8 months

   It is so hard to believe that I am DAYS away from being 8 months pregnant! I know I say that every time, but it is true!This pregnancy is flying! The baby is really active now and I was able to FINALLY send his parents a video of him rolling around. He also enjoys hearing them speak French to him. To do this they send me recordings and some special belly bud speakers that go on my belly so he can hear their recordings. I try to play them for him when he is awake and moving so I know he hears them. I also play them when he is still in hopes that he will form subconscious brain connections to the sound of his parents voices. His favorites seem to be anything with music! When I play those recordings he moves like crazy!! This has been a really neat part of the process because, aside from one recording of one of the parents playing the piano, I have not listened to them. They are private messages between the parents and their baby. AND in all honesty, even if I did listen, I would have no idea what in the world they are saying since it is all in French!
   So how am I feeling these days..... Physically I still feel pretty good. In the mornings I feel great. By late afternoon I am starting to get tired and I am noticing some slight swelling in my hands and feet. My doctor assured me that it is perfectly normal at this stage of pregnancy. I am going to have to try to get naps in again if I am going to make it through the whole day! I am noticing that some things are getting much harder, like shaving my legs and putting on shoes! I have resorted to mostly wearing my ever growing collection of Teva Mush flip flops now that it is nice weather. And leg shaving is on an "as will be seen" basis, so if it doesn't show it grows!
  I actually kinda laugh at myself at time when I do things throughout the day. Like rolling over in bed, it is now a 3 part process; chest, then belly, then legs. Pretty much the same thing getting up off of the couch; scoot to the edge, belly out for leverage, then pull the rest of my body up! There are some other limitations I am noticing as well. It is starting to get warm, which means I am now in the HOT phase. This is so rare for me, I am usually cold, but now I am like a heater! The other day it was in the mid 80's and I thought it would be so nice to turn our cooler fan on BUT it is still covered. Normally this would not be an issue, I would get the ladder, go on the roof and uncover it. Well not pregnant! The thought process was something like this in my pregnant filterless self talk; "ugh, it's hotter than hell, I'm going to turn the cooler on" "Shit! It's covered!" "ok, I'll uncover it" " Dammit! I can't lift the ladder!" " I'll have the kids carry it!" "Shit again! It would be stupid to go on the roof at almost 8 months pregnant!" "uuuugggghhh, I'll just open the stupid window, but I'm still hot!!". I have to just laugh, I go through this process all day long! There are so many things that I always have just done myself that it is difficult to take the time to remember that I am quite pregnant and cannot do it all.
   Which brings me to how I am doing mentally. I'm exhausted! Not tired of being pregnant, I really am loving that! But mentally drained! I am working quite a bit trying to get a cushion of hours so I am all set to graduate, I am taking my last official class, trying to keep up with the kids and house as well! Now I do have a housekeeper, which has been a life saver!!! But, of course, I have to have everything picked up before she comes. No dishes in the sink, no toys on the floor ect. I am so grateful to have her but there are some things that are the responsibility of the people living here. Which usually means me. It seems that I am the only one who sees the stuff on the floor or dishes in the sink. I have George put away the clothes that he doesn't put in the dryer and I try to get the kids to pick up the stuff in their bathroom but other than that it all me. Now realistically do these things HAVE to be done, no. But I will go nuts if they are not done!
   The kids have each been having their own struggles these past few weeks as well. The girls have school stuff and Noah's fits have been off the hook again. There is another list of things for me to do! Call the school, go to this meeting, check that homework is done, not kill Noah before George gets home.... Then 2/3 of the kids got sick..... While George was in Texas!!! I have also been trying to finish my school required therapy, which is a joke! My therapist told me that I seemed anxious and stressed and that I need to ask for help and find time to relax and get centered! Um yeah right, that is never going to happen! What I need is a clone! I cleaning mom, a kid mom, a work mom, a school mom, a wife mom ect. Then the pregnant mom can take a break! I am really missing the coast right now. That is my go to spot to relax and get centered.

