June 29th, 2007 - Want to SEE???

I figured how to get pictures on here!!! oh yeah! I dont know about you, but I've never seen an ultrasound of multiples before. So hope you find this interesting. The tech numbered the babies (the sacs). You can't really see much from this picture...well the babies which are smaller then peanuts do not show up when I take a pic of the pic. Baby #1 in the pic is measuring a day or so behind with a slow heartbeat, so we are saying prayers daily so that they baby will grow and get stronger. Baby #2 and #3 are measuring fine and have strong heartbeats. I believe in miracles...so anything can happen, right?!

I can not tell you how crappy I feel from having the morning sickness feel 24/7. I've also had a cold and cough...a cold and cough in the summer! Crazy! So the coughing hasn't really helped for sleeping. Luckily its summer vacation and the bigger kids and DH have been helping out a lot. Unfortunately, on top of the yukky cough and cold....my suburban is sick...lol Not sure what is wrong with it...just doesn't start. I'm not too anxious to see it work as the air conditioner doesn't work and I'm enjoying using my hubby's newer truck! (Unfortunately, hubby seems to think that replacing the suburban is more important then our family trip to DisneyWorld next year. We'll have to discuss that another time when I'm not so emotional, lol)

Now if that's not enough....the refrigerator which is just under 6 years old....decides NOT to work! great! Trying to get it to work before we have to pay someone to come and look at it. I actually wouldn't mind a new frig anyways....although you'd think a brand new frig could last at least 10 years!

Ok...what next??? How about the stove??? Don't get me going on how the burners only work when they want to. lol Well this is a very old FREE stove given to us last year...so I can't really complain too much....

Next.... ok the super nice John Deere lawnmower that my hubby had to have....guess his excuse for not mowing the overgrown grass is the lawnmower needs a new blade. He says without a new blade, the motor in the lawnmotor will be ruined. Am I gullable to believe that? Well he's getting a new blade next week! That's something affordable! lol It will be nice to not see those UGLY YELLOW weeds in the grass! URGH....to think we spent so much $$$ on lawn service the last two years to make it look nice...it just doesn't seem to matter b/c the neighbors don't weed their lawn and it blows into our lawn! URGH bet our neighbors on the other side just love us now! lol

I think that is about it for things breaking around here...at the same time! Actually things like this normally happen to us in the month of December! oh well, nothing I can really do about it now...we'll just deal with it one at a time!

Oh, some sad news...my local OB tells me that he will not be able to help me with triplets. Our high tech hospital is not equipped for other then singletons and twins! Ok, well I sort of new that...but I decided to take a nice long nap to see if that issue would go away. lol Luckily I found out that the same Allina facility can help me in Coon Rapids where then I could deliver at Mercy Hospital, which is where I delivered my baby #3 and #4. I used to go to the Coon Rapids Women's clinic when I had #3 but then our insurance changed. So I will at least be familiar with the ofc and hospital. ALSO the peri-natal drs are not too far away from the CR Women's clinic...and should the babies deliver before 34 weeks, everything will be in order for me to go to Abbot where they have the best facilities for high risk pregnancies. phew.... Well I'm not going to really look at relocating drs until after my 10 week ultrasound. Of course if baby #3 does not make it, I will be able to just stay in Cambridge, as planned.

Super thanks to my IP. When I flew out to LA in May, I put my surrogate charm bracelet in my suitcase which I checked. And it was missing by the time I got to the hotel in LA. I've been so bummed. BUT thanks to my IP, he's replaced the important charms for me and then some. I noticed that he did not replace the silver suburban....hmmm....I wonder if that means I will be getting the real thing now??? ROFL OMG, I am so just kidding. I thought that might be a nice laugh for him as he reads this. :) One of the new charms is one that has 3 hanging hearts for the 3 baby heartbeats. I have to take the bracelet to the jeweler to get some rings to attach them to the bracelet and then sodered so they won't fall off. I also received another charm from the agency. Its a stork! Anyways...I love me bracelet. Will have to take a picture of it and post it here another time.

Well time to get ready for bed. I have a big day tomorrow. Its "my day," meaning a day of bingo at the casino. lol Well I have tickets for the boat drawing and other fun $$$ prizes...drawings at 1, 3 and 5. Of course I have to be there for that! lol Play a little bingo and if I win, I will stay and play again in the evening. That's always fun...and a lot cheaper then playing the slots. lol I hope I win something in the drawing. I always try to. Oh yeah...and at the night bingo they are having a drawing for 7 $100 gas cards. So I guess I will have to stay for the evening Bingo session! I think I have a lot of tickets in that drawing too! Better chances for me for the gas cards!

Have a great weekend!

A Surrogate Mom

June 26th - The Next Day

So my psych dr calls today. Asks me if I'm freaked (re: carrying triplets). lol I actually am not. I am just thankful it wasn't one. I know crazy! But hey...I said I wanted the experience of multiples. lol

I'm not sure if the babies can hear just yet, but my two little ones sang songs to my belly last night. They are so funny. They also said a special prayer for the third baby to grow and to get strong. As I watched my little ones, I thank God every day for my 4 children. They are so thoughtful and give me strength as we wait out the fate of the third baby.

