25 weeks, really?

~ by Kim

This weekend we had a work party to go to, so my husband and I got somewhat gussied up for an evening out at a fancy golf club. I found a dress that fit and put on my 'party' lipstick and we were good to go! Being that it had been awhile since I'd taken any bump pictures and I was wearing something other than sweat pants, I thought it would be a good time to take a couple of pictures. We took a few and headed out the door. The next morning I put the pictures on the computer, hoping there might be a couple that turned out, and was stunned at what I saw. I thought there was no way that this was what I really looked like in real life. Was it? I looked 8 1/2 months pregnant already - and about to pop! I asked Carl if that was what I really looked like the night before, and he confirmed that it was true. I'm still not sure... maybe it was the time of day because I swear that I don't really look like that, and saw something different when I looked into the mirror. I mean, I'm big...but that big? No way. 

I had thought about sending some pictures to Janelle, but then thought twice.
I didn't want to scare her.

My mind started to wonder as I went through a gamut of thoughts, from maybe failing the gestational diabetes screening and growing a massive baby, to maybe a hidden twin that might explain my massive girth. Ridiculous, I know.

I had my appointment today with the midwife, which was perfect timing to find out if I was really as huge as I thought. I had told her about the pictures and my concerns about being too big. My weight gain is the same as what it was with both the girls, and I'm measuring right on track with this baby. Her exact words were, "perfect."

Phewf.

Must have been a bad angle.
Maybe a bad print on the dress.
Possibly a funny cut.

Whichever it is, I don't care.
It's not going to be a 12 lb baby, and that's all that matters.

 

The dreaded photo. 

I had a bunch of labwork done last week, including the gestational diabetes screening, where you pound back a terrible tasting orange sugary drink, and then sit for an hour before having your blood re-drawn. It's 50g of sugar down in 5 minutes, and they test you before and after the cocktail to see how your body responds to the massive sugar surge. We passed the test with flying colours, so don't have to worry about gestational diabetes.

Also at my appointment today, the midwife asked me how I've been feeling and if I was tired. With a 2 year old and 4 1/2 year old, full time shift work, and inevitably having someone crawl into my bed on any given night, sometimes even two - of course I'm tired. This might be the hardest part of being pregnant for the third time; having the two younger ones to take care of at the same time.

I've been on iron supplements since getting pregnant, as I became quite anemic with both my previous pregnancies, and found out that this one is no different. My hemoglobin has gone down, and my ferritin (iron) level has dropped from 131 down to 11. Big drop. Makes me feel a little less guilty for being such a slug at home.

25 weeks

In other baby news, I had another ultrasound on Friday. The little guy is about 2 lbs now and is just as handsome as ever! Though it's hard to tell for sure, I have a feeling he's going to be quite a 'looker.' The tech told me that his head was 6 cm, which I found surprising, just because it's bigger than I would have thought at this stage. One of baby's kidneys is slightly larger than the other, but apparently this is quite common with boys, and they've told me that we don't need to worry at this stage, and we'll just keep an eye on it for the time being.  I'll get to have a few extra ultrasounds while they monitor it, which I don't mind.

Lily still cracks me up regularly. This past week she asked me if when I worked overnight, if the baby stayed up all night too. I told her no, that when he got tired, he went to sleep. She told me that I had better tell my work friends to be quiet.

Fun Times & Busy Times

- by Janelle (IM)

It's two weeks into April and I'm realizing how quickly time has flown by since I was last in Victoria - a whole month ago! Wow.

Our family has filled the time with a trip to Hawaii and as of Monday we get possession of our new house which we promptly started shopping for once Kim got pregnant :)

Here are some snapshots of our recent fun times in Hawaii...

It was our first trip to Hawaii, with Joel and I (and obviously Asher) not having been there before. We went to Maui to witness two of our good friends get married during a beautiful ceremony. As a bonus we got to vacation with 10 friends, other wedding guests, and my Mom (Grandma) who flew in from Florida. 

Our days in Maui were spent at the beach with Asher digging in the sand, venturing to various cities like Lahaina & Paia, going to the Maui Ocean Centre, heading out on a snorkel tour where the highlight was watching whales breach, and taking in a Luao which we all really enjoyed.