    Ok, enough whining, on to the good stuff! Kaylee and I had a mommy/daughter date to my OB appointment this week for another ultrasound! Everything looked good. My blood pressure is good and the baby is measuring right where he should be, at a nice AVERAGE 4 pounds. The estimate is that he will be 7-8 pounds. Keep praying for mid 7's! That is my goal, not that I have any control over it! Kaylee got the doctor to give us a look at him in 3D as well. He is so cute! You can now see that his little cheeks are starting to chub out! Now, some have said that he looks like a zombie or Chucky (yes, the possessed doll) but I see a perfect baby boy who will make his parents dreams come true!
   Of course I have a couple of pictures to share as well! One is of the baby. The other is from my walk with Kaylee. She saw this tree and said " Mom, look it's pregnant like you. You have to get a preggo mom and tree picture!"

7+ months

I cannot believe that I am already almost 7 1/2 months pregnant! Time is flying! My last OB appointment went well, everything is looking great. I go back on April 10th for another ultrasound to see how big the baby is. I am looking forward to this appointment and praying for a nice AVERAGE size baby! I have a history of growing big babies though. Hopefully since this one has none of my genetics it will be smaller.
   Really there is not much to report, I am still feeling good overall, but sleeping less and less. I have noticed that the floor is getting much farther away though. When things fall on the ground there is serious thought put into if it NEEDS to be picked up or not! Then there is the major blessing of the third trimester..... HOUSE KEEPING allowance! It sounds petty but with 3 kids, 2 dogs, work, school and being big pregnant it is so nice not to have to worry about cleaning my house. Of course, I still keep things picked up and we do our own dishes and stuff like that but I don't have to do floors, clean the bathrooms, dust ect. I am seriously trying to figure out how to budget a permanent house keeper!
   Sorry for the short blog but things are going so well that there is not much to report! Ill add more after the next ultrasound, until then here is another picture of my ever growing belly!( For the record, I still weigh less than I did before my weight loss)

The third trimester begins

I CANNOT believe that I got an email from the agency saying "Welcome to the third trimester" already! Where has the time gone? This pregnancy is going so fast! It has also been VERY easy. I feel so good, there is really nothing pregnancy related to complain about. If I had to pick something I would have to say that I have no willpower when it comes to eating and really have not find time to workout and I am starting to have a harder time sleeping. Nothing extreme, nothing major, just a nice smooth pregnancy. I don't even think I have strange cravings. The worst is probably chocolate chip cookies dipped in orange juice, but I like that even when I am not pregnant.
   The baby moves a lot these days, but only when no one is trying to feel him!! Just today I got a few major kicks and as soon as Kimberly tried to feel it, he stopped! He has decided that he likes to keep his feet under my ribs and use my bladder as a punching bag. It doesn't hurt or anything, just a strange sensation. The baby's parents have sent me a few recordings of them speaking that I play for him so that he will recognize their voices and get to hear their language. He loves it!! He wiggles around at first but then goes still. I am so glad that the technology is available to do this!
   There is no questioning if I look pregnant or not these days! I don't feel like I am too big, but definitely pregnant! I am to the point that I am kind of avoiding some of my family now. Not because I feel I need to hide the pregnancy, but I really do not think that they could fully understand the process and why I would do this. I don't have the time or patience anymore for debates! I have been getting asked a lot if I am getting more attached now that I feel him moving, know he is a boy and know his name. No. Not at all. Of course when he is born I will want to squeeze him and love on him, but I am like that with any baby I can get my hands on! Some one described it as the birth of a niece or nephew and I think that is pretty accurate. We love him and his family, but more as family members than as a child I am carrying. I don't know if that all makes sense but to sum it up, it is a different feeling all together from carrying my own children. I still love to poke at him and feel him move but it is more of a hey that's cool thing than a bonding thing.
   I notice a HUGE difference in my energy and lack of connection since I do not have to do any baby prep. I had no idea how much stress I was going to avoid by not worrying about a name. or child care or setting up a nursery!
   My biggest dilemma is my upcoming graduation. I will complete my course work at the end of June. I am the first person in my family, on both sides, to get a Master's degree. Unfortunately,  the graduation ceremony is at the end of April..... in Sacramento. Due to my contract I am not able to travel over 100 miles from Mercy now so I cannot attend. Even if I could it is a combination of several National University locations so I am sure that the ceremony is going to be much longer than I could sit through without a bathroom break. Now, I knew that this was going to happen from the beginning of my pregnancy and I really thought I didn't care. But as I see my classmates preparing for the ceremony I am a little sad. I decided to get my Master's degree at my Bachelor's graduation when I saw the Master's get hooded. I wanted that too but now I have done the work and won't get the celebration to go with it. I guess what really matters is that I will have the degree. I will have "official" letters after my name (ok, I don't care about that) and I will have a couple of years worth of income in student loans to prove it!! Really, I have a huge sense of accomplishment. There have been several times that I thought I could not do it. I was overwhelmed and I did not feel smart enough. But I think back to a nasty old lady and a few others, that told me that my life was over when I got pregnant at 16 and that I would never go anywhere. I would love to see those people and give them a big fuck you!!
   In all actuality this pregnancy is one of the accomplishments that I am most proud of. Not many people can say that they helped create a family. Regardless of compensation I  have put myself through tons of medical procedures, the physical and mental effects of pregnancy and I will go through child birth for someone else. I don't really feel like I am doing anything special, maybe that is because I have connected with a great support system of other surrogates, but the last few days I have had quite a few people recognize that surrogacy is not for everyone. It is an exciting, wonderful experience but it is for sure not for everyone!
   I am trying not to panic about my weight, at almost 7 months pregnant I still weigh less than I did before I lost weight. Since the weather has been nice this week I have got to go on a few walks, which was nice. I am trying to work my endurance up so that I can walk in the Gnarly Neon 5k in May! (with my doctors ok of course!)
   Doctors appointment next week to check on how the little French Fry is growing and to get my Rogam shot because I have a negative blood type. Should be nice and easy!!

