worry if we couldn't hear it because GB is so tiny and moving around and they sometimes can't catch the heartbeat this early. Of course, having just stopped the meds less than a week prior, I really needed that reassurance. She ran that little thing around on my tummy for what seemed like forever (probably less than 60 seconds) and, finally, there it was:o) 169 bpm, which is on the high side, but indicates that GB was probably practicing his/her calisthenics:D It was awesome to see the NP for this appointment. I followed her to this office many years ago after a bad experience with another Dr. She did my first two appt. when I was preggers with DD and then she went out on medical leave with Breast Cancer for what was supposed to be 6 weeks and turned into over 7 months. She is doing great now and seemed super excited about the whole surrogacy aspect and asked me lots of questions about the process. Luckily, Dr. K is who I was randomly assigned to back then and we LOVE her, too. I am feeling a little torn. I could split my appts between the two, but I kind of like the consistency of always seeing the same person, so I will probably stick with Dr. K and use the NP as back up:o)

Weight Gain: negligible (5 oz between my 2 OB appointments)

Sleep: I am a tummy/side sleeper. So far, I can still sleep in my comfy position- on my tummy with one leg bent, so slightly off to the side. When I can no longer sleep on my tummy, it will take some time to adjust.

Mood: good, excited to see T&R go through this pregnancy

Movement: I haven't felt Gummy Bear move, yet, but I know from the u/s and doppler that s/he is a wiggly one, so I should probably enjoy these last couple of weeks;o)

Exciting Moment(s): The best parts of the last 2 weeks were stopping the meds and then hearing that heartbeat. Today, we had a Skype date with R&T and it was fun to see their excitement about the progress:o)

Milestones Achieved: Baby’s almost done developing his/her body’s important systems and parts, which means, it’s mostly about getting bigger and more mature from here on out.

Next Milestones/What I am looking forward to: After this coming week, we will officially be in the second trimester! I can't wait to get the daily reassurances of feeling GB move around in there. We have our Nuchal Translucency scan on November 14th. I copied the following from Wikipedia for those who are curious what that is (as I was) - "A nuchal scan is a sonographic prenatal screening scan (ultrasound) to help identify higher risks of chromosomal defects including Down's syndrome in a fetus, particularly for older women who have higher risks of such pregnancies. High thickness measurements are also associated with congenital heart defect. The scan is carried out at 11–13.6 weeks pregnancy and assesses the thickness of soft tissues of the nape of neck of the fetus. There are two distinct measurements -- the nuchal translucency, which is measured earlier in pregnancy at the end of the first trimester, and for which there is a lower threshold for increased diameter, and the nuchal fold, which is measured towards the end of the second trimester. Fetuses at risk of Down's Syndrome tend to have a higher amount of fluid around the neck." It can also detect other chromosomal abnormalities and is combined with the results from the blood test I had done this week. It is only a screening tool and, if anything came back positive, further testing would be needed to determine the validity of the positive. It would start with a more detailed ultrasound and ultimately, amniocentesis is the only thing that can tell us for sure (but, hopefully we won't need any of that:o))