Due Date

Fully Cooked

I had my membranes stripped on Monday at my OB appointment.  I was a little nervous after hearing from people that it can hurt.  I actually didn't think it hurt at all, yes it was uncomfortable to have someone digging around in my cervix but not painful.  She initially told me that I was still dilated to 1.5cm but once she got into stripping she told me that I was at "a good 3cm".  It doesn't surprise me to hear this because my cervix is tipped and I've been check before and it seems like I must be harder to reach than others.  It makes me feel like those three hours of contractions last week actually did something to help me progress.  It's three less centimeters that I have to dilate now!  I was told to expect to bleed a little after having the membranes stripped and I did lightly bleed for a few days.  I guess I'm one of the few that the stripping didn't work on because he's still all cozy in my belly!

Did you know that the mucus plug can regenerate?  I heard this from a few people in my surrogate support group and I didn't believe them for a second.  I believed that I lost it and he would be born in just a couple days.  To my surprise, I lost my mucus plug for the second time on Wednesday and I even lost a little more yesterday.  I'd really like to not have to experience that again during this pregnancy.  He's welcome to enter the world without making me wipe that thick bloody mucus out of my vag again. 

I think I have been mentally pushing off the birth of this baby because my sister-in-law was due the week before me and I was invited to witness the birth of their baby.  I knew I didn't want to miss out on the birth and I even thought that if I was in the hospital that I would make a dart for the cities so I wouldn't miss out on the birth.  I'm so lucky that my sister-in-law is one of my best friends and that she wanted to have my mom, sister, and me at the birth of their baby!  We got the phone call yesterday that she was in labor, so my mom and I headed down to the cities yesterday morning.  We hung out at their house while she labored there for hours, and she totally rocked it!  Once she decided that they should head to the hospital her contractions were REALLY close together and we were a bit nervous with the 35 minute drive to the hospital.  She started crowning in the car on the way there.  We were in separate cars and left just minutes after them.  By the time we parked and sprinted down the hall (you know it's serious business when a 9 month pregnant woman and a Grandma, carrying a dozen roses, are sprinting down the hall screaming, "She's Crowing!  What room do we go to?") she had already delivered the baby.  We missed it by two minutes!  Devastated? Yes!  Regardless, they have a healthy mom and baby and that's all that matters.  And now it's my turn.



Proud Auntie!!!

I've been doing everything I can to help urge this baby to come into the world.  I've been walking like a mad woman.  I've put over 10 miles in this week to see if that would help urge him along, but clearly he's one content baby.  I've thrown lots of dance parties, some of them by myself and others with the kids.  This is a pretty normal daily occurrence in our house anyway, because dancing makes the day just a little brighter and way more fun.  Plus, I need to make sure our kids know all the cool dance moves for when they make videos with their cousins!  Acupressure is another thing that I'm doing every day on myself, but clearly that's not working either.  My favorite piece of advice is when EVERYONE tells me to have "Great Sex!"  Did you know that I'm 40 weeks pregnant?  I'm pretty sure that those two words don't belong together at 40 weeks pregnant.  Thanks for the advice, though!  I've decided that the only thing bound to work is patience.  He'll come when he's ready!


Signing Paperwork.  I felt like I had to wear my "I swear it's not mine" shirt.



Paperwork

I received another big package in the mail full of more paperwork to fill out.  This time we needed to get a Notary when we signed all the pages to "give up our parental rights".  I read the contracts cover to cover which always ends in a headache.  We signed the papers on Wednesday and had to overnight them to the agency.  They'll have all of our papers for our court hearing by today.  Yay!  Obviously there would never have to be a worry about us not filling out this paperwork, but I imagine that my IPs feel great knowing that it's all turned in and we're just two steps away from them "legally" being the parents of this baby...I still need to deliver the baby and then we'll have our court hearing.  I know I've said it before, but it blows my mind that this part is necessary!  The baby has NO genetic link to Ben or me, so lets all pray that the bill will be passed into law so that this step can be avoided in the near future. 

We're really close to finishing the final chapter of this book and starting the first chapter of a new one.  Hopefully my next update will include a photo and name of the baby!  Positive energy, happy thoughts, and prayers are always accepted.  Thank you all for your continuous support and love.  This is going to be the BEST gift ever!  I'm ready to see my IPs holding their son.  They've spent way too many years holding the image of this baby in their dreams, so it's time to make that dream a reality.