“Eye” Opening Developments

July 19, 2010 at 8:35 PM (Our Journey, Surrogate Education)
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Thanks to Cousin Carrie who “got” the impressiveness of Maya’s photo shoot, probably my sister-in-law too.  If Dooce ever does a contest I am on top of it, I’m certain the prize would be an Apple iPad and I would be thrilled about it, unlike Tosh. He he he (seen that episode)? 

Enzo’s Blog:

So, Enzo is 27 weeks gestation this week.  Babycenter.com says that this week Enzo weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended.  Funny, because at the ultrasound during week 24 the ultrasound tech said from his experiences he thought Enzo weighed two pounds then.  I think he is full of bologna and I think Lucy even said that a two pound weight would be impressive since when Little Ricky arrived four weeks later, at 28 weeks, he weighed in right at two pounds. 

Sidebar: Just FYI, according to The Guide to a Healthy Birth, estimating the size of a baby especially at the end of a pregnancy is an incredibly imprecise science.   Studies have shown that ultrasounds, a medical provider’s estimate, and even the mother’s own estimates are about equivalent in guessing the size of a baby in a healthy mother. It further goes on to state that a baby’s size is never a valid reason to induce a woman’s labor and that any medical provider who suggests it is not practicing according to the standards of their own profession.   

Enzo is supposed to be sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers (or the placenta in Enzo’s case). Brain tissue is developing and Enzo’s brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. I’m supposed to chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements I may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on.  I had to laugh while reading that because it was only a few nights ago that I woke up around 4:30 am to go the bathroom and when I lay back down I felt Enzo have the hiccups for the first time. Lucy is on a work week and I knew she would be awake so I texted her about this new development because it is always exciting to have something new to report to Baby Mama.

At this point in Lucy’s pregnancy with Little Ricky (which is to the day exactly the same as this pregnancy remember because we both had embryo transfers on Jan. 27th) she had already been battling preeclampsia for a week and popping high blood pressure medicine like candy.  I am so thankful that God is allowing Enzo to develop right on schedule and without these complications.  Having a surrogate can be tough for intended parents, especially moms, they give up a lot letting other people carry their babies through gestation and while I can’t fully understand that since I have not been in that position, I know that Lucy is relieved to be living through last week and the next few weeks with a lot less stress this time around. A big thanks to God for giving her this gift because even with surrogates who have awesome track records, anything is possible.

My Time:

In 2001 I had my eyebrows waxed (just days prior to my wedding I might add) and in part of my eyebrow I developed a stork bite, also called nevus simplex that happens from a stretching (dilation) of certain blood vessels.  In the stork bite state it was only noticeable when I wasn’t wearing make-up and even then most people never even noticed it and I went through two pregnancies without it being affected.  This past May, for the first time since the 2001 episode, I let someone else wax my eyebrows and of course since I didn’t give super precise instructions to not alter my shape the gal waxed over the stork bite retraumatizing the small blood vessels. Add in a combination of increased blood volume from being pregnant and all the hormones on the loose my little stork bite changed into a hemangioma with active cell dividing activity. In short, it was no longer flat and hidden with make-up it was a shiny, growing, “red hot” looking zit in my eyebrow that The Husband swears was getting bigger by the day.  He totally enjoyed having something to pick on me for. Well, today all my girls and I went to the dermatologist to have it removed.  After a numbing injection, a slice, and some cauterizing I was patched up and ready to go.  My kids were grossed out and scared by the injection in the eye (umm..try like over 40 injections in the hip daily for IVF) and the smell that comes from the cauterizing.  I made sure to let them know how good of a patient I was and that I should be their example for every future doctor or dentist visit.    So, now as I blog to you my left eye is throbbing a bit and I was told I might develop a black eye before a black scab develops and I get my scar of honor. My grandma always did say that women must suffer to be beautiful (usually said when she was rolling my hair into perm rods as a child).

What I was supposed to blog on this time for you was my adventure in birthing class but that would require me to get out my notes and with the throbbing eye and all, that isn’t possible at the moment.  It will have to wait until the next post.  I will let you know that we did up having a fantastic day despite the letdown in not having my own Vodka/Sex class member to blog about like my Cousin Carrie did.  Our class was pretty awesome along with the hip and fun instructor June Connell.  I highly recommend that if you want to take a Natural Childbirth Class and you live near the Tampa area (or at least in the general region) that you go to one of June’s classes.  Her website is pretty cool also and contains a lot of information along with some unique products you can order if wanted.

I’m off to eat dinner which in turn will kick Enzo into his salsa dancing exercises for the night and then off to bed for some of that much needed beauty sleep that maybe will keep the black eye at bay.

Buenas noches!

© Pocketbebe, 2010

3 Comments

Cha..Cha..Cha..Changes

June 30, 2010 at 5:03 PM (Our Journey, Surrogate Education)
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Enzo’s Blog:

First things first, there has been some confusion on Bebe’s name.  Yes, Enzo is the real name of this growing baby boy and the only one on this blog that IS real.  Why not just use our real names?  The internet can be a crazy place people, point blank….

Enzo is 24 weeks gestation and will be 25 on Friday.  We had a prenatal appointment on Monday and everything is still looking great.  At the birthing center I weighed in at 151.6 pounds.  I started the pregnancy at 135.  I ended my last pregnancy 4 years ago at 155 pounds and I will obviously pass my highest weight ever with this pregnancy.  I am thinking (and hoping) that I will end in the lower 160’s.  My belly measured exactly 24 which is spot on at 24 weeks.  It is in the last 4 weeks or so of pregnancy that the measurement won’t match the week of gestation.  Enzo’s heartbeat sounded good and he even punched or kicked the Doppler during our listen.  Lucy and the midwife talked about Lucy’s progress with preparing to breastfeed Enzo when he is born which is truly fascinating to me.  One minute the midwife is giving advice and tips to Lucy for obtaining the best milk production possible and then the next minute she is giving me tips on how I can end my milk production as fast as possible.  I know it sounds silly but I am truly excited about drinking a glass of celebration wine the day he is actually born!  It is fantastic to me that I can deliver a baby and NOT have to take care of it OR feed it.  I also don’t have to experience the brutal after contractions when the baby nurses!  That was always the worst feeling for me, the sensation of a baby sucking my uterus straight up and out of my breast, sometimes making me throw up in the process.  If you haven’t had more than one kid, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about as it gets worse and worse with each pregnancy and that is when you feel this not so awesome phenomenon; worse than experiencing the “ring of fire” in my opinion.

