Packed Up and Ready To Go!

Well....technically NOT READY to go....but packed, for sure!

Here she is!  My hospital bag!





Cute bag, yes?

What's inside?  Oh...you know...mostly just the standard.
But, besides my unmentionables,
 I DID want to share with you the t-shirts
that I have chosen for labor/post delivery.
(Yes, this chick plans to resist the hospital gown as much as possible!)

"Love Made Me Do It"                          For the Brooklyn Babies and Daddies

And something you may not find in most hospital bags?

Yes, my friends...those are Cranium Cards.

I MAY or MAY NOT be requesting that
 Jill and the guys distract me during labor by playing games. 
 Charades, anyone?  
 I rock at charades....just sayin'.

I plan for this bag to sit right where it is for another few weeks...

 ...but I'll be damned if I'm not prepared.  :-)







The Babies Are Coming! Are We Ready?

I felt compelled to offer a bit of my perspective for surrogates and budding intended parents alike who are either going through this journey or contemplating it. In a recent blog post, Jeni opened the 'floor' to questions to be fielded by me from her readers. I will attempt to answer some over the next few days / weeks.

To begin with, George and I can not believe how quickly the time has flown by. In the beginning of the process (summer of 2010), there is a sense of urgency, excitement and anticipation for the process to happen already and when it finally did, it flew by.  As we approach the end of the journey and look forward to the arrival of our children (a boy and a girl: Gustavo and Milena) due in November, we are filled with the same anticipation and excitement we had when we were beginning the process.

We're frequently being asked by our many friends and family members, "Are you ready?"  While I understand many of them are referring to the material things that need to be in place at home for the arrival of babies, I confidently answer, "I've made a huge room for them in my heart, my mind, my soul and now my apartment. (Giving up the home office was tough!) Yes, I'm ready.  Gustavo and Milena, we're ready for you. The question is: are they ready for us?  We've got an amazing world filled with love in store for them.

32 Week Appointment

Our appointment this morning went VERY well.  Baby Girl is still head down, in fact, she's VERY head down, if there is such a thing!  :)  Her heart rate was 155 and she is weighing 4.1 pounds!  Baby Boy is ALSO head down!  Yay for that!!  His heart rate was 143 and he is weighing 4.3 pounds!  Both babies looked absolutely fantastic and still had plenty of amniotic fluid to swim in.  Actually, there really isn't space for swimming any more, but they can for sure practice blowing bubbles.  :)

My blood pressure continues to stay in check, my cervix is measuring 3.5 cm., which is great, and I continue to be a super pro when it comes to gaining weight.  LOL!

Our next 3 appointments are on the books and they are the next 3 Wednesdays, with our next scheduled (and possibly last) ultrasound being on Wednesday, November 2nd when we will be just about 35 weeks.  The Dr. said that the 35 week mark is our green light...meaning if we go into labor at that point, they will go ahead and let us deliver.

Anyway, that's all from here!  Enjoy your weekend!

32 Weeks!

Holy Cow!  The weeks continue to fly by!  Suddenly, we find ourselves at 32 Weeks!  LESS THAN 6 weeks to go! 

Babies should be weighing in at almost 4 pounds each!  They measure just under 19 inches long!  When I cheated and looked ahead the next few weeks, it states that the babies should each gain a half pound and a half inch per week, from now until delivery!  Wow!!

Just for the sake of keeping it real, I will say that my body has begun to feel the effects of being V-E-R-Y pregnant!  At night, I switch off from sleeping on my left side to my right side, back to the left, then right, etc.  At this point, that works for a few hours, then my hips are so sore, neither side is a good choice, so sleeping sitting up becomes necessary.  I have had moments with swollen feet and ankles, and a few days where walking is painful due to the pressure I feel on my pelvis.

As my doctor so accurately pointed out, I have basically been "full term" for several weeks now. That means that this is all to be expected and VERY minor compared to what we could be dealing with at this point.  I think it is SO important to keep things in perspective! 

And the belly continues to grow....

32 Weeks

So tell me...Is black still slimming for me?  :)

My mom arrives today!  She is here for only a short time, but I am really looking forward to spending some time together!  She is going to come with me to my appointment tomorrow morning, where we will have an ultrasound, so that should be fun!  I will of course update after my appointment! 





Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone!  :)

A Quick Shout Out

I am feeling the need to shout out to a couple of fellow bloggers whose blogs I am unable to comment on. Jeni definitely DOES NOT like to be forced to be silent. :) Please know that I follow ALL of your blogs very closely and I absolutely adore being able to share in the journey with you all!

So.....
Mike and Tony-I am so excited for you guys and I love the honesty and emotion you share with all of us on your blog.

And, Stacey-You're SO close!!  I can't believe your babies are almost here!  Thank you for all of your sweet and supportive comments on our blog!  I am so looking forward to pictures of your twins VERY soon!

The blogger "family" is one that I never anticipated having.  The support that we all give each other is amazing, and so necessary.  Thank you to all of you bloggers out there!

-Jeni

Time For A New Poll!

I think it's time for some more voting to take place! 

As we get closer and closer to the delivery of these precious babies, I'm curious to see when all of our followers think we will deliver! 

Feel free to place your bet!  Just underneath our Baby Ticker is the Poll!  I can't wait to see what everyone thinks!

Get Ready To Say "AWWWW!"

My good friend and fellow surrogate Andrea posted this picture last week and I just keep going back and looking at it over and over!  This is such a sweet "twin" moment, and I just had to share it with all of you!  I absolutely can't wait to meet George and Farid's precious twins!

The Human Body Is Amazing!

Care for some perspective on this fine day?

Or how about just a giggle?

Check this out.

Camera 1
My First Night of Yoga-8 Weeks Pregnant

Camera 2
Yoga This Week-31 Weeks Pregnant

Seriously folks, isn't the body an amazing thing?  It's strange for me to look at the "Camera 1" body. I can't remember not having a belly!  How cool is it that the body is capable of making this space in such a relatively short period of time? And as we near the end of this pregnancy, I begin to think about my non-pregnant body.  Will I miss my big belly?  Yes, yes I will.  Will I ever see that "Camera 1" body again?

You bet your sweet bippy I will!  :)

Gimme 6 months.

Betcha I won't need that long.  :)



The Results Are In!

Our Fetal fibronectin test came back NEGATIVE! 

Hooray! 

This means that there is a less than 1% chance that we will go into labor in the next 2 weeks! 

 Phew!  Huge sigh of relief! 

Thanks for all the "negative" energy!  :)

31 Weeks!

Let's hear it for 31 Weeks!  T minus LESS THAN 7 weeks!

These babies are gettin' big, I tell you!  They each weigh about 3.5 pounds and measure 18 inches long!  I do believe I've got more baby in there than I have ever had before!  :)  Babies will continue to grow at a rapid rate from now until delivery.  Under-skin fat is continuing to develop and the surface skin is more pink than red.  Studies show that babies are dreaming when they sleep.  Dreaming about meeting their Daddies, no doubt!  :)

I feel like I am about the same size as last week, although it's admittedly getting hard to decipher between ginormous and hugantic!  LOL!!

31 Weeks

Contraction Action...Go Away!

Last night I was surprised by a short bout of contractions.  REAL contractions.  I immediately planted myself in bed and guzzled about 8 and a half gallons of water.  I kid, of course!  I ended up having a total of 5 over the course of about an hour and a half.  Fortunately after that, they went away.  These made me very nervous and I was anxious for my already scheduled 2:00 appointment to arrive today.

The Dr. did an exam and decided that although my cervix is soft, it is still closed and about 3 cm. long.  (Sorry if that's TMI, but we ARE talking about pregnancy/birth here!)  I felt like that was great news!  She went ahead and did a Fetal fibronectin test (see below).  We are obviously looking for NEGATIVE results.  I try to keep "NEGATIVE" thoughts away, but in this particular case, NEGATIVE is our friend.  Hello, friend!  :)  I will update when we get our NEGATIVE results!

Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Fetal fibronectin is a protein that acts as a "glue" during pregnancy, attaching the amniotic sac — the fluid-filled membrane that cushions your baby in the uterus — to the lining of the uterus.
Fetal fibronectin is often present in cervical secretions during early pregnancy. Fetal fibronectin also shows up later in pregnancy, about one to three weeks before labor begins. If your health care provider is concerned about preterm labor, he or she may test a swab from your cervical canal for the presence of fetal fibronectin. A positive fetal fibronectin test is a clue that the "glue" has been disturbed and you're at increased risk of preterm labor.

