LITTLE MUNCHKIN IS HERE!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

 

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

So I know that for those who have been faithfully following my blog I know that you must be anxious to read my birth story. Our journey started the Monday ( December 23rd 2013) before where I did my Pre-Op blood work that morning and found that the last one on the day of my C-section. Go figure that I would find this out then. I went to my last OBGYN appointment with IP's in attendance and hubby. It was great to see them bittersweet they were overseas for the latter part of the pregnancy and emails, viber messages and Google Hangouts were or best friends. We all felt the tension at the visit. I was checked  and I was just at 1 cm which was good per say I was released from the OBGYN's office with instructions that if mother nature were to kick in I was to make my way to the hospital. Needless, to say mother nature stayed in check. I was able to spend Christmas with my hubby and boys. I slept and ate and slept again. I was thankful because I didn't want to be in the hospital and miss Christmas with my boys.

 

To say that I was anxious was an understatement it took forever to fall asleep and when I did my alarm went off signaling it was time to start the journey to have Little Miss Munchkin enter this world. We were very organized suitcase packed from 1 month ago, hospital papers packed all we needed was to get in the car with the kids we were early my papers said 5:30 am we checked in at 4:30 all the nurses kidded that I was the earliest patient they had seen. But we had to the earliest our sitter could take the boys were 6:30. Hubby checked me in and waited until I was in my hospital to take the boys to the sitter and run back to be in time for the surgery. We called the IP's after we found out that I was first on the docket for the O.R. they were 2 1/2 hours away so the need to get a move on it.

 

 

I was hooked up to my I.V. had my Nintendo DS in my hands and was watching the clock wondering where hubby was and IP's God forbid they all missed time and Little munchkin was delivered without all parties being present (namely the attendees lol).  Well it took awhile to get everybody settled but as soon as  I was prepped and given my epidural the show was on the road I had an awesome team of doctors and nurses who ran the O.R.  like a locomotive amazing huh, but after 12 miscarriages, 3 years of trying and thyroid issues with me munchkin was here at 8:31 am 7lbs. 10 Oz., 20 1/2 inches long and a head full of dark hair. The hair that had been giving me hell for the last 9 months, the 50+ lbs I had gained the heartache of losses for IM they were all wiped away when they pulled her out. The journey to get her here were now part of the tapestry of life.

 

Little Rhys O. W -December 30th 2013 8:31 am WELCOME TO THE WORLD!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

37 weeks and counting down..........

Hello everybody, so we are now 37 weeks and all is well babe is doing great my BP is good and even though I have gained another pound to be at a staggering 201lbs. we are healthy and I am happy for that the weight gain is for a reason. IM got to come to this visit she is back in town after being away for 3 months. I am happy that she got to speak to the Dr. personally as he finally put some irrational talsk to rest. Talks along the lins of early induction because I am now 37 weeks and she is sooo ready to have little girl here.

We get that she is anxious but we are really not ordering A Christmas ham/turkey here this is a little being and to bring her early for trivial reasons just wont be done. We are getting there slowly but we are getting there. i know this is her first I know that I have done this many times before so I am seeing it at a different angle than she is, but babe is connected to me and I will not put the both of us in jeporady for no valid reason. Other than that we are good. I have two more belly shots to post for you all. Bear with me I will get there soon

35 weeks and counting.........

So here I am 35 weeks, and the count down is on at my last appointment this week, I am now a whooping 199lbs. and my BP is great 110/86 which I am so thankful for the Ultrasound tech has already remarked on her being at 5 1/2 lbs. at 34 weeks.
So at the doctor's visit I started my physical cervix checks and was shocked that after my C-section was scheduled. It was weird for me was that even though he never said I was dilated any he did go ahead to make sure the room and OR was secured for me also my due date is now December 30th it got pushed back one day, it seems they don't do surgeries on Sundays this is my assumption.

I relayed the news for IM who wasn't to keen that she has to wait another day I am trying not to be offended by it after all this isn't a birthday cake we are ordering. We did have a slight disagreement last month, because she was dead set on having the baby for Christmas and was even hinting towards an induction and it took the Dr. and the agency to tell her differently which led to a not contact period which we have had a lot of during this journey. And while it doesn't bother me immensely, it does sadden me I was looking for so much more contact with this journey. And I believed the words that were spoken I got that she would have been a little stand-offish in the early stages and then warmed up later on that didn't happen and there is nothing to be done but get ready for D-Day (delivery day) and move on to the next chapter.

