tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58033600957441614992024-03-12T19:04:52.898-07:00Adventures In FluffAs a wife and mother of three everyday is an adventure. My Adventures In Fluff mainly focuses on my newest venture into the world of cloth diapering, but as you can imagine being a wife and mom brings me across many other adventures that I'd love to share with you all... Pictures, Reviews, Giveaways, DIY Projects, Helpful Information, and just plain crazy thoughts.The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.comBlogger449125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-2646322641428896962014-08-21T14:14:00.000-07:002014-08-21T14:14:05.104-07:00ConceiveAbilities - Egg Donation & Surrogacy Agency<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCY6W6Wa6T35i53USCNrzIJLGpCAw85svLzkn8wl3-nKbZj-BsSoiqhu6vL6F-zMxWwHwOUM6MegLZcUltwxG5eqy_YaAkfmXg1abO35GoycCasHqjd0fPPfGrV_PwsISGHz0z_dq-Lw/s1600/logo_top5.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCY6W6Wa6T35i53USCNrzIJLGpCAw85svLzkn8wl3-nKbZj-BsSoiqhu6vL6F-zMxWwHwOUM6MegLZcUltwxG5eqy_YaAkfmXg1abO35GoycCasHqjd0fPPfGrV_PwsISGHz0z_dq-Lw/s1600/logo_top5.gif" height="145" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a
premier egg donation and surrogacy agency, </span><a href="http://www.conceiveabilities.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ConceiveAbilities</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is dedicated to providing the tools and support to simplify
what can sometimes be a difficult and daunting journey to parenthood. ConceiveAbilities
helps guide intended parents, gestational surrogates and </span><a href="http://www.conceiveabilities.com/denver_colorado.htm"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">egg donors in Colorado</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">, Illinois, Texas, and several other
states across the country, through an often complex process. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
a staff that includes former egg donors, gestational surrogates, and intended
parents, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ConceiveAbilities</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
has the unique perspective to provide all sides of the partnership with the
best resources, support, and information to maximize the overall chance for
success.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> For more information, please visit </span><a href="http://www.conceiveabilities.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.conceiveabilities.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-60279072896253443512014-08-18T14:23:00.000-07:002014-08-18T14:23:49.615-07:00My Postpartum Body... Stretchmarks And All<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtO4UBFK34GYh9AjiqVirIwU6ZDfEAplNK5VOnc946AiV_MXhBGxTaFLDo8_G3kCJ8IWWPx4bRRRyjiHjZ_w7rsrqLQLwPuMBmC_UlaAdoNl5xK-8Y76tXAF0CTOiC0RXuKLkiFFoj3IY/s1600/_DSC0065+(2)%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This might not be society's idea of beautiful, but I'm proud of the miracles my body has created." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtO4UBFK34GYh9AjiqVirIwU6ZDfEAplNK5VOnc946AiV_MXhBGxTaFLDo8_G3kCJ8IWWPx4bRRRyjiHjZ_w7rsrqLQLwPuMBmC_UlaAdoNl5xK-8Y76tXAF0CTOiC0RXuKLkiFFoj3IY/s1600/_DSC0065+(2)%2Bcopy.jpg" height="266" title="This might not be society's idea of beautiful, but I'm proud of the miracles my body has created." width="400" /></a></div>
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I started this post a few days ago and I'll admit that it ended up on the bitter side of things. I'm now 6 weeks postpartum and if I leave the house, it's almost certain that someone will ask me when I'm due. With no baby in sight, I suppose that's to be expected. Their question isn't what bothers me most of the time (though I'll admit it's getting a bit old). What bothers me is the look on their faces after I say I already had the baby. It's not a look of apology, or a look of understanding because they know the hardship my body has endured or the time it takes to recover. I always expect them to say something like, "Oh! That totally makes sense. Congrats on having the baby! You're looking great for only being a month past the birth." Yep, a response like that would make me feel a lot better and good about myself and the progress I've made. But no. That's not the response I get. Instead I get a look of surprise, shock, or sometimes even disgust. They look back at my stomach and their eyes bug out. I can see what they're thinking. "Whoa! And you still look like that?" The first lady I got this response from actually said this out loud. It wasn't quite the response I was expecting.</div>
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I've given birth 4 times now (three of my own and one surrogate baby). Each time I gained 45 - 55 pounds, and only about 20 pounds of that comes off right after I give birth. I've always gotten back down to pre-pregnancy weight, but it takes a bit of time. A lot more time than 6 weeks. Never the less, even though I know all of this in my head, my feelings were still hurt, and I've been feeling down. I mourn my nice pre-pregnancy belly. I miss it's smooth texture, muscles that meet in the middle, and a belly button ... that well ... looks like a belly button. After the birth of my first daughter I could barely look at my new tummy in the mirror, let alone let my husband see it, and anyone else ... forget about it! This wasn't what my friends looked like after childbirth. They all eventually went back to "normal". Maybe a stretch mark here and there, but nothing like the pounded meat flesh that I was left with. I felt alone and cheated. As the years passed and my other children were born, I got used to my new skin. I don't feel the need to cover up in my own home and can be intimate with my husband without a shirt on, yet you still won't find me on the beach in a bikini. No, I haven't gotten that comfortable yet. </div>
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Then I saw a post from another woman who had felt the same way as me; Someone who had the same post pregnancy belly look as me; Someone who had decided to bare her skin to show others that yes, we're not alone. There are many women that don't come out of pregnancy with perfect bellies, and nice smooth skin. Just because we don't see them on TV, in magazines, on the beach, or within our peers, doesn't mean they aren't out there. I believe they're all around, hiding for fear that they too are the only one. Now I'm not saying that I don't miss my old body, or that I'm going to wear a bikini from now on. I'm also not the type to say "I love my tiger stripes so hear me roar." What I am saying is that I am proud of what my body has done and for the children it has given me, and the child it let me carry for a friend. I am saying that I know I'm not alone, and you are not alone. Today I bear my post pregnancy body to show that a mom comes in many different packages: skinny, curvy, smooth, stretched, tight, sagging, squishy, or firm... We are all NORMAL, and nobody should tell you otherwise.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibE9jcnWI-8O6YNTespZP-51GfxhtstGUpFFT_zVTkjkkKxIprEuxGH4w9bCDTGt9QMWpbUfzJtCV4kFPb222RGbphNFDAuzn9WHhKOscUskY7-ZS1B4tJ8O-IJsusd0zygpfVpwyh9kE/s1600/Tummy+Mummy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="My postpartum belly ... stretchmarks and all" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibE9jcnWI-8O6YNTespZP-51GfxhtstGUpFFT_zVTkjkkKxIprEuxGH4w9bCDTGt9QMWpbUfzJtCV4kFPb222RGbphNFDAuzn9WHhKOscUskY7-ZS1B4tJ8O-IJsusd0zygpfVpwyh9kE/s1600/Tummy+Mummy.jpg" height="480" title="My postpartum belly ... stretchmarks and all" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 6 week postpartum belly. Still 15 pounds to lose so my skin still looks fairly filled out and smooth. Maybe I should post an updated picture this winter to show my true updated look.</td></tr>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-85633454936399328692014-07-29T09:35:00.000-07:002014-07-29T10:55:11.653-07:00Surro Files - Life After Surrogacy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSzrZILIIO7WRsO11l3toY3jIOIV781rZ5w9_UhRf_x8DCb4WWs180QbsFyL5BfW2gYyBf3sbgZDDcztRV61TNTsCUXir-hlHd8XGJf08Fp1vtBXRL5dtZz5my6Q2uRXVl6jydQRqQuY/s1600/Fotor072993111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSzrZILIIO7WRsO11l3toY3jIOIV781rZ5w9_UhRf_x8DCb4WWs180QbsFyL5BfW2gYyBf3sbgZDDcztRV61TNTsCUXir-hlHd8XGJf08Fp1vtBXRL5dtZz5my6Q2uRXVl6jydQRqQuY/s1600/Fotor072993111.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's been 3 weeks since Baby P was born. Wow! Is that it? For some reason it feels like it has been way longer than that. Maybe it is because I'm always busy and don't have time to think about the time that has passed. I've never been one for sitting around and doing nothing. There's always a project to be done! </div>
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So other than busy, how has my life been? That's actually the number one question I've received lately... "How are you doing Chana?" The funny thing is, I've realized that I've taken this question the wrong way most of the time. When people ask me how I'm doing I automatically think they mean physically. "I'm doing great!" I say. Despite this being the biggest baby I've birthed, I think I bounced back to my old self the fastest out of any birth that I've had. I don't feel swollen, I feel bright and awake, I didn't tear... what more could I ask for? Well, I do have a swollen gland that's slightly annoying, and I did have to go through a week of engorged breasts with no baby to relieve them, but overall I feel really great!</div>
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That's not what people were asking though. They were asking how I "feel". Like really feel... emotionally after this birth. I know that's been the concern with most people from the beginning. They didn't understand how someone could not get attached to a baby they've carried for 9 months. "Won't you be sad?" "Won't the kids be confused?" "I could never do that." I've heard so many things over this year and a half, but it's hard to understand until you've been there. </div>