After our prenatal appointment we went for an elective 3D ultrasound.  Oh my goodness, Enzo looks totally different! He is a little chunky monkey now compared to before.

 

                

16 Weeks

24 Weeks

Enzo loves his placenta and stuck to it like a snuggly blanket.  At one point he was literally rubbing his face and nose on it like he was in total admiration.  He did not want to leave his companion to come out for many good shots but here are a few more.  Sometimes it is hard to tell Enzo from the placenta but I’ll try to give you hints.

Enzo’s face is on the far right as you look at the picture, you see his chest extend down from his face, with his thigh and knee directly below the mass of the placenta .  You can see the embilical cord run up the length of his thigh from his belly and how it is attached to the placenta and how the cord is wrapping itself around the placenta.

Enzo’s face was visable right before this picture was taken.  He quickly drew his arm up and covered his eye with his hand.  He is pressing his face into the placenta.

Enzo’s brain is growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing “branches” of the respiratory “tree” as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.  This week marked the “age of viability” which means that should something happen prematurely and Enzo vacated my belly, he would have a fighting chance at survival.

My Time:

So, what is on the horizon?  Well, as of Friday, only 15 more weeks will remain to a full term pregnancy.  We will have the next prenatal appointment at the end of July in four weeks.  After that I will start to be seen biweekly, then weekly.  I will do the sugar glucose testing after the next appointment to test for gestational diabetes.  I will attend the “how to deliver a baby at a birthing center” class with The Husband.  Lucy will have her baby shower in August.  Professional pregnancy photos will be taken in September and baby Enzo will be born in the middle of October, October 10th if Lucy gets her wish.

Here is my newest, most favorite t-shirt from Lucy.  Don’t you just love it!

During the ultrasound as mentioned above we got some very good looks at the placenta and the tech made the comment that the area where the placenta was attached would be good to buffer any back labor pain should that happen during labor.  Back labor generally happens when a baby is in the posterior position during labor.  Posterior babies are head down like they are supposed to be but they are looking at the abdomen with the back of their heads facing the mother’s back and tailbone, thus generally causing extreme back pain.  Most times babies who are posterior facing will turn before the delivery and if they don’t they arrive “sunny-side up” looking directly at the sky.  Sunny-side up babies occur more often than not in a mother’s first delivery. 

Such was the case with my first daughter.  How unfair is it that the first time you experience the pain of labor you’re more likely to get dealt the blow of back labor on top of it?  Pretty sucky.  Needless to say, at that time I had no intentions of not having an epidural and had I not, I’m not sure if I’d have had any more children or even wanted to be a surrogate.  For everything there is a reason…

Still to this day, I can remember the pain of back labor.  The pain felt during labor is a referred pain, meaning the originating site is the uterus but the actual pain is felt in the abdomen, back, and/or upper thighs.  I remember the labor and delivery nurses wanting me to walk the halls and me wanting to rip their heads off at the suggestion because every time I had a contraction with my sunny-side up baby it felt like she was trying to be delivered through the path of my right thigh and out through my foot.  So each contraction it felt like my belly was being squeezed in a vice, my back was breaking, and fire was shooting down my leg.

My next two labors produced babies that were facing in the normal direction (face down) and thank God because for birth number two, I had the nurse who thought she knew all there was to know about everything and even though I wanted an epidural I was forced to go natural after she didn’t notify the on call anesthesiologist in enough time (that is also a small town hospital for you). Birth number three I hardly made it to the much bigger and better hospital and knew in the parking lot that it was too late for pain medication because I was already in transition. Because of those two labors I got over the fear of the pain and the more educated I became on the labor process the more bearable the pain became.

So to wrap up this very long story, it was pleasing to me to hear that my placenta would provide a good buffer if Enzo decides to go most of the labor facing up because it is a little scary to think of going through back labor in a birthing center setting without the option of drugs.  Either way, I will cope and deal as I have much more faith in myself now than I did back then but every little bit helps.

I end this blog post today on a Twi-high as I just saw Eclipse this morning and thought it was the best one yet.  I loved how they presented deviation from the books in this one but not much if you had read The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner prior to seeing Eclipse.  I read that Twilight fans will now have to wait until November 2011 to see the first of the two installments of Breaking Dawn to hit the big screen.  That is way too long friends, way too long. 

© Pocketbebe, 2010

2 Comments

Belly Enticement

June 16, 2010 at 1:49 PM (Our Journey, Surrogate Education)
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Enzo’s Blog:

Enzo is currently 22 weeks gestation and will be 23 weeks on Friday.  He should be measuring around 11 inches long and weigh almost 1 pound.  He should look like a miniature newborn in appearance with his lips, eyelids, and eyebrows becoming more distinct. His eyes have formed, but his irises lack pigment still and his tooth buds are forming. Lanugo hair that covers his body is developing and the deep wrinkles on his skin will start to lessen as he puts on fat to fill them in.  His pancreas, which is essential for the production of some important hormones, is developing steadily inside his little baby tummy.  If we were able to gain a peak at Enzo this week he’d look something like this.

 Enzo is mostly active in the early morning and seems to do quite a bit of rolling, punching, and kicking during that time.  I think he sleeps most of the day as I am moving around nonstop.  In the evenings I will feel him here and there, a lot of times while I am eating dinner.  The other night I was sitting on the end of the couch where our dog, Maya, generally likes to sleep so I think in effort to get me to move she was practically sitting on my lap and had her head rested on the side of my belly.  Enzo started his kicking and punching moves right by her head and every now and again she’d raise her head and look at me like, “What the heck is going on?”  I eventually moved because I got hot but it was the first time I noticed that Enzo’s kicks could be felt externally and that if strong enough they were actually visible too.  It will be neat for the Ricardo’s the next time I see them to feel their baby boy moving around.

