Two little sweet peas....

Wow... so on Monday, September 10, 2012 I was able to make a dream come true for such an amazing family. We welcomed into the world Keira and Ava. They are so beautiful and super healthy.

Keira is on the left and weighed 7lbs and Ava of course is on the right and weighed 6lbs. They have stolen a little piece of my heart!

This is my amazing extended new family. They were all so appreciative of what I did for their family. There was definitely a lot of love in that room. :)

This whole experience has changed my life in more ways then I can even say. 

I would like to thank everyone who stopped by, or followed my journey. It has truly been amazing, and I can not express in words just how amazing it all was.

Now on to the next journey... watching this family fall in love with the two most precious little girls ever. I am so blessed to have joined this family and continue on with the journey.

Just a little excitement

So today was an AMAZING day!    After almost a year, I finally got to meet mommy and daddy!  They arrived in Los Angles last Wednesday and have been staying in Palm Springs. I can not lie, this freaked me out a little, as Palm Springs is about 2 hours from the hospital. The whole "what if...." started to sink it.

So today was my 36 week check up. OMG, yes 36 weeks. And they got to come to it!   I think that was the 2nd best appointment this whole journey. :)  After the doctors appointment we had to meet with a social worker from the hospital to get things squared away and we got a very nice tour of the hospital. 

After all that, we just sat and talked. It was great. It felt like we were old friends. :)  There was never a weird moment, things just flowed.

The crazy part is... I have only 4 days left with this crazy little girls. And soon mom and dad get to hold them in their arms. Wow, years in the making!  Words really can't describe the feeling that took over me today seeing how excited and appreciative they really are. And to think... I helped them on this AMAING journey!

Well the count down is really on...  Monday is just around the corner!

Slowly coming to an end...

Wow... So I have made it to 35 weeks 2 days. The girls are still staying put!!!   The family arrived this evening, but we have not met yet!  I am super excited about that!  

Today I had my check up...  Baby A who is on top is measuring 5.13lbs and Baby B is measuring 5.7lbs. My doctor said that he is estimating that they will be closer to 7lbs each. :)   This is great news, it means no NICU!!!!!  

The big day is still set for September 10th, which is just around the corner!!! 

OMG... my amazing journey is almost over, a little bittersweet. But the best part of it.... it the new journey that is going to begin with the family!   And that is what it is ALL about, my intended family :)   

That is all for now...   next post will be after my appointment on the 5th.  

Fun Stuff Going On...

Ok so last check-in I was 30 weeks.   I have made it to 32 weeks with a small scare in between.  On Aug. 3 I was in a small car accident. thankfully no one was hurt. This however sent me into the hospital with contractions 2-3 minutes apart for almost a 12 hour period. All kinds of tests were being ran, and I think the scariest one was where they check to see if a protein is present. If this protein is present they say that you can deliver within 2 weeks. UMMMM...   2 weeks was still way TOO EARLY! The girls need more time inside to grow!  So, we did the test, which by no means is fun, and THANKFULLY it came back negative!!!   :)   Nest stop... was to make sure that I was not dilating.... also came back negative. Things were looking better and better!  We did an ultrasound to make sure there was no blood, or leaking or anything else bad going on. This came back negative as well. So the only concern was getting these contractions to stop!

They had me on an IV with magnesium, which help relax everything and get the contractions to stop. This didn't work until I was up to 2.5g of magnesium and 12 hours later. Talk about a long 12 hours!   The contractions were finally under control that I could be transferred to a different area of L&D.  I was moved to High Risk, which to me sounded more serious then just L&D. But I was in good care, and the girls were doing great so that is all that mattered to me.  I was also then given a steroid shot (two shots in my booty) to help develop the lungs of the little ladies just in case they did decide to make their grand appearance sooner. :)

It also looked like I had a  little trouble maker on my hands. :)   The first 24 hours the girls were hooked up to the monitor to make sure they were ok. This posed a very big challenge for the nurses. Baby A who is low would not stay on the monitor for nothing!  This made things really uncomfortable and hard on me. Those poor nurses kept coming in and would have to find her all over again. She is such a little stinker!  It got a little easier as time went on to find her, because there simply isn't enough room in there for her to go anywhere.  She did continue to make things hard on me because she was so low. When they did the hour long monitoring it took 30 minutes to get them both on there, and me having to be on my back. TALK ABOUT TORTURE!!!   Made things really hard on me breathing wise. 