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From the beginning I knew I would not become attached. This was not my baby. I'm just the babysitter, helping a baby grow till they could finally meet their parents. I knew that the birth and that moment when Belle & Adam were joined with Baby P for the first time would be the most amazing moment ever! What could be more amazing than knowing that you helped give a gift to a couple that has been waiting for this gift for so long? Yes, I always knew that moment would be amazing, and it was!</div>
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That being said, I did have fears. Although I always knew that I would not grow attached to Baby P, I did know I would grow attached to Belle, and them as a family in general. How could I not? When you talk to someone everyday for so long, you're bound to get attached, and I feared that would all end when Baby P was born. Not only that, but after putting all my energy and time into this surrogacy for a year and a half, I feared what I would do when it ended. Like I said before, I always have to be doing something, and what would I do when such a big part of this time in my life was over? Last, but certainly not least, I feared I would not see the beautiful family that I helped come together after the birth. You can never predict how one will feel in the moment, and I would have totally understood if after waiting so long to be a family, Belle and Adam decided to bond alone as a family. But I knew in my heart that I really needed to see their bond to feel complete about our journey together. It's hard to explain, but I knew that it was really important to see that bond right away.</div>
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From the moment Baby P was born I felt amazing. I will always treasure those first moments I saw them together in the delivery room; skin to skin with big smiles and an instant bond. We spent nearly an hour in that room before being separated. It was a perfect ending and beginning all in one. Belle and I still text almost everyday and she sends pictures full of adorable squishiness all the time. So although the pregnancy is over, our journey continues on and I can't wait for their trip back to California next winter. I'm sure it'll be here in the blink of an eye. I'm also staying very busy. During the pregnancy I decided to start my own business as a doula. Thus <a href="http://www.loveandlaborbirths.com/" target="_blank">Love & Labor</a> was born, and getting this business off the ground has definitely kept me busy! The kids and Brian are also doing great. They love seeing pictures and hearing updates. "Sooooo cute!" That's what the girls think of Baby P. </div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">So back to the original question, "How am I doing?" I'm doing great!!! I feel nothing but joy thinking about these past 9 months and the happy family that is now together. Lots of love to Belle & Adam, and lots of love to Baby P!!!</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-16843484242984228182014-07-15T14:50:00.000-07:002014-07-20T11:37:28.302-07:00Surro Files - Looking Back and Looking Forward...<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaE0DoSdJVQ8fMGZS2fJ8NTNoHnDuDmUUsHcBdqScdFW738yaq_4Q7mioYcY9bAXywUa0S2v92WUIXH49NwzMfO3Xx61nMjNNDa9Wpi4mcdNwQQQdIQbandx611dWthIutSqu58shse8/s1600/Belly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaE0DoSdJVQ8fMGZS2fJ8NTNoHnDuDmUUsHcBdqScdFW738yaq_4Q7mioYcY9bAXywUa0S2v92WUIXH49NwzMfO3Xx61nMjNNDa9Wpi4mcdNwQQQdIQbandx611dWthIutSqu58shse8/s1600/Belly.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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On <b><u>October 23rd, 2012</u></b>, I received an e-mail from a friend that I hadn't heard from in awhile. Belle let me know that she was on her 5th round of IVF and looking into surrogacy as an option to start a family with her husband. She had great faith that this road would lead them to the child that they so much desired and I just knew that she was right.</div>
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On <u><b>December 25th, 2012</b></u>, I decided that I wanted to be that surrogate. Now to convince my husband that this was the right path for us.</div>
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On <u><b>January 26th, 2013</b></u>, it was decided. I applied to Circle Surrogacy, and ...</div>
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On <u><b>March 1st, 2013</b></u>, I was officially matched with Belle and Adam, and our journey had begun.</div>
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Our first cycle was cancelled in June.</div>
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On <b><u>August 6th, 2013</u></b>, We had our first transfer, but it was not successful.</div>
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Our third cycle was cancelled in September.</div>
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On <u><b>October 25th, 2013</b></u>, We had our second transfer, and ...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNsTCO7mi0KsqN9MTIuEmmX68snCYK3NvkkbXbHOYDeK-TCVW_PbTYt3f4neOvTZj-cH9_Cs7AJLAdc-n9ou5mi9KCeu2jzN86QeUekiePmPyvQ5hBN0E00I7jxmH0Nu-Jbm3hgXVSdk/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNsTCO7mi0KsqN9MTIuEmmX68snCYK3NvkkbXbHOYDeK-TCVW_PbTYt3f4neOvTZj-cH9_Cs7AJLAdc-n9ou5mi9KCeu2jzN86QeUekiePmPyvQ5hBN0E00I7jxmH0Nu-Jbm3hgXVSdk/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Fingers Crossed!!! Babies Are In!!!</b></i></u></td></tr>
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On <u><b>October 29th, 2013</b></u>, We got our first positive pregnancy test!!!!</div>
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Which led to our first positive blood test on <u><b>November 5th, 2013</b></u>.</div>
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On <u><b>November 19th, 2013</b></u>, We found out at our first ultrasound that one baby had hung on and was going strong!</div>
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On <u><b>January 9th, 2014</b></u>, Belle and I found out Baby P was going to be a girl! Shhhh!!! No telling.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cw9Cp6uwLDOmcB44qTDdRf-NaRasFk50E6PW-Apt2jSBP9tJgJyD57HWuG5DSKEhTwni_9Oo-Vz32w2aSV9vkEvgd7_tTHzoPbLq0F6Xlxm_OA45wRMNu2-efGf5IXrKeqis1tMZlEE/s1600/19w4d+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5cw9Cp6uwLDOmcB44qTDdRf-NaRasFk50E6PW-Apt2jSBP9tJgJyD57HWuG5DSKEhTwni_9Oo-Vz32w2aSV9vkEvgd7_tTHzoPbLq0F6Xlxm_OA45wRMNu2-efGf5IXrKeqis1tMZlEE/s1600/19w4d+(1).jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Which was later confirmed again at our Gender Ultrasound on <u><b>January 30th, 2014</b></u>, and the Anatomy Scan on <u><b>February 20th, 2014</b></u>. </div>
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On <u><b>May 1st, 2014</b></u>, I threw Belle a baby shower and then we headed off to Disneyland.<br />
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On <b><u>June 25th, 2014</u></b>, Belle got here to start the wait for Baby P; On <b><u>July 2nd, 2014</u></b>, Adam got here to start the wait...</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And On <u style="font-weight: bold;">July 8th, 2014</u>, Baby P was born!!!!!!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Baby P Is Here!!!! She shot right into this world.<br />July 8th, 2014 @ 8:15pm<br />9lbs 13.6oz / 21 in</b></i></u></td></tr>
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Now here we are on <u><b>July 15th, 2014</b></u>, and Belle, Adam, & Baby P are heading home. I can't believe how fast this past year and a half has went by. It seems like only yesterday that I was filling out paperwork and meeting up with Belle and Adam for the first time in person talking about their baby to be. Now their family of two has become a family of three and they've added tons of lifetime friends along the way. I know we will always consider them an extension of our family that we will never forget and I know they think of us the same. They've forever changed our lives for the better and I can never thank them enough for that. I know I've said it several times, but I'll say it again... Thanks so much Belle and Adam for trusting me with the life of your child as she grew and developed into the beautiful little girl that she is today in your arms. It truly was an honor and I can never thank you enough for that.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>And then there were three...</b></i></u></td></tr>
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And so now it starts. First baths, first smiles, her first laugh. Then she'll be sitting up, crawling, walking, and her first birthday! Wow! So many things to look forward to, and I'm so excited that it's all starting for you. It may have taken awhile to get there, but I know that will only make these moments all the more special and you will cherish each and every one. I wish I lived closer so I could see your beautiful family grow and grow, but I know you'll send pictures and I can't wait to see you next winter when you visit!!! Lots of love headed your way and wishing you all the best. It may be the end of our journey, but it's only the beginning for you three. Congrats, Congrats, Congrats!!!! ~ Chana Putnam (the tummy mummy)</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-21205313816575446442014-07-14T15:46:00.000-07:002014-07-14T15:46:08.033-07:00Surro Files - Baby P Is Here !!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Baby P is Here!!!!!</span></div>
