Ultrasound last Monday!

LI've been hesitating writing this because I'm just not certain the verdict of "one baby or two" is correct. I recorded a little video and I see a second embryo appear 3 different times, in the same spot, but the lady doing the scan only focused on the first one that came into view. So, I say it's still undecided! But the great news is, the one gestational sac she saw has an egg yolk in it, which means at least one baby is developing! The sac measured just as our dates show, so I am officially 5w6d and the due date is July 25th!!! 

Here is some pics of their little "spud" ... :)

Here's where I think I see two together:

**Stats**

5w6d

-Craving potatoes, all the time. 

-My sense of smell is not only strong, but "off" according to others

-Minimal morning sickness 

-139 pounds 

-Frequent nightmares (though the IM sent me some homeopathic remedy!! Can't wait to try it!)

Letter to spud:

Hey spud (that's your nickname because i want to eat potatoes alllllllll the time)... you don't know me yet, but before you know it, you'll be hearing my voice, a lot. Don't be mistaken, I love you dearly, but not even close to how much your mommy and daddy love you!!! They are still soooo excited to meet you next summer!!! It will be here before you know it! They can't wait to share your future arrival with the world! I know they think about you all the time, and I have to tell you it is a HUGE honor to help bring you into the world. I know we'll always know you as you grow up, I can't wait to see who you become! Be a good little spud and grow just how you're supposed to grow! "See you" Monday for your second ultrasound! I should see your heartbeat that day! Can't wait to send that video to your parents !!!! 

Love,

Oven. 

Big day tomorrow!

Tomorrow is my first ultrasound! Hopefully I can make it, this snow is supposed to keep going through Wednesday. It was blue skies all morning and now it's dumping! I really hope I don't miss my appointment due to the tunnel shutting down at all!

If I make it tomorrow, I'm assuming they'll be able to see if there's one or two babies! I was going to FaceTime with the intended mom but I think I'll record it instead in case the video cuts out at all. That way I can send her a video of the whole thing and she wouldn't have missed anything! 

I'm pretty excited. Feeling good, nausea comes and goes but it's still super early. I'm craving potatoes (all kinds) like crazy. Baked, mashed, fries, dumplings etc. I googled it and apparently the drop in blood sugar could be why I'm craving carbs!  I didn't have any crazy cravings with either kid except with grey, I wanted orange juice alllllllllll the time. Oh and Ellie was meatball subs. I guess that's kind of weird! 

Looking forward to tomorrow, hopefully I can make it!!!

Well...

Here is the day of the transfer! (That's me on valium. I look normal!) November 6th! 

Here's the day AFTER the transfer:

And here's 4 days after the transfer:

!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited for the intended parents, you have no idea!!!! It's the weirdest thing to me. I don't feel the excitement that I felt when I got pregnant with either of my kids. This is completely different. It's like the IM (intended mom) is pregnant and I'm just going to be by her side. I can't really explain it but it feels super different than both my prior pregnancies.

I had a crazy dream in the early morning of Monday the 10th. Like CRAZY... Murder, kidnapping and other insane things. I woke up Monday morning and KNEW I was pregnant. I took a home pregnancy test and I swear I saw a faint faint faint line. By lunch time it was completely visable. No denying I was seeing things, it was POSITIVE!!!!

We got to skype with the IPs that evening and surprise them!!! Adam recorded the whole thing. It was awesome. They're SOOOOO excited. I had to tell them right away because they deserve to know their precious embryo(s) made it this far at least!! We're in this together and I didn't feel right not telling them right away! Fortunately for me, mike was asking Michelle if I could take a pregnancy test yet! I'm glad they wanted to know right away... We hadn't discussed that but they were dying to know too! 

I have my blood drawn on Monday and Wednesday to confirm the pregnancy with blood, and perhaps they'll be able to tell us if it's one baby or two! I feel like it's

two, which is totally cool! 

So great job everyone praying that the embryos would stick stick stick! Please continue to pray for us!

In addition, pray for my IPs to have peace of mind during the pregnancy! I know they trust us, but I can only imagine how hard it would be to be so far away from your baby(ies).

Pray also for NO nausea and fatigue for me! It would be a miracle and I would take it in a heartbeat!!!