This sort of reminds me when I was 9 and there was this baby born named Samantha. She was born with 3 holes in her heart and with down syndrome. The doctors did not give her more the 3 months to live. Samantha was placed in foster care with my family because her parents were unable to care for her with the medical conditions. Her parents and my parents (who ended up adopting her with her parents blessings) never gave up on this little baby. Samantha lived to be 7 years old. With a little hope and love AND a miracle, she survived. It might have been a short lived life, but we gave her a chance. Samantha who was born on July 12th, died Nov 8th. Coincidentally, my first child was born July 12th and my second child was born Nov 8th. Strange, huh?

Well, on a funny note...I pray that if I do miscarry, it happens at home and not when I'm at one of the kids' baseball games or at BINGO! Seriously, its really hard to leave the home knowing it could happen anytime...or will it?

Ok...time for a nap before venturing out to my daughter's softball game tonight. Have a great day!

A Surrogate Mom

June 25th, 2007 - TRIPLETS

To think that I have been so worried since the beta that I was pregnant with just one!!! lol After the ultrasound this morning, I called my IP right away to say what I saw...and then went back to bed...because I've been so yukky from morning sickness and lacking sleep from being anxious for the ultrasound to see how many! So I sleep with my cell phone...just a habit plus it has an alarm on it for wake up. So the Fertility Clinic called and I was in a good sleep so I was probably not saying much...just that you should have the report soon and something about two babies and remember the nurse saying...good twins.... An hour later she calls and says "Honey, did you realize you have triplets?" huh? Oh yeah, I guess you're right. lol

Well one of the babies is measuring a day smaller and the heartbeat is not very strong. So time will tell on what will happen to the baby. There is a slight chance the baby will survive but the dr said to be prepared to miscarry. The other two babies are measuring fine and have strong heartbeats. While I really only want to carry twins, I will pray for the third baby. I'm not sure how it will be to miscarry again. Some probably think it will be better off if I miscarry the third baby which I personally think is a terrible thing to even say to me. The baby is alive right now and has a heartbeat. Give the baby a chance. If that was me, I'd hope that someone would pray for me to live. Yes, I was hoping that 2 out of 3 would take but we knew going into this that all 3 could take. It would have been easier if the baby had not heartbeat when doing the ultrasound. I will have my 8 week ultrasound on July 9th. So maybe we will know the future of the third baby then.

FAQ: Will I carry all three or reduce? No, I will not reduce unless my life was a danger, which it is not. Some surros have been through the reduction and its been no big deal, so others don't seem to understand or realize what goes on..or why I wont consider it. I am pro-choice and will admit that, but personally I don't believe in abortion for myself...on my body. The agency and clinic do not fuss about the reduction and are supportive of it. In our contract, the IP and I discuss the situation before hand...so the decision isn't made when its too late. We both agreed that we would not reduce if there were three babies, even though its more desirable to have two.

Ok...so not that there is nothing wrong with reduction but like I said, its something I do not wish to do myself. I am also going to share what a reduction is, so you may not want to read this now... Most people do not like to refer this as to an abortion but from my opinion there are a lot of similarities....especially the "unwanted baby being terminated." A long needle is injected into the woman's stomach, straight into the unwanted baby's heart. (Its sort of like an amnio, except that needle goes into the fluids NOT the baby). An ultrasound is used to monitor the unwanted baby, so you can see everything that is going on. So this needle goes into the unwanted baby's heart and stays there until there is no heartbeat. The needle is removed and they monitor the baby to make sure its dead. (Sort of scary when you hear about botched up abortions and the baby lives but with deformities.) The baby will then eventually abort or be absorbed by the other babies, or just stay there and be squooshed up by the other babies and come out when the other babies are born. They say if it comes out when the other babies are born, you will not even be able to recognize the baby. Nice, eh?

Also, when you do a reduction....who the heck do you pick? What if you pick the wrong one? Heck, I guess it doesn't matter...you'll never know. Well, I suppose if one doesn't think much of it and not consider the baby is a life or something, it makes it easier to reduce.

With IVF you just never know what will take and what won't. Do you limit your chances? It was such a hard decision after 2 failed transfers. You just never know and if the fertility dr thought all three would have taken, he would have advised otherwise.

Lastly, my dear friends, if you hope I miscarry the 3rd baby, please keep it to yourself. Don't tell me I will be better off. I dont care what studies/research say about carrying triplets because you know I hear from other moms with multiples who did just fine. I think if I was not fit to carry multiples, I never would have been accepted into the surrogacy program. I'M NOT A STATISTIC AND DON'T CARE TO BE REFERRED TO THEM. I would though expect some compassion and concern that this little baby with a heartbeat might not make it...give it a chance. Pray for the baby. These babies are not mine genetically but I am still the birth mom and I really dont want a baby to die in me..even if its considered unwanted. I'm sorry if you can't understand that.

