Friday, July 4, 2014

What happens now?

Well, here's what's been going on.  I was supposed to have an appointment yesterday (July 3rd) with a potential new doctor.  However, on July 2nd, they called me, stating they needed my records from my current OB/GYN BEFORE my appointment, even though they had originally told me that I could just bring them to the appointment.  Then, they claimed I was 33 weeks, even though I wasn't even 31 weeks yet.  I'm not sure what date they were using, but it wasn't the transfer date I gave them.  When I reminded them of the transfer date, they then called my insurance company and supposedly were told that my insurance wouldn't cover anything since they don't cover anything with infertility.  They never gave me the chance to explain that I was a surrogate.  However, the insurance company knows I'm a surrogate.  So, after all this run-around, they cancelled the appointment on me.

Well, then I had to reschedule my appointment with my original OB that was scheduled for next week.  So, I went in yesterday.  The doctor asked me what was going on and I explained to him about the other doctor.  He then said, "Well, then what are you going to do?"  To which I had to reply, "I have no choice.  I'm stuck."  Don't get me wrong.  I really like my doctor.  If he did VBACs, we would not have a problem.  But, he doesn't.  And I absolutely do NOT want another c-section unless it's an emergency.  Unfortunately, at this point, I have nowhere else to go.  I did tell him that I want to go into labor naturally.  I want baby to decide when he's going to show up.  He didn't say yes, but he didn't say no.  He kinda side-stepped the issue a little.  I think it will be something we will continue to discuss as things proceed.

Honestly, at this point, I'm still terrified of having another c-section.  Every bone in my body says I can VBAC, but I feel like I'm being pressured to have a RCS by everyone else.  I just don't know what I'm going to do.  I feel like no one is taking what I want and feel into account.  It's very difficult right now.  I've also had to cut back on the amount of hours I can work in a day.  The doctor gave me a note saying that I can work no more than 7 hours.  I get nerve pain in my stomach if I'm on my feet for so long.  Even sitting down for 15-30 minutes doesn't do any good.

On a brighter note, I did a 5k this morning to celebrate the 4th of July.  Our group won the team challenge and was able to donate $500 to the military charity of our choice.  It was a lot of fun and I'm glad I did it.  My next 5k is in August, when I do the virtual 5k that MRTT is putting on.  It's going to be awesome!  I'll keep everyone updated as things go along.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

30 weeks!

  Hey, all!  I've reached 30 weeks!  I only have about 10 weeks or so to go.  :D  I'm so ready to pop this kid out.  Lol.  I've been having some ligament pain and c-section scar pain, especially when I work for 8 hours or more on my feet.  I have my next doctor's appointment on July 3rd with the potential new doctor.  I'm really hoping she'll tell me that she'll take me on as a new patient and will allow me to try for a VBAC.   If not, I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do.  I mean, I like my doctor, but there is no way that I want to go through a RCS if it isn't absolutely medically necessary.  Unfortunately, this is causing me a lot of stress, which I know isn't good.  Trying to relax about it has been difficult.

Luckily, I have some exciting events coming up soon.  I have a 5k on July 4th with my Moms Run This Town group.  It's the Watermelon 5k put on by Track Shack and it's gonna be lots of fun!  I did it last year and had such a great time.  Matt's birthday is in just a couple of weeks and that means my best friend Kelly will be here!  I'm super excited to see her.  Matt has no idea she's coming down for his birthday and I can't wait to surprise him.  After that, I have the Moms Run This Town Virtual 5k in August.  Baby is due by mid-September, taking all of the different due dates I have into account.  Lol.  I'm telling you, I expect someone to bring me a drink after I deliver this kid.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Keepin you all updated

Hey, folks.  So, it's been about a month since I updated.  So, this is where things stand.  I'm still in the process of finding a new doctor for a VBAC.  I have an appointment on July 3rd with a potential new doctor.  She seems to be concerned with the time between the c-section and potential VBAC.  It'll be about 19 months between the two and the ideal time frame is 18-24 months.  I'm hoping after we talk about it, she'll take me on as a patient and allow me to try for a VBAC.  The parents are a little antsy, as am I, considering that I'll be about 28 weeks pregnant tomorrow.  Only a few more months to go and Baby Boy R will be here!

I walked a local 5k this past Saturday and while my time was horrible, I'm glad I got out there and did it.  I was almost last, but not quite, so I'll take it.  Lol.  My next 5k is on July 4th and I'm super excited for it!  It's a really big one for my mom running group.  Last year, we won the group competition and got $500 donated to a military charity in our name.  It was AWESOME!  After that, I'll have a 5k in the beginning of August with the moms and it's going to be so much fun!  It's for our summer virtual run.  The medals look pretty freakin sweet, as they do for every virtual we run.  :-)

In a month, my best friend, who is also Matt's godmother, will be here and we'll spend Matt's birthday together.  I've got his party all planned out.  We're having it at an indoor, glow-in-the-dark mini golfing place.  I can't wait!  He's going to have so much fun.  I can't believe he's going to be 5 and starting kindergarten in the fall!  He just graduated preschool last week.  Here are some pictures of him.  We went mini golfing afterwards to celebrate.  He's obsessed with the game.

After he graduated

Concentrating on the ball

Telling us where the ball is going to go


That's about it for now.  I'll keep you folks updated as things happen.  Wish me luck as I go through the heat of the summer for these last few months!

Friday, May 16, 2014

Update

Well, folks, I'm 6 months along!  A little less than 4 months to go!  I'm so excited to be at this point, but I realize I also have the entire hot summer to look forward to.  Lol.  It'll be interesting, that's for sure.  I'll be finding lots of fun ways to keep cool.  My favorite way will probably be to stay in air conditioning.