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What a week this has been. It started off with a bang and it's been great ever since. Due to all the events that have occurred, I'm going to forgo my usual blog template and just dive into the story of how this week went down. When I left you last we were 39 weeks along with a baby the size of a watermelon. We had just went to our OB appointment on Monday, found out I was 4-5cm dilated, and had decided to set an induction date so that Adam would have plenty of bonding time and they would have time to file legal paperwork before Adam had to leave. At the same time, I started to freak out about having an induction instead of going naturally, so I was contemplating my last resort to try and get labor started. Yep, I went to the store and bought castor oil just in case I got desperate enough to get this party started.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hX3nU7qecaV19eHUJ2YW3PxwPMEcHEMPq_fqMFcqjYoAM8LRAQAcp0xQgczdc3Xf-nOvIaZozjXStSP9WBSpE3yw_FYl2OsDU4gpk9G-8Y9sPxZeDp0TvmfcfDrRkL_Bazc7489hV7A/s1600/Birth+Day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1hX3nU7qecaV19eHUJ2YW3PxwPMEcHEMPq_fqMFcqjYoAM8LRAQAcp0xQgczdc3Xf-nOvIaZozjXStSP9WBSpE3yw_FYl2OsDU4gpk9G-8Y9sPxZeDp0TvmfcfDrRkL_Bazc7489hV7A/s1600/Birth+Day.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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And so that brings us to Tuesday. I woke up hoping to be in labor. A twinge, a cramp, anything... nothing. Oh well. I knew I couldn't stay pregnant forever. But I was stressed. I didn't realize how much differently a surrogacy pregnancy would feel. You not only have to think about your feelings, fears, and excitement, but you also have those of the parents. Normally I would anxiously await to go into labor, but as a whole not stress about the big day, knowing that it would eventually come. It was just a matter of time. This time however, we had a deadline. The dad, Adam, was going to need to fly home to take care of a family emergency on our due date (5 days from now). I was stressed. Of course the mother would still be here, but I really wanted them both to be here for the birth of their child. That being said, we had requested just the day before at our OB appointment to schedule an induction as soon as possible. This would allow the father to be there, and enough bonding time before leaving. Luckily I was already 4-5 cm dilated with a very soft cervix, so my body was a prime candidate for induction. So this morning I called the OB's office to get an update on the induction. Did we have a date set? Yes! We did. It would be the morning of the 9th at 6am. Eeeeeek! So soon!!!!! Excited, but stressed. Oh so stressed...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXVK13_wnV7WEx9gslFJBgufbz6zC73IEdYrl0ltisBjXqLnqm3HeVdlkIQf1rQl6DNKBH6F9JPwdHCOLIm-tEENasKv0WRrsQ787eA-351vKVSDIaQwLtzMdsngRxAG6H92DvwRM4ks/s1600/IMG_696659384359817.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Heading out to find mommy and daddy after the birth of surro baby" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXVK13_wnV7WEx9gslFJBgufbz6zC73IEdYrl0ltisBjXqLnqm3HeVdlkIQf1rQl6DNKBH6F9JPwdHCOLIm-tEENasKv0WRrsQ787eA-351vKVSDIaQwLtzMdsngRxAG6H92DvwRM4ks/s1600/IMG_696659384359817.jpeg" height="225" title="Heading out to find mommy and daddy after the birth of surro baby" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Love those baby cheeks! Heading out to find mommy and daddy.</b></i></u></td></tr>
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I soon realized I didn't really want an induction. Of course they only planned to break my water which is a very non-invasive procedure, but what if that didn't work? What if I had to have Pitocin? I didn't want that. I didn't even want an IV. I just wanted to give birth as naturally as possible. And I was scared this wouldn't happen. Plus I was looking forward to laboring at home for awhile and just working with my doula while relaxing... as much as one can relax while in labor. It's just not the same when you're hooked up to monitors in a cold sterile hospital. It just doesn't feel the same. I read up on alternatives. I talked with the mother to be. I talked with my nurse midwife. I talked with my doula. She talked with some other midwives. The consensus was that it couldn't hurt and it's been noted to work with many other women. It might not be pleasant, but it would probably do the trick. Hmmm... lots to think about. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisD9QUfYhFcgm0NXprAd6uUcqTOzN3Dzh3-yuAvhCfjTe9-GprpYMrYWkbykUr6NYwG-J5idWi3_mqi0rDPKYQqQ4MEO8dF76NOxR4Ss1AJ_cDHSUpj56Xicece3QNeF8fyLoiZfebgEk/s1600/20140708_204440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Waiting to deliver the placenta" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisD9QUfYhFcgm0NXprAd6uUcqTOzN3Dzh3-yuAvhCfjTe9-GprpYMrYWkbykUr6NYwG-J5idWi3_mqi0rDPKYQqQ4MEO8dF76NOxR4Ss1AJ_cDHSUpj56Xicece3QNeF8fyLoiZfebgEk/s1600/20140708_204440.jpg" height="400" title="Waiting to deliver the placenta" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Waiting to deliver the placenta.</b></i></u></td></tr>
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Later that day I met up with Belle and Adam at the hospital. We had our last NST and ultrasound scheduled to check on the baby and the fluid that surrounded them. The ultrasound went great. We didn't actually get to see the baby, but the fluid was right about where it had been before, and actually went down just a bit to 28. The NST also went well. Baby was a bit hard to keep on the monitor, but they sounded strong and healthy, so were were able to leave after about 20 minutes on the monitor. So weird that we would be back here so soon. They said the hospital was packed, but since we were the first induction scheduled the next day, we shouldn't have a problem getting a room. On our way out the parents and I talked about the castor oil again. We all agreed that it wouldn't hurt to try. Either we went in tonight if it worked, or we went in tomorrow morning if it didn't. It was worth a shot! We'd also decided to have a celebratory dinner. All of us together one last time before their family grew from 2 to 3. Eeeeek! Exciting!<br />
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So I made a decision. I was going to try castor oil to get this labor started before the induction. It actually didn't taste bad at all. I made a little smoothie out of it with orange juice, yogurt, and berries; and at 2pm I drank it down. Yum! Let's hope it works. Well, it did work... in the evacuation sense, but I didn't feel anything that would tell me that labor was coming. Boo! At least I tried. At 4:30 I informed the doula that it was not going to work and to just proceed with our induction plans. She had a few meetings planned for that evening, and I didn't want her to worry about me going into labor. Brian, the kids, and I all got ready for our dinner date with Belle & Adam, and then headed out. But then things started to change...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikm8cCkSZg4lCfxQV4wPg1aY3VcuPEzwpVGnL09GEceIJnvRHhRbNQ7MclaDfNBauhrO_X_l86maVdCMP6Uf5rBpkvoHBLIkkJRNkIwMgkxgV9A9rn-Hhdz-QKMSiV1jpDrs9L8j7MdJ4/s1600/20140708_202639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Parents of surrogacy pregnancy admiring their baby." border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikm8cCkSZg4lCfxQV4wPg1aY3VcuPEzwpVGnL09GEceIJnvRHhRbNQ7MclaDfNBauhrO_X_l86maVdCMP6Uf5rBpkvoHBLIkkJRNkIwMgkxgV9A9rn-Hhdz-QKMSiV1jpDrs9L8j7MdJ4/s1600/20140708_202639.jpg" height="266" title="Parents of surrogacy pregnancy admiring their baby." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Mommy & Daddy admiring their little girl.</b></i></u></td></tr>
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At 5:30, just as we were pulling up to the restaurant, I started getting a dull ache in my back. Oh no! I know this dull ache all too well. I had it with all of my kids when I went into labor. But maybe I was wrong. It could just be castor oil after effects. No need to get all worked up just yet. So we went in to have dinner. I did inform the doula and the parents that we might not make it to the induction though. I wanted us all to be prepared just in case. We had a nice dinner... still slightly cramping and aching in my back area... plus more evacuation in the restroom (good times), and then we all headed home. "I'll see you bright and early in the morning" we all said... unless I see you sooner.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC5b5jOo0f7h3lVETKosZU_BRslmAbeNJX689wSnkIzZiBFGiqEhkp4HZM8sNHZM96IX3IIJgnw6JP3JTH1O7fe2afBokB9kh3q_fpWkjaH3cRvp2E3Vm4805IrYE8l-nbrtbdONMJ1Y/s1600/20140709_083846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC5b5jOo0f7h3lVETKosZU_BRslmAbeNJX689wSnkIzZiBFGiqEhkp4HZM8sNHZM96IX3IIJgnw6JP3JTH1O7fe2afBokB9kh3q_fpWkjaH3cRvp2E3Vm4805IrYE8l-nbrtbdONMJ1Y/s1600/20140709_083846.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>All fresh & dressed up for the day</u></i></b></td></tr>
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At 7:10 on the car ride home the low back ache continued in a pattern. I was sure at this point that this was the start of labor and it wasn't going to go away. So I text the parents and let them know. I was pretty sure that tonight was going to be the night. So they said they would get the car seat installed just in case, as soon as they got back to the hotel. At 7:20 I text again saying that I was still trying to figure out if this was it or not. At this point I was back on my toilette feeling the effects of the castor oil... and then it happened. I felt a pop in my stomach and a small gush of fluid. Did my water just break? I wasn't sure since I had a VERY high level of amniotic fluid and they warned me it would be a lake, but this was no lake. Maybe I just pee'd. But as soon as I stood up, the flow started. Ok, It definitely broke. So at 7:25 I text the parents once again to let them know, and they jumped in their car to head to the hospital. I also informed my doula that my water had broken and we were heading to the hospital. Now I just needed to figure out how to get off this toilette.</div>
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I called out to my husband to help me out and let him know my water had just broken. Of course he freaked out and instantly wanted to call an ambulance. "No", I told him. We can do this. We just need to get to the hospital which was only 5 minutes down the road. At this point contractions had come on strong and I didn't know how I would do this, but I worked with my breathing and kept telling myself we could do this. I just needed to breathe. At first I tried to use one of my son's diapers to hold the fluid in, but as soon as I stood up it was soaked like I wasn't wearing it at all. Then my girls brought me a beach towel. They were very excited that I was in labor. That is until I had my first contraction in front of them. My oldest daughter who was keeping me company freaked out and ran to the bathroom that my husband was in telling him he needed to get out here right now. Haha! I think I scared her a bit. But I assured her everything was ok. My husband loaded up the car, I jumped in (in between contractions), and we sped off to the hospital. I still hadn't started timing contractions, but I would say they were about 1-2 min apart at this point and very strong.</div>
