Shes here!!!

Well...the threat of induction was all little Bunnyhop needed to hear, because she decided to make her own way into the world without the induction!!!

So like I said in my previous post, I had a sweep in the morning. Well, I think it did the trick!!! Late in the evening, I started feeling crampy so I went to bed "early" at midnight...knowing I likely wouldnt sleep long before I was awake again (Im a late owl so midnight is early for me). Around 1am I woke up feeling like, ok, yah, Im in labor. Around 2:30 I got up and couldnt go back to sleep. I texted A and D and let them know that we were in labor and not to rush, but they should make their way out here. They arrived close to 4am. At around 6:30, the contractions were close together enough to call the midwife (Susan) again and see what we should do...and it was decided we would head to the hospital to be checked. We got there just after 7 and I was only 4cm dilated, but the waters were bulging in the cervix. She could rupture them to get things going, but I decided lets just hold off the 2 hours and see how it goes. Susan was now officially on holidays and Sylvia took over. I was super happy because Sylvia delivered Juli and I love her!

So after two hours I was checked again, and still 4-5 but she had moved down quite a bit. I knew that laying around wasnt going to do anything so I walked the halls a bit...and the contractions were coming really steadily and harder and stronger.Things started to really pick up and the pain was getting to the point where I knew, it was close. I started with my "Im almost there" sounds that everyone who has seen me birth, knows all to well! lol
So...Sylvia checked me again and sure enough I was fully dilated with a bit of a lip and the waters were bulging big time. The best way to get her out...break those waters, although I was welcome to wait. But at that point I literally said "Well lets get the f-ing show on the road then...break it!" So, she did and with the next contraction, I felt the urge to push. I could feel her RIGHT there. I should add, that there was ALOT of water. I mean ALOT! I could feel it puddled around me and I soaked my socks. Sylvia told A to come closer and get ready to catch her baby. I was holding onto Miles for dear life while hes trying to snap pictures (at my request). A was prepared to see head crowning and the slowish arrival, but I (and Bunnyhop) had other plans. I was ready to get her out!!!And she was ready to come out. One good push and I yelled "Here she comes!!!!" cause I could feel her head coming out and Sylvia telling me to stop but it was too late! I felt down and at 10:49am I could feel the rest of her body sliding out of me!!! And after her, a geyser of fluid. There was SOOOOOO much fluid! Everyone said it was like she came out the end of a waterslide, like literally. A was soaked...her jeans were totally wet! She shot out like a rocket lol. Her mom caught her and held her to her chest...at which point I finally looked down and opened my eyes and saw the most amazing sight. A looking at me and grinning ear to ear...everyone crying...and little Bunnyhop being snuggled skin to skin with her momma. The nurse goes to hands me the scissors and asks if I want to cut the cord, but I was like "no no! thats her daddys job" and she gave the scissors to D who cut his babes lifeline to me.  She wasnt crying or anything. Just wide eyed and looking around.

After a few minutes snuggles, they went over to the warmer and got her measurements and weight. She was 7lbs 3oz (A had just guessed she would be 7lbs 4 oz so that was a pretty good guess!!!) and 20"long. They gave her her K shot and she let out the most pathetic little wail...the loudest she got the entire time we were there. She was just so calm.The new mom took her shirt off and they bundled babe and her up together in a warm blanket and they had some good skin to skin time together. Soon after, daddy finally got to have some skin to skin as well. Then, it was my turn to hold her. I had just finished being stitched up and was all settled into my nice ice maxi pad and mesh panties...oh the mesh panties!!! lol  It was so surreal to hold this baby who had been growing inside me for the last 10 months. She was just amazing!! Absolutely beautiful!!! What was really cool, is while they were examining the placenta, it was discovered to be a 2 lobe (I think thats what she called it) placenta. It had a main part and then like an off shoot. When held up, it looked like a heart!!!! How cool is that!!!!
I snuggled with her a bit before giving her up to her waiting grandma. Next thing you know, there is a room FULL of people. Soooo many people came at the same time! All of Bunnyhops family came to see her. It was amazing to see all that love for her!!!As if I didnt know that doing this was just the right, perfect thing to do...seeing all that love for someone only an hour old just solidified that feeling.

Miles, my mom and my best friend Erin went out and got me sushi....yum....best meal (especially after being offered hospital Sheppards Pie yuck). And people came and went. We spent several hours in the labor room, hanging out and holding babe. After eating, Miles went home to get the girls so they could come and see the baby. All three were just in love with her. Madison and Braelyn each held her...Juli was enthralled with her. It was very very cute. After my dad arrived and my parents left, I got ready to go home. A and D took Bunnyhop to their room on the maternity ward down the hall while I got ready and after, my little family and I made our way down to their room to say goodbye. The girls huddled around her bassinette...just in love with her and I got my last cuddle before leaving. She was wide awake and alert. She is just so beautiful! Things got emotional again as I was leaving. Her parents thanked me again for doing this, we all cried, again. And I left the hospital with my little family, feeling really good, happy and filled with joy and love.