Here's what's been going on.  My son and I went up to Ohio last week for vacation.  We stayed up there for a week and visited friends and family.  We definitely had fun, but it'll be a couple years before we go back up, probably.  There is a fun event at Cedar Point called "Coasting for Kids" that I would love to take part in, though.  It raises money for Give Kids The World, which is like Make a Wish, but is based in Central Florida.  Working for Disney, Universal, and Sea World means that I've encountered families who use their services quite a bit and it's always made an impact on me.

On May 3rd, I volunteered at the Expedition Everest 5k Challenge at Disney World.  It's a night race that's run through Animal Kingdom.  You run a 5k, then you have to solve various clues while running back through the park.  It was a lot of fun.  I got to see a lot of my friends who were running it.  Here's a picture of my friend Rebecca and I.  It was her first 5k and she had a blast!

I volunteered doing Runner Direction, so I made sure no one came into my corral that wasn't supposed to.  

Now for the more serious stuff.  From the beginning, I've wanted to have a vaginal birth after cesarean section (VBAC) with this baby.  The parents knew that and were okay with it, as long as it was a feasible option.  I was never given any indication that it wasn't.  Right before vacation, I found out that my doctor told the mom that it was medically necessary for me to have a repeat c-section (RCS).  Because of this, they now want me to have a RCS.  Unfortunately, I was unable to speak with him before we left for vacation.  However, I did have an appointment yesterday with him.  The good news?  Baby has a great heartbeat and is growing normally.  The not so good news?  My doctor doesn't do VBACs because there is a minute chance (0.5%-1%) of a uterine rupture.  I was crushed.

I told the parents that I'm going to get my medical records regarding the c-section and get a second, and possibly third, opinion.  If I talk to the doctors and they tell me that, for some reason pertaining to me specifically, I'm not a good candidate for VBAC, then I'll stay with my doctor and get the RCS.  The parents aren't happy that I'm going to be talking to other doctors because they feel like me switching doctors at this point means my new doctor won't know me or my medical history well enough.  They also don't want anything to happen to the baby (neither do I, obviously) and believe, after having informed discussions with other medical professionals, that a RCS is the best option for me.

I've been doing my research on the pros and cons of VBAC vs. RCS and have passed that information on to the parents.  At this point, it's just a waiting game to talk to other doctors.  I already have one in mind.  He was my friend's doctor for her pregnancy and she highly recommends him.  He delivers at the hospital I'll deliver at, so I don't have to worry about switching hospitals.  She says he's straight-forward and honest, which is what I'll need.  Once I've spoken to the doctors, the parents and I will discuss what has been found out.  Ultimately, it's my decision, though of course they want me to take their feelings into account, which I'm trying to.  It's not an easy decision to make, by any means.  Just keep your fingers crossed that we get all of this figured out quickly.  I'm really hoping that, if the doctors tell me I'm a good candidate for VBAC, I can ease the parents' minds about it.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Our fun-filled Monday

This past Monday, April 21st, we had our big ultrasound and photo shoot.  The parents came down on Saturday, spent the weekend with family (we had lunch with them on Sunday), then left Tuesday morning.  So, let me tell you all about our Monday.

Monday morning, at 8:30 a.m., we had the ultrasound.  I scheduled it at the place I had my previous ultrasounds because I really like the technician I've always had there.  She's super sweet and she did the ultrasounds of the twins, too, until I had to start going to the hospital for them because I was having twins.  This pregnancy, she's put a lock on all the previous images so when I get closer to the end of the pregnancy, if I have another ultrasound, she'll put all of them onto a CD for the parents.  :-)  Anywho, we got there right on time and waited to be called back.  She came and got us, excited when she realized the parents were with me.  I had a really full bladder and apparently, it was TOO full, because after she checked my cervix on the screen, she had me go to the bathroom.  I just have to say, thank GOD.  I was much more comfortable the rest of the ultrasound.

We got down to it and she started measuring the baby's various parts.  We got hands, fingers, legs, toes, feet, etc.  And, the baby made sure we knew he was a boy.  That's right.  This kid spread his legs wide open and let it allll hang out.  We all started laughing and the tech caught a picture for the parents.  It turns out, he's measuring right on time, except for his femur, which is measuring about 2 weeks AHEAD of my due date.  He may be a tall kiddo.  I'm cool with that and so are his parents.  They're excited he's right on schedule.

Well, hello, baby!

 The parents and I parted for the rest of the day until we had the photo shoot at 4:30.  Unfortunately, we got stuck in traffic, so we didn't get to the location until about 4:50.  We had it done at Wekiwa Springs State Park here in Central Florida.  We had a fantastic time.  The photographer is a friend of mine and always does an amazing job, but this time, she went above and beyond.  We've all gotten so many compliments on the pictures.  If you'd like to check them out, go here: A Surrogacy Story.  Here are a couple sneak peeks of the pictures.

The light of my life

The photographer made the signs.  She was amazing.  :-D

The mom and I


Oh, and I found out today I've lost 3.2 pounds in the last week.  Apparently, overhauling my eating and getting out there to run/walk more has just turned my system completely around.  I'm going to call my doctor, just to make sure it's okay and see if there's a point where I should be concerned about any weight loss.  I'm optimistic, though.  Oh, and on a completely random note, 2 MORE WEEKS TIL OHIO!!!!!!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Yahoo!!!!