Tuesday morning, I was finally given the ok to go home... BUT I now had to be on bed rest :(   BOOOOOOO!! 

I see my doctor on the 14th, which makes me 33 weeks!  I swear there can not be anymore room for them to grow, My belly feels so big and tight. But we have a few more weeks.

Until next time..... 

7 more weeks...

Well I am 30 weeks and a day!   Almost time for these little ladies to make their appearance :)   I have such mixed feeling about this. I feel like time has gone by so fast, so part of me is not ready to evict them yet :)    But I know their mommy and daddy and older sisters CAN'T wait!!!   

So I ended up having to take the 3 hour glucose test :(   BLAH   how nasty that was!   What made it even worse was that I had to fast and was STARVING!!!     But the good news was that I passed that and am just moving right along :)

My next appointment is on the 31st, we get to see how big the girls are, so that is always exciting to see, and their movement!   Speaking of.. these girls are out of control with movement!!!   But it makes me happy knowing that everything is OK with them!  

I can't get over that in 6-7 weeks these little ladies will be here. I can't wait to see what they look like, meet the rest of the family and hope to gain a little extended family.   My hope is that I remain in touch with the family. They have truly been amazing and so supportive!  

                                                   28weeks 4 days :)   

Wow... it's been too long.

It has been too long since I have been on here. 

I am now 26 weeks pregant. I feel these girls ALL the time :)   Some night I am convinced they are not going to go to bed.

Baby A is measuring 26 weeks 2 days at 2lbs and Baby B is measuring 26weeks 6 day at 2lbs. :)    Today I had my glucose test and will have the results in 2-3 days... fingers crossed that I will not need the 3 hour glucose test!

Talked to the doctor to schedule my c-section. I will be 37 weeks on September 10th so that is the date!!!    Unless.... I start contractng prior to that. He said they will "try" and stop them but he believes the girls might be here sooner then the 10th.

My appointments are now every 2 weeks. And after 32 weeks I am no longer able to go to SD. :(    If I start contracting before that then I can't go either.   

All else is going well. Morning sickness is still very much here :(    but I am doing much better with it.

I will keep up with blogging each appointment from now until they are born.   

Just Trucking Along!

So today marks 21 weeks! I feel like it has gone by WAY TOO FAST!  The girls are in full motion, mainly at night. And boy are they active :) This is always a good thing, and really fun at night when I am by myself paying close attention to their movements. 

According to what I have read, they are measuring about 10 1/2 inches long. I will have a better idea of their length and such when I go see the doctor on the 29th!

Today I finally sent my IM (Intended mom) a picture of me and the belly. :)

Me and the girls!!!  

So here we are again.... back in the swing of things.

So let's see,  I was recently pulled from my OB's and got a new one whom I got to meet today! LOVE HIM!!!   The girls are doing good, however still causing me morning sickness and thank goodness it is only int he morning now. :) 

But now.. now comes the heartburn!

At today's appointment the girls were super active :) Doctor said I should start feeling them more often within the next 2 weeks!!  That should be fun. Let the cage fighting begin! 

Baby A who is on the right is measuring 18 weeks and 4 days and is weighing in at 8 oz and Baby B who is on the left is measuring 19 weeks and weighing in at 9 oz.  Wasn't able to actually verify yet that they are girls...  but for the sake of the gender selection we will still call them girls. :)

I am feeling good for the most part, I get in some good walking here and there, but find that my walk has kind of turned into that of a turtle. :)   But I get the walking in and that is all that matters to me :)

I suppose I will post at least a belly pic soon. I am not a fan of the camera.

Until next time....  