I feel soooo incredibly blessed to have been able to do this. Seeing the look on A's face when she had her baby in her arms, was incredible. It was what I was waiting for this whole journey. I thought lots throughout this journey about what it would be like when she came and was handed to her parents. I never once cried at the thought of "giving her away" (as some people put it) but often did at the thought of seeing her being held by her mom. There was a time when she didnt know if she would even live to have children and now, here she is, a mom. And seeing her hold her baby girl for the first time was just the most amazing thing ever.

Well...its been a long day and Im pretty tired. So...off to bed I go now. Thanks for all the warm wishes I have received! I hope you enjoy my birth story of baby bunnyhop...also known now as Hazel.

My dad said I look like an add for Vancouver Tents and Tarps lol Thanks dad!

Right here....THIS is what I was waiting for!!! That look!!!

All of us!

My girls and I and little Bunnyhop that they also loved for the last 10 months!

Miles holding her!

Isnt she beautiful!!!She was scratching her face so her momma put some socks on her hands lol

Last cuddles before going home!

Induction tomorrow!

Well...I went to the weekly midwife appointment last night and my BP was up high so I was asked to come back this morning and have it checked again.....still high. So she did a quick sweep and stretch and off I went to the hospital for NST and bloodwork.

Midwife consulted with OB who said we should induce as the BP wont get better, it will only get worse so to lessen the chances of further complications, the decision was made to induce using Cervadil. When, was the question. My bloodwork showed everything for the most part was normal. Platelets were at 135 and normal is 150 so they were a bit low but everything else was fine. After 4 hours of being at the hospital, the OB had left it up to the nursing staff to determine if we should do it now, or wait until the morning (depending on staffing, people in labor etc). They decided to wait until the morning when they have 5 nurses on. So...I will call tomorrow morning around 7:30....and unless they had a bus load of people come in, Ill be going in at 8am for the induction. However...I kinda dont think Ill need it. Hours later, Im feeling more painful contractions, that are not like the braxton hicks Ive been getting. I think the sweep did what it was supposed to do. Ive lost my plug (well I lost some of it yesturday and the rest today) and Im thinking that things are moving. My IPs are sitting on the edge of their seat, waiting for news!!!

So...the  next posting you see from me, will be of the birth story!!! Fingers crossed and ELVS to me!! lol

No news lol

Sill pregnant! She was welcome to come up until yesterday....now, shes not welcome to come until after boxing day lol. In a way I'm kinda happy she didn't come yesterday after all, since today I have a butt load of thing to do to get ready for Christmas. Although all the housework I'm doing, could put me in labor lol Lets hope not! I would like to be home tomorrow, enjoying breakfast with my hubby, kids and parents, opening up gifts, and lounging until we have to venture out to my aunts place for dinner. Usually we have Christmas dinner here at our place, but my aunt is having it at her place this year so that I don't have to being that I'm hugely preggers!!!

Getting lots of braxton hicks, and she has definitely moved down further. I walked into work yesterday and a co-workers jaw dropped to the ground...she had never seen anyone drop so much. Imagine if she had seen me the night before (she had the night before off) cause I actually dropped more over night and even those that I worked with both days were like, yah, you've dropped more since yesterday lol. My boss has me on the schedule next week. Im assuming I wont be there lol but Ill keep working until I cant.

Anyhow....just wanted to quickly update since Im sure a couple people might want to know lol I am still in fact pregnant and looking forward to having Christmas with my family and not in the hospital!

From my family to yours, I hope you all have a really wonderful Christmas and Blessed Yule filled with love, family and magical moments!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Madison, Juli and Braelyn

38 weeks and counting!

So we are 38 weeks and still pregnant lol. We told miss bunnyhop that she needs to come on the 23rd....and if she doesnt come then, then she has to wait until the 26th or 27th lol

And there are a few reasons why the 23rd would work. A) Its not Christmas!!! B) Hopefully this would mean I would be in labor on the Thursday, which means Im done work lol C) The midwife we would like to deliver is on call D) A will have her work finished up for the holidays and D will have finished his job and doesnt start his new one until 10 days later...giving him 10 days to be at home with momma and babe! and E) since they are done work, they can be packed and ready at A's parents which is much closer to me then where they live. So....hopefully she heard  her momma and I telling her to come on Friday!!! Lets just say, that I will be doing what I can between now and then, to get things started (aka: spicy food, walking walking and walking....and a romp or 2 in the sack with the hubby lol)