Today was my monthly check-up at my doctor's office.  Baby is doing very well, with a regular heartbeat and a very active little body.  It took the doctor a couple minutes to find him.  Of course, I knew he was active, since he likes to kick me at midnight every night.  Hopefully he'll kick on Sunday or Monday during the day so the parents can see it or feel it.  The ultrasound is on Monday morning.  It's the first time they'll get to see their kiddo live.  :-D 

I had some really good news at the appointment.  As you may remember, in January, I ran a half marathon.  Well, I walked a lot more than I ran.  However, it caused some issues and I was told then that I was unable to run at all during the rest of my pregnancy.  I would only be allowed to walk 2-3 miles a day.  While it hurt, I understood why.  Last month, my doctor increased it to 4-5 miles, still walking.  Today, I hesitantly broached the subject of being allowed to do intervals again, running 30 seconds, walking for a minute to a minute and a half.  You know what the doc said?  YES!  I'm so thrilled.  Listening to my body will be crucial, obviously, as well as walking more than I'm running.  I'm just so glad I can run again at all.  It will help in my training once I have the little munchkin.

On another note, yesterday was the 1-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing.  My friend Kirsten and I went out there and did 4 miles to honor the victims and survivors.  It felt amazing to get out and go, especially since she was nice enough to turn around and come back to me whenever she finished her running intervals.  We ran for those who could no longer run.  We ran for those who are no longer with us.  We ran because we will never forget.



We are #BostonStrong
One day, I would love to run in the Boston Marathon.  I won't be fast enough to qualify until I'm like 80, but I may join a charity one year. As a runner, it would be an honor to run in one of the most elite marathons in the country.  As a human being, I'm fairly certain it would be just an incredible experience to witness the support given by the community and the country.

That's all for now.  If I'm able to, I'll post about the ultrasound on Monday and maybe there will be some pictures in there, too.  :-D


Sunday, April 13, 2014

Are you serious?!

You know how a lot of pregnant women get cravings?  And some of those cravings are for really strange things?  I don't get the strange things cravings, but I do get cravings.  With my son, it was Taco Bell.  With the twins, it was chicken and mashed potatoes.  With this kid?  It's SUGAR.  That's right.  I constantly want sweet food.  It's annoying, really, because if I'm not careful, I could end up getting gestational diabetes.

Oh, and every woman gains weight while pregnant, even if only a few pounds.  That's pretty normal.  With my son, I gained 40.  With the twins, 15-20.  With this kid?  30, and we're not even halfway through the pregnancy.  Honestly, I stepped on the scale the other day, saw that number, and almost cried.  I know it's my fault, because I haven't made the best food choices and I haven't been exercising as much as I did before I got pregnant.  Honestly, I'm always tired.  The baby is still sapping all of my energy from me.  But, that has all changed.  Yesterday, we did our big grocery shopping and at least 90% of it was healthy food.  I'm cutting sweets out and tracking my calories.

A great tool I love for tracking my calories is MyFitnessPal.  I used it when I was trying to lose weight and it really helped to see what I was getting from each food in terms of daily amounts of fiber and protein, etc.  Now, I use it to make sure I'm getting the correct amount of nutrients.  Unfortunately, there's no option to say "I'm pregnant", but I know how many calories I SHOULD be consuming, so I just add that number to the number they've already given me.  I started tracking today and you know what I found out?  I don't even eat all the calories they give me, much less any extra.  I'm going to have to start eating more, as long as it's healthy.  Fruits and veggies are delicious and will become more of a staple in my diet than they already are.

I've also decided to go back to my exercise routine that I followed while trying to lose weight.  I won't be focusing on increasing my speed or anything since I can't run, but walking for 30 or so minutes 3 times a week and then a 5-mile walk on the weekends will do me a world of good.  My biggest problem will be maintaining all of this while I'm up in Ohio for Mother's Day.  However, I'm confident my friends will help.  :-)  A lot of this is a mental thing and I just have to keep at it.  I didn't quit when trying to lose weight and I'm not going to quit now.  This is too important, especially for the parents.  Their baby deserves the best care I can give him and gosh darn it, I'm going to do the best I can for him.  If you have any recipes that can be made up to a week in advance (for meal planning), please pass them along!  I would really appreciate it!

Monday, March 31, 2014

Such a rad time! (My Color Me Rad race recap)

This past Sunday, the 30th, I participated in the Color Me Rad 5k in Orlando.  Last year, I did it with my best friend Kelly and her friend Jesamy, who also became my friend after that.  :-)  We had so much fun and I looked forward to doing it this year.  Sadly, I wasn't able to do it with either Kelly or Jesamy, but I did get to run with my friends Kirsten and Ty and their daughter, Addie.

We started in the 8:20 wave.  There were waves every 20 minutes from 8-9 a.m.  I didn't realize how close I lived to the location of the race until I got directions on my phone on the way there, which resulted in me getting there about 45 minutes early.  About 20 minutes or so later, my friends showed up.  We all made our way to the start line.  When we started, we were nice and white.  That didn't last long.  We started getting colored before we even started the run.  They had bought color bombs (packets of the colored cornstarch) and Addie was ready to start using them!


Before the start of the race, I was so nice and clean! 

I'm already getting colored before we even start!

They started our wave and as we crossed the start line, they were blowing color at people.  I think it was blue.  Suffice it to say, no one stayed white for too long.  Lol.  We started making it a game of tag with Addie.  It's one way to get a kid through a 5k that's fun for everyone!  Well, at least until the adults are out of energy less than a mile into the run.  Lol.  The first station we came up on was purple.  We ran through it and we all got a decent amount.

Thanks to the torrential downpours on Saturday, the course, which was very grassy, had turned pretty muddy.  Everyone's shoes got wet because there really wasn't anywhere dry to go.  I think my poor shoes are still drying out.  Soon after that, we hit the second color station, blue.  This one was colored water.  The temperatures were below 60 degrees when we started.  Everyone was a little chilly after that station.  We kept going and the kiddo decided she wanted to use a couple color bombs.  After opening one, she got me, her parents, and then some random strangers in front of us.  That's what I love about these races.  You can come up behind someone, throw powder on them, and they just laugh and say thanks.