My Time:

Well, I’ve been back to the real world since returning home from vacation and The Husband is back to work (meaning long stretches of time where I am solely responsible for all or at least two of our children for many, many, many hours on end) and I yet again remember what a “catch 22” summer really is.  It is so nice to be free of the school drive, homework and projects that always seem to loom ahead of us each week, and all the pressures and stress that come with those activities, BUT, that small taste of freedom comes at the cost of losing any and all alone time that during the past school year I managed to pull off for twelve hours a week while the youngest went to preschool.  Summer comes with trying to do work for the business with my kids underfoot, camp drop-offs and camp pick-ups, lots of “I’m thirsty”, “I’m hungry”, “She’s touching me”, “I need a band-aid”, or “She hit (also interchangeable with bit) me’s”, that send me over the edge.  I am an introvert (a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being continuously around other people) and my lovely amazing children that I love beyond words can suck that energy out of me faster than the Florida heat ever could.  I do get out with the ladies on Wednesday evenings and my mom helps by taking one or all of the kids so I can grocery shop or do bank runs alone but what I really miss during summer is the quiet time that I like to spend alone in my own head.  I know the introverts at heart out there are nodding their heads as they read this, it is how we recharge.  So, while I am enjoying the summer, at the same time I am also coping with the adjustment of a different schedule and falling behind in work in the process.

To go back to the new developments with Enzo’s gymnastics, I think we should discuss the “lure of the belly” and I don’t mean in the weird Aunt Bernie lifting your shirt up for a quick look-see or when arbitrary strangers sidle up for an unwelcome grope of the baby bulge kind of way.  I want to talk about the, “I can’t help but rub and touch my own belly, CONSTANTLY,” kind of way.  For me, even with my own pregnancies, it wasn’t so much a maternal protection/attachment instinct type of action more than it was other things.  Sometimes there are reasons, I will mention a few of them below in a second, but most of the times I just do it because it is there and I can.  Sort of like those “hair twirlers” out there, the ones who randomly grab a strand of their hair and twirl it for no apparent reason. It is like that, but without the knotted tangled mess when it is all said and done.  ***Real quick, I promise not to digress more than a second here, but speaking of hair…Did you know that your hair gets thicker and more full during pregnancy not because suddenly more hair follicles have developed on your head and you sprouted more hair but because as our body systems adjust their priorities to the growing baby it slows the shedding process down and we don’t lose our hair at its normal current rate?  Kind-of interesting, but still bizarre because NEW hair BEGINS to grow on other body parts during pregnancy and I swear growth accelerates in others.  At any rate, back to the subject at hand, a few reasons why I touch my own growing belly at such a high frequency.

  1. It is hot and maybe, just maybe if I touch it the skies will part and a miracle of God will cool it off.
  2. My skin is stretching and it itches like a __________________ (fill in the blank).
  3. I’m letting you off the hook by letting you know that I am pregnant so you can quit looking at me weird because you wonder if I am just getting fat.
  4. I’m opening an invitation to address your confusion because you think I’m pregnant but you remember when The Husband and I excitedly celebrated his vasectomy a few years back.  You can’t visibly see me sporting a vibrant letter “A” on my chest, so what gives?
  5. I know you know that I am doing a surrogacy and it is ok to talk to me about it.
  6. I just don’t know what else to do with my hands at the moment so why not rest them on this convenient little shelf.
  7. It feels like the baby has fashioned some sort of shiv in there and is trying to make a break for it. I’m just pressing her/him back into place until he/she has served the required time.
  8. Sometimes it hurts as the ligaments stretch and/or as baby practices its karate skills.
  9. At the end of the pregnancy the baby is heavy and feels like it could just fall right out the hatch at any moment.  It feels good to offer some support and it helps eliminate that gawd awful waddle we tend to do.
  10. Also at the end of a pregnancy, I touch my belly for depth perception.  It is hard to tell or remember just how big the thing is.  It is not cool or socially acceptable to ram your belly into someone out in public or burn it on a heated stove as you reach up into the microwave that sits above it.
  11. Pregnancy is an awesome experience and whether I carry a baby of my own or a baby for someone else, the belly reminds me of the magnitude of the miracle that we call LIFE.

© Pocketbebe, 2010

4 Comments

Growin’, Growin’, Growin’ (Sing it to The Black Eyed Peas beat)

April 12, 2010 at 9:50 AM (Our Journey, Surrogate Education)
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That is exactly what Bebe has been doing!  Last week Lucy, Bebe, and I met in Tampa to hear and see just how Bebe was growing.

First stop was our birthing center where we did the initial visit and went over all the medical records, legalities, finances, and all that jazz.  Once all that was done Lucy and I (mostly me) was taught how to check my own urine for protein and sugars and how to record the results and my current weight in my chart; it is called patient participation.  After the full exam and culture we were able to hear Bebe’s heartbeat on the Doppler and it was nice and strong.  I asked at least twice what the heartbeat was but now I can’t remember (and Lucy is sleeping since it is her work week so I can’t verify).   It was a very good visit and kicked our prenatal care off to a good start.

After leaving the birthing center we headed straight to the perinatologist because Lucy wanted an ultrasound done and we were able to do the first trimester screen at the same time.  The screen was a combined ultrasound screen and blood test.  The blood testing measured the levels of plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Combined with the Nuchal Translucency test (ultrasound) that assesses the risk of having a baby with a chromosomal defect by measuring the clear space in Bebe’s neck, the perinatologist is able to identify if there is an increased risk of Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18, or congenital heart defects.  Bebe’s measurements were perfect!  Here is Bebe saying, “Hello Friends!”

Lucy, Ricky, and their family were really hoping they would be able to find out the sex of Bebe since we were having the ultrasound done at the perinatologist but Bebe wouldn’t even give them the chance because he/she was sitting indian style and was bouncing around like crazy.  It was probably still too early to see anything but a clear shot of the general area would have been the icing on the cake.  Last picture:

Our next appointment with the midwife and the perinatologist will be on May 17th and we will be 18 weeks pregnant.  The midwife visit will be a routine visit and the visit to the perinatologist will be for the second trimester screen.  Instead of doing the Multiple Marker Screening or the triple screen (blood test) that is most common in an OB/GYN setting, we will be doing the Stepwise Sequential Screening which will be another ultrasound that when combined with the first trimester screen and the quad marker test it will produce a highly accurate (90-95%) prediction of chromosomal abnormalities.  We will also be able to see if Bebe is a boy or a girl at that visit!!

So, this week we are working in the 13th week of pregnancy and that means we are now in the second trimester!  This weekend I was able to start back on my allergy medicine.  The pollen count is horrible right now and I was really feeling miserable.  Ever since the first dose of Claritin I have not felt queasy!  It feels wonderful to feel so good!

