Beans into babies - Birth story

Well we didn't make it to 38 weeks but we did make it through Trick r Treating! Before I start with what will end up being a small novel I would love to say baby A and baby T were born on 11/1/11 in the hour of 2am, both weighing in at the same 8.1 pounds and 21 inches and are 100% PERFECTION.

G and S came into town on Sunday and we spent a great evening of craving pumpkins and eating dinner with them and our children, knowing the guys were running off of no sleep and a 6hr time difference they left to get settled into their apartment.

The next day was Halloween which with 4 kids under the age of 10 is a pretty big deal around here.The day flew by and I was excited to meet the guys for our 3pm Ultrasound and OB appointment. Babies were perfect (of course) and baby girl was still butt down, so we chatted it up with the doc about the birth plans and how we would like to see it all go down. I left the appointment feeling good and prepared for the big day (Nov 16th) but now back to my babies and getting them out the door for some big time Halloween fun.

The guys were sweet enough to come over and walk with my hubby and kids around the neighborhood while I stayed back and handed out the candy. Feeling extremely tired from the long day and all the excitement from the guys being here we said our good nights and we decided we would hook backup on Wed, giving them time to unpack and get comfy in there new place.

About 30 min after they left and me in the middle of helping my little man brush his teeth I there in my bathroom experienced for the first time ever, my water breaking on its own! lol Best thing EVER! Of course at first went and sat on the pot thinking maybe I was wrong but within minutes I knew it was for real and then the CRAZY began:)

As hubby is calling the guys I'm trying not to make a mess everywhere as I'm walking grabbing things and getting the kids ready and out the door. We made to the hospital in record timing thanks to my husband and his want to become a race car driver;) We met the guys and my parents at the hospital and were checked in within minutes.

Before I knew it we were set up in a bed and everyone was ready to go. Going in for a C-section they wanted to do a ultrasound to make sure they knew where baby A and B were hanging out.. That's when we found out baby girl had turned and was now head down! YAY for vag birth!! I was in complete shock that she had moved and I would be able to push these beans out, which made this whole thing just that much more awesome!

After waiting a few hours, which felt to me a few minutes babies were ready to come meet their daddies. We had the whole delivery level to ourselves. The nurse staff was amazing, really truly amazing. They not only did everything they could to make all of us feel welcome and comfortable but let all three of the guys be a part of the delivery. So in the OR we had myself (of course) hubby next to me and the daddies next to the baby warmers and 16 hospital staff members..lol yes 16 sets of eyes on my lady parts. That was a first....

Ready to go and ready to push cause again I'm kind of a rockstar at giving birth, baby girl made her entrance with a lovely scream and daddy S was able to cut her cord and the nurse let me take a quick peek before she was put into the warmer, she was perfect. Just like I knew she would be. But my focus needed to be back on baby boy now and getting him out into this world, my job was half way done. About 30 minutes later and giving it every little thing of what I had left to push I was able to get baby boy out with no problems. He came out with a nice scream and cry as daddy G cut his cord and I was able to see that he was also a perfect baby.

The whole time my husband stayed next to my side giving me the love, support and courage that he had done with our own. I get tears in my eyes as I write this part because I truly am blessed to have such an amazing husband and I know I couldn't have found that strength inside me to deliver two babies the way I did without him next to me.

After babies were born they were taken with the dads to be weighed and cleaned off. The next hour was spent with hospital staff coming into my room to congratulate us and tell me how amazing we all are and how they will never forget our story. I had no idea what to expect from the hospital staff with our "situation" and did worry that there might be a point that we would feel uncomfortable or something would be weird but not at all, these men and women were great, they made all three of us feel so comfortable and I know I will never forget some of their faces:)

I was able to see the babies the next morning and it was great to finally put faces to the kicks and punches I've had from them these past months. Besides my own children these babies are the most beautiful newborns I'v ever seen! And seeing the guys as dads for the first time was one of the best parts to the end of this story, just that proud daddy look on both their faces made it all come to a wonderful ending. They will never be the same again and I know they will be great dads and these babies have a wonderful life in Norway waiting for them.

So there you have it. After a long journey my part is done. I have made it possible for these two men to become dads, to have a family. I know I feel happy, loved, amazing, and all that good stuff. Am I expecting to be really sad or to break down and cry? No, I don't find this experience sad or depressing. I know my hormones are whack right now and maybe I'll need a good cry in the shower, but it will be a cry of - wow...did I just really do that?. Some of my closest family/friends have asked me how I'm doing and I think they are trying to do their best to let me know they are here for me and I love that, I love to know if I need to talk to someone I have that support. But for now I lean on my husband and my surrogate friends. For my husband I feel he really is the only one that can even come close to understanding what I just went through and for me that's working. And of course my surro friends, because if it wasn't for them I would've gone into this whole thing clueless.

For all you that have followed me on here or on Facebook, I will say it again. I thank you from my heart, the support that was given to me, my family and the guys played a huge roll in this. Surrogacy is an amazing thing and I will never forget all the ups and downs and of course my Norwegian family that I helped make xoxo

*Stayed tuned for the next blog post of photos**

Coming to the end..

This weekend the proud parents to these two babies I have spent so much time with will be arriving in Minnesota and soon after the baby beans will follow.

I have so many emotions running through my body and mind these past few weeks. I will first say that I am not worried about "giving them away" because again I'm not. They aren't mine. They never have been. I am sad to know this journey that I (we) started so long ago will be done. I will no longer be needed for their family. My "job" is done. With that being said, I feel even more strong about the fact that my other "job" my family, my kids will have me back 100%. That they won't need to share me any longer.

This past year I have grown in so many ways and I'm not just talking in the belly size. I have grown in my photography business and learning to become more professional and setting goals for myself within the industry. As a wife I've learned to show my husband how much I care for him and depend on him by just taking the time to sit and talk, to make sure we still have the "just us" time. As a mother I have learned that this is the most important job I will ever have and taking that time to read a good book with your kids before bed makes you a better parent. My friendships this past year have been a little more of a challenge. I have had the opportunity to meet some of the most amazing women thanks to surrogacy. The fact that I've only met a few face to face is crazy to me when I think some of these women are some of my closest friends I have today.

As my husband and I were cleaning the house I came across the 5 page profile of the guys that I received while in CA. I had to sit down and read it. It brought back so many emotions. I remember reading it like a dozen times on the flight back home with my husband, first thoughts honestly were -
1)Norway! that's so far away..
2)Those are some good lookin guys!
3)They seem so happy and look like they need to be dads;)

I couldn't imagine doing this for any other couple then G and S. The friendship, the trust, the connection between us all has made this as successful as it is today. They have done such an amazing job being a part of every little thing. I'm sure I could have had a couple here in the same state and not felt as close as I have with these two men.

So knowing there is just a short month left of all of this, I have no sad tears, no regrets. I have excitement, love and just all smiles to know that this was a perfect surrogacy journey.

I went into Surrogacy wanting to help a couple have a family but also to help me become a stronger person and without a doubt I can say I have. I will never be the same person I was before I signed up for this.

Feeling pretty and pregnant xoxo

Here are some of my fav's from my photo shoot done by Walker Photography! Check her out on FB if you want to see the rest.









But I will add this one in to be fair...Pregnancy is NOT all pretty and easy...



This was after a long day of being on my feet, thankfully after 30min on the couch they seem to go down to "normal" size.

Getting ready to hit 34 weeks and still feeling very confident we will see 38! 14 days till the daddies get here:)

just a little photo album of the Bump

here are some quick cell phone shots I wanted to share with you all!
I have a scheduled photo shoot with some great friends/photographers next week! Can't wait:)

31 Weeks


30 Weeks and date night with my handsome husband.


27 Weeks


26 Weeks

Watermelon

30 WEEKS PEOPLE!

Well hello there, we haven't talked in awhile..Maybe because night classes are kicking my butt..or maybe cause my husband traveling for 3wks at a time is not giving me much of a chance to sit down and write. Or maybe it's my 4 crazy kids and the crazy amount of energy that they have 24/7.

But that's not the point...the point is I'm back and we are officially in the 3rd Trimester and we have hit the big 3-0 today! That's huge! you know what else is huge?!?!! My preggo belly...no, I don't have a updated photo to share..(remember the school, husband, kid thing) But I will give you a visual of what it looks like --->


So you get the point, right:)

We (babies and i) are doing great! Went to the OB last week and it was honestly a boring appointment. Nothing to share, nothing to worry about, nothing...We talked a little more about the birth plans and that was all. I go in soon for a U/S which I'm really excited for, haven't seen the beans in forever and would love to know what size they are at now, maybe to justify how big I'm feeling lol.

It's crazy to know these babies will be here in 7-8 weeks! I never thought this journey would go so fast, I'm extremely happy to see the end results but know I will be sad when it's all said and done.

The dad's will be here in 5 weeks and I can't wait for them to get settled in and feel somewhat at home while we wait. I would put a $100 on it that I don't go early and that they will have to induce me. All four of my own pregnancies I was induced, so I don't really know what it's like to go into labor on my own, I would love to be at a restaurant or shopping and my water break so I could tell the funny story..but I know it won't happen. And being twins, I don't mind. I want these babies to grow and stay in as long as possible.

So there you have it. Not much to update, but it's something. You know I'll have some fun U/S photos to share soon and I promise I will!

***Babycenter update***

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

Block Party

This past weekend we had our annual neighborhood block party. Having mixed feelings about it this year. Knowing I would more likely end up talking about surrogacy 99% of the time..Don't get me wrong, I love educating people about surrogacy but not 20 people/20 different times in a 4 hour stretch.
So pretty much sums it up, I think Belmont St. is one of the most educated streets in America when it comes to surrogacy lol. Surprisingly it went well, I don't think I had one "stupid" question and everyone seemed very interested in the process. I'm always interested to know how it takes off from there..you know, they go home and tell someone they know and then that someone tells someone they know and so on...
Surrogacy is an amazing thing and it can get mixed messages in the media,I'm doing my part here with my little bit of connections makes me feel good at the end of the day.

Anyways, on to what we all are here for really....

BABIES!

The beans are doing great, I think I've tripled in size the past few weeks. Had an OB and U/S last week and the reports all came back great:) I would share photos but the U/S tech I had that day didn't try very hard to get good pics..that's alright tho, we already know they are adorable.

I'm feeling good, I make sure I put my feet up for a least an hour a day and if I can sneak in a nap I do so. The older kids start back to school in 2wks so my days will be a bit easier once that schedule goes into effect.

26wks now and in my heart I know we will see 36wks, so I've got a lot to do just making sure these beans are growing safe. I can't believe this is moving so fast and I really have missed the guys being here. The contact between us is great with photos/text/emails but would love nothing more than to have them at each appointment.

Planning on doing some professional belly photos soon, but till then here is a cheesy cell phone in the mirror photo;)

Who's babies ..

He's not the easiest to understand but how cute is my 3 year old :)