Support....love my fam damily!

 So I thought it was high time I made mention of the support and love Ive been getting through this journey. I am very fortunate that I have not had any ....NONE whatsoever, negative comments made about being a surrogate. My mom apparently had one person say that it was a selfish thing to do...why dont the IP's just adopt with so many kids who need adopting. But thats it. And thankfully that comment wasnt made to me because I would have torn a strip off that person :)

Pretty much everyone in my life has known from before the transfer that I was doing this. But I was amazed when last night, I was at a wedding, and all my "aunts and uncles" came up to me and said they thought it was wonderful what I was doing. I didnt even know they all knew lol
I should back up here a bit and tell you about my family. I have an older brother whos been supportive of my journey. My mom has a brother and sister....her brother lives far far away and has a few kids, who I have never met (have them on FB though and try to get to know my cousins through that). My aunt has 5 kids and for the most part, were somewhat close....some times are better then others lol. But we keep in touch with each other and have grown up with each other.
Now my dad is the youngest of 6 and most have kids but not all. They are all older then me by a fair amount (some of my cousins could probably be my parent lol) And some of them have kids who have kids. Some are close, some are not. We all live in different places but when we get together (which isnt often) its like we just saw each other. I havent talked to many of them, but my parents have and Im sure they all know about this and the ones that I know know, have showed their support too.
This brings me to my chosen family. My dad has worked for a bakery for many many MANY years (like 40). And through working there, he met a wonderful Dutch, Catholic family, the Kouwenhovens. Grandma and Grandpa had 9 kids and they all have 2 or 3 kids each. I call this, my "chosen family". At a young age, I basically barged my way into the family lol. While we already spent lots of time with them and felt a part of this great family, I made sure I was a part of it and asked if I could call Grandma and Grandpa, Grandma and Grandpa! At my wedding, at least 5 tables, were just of Kouwenhovens lol. They out numbered mine and Miles family put together lol. Being a very Catholic family, their religious views greatly differ from my parents and mine, but we have never been made to feel anything other then welcome and loved into the family. Being a surrogate, I didnt really know how they would feel about it...considering the Catholic views on procreation. But yesturday at my cousins wedding, I was so happy when people came up and said they thought it was wonderful what Im doing....it means a lot to have their support.

So in saying all that. Thanks to everyone....my blood family, my chosen family and my friends....for your support in this journey. It means a lot that you are all behind me in this. You dont know how much it means to feel the love and support through this. Im sure there will be a time where I will really need it....and I know you will be there for me!

I would like to share some pics from the wedding!!!  It was held at the Fort Langley Historical Site. An actual fort. Very cool venue. I imagine their photos will be amazing!! Thanks Bear and Andrea for having us at your special day!!! It was truly beautiful!!!

The Beautiful bride Andrea and Groom Jeremy

Carriage ride.

Thats right...this is what I ate lol and it was local
organic and free range....and delicious!!!

Beautiful flowers

My parents and us

My little family.

Waited all night for Black Betty....reliving air guitar from my wedding lol
Cousins Leah and Jeanine and uncle Paul gettin down lol

Not all the cousins made it in...but this is a good bunch of them!

Bride and groom having a dance.

Place setting and favour....homemade jam.
Had some in our PB&J sandwich for lunch today! Delish!

Yes...thats right. There was a fire pit!!! And there was S'mores!

Well...ultrasound went well today...but unfortunately the MOA who booked the appointment, was a total tool. I specifically said that we wanted to find out the gender and so we had to make an appointment for 20 weeks and she said "Oh no, we can tell you at 19 weeks" so, thats what I booked for. Well, yah, they wont tell you before 20 weeks. So, after all that, we still do not know the gender of the baby. Its very dissapointing. Looks like we will schedule a 4D privately instead.

Babe is measuring right on dates, and everything looks great. Brain development, heart, everything was great.

Here are some pictures...I took pictures of the pics lol on my phone. So the quality is crappy. The first one looks like The Scream painting LOL.  Face shot with he/she yawning lol

Kinda front...babe is looking down but head on

Little foot!

Ultrasound on wednesday....

....any predictions on the gender?!?!?!? Im thinking girl.