My friend during the race.  Lovin those glasses!  They were part of the swag.

She was sooooo freakin excited!


We hit yellow third and then wound our way around to orange.  This year, they added half a mile onto the course because last year, it was only about 2.6 miles instead of 3.1  It also meant they had to add another color station.  Trust me, we weren't complaining.  We got to orange and the last lady with the powder DOUSED Addie in it.  It was pretty funny to see her afterwards.  We kept going to the finish line.  Right before, though, was the last color station, which was pink.  I, sadly, did not get any pink on me.  They kept missing me when they were tossing the powder on us.  Luckily, Ty had grabbed a handful to throw on Addie, but decided to throw it on me instead.  Lol.  Right after that, we finished the race, then went off to the side and opened the rest of the packets and got each other some more.  One of the photographers came up on us as Kirsten was throwing orange on me and got some pictures of that and then of the kiddo pouring powder all over herself, especially her braids.  I look forward to seeing those pictures.  :-)

Overall, it was a great race.  I definitely want to do it again next year.  At 17 weeks pregnant, I felt better this year than I did last year at 2 months postpartum.  I'm pretty sure I looked better, too.  Lol.  The next race coming up is the Darcy Foundation 5k in a little less than 2 weeks.  Matt and I will be running that race together.  It should be lots of fun!

So colorful!

One happy family!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Woohoo!!!!

So, today I had my monthly doctor's appointment.  I will be 16 weeks pregnant tomorrow.  The baby's heartbeat was good and normal.  I've gained 7 pounds over the last month and I am not happy about that.  I need some serious help with keeping my weight steady.  I did ask the doctor about this annoying cough and he said that right now, I obviously have no immune system, so I just need to be more careful about getting sick.

There was some really exciting news, at least for me.  He said I can increase my mileage to 4-5 miles!  I told him I did 4 on Saturday (not actually meaning to), but had no pain or bleeding, and he said that it was fine if I did more, as long as I don't do too much.  10k, here I come!  Lol.  I'm going to see if I can talk him into letting me do at least one at my next appointment in another month, depending on how I feel.  The parents are also okay with me doing more, as long as the doctor's okay with it and I listen to both his instructions and how my body does.

I scheduled the ultrasound for next month, as well, so we can see how baby boy is doing.  We're all moved into our new home, though we're still unpacking a few boxes.  I do need to find a nice bookshelf to put mine and Matt's books on.  Between the two of us, we have a lot.  Lol.  Next week is Matt's spring break.  I don't have my work schedule yet, but I'm hoping to find a couple cool things for us to do, depending on when I have off.

My plans to go to Ohio for Mother's Day are slowly solidifying.  Because moving cost so much, I'll have to wait to buy the tickets next month, but I'm excited!  Matt and I will be up there for about 5 days and will stay with one of my best friends.  It'll be my last trip out of state before baby's born.  That's pretty much it for now.  I'll let you all know how things go as the pregnancy continues.  Hopefully, the pregnancy insomnia will go away soon, cause I'd really like to get a good night's sleep.

Monday, March 10, 2014

The biggest drawback

I've gotta say, the biggest drawback to being pregnant is that I have absolutely NO immune system.  I always get sicker quicker when I'm pregnant.  For example, I've had this nasty cough for a little over 2 weeks now.  There haven't been any other symptoms, just the cough.  I ended up calling my doc on Friday night, who recommended heading to the ER in case I had the flu.  I go to the hospital and you know what they tell me?  My lungs are completely clear, but they're going to give me antibiotics.  I didn't think that made much sense, especially since I've been coughing stuff up every day, but he's the doctor, so I'm going to listen.  I started taking the antibiotics and the cough isn't as frequent, but it's just as hard.

Oh, we've got big news (kinda).  We're moving to a new home on Thursday.  The place we live now is raising the rent to $855/month (from $708), which makes no sense because there's another complex around the corner from us that is owned by the same company and charges $130 less for a 2/2.  We currently live in a 2/1.  The new place we're moving to is a 2/2 and charges about what we pay now.  It's also in a better location, being closer to Matt's preschool and Universal (where the hubby works). Hopefully, it all goes well.  The parents texted me today to remind me not to lift heavy things during the move.  :-)

My next OB appointment is on the 19th.  Matt and I have a 2-miler this weekend and then I'm meeting up with some mamas on the 18th to celebrate some big accomplishments.  I've got races planned through next month, though they're all 5ks.  I'm particularly excited for the Pig Run of Lake Nona in April.  You get to eat a donut halfway through the run!  Matt and I will each eat 1 donut (you can eat up to a dozen).  Hopefully, in May, I'll get to go to Ohio for a visit.  I'm hoping the rest of the pregnancy will fly by with all the plans I've got!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

A Tale of Two Cookie Cupcakes


It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.   Ok, not quite.  It's definitely NOT the worst of times.  It's pretty much just the best of times.  We've got a healthy baby growing and we'll be moving soon, so hopefully that's going to get all settled rather quickly.  I've already signed Matt and I up for our next race, which will be a 2-miler in a couple weeks.

So, last week, I told everyone that we already know what gender the baby is and that I would reveal it soon.  A lot of people have been asking me, so I decided that today, I would reveal the gender.

Are you ready?

Two cookie cupcakes





Is it a girl...









Or a boy?








IT'S A........

BOY!!!!!!