You guys are the best. Thank you for reading and encouraging us. We're so excited! I know I'm sharing this early but I know so many are probably dying to know. Plus I need your prayers :)

Xoxo 

Julie 

Welcome embryos!!!!! Make yourself comfy!!!

Wow guys. There are two little embryos in my uterus right now. I want so badly for one to stick!!!

Today I woke up at 6:00 am and couldn't fall back asleep really. I don't know if it was the time change, excitement or the fact that I slept all night without waking up for a kiddo... But I was really awake really early! I fell back asleep around 7 and got up a little before 8. 

We had breakfast and then headed to target for some snacks to keep at the hotel. Then off we went to the fertility clinic. The IPs showed up not long after and then Nicole (co-owner of the surrogacy agency) came and we were all chatting in the waiting room till they called my name! Everyone came back to the room so we could talk to the IPs doctor and the embryologist. They discussed the the thawing of the embryos and that everyone agreed on putting 2 in. 

I took my valium, got dressed in the specific garments they provided and then waited. The notes they gave me a week ago said I needed to have my bladder comfortably full so that the cervix would be very visible. Well, I did--or so I thought--but when the doc came in he said it needed to be much more full. So I drank another bottle of water and he checked and said I still needed to drink more. I assume my stomach must be small but my bladder must be large because of this. A nurse checked it again and thought it looked great, the doc came in a few min later and my bladder was more full than it was 3 min ago!

He inserted a catheter into my cervix and we got to watch on the ultrasound as the little embryos were transferred in! It was insanely cool. The IF didn't really want to be in the room but we kind of convinced him he should be there! And there it was. It was done!  I was told I wouldn't be on bed rest or anything but to just take it easy! The Valium only made me tired. That's all. It didn't make me feel dumb like I was worried it would. When we came home, I slept for 3 hours. My legs felt a little slow to move after that.

I've had light cramping--a lot like when I felt Grey's little embryo implant. I'm trying not go get my hopes up but it's possible that was what I was feeling. The embryos were 5 days old so implantation could happen within a day. That would be amazing. I plan on taking a HPT in 5 days, or earlier if I feel symptoms!

The kids are doing excellent!!!! Thank you everyone for your kind words and prayers. We feel so great to be able to do this and to have so much support. Now we wait!  

Xoxo 

Julie 

Tomorrow is the big day!!!

We arrived in LA today at 10:30 am and had brunch with the IPs!! It was great and we just chatted away getting to know eachother more for 2 hours! It was great to spend time with them before the big day!!

After that we borrowed Michelle & mike's bikes so we could ride down Venice beach for a bit! Then we went to the Griffith observatory with Adam's lifelong friend and the best man in our wedding! We watched the sunset over LA and then went to dinner with him. It's always so wonderful to see him!!! We love you Aaron!!!

We drove up to Thousand Oaks and I tell you what, I'm sooooooo ready for bed! Tomorrow we need to be at the Fertility Clinic at 9:45 tomorrow morning. I'm excited and I can't believe it's here already!!!! I sooooo want it to work out!!! I'm still nervous for the Valium but I know it will be ok.  Maybe I need a Valium to take my valium! Ha!!!

I will update tomorrow afternoon!!! Kiddos are having a great time with the crowe's!!! They're doing great. I'm so thankful. I'm able to relax about that now!!

Check back tomorrow!!!

Holy moly only 5 more days!!!!

I had another ultrasound and bloodwork--everything looks perfect! They said my uterus is "GORGEOUS"!!! My lining is nice and thick and my ovaries are quiet. I was very happy to hear that!!!

The agency booked our flights, hotel and car rental! We're all set to go! We will be staying close to the ocean, right by Malibu beach!

I have a huge task ahead of me! We are doing a big move at my store along with a new floorset and I have hired a ton of people to help out!!! I have support coming from another store (Castle Rock). The store manager's name is Annie. She's wonderful! She came on Friday so we could map out the big move.  She said her goal is to keep my stress level at a minimum so I can get pregnant in a few days! She's awesome. Thank you Annie!!!!!

I get blood drawn on November 11th (happy bday amy!) and take my first pregnancy test on November 17th! I'm so excited and I SOOOOOO hope it works out for my IPs!!!

Tonight I take progesterone for the first time!!! I'm a little anxious about that. Hope there's no crazy side effects!

Check back soon, we're heading to LA on Wednesday morning!

Xoxo Julie