Picture

Ok...so I was asked to post a picture (which I did in the post previous to the 18 week one I just posted). But wondering if something was up with it because no one commented on it. So I changed some settings and wholla....I get a couple of comments. So here is another pic. Taken 5 minutes ago. No one is awake in the house, so I threw the cam on the tripod lol

18 Weeks and counting!

Its amazing how fast things are going!! Im getting a nice bump (its crazy how fast your belly sticks out when you're on your 4th pregnancy!!!). Some days I just feel fat, other days I feel pregnant lol. I feel the baby move more and more and often try to remind him/her that he/she needs to stop kicking my bladder! Im really looking forward to being able to feel the baby move from the outside so that A and D can feel it themselves.  
We had our midwife appointment last week and heard the heartbeat again which I know A really enjoys hearing. After, we enjoyed a nice dinner out, the 4 of us...the first time Miles has been able to hang out with D since first meeting them way back in October!


So...this week the baby is approximately 5.5inches/ 14.2 centimetres long from crown to rump (about the size of a bell pepper) and she weighs about 7 ounces/ 190 grams. Her chest moves up and down to mimic breathing but she's not taking in air, only amniotic fluid. Around this time, the baby becomes more sensitive to the outside world and shows her presence through powerful kicks and prods. The bones through which sound is passed to the inner ear have hardened and the parts of the brain that receives and processes nerve signals from the ears are developing. This means that the baby can hear now. She will get used to familiar sounds, such as your heart beating, familiar voices, blood rushing through the umbilical cord and other daily routine sounds and will become startled if she hears a loud sound. The fingernails are formed, taste buds are present and the gender is evident!

So next week we have the "big" ultrasound!!! Very excited!!! They want to know the gender and thats super exciting!! I think its a girl and apparently so does everyone else....which then make A think it must be a boy lol.  Funny though, over the weekend, my mom, kids and I went to RenFest and mom saw a psychic who said somthing about "Maybe this will be a boy...or a very fierce girl!" So...we will see I guess on the 10th!!!

Still...nothing new lol

But its been weeks since I last posted so I thought it was time. 16 weeks now...CRAZY!! I am still feeling baby move, but just flutters still, and not all that often. I wish that I had more of an indication that Im pregnant, but apart from being tired and the round ligament pains (which sucks by the way), there is nothing to indicate Im pregnant so for the piece of mind, I with I could feel more lol But, at least Im feeling it and it is getting more and more by the day (a couple of times Ive felt a pretty good thump).

I had the most hilarious and weird dream the other night. Of all the weird happenings in the dream, I'll just take away from it, that perhaps it was telling me the gender of the baby lol. Ok, so I end up at the hospital (by myself by the way, and for who knows what reason) and end up having a c section (no one knew I was at the hospital). RIGHT after having the baby (and I mean, right after....the baby was still in the warmer in the delivery room) I was dressed and ready to drive my friend somewhere. So, I drive her to where shes going and quickly said that I had to get back to the hospital so I could be with the baby until the IPs got there, who by the way, didnt even know their baby was born. On the way back, Im walking past a coffee shop and see my IM outside and I stop and inform her that she had a baby girl and that I was headed back to the hospital, to which she replied "thats unfortunate" (and I dont think she meant its unfortunate shes a mom, but that she wasnt there) and asked me to call the IF (weird since I would have thought she would have wanted to tell him lol). Then says she will see me at the hospital. So I get back and see baby...and baby is asian LOL I should mention, my IPs are NOT asian and neither is their egg donor LOL. Yah...a f-d up dream thats for sure!

We have a midwife appointment coming up on the 25th and an ultrasound on Aug 8. Very excited because we are hoping to find out the sex of the baby.  Perhaps with it not being my husbands, I am pregnant with a boy lol Although, the weird dream says otherwise lol
I will be taking a picture of me sometime this week...I have a small bump now (which is bigger then it would otherwise be at this point, since I still have lots of chub from 3 pregnancies)..

Ok...I took the pic today lol here it is! (Sorry for the shadow around me)

12 weeks!!!