Monday, February 24, 2014

The Cinderella Royal Family 5k and Kids Races

Well, this past weekend was Princess Half Marathon Weekend.  It was full of activities including an expo and 3 races!  I was originally supposed to take part in the Glass Slipper Challenge, which was the 10k on Saturday and the 1/2 on Sunday.  Well, after Celebration, that plan got nixed.  So, I decided that I would do the 5k on Friday.  At least I got to do one race.  Of course, I walked the entire thing.  I also decided that Matt would do the 5k with me.  It was his very first one and I was so proud of him when we crossed that finish line.  He walked the entire thing with me.  We had to stop a couple times to let him rest and take some water, but we finished in about an hour and a half.  For a pregnant woman and a 4-year-old, I think that's pretty darn impressive!

We started in Corral D, so we started around 6:45 or so.  We ran a tiny bit as we crossed the start line, but quickly slowed down to a walk.  Matt started to get upset because "those other people are faster than me."  He stopped moving and started pouting.  I crouched down and explained to him that as long as he crossed that finish line, he would win.  There was a lady that was nice enough to help me out in convincing him and we started moving again.  He had a few more moments like that during the course, but we managed to move past them.  We only stopped for one character photo with Princess Ada from Bugs Life.  He didn't want to see any of the other characters.   We hit the first mile marker shortly after that and we figured out together that we had 2 more miles to do.  Hey, why not turn a 3-mile run into a math lesson?

In Epcot walking around the World

We met Princess Ada!


We did well the rest of the walk.  About 10 feet from the finish line (I'm not exaggerating), he had a total mental breakdown.  He started bawling, wouldn't move, etc.  I still have absolutely no idea what happened.  The only thing I can think of is that it was super loud (we were near the announcers and speakers) and he just got overwhelmed.  I spent a couple minutes just hugging him and calming him down.  I persuaded him to cross the finish line with me (he insisted on walking across it, instead of running) so we could go eat breakfast at the race retreat courtesy of a friend of mine that had extra tickets.

His very first 5k medal!



After we ate breakfast, it was time to do his 200m dash at the Kids Races.  While we were eating breakfast, he kept saying he didn't want to run it, but I knew he'd be upset later if he didn't.  So, I convinced him to go ahead and run it with me.  We had to wait until all the Mickey Milers and 100m dash racers were done.  It felt like forever.  There were 4 or 5 100m dash waves and they were set off like 5 minutes or so apart.  When you have a bunch of 4-6 year-olds who are still waiting to go racing and are very impatient, things get a little tense.  Finally, it was our turn to head over to the start line.  We managed to get into the first wave of runners since at that point, I really just wanted to go home and I think he might have, too.  He wanted to run the entire 200m, though, so once they shouted "GO!" we went for it.  He did GREAT and was super happy to get his 2nd medal of the day.  Not even gonna lie, I was jealous that he got twice the bling.

His official picture with his Kids Race medal

Twice the bling!

Overall, we had a really fun day.  We left Epcot around 10am and he passed out before we even made it onto I4 to get home.  He's already said he wants to do another 5k, so I'll have to find a really fun one for him.  It looks like his next kids race will be during Expedition Everest weekend in May.  The kids races then are a mixture of an obstacle course, a scavenger hunt, and a run.  I know he'll have a blast.  I can't wait for all the fun he and I will have running together!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

My first OB appointment

So, today was my first OB appointment since I got pregnant.  The doctor told me he was happy when he found out I was pregnant again.  He knew I was going to do surrogacy again and he's glad he can be along for the second journey, just like he was for the first.  He's also glad it's just one this time.  Lol.

Everything looks good.  He said I'm definitely pregnant, just in case I didn't already know.  ;-)  He didn't make any comment about the weight gain (17 pounds since I got pregnant).  I know I need to stop the weight gain, but I don't know how.  It's frustrating for me.  I know it's not healthy.  I'm looking into starting meal planning and preparing my meals for the week, hoping that will help.

The parents had some cool news for me today.  When the clinic did all their tests on the embryo, they found out what the sex was.  I remember them telling us at the transfer that they weren't going to say what it was at that time.  Well, apparently, because I'll be 12 weeks on Thursday, they told the parents what they're having.  I won't reveal it here just yet.  I want to do a big surprise, probably in a week or two.

Alternating between super nauseous and wanting to eat EVERYTHING continues.  I know it's contributing to the rapid weight gain.  The ginger candies the parents sent me help a lot and they're sending more.  The doctor did say I could walk and swim, thankfully.  I'll be doing the Royal 5k this weekend and I'm trying to see if Matt can do it with me.  It would be his first 5k and I know he'd have a blast.  I'm also volunteering on Thursday morning at the expo.  I plan on buying one thing at the expo, but I have no idea what.  Lol.  Any suggestions?

Saturday, February 8, 2014

No more butt shots!

So, at the last ultrasound and blood work, everything came back great.  Soooooo, I have blood work to be done Monday morning for the LAST TIME!  I finished the last of the medications on Friday, including the butt shots.  Yay!!!!  I realize I may sound a wee bit too excited about that, but seriously, if you'd had to give yourself a shot in the butt EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING. for like 2 months straight, you'd be pretty thrilled, too.  The worst part of the shots?  Whenever I tried to run or even walk quickly, my butt would be sore.  It would take like 15-20 minutes to get it to feel normal again.  So frustrating.  

Anywho, everything's looking good.  I know I've gained way too much weight way too quickly.  I need to curb the cravings and my impulse to give into them.  I'm hoping I can get some help on that from my doctor.  I have to make an appointment with him in the next couple weeks.  I'm going to continue walking unless he tells me I can't even do that (I may cry for days if he does).  Tomorrow, I have my MRTT Winter Virtual 5k Walk with my local MRTT group.  Some mamas did today and some are doing tomorrow.  I volunteered today and it was a BLAST!  I love cheering my fellow mamas on and putting their medals around their necks.  