It's a ........

So after a slight delay our IP's got to come visit our tiny little town and meet my family, including the dogs, and find out what their baby is! It was such an exciting day!! It was a little stressful preparing for our Ips arrival, they come from a very large city and well... it's Redding. I wouldn't say that I was worried, just anxious to see how they reacted to such a small place! It all went well and they even survived their drive through all of the cow and horse pastures in Cottonwood to my house.
   Of course I had not slept well the night before and started my morning off with a trip to the dentist which sucked!! But after all of that I was able to meet up with our IPs and do a little catching up before we went to tour the hospital. With Mercy being a catholic hospital I was not sure how a surrogate pregnancy would be received, but it went well. The lady that gave us the tour was very nice, answered all of our questions and showed us everything on the labor and delivery floor and pediatrics. It sounds like they will be as accommodating as possible to the needs of our unique situation. Then it was off to the doctor for our BIG ultrasound!!
   I love my doctor. I chose him because I knew that he had worked with a few other surrogates in the area, he is younger and fairly laid back. He has a good sense of humor as well! His staff has really worked with us as much as possible to make sure that everything goes nicely. My Ips really liked him too. He took the time to answer questions and even gave us a little 3D peek of the baby!! Which brings me to the ultrasound. What an experience!! This was the fourth time that I have been able to see the baby BUT it was the parents first time getting to see their baby! It was so amazing to get to witness them seeing their baby move and we even got some really nice picture of its face. Again, my doctor took the time to explain all of the things that we were looking at and reassure the parents that everything looked normal. Emotionally it was an interesting experience for me. I was amazed by the 3D images, I did not have 3D with my kids. It was so cool to see the facial features already! But I did not feel that warm, falling in love with my baby feeling that I had with my own. It was more of a sense of joy for the parents. This was the moment that the pregnancy became very real for them. It was not just pictures and emails from the other side of the world, they were there, in the room seeing their baby and watching it move around and kick, and seeing its little heart beat. It was just an amazing experience! And so what everyone wants to know..... what is it??

 IT'S A BOY!!! He is not modest at all and gave us quite a view!! THIS was especially exciting for me because while I knew that my IPS were leaning toward girl, I really thought it was a boy! They, of course, are thrilled with a boy as well! This is my first time carrying a boy so I am excited to see just how different it will be from my girl pregnancies. Unfortunately, this pregnancy is going so quickly!! I cannot believe that in just a few days I will be 6 months pregnant. That means that in about 16 weeks we will get to meet this little guy!