After all this is as far as I am to go, no further does it hurt no sting maybe but when your motives and heart are clear as to why you became a surrogate in the first place, it's that much easier to move to the next step. My goal was to help a couple become parents, to assist  them in bridging that gap to make their life complete. As Madea says People come into our lives for a season..

Will post a new baby bump pic next week wouldn't you know I lost my photos when I fried my cell and was not able to retrieve them

34 weeks and counting.......

Here we are at the 34 week march and I am hanging on it seems that I have reverted back to my 1st trimester with foods upsetting my stomach, chronic tiredness and killer heartburn. IP's are still out of the country and are due back for Thanksgiving. Can't wait to see them both.

We did a 3D-4D ultrasound with little munchkin and she is so sweet and plump. She weighs 5 1/2 pounds and is doing well.  Sorry this is so short but sleep is calling

Baby Bump Pics taken over the weekend, October 20-26 2013

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Third Trimester-the home stretch

Hello everyone we are now in the home stretch and it's unbelievable how fast time has flown by and yet it still seems like yesterday. So far , so good only bad thing was I had to be admitted to the hospital for food posioning last Thursday morning. It was for a few hours but scary nonetheless. I was dehydrated and felt like I went 12 rounds in a heavy weight boxing match. I couldn't get no relief and had no choice but to have hubby call the EMT's. It was hard to breathe and just the touch of the nurses felt like a maul.

Well after a full bag of IV fluids, and an ultrasound to see how munchkin was doing and to check the levels of my amniotic fluid and to see if my cervix was closed I was sent home to take it easy for the rest of the week. My hubby reached out to my co-ordinator and my agency owner. We told IP's who are out of the country until November 30th. I was just happy that the little one was doing well despite my episode.

Released from the RE and beyond......

It's been awhile but the MSv has been getting to me my last post was about my beta numbers well we have one healthy little bean growing and it super and amazing. Yes this is my 3rd journey but each one is different and teh challenges and speed bumps make each one that mor memorable as the time flies.

I had my first OBGYN appoitnment and even though my IP's couldn't make it, it was still awesome to hear the little one's heartbeat the most calming sound that a mother surrogate or our own can hear:)

UPATE!!!!! Transfer and Beta

I have been terible at updating but this surrogacy is a very emotional one for me and my IP's the starts the stops the maybes and no next month we did it we jumped over every hurdle that life threw at us.

After all of this would'nt be just like fate to have my IP's Director and Liasion Caseworker out of town when we transfer April 15th. So lucky seeing as it was a few days after my oldest son's b-day and he is a very lucky lad. My last journey we transfered on his birthday and conceieved twins.
 It was not ideal to not have anyone with me but it was ok I had my hubby with me and I was ok I was calm and I think the valium and accupuncture had alot to do with it. Im needed a break from the stress and we understood. We came home hubby put me to bed and I slept a full 8 hours awesome and I was a couch potato for the whole weekend lol Dr. Hubby's instructions.

Today was my first beta yes we are pregnant and drumroll numbers are :41 whooho Beta number 2 Monday 29th 2013

We Are Moving Along!!!!!!!

OOhhh wow we finally got our calendar and my appointments have started already. I just did my blood draw to check my thyroid levels and my NC said that if it was level she'll create our claendar well she did better than that she sent it to my caseworker with my agency and it was waiting on me in my email. I am soo stoked to start cycling again i have been dieting really well I do'nt have any major weight issues and I am on my prenatal vitamins.

I am praying for healthy pregnancy and I am hoping for twins and yes some might saywhy. It's for my IP's I have carried twins before and I know what all it entails and yes I am ready to go through it all again hard to understand I know but I do and IM wants that too. i am hoping that my IM lets herself fall in love with every step we make I do understand after so much dissappoints why she is holding off. I will be cautiously happy for her andd I will get giddy enough for the both of us.

On Monday I go for my Saline Sonogram and vaginal ultrasound. Our transfer date is April 16th. and I can't wait.

When it comes to my thyroid issues most of it is hormonal my periods are heavier and thy last an extra day. from-3-4 days my body temperature has been regulated my hair stopped or at least slowed down with the thinning and depression is also a known symptom but so far I have'nt expierenced it.

well that's it for now I am counting down the days utnil i stick my butt to get this cycle started.