The parents are super sweet and called me the other day to see how I was doing.  Oh, and update on Disney.  The area manager called me and said that as of right now, they have to keep me on a leave of absence through the end of September because there is apparently no position in food services that will not require me to be around chemicals.  I'm not sure if a cashier would need to be around chemicals, but they're getting Labor Relations involved and hopefully they can find something for me.  They apparently don't just transfer people because of their restrictions.  I have to wait til I've been with the company 6 months, though I'm not sure if they'll transfer me if I'm on a leave of absence.  I'm praying they find something for me or I'll have to find another job to substitute Disney until I have the baby.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Moments like this...

Hey, all!  So, I know I promised a recap of the Celebration Half, but I've hit the "always tired" stage of the pregnancy.  I don't want to do much of anything.  However, I'm hoping I can get the recap up today or tomorrow.

So, yesterday,  I had another scan and some blood work again.  The ultrasound went great.  Everything looks wonderful.  The baby is measuring right on time and the heartbeat was awesome.  Oh, and I even got a video of the little munchkin moving for the parents!  I sent it to the mom and she was so happy, she cried.  Of course, when she told me that, my hormones kicked in and I cried a little.  I'm just so glad I can do this for her and her husband.  I can give them part of their family.  :D

A lot has happened the last couple days.  I'm officially registered for the Cinderella Royal 5k at Princess Weekend at the end of the month.  Since I have to back out of the Glass Slipper Challenge, at least I'll still get to participate in the weekend.  I've also decided I'm going to buy something at the expo.  Maybe a shirt, maybe a Bondi Band, who knows?  Yesterday, I bought my first maternity clothes (some shirts for work) since Old Navy is having an awesome maternity sale!  Old Navy has my favorite clothes, so I definitely took advantage of that.  I also got Matt a few new pairs of shorts since he's growing out of what he has.  Who knew kids grew so fast?  Lol.

On Saturday and Sunday, I'll be participating in the Moms Run This Town winter virtual race.  My local chapter has organized a run for those of us who want to do it with a group of people.  Saturday, I'll be volunteering at the finish line, cheering other mamas on and giving them their medals.  I can't wait!!!!  On Sunday, I'll be walking the 5k.  Woot woot!  I'll be making some special treats for afterwards.  Thursday night, before it all happens, I'll head over with Matt to the chapter leader's home to help put together the swag bags for the run.  Did I mention my chapter leader was Olivia?  Yup.  I know this really awesome mama because of Moms Run This Town.  That's how I met Kirsten, too.  :-)  They welcomed me with open arms into the group and my life was forever changed.  I couldn't be happier.

Today, I got a message from another mama who said that she's in awe that I'm a surrogate.  Since she met me, she's been doing a ton of research on surrogacy.  I love knowing that I've helped someone else discover what surrogacy is really all about.  Educating people is a wonderful part of being a surrogate.  People assume it's all about money and it's not.  For me, it's about helping a family that has already been through so much.  I love knowing that I can help make dreams come true. Of course, working at Disney allows me to do that, too. ;-)

Oh, an update on Disney.  Health Services is STILL waiting to hear back from my management team about whether or not they'll work with my restrictions.  Meanwhile, I've been put on the schedule for next week.  Health services has no idea why and has told me to NOT go in until they call me to tell me I'm good to go.  I've put in a request for a transfer because apparently, Health Services can't do that.  I'd like to go back to work soon, so keep your fingers crossed it gets figured out soon.

Monday, January 27, 2014

The scariest evening of my life...

*Warning: This post may be a bit TMI for some people.  Continue at your own discretion.*

Yesterday, January 26th, I ran the Inaugural Town of Celebration Half Marathon.  My friend Kirsten was pacing me and we were aiming for a 2:45 finish.  For about the first 6 1/2 miles, we were doing a pretty good pace.  I think we were averaging around 12:30min/mile, doing intervals of 1:30/1.  Then, I had to slow down.  My legs were tired and I felt like I'd hit the wall.  For the rest of the race, Kirsten and I walked.  Our friend and fellow mama runner Olivia came back after she finished and found us between miles 12 and 13.  We finally finished.  I ran across the finish line and that felt good.  I'll have a post probably tomorrow that recaps the race.

I was so sore yesterday and still am today.  My legs, back, shoulders, arms and EVERYTHING hurts.  Last night, I had to go to Walmart to get some food.  I got home around 8:45 and went to the bathroom.  That's when I noticed the blood.  I was bleeding.  It wasn't gushing, but it looked like I might have been starting my period.  I know that it's common to bleed in the first trimester, but I've never experienced it before.  Suffice it to say, I started freaking out.  I wiped and while the toilet paper wasn't soaked through, the surface was at least covered.  I immediately called the answering service of the clinic in Connecticut since I'm still under their care.  They took my name and number and promised to call me back soon.  I made the decision to go to the hospital because I didn't want to take any risks.  I immediately texted some close friends, including Kirsten and Olivia, and let them know what was going on.  Both ladies said they were on their way to the hospital to be with me.  I also called the mom and left a message on her phone, letting her know what was going on.