The Growing Continues

Wow, it's been a while. I have been trucking along... have had morning noon and night sickness since week 6 and I am now at 16 weeks 3 days. So it has been a long haul! The girls have grown so much, and are really active. However, not today. They wanted no part in having their picture taken. Hahahaha.

Since I am now 16 weeks, one of my doctors( yes, I have 2 doctors) wants to check my cervix every week. OH JOY!  This began today and will continue until I am 24 weeks.  My OB will then see me every 3-4 weeks for now.

Today was my graduation.

Today I had to get the needle again... to see what my level was.  To continue or not to continue with the Endometrin. 

Got the call... I have officially graduated from Dr. Ringler's office.

This means NO more shots, No more knots, No more baby asprin, and for now NO more blood draws.  I am so excited about this and so are the knots that have formed in my upper butt cheeks! Hahahaha

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.... and I reached it!

So I had my first OB appointment, which went great!   It was nice seeing the doctor who delivered my son. Such an amazing man!! Every thing went well. Babies (the limes) are measuring right on point! Yay!!!  The second best part about my appointment, I get to deliver c-section!!!!   YES!      Funny that I am excited about that.  Next appointment is set for the 28th of March.  He said he was going to see me often and keep these babies safe and comfortable!!!!  

Up next,  was the blood draw to see when I get to stop my shots. Yay baby...  No more shots for this lady!!! That by far is the best news ever.

Almost time for a good massage to work out some of the knots. 

Drum Roll Please.....

Ok, So I am a few days late AGAIN with posting... Sigh :)

So I had my first ultrasound on Thursday February 9th. I was so nervous and very excited at the same time :)

My sister (Crystal) and Francesca (from Modern Family) were there for it. First stop... blood draw to check my levels for my meds! :)  

Waiting.. and waiting. Good news before mine, was that one of the other girls was there having hers done too...   (K)    She is having TWINS for her IPs. :)  

"Erica", the nurse said. I had to make sure it was OK for my camera/video crew to come along as my IPs were not able to make it or skype. :(      

We get in the room. This is when I really start the get nervous...     A test run of the video was done to make sure she was in a good place and my camera girls were all set!  

Time for action!!!

Dr. Ringler came in, said that I was 6 1/2 weeks along and that my numbers looked good!   That is always a positive thing!

Starting looking around and saw the "sac" as he called it, heard the heartbeat and took a measurement or two. Dr. Ringler, then aid he was going to take a look around.... 

A look around for what??   That baby condo?   But ok, he is the doctor and knows what he is doing... 

...that looking lead to "oh there is another "sac". :) 

Holy cow!!!  Two "sac's" equals 2 babies!!!    We are having TWINS!     I was so shocked, surprised and over joyed as I knew this news would really send my IP's over the moon... 

Next appointment is set for February 23rd....    

I cheated.... hahaha

So I was with my sister the day of her transfer while she was one bed rest.   Got to keep her company, meet her IP's and just hang out and have fun. Or so I thought.... Instead I was pretty much forced to cheat and take a pregnancy test.. I was so scared that it would be negative, that is why I was waiting until the blood draw....

So Cora and Francesca (From Modern Family) showed up and the peeing began... I was so nervous!!!   The little hour glass just kept turning and turning.... I handed it off to my son to give to my sister and I come out.. that stinkin hour glass was STILL going. Then out of no where Cora yelled "your pregnant" of course there were cheers and hugs and kisses and a few watery eyes! But now I felt so relieved!   I took a picture and emailed it to my IP's and all it said was "I love you guys"

So now I just has to wait the few more days for the blood draw that was to happen on the 23rd to get the confirmation! And so see my levels.   

Got the levels back, everything looked good so far. I was at 193... next appointment was set for the 30th...   Geez I really need to keep up with this blog!!!  

30th blood draw came and now my level was 2833!!!   YES, great number!!!   high enough for twins?? who knows!

... And The Transfer Happened...