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We got to the hospital at 8pm and pulled up to the front of the emergency room. Brian grabbed me a wheelchair and we rolled in to meet up with the parents. Now I honestly don't know why I even pre-register if they're still going to ask for my ID and ask me to sign papers when I'm sitting there having contractions every minute. In the end I just couldn't take it anymore and I yelled at them to take me to my room which they finally did. Of course I had to pass another minor detail though. They were taking me to triage to make sure I was actually in labor before taking me to a real room. They asked me to get on a bed and get into a gown, which was easier said than done when I was now having contractions 30 seconds apart. At that point they asked the parents to leave which we tried to fight, but hospital policy said they couldn't be there till we got to our room. I was able to get my pants off and lay in the bed, but that's about as far as we got. I left my tank top on, and just laid the gown over my legs. They checked my dilation and I was complete. Then the urge to push came. As much as they told me to hold it till we got to a room, this baby would not wait. I yelled for them to get the parents, but they said they couldn't. I pushed out the baby's head as I slowly guided her out with my hand, and then the nurses all piled on top of me to try and get the shoulders out. She was a large baby and was not coming out easily, and no doctors were around to assist. Luckily all went well though. At 8:15, Baby P was born measuring in at 9lbs 13.6oz and 21 in long. Wow! That was a whole lot of baby for me!!!! Within minutes we were rolling back out of the triage room and down the hall to our room where the parents met up with us and got to meet their baby. The proud mommy got to do skin to skin time and start breastfeeding the baby right away. It was an amazing end to an amazing journey. Well, almost over...</div>
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My doula did make it after the baby was born. I was sad that we didn't get to have the labor that we had planned together, but so happy that she was there for me afterwards. Because the doctor was not there yet, I had to hold the placenta in for a half hour till she got there. I wasn't having contractions, but there was a lot of pressure, so the guidance of my doula really helped me to breathe through the pressure. Finally the doctor arrived and we got all set up, birthed the placenta around 8:45, checked me for tears which I had none, and we were done! Completely natural without so much as an IV or line put in my arm... just the way I wanted it. My doula was great and massaged my back to ease the after pains, while my husband took some photos of the happy new parents and then my doula took some photos too. She was also able to help Belle and Baby P get started with breastfeeding. It was perfect! After about an hour, the happy new family moved onto the nursery to continue bonding, while I got started on healing and resting in my room. It was quite a different experience not having a baby to take care of, but I think I rather liked all the rest and relaxation that I got.</div>
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The first hours were a bit uncomfortable though. The hospital was completely packed with women giving birth, so there were no rooms open for me to move on to recovery. That meant I got to stay in labor and delivery. Nice big rooms, but the beds aren't the best for an overnight stay. That being said, it was a bit of a rocky night with an hour of sleep here and there. My uterus hurt, my back hurt, and my pelvic bone hurt (same pain from before the birth). But as the night wore on it seemed to get better and better and by 4am I was knocked out in a pretty good sleep. Ahhhhhh! Oh sweet sleep. The next morning I was able to take a shower, put makeup on, and blow dry my hair all nice and curly. Wow! That was a first in all births. Normally I'm so tired and out of it that I just wait till I get home... or a week after that even. Haha! I will say that I flooded out the whole bathroom taking my shower though. Hmmmm... someone needs to talk to the architect about that one. I even got to put on that super cute hospital gown I got from <a href="http://www.birthdaysuitmaternity.com/" target="_blank">Birth Day Suit Maternity</a>. I may not have been able to wear it for the birth, but at least I looked great for the day after! Belle and Adam came to visit me in my room a few times that day. They even brought me a cute little hospital goodie bag full of yummy treats, champagne, and relaxing body products. Thanks Belle & Adam! My family and in-laws also came to visit me, as well as another friend, and a group of surrogates that were so sweet to come by and say hi. My stay wasn't long though. The hospital needed the bed, so I was released a good 5 hours early. Yay! Time to relax at home.</div>
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Being home has been so nice. The first few days were a bit achy, but relaxing on my couch and bed was so much better than in a hospital. I've been enjoying all the well wishes from friends and family, and even got flowers from Brian's boss and from <a href="http://www.circlesurrogacy.com/" target="_blank">Circle Surrogacy</a>. Belle, Adam, & Baby P on the other hand, had to stay one more night. Poor them. They didn't get a room, so they had to stay in the nursery. Unfortunately there is no sleeping or eating in the nursery so needless to say, I'm sure they were VERY tired by the time they got to leave, and probably a bit hungry too. I don't think they left Baby P's side very often. Finally Thursday evening they too got to head home... or rather back to the hotel. Oh sweet bed! I'm sure they crashed pretty darn fast... before Baby P woke them up again. Haha! And so it begins.</div>
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On Saturday Brian, the kids, and I all went to visit the happy new family at their hotel. Of course we came bearing food and couldn't wait to see how they were all doing. Besides being extremely sleep deprived (aren't all new parents), it looked like they were doing great. The whole room was set up like a home away from home, and Baby P was sleeping so soundly the whole time we were there. Such a cutie!!!!! We even got some great group pictures before heading out to let the new family rest some more. I wish I could post them here for you all to see, but for now, I know that I'll hold them in my heart forever.</div>
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Sunday I made another stop by to see Belle, Adam, & Baby P with my mother in-law. I must have been totally not paying attention when they talked about this week, because I didn't realize that it would be the last day I would see them. Today they're heading out to San Francisco to finalize some legal work and hop on their flights. Is it really over? Has this journey really come and gone? Oddly enough I'm not a sobbing mess like I thought I would be, but I'm sure when the hormones start kicking in, the realization that it's over will kick in. I know it's not goodbye forever though. They've already planned a trip back to California next February to visit us in Fresno, and then make a trip to Disneyland. Oddly enough, we'd already planned a trip to Disneyland around the same time. So funny! I'm sure time will fly by and well see them once again, but till then... It's been a perfect ending with a perfect little family. Congrats Belle, Adam, and Baby P!!!!! I love you all!!!! </div>
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I was going to post my belly progression on this post, but YouTube isn't liking my music selection. I still need to wait for them to approve my using a song that I did not create. Believe me, you don't want me to sing the song for you. I guarantee that it won't sound as pretty. Haha! I'll post it soon.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-77380008804753707662014-07-07T16:15:00.001-07:002014-07-07T16:15:21.969-07:00Surro Files - 39 Weeks & Waiting, Waiting, Waiting...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVyUDG_DFMlfxGcIGYwlAbBOiGre8NtpMpM5eZQYgtm43T6sO7g6zuRqPYJUzFp2XPwzt-wRJQeO6Q_YUQBGnp8aqtIQTDY4EuWkYgC4aMiwhw4kBUXNNkYJJRyG0ormk77qzmBAolyw/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVyUDG_DFMlfxGcIGYwlAbBOiGre8NtpMpM5eZQYgtm43T6sO7g6zuRqPYJUzFp2XPwzt-wRJQeO6Q_YUQBGnp8aqtIQTDY4EuWkYgC4aMiwhw4kBUXNNkYJJRyG0ormk77qzmBAolyw/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="342" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The Bun</b><br />
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This week the baby is about the size of a watermelon (20 inches) and 7.25 pounds. Ack!!!! That's way too big for my belly. Haha! As baby prepares to join the outside world, they are continuing to build a layer of fat and slough off the outer layers of skin. The vernix and lanugo are nearly completely gone although you may see some traces of it after birth. The placenta is also still hard at work providing critical antibodies to help protect the baby from infections in the outside world. Although, if breastfed, the baby will get many of his needed antibodies from breastmilk.<br />
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<b>The Oven</b><br />
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This oven is about to burst, but the door doesn't seem to want to open. Sheesh! Someone call a locksmith!!! I know we're still 6 days away from our due date, but everyone swore I would not last this long. Guess I showed them unfortunately. Haha! I'm trying to cook the perfect souffle, and you just can't rush perfection. Well, that's normally my motto anyways, but more about that in just a minute. First I'd like to talk feet. Yes, those babies are more like tanks right now. Gah! I hope they don't take long to go back to normal after the birth. It's actually getting a bit uncomfortable to walk at times. I can feel the pressure building up slowly and by the end of the day they are done.<br />
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b><br />