I’ve only tried four times to use the Doppler that Lucy sent because it is hard and it makes me really frustrated.  I’m getting better at it but I once I find Bebe’s heartbeat I can’t keep it long enough to record it.  I can find my own heartbeat clear as day which sits in the 70’s but finding Bebe’s whose rate is in 150’s is illusive.  I tried to do exactly what the midwife did, but I don’t get the same results. Big sigh….

Five long weeks until our next appointment, I’m going to have to start sharing my getting fat pictures with you since I won’t have anything new to show from Bebe unless I can keep the heartbeat long enough to record it.  This has been the first pregnancy that I haven’t really felt good consistently in the beginning and the first pregnancy that I made it to the second trimester without any weight gain.  Things have shifted, that is for sure but now will probably be the time I start growing my second booty butt, the added layer of back fat, third and fourth thighs, and my second chin.  Sweet!!

Growin’, Growin’, Growin’.  Let’s get it started in here!

© Pocketbebe, 2010

5 Comments

Livin’ On A Prayer (Special Easter Edition)

April 4, 2010 at 7:10 PM (Our Journey, Surrogate Education)
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When I was going to school to become a cosmetologist we were told to never discuss the big three, the trifecta of client downfall: religion, politics, and sex.  I’ve never really been down with keeping quiet about tough subjects and eventually ended up working in a salon where all three were discussed openly and sometimes at length, it was awesome and kept things interesting.  Much more interesting than double knee surgeries, BM schedules, and hip replacements the Florida retiree set likes to chat nonstop about. 

While I certainly don’t agree with some people’s version of the truth and they have the right to not agree with mine, I am always fascinated to follow someone else’s train of thought that led them in forming their opinions and conclusions.  If I were the kind of person to put a bumper sticker on my car it would read, “Screw Taboo, Let’s Talk.”

Writing a personal blog is fun because it not only chronicles the events of my life during this surrogacy, I also get to share my opinions, beliefs, and my train of thought.  I get to choose my exact words, words like “crotch” that embarrass my mother and entertain others, as well as paint the picture of what I see and want you to know.  The reader audience then gets to decide if they want to read what I have to say.  Pretty cool system, eh?

So today I’m going to narrate the thought process I went through when I addressed gestational surrogacy in terms of God, my faith, and my church community.  In effort to keep a highly complex yet simple subject area condensed and to the best of my own ability coherent, I’m going to keep it short (ha ha)and directly related to gestational surrogacy while hopefully still contributing the right amount of detail to provide satisfaction.

God:

I believe God is the uncreated creator of the universe.  I believe that God knows everything and anything at all times.  I believe that God gives, sustains, and takes away life.  I believe He is just in those decisions even though it is incredibly hard on us.  I take seriously the responsibility to make decisions that are pleasing to God and that bring Him glory.  I also know that I sin constantly and fall short.  I believe and know that despite falling short that I still belong to God through what Christ did on the cross.  I love God and I fear God.  I ask God (God, Jesus, and the gift of the Holy Spirit) to be with me and guide me in my daily life and the decisions I am responsible to make.  I ask for forgivness and receive it when I repent.  I ask for discernment in the desires of my heart and for him to show me (through the words in the bible, the Godly people who surround me, strangers, events, circumstances, and my own personal relationship with Him) what He wants me to do.  

Faith:

Just because we have certain technology doesn’t mean we should always use it and just because we can’t physically do something ourselves doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek alternatives or ask others for help.  There are a lot of areas in the world of infertility that I don’t find biblical and wouldn’t partake in but there are areas/procedures that I do think are within Godly limits.  The bible tells us that even before we were born He knew that we were meant to be.  I believe that even babies that are conceived and achieved through teen parents, drug addicts, rape victims, adoption, fertility treatments, in vitro, surrogates, and (in another one of my own experiences- hence the falling short I mentioned above) premarital sex with The Husband are still lives that God knew about, sustained, were meant to be, and have Godly purpose.  It may not always be for any reason we understand, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD (Isaiah 55:8).  These babies sometimes arrive surrounded by controversy and many times with consequence to those involved, good or bad sometimes (usually a combination of both) but nonetheless I believe they arrive by a force and a reason greater than us.  I can’t say I know for sure exactly what God thinks about my specific situation with Lucy and Ricky or gestational surrogacy in general anymore than you, my pastor, your pastor, or the Pope thinks they can. It isn’t an area that was mapped out by Him in exact detail for us to know.  I trust and have faith that my decision to be a gestational surrogate along with the decisions that govern my surrogacy agreement are biblically sound.

My Church Community:

Our church community is rather large and I’d say only a small minority even know who I am and what I am doing.  I know that as Bebe grows The Husband and I are going to be doing a lot more explaining on what exactly is going on. 

So far, I have been very blessed.  Anyone who has spoken to me directly has seemed to be sincere and respectful about what I am doing, although I don’t really know what is going on behind my back, lol.  At any rate, the feeling I get from most women in my church community is a mutual understanding of what it feels like to be a mom, what it felt like wanting to be a mom, and sometimes what form it takes to become a mom.  They have all seemed understanding of the desire of a parent to want that genetic link to their child even if that means that someone else has to do the carrying for them.  I am honored and thrilled to be in the presence of their friendship and the support for what I am doing is beyond words.  Having said that, it doesn’t mean ALL of them have come to the same conclusions I have.  Despite that, they still pray for me, laugh with me, cry with me, and love me.   

 Now, most people in our church community have wondered or asked what does the church think?

In the beginning I spoke to the current and past women’s ministry leaders about my desires and plans on becoming a surrogate.  Later I spoke to our head pastor in which I have always felt I’ve had a special relationship with.  His fatherly advice was that he didn’t desire for me to be a surrogate and it was hard to hear that as his personal opinion means a lot to me, but I also felt like I was being clearly called to be a surrogate.  Sidebar: I want to clarify that while I always felt spiritually driven to this decision, I did question myself (constantly) because I didn’t want to be deceived by my own heart or disobey the Lord.  Our church community is amazing and it means a lot to me and The Husband.  In talking with our head pastor I needed to know from a pastoral perspective if what I wanted to do and the specifics concerning the surrogacy was cause for church reprimand or violated moral code.  I wanted to know how the church would respond if someone marched up to the church office demanding to know if they knew what I was doing and what they thought of it.  I was told that my surrogacy situation was not immoral, that I (and my family) wouldn’t be cast from the church family, and in not these exact words that if anyone marched up to the office they would be told it wasn’t any of their concern.  Obviously, I was happy to have received that response.  Of all the risks I’ve assumed in this entire journey the consistency of the church position is actually the one that scares me the most and the one that continually sends me to my knees. 