Other than that, the appointment was really boring.  Yay!  Blood pressure still good (120/70).  Gained one pound, and had to move up a notch on the dreaded scale.  OY!  Heart rates 145 and 128.  Anemia is in check.  HO HUM.

I have some super exciting news to share with you!!!  Farid has offered to be a guest blogger!  How cool is that?!  So, to all of our readers...if you have any questions for him, any subject you'd like him to cover, let us know in a comment!  Farid is like me... very open, very honest...so have at it!  What do ya wanna know, friends?!

Well Wishes For George and Farid

In honor of our 30th week of pregnancy,

I invite you all to leave a message for George and Farid!

Whether you've been following our journey from the beginning,

 or if you're a new follower,

I'd love for you to leave a comment at the bottom of this post

for Farid and George! 

They truly are amazing men,

and they are very excited that these babies will be here so soon!

So go ahead and let them know  how happy you are for them!

I know they'll get a kick out of reading all of your comments!

Thanks!

-Jeni

30 Weeks!

Our final decade!  That means T minus LESS THAN 8 weeks before these little ones make their debut!

This week the babies are weighing 3 pounds a piece and are 17 inches long!
Their brains continue to develop and are getting even more wrinkles. 
The lungs are now almost mature. 
Their bodies are growing and building up more fat under the skin.

YOU GO, BABIES!!!

30 Weeks

I have an appointment this afternoon, and will continue to be seen once/week from now until delivery!  I am feeling very well!  It feels like I move at a snail's pace, but that's to be expected, right?  My RBS (Restless Body Syndrome) has set in, full force.  What?! You've never heard of RBS? :)  How about Restless Leg Syndrome?  Heard of that?  Same thing.  Only all over my body! :) And always at bedtime.  Nice.  At first, I was really bothered and annoyed by this. (even though I've had it with every pregnancy)  Now, I just recognize it as a reality and each night, when it hits, I hop up out of bed...well...maybe not "hop", but you get the idea...and walk around reading, watching TV, or just walking, for as long as it takes.  Once my body feels nice and worn out, I "hop" back into bed, close my peepers, and usually I'm good to go! 

Other than that...it's life as usual around here!  And it's a pretty great life! 

How Deep Can One's Belly Button Be?

You know all of those adorable pregnant women who have the cute little popped out belly button?

I am not one of them.

But I want to be. 

So bad.

I have given birth at 40 weeks to a 7 pound, 5 ounce baby and my belly button had not popped.

I have given birth at 38 weeks to a 7 pound, 11 ounce baby and my belly button had not popped.

This is my opportunity!  :)  Yet here I sit at nearly 30 weeks,  WITH TWINS,  and my belly button still has not popped!  Is it just because I have the world's deepest belly button? It's almost flat at this point, but alas, no popping.  Lol!

So....Belly Button Gods, hear my cry:  I WANT TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ADORABLE PREGNANT WOMEN CLUB! I WANT MY BELLY BUTTON TO POP!

please.

My Body Speaks

My body definitely has a voice.  And her voice has grown louder and louder over the last 2 weeks.  The important part?  I listen to her.  Closely.

I watch my feet like a hawk.  Any signs of swelling and I plant my butt in bed or on the couch.  Braxton Hicks?  Same thing.  Some days I wake up and feel completely drained of energy.  On those days, I really try to take it easy and conserve as much energy as I can so that my body can give everything it's got to these babies.  I feel so fortunate that we have had an uneventful pregnancy thus far.  As we near the end of this pregnancy, I feel it is even more important to listen to and take care of this body!  And I am lucky that my lifestyle allows me to drop everything and make taking care of myself a priority.

Each morning, when I wake up, I think, "One more day.  We made it one more day without any issues."  Every day counts!   Those days keep turning into weeks and I know that before too long, we will be in the clear and we can take a nice deep breath and relax! 

In the meantime, I will keep listening to the good 'ol bod!  I trust her.  She's taken care of us thus far!

29 Weeks!

Oh my goodness!  I haven't posted in a week!  Bad girl, Jeni!    This week has flown by and has been VERY busy!  But let me update you on these precious babies!

Reports say Babies are weighing about 2.7 pounds.  (Ummmm...these babies weighed more than that LAST WEEK!  I'm guessing we've got two 3 pounders in there right now.)  Their length from head to toe is about 16.5 inches.  Crunch THEM numbers! 