Once back in Calgary we got down to business, the business of packing and organizing little details like utilities, internet, cable, change of mailing address, etc. in anticipation of moving over the next week. As I said, we get possession of our new house on Monday and the nice thing is we don't pass on our beloved condo until the end of the month. This gives us lots of time, but we also want to get it over with so our goal is to be finished the move as of the 20th.

My mind is already skipping ahead to getting settled in and setting up the nursery for Asher's little brother :)

Speaking of the baby, when we flew to Hawaii we flew through Vancouver and therefore over Vancouver Island. At that time I turned to Joel on the plane and said "We're really close to our baby right now!" Thank goodness for the charm necklace I have with the little baby foot on it. When I wear it I feel like our boy is with me. There are days I put it on thinking that I'm bringing him with me wherever I'm headed.

It's funny that Kim mentioned in her post 24 weeks and my baby turns 2! that she feels as though she's experiencing moments that shouldn't be hers when the baby moves and such. I'll admit that I oh so wish I could be feeling our baby move and grow and at times it's hard to be physically separate from these moments. Still the excitement of it all takes the cake and I simply can't wait to meet our boy!

Shout out to a Very Special lady!!

- by Janelle (IM)

Dear Kim,

On your birthday I simply want to say THANK YOU.

I can barely write this post right now without shedding a tear; it's tears of joy :) It seems nearly impossible to express how much you mean to us and our growing family. Life simply wouldn't be the same without you!!

I feel truly blessed to be on this journey with you; having the opportunity to see what an amazing, beautiful woman you are!

Thank you for being you and taking such good care of our baby boy as he grows and kicks in your belly.

Lots of love to you from this side of the Rockies,

Janelle, Joel & "big brother" Asher

24 weeks and my baby turns 2!

~ by Kim

24 weeks... 16 to go! 

It's amazing how fast the time is flying!

I'm big. People tell me I'm big. I feel big. I look big. No one is hesitant anymore to comment on my being pregnant for fear that I may not be. It's obvious. It's not a few extra pounds, or a little winter weight. There's a baby in there, and everyone can see it. 

Overall, I'm feeling good - just feeling pregnant and a little more tired. I've been a little awkward physically as I adjust to my growing belly, and have bumped into a few things and/or people as my estimations about how much room I need are not always accurate. Sometimes I feel like I'm a bit more of a wuss this time around, and I don't remember being as tired at this stage with my other pregnancies. Then I remember that this time around, I have two kids to take care whereas I didn't before. My shifts at work are 12 hours and I do both days and nights, and I'm noticing that I'm a bit slower to bounce back from the night shift. 

Lily talks about the baby daily, and it really touches my heart how loving she is. She's always giving the baby (aka my tummy) kisses and hugs, brings me food she thinks the baby would like, and asks me questions about what I think he thinks or feels. She tells me about the things she wants to teach him once he's here, like how to run fast and jump really high, and then lectures Rowan, who is just about 2, about being gentle and not squishing the baby when they come to cuddle with me. 

She's also asked me, that after this baby is born and back with Janelle and Joel, if I can grow another one for us to keep. (Say what?!?) I've told her that this will be the last baby that I grow, and maybe when Rowan is a little older, we can get a cat. Thinking about getting a kitten... she forgot all about another baby. If only that worked for everything.

Another big milestone was that yesterday I was able to SEE the baby moving for the first time, where I could see my belly actually move while he was kicking. That was an exciting moment, and really hit home that there is this little person inside of me. It's not just an embryo that we transferred, but a baby who is getting bigger and stronger every day. The baby is about a foot long now, and my uterus is now the size of a soccer ball. (No wonder I feel so big!) 

It's so different to go through all these little milestones with a baby that isn't mine. It's exciting when things like that happen, but I wish that Janelle could be there to see them and experience it too. It almost feels like I get these moments that aren't really supposed to be mine. It's such a mom-moment to feel a baby from the inside, so it feels a little strange. I'm not really sure how to explain it. Maybe it's a good sign, that things are as they should be and that I don't think of this baby as my own. 

In non-surrogacy related life, my youngest daughter will be 2 tomorrow. I still think of her as my little baby until I see a recent picture of her and it reminds me that she's not a baby anymore. Then she'll say something like, "No kisses, mommy. I two." And the most frequent these days being: "I do it self."

Goodbye baby... hello toddler.