 What a year it has been. To think back to this time last year, I was stressing over if I would meet the right couple and how long this process takes. Now, I wish it would slow down a bit! This has been such an amazing, life changing experience for my whole family!

   As if seeing their son for the first time and checking out possible places to live for a bit was not enough, my IPs got to meet my family in person for the first time! We started off kind of slow. They met me and the kids at the mall and had a few minutes to chat with the kids while we did some shopping. Then my mom joined us. Now, I was quite excited for her to meet them. While she has been very supportive, I knew that meeting the parents in person would be when she would fully understand how and why I can carry a baby and be okay with not taking it home. Also why I would go through all of the medical stuff and the body changes of pregnancy for people who a year ago were strangers to us. As expected, she loved them! Then we all went to dinner where we were joined by George and Dallys. Dinner went really well and it was full of laughter and good conversations!

  Today my Ips came out to the house to say goodbye. We had a nice visit and my dogs were pretty well behaved! As some know, I am a stress cleaner before we have company. Well because we had all been so sick we just deep cleaned a couple of weeks ago and time was pretty limited so of course things were not as clean as I would have liked, but it was reality! I have 3 kids and 2 dogs and work while going to school and pregnant, some dust and clutter is what life is really like for us! Now in about 3 weeks my housekeeping allowance will start!! I will still do the stuff I am crazy about but it will be so nice to pass on cleaning the floors and bathrooms! Dusting too, I hate dusting! I have never had someone else clean my house for me so I am really torn, do I hire a company that I know will do a good job, or do I hire Dallys who is cheaper labor!! Really, I think that I may do both, have Dallys clean one week and a professional the next!

  Overall it was a great visit that was filled with emotions. It was so exciting to get to introduce my IPs to my kids and mom and Dallys so that they all know why I adore my Ips so much. It was also great for my kids to experience a little bit of a different culture! And it was absolutely amazing to get to watch my IPs realize that they really are going to be parents in just a few short months. I cannot imagine what it must be like for them. They have to trust that someone all the way around the world, in a country with different norms will be responsible enough to love and nurture their baby from just a few days after conception until he is ready to come into the world. They have to trust that I really will follow the things that are lined out in the contract and that their baby's health is the top priority. I think about how hard it is for me to let my kids go to a friends house and I cannot fathom what this is like for them. I hear horror stories of the limitations and requests that other surrogate have from their IPs and I am so grateful that mine just trust me to do what is best.  What an honor to be a part of changing their lives like this.