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Lots going on this week!!!! Or should I say not going on this week. Depends on how you look at it. Haha! Well, Adam headed out on a flight to California on Wednesday while I had my next OB appointment and NST to monitor the baby. Belle wasn't able to make it this time because she fell victim to the horrible heat of Fresno, CA. Yep, she got heat stroke walking around town. Boo! She's feeling better now, but I'm sure that was no fun. So I trekked it to the appointment alone. I was a good solid 4 cm dilated at that point!! Ack! This baby is going to just fall out!!! They're doing great though. The NST went well and baby is tolerating life on the inside just fine, even with the three contractions I had during that time span. At this point I just wanted to speed up the process a bit. I figured Adam would be here in a few hours, so we might as well give nature a push. I had my nurse midwife sweep my membranes. Not so bad. It hurt just a little. Then I was on my way.<br />
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Well, contractions picked up pretty quickly after that and I freaked out. Ack!!!! Adam's still in the air and my doctor isn't on call till this weekend. Maybe the sweep was a bad idea. So I went to pick up the girls, went shopping at Target, picked up my hospital gown, and then went straight home to relax. I didn't want this to happen today. Took me the whole rest of the day to get the contractions to slow down to a halt. I just basically vegged on the couch. Now I'm thinking that was a mistake...<br />
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The next day I woke up to bloody show and lots of mucus plus all day (sorry if you didn't want to know that). I thought for sure today was the day!!!! I was having some contractions as well, but not a ton. But Thursday came and went... and so did the 4th of July... and so did Saturday... and so did Sunday... Yep, we're still here waiting. Maybe I should have walked it out on Wednesday. Oh well. No looking back now.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>4th of July with my Kiddos</b></i></u></td></tr>
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Saturday night my doula came over to my house. OMG! It was heaven!!!! We talked for awhile about the birth first. My fears, concerns, how I saw things going, and things like that. Then she gave me a massage with some essential oils, did lots of acupressure, worked some rebozo magic on me, and left me feeling refreshed and relaxed. Oh so nice!!!!!! I can't wait to pamper other mommies to be like this. Did I tell you all that I opened up my own doula business this past week??? Yes!!!! It's officially open. You can check out my <a href="http://www.loveandlaborbirths.com/p/welcome.html" target="_blank">Love & Labor Birth Services web page</a> or "like" <a href="https://www.facebook.com/loveandlaborbirths" target="_blank">Love & Labor on Facebook</a>. I'm so excited about it!!!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>My doula and I doing rebozo work.</b></i></u></td></tr>
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But back to waiting for baby. Bell, Adam, and I went to see the movie "Tammy" on Sunday. It was so funny. I think baby thought they were missing out because I had a lot of contractions during it. They wanted to burst out so they could see what was going on. Haha! Contractions stopped after the movie though. Boo!!!<br />
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This morning we had another OB appointment. Bell, Adam, and I all went to this one. We got to listen to the heartbeat (sounded great!!), measured my belly (2 weeks ahead at 41 weeks), checked dilation (4-5 cm), and did another membrane sweep. We also talked induction. Adam needs to head home for a bit on Sunday and we don't want him to miss the birth or not get much time to bond with baby. Now when I say head home for a bit... I mean all the way back to the UK. Not just down the street. So we scheduled to be induced on Saturday. My doctor will be there and Adam will be there. Then we got home and realized this just won't work. Adam would only get a day to bond, plus my doula's husband is flying in that day after not seeing him for months. If we're going to schedule this, might as well make it work for everyone. So I just called back and hopefully they can get us in on Wednesday or Thursday. Eeeeek!!!!! So soon!!!! Now normally I'm totally against induction for scheduling purposes. I strongly believe that a baby will come when they are meant to and I think that induction just leads to problems in labor... but at the same time, I can't imagine a daddy not being there when their baby is born or having to leave so soon afterwards. So we'll break my water and hope that gets things moving. <br />
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To tell you the truth, I'm trying really hard to get things going before then. I went to the store and bought an enema. Yep, more horrible information for you all. I've never done one before and let me tell you, it's not an awesome experience. Not horrible, but definitely different. Unfortunately I still don't feel like anything is happening, so I might make another trip to the store for castor oil. Yep, I'm that desperate at this point. I guess we'll see what happens.</div>
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<b>The Chefs</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Belle and Adam are waiting patiently for the big day. They're getting things prepared, legal work squared away, and just trying to enjoy their days together before 2 becomes 3. Unfortunately they ran into a little stress along the way. Their poor dog is having problems. He can't walk well, and has a lump that might be cancer. That's why Adam needs to head back. He needs to get his dog in to get an MRI to check things out and then he'll be back to help with the baby. Belle will be staying here though and they've been trying to set up for her sister to join her during Adam's leave. So much to think about! Who knew this would all come down at the same time.</span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>July 8th</b> - Monitoring Appt.</u></i> - NST & Ultrasound to measure amniotic fluid.<br />
<u style="font-style: italic;"><b>July 9th-12th</b> - Induction</u> - It's not set in stone yet, but we will be inducing this week.<br />
<u style="font-style: italic;"><b>July 13th</b> - DUE DATE!!!!</u> - Adam heads back home<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-15539665656866460912014-07-03T07:51:00.000-07:002014-07-03T07:51:27.021-07:00Stylish Labor & Delivery Hospital Gown... Check!!!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcwR4djqUq3x7xpVYoRwOhyphenhyphenuSYFokkoZXv5H54ASzymJx0R0IHJycrHaGGLIq0Js1LjcGgsRDRKOhDAYXdpX-sLbEtJmW0r-lIF6bbPk9X0j9KvXngPDzJkv6mHt9CgTKCz7AFi48sAM/s1600/_DSC0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Birth Day Suits Maternity Hospital Gown" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcwR4djqUq3x7xpVYoRwOhyphenhyphenuSYFokkoZXv5H54ASzymJx0R0IHJycrHaGGLIq0Js1LjcGgsRDRKOhDAYXdpX-sLbEtJmW0r-lIF6bbPk9X0j9KvXngPDzJkv6mHt9CgTKCz7AFi48sAM/s1600/_DSC0022.JPG" height="400" title="Birth Day Suits Maternity Hospital Gown" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Dressed & Ready For The Big Birth Day!</b></i></u></td></tr>
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Today I'm 38-1/2 weeks into our surrogacy journey. Yep! This baby will be here very soon. I've never went a full 40 weeks with any of my children, and I don't expect to with this one either. Yesterday we even had an OB appointment. I'm already 4cm dilated and had my membranes swept. Baby's mommy has been here a week getting everything ready, and daddy just arrived on a plane all the way from the UK. My bags are packed (almost), and we're registered at the hospital. We are so ready to go!!!! ... almost...</div>
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Ever since our doctor appointment yesterday I've been contracting on and off, and you know what was on my mind? You would probably think excitement for the big day (yes, that was there). You might think worry since the baby's daddy wouldn't be here for a few more hours (yep, I was thinking that too). You might think disappointment since my doctor won't be on call till Friday (you'd be right again). All those things were running through my head. What was running through my head the most though? You might laugh, but I was thinking "No! Not yet. I still have to go pick up my super cute hospital gown!!!!" </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3g-nUsL0tppqMbCnNtI1k5143xlJWuApYnqIZjzKz5ZshUPymhqWbczKj8R04ETYD_qRB35sisROD9H0-Bqd-LJtB-qqBzIr-8za0M3SKOhYVr1OxdSVqC5VCyc95WDPDQZuUzFocCIg/s1600/_DSC0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Love the comfort of this birthing gown!" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3g-nUsL0tppqMbCnNtI1k5143xlJWuApYnqIZjzKz5ZshUPymhqWbczKj8R04ETYD_qRB35sisROD9H0-Bqd-LJtB-qqBzIr-8za0M3SKOhYVr1OxdSVqC5VCyc95WDPDQZuUzFocCIg/s1600/_DSC0004.JPG" height="320" title="Love the comfort of this birthing gown!" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Yep, this gown is birth ball approved!</b></i></u></td></tr>
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It was a decision I had made just this week. Sure, the regular hospital gowns are fine and dandy, but I've done that style 3 times now. Back in February, this baby's mommy told me I should dress up for the occasion and wear whatever I want to. Comfortable, glam, toned down, or dressed up... why not try something new? I thought about it for months, but didn't really look for or purchase anything. I even thought about sewing something for awhile, but being as busy as I am, that wasn't going to happen. I even saw that another friend of mine had a pretty dress that she had made up just for the occasion. Then this week I decided to check out what was available online. I found a few sites, and then remembered that a local doula and her daughter also made maternity hospital gowns. Bonus! I love working with local businesses. As soon as I checked out the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BirthDaySuits">Birth Day Suits</a> website I knew I just had to have one!!! So many to choose from though. How would I ever choose in such a short amount of time? Luckily the company is local, so I headed over there yesterday to try on a few and instantly fell in love with one the second I tried it on. It was magic!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4jp7jylHfm6ZQZkAH6u3uiu9tBjouFviWqjrtYpSH49Q2ZxAxBISg4wQIbZDZOOrEpoUITZQRuB-S-nc_mKsc506kPoieZGbLZjgS4JowCiueRNNrykPAmXoayXQ7KvtDYiVLLJjQ6c/s1600/_DSC0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Labor and deliver gown has snap straps and an accent bow" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4jp7jylHfm6ZQZkAH6u3uiu9tBjouFviWqjrtYpSH49Q2ZxAxBISg4wQIbZDZOOrEpoUITZQRuB-S-nc_mKsc506kPoieZGbLZjgS4JowCiueRNNrykPAmXoayXQ7KvtDYiVLLJjQ6c/s1600/_DSC0023.JPG" height="320" title="Labor and deliver gown has snap straps and an accent bow" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Nifty little snap down straps</b></i></u></td></tr>