I got to the hospital where I will eventually give birth and checked myself in.  It took about 20 minutes for them to even get my vitals.  As they were, the answering service called me back.  Unfortunately, I got very little reception in the hospital and my phone dropped the call.  They got me into a room and I got a text from Olivia saying she had arrived.  Before she did, the nurse came in to talk to me and asked me questions.  She asked me what I had done yesterday and I told her about the half marathon.  She checked me out down there and by that time, I had pretty much stopped bleeding.  That was a relief to me.  She said it was probably the running that had caused it in the first place.  She went out to get the doctor and Olivia came back and joined me in the room.  I immediately felt a lot better knowing I had someone there with me.  It was right around that time that my phone died, so I wasn't able to update anyone.  Olivia was in contact with Kirsten, who actually got lost on the way to the hospital.  While we were waiting, the doctor's med student came in and asked me some questions about the pregnancy and what I had done during the day yesterday.  He then went out to get the doctor.

The doctor came in and was very nice about everything.  He reiterated that it was most likely the running that had caused the bleeding.  They would obviously do an ultrasound just to make sure everything was okay.  They also needed a urine sample from me, but I hadn't had to pee yet.  Luckily, Olivia had brought water bottles with her, so I took one and ended up drinking all of it.  While the doctor was out and we were waiting for the ultrasound to be done, Kirsten arrived.  We had been told that only one visitor was allowed in the room at a time.  So, when Kirsten came back, we knew that she and Olivia were supposed to switch out.  Yeah, that didn't happen.  Trust me, I'm not complaining.  We all had a good time laughing and joking with one another.  They both made me feel more at ease about being in the hospital.  The fact that they would come out and join me without questioning it made me feel so happy.  I know I have other friends that would as well, had they been in the area.  My best friend Kelly would have in a heartbeat if she'd been able to.

Finally, the doctor came in with the med student.  I seriously had to pee at that point, but wondered if they'd be able to do a belly ultrasound if I did, instead of a transvaginal.  I really didn't feel like having anything shoved up there if it didn't need to be.  The nurse told Kirsten and Olivia that one of them had to leave.  Olivia stepped out cause she also needed to use the restroom.  She realized later that would mean missing getting to see the baby.  The doctor told me to go the bathroom and then we would see about the ultrasound.  I went and felt much better after I did.  I came back and we did the belly ultrasound.  The doctor could see everything.  The baby's heartbeat was the same as it was last week when I had my scan.  We even saw the baby move a little bit.  Kirsten got pictures of the baby to show Olivia.  I'll be sending those to the parents as soon as Kirsten sends them to me.  Lol.  They did a check to make sure everything looked good and it did.  I won't go into the gruesome details, but needless to say, Kirsten and I still managed to laugh.  We're not really sure the doctor, student, and nurse shared our sense of humor.

After that, it was just a matter of waiting for the release paperwork.  Olivia snuck back and got to see the pictures.  We continued to joke around.  The doctor told me that I will probably continue spotting for a couple weeks.  I shouldn't run until a week or so after I've finished spotting.  The doctor said, and I quote, "Running isn't necessary to living."  Kirsten and I were just like, "It may not be to YOU, but..."  I don't think he found it as funny.  Once I can start running again, I won't be able to run a half marathon again.  The most I'll be able to do, as of right now, is a 5k, and that will be walking.  Olivia and Kirsten promised to make sure that I follow doctor's orders.  We all left the hospital and went to our cars.  I'm so glad they came out to be with me.  I know I wouldn't've had nearly as much fun if they hadn't.

Today, I'm doing okay.  I worked for a few hours this morning at Macy's.  I've been resting the rest of the day.  I'm so bored, though.  Lol.  Needless to say, moving isn't much of an option since I'm still so sore.  Last night is obviously very much on my mind. I'm doing everything I can to be careful.  The next ultrasound is next Monday, February 3rd.  I'm sure everything will be okay.  I'll be anticipating it, though.


Thursday, January 23, 2014

Keepin the fingers crossed

Today, I had another ultrasound and more bloodwork.  My progesterone levels weren't as good as they should've been last week, so I had bloodwork on Monday to recheck them.  Apparently, they were the same, so they had me increase the dosage of one of the medications and that seemed to work. They were happy with my levels.

The baby continues to look good.  It's measuring right at 8 weeks, which still makes my due date September 4th.  The heartbeat is nice and strong, so baby is thriving.  I'm pretty sure I figured that out from the constant nausea.  I've been on new medication to try and control it, but it doesn't seem to be helping too much, unfortunately.  I don't get sick, I just get nauseous.  I'd prefer getting sick cause then it would get out of my system.  On Sunday, I'm running the Celebration Half Marathon here in Florida with some of the other moms from my running group.  I'm pretty excited, especially since my friend said she would pace me for the race.  She's also promised to gently shove me to the side of the road if I look like I'm about to be sick and she'll hold my hair for me.  Lol.  Now, there's a true running friend.  I've got my outfit all planned out, too.  2/3 of it are here.  I'm just waiting on the vinyl now to put on my shirt.  I'll post pictures of it after it's finished.  :)

My doctor sent a letter to Disney stating that I need to be transferred out of food service because the nausea is so bad.  I also need to stay away from heavy industrial cleaners, as per my contract.  Disney is still processing the letter, but I should know something in the next couple days.  I really hope they can transfer me to merchandise.  I'd much prefer it.

That's pretty much it for now.  I'll write a post soon about the cravings, since I've already had questions on those.  Lol.  Thanks for reading and don't forget to ask any questions!

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Change in plans

So, today, I had another ultrasound.  I'll have one every week for the next few weeks.  Everything looks good.  The baby had a normal heart rate of 131bpm.  He/she is growing like they should be.  We did discover something, though.  It looks like the baby continues to grow faster than we thought they would.  The due date was supposed to be September 12th, according to the date I got pregnant.  The baby has plans of their own because my due date is now September 4th.  I'm still thinking I'll be spending my birthday in the hospital, but we'll see.