20 weeks

Ok really, I am a slacker.... I am now 22 weeks but it has been a CRAZY couple of weeks since my 20 week appointment! The kids and I have taken turns with every illness going around!
   My 20 week appointment went well. The baby sounded good. It was pretty routine. We were supposed to have an ultrasound on 2/4 but due to some uncontrollable circumstances that appointment had to be changed. Now my IPs will be here on 2/13 for the big ultrasound to see what the gender is!! My vote.... boy. For no reason other than it's lack of cooperation with anything I want to do! First off, when I try to pick up the hear beat with the Doppler it moves as soon as I get it. Then it likes to wiggle when I have to pee and when I go to bed. Of course feeling the baby move is not a bad thing BUT there is no way that I could let it move and not poke it back. That is my little reward for carrying this baby, I get to play with it!! It also hates Taco Bell nachos (which I love) and anything else that has the slightest bit of spice. I pay for that indulgence with some lovely heartburn!
Overall though I still feel great. I am loving being pregnant at this point. I am not so huge that I cannot move and I am out of the "is she getting fat" stage.
  Kaylee was super excited that she got to be the first (and only one besides me) to feel that baby move from the outside! This was quite a feat. It took serious patience and several tries. Our day was spent like this. "Kaylee, it's moving" she runs over pushes her hand on my belly only to feel nothing for several minutes. We repeated this process for hours until finally she got to feel a little roll! I on the other hand am not only privy to little rolls, I am starting to get some good kicks too. Not painful, it just kind of takes my breath away. And of course it thinks that my bladder is a trampoline.
   Noah has been quite entertaining as well now that he has realized that there is a baby in my tummy. He wanted to listen to the heart beat so we did, then he wanted to listen to the heart beat of the baby in HIS tummy. When we couldn't find it he said "oh, the baby in my tummy died!" He also asked why I ate the baby! And the other day in the car he asked how the baby got in my tummy. I explained to him that the doctor used a special tube to put the baby in there. (much easier to explain than a traditional pregnancy!) To that he replied "Well, I want the doctor to put a baby in my tummy too!" Gotta love 3 year olds!!
   Kimberly is mostly into boys and her friends but still likes to regularly jiggle my belly and talk to the baby. I am trying to convince her that the jiggling is not necessary!!
   As stubborn as the baby is, it really likes my dog. Nothing gets it moving like my dog laying her head on my tummy! I have a feeling that it will become a battle once the movements are strong enough to disturb Karma from her napping!
  So far I have not had any strange cravings either. I have cravings.... just not strange stuff. My most common have been steak and pudding. I have also developed an aversion to home brewed coffee, even with my precious pumpkin spice creamer. I have had quite a sweet tooth, for which I am paying every time I look at the scale. My weight gain is not too bad, just not where I wanted it to be. My goal for the next week is to make time to go check out a gym. My schedule is so crazy that I do not have much daylight time that I can go for a walk and it turns out that I suck at doing videos. There are just too many distractions as home!! My hope is that I will be able to fit the gym in between work and getting the kids. The one I am looking at has a lot of options that I am interested in like water aerobics and yoga. Really the big thing is that when I work my ass off at the gym I am more motivated to eat well. It turns out that pregnancy does not go with my eating plan from before. There are a few reasons for this. First of all, my main staple for lunch was deli meat and left over chicken. As my luck would have it, the dietary recommendations have gotten stricter since the last time I was pregnant and all meats must be heated (including the deli meat). This disrupted my routine and I now fall victim to the temptation of the Taco Bell burrito! Really it comes down to I have no idea what the hell to eat for lunch that is safe and does not have to be heated. Now, if I had an office job heating food would not be an issue BUT that is not what I do! I go from place to place in my car all day and who knows where I will be when I get hungry!!
  The other challenge I have had is that I cannot get anyone (like my doctor) to tell me EXACTLY how many calories I NEED while I am pregnant. I am certain I have to have more than the 1200 I ate before! My doctor's only solution is to get more aerobic exercise. Now, don't get me wrong. I know that I enjoy exercising when I do it. I just truly have not been able to find the time to do it! Now, I tell clients all day that you have to schedule self care blah blah blah... I suck at that!
   My self care has been naps! Which again I relate to my lack of exercise the last few months. Let me bore you with my sleep history. I used to sleep like shit. Can't fall asleep, cant stay asleep and so on. Now when I was running regularly I slept great. The first trimester, I still slept great. Second trimester my sleeping sucks again. And I NEED sleep!! I am not a person that can function on a few hours of sleep. I wish I could say that I was losing sleep because I was uncomfortable or the baby moved too much but no, that is not it. I just can't sleep! Most nights I do fall asleep ok but I wake up around 2 am and stay awake for HOURS! I think it is so frustrating to me because I know how to sleep better but I have not found a way to fit it in. I am however, getting ready to register for the Gnarly Neon again. This was is the 5k that I ran last year. It is May 3rd and I will be about 36 weeks pregnant so I am pretty sure that I will NOT be running it BUT you bet your ass I will be walking those 3 miles with my girls!! In order to do that though I need to start doing something!
  I am also still really wanting to have a drug free birth (which again is easier when you stay active). I am not super woman and I know it hurts like hell. I tried with Kaylee but I did not have the greatest support at delivery so when my doctor was not supportive of a drug free birth I caved. I obviously chose a different doctor this time! I also have a doula and a supportive husband. I do worry a little bit about my IPs though. See, I know me and pain. I have a pretty high tolerance BUT it absolutely turns off any censor that I may have to my mouth! I worry that I may call them names or yell at them but hopefully they will know that I really do love them and don't mean it!! Really I am hoping to use some relaxation and meditation techniques to help me stay in control. And quite honestly, I am fully willing to accept that there may be a point that I decide that drug free is more than I can handle!
   The next two weeks will be a whirl wind of prep for our IPs to come. They not only get to hear and see their baby in person BUT in the two days that they are here they will get to meet my family as well. They will get a slight introduction into my schedule as well. The day they get here I have a dentist appointment ( which I have put off several times and HAVE to go now) then we will do the hospital tour and sonogram. After that I will rush back to Cottonwood to pick up the kids and back to Redding for Kimberly's Orthodontist appointment. Then we will all have dinner together hopefully before Noah get's tired and turns into super asshole. Friday won't be as bad though. I just have to drop off the kids and prepare for George and I to leave town early Saturday for my farewell trip to the beach!
   I am trying to not be sad over the fact that the day is soon approaching when I will not be able to sit on the beach. I know it is temporary but that is my heaven. Nothing is as soothing as sitting on the beach watching the waves. That is where I go when I need a break. The mountains and lakes are nice but nothing like the beach! I really wish that I was closer to the ocean. Enough of that, I really can't think about it anymore.
   Hopefully the next update will be a big gender reveal!!

 

Here is a growing tummy picture at 5 months

4 months!

I cannot believe that I am already over 4 months pregnant (18 weeks, 4 1/2 months to be exact)! This pregnancy is flying by! I really am feeling good and enjoying it at this point. I am starting to feel the baby move more and more every day.
  After my appointment in December I was really bummed that I was not allowed to record the baby's heart beat for the parents to hear. SO I bought a Doppler so that we can hear it at home anytime! I was able to send them a video of the baby's heart beat on Christmas eve! My kids are really enjoying getting to hear the baby. Kaylee likes to try to find it on her own and Noah has decided that everyone has a baby in their tummy so we have to listen for the heart beat on everyone. Kimberly also takes it upon herself to jiggle my tummy every time she walks by. Yeah, this is not so fun. I try to remind her that the baby is pushing everything around so what she is playing with is really just fat, but the bump is just too tempting for her!
  We have also had some fun seeing how different my tummy can look at different times. Some mornings the baby is all on one side so the other is side is flat and squishy. Other times it must be laying very far back because it all feels like fat and no bump! It is also fun to poke around and feel the baby move around. It especially likes to move when I am trying to hear the heart beat!
   This has been such a great experience so far. I really have enjoyed having the opportunity to educate others on the process of surrogacy. It has been great to see my children so excited about watching the baby grow. Our Ips will be here the beginning of February for the gender reveal ultrasound. This will also be the first time that they meet our family in person. I think it will really help them all to prepare for the birth and the fact that we will not be bringing the baby home to have been able to spend time in person with the parents. It warms my heart to hear my children explain to others that we are carrying this baby for another family. They show so much acceptance and are truly excited about this process. It has been difficult to explain to them that there is the possibility that they may come across someone that may be opposed to the surrogacy. Kaylee did get into one heated conversation with an adult and she stood her ground on what she believes is right. I am so proud of her for that. What an experience for my whole family. Some have thought that this is something that only affects the parents and me but that is not the case. My parents have a role, my grandma helps out, my siblings and their kids are even affected as we have to explain to them how I can be pregnant and it's not mine AND we will not bring it home. Even my ex husband and his family have a role as they have to be flexible with their visitation and explain the situation to their kids. But I have been blesses with so much support. Plus because I believe that this journey is a calling from God, I have no worries about those who do not agree. There are some that I avoid because I don't think that they are capable or willing to try to see things from another viewpoint but it is never because I doubt my decision. This has been such a blessing to us in so many ways. While it for sure is not all about the money, this journey has allowed me to continue to work on my Master's degree without having to stress about the added expenses that working for free has added. We have been able to take many more mini vacations and are planning a trip to Disneyland. We have also been able to pay things off ensuring that we will be more comfortable once this extra money is not there. We are definitely grateful for this opportunity and I would do it again in a heart beat!
  Here is a picture at 18 weeks. Next update will be after my ob appointment on the 21st