A Few Speedbujmps along the way....

So I know that it's been awhile and here we go again. So let me just rewind on the last two months per se. We found out that my ovaries were too surpressed hence why it took so long for my period to return. We fixed that we adjusted my thyroid meds reduced the dosage and what do you know within three days of taken the new dosage I got my Period!!!! Yayy!!! So we were sure that we were going to be able to make February turns out that was a bust so then we were told March but get this no meds delivered, no calendar and no date set for the transfer what do you mean. Then the RE goes on medical leave and we have no idea what that means I start a new pack of BCP's on Tuesday(Feb 26.) and expierence breakthrough bleeding oh well its to be expected. So after calling and reaching out to everyone here is our new positin:

RE will be out because he hurt his back his partner will take over everything from monitoring to transfer, We will be in a new office We are waiting on the other Office to give us a date thats available so we can co-ordinate our schedules there are a total of six people to line up dates with aint this a hectic bunch. Soooo I can only hope we get this ship up and running sometimg soon it's driving me batty

Still waiting...

It's been officially two months since the miscarriage. I am back to normal or should I say my pre-pregnancy self all except for one thing my period still has yet to come arrgh.. but my RE is not worried he wants my body to return to itself naturally. Ok he's the expert I am guessing that he has a timeline as to when he'll induce so now it's just exercise lose weight which is coming along beautifully.

That's teh physical side of things on the more bonding side my Im has decided to step back and not attend visits or ultrasounds this go around she still wants email updates but not the task of everything else I found out that our recent loss was number 11 for them. it broke my heart while I was aware that it mor than 5 losses I had no idea it was that many. I am a little saddened but do understand the emotional toll it has taken on her. So my agency director and my case co-ordinator have stepped in to fill the void and take care of anything I might need and my hubby is making oplans to attned all appointments with me. I was looking for a more intimate journey this time but that will have to come on its own and in its own time so for now we just wait and get ready to start again.

Onto beta testing and POAS

So after 5 days on bedrest I had to test I could not resist I took out the test strips my friend Jenny had sent me and I did I snuck one on friday too early negative then I did one on Sunday morning and pow it was there almost instantly I could not believe it I took a pic and sent it to my closest friends and sure enough it was there for everyone to see congrats poured in but I had to sit on it I had been given the green light to test but to not reveal the outcome to my IM. So I jumped up and down with my agency director and friends and tried to wait cautiously until beta testing which wasnt until 10/4 and wouldnt you know we had to hit a snafu I had made an appointment with a lab that the clinic did not use and had to switch locations ahhh so frustrating and without my internet access find the lab was hell. To top it off I didnt know if they accepted walkins spoke with my agency director SD and she said they did but to get there as early as possible ok got that fixed then bam could not get the order off of my cell phone. Ok my IVF coordinator told me she could fax the order if I had trouble getting ok another problem soleved. I found the lab with the help of my hubby LR and he came with me for my blood draw. I got the agency to fax the order and breathed a sigh of relief!!!

So the results were supposed to be in from 3pm and we couldntn receive it because the lab's machine was broken Are you freakin kidding me really what kind of lab was this so we had to come to terms with we will not get the results until possibly Friday.On about my day pick up kids, brave traffic and make dinner after 7pm Thursday October 3 2012 Dr. G calls me personally

BFP!!!!!! and 1st Ultrasound

And so we have it I cheated this time I tested before and I got a BFP @ 4dpt and then I tested again @ 5dpt. I was sooo stoked hubby could'nt believe it he didnt want me to test because he thought that it would jinx our rituals but I did and sent out the pics to at least 15 ladies to get that unbelievable comfirmation. On Wed Oct 3 20102 my first beta was 200 wow high and my repeat beta was 1100 whoohoo stoked and couldnt believe it my RE even went out on a limb to suggest twins which is something he never does.