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I chose a beautiful black and white chevron dress in their Piper dress style. It was no easy task though. They have tons of fabric options and 8 gown styles that all look amazing! I love how functional they are too. For those that want something easy to get on and off, adjustable, plus easy access in case you need an epidural, the back crosses over and is secured with ties like a standard maternity gown. For those that want to breastfeed, there are also snaps on the shoulder straps for easy access when breastfeeding. I won't be breastfeeding, but I will be pumping in order to get all the benefits of breastfeeding. And you can't ignore all the style that comes with this gown. I love the pleated neckline, the pretty accent trim at the bottom, and the satin ribbon that you can tie just under your breasts. That's my favorite part. So much more flattering when you can accentuate the belly, although I hear some women tie the ribbon in their hair and leave the dress flowing. </div>
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So now I'm officially ready for the big day!!!! I can't wait for it to come. Mommy and Daddy are here, I'm packed and ready to roll, and I have my gown ready for the ball (can you tell I'm watching Cinderella right now with that reference?). Let's get this party started!!... soon. Still waiting for my doctor to go on call. Come on Friday!</div>
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If you want more information about how you too can get one of these awesome gowns, check out their official <a href="http://www.birthdaysuitmaternity.com/" target="_blank">Birth Day Suit Maternity website</a>, or browse some of the dresses they currently have up on their <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BirthDaySuits" target="_blank">Birth Day Suit Maternity Etsy Page</a>. You know you want one!</div>
The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-36840938524112229942014-06-30T13:25:00.000-07:002014-06-30T21:56:09.092-07:00Surro Files - 38 Weeks & Belle is Here!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtjTKq-h2wX5x8GMi6OAEWQtZr4uIBOq2_2oLUfvPRvF6xiyeTzBIhb1Q98_PzOEIm_zU1OdzEYIcL2KemszuXorfzluLZ3FNoLz2ogjapDYqLOL1O6ckXTQsKsaz5IqP9wa9oZHs33Y/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtjTKq-h2wX5x8GMi6OAEWQtZr4uIBOq2_2oLUfvPRvF6xiyeTzBIhb1Q98_PzOEIm_zU1OdzEYIcL2KemszuXorfzluLZ3FNoLz2ogjapDYqLOL1O6ckXTQsKsaz5IqP9wa9oZHs33Y/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="342" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The Bun</b><br />
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This week the baby is about the size of a pumpkin (19.75 inches) and 6.8 pounds. Although the baby is full term with fully functioning organs, their brain and nervous system will continue to develop well into childhood and their teen years.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZnKwRM1RJcoDJuExL4024n9x3IqqYuU8m2uhQuIhnHtaXHUVpjPEdZpPmrc3UCAB_VIMRCmRcOeorURuIjVBks1mqgBN8PyH_xrKdOtfLHINdgOmIhibG_jMb0iTYM0a979gF6BO2H8/s1600/pumpkin.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZnKwRM1RJcoDJuExL4024n9x3IqqYuU8m2uhQuIhnHtaXHUVpjPEdZpPmrc3UCAB_VIMRCmRcOeorURuIjVBks1mqgBN8PyH_xrKdOtfLHINdgOmIhibG_jMb0iTYM0a979gF6BO2H8/s1600/pumpkin.gif" /></a></div>
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<b>The Oven</b><br />
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Big, Big, Big!!!! Haha! That's my usual update isn't it? Not only is my tummy big, but my feet are too. Darn swelling! The only time I've had swelling before was with Riley, and that was just the last week of pregnancy. It doesn't hurt, but it does feel weird walking when your ankles have rolls and your toes are all smooshed together.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhxbgluwFuT3cH2OLlrNUSpzJWRbJSoPz5Rf3NQMSl8aUL0mjiW_9wdYSuUoFdM6p13h-3h_Oe6ybQLe_Kqvm70Jzvn-wAlLAr83uyoBey8MHznRitJ32Ih30tATbU2mjsSjmTszahQA/s1600/2014-06-30+13.11.12_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPhxbgluwFuT3cH2OLlrNUSpzJWRbJSoPz5Rf3NQMSl8aUL0mjiW_9wdYSuUoFdM6p13h-3h_Oe6ybQLe_Kqvm70Jzvn-wAlLAr83uyoBey8MHznRitJ32Ih30tATbU2mjsSjmTszahQA/s1600/2014-06-30+13.11.12_resized.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>My super swollen feet. So sexy!</u></i></b> <b><i><u>Ankle bones are over rated.</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCxM-U-Q5J9a2SOvSt7k2H2z1elFtGrdaeF6fULXMkfMLNvWQV8-qRZehs0uOLaiwQQPVdZnnr9WnAt3qvR0_CvXzpD1Ff77sQ1kqVRnr-78uFwnmYgkA5TZNC8e7d8Q6wRu7IAVIaE0/s1600/38w+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Surrogate pregnant belly at 38 weeks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBCxM-U-Q5J9a2SOvSt7k2H2z1elFtGrdaeF6fULXMkfMLNvWQV8-qRZehs0uOLaiwQQPVdZnnr9WnAt3qvR0_CvXzpD1Ff77sQ1kqVRnr-78uFwnmYgkA5TZNC8e7d8Q6wRu7IAVIaE0/s1600/38w+1.JPG" height="266" title="Surrogate pregnant belly at 38 weeks" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b><br />
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Belle is here!!!!! Not without a few plane troubles as usual, but she's finally here. I feel bad that traveling to California gives her bad luck every time. This time her flight was cancelled, but luckily she was able to catch another one later that night, just in time for our doctor appointment the next day.<br />
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After only sleeping about 3 hours, Belle was at our house bright and early to help me load up all the baby stuff that she had shipped to my house. It was like Christmas morning with lots of gifts piled high in my trunk, ready for her to unpack and get ready for the big day. That would all have to wait though. First, we had a date to see her little munchkin on ultrasound at our OB appt. My girls came with us to the appointment. They were pretty excited to go see what this little baby is looking like these days. They finally called us back to do the ultrasound, but it was awhile before they would show us actual baby pictures. First up was measuring the baby and amniotic fluid. Well, turns out I have a lot of fluid and a fairly normal size baby at around (8 pounds right now). Not too bad. Linc was 8lbs 4oz when he was born. Let's hope baby doesn't grow too much more, but in most cases these measurements are overestimated anyways. Finally they got to the good stuff! Hello baby!!!! Well, it looks like Belle and Adam are expecting the cutest baby ever with the biggest cheeks that you ever did see! Seriously cute!!!! I just want to pinch them... softly of course. Haha! We got some great 3D pictures, but unfortunately the video didn't come out as great this time. Boo! Belle was in love with all the cute pictures and we just can't wait for the big day to get here. After the ultrasound we had our OB appointment. They weren't going to check dilation, but I asked them to. So after all the checks here's what we're looking at... I'm 151 pounds (gah! passed that magic number I didn't want to pass), good blood pressure, and no protein in urine. Baby's heartbeat was in the 120's - 130's, and my belly is measuring about 2 - 3 weeks ahead still, but it always is. So as far as improvement... I'm now 3-4cm dilated and super soft!!!!! Yep! We're getting closer. I'll be halfway done by the time we get into labor. I'm still thick and baby is still fairly high, but those things could change in a flash. We're still waiting on Group B Strep test results too. Hope I'm negative. (Update: I'm negative. Yay!) I'm also swelling a bit in my feet. They don't look like crazy big, but if you press in on them, the dent stays there for quite a long time. Oh well, not much longer!!! Overall a great appointment! Belle couldn't be happier. She's going to have a baby soon!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMv0to4Rj9xgJnjLc0YYKhvnoZbZ-BRnhNS7NuU2OrZwkVehltZcWClXTHFNpic2ZgmIbr7cbvqSXuOc5C7Ga_MdewNuLmQOsxGKYORsLGzWla78Ykz1mCVXuMOqM7a_sOKulT4L4HcI/s1600/20140626_185413_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMv0to4Rj9xgJnjLc0YYKhvnoZbZ-BRnhNS7NuU2OrZwkVehltZcWClXTHFNpic2ZgmIbr7cbvqSXuOc5C7Ga_MdewNuLmQOsxGKYORsLGzWla78Ykz1mCVXuMOqM7a_sOKulT4L4HcI/s1600/20140626_185413_resized.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Well the next day my doctor's office called me. They reviewed the ultrasound and there were some concerns. I didn't get to talk with the doctor, but from what I gather, they are concerned about how much amniotic fluid I have. My amniotic level is 25, and that puts me into the category of having <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polyhydramnios/basics/definition/CON-20034451" target="_blank">Polyhydramnios</a>. I have a lot of the symptoms... shortness of breath, swelling of lower extremities (especially my feet and vulva), and a large tummy of course. That being said, they're ordering 2 ultrasounds a week to measure the fluid levels and at the same time we'll be doing nonstress tests on the baby to see how they are doing (basically just monitoring their heartbeat for 20 min). Our first one is today actually. I'll jump back on here and update before I post this. In most cases Polyhydramnios is pretty mild and doesn't cause problems, so I'm not too concerned, but at the same time I want the best for Belle and Adam's baby. Hoping all keeps going well and we see this little angel very soon.<br />