I want and desire to live a life that is rooted in the Lord because that is the life that will bring me satisfaction and provide the grace I need.  I thought our pastor summed it up well when speaking to the teens about when they make plans for their lives if their plans don’t include God, Jesus, or the church they might as well run head on into a concrete wall and hope they don’t hurt themselves too much in the process.  I spent too many years of my life running head on into that concrete wall, hurting myself and then trying to figure out how to repair the damage.  Navigating God’s plans for my life usually are never clear cut, never make perfect sense and sometimes they are downright hard but I know that living for Him and the growth I see from the constant conversion of my heart in the process leaves me feeling more fulfilled and gives me more freedom than I could have ever imagined and that is why, in all the areas mentioned above, I really needed to take the notion of doing a surrogacy so seriously.

© Pocketbebe, 2010

7 Comments

LIFE (like the 11 part series on Discovery but 29 weeks longer)

March 23, 2010 at 1:23 PM (Our Journey, Surrogate Education)
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Well hello there, long time no chat!  Things are moving right along and I have a lot of catching up to do for you!

Bebe’s Blog:

Two developmental weeks have gone by since I blogged last.  A week ago Bebe was nine weeks old and looked like this:

and was the size of a grape (the red one, Bebe is not a runt!)

 

At 9 weeks Bebe was about an inch long and started to look more human. Essential body parts were all in place even though they’ll be fine-tuned and fully developed in the coming months. Baby’s heart finished dividing into four chambers during the week and the valves started to form — along with Bebe’s tiny teeth. The embryonic “tail” is completely gone and Bebe’s organs, muscles, and nerves were kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won’t be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks and while the eyes are fully formed, Bebe’s eyelids are fused shut and won’t open until 27 weeks. Bebe has tiny earlobes, and mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones (hence the weaning of the artificial hormones!!). Grow Bebe, grow!

This current week is week 10 and as of right now Bebe looks like this:

Amazing that at only ten weeks Bebe has now completed the most critical portion of his/her development. The pregnancy is ¼ over with ¾ remaining, we have counted down 10 out of 40 weeks.  This is the beginning of the fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in Bebe’s body rapidly grow and mature.

Bebe is swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac).  Bebe has tiny nails forming on his/her fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.  Bebe’s limbs can bend now. The outline of the spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from the spinal cord.  Bebe’s forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his/her body.

My Time:

I’ve started weaning off the medications and so far that has been good, I was worried I might have some cramping and spotting.  Fingers crossed it continues to be uneventful.  Listed below is the weaning schedule from nurse YC in Miami:

3/19/2010: STOP patches. Estradiol tablets 1 pill every night. Progesterone vaginal capsules 1 every morning and 1 every evening. Progesterone in oil ½ cc every night. Continue baby aspirin and prenatal vitamins. 

3/26/2010: STOP estradiol pills. Progesterone vaginal capsules one every evening before bedtime. Progesterone in oil ½ cc every other day.Continue Prenatal Vitamins and Baby Aspirin 

 4/02/2010: STOP baby Aspirin,  STOP progesterone in oil, STOP progesterone vaginal capsules. Continue prenatal vitamins!!!!

Lucy has started her regimen to begin getting her body to be ready to breastfeed Bebe when he/she arrives in October.  Information that she found is located here under breastfeeding protocols. 

Last week I went on a two night three day field trip to Tallahassee to study the state government with my daughter’s fifth grade class.  Some of the highlights included watching the kids do a mock trial in the Supreme Court House, visiting a Florida history museum, IMAX film on ocean life, both the old and new Florida State Capitol buildings, and the never to be forgotten school bus breakdown in Georgia after visiting a plantation.  Good times, good times.

 I managed not to gag or throw up in front of anyone and that was in part to a little something called Sea Bands that I wore nonstop.  I didn’t ride the school bus very often but when I did, even the Sea Bands couldn’t keep the queasy away nor did they help any during the IMAX film BUT they did allow me to get myself out of bed in the morning at the booty crack of dawn.  Since I’ve gotten home, the pit of disaster (laundry, toys, and/or dog), has swallowed one of the precious Sea Bands whole and now I only have one,  which renders it useless.  Here is a picture of the Lone Ranger that didn’t help keep the allergy drip down this morning.  I guess it is back to CVS and another ten spot to keep me moving along.

This is the first pregnancy that I have felt this queasy this constantly and there is much deliberation going on in my mind because of it, is it the fertility medication? Is it because I might be carrying a boy this time instead of having a fourth girl pregnancy?  Is it because I have gotten more sensitive to pollen and environmental allergies over the past years?  Age?  What it is, is the million dollar question!  Ideas anyone?

© Pocketbebe, 2010

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Bebe Bits & Disclaimers

March 5, 2010 at 8:00 PM (Our Journey, Surrogate Education)
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What a week blog world, what a week.  On top of spending the first ten minutes of every morning gagging from the mingling of allergy related postnasal drip and the existence of Bebe, the week was devoted to finally getting all the business and personal information to the accountant so we can get our taxes done.  In years past this day usually involved at least a few full glasses of wine but this year I sit in blissful silence (The Husband took the two little girls on a special outing and the oldest is in her room reading) and feel happy to be writing you. 

So, I’ve been contemplating on how to continue writing this blog as I seem to have a split readership.  Besides my family and friends, Lucy and Ricky have their family and friends and then there are fellow surrogates and intended parents who read also.  The fact that anyone bothers to read this other than Lucy blows me away and I thank you, thank you, thank you all for that.  However, it does make me cringe a little when I write about ALL the medical aspects and happenings to my “Lady Town” when I know my dad or some unsuspecting family member of Lucy’s from Germany is reading the blog and may be getting more than they bargained for.  Believe me, I never suspected when starting this blog that I’d have so much crotch talk going on, but I want to continue it because I can only wish I’d come across a blog that told me there was such a thing as progesterone capsules AND that they were 100% better than progesterone suppositories.  I find it to be my calling and my duty to not back track now. Fellow surrogates, I do it for you (I’m giving you the secret surrogate salute and holding high a glass full of sparkling white grape juice).  I know, I’m a lot like that middle daughter of mine, I can’t help myself.