Some people have asked about whether or not I plan to have another c-section with this baby.  The answer is, unequivocally, NO.  My OB doctor told me, after I had the twins, that I would have to have another c-section.  Honestly, I don't believe him.  When we went up for the screening, the doctor there asked me what I wanted.  I told him I want to have a VBAC and he said he saw nothing wrong with that.  If need be, I will be having an honest discussion with my doctor and will seek a second opinion.  I don't want to go through major surgery again if I don't have to.  It was difficult enough the first time.

The nausea continues to be bad.  The doctor called in a prescription for a new medication, but I haven't been able to find out if the pharmacy has actually filled it.  If not, we have issues.  I'll only be able to take the medication at bedtime, but I'm praying it will work during the day cause it's difficult to work when you're doubled over.

I went in and put in for a transfer out of food services at Disney.  I'd love to move into merchandise or work as a park greeter.  My 90 days is next week, so hopefully, I'll get a call soon saying that they have a spot open for me.  Keep your fingers crossed and send happy thoughts and pixie dust!

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Race Recap

So, as most of you may have read, I did the Walt Disney World Inaugural 10k on Friday, January 10th.  I felt a little nauseous, but was confident I could do well.  I would run with a few of my friends and we'd all have a blast and it would be a great time.  Well, that was the plan, anyway.  It didn't really happen that way.

I started out strong and ran for a decent amount of time after I crossed the start lines with my friends. Then, we settled into our intervals of 1/:30.  In case you don't know, that means you run for a minute, then walk for 30 seconds.  We got past the 1-mile marker together and then we saw the first water stop.  It was about that time that I realized that I had to stop doing intervals that way.  I was getting dizzy and nauseous, all at the same time.  So, I slowed down.  I ended up walking a large majority of the last 5 miles.  I didn't stop for any characters and there were a few times I wanted to just stop altogether, but I knew I'd regret it, so I kept going.  I passed some of my fellow mamas and got high-fives, which helped a lot.  The humidity was rough, but being pregnant was harder, I think.

My next race is the Celebration Half Marathon on January 26th.  I'll be racing with lots of my mamas and I know they'll help me get through it.  That's what we do.  I'm looking forward to it.  It'll be my second half.  While I'd love to finish in 2:45, I'll be lucky to finish under 3 if I still feel like this.  The doctor is supposed to be calling in medication for me today, so I'm hoping to have it in my system by the time I run.

Here are a few of the official pictures from mine and Matt's races!  You can tell he had a lot more fun than I did!  They only got one decent picture of me, but got a lot of him.  :)

According to Matt, "Mickey's waving bye!"

I love this picture just because I look like an idiot or something.  He's having a blast and I'm worried.  Lol.

That's my baby!

So proud of him!

Action shot!

Another action shot!

The one good picture they got of me.  My legs look pretty good!

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Oh, Hallelujah

Today, I had my first ultrasound.  It wasn't a normal ultrasound.  Because I'm not very far along at all, they had to do a transvaginal one.  Let me just say, it's beyond uncomfortable.  But, you do what you gotta do.  Anywho, everything looks fantastic.  It's all normal.  The baby's heartbeat was right on track for how many weeks I am.  According to when I had the transfer, my due date is September 12th.  However, the baby was measuring a week ahead.  It's still really early, though, so that can change.

The best part of today, however, was that I found out I'm pregnant with only one child.  Honestly, I'm pretty happy about it.  I was scared that the egg would split into two and I would have twins again.  I would've been okay with it if I had and I would've carried them.  But, I know what a toll it would have been on my body.  This way,  I'll do surrogacy at least one more time after this.  If I was having twins, this would've been the last time.  No worries, though.  :-)

I got a couple pictures to give the parents and sent them a picture of one of them.  Naturally, they're ecstatic.  I'll more than likely have an ultrasound once a week to make sure everything is progressing normally.  Bloodwork will be once a week, as well.  The nausea can go away any time now.  I'm so over it.  Lol.

Another highlight of today was that Matt got to do his kids race!  He did the 200m dash at the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Kids Races.  He did such a great job!  He started off strong and never slowed down or stopped.  It's a vast improvement over the last race, when he broke down right before the finish line and dropped down to the ground and started crying.  I'm excited to see the official pictures of today's race.  Here are some pics I took!

Before the race, so excited!

After the race, before heading home.

That's all for today!  Tomorrow, I run my 10k with some friends and I'm pretty excited!  The parents are excited, too.  Their baby gets to run in his/her very first race!  Don't forget to leave any comments/questions!

Friday, January 3, 2014

Newest results

Well, I had more bloodwork done yesterday to make sure my HCG levels were rising appropriately.  They jumped from 404 on Monday to 2382 yesterday.  The nurse at the clinic said they would've been happy if they were 1200.  I just keep getting flashbacks to when I was pregnant with the twins and my numbers jumped really high and really fast.  They're going to contact me Monday to set up the pregnancy scan.  It'll probably be Wednesday or Thursday next week.  Man, I am ready for it!  Lol.  I'll probably be keeping my eyes closed because I'm so nervous.  That's weird, isn't it?  I'm nervous that it will be twins again, although I've already done twins.  Perhaps it's because I know what comes with carrying twins, including early bed rest, lots and lots of tests and scans, and no sex after a certain point.

Today, I think Matt and I will head to Disney World to celebrate me becoming pregnant.  Thank goodness he's too small for any of the roller coasters, except Goofy's Barnstormer.  We'll enjoy nice, quiet rides, like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, and the Carousel.  We'll also stop by and say hi to a friend or two.  I'm ready for it. We haven't been there in a month or longer.  I miss it and so does he.

I'll let you all know the results of the scan once the parents have been notified.  We'll see if there's one or two babies in there.  Lol.