I'm 3 weeks, 5 days preggo...I hope...beta in two days...

So today I just figured out how far along I am see below!! And that my due date looks to be around May 10th...love spring time, even better I won't be preggo during summer hear in Atlanta AKA "hotlanta"!!!

If you are looking to transfer soon or have recently had your transfer just click on the the link to the right under my surrogacy sites to calculate your own!!

Ahhh...so excited!! Did I mention my beta is in two more days? Praying for a good number. Fingers and toes all crossed!!

Congratulations, you should be 3 weeks, 5 days, pregnant!


Ohhh...morning sickness all day sickness....please be easy on me...I will do anything...even eat all my veggies, cut down on cheetos and mint choc. chip ice cream... well I'll "try!"

Approximate Stages of Embryo/Fetal Development
Embryo Development
Cardiac Contraction Begins September 06, 2012	Limb Buds Forming September 10, 2012	End Embryo Stage September 25, 2012
Fetal Development
U/S Heartbeat Detected September 18, 2012	Brainwaves Begin October 01, 2012	Essential Structures Complete October 09, 2012
Movement Begins November 05, 2012	Fetus May Suck Thumb December 31, 2012	Maternal Sounds Recognized January 14, 2013

Did you know....

Celebrities who have completed surrogate journeys to start or expand their own families include:

Giuliana Ranic-E! news host
Nicole Kidman
Sarah Jessica Parker
Neil Patrick Harris-Ahh, I still see him as Doogie Howser!!
Elizabeth Banks
Elton John
Angela Bassett
Ricky Martin
Joan Lunden
Dennis Quaid
Kelsey Grammer
Robert De Niro

Just some interesting facts I thought I would share!
See below for pics and more info.....

http://www.whattoexpect.com/celebrity/photo-gallery/celebrities-with-surrogates.aspx#/slide-1

I think I'm preggo!!!!! Let..the POAS party begin!!!

After like five BFN using Walmart brand and dollar Tree tests (which gave me a BFN this morning) I caved and bought FRED!!! It has been such a stressful two days since like an idiot I started testing way too early...3dp5dt. I didn't realize just how strong the POAS urge can be. So I'm 5dp5dt and one hour to be exact and I got two lines...scream!!!

Thanks again ladies for giving me so much encouragement it's been the longest weekend ever. The funny thing is both Saturday and last night I had a dream I was pregnant!!!

I love you FRED!!!! Please keep getting darker....just 4 more days till Fridays beta!!!

FRED is still on my kitchen counter...I can't stop checking it...I'm still in shock:)

Can't begin to imagine how excited J and D, my IFs will be....D told me on the day of our transfer that " it was the happiest moment of his life"!! Hopefully we will have strong beta numbers to hold us over the Labor day weekend!!

Taking the biggest sigh of relief now!!!

I will post more pictures...hoping they will get darker and darker.

We Transferred One Beautiful 5 Day Embie Yesterday!!

So my very first transfer went perfectly!. Aside from a little mishap with me being forever fashionably late and probably giving my IFs unnecessary high blood pressure because I miss judged the length of time it would take me to drive during rush hour traffic:)- I did manage to sign in, give my IF a huge bear hug...ahhh he is so sweet! and look like I had been waiting for a while as our super amazing Dr. walked over seconds later. She came over and embraced both of us...it was like a huge love fest..so much hugging going on I can't even describe how awesome this experience was.

Everything was on time and fast which I was especially grateful for since my bladder was uncomfortably full for the sonogram. Kind of felt like the red carpet treatment. I didn't have to wait or even fill out paper work. The nurse also crazy nice whisked me and my IF to the transfer room..where I got changed and almost made a be line for the toilet but gratefully I remembered...to hold it!

After a little small talk as my IF and I were gasping at the 20 inch t.v. screen image of the embryo (see below) that we were about to transfer it was time. The Dr. inserted a catheter and did a quick practice transfer with some fluid then the embryologist came in, spoke to us and in seconds with all eyes on the monitor the transfer was complete. It looked like a shooting star..a bright little flash and then it was over.