I’ve decided to always give you Bebe’s update first and then below that will be my section of ramblings.  Here is your disclaimer now:  In an effort to present the most complete version of this journey I may at times focus a lot of talk on my private parts.  This talk may not be suitable for certain readers and especially those who may not enjoy graphic detailing of all that may, can, and will occur during fertility treatments, pregnancy, and childbirth.  While I believe I am hilariously witty and find this all fascinating I know that a certain percentage of my reader population may not.  In an effort to spare you unpleasant thoughts that may linger further into the future than you may appreciate or anticipate, you will from now on find this warning “CROTCH WATCH” posted prior to any information you may find potentially disturbing and/or life altering.  Anything you read after said warning is read at your own risk.

Bebe’s Blog

Last week Bebe was 7 weeks old.

And the size of a blueberry.

Bebe’s hands and feet started to develop along with little eyelid folds.  Both sides of Bebe’s brain is growing and the liver is making red blood cells until bone marrow forms and takes over doing that job.  The appendix and pancreas is formed and a loop in the growing intestines is turning into the umbilical cord which now has blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from Bebe’s body.

As of today, March 5th, Bebe is 8 weeks old and looks kinda like this:

Bebe has webbed fingers and toes and the eyelids almost cover both eyes.  Breathing tubes are being developed down the throat and into the lungs and primitive neural pathways are being formed in the brain.  Bebe is the size of a kidney bean and is constantly moving and shifting.

We will get to see an ultrasound picture of Bebe again on Monday and by then Bebe will be 8 weeks 3 days old.

Keep growing little one!

My Time:

Health wise I am feeling really good.  Other than feeling tired and the gagging that started this week I don’t have a lot to complain about. Yet…  I’m going to email Miami soon to find out what a tentative weaning schedule for the meds looks like because I am so done and over the Progesterone injections.  I want to start counting down.  As of today I know I will need to be on them for at least two more weeks, but I need a finish line to focus on.  I’ve decided when I am finished I am going to take all three of my sharps containers to the dump (which is a designated sharps location) and take a picture of the dump employee holding the containers for my scrapbook.  It’s the simple things in life that make me smile.

CROTCH WATCH:  The boobs are starting to take on a life of their own and while they look nice and full they are similar to an exhibit at a museum, there to taunt captivated viewers but off limits to touch.  As of the first ultrasound the ban on intercourse has been lifted and for those partners of surrogates-to-be, that totaled 28 days of a sex free life.  Gasp, gulp.  There was no physician enforced abstaining prior to the transfer since my husband had previously been man enough to brave the outpatient clinic for a little rubber band and scalpel time.  According to my current (semi legalistic) bible study book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free, we are terrible sinners for that decision, even hell worthy in some religions but we aren’t sweating it too much cause we “gotta have faith, faith, faith,” or at least repent and accept “grace, grace, grace,” if Nancy Leigh DeMoss indeed speaks the absolute truth in her book.  She also claims that “natural family planning is the mother of abortion,” chew on that Catholic believers. Whoo-doggies.  I’m tired, hungry, and getting a little silly (who quotes George Michael or Nancy DeMoss these days?), time to exit the blog and go watch Tosh.O.

  

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Bebe Portraits

February 25, 2010 at 4:11 PM (Our Journey, Surrogate Education)
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Tuesday was exciting because it was the very first ultrasound to see Bebe!  Lucy and Ricky flew to Tampa and our appointment was at 1:15.  It has been confirmed that there is only one bebe growing and its heart was beating at a beautiful 121 beats a minute.  Below is the video and I’ve tried to guide you to the general area by the way of the box.

 Bebe was six weeks and four days old during the ultrasound and this is a more accurate representation of what bebe actually looks like.

 The next ultrasound is scheduled for March 8th and once we reach ten weeks I will begin to wean off the medications and will be released from the fertility clinics. 

Last week I was able to make the switch from progesterone vaginal suppositories to progesterone vaginal capsules.  The suppositories are super nasty yuk and the minute you insert them they melt.  Once they melt you spend the rest of the day (until you get to insert your second dose and start all over again) with a snotty progesterone drip that in my case decided to chemically eat away at my sensitive skin down in Lady Town.  The capsules couldn’t arrive quickly enough and thankfully Lucy had gotten Freedom to make it so I didn’t have to sign for them.  Needless to say, anything would have been better than the vaginal suppositories.  I will even go as far to say I’d rather do a double dose of the progesterone injection before utilizing the suppositories ever again, but the capsules are my new best friend and we compliment each other well.  Once they melt they tend to stay put minus a few granules of powder here and there- so, in my humble opinion if you have the choice, you want capsules verses the suppositories; don’t suffer needlessly, your very own Lady Town will thank you.

Until next time when I come up with more handy dandy information to share with you about my private parts, I bid ye farewell.

© Pocketbebe, 2010

9 Comments

Dollars & Sense

February 18, 2010 at 8:22 PM (Surrogate Education)
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Oh, Snap.  I’m really going there.

PART I: Surrogate’s Perspective

I think it is part of our nature to be curious about things, figure out how things work.  Some things can be easy to understand, the black and white of our lives while the more complicated gray areas require us to take pause and sometimes gather knowledge prior to declaring our stance on an issue.  I remember some of the times when I’ve failed to gather information, ponder, and understand the issue at hand prior to running my mouth; I often made judgmental, insensitive remarks and essentially made an ass of myself.  Unfortunately, surrogacy isn’t only about carrying a baby for someone else; it also encompasses addressing the critics.  So, why I feel this post teeters on the line of being tacky, I write it to those who are generally curious to understand the difference between what is called a altruistic surrogacy and a reimbursed/compensated surrogacy, not to those who stand with puffed up chests spouting off hurtful comments that surrogates are baby sellers and only carry babies for monetary gain. 