We had our first US at 5wks 6 days pg I wish the clinic had waited longer at least until I was 6 weeks plus but I know IP's were anxious and we saw the sac and the beginning of the fetal pole. IF was eleated that it was a singleton and IM wanted twins jusry is still out on that until our next ultrasound Novemebr 5th. pregnancy symptoms still very strong at my next US I will be 8 weeks plus and I can't wait to see it all- I want to see what has my tempermental,exahausted,angry hungry and soo sleppy I wn't forget to add the smells and cigarette smoke drive me crazy lol until next time I promise to update sooner

Mishaps on transfer day

Hello its been awhile my bum is just beginning sore after all the shots. Transfer day was hectic hubby could'nt make it because our car had been stolen the following night. So I went at it alone on the train I wa sooo happy that I had left out very early and would'nt you know it this would be the day that there was a delay there I was stuck in between 2 zones and was absolutely helpless to it. I sent text messsgaes out but they were stuck far apart from me, finally at 10:50 the train was cleared to resume and I was off. Hit the train to the metro shuttle to the transit bus and finally to the clinic with 45 mins to spare !!!!!

 I was cleared to get a bite to eat and I did the juicest hamburger and fries ever IKR so I make it back into the office and as soon as I sit down the acupuncturist calls me in  and wants to get started right away> I am hustled off and there is another glitch my bladder may not be filled enoguh so she makes me drink a 32 oz glass of water and continues with the needles half way through my IM KC comes in and she has been looking for me I am sooo relaxed she was worried that I wouldnt make it there in time and was pleased and relieved to know I was at the clinic the whole while. We go into the mini-operating room and have to wait 5 more mins for the water in my stomach to flow to my bladder and it does its surreal as Doc calls in the embryologist with the embryos to implant. and to watch it on the screen was nothing short of breathtaking.

it was short and sweet but so worth it I moved into the recovery room to allow more time for the sedative to wear off, It was homeward bound afterthat straight to bed and on bedrest for the remainder of the week to allow the the embies to take root. And the difficult TWO WEEK WAIT!!!!

A long time Coming

It has been awhile for those of you who have been following my blog I apologize my life has gotten super busy. So my thyroid levels went way down and we were given the green light to move forward that was back in July, but we had missed the mark. I wasnt too upset the RE knows what he is doing and I was glad we waited a few extra months to get started. I feel better and got to lose a few more pounds. I was able to deal with summer camps a new school for my youngest and 3 tooth extractions for my oldest, that if I wa scycling would hjave been rather stressful.

 I got my calendar  Monday morning and was super glad but one glitch they wanted to use Estradiol Vaginal tablets and they didnt work the first time we used them so I call the Nurse Co-Ordinator and she has to consult with the doc so hopefully w eget this sorted out by August 31st which is when I start my meds. With a transfer date of Septmeber 24th. which is turning out to be a very busy month with dental visits, PTA and screenings almost back-to-back here's to success and stickybabydust

On the Move Again

It's been one hell of a long wait. When I last checked in I was put on Synthroid because my Thyroid levels were too high. My regimen was one tablet every morning for six weeks well today I am in my 5th week I have an appointment for tomorrow (Thursday 12). I am anxious and excited I want my levels to be low my IM wants my levels to be low I am prayerful and hopeful. I also realize that wait we had was the typical wait that occurs in a surrogacy after all we jumped over all the hurdles, medical screening,psych eval contract negotiations etc. so here's to tomorrow and good news! 0

Waiting........

It's the weekend we finally hit the waiting stage of the journey, it's expected we have bypassed every other obstacle, we did not have to wait for screening (my medical records were update to date) got my pap smear before My RE has been the same for all of my jouneys. It just happens to coincide with them joining with another clinic. So this is our waiting period hopefully it won't be too long....

One Step Closer..........

So after few snafus and attorneys going on vacation we have a signed and notarized contract. We have a face2face planned for MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND. I am overwhelmed that our process has sped by and so blessed my IP's chose me. We will be starting meds soon- injections in the toosh a strict protocol to follow a transfer in a sterile room allon the way to make a baby maybe two.

I forgot to mention she would like twins as much as I do

Intro- Fair Bump Mother

Hello it's been awhile since I have put my thoughts on paper even if it's a virtual one. Iam in the contrc phase of my surrogate journey. Ok let me start over My name is Drea and I am a surrogate mother. I have done this twice and eachjouy has been different bt the outcome the same a loving couple who were told they would never become parents were, the meds the injections, mood swings heartburn came to a single moment, a first breath a cry and multiple tears a beautiful life and for some two beautiful lives as in my last journey.


I have spoken to my IP's (Intended Parents) once over the phone and I already  know that this journey is going to be special and I want to document it. They are professionals and young K&C or Kansas City my nickname for them. My cant carry a pregnancy to term so she found me The  Fairy Bump Mother