Thursday, October 24, 2013

Quick Update

Baby is clearly growing!

I had an OB appointment last Friday and things are looking great!  Baby's heart rate is in the low 150's/high 140's.  The ultrasound and followup OB appointment are scheduled for November 8th and we'll get to learn the gender on the 9th.  I know my IP's are thrilled, but I think my family might be second excited to find out.  Ben and IP-A think it's a boy, and the rest of us are still thinking girl (have I mentioned that I've never ever been right with any of our kids? heheehe).  We'll just have to wait a couple more weeks.    

There isn't much more to update other than the baby movement is getting stronger each day.  She is very active when I lay down for bed.  George is obsessed with kissing my belly and saying, "Hi baby!"  I still can't eat sweets, but I'm able to eat a variety of foods that I wasn't able to for the first 16 weeks!  yay!!

Monday, October 14, 2013

I Feel A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

What is that?  13 weeks 2 days
-Photo by Lydia (9 years old)

The day after my last post was the last day I took a Zofran.  I finally feel like my normal pregnant self, and this is the reason I signed up to become a surrogate!  I love feeling so good.  I think I needed to get those drugs flushed out of my body, and it's great to feel so wonderful again.  I realize that being in the second trimester makes a world of difference, however I've never experienced a trimester like the first.  Physically and mentally I feel so different and good now that I'm off those drugs.  It makes me really sad for those people that go through a whole pregnancy and don't enjoy any of it.

This pregnancy is making me broaden my food horizon.  I realize that most of these posts I talk about food, but this has been one of the biggest issues during this pregnancy.  I'm still struggling with certain foods, especially sweets, but I can eat so much more now than I could in the first trimester.  My body must be in need of calcium because I can't get enough milk.  I have gone through 8 gallons of milk in just a little over a week.  Last week I started drinking orange juice.  Alfredo sauce has been a particularly new favorite of mine.  Ben in in heaven!  I have made homemade chicken alfredo pizza three times in the last two weeks.  I guess it's not only a hit for me and the baby but everyone in our family.  I keep asking for supper ideas from the kids and all they want is the pizza.  I made some chicken dumpling soup tonight.  I've never made this in my life, but for some reason it sounded appetizing.  Tomorrow will be the taste test.  Sometimes I make things that sound delicious and don't taste as good as they sound.  Jack, our 7 year old, recently told me that he doesn't really like that I'm a surrogate, ONLY because he's sad that I don't like sweets and he wishes I would take him out for ice cream more.  He's such a smart little guy!

The baby is growing and moving a lot more.  I'm 16 weeks and 2 days now.  I'll have to take a new belly photo and post it soon.  We have an OB appointment on Friday so I'll try to post soon after that appointment.  The ultrasound is scheduled for November 8th, but it sounds like there will be some type of surprise gender reveal that we'll have to wait to learn the baby's sex.  I thought maybe my IP's should leave the room after the ultrasound is over and the tech could tell and show me all the body parts so someone could show them what things are!  I guess I'll just be patient and wait until the big reveal!!!  There's a guessing game going on in our house.  Everyone except Ben thinks it's a girl.  My IP's have been referring to her as a girl for months now, so I think it'll be a big shock if it ends up being a boy.  Really, health is all that matters so we'll just hope for a healthy little one.      

Being a surrogate means that you need to have custom maternity clothing.  I bought three awesome shirts that I can't wait to wear, one of which says across the belly...I've got a little Canadian in me!  There will be no secret as to the location of this baby's conception.