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Well, I'm back from our first NST & Ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid. Looks like my fluid level went up again. We're now at a 30. Boo! The nurse midwife said everything looks ok, but if my water breaks it'll be a disaster flood zone. Just thought I'd warn anyone that might be hanging out around me for the next two weeks. Maybe I should wear a sign that says "Flood Zone". Seems like a good idea to me. After the ultrasound we did the Nonstress Test (NST). I basically just sat in a cushy recliner while they hooked me up to a heart rate monitor and a contraction monitor (just like when in the hospital). Belle, her friend, and Linc were with me, so we got to listen to baby for a good 45 min before they finally unhooked me. Wednesday we'll get to do it all over again. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHm7PVDI8B7AGEkFLsMT0tpHIqozgKwK9TKm5RXBdqRMsUokURZbaRhdqfyG3QhDaJJYSjqxHnQg7WPnq-8dOgcUvn4NL2DMZyv56ZPw6MdEsvYjxAVQjWYthjceSN0DG18l7QO0a7Sno/s1600/20140630_100806_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHm7PVDI8B7AGEkFLsMT0tpHIqozgKwK9TKm5RXBdqRMsUokURZbaRhdqfyG3QhDaJJYSjqxHnQg7WPnq-8dOgcUvn4NL2DMZyv56ZPw6MdEsvYjxAVQjWYthjceSN0DG18l7QO0a7Sno/s1600/20140630_100806_resized.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>Linc and I at the NST</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Chefs </b><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Belle is here!!!!! She's been working on getting everything set up for the big day. Lots of shopping, shopping, shopping. Her best friend is here too, so I'm sure they're having lots of fun waiting for the big day. Adam will be here Wednesday, then it's on! We're officially on the lookout for the big day to come.</span></span></span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>June 30th</b> - Monitoring Appt.</u></i> - NST & Ultrasound to measure amniotic fluid.<br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - 38 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit plus an NST<br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - Adam Gets Here</u></i> - Adam gets here to wait it out for the big day. We're all ready to go!<br />
<i><u><b>July 7th</b> - Monitoring Appt.</u></i> - NST & Ultrasound to measure amniotic fluid.<br />
<i><u><b>July 12th</b> - 40 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit. We will NOT make it to this appointment! Haha!<br />
<i><u><b>July 13th</b> - DUE DATE!!!!</u></i><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some
of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to
protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-80184374628616510342014-06-23T12:20:00.003-07:002014-06-23T12:20:53.588-07:00Surro Files - 37 Weeks And Dilated!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwJt1j86XwgskyKYltKVaVRiu-K2FuJXuf5r_QS-w2OtI6HN91V5iRGG_qCriwCl90WJwX8a4xJf1thXtMVivBddfVNYx1KMwpnyR2tQKgp-BmNjq1zaxSObKpk_lXETIbi9LOyv930E/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwJt1j86XwgskyKYltKVaVRiu-K2FuJXuf5r_QS-w2OtI6HN91V5iRGG_qCriwCl90WJwX8a4xJf1thXtMVivBddfVNYx1KMwpnyR2tQKgp-BmNjq1zaxSObKpk_lXETIbi9LOyv930E/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="342" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The Bun</b><br />
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Baby is now about the size of swiss chard (19.25 inches) and 6.3 pounds. For those of you who think that swiss chard is a type of cheese, you are not alone. I looked for swiss chard in the cheese isle for days, before I Googled it and realized it was a vegetable. Haha! Silly me. This week baby is now considered full term!!! That means all of the baby's organs should be fully developed and prepared for the outside world.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhIWcEBDlBhArTCgtGmq6gsp0FIsXRcIIpNpyb-UAY2gZ8orlLu_uuDSbDPnty0jvORol8zWOmJlc2H-z_e-dBpCEJ6sK1FY9UWfFNT9u3TT4vY5dR5AV_Iy56NpD6Y9sklojF81cT8Q/s1600/gigantic-swiss-chard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHhIWcEBDlBhArTCgtGmq6gsp0FIsXRcIIpNpyb-UAY2gZ8orlLu_uuDSbDPnty0jvORol8zWOmJlc2H-z_e-dBpCEJ6sK1FY9UWfFNT9u3TT4vY5dR5AV_Iy56NpD6Y9sklojF81cT8Q/s1600/gigantic-swiss-chard.jpg" height="400" width="366" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>Baby is the size of swiss chard. Haha! Ok, maybe not this big.</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Oven</b><br />
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The oven is trying to hang on. Only 3 more weeks... Or less!!! I've changed my sleeping arrangement once again. I still can't sleep on my side. Believe me, I've tried. I want to soooooooo bad, and so I have caved in a few times and just said, the pain I'd have the next day would be worth it. Well, the last time I tried, the pain was so not worth it. I was in pain the whole day, vs just the first 10 min of the day like usual. So no more side sleeping for me. Sitting up wasn't working well either though. I'd stay up for hours sometimes just trying to get some sleep. Well, now I do reclined back sleeping. I basically prop my biggest pillows behind me and recline back so my blood flow is still good, but I'm not sitting all the way up. It's not too bad. I still want to roll over on my side, but I really try not to. As little as 10 min on my side puts me in pain for awhile. Boo!</div>
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My poor little feet are also swollen. It used to just be when I went on long trips, but ever since my last trip, they just haven't went back down. I wouldn't say they're marshmallow feet by any means, but for me they're pretty big.</div>
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Lastly, this little cutie is riding pretty darn low now. They're always sitting on my bladder if not punching it at the same time. Good times. Haha! I'm still in good spirits most of the time though. I'm ready for the end, but I can last a few more weeks if I have to. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutlGl1YZpu14u3w9dQErT6Mutl-woUQgn0HCPM5USwIQN_BVxJMjXi7rJCBKQSZe1upZJr2nv0uI1D2gocoy-VDXI1-HJbMToPoEtnNSdntXDkwFiTVXohG1BdTvHsWQxaW01mHN6kWQ/s1600/20140621_173009_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutlGl1YZpu14u3w9dQErT6Mutl-woUQgn0HCPM5USwIQN_BVxJMjXi7rJCBKQSZe1upZJr2nv0uI1D2gocoy-VDXI1-HJbMToPoEtnNSdntXDkwFiTVXohG1BdTvHsWQxaW01mHN6kWQ/s1600/20140621_173009_resized.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b><br />
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This week we had our 36 week OB appointment. I was so excited for this appointment because I knew that they would most likely check to see if I was dilated or not. I know that it doesn't mean much. After all, a woman that's not dilated at all could go into labor tomorrow and another woman dilated to 3cm could still be pregnant 3 weeks later. Even so, I like to know that my body is doing something and it's gearing up to birth this baby. First up was the weight check. I'm now 147 (my normal weight is about 105 give or take a few pounds). I then peed in my little cup, took my blood pressure, and waited for the nurse midwife. When she got there we did the Group B Strep test (not fun). It's basically checks to see if you have a certain bacteria in your vagina or rectum area that could cause an infection with bad side effects for the baby if it's born vaginally. I've never had it before and fingers crossed I don't have it now. After the test swab, she checked dilation, station, effacement, and all that other good stuff. Well, looks like I'm dilated 2-3 centimeters and very soft!!!! Baby is still high though (-3 or -2) and my cervix is still thick. At first I was pretty darn excited about all the progress, but then I realized that I was dilated this much with my second two children, so I could still go the full 40 weeks. She also checked the baby's heartbeat which is in the 130's as usual and I'm still measuring 2-1/2 - 3 weeks ahead.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1Pg1I9JZfEh5_j4J8SP7P5f7MYtoyyWfX5EahSGRiWLPKMopFj5cP3mc1_bgRn7CiARivSC7TR7-j0H-kHm7pRJmCjuB1pYE-_fBZNuV0elnf2ytvvIVbMYhlYD_7ihtAWIj_aFR9OQ/s1600/20140619_115257_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1Pg1I9JZfEh5_j4J8SP7P5f7MYtoyyWfX5EahSGRiWLPKMopFj5cP3mc1_bgRn7CiARivSC7TR7-j0H-kHm7pRJmCjuB1pYE-_fBZNuV0elnf2ytvvIVbMYhlYD_7ihtAWIj_aFR9OQ/s1600/20140619_115257_resized.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Chefs <i></i></b><div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sorry, no update from Belle this week. I'm sure she's going crazy trying to get ready to come out here. She flies out tomorrow!!!!! She'll be staying over in San Francisco for a night though, so she won't be here till Wednesday. I can only imagine what's going through hers and Adam's minds right now. I know they're still trying to sell the house, so that's a lot to take on. Their dog hurt his leg, so they've been dealing with that all week. Legal work for the pre-birth order still isn't done, so we've been trying to work out some of those kinks. Then after finding out I was dilated already, we were all sent in a tizzy hoping that baby would stay in till the parents got here. Looks like Adam will actually be coming out sooner than shown below, but I kept the date the same till we find out. Belle's friend was also supposed to come out with her for the first week, but she ruptured her eardrum, so that's not going to happen. Luckily her other best friend is going to be able to come out, so they can be excited together getting things ready for baby. So crazy!!! I might only have one more update before this baby is born. </span></span></span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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</div>
<div>
<i><u><b>June 25th</b> - Belle Gets Here</u></i> - Belle gets here to wait it out for the big day. Lots of stuff to do!<br />
<i><u><b>June 26th</b> - 37 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Growth Ultrasound & OB Visit. <br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - 38 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit.<br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - Adam Gets Here</u></i> - Adam gets here to wait it out for the big day. We're all ready to go!<br />
<i><u><b>July 12th</b> - 40 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit. We will NOT make it to this appointment! Haha!<br />
<i><u><b>July 13th</b> - DUE DATE!!!!</u></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some
of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to
protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
</div>
The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-55906949506697416582014-06-16T11:02:00.001-07:002014-06-16T11:02:03.334-07:00Surro Files - 36 Weeks for Father's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclYJnfne0RNxOzKWzY8aYh9l4_H3i5BDEUslLGm4D1qvyeacVj1zDcKgAy81S8GsA-bfCQJM0l5XEzQSiuLX4p8fhjLDIZlwJBDDoYRcvyQOaIcOy8df6OpuUK6L-vWcQTKCU6hgZnRI/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclYJnfne0RNxOzKWzY8aYh9l4_H3i5BDEUslLGm4D1qvyeacVj1zDcKgAy81S8GsA-bfCQJM0l5XEzQSiuLX4p8fhjLDIZlwJBDDoYRcvyQOaIcOy8df6OpuUK6L-vWcQTKCU6hgZnRI/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="342" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The Bun</b><br />