So the big day came. It was time for the transfer. My sister came to take me, and right before I left the house I got a care package from my IP's. It was a box of 6 DVD's. I was excited, as I would be on bed rest for a few days. :) 

I was also super nervous as I didn't take the valium that I got to calm my nerves.. YIKES.   

When I arrived at Dr. R's office I informed them of this and was told that the nurse would give me one.... That never happened.   But I was pretty calm after having several laughs with my sister. 

Then came the time for them to wheel in the embryo's. I even got to look at them through the microscope. That was pretty amazing and kinda made it all a little more real. 

It happened so fast, and the next thing I knew I was relaxing in the office for 30 minutes before they released me to go home.   The count down was now on... had to wait ten days to find out if we were gonna be having a baby.   

Here they are...  :)

Up Next

So I went and had blood work done. And boy was it chilly outside... 37 degrees. BURRRR!!!      Results came back in range, but had to hold off on the Delestrogen for 2 days :( as I didn't start my cycle yet! BOOOO!!!!   

On Christmas Day I got to start the Delestrogen... I was a little nervous and a tad scared!   However, I handled that needle like a C-H-A-M-P!!!   :)

Will have to see how this 2 day delay changes things...  Everything else is going good, well except for these bas headaches I have gotten! :( 

Well that is it for now..... 

And it all started....

So I finally got to start my shots!  Who would have thought that someone would be happy about having to give themselves injections. Me!!!   :) It's been a few days, it isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. The first night was fun because I had my son in the bathroom with me, and questioned if I was ok after I gave myself the shot. I think he was more concerned then I was. My first appointment to check levels is right before Christmas, on the 23rd!!   

How exciting it is to be doing this journey! I know I keep saying it, but it is truly AMAZING!!!   

FINALLY, I got the news!!!

So I started birth control a little over a week ago... was told I could be on it up to 3 weeks :(   

I got a call today from the nurse today at Dr. Ringler's office, saying the the donor will have medical clearance on Monday.... what does that mean for me????   I get to start Lupron on Tuesday is what that means!!!   :)     I am super excited, yet a little nervious for it to all be happening!!   She also told me that the transfer date is set for JANUARY 11TH!!!     Oh my gosh!!!!    :)      How happy this all makes me. I emailed my IPs just now to give the great update, and now I can't wait to hear back from them about it!!!   

It's About Time

Yay... So I am finally at the next step!  I get to start birth control on Tuesday and then all the fun shots start. Never thought I would be so excited about starting my cycle, birth control and needles :)  Had a great Thanksgiving with the family, and even started decorating with my mom! I always love this part of the year! Christmas is such a big thing in my family!   The next posts should be fun!!!   

Still Waiting....

So here we are in November, and I NEVER thought that I would want to have my cycle start like I have now!!!    Geez, a few months back my cycle changed to that of my sisters and now in Novemeber it is NO WHERE to be seen!  Just my luck, it decided to go back to my OLD cycle. Just great!!!   So nothing new and exciting is happening yet....

BUT I did have a dream the other night that I got to share with my IPs on Christmas that they were going to be having a larger family! I so wish that is the news I get to share wiith them for Christmas!!  how exciting to hear that!  

So for now, I will be finishing my classes up (Anthropology, Psychology and Administration of Justice- Corrections) will be done the 18th or so of Decemeber!   Can't wait!!!   This has been one trying semester!  I need a break and NO MORE online classes :)  

That is all for now... I can't wait for the shots and baby making time!!!  

So this is it...

So it has begun.  I have spoken with my IP's both on the phone and via email, they are super excited about this journey as am I. Let's see... I have gone to my first appointment of many, and had blood drawn and had to also tinkle in a cup :) 

Then I had the pleasure of a not so fun test, but got through it like a champ!  The radiologist said that I was a trooper and didn't even complain once...well at least until I left the office. Yikes, that was bad!  I then had the pleasure of sitting in TRAFFIC!!!   UGH, Santa Monica Blvd. is no fun at 5pm, lesson learned!

I am so blessed to have such an amazing set of IP's to work with. And now I just wait until the next step... this is such an amazing venture!! :)