On a happier note here...I am grateful for the two babies that have strong heartbeats and hope that they do well should anything happen to the third baby. I am doing well. I am very tired and rest a lot. Food doesn't seem to agree with me a lot but my daughter has been making me peanut butter sandwiches or ham sandwiches with mustard...and that seems to be agreeing with me. :) The morning sickness has mainly been in the evenings but I have noticed that that the last couple of days I wake up feeling it too. I can't brush my teeth in the morning or I get really sick. I crave fountain p0p....so I've been doing lemonade with a shot of sprite. I can not tell you what an inconvenience it is to these fast food places to do half and half...I could see if it was during the busy times, but usually its late evening that I want it... lol I guess I will just get my exercise by getting out and going into Holiday and pouring my own!

Ok...I have to run now, I just realized we are supposed to be at my son's bball game. BBL

A surrogate mom

June 20th, 2007 - Dinner Last Night

So last night, we stopped in town for dinner at our favorite Chinese Buffet place....where they know you and the kids ages and what we drink each time....even the take out order that we place before we leave because hubby and oldest son can't get off their butts to join us for dinner. (They are playing their xbox 360 online, of course.)

I am thinking I am going to have to wait until after my first trimester to eat Chinese food b/c lately right after I eat it, I just feel gross! lol

My now 6 year old (his birthday was June 13th) says to me at the restaurant... "Mommy, do you think the food you are eating are falling on the babies?" It was too funny and sweet. I think the regulars there get a kick out of my kids and the things that they say. So then someone asks him, how many babies are there. He's like "probably 2 or 3, its hard to say right now." lol Bet that gave everyone something to talk about!

Anyways, thought I would share that with you. :)
Happy Happy Hump day!
A surrogate mom

June 18th, 2007 - 5 weeks and 1 day

Yes, that's right...I'm finally pregnant. The 5 day transfer produced 9 embryos, all in excellent condition. So 3 embryos were transfered on May 30th. Stayed at the Beverly Hilton which was really nice there. Came home on June 1st. On Day 5 after the transfer, I got my first positive home test on a cheapie test. The EPT and digital did not pick up the positive pregnancy until Day 6 after the transfer. So that was a relief. Had my Beta test first thing on June 9th. My HCG level was 207....this is good although I was hoping for a little higher number. Per the fertility clinic, anything over 100 is a positive pregnancy. 200+ is possible multiples, so crossing my fingers for twins. I highly doubt all three took because of the HCG level, but what do I know? That is just my unprofessional guess. I know I will be bummed if it is just one as I've been hoping for the experience of carrying twins. Time will tell.

My 6 week ultrasound will be the morning of June 25th...I'll actually be 6 weeks and 1 day. They dont like to do ultrasounds on weekends on women during their first trimesters due to lack of doctors available and the fact that miscarriages are more likely during the first trimester. Techs are not allowed to tell patients what they see. So 7 more days before I will find out how many babies I am carrying.

I will have additional ultrasounds at 8 weeks and 10 weeks. Then after that time I will be released to see my local OB. It is just finally exciting that I am pregnant.

So how am I feeling? Well tired. Sometimes I dont feel pregnant...not that I really would feel anything. lol I had a bunch of PMS type cramping here and there, which is normal. My surro friends say its the embryos burrowing into my uterus...told this to my husband and he's relates that to maggots...nice, hubby! (He thinks he's so funny!) I also experienced some spotting a few times...so that was freaky but the dr says that was fine and reminded me that they told me it happens. My friend who is my children's pediatrician says she's heard that the spotting is common with multiples, which is something that I also heard from my surro friends. I tend to feel like crap after I eat Chinese food and Chipotle! lol Nothing bad...just that might be something to not eat while pregnant. lol I love Chinese food and Chipotle. We don't have Chipotle around here anyways, so I only have it every 2 weeks when I bring my daughter to her dad's every other weekend! I dont feel morning sickness other then a little in the evenings.

I'm still doing the progesterone shots every night. My butt is very sore so it hurts with the poke. I do the e2v shots every third night still. I guess I continue to do this until 10 weeks. I also take a new pill at night called Estrace. Thankfully its sooo small compared to the HUGE prenatal vitamin I take every night. And if that's not enough to take...there is still more that I have to do.... I have to take progesterone pills in the AM and PM... Now that's everything that I'm taking! Let me tell you...there is a lot you have to do as a surrogate. I am just thankful that I can do my own shots and they are all into my butt.

So I think I have you all up to date. Its been so busy here now that the kids are out of school and they are busy with baseball and softball. Kids are all doing well. Not bored yet but they sure are making a mess of the house...its been pretty hot during the day so if they aren't in the pool, they are inside. Thank goodness for central air!

So I will check in sometime Monday evening and give you an update from my ultrasound.

Have a great week!!!
A Surrogate Mom