We had our midwife appointment tonight and my BP was holding steady at where it has been. The midwife said it looks like for now, this is my new normal so we are content to just wait....geesh, kinda feels like the classic surrogacy "hurry up and wait" phase again!!! lol Ive gained 1 pound this week, putting my total weight gain at 21lbs and while babe measured 38 last week shes measuring 38 this week and I know her head is down further cause sitting down sometime requires spreading my legs more lol so shes definitely measuring fine.Still moving like she was 10 weeks ago so thats good (well, good in the sense that shes healthy, bad in the sense that she does it more when I have braxton hicks contractions making things VERY tight lol). Speaking of these BH....I never had them with my own pregnancies so its so weird having them this time! My belly gets so tight and then its like babe says "wait a minute! Your crampin my style here uterus!" and she proceeds to push her ass out so Im lopsided (since she likes to lay on one side). Since this happens so frequently, Im sure I have a bit of a bruised rib lol Little bugger!

Anyhow...since there is nothing new to report Ill leave you with some pictures a friend of my took. Hopefully A and D dont read this (I actually have not asked if they do, but they have never mentioned it) cause Im framing one as a Christmas present to them!!

Oh and on a final note....amazing fellow surrogate Jeni has started a Facebook page dedicated to being "a place where people can learn, gain support and share about all the beautiful ways families are created". Like her page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Love-Makes-A-Family-2011/328123507198112 

I think this is my favorite!

I have this in black and white too and will be framing it

Love this photo!!!

Still pregnant! lol

Yep...tomorrow will be 37 weeks and Bunnyhop and I are still hanging out together. I am coming down with a cold now which really pisses me off because the last thing I want at this point, is a cold. Really! I mean, the whole pregnancy, not sick at all...and now, right at the end, when I could go into labor ANY time, I get a cold?!?! WTF?! Seriously?! Not cool mother nature!!! Not cool at all!!!  I could handle getting sick if it were not for the sore throat. Thats really the worst. Bunnyhops mom is also sick so maybe its the universe making us in tune with each other lol

Other then that, how am I feeling? Pretty good for the most part. Tired of course, and ready for this little one to make her debut. I feel ready. I picked up some cinnamon cramp tea to be brewed for when Ive delivered (it helped so much last time with the cramping pain) and have been thinking about the things I want to take to the hospital. While my plan has been to labor at home for a while (like a long while lol) I think Ill end up in the hospital earlier since I cant imagine people in my house right now in the state it is in lol. Ive had the nesting feeling, but none of the energy to actually do any cleaning and god knows my kids and hubby dont do much (unless I freak out and I dont have the energy for that either). So since I see myself being in the hospital longer, I would like to get a bag together to make things more comfortable. I think Ill get that together tomorrow so that its ready for Tuesday, in case my BP is up and I end up being induced. I feel like she could come anytime, but since I keep thinking shes not going to make it till Christmas, shes probably going to be late if Im not induced lol Lets hope not. While I know her mom and dad would like a little more time, what a precious Christmas gift it would be if she came before and got to be with her family for the holidays?!!

Tonight I had my work Christmas party and we were to wear our best ugly Christmas sweater. It was a blast! I didnt win any prizes but I think I had a pretty good sweater! Hope you like the pictures!

Kids decorating the tree

Me and my ugly sweater! (There are snowflakes on it too)

37 week HUGE belly!

Well...36 weeks and lots to report

So...we are 36 weeks and had our midwife appointment today. As I have been suspecting, my blood pressure was up...144/92....since 140/90 is the "magic number" for diagnosing hypertension, there was some concern. After our midwife appointment, we were actually heading to the hospital to meet with the hospital staff/nurses/manager/social worker to go over the logistics of a surrogate birth (this will be the first one at our hospital). Since they dont diagnose hypertension with just one high reading, my midwife wanted the other midwife to test my BP again when we met at the hospital.

There were 8 of us together in a little room to discuss things. We felt pretty good leaving there after having had a tour of the whole ward, having all our questions asked and being put at ease that they want to make sure that the experience is what we are looking for. Overall, I would say we were very pleased with how the meeting went. After the meeting we went and tested my urine again (it was fine in the morning...but had trace of protein this time) and test my BP which thankfully came down to where it has been sitting at.

So...for now, we wait. Last week I did have a dizzy spell and headache and went to see the midwife to make sure things were ok and they were so she was fine waiting until todays appointment. Since we are meeting weekly now, unless I get any other symptoms, we will wait until next week and see where we are. If at next weeks appointment, my BP is high again, I will be sent for bloodwork and have my liver and kidney function tested. If things are abnormal, they will consult with an OB who will then decide what we should do next...likely, induction. So...this baby could really come any time now. Ive been feeling lately that we wont make it until Christmas and I think todays events kinda just solidified what I have been thinking for a while.

Well...thats it for now! I have to upload a couple pics so when I do, Ill post them! Keep your fingers crossed that we can keep this baby Bunnyhop in my belly for at least another week, preferably 2!!!!