First, let me explain that surrogacy tends to have a few confusing use of words that are commonly used and that while surrogacy is a gift, it is also a job.  It is considered a job in that a surrogate is required and expected to do certain things that they themselves agree to, but not in the way that you receive a W2 or a 1099-MISC at the end the calendar year.  Surrogates, surrogate agencies, and lawyers actually do themselves a disservice sometimes by adding to culture’s misunderstandings of surrogacy by using the word “compensation” for what is really termed “reimbursement.”  The legal contracts of most surrogates will contain something along similar lines:

                “It is the intention of the parties herein that any reimbursements made to the surrogate is not considered payment of fees or compensation.  The parties understand that all monies paid to the surrogate hereunder is in the form of reimbursements for her expenses, time, inconvenience and pain and suffering; and , also as support for the yet unborn child and delivery of same and the surrogate’s expenses related to the same.  Surrogate is not an employee of the IP and because she is not being paid fees or compensation she does not qualify as an independent contractor requiring a 1099 tax form and reporting.”

Truly, there really is no such thing as an altruistic surrogacy so for the most part when someone speaks of doing an altruistic surrogacy they mean the intended parents (IP’s) are only paying for costs associated with medical care and legal work.  A “reimbursed” surrogacy is where the surrogate is reimbursed for medical expenses, legal expenses, other expenses, time, inconvenience, and pain & suffering.  Every surrogacy contract is as unique as a snowflake and differs in many ways, all depending on the IP’s and the surrogate’s beliefs and boundaries.  Most commonly there are two sections that cover the reimbursements in a contract; the first one is Special Procedure/Events.  This category represents (with individual dollar amounts) what a surrogate will be “reimbursed” should certain procedures need to occur.  Some examples of things that may appear in this area would be: amniocentesis, selective reduction, miscarriage, abortion, multiple pregnancies, cesarean birth, maternity clothing, life insurance policy costs, lost wages, and loss of reproductive organs.  The second category, Living Expenses, means those expenses incurred by the surrogate during the term of the agreement that are necessary to provide for or assist in meeting her regular living expenses.  This financial number is the larger number that partially covers the surrogate’s existence from the time of a positive pregnancy test to the delivery.  It also covers the time (physicians visits, pharmacy visits, driving time – I am a three hour round trip to our fertility clinic and delivery destination), inconvenience ( vaginal progesterone suppositories), pain & suffering (delivery –vaginal or c-section, injections, side effects of fertility medication, swollen feet, heartburn, sitting on the toilet for over 30 minutes when constipation hits, etc.), and expenses like paying for childcare to attend appointments.

I imagine the “Living Expenses” category and the number associated with it is where people outside of the surrogate community decide to pass their judgment.  Let me clarify that unless you are a surrogate for Sarah Jessica Parker or some other financially wealthy intended parent who decides to gift you gobs of money outside your legal contract for carrying their baby, you are not going to walk away from doing a surrogacy having received in cash more than what you gave emotionally and physically to the entire process.  Anyone watch when the Little Couple from TLC went to the surrogacy center in California and the cost it was going to be to them to use that agency?  Outrageous!  The agency is the one benefiting financially from that arrangement.  Another misconception is that surrogates receive a big lump sum of money like when someone hits the jackpot in the state lottery, it simply isn’t so.  A good lawyer working for the IP’s will make sure that reimbursements are dispersed in increments as the pregnancy progresses and as the surrogate upholds her responsibilities.

There is usually a range that can be requested by surrogates depending on whether they are experienced or not.  The range is also different between traditional surrogates and gestational surrogates.  A first time gestational surrogate can usually have a base “Living Expense” reimbursement up to $25,000 to $30,000, though it is usually much lower around 15,000 to 22,000.  An experienced surrogate can ask for more should she desire as she has shown success with fertility treatments and her body’s abilities.   

I am doing a reimbursed surrogacy and the question I’ve gotten is, “Do I feel it is morally wrong to ask for reimbursement?” The answer now and from the beginning is no.  A surrogacy is something I wanted to do to help someone have a child but is also something I am not able to do without help.  I don’t have the extra resources necessary for the wear and tear to my vehicle to drive to Tampa for appointments (sometimes weekly), the fuel for vehicle, childcare for my kids for appointments, the trips to Miami. My time is valuable to my family and while I balance it as well as I can between work for our own business, my children and their activities, and volunteering my time, taking on the magnitude of responsibility required to do a surrogacy isn’t something I can justify doing without reimbursement.   

Would we ever dare ask an athlete who has been blessed with certain physical abilities to play a potentially dangerous sport without receiving something to benefit his time spent in preparation for his sport or time away from his family?  While a teacher doesn’t teach because they receive a large salary, do we ask them to endure all they have to endure in a day because they are supposed to love children and if you love children shouldn’t you want to help them without reimbursement?  The preacher works right in the house of God, for God, do we make him feel like he should care for all the needs of the congregation as a volunteer?

At any rate, I can only speak for my motivations as a surrogate and why my contract looks the way it does.  I hope this post has helped demystify some of the things that transpire in the surrogate community along with satisfying the curiosity that tends to manifest within all of us.  I’ll never forget the day so many years ago when Kate Gosselin showed her midsection (pre tummy tuck), much to my curious satisfaction, on their show; I was so happy Kate had the cojones to “go there” and address what it was that everyone really wanted to know anyway.

PART II: Intended Mother’s Perspective

Jaymee Giddings is an intended mother who kindly is letting me republish an entire post from her blog titled, Our Surrogacy Adventure.  I began following Jaymee as I started on my own adventure in fall of 2008.  The surrogate, Bump Fairy, that wrote Jaymee asking the question below has since then ended up on her second surrogacy journey as Jaymee’s surrogate!   Thanks ladies for sharing and many blessings on your journey. 

Bump Fairy wrote:

Jaymee, you speak so highly of surrogates. How do you feel about the compensation aspect? I’d love it if you could post your thoughts, as an IM, on that issue. Being called a “back alley baby seller” never feels good, and from my seat it feels like people suck all of the good out of the journey just because of that one detail, as if it is not a good thing unless it is “free”. But the people speaking those words have never been in your shoes, I wonder how it is viewed from your side?

Wow, are you sure you would not just like to know the meaning of life?

It would be wonderful to live in a world where everything was free, time ran as fast or as slow as we needed, and every problem could be solved with a hug and a kiss. Unfortunately, we live in a world where everything, including the air at the gas station, costs money. We as a society have agreed that the paper with dead white guys on it is how we are going to trade goods and services, and yet somehow we have made it something dirty when it comes to particular goods and services. I guess I could give my surrogate a $25,000 piece of jewelry, like a friend of mine received from her husband after the birth of their first child. That would then really feel like buying a baby and what a more degrading way than with something bright and shiny like you use to distract small children.

For me the compensation came down to taking an honest look at what money was being paid out and what that money was for. Reality is that being pregnant costs money, you eat more, you need new clothes, you need more help with you own children, you have to travel to doctors’ offices and worse you have to sit in doctors’ offices. Then there is the physical toll that pregnancy takes on the body, weight gain, swelling, being uncomfortable, heartburn, hemorrhoids, morning sickness, not seeing your feet, loss of sleep, limited mobility, and a thousand other things. Of course, there is the big pink elephant on roller skates in the middle of the room, the baby/ies have to get out, and that is something that is not pretty, I saw the film in health class and that is some serious pain and suffering. Of course, this would be assuming that she was getting pregnant the “old fashioned way”, which is not how this works. So add to all that the injections (done by her significant other or herself), hormone overloads, and all the other lovely things that come along with regular infertility treatments. Now tell me that you would be willing do that for free for a stranger.

In making, my decisions throughout this process I have tried to put myself in the shoes of our future surrogate. This is hard to do at times, because I have never been pregnant and cannot fully appreciate what pregnancy is like. I consider myself to be a very generous person, I give to charity, donate my time, and think nothing of going out of my way to help others, but short of doing this for my sister (and even then there would have to be some really nice Christmas presents) I would never put myself through all that for nothing. Sure, the knowing that I helped fulfill someone’s life dream would be an amazing feeling, but realistically I do not think that many people are that altruistic.

This is Joe-bob and mine’s child who is lucky enough to have another woman willing to get them through the gestation period. This is going to sound like I am insane but bear with me for a moment. As a teenager, I was clinically depressed and my parents, who loved me more than anything, sent me to a boarding school where people could help me in a way that my parents were unable to at the time. Those people were paid to care for me when my parents were unable to, and nobody would expect it to have been any other way. I am unable to care for our child through gestation so we are sending it to someone who can. I do not see any difference in me going to boarding school and using a surrogate. Maybe I am stretching it here but I really see these things as analogous.

What our surrogate will give to us is something that no amount of money could ever repay. How much is the appropriate amount for a dream? So realistically, the compensation that she is getting is simply for her pain and suffering, and I believe that she deserves every penny.  At least this way I do not feel the need to follow her around for the rest of her life laying rose petals at her feet or erect a temple in her honor.

In reality, she is not just giving us the chance to be parents. Going through this process is giving us the chance to heal from years of disappointment, intense pain, and so many moments of agony. Infertility takes away so much of your dignity, self-respect, confidence, trust and faith in humanity; it makes you bitter and makes the world a horrible place to live.

Before we started this process, I did a lot of work on myself. Bringing all the pain and hurt of infertility into a surrogacy takes away from the beauty of the process. If you are going to be jealous of your surrogate and think that you are less of a woman, because another woman is carrying your child then you and your surrogate are in for a very long journey. From what I have seen of others’ experiences it is these feelings that lead to misery for everyone involved. This is not a process for the weak; you have to know who you are and where your limits are to get through this, which goes for both parties. People are going to question what you are doing and say some of the most horrible things you have ever heard straight to your face. That is why being in this for just the money will never work; there is not enough money in the world to make anyone go through what surrogacy asks of you. It is a beautiful and amazing way to begin a family. It is also difficult and emotionally draining.

Bump Fairy, I hope this answered your question. Thank you for all the love and support you have given me through this process, you truly are an amazing woman.

© Pocketbebe, 2010

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Growing Beta

February 11, 2010 at 5:04 PM (Our Journey, Surrogate Education)
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The beta number for Wednesday, 2/10, was 468.  That is good news!  Tomorrow will be our last beta and also the day I will become five weeks pregnant.  Many people have been asking about the chance of twins; so far, our beta numbers have been consistent with a singleton pregnancy.  We will find out for sure at the ultrasound on Feb. 23rd.

This past week, week four, Baby Center told us that the pocket bebe is the size of a poppy seed.  The primitive placenta is made of two layers right now and the amniotic sac (which houses the baby), the amniotic fluid, and the yolk sac (which produces the baby’s red blood cells) are present.  Picture representation below:

When I was down in Miami on bed rest Lucy sent me some research that she had found on what exactly happens after a five day transfer.  This is what we found out.

This is what happens in a 5dt:   (the link also provides info. for a 3 day transfer)

-1dpt ..embryo is growing and developing
0dpt… Embryo is now a blastocyst
1dpt….Blastocyst hatches out of shell on this day
2dpt.. Blastocyst attaches to a site on the uterine lining
3dpt.. Implantation begins,as the blastocyst begins to bury in the lining
4dpt.. Implantation process continues and morula buries deeper in the lining
5dpt.. Morula is completely implanted in the lining and has placenta cells & fetal cells
6dpt…Placenta cells begin to secrete HCG in the blood
7dpt…More HCG is produced as fetus develops
8dpt…More HCG is produced as fetus develops
9dpt…HCG levels are now high enough to be immediately detected on HPT

I can’t find the site now, but something we read about 2dpt was about how the blastocyst and the uterine lining send signals back and forth prior to the blast attaching.  We decided this communication looked similar to the blinking arrows on the tops of our BlackBerry phones; you know BB owners, the two thick, little, yellow arrows going in opposite directions of each other in the top right corner of the phone. 

More information can also be found at: www.advancedfertility.com

In our research we also came across a site titled Sensitivity Comparison of Pregnancy Tests, and that was informative.  We used e.p.t., First Response, and Target brand once we were already pulling good positives.

That friends, is all I have to report today.  The Husband and I are hosting a couples Valentine’s Day cocktail party and dinner tomorrow evening.  Most of the food is being brought in and we rented the community center so we don’t even have to put forth any effort to clean the house or hide the dog.  I have about five dresses lined up that are calling for me to try them on.  I’ve got a 1950’s bright red number straight from my friend SL’s magic closet that I am dying to try out, along with the most precious matching red shoes.  PRECIOUS I tell you.  It better fit as this may be the last few weeks (fourth pregnancy and all) that I can zip myself up into cocktail dress and manage to pull it off.

Oh, and oh my goodness, I found out that Captain Phil from TLC’s Deadliest Catch died from a massive heart attack this week!  Deadliest Catch is one of our favorite TV shows; my husband and I get hooked “on the crab” each and every season.  Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie is and will always be my favorite.  I am truly sad blog world…

© Pocketbebe, 2010

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