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This week the baby is about the size of a honeydew melon (18.75 inches) and 5.75 pounds. The baby is still gaining weight and becoming rounder in appearance. By the end of this week the baby will be considered full term!!! The presentation of the baby is most likely head down (at least it was at our last doctor visit). For babies that are not, your practitioner may recommend an external cephalic version, a technique to manually manipulate the baby into the head-down position (ouch!!!).</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_LzrRxmoWYaOnw9Tt_GVe1yM8BCwCZFAMvGK1ihVyMLJt6OfIowZ_tdVPDvL_fmwbZ26GQCQj04fYXhcq5gSAWcLUUuJ_mYrItDAlUW7Z_AfnVcacUDN7vn93g0vYjA06rmbWeh39g0/s1600/36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="36 Weeks Pregnancy - Honeydew" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_LzrRxmoWYaOnw9Tt_GVe1yM8BCwCZFAMvGK1ihVyMLJt6OfIowZ_tdVPDvL_fmwbZ26GQCQj04fYXhcq5gSAWcLUUuJ_mYrItDAlUW7Z_AfnVcacUDN7vn93g0vYjA06rmbWeh39g0/s1600/36.jpg" height="400" title="36 Weeks Pregnancy - Honeydew" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>Photo by Belle & Adam</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Oven</b><br />
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Last week I let you know that my oven is breaking down. Sleeping has become quite the challenge. I would wake up each morning not able to walk because my pelvic bone had shifted out of place way too much. Well this week I came up with a new way of sleeping. With the help of 7 different pillows, I now sleep sitting up. I find it kind of hard to stay in this position the whole night, but the nights that I have been able to, I have woke up feeling GREAT!!!! No pain at all. Last night I made the mistake of sleeping laying down again and OMG! That was no good at all. Back to my sitting up position tonight.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6TQrolcF31sODmtEqUYlAukCydX7457yIiF9d4xVjkdqD5pNbpYt3jGmi1aRmKwpZnQ9IyLFlYlMO4uvIqYg-xrLRFD_PWQqS7CmF9_tXGR9nM02Mvv3e3BTnwA-ylEbV-L3_cBuWXw/s1600/2014-06-15+12.51.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pregnant Belly 36 Weeks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6TQrolcF31sODmtEqUYlAukCydX7457yIiF9d4xVjkdqD5pNbpYt3jGmi1aRmKwpZnQ9IyLFlYlMO4uvIqYg-xrLRFD_PWQqS7CmF9_tXGR9nM02Mvv3e3BTnwA-ylEbV-L3_cBuWXw/s1600/2014-06-15+12.51.17.jpg" height="300" title="Pregnant Belly 36 Weeks" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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Compared to most weeks, this week has been a pretty calm week. Well, calm for us at least. Haha!</div>
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First off, I wanted to show you my crazy sleeping nest that I talked about above. I've got two pillows behind me to prop me up. I've got my big noodle pillow which I form into a seat. I have a small pillow behind my lower back. I have one long pillow for me to wrap my legs around. And then I have two big pillows to lay around me as needed or hug until I feel comfortable. Brian likes to make fun of my millions of pillows, but it works, so what are you going to do? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppneUWSnTHSmWXV_P-bNVfkT9Rv1FfrHA4QaACA_qo4c2sTjVFl9VLfyWsW6l1jFr1blbPRhaLkx-SHbOSeW1mZYzECRRrU2RDmFrslD-jTvZuUSu6lAhPN7hpb3dRutJZYbe0fRiuNw/s1600/My+Nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppneUWSnTHSmWXV_P-bNVfkT9Rv1FfrHA4QaACA_qo4c2sTjVFl9VLfyWsW6l1jFr1blbPRhaLkx-SHbOSeW1mZYzECRRrU2RDmFrslD-jTvZuUSu6lAhPN7hpb3dRutJZYbe0fRiuNw/s1600/My+Nest.jpg" height="400" width="371" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>My New Sleeping Nest</u></i></b></td></tr>
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Most of the week I've been working on starting up my new doula business. For those that don't know, a doula is a birth support person that helps a woman physically and emotionally during labor, delivery, and her first hours postpartum. A doula also helps to answer any questions about pregnancy, labor, birth, breastfeeding, and newborns, to the best of her ability. I'm really excited about this new journey and much of my time has been spent this week selecting a business name (Done!), designing a logo (Almost Done!), and working on my website (Under Construction...). I can't wait to show you all the work I've been doing. My goal is to have the website up and running by the 1st of July.</div>
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I also got a massage this week. Oh so nice!!!!!! Ok, I did have a little trouble since like I said above, my body doesn't like laying on its side anymore. I'm sure the masseuse thought I was pretty crazy when it took me forever to roll over and forever to get off that table and dressed afterwards. The massage itself was great though!!!! I scheduled one more before this baby gets here.</div>
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This weekend was Father's Day!!!!! Our girls were camping in Pismo with my in-laws this week, so Brian, Lincoln, and I all drove over to Pismo so we could have a nice Father's Day dinner. The kids were all so excited to give Daddy their gifts. Lincoln painted Brian a little frame that says I Love You Daddy. I did the writing, but he did all the painting himself. Both Reagan and Riley made their gifts at Color Me Mine. Riley painted Brian a football chip and dip tray in the 49'ers colors, and Reagan painted a baseball mug in the Giants colors. I got Brian a 49'ers mug and a Giant's mug (no I didn't paint mine). I think he liked them all. Father's Day success!!!! We then took the girls home and left Linc so he could go camping for awhile. When we got home the girls, Brian, and I all hit up the race track. This was Brian and Reagan's first time racing, but Riley's already a pro. Poor Brian and Reagan came in last, but Riley did pretty good. No racing for me. Boo! Next time I guess. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxXWQ-RZZt4BfX-DYxb0Gl5BSh4U-bb_gP_BAJzhToyvPSuz0mWfOCZPqSobl4vEjcr4ixrVSI2XxxIe8ayJNjEBzWgmJVUp8I_8lsDojL0cKHurfTdbo5fpaDfssu7I-4KmszFUN0N4/s1600/20140615_134640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxXWQ-RZZt4BfX-DYxb0Gl5BSh4U-bb_gP_BAJzhToyvPSuz0mWfOCZPqSobl4vEjcr4ixrVSI2XxxIe8ayJNjEBzWgmJVUp8I_8lsDojL0cKHurfTdbo5fpaDfssu7I-4KmszFUN0N4/s1600/20140615_134640.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>Brian and the girls at the Racetrack for Father's Day.</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">No update from Belle this week. She's been busy busy busy getting ready for the trip out this way, plus her poor doggy just hurt his legs today and can't walk, so she's keeping him company right now. I will say that I've gotten tons of shipments in the mail for Belle, Adam, and their baby though. It's going to be like Christmas when they get here and get to open them all. They will be all set for when baby gets here! Oh, and I got an awesome gift from Belle this week! It's a super cute canvas bag that says Doula on it. I love it!!!! It'll be perfect to carry around to each appointment or delivery. Thanks!!!!</span></span></span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<div>
<i><u><b>June 19th</b> - 36 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit.<br />
<i><u><b>June 24th</b> - Belle Gets Here</u></i> - Belle gets here to wait it out for the big day. Lots of stuff to do!<br />
<i><u><b>June 26th</b> - 37 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Growth Ultrasound & OB Visit. <br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - 38 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit.<br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - Adam Gets Here</u></i> - Adam gets here to wait it out for the big day. We're all ready to go!<br />
<i><u><b>July 12th</b> - 40 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit. We will NOT make it to this appointment! Haha!<br />
<i><u><b>July 13th</b> - DUE DATE!!!!</u></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: start;">
<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some
of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to
protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
</div>
The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-74573238044180752162014-06-09T09:53:00.003-07:002014-06-09T09:53:53.837-07:00Surro Files - 35 Weeks At My Sister's Baby Shower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikh_bXKKiL_YL6DK6DXCbuK1AyP-NzqU6oo9aI2L3GK7qK3HhC79cfoDXaJfpV8evPpLT7akJkCSAHluNKFCDKbE9mqlHhrE44iF9-q0-FMcH_TnjMWTDIkeIP7vQu_JiU8ka33lXBtrw/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikh_bXKKiL_YL6DK6DXCbuK1AyP-NzqU6oo9aI2L3GK7qK3HhC79cfoDXaJfpV8evPpLT7akJkCSAHluNKFCDKbE9mqlHhrE44iF9-q0-FMcH_TnjMWTDIkeIP7vQu_JiU8ka33lXBtrw/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="342" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The Bun</b><br />
Baby is about the size of a coconut (18 inches) and 5.25 pounds. At this point all of the baby's major organs should be nearly complete. Baby's kidneys are completely developed and the liver is functional and capable of processing waste products.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSVVC0-aJpIfDF8VJxC0OQ40UpY_qM2Nq9JG7g0DAlhgp-pKKhBT7i654nlzhtd5qrS-LfECaua1dEX25puelEjQUXurRl2CjzJgo6gLHK6AyyAbqHjf9IRBgxXhwXTnBY_DNQB1ip2Y/s1600/35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="35 Weeks Pregnancy Coconut" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSVVC0-aJpIfDF8VJxC0OQ40UpY_qM2Nq9JG7g0DAlhgp-pKKhBT7i654nlzhtd5qrS-LfECaua1dEX25puelEjQUXurRl2CjzJgo6gLHK6AyyAbqHjf9IRBgxXhwXTnBY_DNQB1ip2Y/s1600/35.jpg" height="400" title="35 Weeks Pregnancy Coconut" width="282" /></a></div>
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<b>The Oven</b><br />
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Growing.... Growing.... Growing.... Haha! Doing well with the baby oven till this weekend. This weekend by pelvic pain kicked it up a notch. I'm not sure what happened. I could barely sleep with the pain and to say I had difficulty getting out of bed and walking to the restroom in the morning would be an understatement. Let's just hope this change is temporary. