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 :)

The visit

Where do I begin!?! I'll start off by saying the week with the guys was everything that I thought it would be, perfect:)

I'll just run down the week to make it easier for you to understand how much we packed into a short amount of time!

The guys arrived at the house on Monday morning before our U/S with some extra time to come in and meet the kiddos, hubby was out of town for work till Tuesday evening. But they came in to meet the kids and gave them some gifts (yummy chocolate and a Norwegian family movie).. The kids were a bit shy but I think they loved the attention.

The 3 of us headed off to the first U/S we had scheduled with the OB office. At the visit the babies looked great and the guys were told they were having a girl and a boy! During the 45min appointment we came to realize the baby girl isn't shy for attention as she kinda stole the show with lots of photo ops and as for the boy he was a little more laid back not willing to show off his personality yet.. We all left with smiles, knowing the babies looked perfect and the guys can now get busy doing the shopping they have been waiting for. Next up was the hospital visit, we made a quick stop and all the nurses we encountered were awesome! We had a tour of the rooms and nursery. I didn't deliver at this hospital for my own children but now kinda wish I did! Very updated and somewhat like a mini hotel:)

Tuesday morning we had the OB visit, pumped to get updates about the U/S and also for the guys to have any questions or concerns answered. The doctor was great having the 3 of us in a tiny room and more than willing to sit and chat. We talked a lot about the birth plan and how to avoid having them miss the birth. The babies are growing right along what they should be and I shouldn't need to go back in for 3 weeks. I will start more appointments and ultrasounds closer to 30wks. She seemed very happy with how everything was going. So again just another great update for the baby beans.

After that I was excited to go shopping with the guys for a bit and see them pick out some baby items they wanted to check off the list..LOVE looking at all the fun baby clothes and everything else the stores have to offer. And loved watching them talk about colors, sizes etc. Nothing better than shopping for your unborn babies:)

So day 3 was the FUN day! Hubby was home and so the guys, hubby, me and our 2 oldest kids packed up for the day and went to Valley Fair (MN's version of 6 flags) Talk about a hot day here in MN but we made the best of it! The crew went on some of the biggest roller coasters as I and one of the dads sat back and took photos in the shade. About halfway through we all busted out in our swimwear and hit up the waterpark.. Yes, I was allowed to do the lazy river and it felt amazing at that point. We had to cut the day a little short due to a planned BBQ at my parents house later that evening. But I think we all left feeling like it was a great day.



The BBQ was up next and it was a great way to end the night. My parents had us all over to sit out on the deck and eat some good food, it was probably my favorite part of the week (besides the U/S) just watching these two worlds of mine come together finally. My family has been a huge roll in this and for them to meet the guys was a perfect way to share it with them.

Thursday (last day)
Again the guys, hubby and myself headed off to the 3D/4D U/S, I didn't know what to expect with this one, we didn't do this type of U/S with our own children. It was AWESOME! The babies looked great! Of course, again baby girl stole the show...She was all over the screen looking cute:) Baby boy showed us he for sure was a boy .... and closer to the end he did give us some sneak peaks of his face. But overall the guys got some great photos and we all really enjoyed the time. After that we took the guys to their first Baseball game (hubbies idea) Being a huge baseball family we thought it would be fun to go to a night game at the new Twins Stadium. It turned out to be a perfect night for the four of us and a perfect way to end the week. ..





wow...that was a lot, but I really wanted to write it all down so a year from now I can look back at that week. Surrogacy starts off with the idea of 2 couples willing to work together for something so big and then turns into so much more than you could ever imagine. I'm truly lucky to have met these two amazing guys and lucky to carry their two amazing babies...

WHOO WHOO!! 20 WEEKS!!

That's right, I said it! 20 weeks today!

So much to be happy about:) First of all lets chat about the baby beans....obviously the most important in this. They are growing like crazy and moving like lil dancers, it was about 18wks when I could really start to feel them move and each day they make their presence known. Even though I haven't had a U/S or heard their heartbeats for awhile I know they are doing just fine.

The beans weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. They are around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)
They are swallowing more these days, which is good practice for their digestive systems.

In one week the daddies will be here! They are coming for a week to visit and I couldn't be more excited~ We have a full weeks worth of plans set. The most exciting part would be the U/S that we have scheduled for that Monday, we will finally know what these lil beans are...And then the fun will begin for the guys..SHOPPING! And we just happen to have one of the biggest shopping malls in our state...Mall of America baby....I can't wait to see all the fun goodies they will be able to get. This part, me not needed to shop for baby gear is funny. I catch myself in the baby department at every store I go..not gunna lie, its fun to window shop and not feel that overwhelming need to get everything..Now I just get to have fun shopping for maternity clothes.

I'm happy the guys will be able to see my growth in person, meet the doctor, tour the hospital and spend time with my family. Having them apart of all of this is extremely awesome, I'm a lucky girl and these babies have amazing dads.

As for my family, we are doing well. My 3 oldest have been in TX for the past 3wks with grandma and grandpa and will be coming home this week. I've been enjoying the time with my little guy but so ready to have our family back to norm.

So you can expect the next update to be filled with pictures and exciting news! Till then here is the new picture....

18 Weeks

Hey Everyone! I've been debating on posting or not. I really don't have much to share right now..
We had a great family vacation and now back to the everyday. Feeling fine and loving the warm weather that finally hit MN.
I guess I'm just not much in the mood to share right now, but I will post a couple of photos from today. And hopefully feel up to a better post soon:)

Baby Beans are 18wks3d today-

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound. (better not!)

Family Vacation

Not much to report here..Feeling great, looking good and enjoying the pregnancy:) I'm starting to feel the babies, just lil baby butterfly movements-which I love:)
We are heading out to San Antonio tomorrow for a family vacation to visit my in-laws. Looking forward to some hot weather and yummy foods for a week! Had to buy my first maternity swimsuit today, always fun shopping for that:/ But I'm ready to chill out in the pool.
The guys are busy shopping and preparing for the babies, I love hearing about that..Seems so long ago that Jason and I were in the same boat of what to buy, what works best etc... All I can say is you will buy more than you will ever really need (but that's the fun part of being new parents)

***Baby Beans Update****

Your baby's nails are well formed, and some babies are even in need of having their nails trimmed at birth. The ears have also moved from the neck to the head.

Your baby is emptying his or her bladder every 40-45 minutes. The limb movements are becoming more coordinated. Your baby is about 3 ounces (85 grams) and 6.3 inches (16 cms).
____________________________________________________________

So I'm getting peed on twice every 40-45minutes....hmmm;)



16 weeks

I finally look pregnant!

So we've hit the 15th week into this pregnancy, amazing how fast this all seems to go. I'm feeling great, less sleepy and feeling more like myself again. I'm officially wearing maternity clothes, feels good to just let it all go! Holding onto that last pair of jeans and trying to zip them up was pretty much a joke.

Feels like just a week ago I was poking my butt with needles and now I'm just a regular pregnant chick..I had a OB appointment last Friday and was able to hear both babies heartbeats and everything else is just going smoothly.

So I know this is kind of a boring post, but sometimes boring is good, right? We are planning the trip for the daddies to come visit next month and I'm so stoked to be able to spend time with them and of course find out what we are growing! At first I was thinking Boy/Girl but the last couple weeks I've had a few dreams and now I'm thinking Boy/Boy. Exciting!


**Baby beans update**

At week 15, your baby-to-be stretches her limbs and bends at her elbows. She's getting big enough that you can feel many of these movements.

This week your baby is roughly the size of a small apple or orange. Her bones are continuing to grow and lengthen. While she looks more like a baby, her skin is still thin and translucent with her veins visible.



14wk belly pic:)