 

 

First Ob Appointment

   Finally at 15 weeks 3 days I had my first "normal" Ob appointment. The poor nurse that had to take my weight!! I think she was a little scared that I may get completely naked in the hall way. Hey, after putting on some weight while taking all of those meds there is NO WAY I am letting a number be written down that includes a jacket, boots and TWO shirts! Yep, that's right I totally stood there in leggings and a tank top! As expected all was well with me and the baby. I even got to hear the baby's heart beat for the first time! This was bitter sweet for me. I was thrilled to get the reassurance that the baby is well, but I really wish that I was able to share that with the baby's parents! Unfortunately due to my doctor's malpractice insurance limitations there is no recording allowed. So of course, this is not ok with me. I cannot imagine the parents having to wait until the ultrasound in February (when I will be 5 1/2 months pregnant) to hear their baby's heart beat for the first time! That little sound is so beautiful that every parent should hear it as soon as possible. After my appointment I spent some time looking for a at home Doppler that is sensitive enough to hear the heart at the beginning of the second trimester. Boy was I shocked! Those things can cost THOUSANDS! Needless to say, I did not get one of those! I found one at a much more reasonable price that will be here between 12/21 and 12/26.
   I also think that being able to hear the baby at home will be fun for my kids. The girls have each got to go to one of the ultrasound appointments and see the heart beating, but they have not heard it. Noah may like it too (briefly). He has suddenly realized that there is a baby in my tummy. We haven't said too much to him about it because I didn't think he would understand or care much. The other day he told me "there is a baby in your tummy". I guess it is time to bring out the Kangaroo Pouch! That is a book I bought that explains surrogacy to young children using kangaroos. Basically the little Kangaroo's mom explains that she is carrying a baby kangaroo in her pouch for a family that cannot do it on their own. I also think it will be more real to him once he actually meets the parents and really sees who the baby will go home with. Right now they are some cool people that he occasionally talks to on the computer. It is very interesting going through this process with such a wide range of ages with my own children. They each understand it in a different way.
   I am also starting to show enough that people are starting to notice. I have had a few clients ask and a few more people that are questioning if I have either put on weight or if I am pregnant. I am loving this stage of pregnancy. I feel so good. I am having some clothing struggles though. If I wear something not maternity it just squishes everything around so I just look fat. I also think that my stomach is shaped weird. Have you seen those girls that have the tiny little balls just below their bely buttons? Yep, that is NOT me! It is like the bottom bump has pulled out the top of my stomach with it. There is no sucking in and  having a flat stomach. It is amazing what age and weight fluctuation do to your body! With Kimberly I had just a tiny little bump at 5 months, with Kaylee I had a bump like this one. I showed early with her too. Here is a picture from a Christmas party. I was 14 weeks 5 days.

It is crazy how some women don't look pregnant until much later! Thank God for the Surrogate groups I have connected with! I am able to see there that while there are quite a few that have the tiny bumps there are also a lot of others who get the big bumps from the beginning! My only reassurance that I am not just getting super fat is that I can still put on all of my pre-pregnancy clothes. So far it is all in my boobs and belly. I bought some great pregnancy workout videos, but it seems that I never have time to do them!! I am so excited that January is my last on site class. Maybe then I can do something! My days are seriously packed! I leave my house at 7 am and two days  a week I am not home until almost 11 pm. Then we have added an additional class for supervision so I am gone until after 8pm a third day! And of course with it being the holidays it seems as though the kids have something going every other day! When I do get a day off I am usually so tired that I just want to do NOTHING or it is filled with homework and case notes. Now, I am not complaining. I like to be busy. I am just missing the time I had to work out when I just went to school. I miss running on the river trail with my dog. I would so love to even be able to walk her on the trail a few days a week. It is pretty hard to find time to do that when I leave and return in the dark! But there is light at the end of the tunnel! While I will still have some on line classes I think that I will at least be able to fit in an evening walk. Not on my beloved river trail, but a chance to do something active again!

Next appointment is January 21st, hopefully there is more good news!