Thats right! We are already 12 weeks along! Crazy!!! It seems to be going fast, but slow at the same time lol.
We had a midwife appointment today and A came along. After having a chat about the triple marker test (I know it has a different name now, but thats what it will always be called to me since thats what it was called when I had all three of my babies) and other stuff, I finally whispered to the midwife "will she get to hear the heartbeat today??" lol to which she replied "Of course! Well...we will try anyway!". So the time finally came...I lay down and she feels my soft flabby belly to see if she can feel the fundus and sure enough...she can feel it JUST above my pubic bone. GOOD SIGN!!! She puts the doppler on me...and we hear the blood flowing through the placenta and just behind that, we hear a quiet little heart beat. She moves it around some more and there it is! Nice and loud!!! Heart beat at around 160 and we even heard some kicks! It was so great! No matter how many times Ive heard it, I still find hearing the heartbeat just amazing!!! A recorded it on her iPhone so that D could hear it later (I text them later and she said he thought it was cool and she had listened to it a few times lol)
So...where is the baby at right now:

• The baby is now about 2.5 inches (6cm) length and weighs about 0.7 ounce (20 g). About the size of a small plum
• The feet are almost half an inch (1cm) long.
• The fetus starts moving spontaneously.
• The face is beginning to look like a baby's face.
• The pancreas is functioning and producing insulin.
• Fingernails and toenails appear.
• The baby can suck his thumb, and get hiccups.
• vocal chords are complete and baby may even cry silently
• the kidneys are developed and start to secrete urine

How cool eh?! Ive been feeling flutters here and there but not all the time. I have to be very still and its always late at night. 

Anyhow...thats it for now!

Well hello there!

Im feeling flutters! Yep..thats right! 11 weeks and feeling flutters! Its so great! I love the feeling of a babys first movement....so awesome!
Next week is midwife appointment! Yay!
That is all!

quick post!

OH MY GOSH. I cannot TELL you how excited I am that I dont have to take any more meds!!!! WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
My husband even jokes now that he can start smacking my ass again! lol  It was so awesome to wake up on tuesday, and not have to worry about taking an injection. Felt so good! I looked at the remaining needles and vial of PIO and said see ya later sucka! lol

In two weeks today, A and I will be going to the midwife again....hopeing that we will hear a heartbeat on the doppler since Ill be 12 weeks by that point, I think we should! So exciting.

Oh and quick update on my thyroid. So remember when I was freaking out about my thyroid being out of wack? Well, it totally wasnt explained to me very well and I thought I had a hypothyroidism. Well, I dont. I have high antibodies, which is fine, but in pregnancy that can throw me into a hypothyroidism. I really wish that would have been explained to me before because I was freaking out about being on top of my numbers, upping my meds as I thought they were supposed to. So, after FINALLY talking to the NC at the clinic in seattle, and getting my midwife to order my thyroid testing (which I might add, she didnt understand what test I was asking for and only sent me for the TSH testing when it was the antibody I needed tested as well...had to get her to re write it and have them re test argh), I found out that my TSH levels are still within normal range (yay) and that Im to get it tested every 90 days to keep an eye on it. So its probably likely that after the pregnancy, I wont have to continue the thyroid meds...they are preventative right now! Whew!!!

Anyhow...quick post turned into not so quick of a post...but anyone who knows me knows that thats not too surprising lol

Sorry I havent written in a long time...Ive really got nothing new to report lol Nothing interesting to say!! But Im still around. Still feeling good....no sickness or anything thank goodness. Just tired a lot of the time. This baby is sucking the energy out of me lol  I had my thyroid re tested and my anti bodies are still high, but all my other levels are fine so Ive not been thrown into a thyroidism just yet.

Yesturday my friend of about 23 years got married and I was a bridesmaid. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining so we had great weather for outdoor pictures at the warf. Later in the evening, I took my husband up to the stadium to meet up with my mom as her and Madison were volunteering at the Relay for Life....which is near and dear to my heart and while Im so happy to have been a part of the wedding, Im also sad that I missed it (especially cause it was the 20th year and I was on the steering committee). We went up and participated in the silent lap and I had my "moment" as I call it each year, where I just thought about my friend Juli a took a minute to miss her...walk in her honour. It was nice to see my fellow committee peeps while I was there (I was definitly the best dressed relayer lol)

Heres a couple shots I took from the wedding....Love you Kym and Ben! Thanks for letting me be a part of it!!

Miles and I...the only picture of us lol

Kym Shmym and I

The beautiful couple

Hopefully Il try to remember to update more...its just hard when theres nothing to update! lol Ive got a little chub now, but its mostly just my own sticking out more LOL On tuesday though, it will be a wonderful day...why you ask? Because on tuesday, I get to STOP MY MEDS!!!!! WOOOHOO!!!!! It will be an epic day indeed!!!!