Starting the belly pics!

My pants are getting snug, my shirts are getting tight, it's clear to see the bump is here! I started taking pics so I can send them to the parents. Michelle loves them of course. My heart is so sad she is not the one getting bigger but I know this baby is safe in me and my body is fit to carry her (yeah it's a her in my head!). So here's the first pic. 

9 weeks 

I have my first doctors appointment on Jan 7th so I'll have some stats then! Morning sickness had FINALLY subsided!!! Yes!!! Headaches are gone! I'm off all medicine now so I'm feeling great!!!

Quick note to the child:

Hey little inch/inch-and-a-half baby! Your mommy and daddy are soooo excited to have you in the family! This Christmas, your daddy made a special onesie just for you! It matches the rest of the family's outfits! I like your little nick-name!!!

A lot of people in my life and in your parents' lives are super excited you are growing so big! In a couple weeks your mommy and daddy are going to announce to the world that you are on your way in July!!!! They can't wait! I can't wait either! They love you so so so much and I know you're going to rock their world in an amazing way!!! Keep growing little baby!!! Your mom said it best: 

So please hang in there little twerp!!!

A lot of people are waiting to meet you!!!! Xoxoxo

Oven 

9 weeks, moving right along!

I'm barely in the mood to eat anything, but if I don't, I get super nauseous. And even when I do eat, I still get nauseous. It's just these early weeks that usually suck for me anyway. With my own two pregnancies, I had morning sickness mostly in the evenings. This time around it usually starts around 11am and lasts till 2 pm and back again 6-8 pm. Yuck. But really, it's totally worth it.

I am officially released from the fertility clinic in California! I get to see my normal Obgyn care from here on out. And the best part...... I start weaning off progesterone and estrogen meds starting on the day after Christmas!!!

I have my first appointment on January 7th at Littleton Obgyn. They came highly recommended from the monitoring clinic I had all my ultrasounds at. I spoke with a couple different clinics and this is the one I liked the best! I'll also tour Littleton Adventist hospital that day too... So I know what to tell Michelle! Hopefully it's somewhere she'll love too!! :D 

Christmas is almost here and I just can't stop thinking how awesome it is to know this is their last Christmas without a baby together! I know I've said it before, but they're going to be amazing parents and I can't wait to see their little bugger grow and grow and grow!

Grey has been talking about their baby a lot. I ask him very specific questions to see what he really comprehends... Like "so who is going to take the baby home with them? Who is going to raise the baby until they're all big and grown up?" He understands everything. It's awesome. 

Till next time.... Julie 

7+ weeks!

I'm 7 weeks along now, meaning 3 more weeks or so till I can stop taking the progesterone and estrogen. I can't wait!!! 

The intended mom downloaded the babycenter app so she can see her developing fetus everyday!!! I'm excited for her! I remember with my first I was so excited every week to know the size baby was and to see developments, but with my second it went so fast I didn't follow it as closely. This week the little bugger is the size of a blueberry and developing hands and feet! 

This week I will hopefully get a doctors appointment set up for my normal OB care. I have to deliver at a level III nicu which means I have to find a doctor in denver too. I've got some choices but I want to make sure it's someone/somewhere Michelle & Mike want to go too. It is after all their child!

Tomorrow I have another ultrasound! It's a lot for sure... But just a few more weeks and I'll be cleared for normal check ups!

Potato craving finally subsided!!!!! Thankful for that!

<3 Julie 

Once upon a time....

... there was a 32 year old carrying ONE baby!!! :D 

Big week for us here!!! 

I turned 32 on Thanksgiving! The intended mom sent me a video of her nieces and nephew singing happy birthday to me. It was so sweet! 

I had another ultrasound on Monday and I had the doctor check twice, only one baby!!!! 

Spud's heart rate was 115bpm! Perfectly normal for a 6w2d old twerp! 

Nausea still comes and goes but thankfully it's nothing I can't handle! I'm tough as... Well something tough I suppose!

I was snuggling with Ellie tonight and told Adam how sad I am that Michelle and Matt don't have this right now! It still breaks my heart and I'm literally counting the days (235!!!) till their little baked potato arrives!!! 

A dear mom friend of mine is going to have her baby any second, and as I'm thinking of the little boy she'll soon be snuggling, I keep thinking about when this baby comes! I reallyyyyyy hope I can keep my eyes open to see their faces! I can't wait to see Michelle hold her baby for the first time and eventually, let Matt do the same lol! :D

<3 Julie 

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