I think we were there a whopping twenty five minutes and in that short time a science miracle transpired right before our eyes. Now comes the dreaded two week wait. Since labor day weekend falls in the middle of that we will only be waiting 9 days, 8 days as I write this until my first beta blood draw!! Of course I have a few pregnancy tests on hand should I get a sudden urge to see what's going on in there. But I don't expect to see anything positive until at least another five or six days out at the earliest. That will bring us to 6 or 7dp5dt. (7 days past a five day transfer)

So fingers crossed that this will be the first and only transfer and that we will have a BFP by next week!!

BETA scheduled for Friday the 31st!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So on the downside I must observe the following:

1. Continue daily PIO injections..although I must say I'm doing pretty freakin good at sticking myself!!
2. No Alcohol
3. No caffeine
4. No Sexual activity unitl....? Among many other things but these are the most difficult:(


Here is the perfect Embie that we transferred!!!! How cool is that? Holy science is all I can say!!

A monumental moment for me...my first PIO shot

First I just have to thank all of the many wonderful ladies from allaboutsurrogacy.com that took the time to give me such great last minute advice last night on how to administer my first PIO (progesterone in oil) shot on my own!!
My ten year old son, bless his heart taped this whole ordeal last night...hope I didn't scar him for life:)
As you can see this is by no means a how to video but more like a what not to do as I was totally fumbling and so darn nervous...so please excuse my shit for brains moment especially as I tried to recap my needle into the smaller injection needle...

 

Below: PIO (Progesterone in oil)

~Smallest needle closest to vile is for administering Lupron into my belly

~Second needle and quite a bit larger is used to administer PIO into my butt muscle

~The largest one is only to draw up the PIO from the vile then it's replaced with the second.

 

Seven more days until TRANSFER!!!

So after a year and a half I am finally only a week away from my first transfer...so crazy excited. I have been taking lupron injections daily now for nearly four weeks...last shot will be in five days...oh thank God!! Wait, I probably should hold off on the rejoicing since my PIO (Progesterone in oil) shots begin in three days and these I hear are far more uncomfortable then the little lupon needle shots. I'm also taking Estrace. I take two pills three times a day as well as one baby asprin, the chewable ones which tastes super yum, a horse sized prenatal vitamin and Synthriod for my ailing thyroid. So far so good as I am not experiencing any noticable side effect!

So skipping forward to this morning I had my first monitoring appointment at the RBA clinic in Cumming, GA they are so super nice there:) I love that I see the same tech and nurses for all my blood draws and they always wisk me in and out..never have to wait, love it!
The ultra sound was short and sweet. My uterine lining looks great and measured at 11.5. For those who are new to this it means my lining is nice and thick or fluffy. It 's right where it needs to be for transfer, perfect for my IFs (Intended Father's) embryo to snuggle in and call home for the next 9 months.

Below is the Lupron vile and needle which I have to administer each morning into my belly! This prevents my body from ovulating.

I'm matched, on meds. and looking to transfer this month!!

It's been over a year since my last post and frankly I actually had no intention of continuing this blog until my best friend with whom I just told about my upcoming surrogacy journey, said how cool it would be if I wrote about it. So I'm back!

Fast forward over a year now since this whole process began and I'm just a few weeks from our very first transfer!!

So last March I was matched with two of the most wonderful, witty and gorgous guys ever. The most amazing part is that they live and work just miles from me. Even though they are super busy and travel extensively we have had many wonderful get togethers the next of which will be dinner next Friday at my favorite Mexican restuarant!! So excited!! Did I mention how they text me every so often just to see how I'm feeling with the meds.? They are so freakin sweet I can hardly stand it:)

Tentative transfer set for August 20th which happens to be my youngests daughters 3rd birthday too...ahhh feeling the good vibes already!