Yep... 3 pounds x 2 + 16.5 inches x 2 = LOTS 'O BABY!!!  :) 

Muscles and lungs are continuing to mature and their heads are growing bigger to make room for their developing brains. (See letter to babies)

Dear Babies,
Jeni wants you to be VERY smart so let's make those brains nice and big.  However, Jeni would also appreciate it if your heads weren't TOO big!  Catch my drift?  I thought so.  Thank you babies.
Love, Jeni

29 Weeks

Thanks to Krista, for taking my 29 week belly pic this week!  With pretty wallpaper background and all!  I'm sure my faithful followers are not missing seeing my bath towels in the background!  :)

So, here's to an uneventful 29th week!  I am very excited for next week...30 Weeks!  I don't know why but there's something I like about weeks that start with a "3" for this pregnancy!  Just think!  We will officially meet these babies on a week that begins with a 3!  That's so exciting!

One Month's Time

Ever wonder or get to thinking about

how much a body can change in one month's time? 

 Let's see....

24 Weeks

28 Weeks

  Good.    Lord.

Now take a moment.

Just one moment.

And imagine 32 Weeks.

Oy.  :)

28 Weeks!

Welcome to the 3rd Trimester!!

Babies are about 15 inches long and weigh about 2 1/4 pounds each!  Wow!  They can now blink, and their eyes sport lashes! Fingers crossed that we have a baby in there sporting Farid's lashes!!  Seriously, folks...they are incredible!  :)  Babies are adding more fat each day in preparation for the outside world. (I hear ya, kiddos!)

How's Jeni feeling?  Quite Fantastic!  I was definitely prepared to feel pretty darn uncomfortable at this stage of our pregnancy, but I'm really feeling quite well!  Sure, I get tired.  Sure, my hips and back ache from time to time.  But overall, I am very comfortable and continue to live my normal life...even if Skyler says I "make a lot of noise" when I get up!  Her favorite thing to do to me when I'm trying to get out of bed, get out of the car, or even just stand up from sitting is to yell, "HEAVE, HO!!!"  That's definitely what it feels like sometimes, but once I'm up, I'm good to go! :)  Thanks a lot, Skyler.  You COULD offer me a hand, but instead, you crack jokes...I wonder where you get THAT from???

28 Weeks

If you're grasping for the right word here...I believe its, RADIANT!  :)

Yesterday was our 28 week appointment and it was so fun to have the guys there for that!  The office staff is always thrilled when they accompany me to my visits!  In fact, there is a definite look of disappointment on their faces when I show up solo.  Come on people!  Don't I count?!  Lol!

We had an ultrasound and the babies are looking great!  Baby Girl is HEAD DOWN!!!  Did you hear that????  Yahoooooo!!!!   Her heart rate was 150 and she weighs 2.8 pounds!  Good girl!  Baby Boy is head up which is completely a-o-k.  His heart rate was 136 and he weighs 2.9 pounds!  Wow!  We are all thrilled that the babies are so happy and healthy!

My blood pressure is still good.  Gained another 3 pounds.  Lots of amniotic fluid.  Cervix is still long, although it has shortened in the last month.  All good, good, good!!!  The Dr. even let George and Farid operate the doppler to find each baby's heartbeat!  How fun!!  Sorry you had to have a close-up view of the stretch mark covered belly, guys.  It is what it is, I guess!  :)

Well, I guess that sums it up from here!  Sounds like the guys might be coming with me to yoga tonight!  The girls from class are going to be so excited!!!

Go Ahead And Try

Farid and George arrive tomorrow!!!

I am SOOOOOOO excited!  I can't wait to see them!

Just TRY to wipe the smile off my face!  Go ahead and TRY!

You can't do it! 

And shame on you if you even wanted to!  :)

Now Hiring

Wanted:

Entertaining, Detail Oriented Individual

Available At A Moment's Notice

For Pedicures.

Experience With French Manicures A Must

Willingness To Shave Lower Half Of Legs A Plus

Ability To Flatter Boss With Words Like: 

"My goodness...your legs and ankles are looking so slender!"

Is Helpful.

Hours: Flexible (though I am not)

Pay:  I Do Not.

If Interested: Please Contact Jeni

(and a psychologist),

 because you've probably lost your mind.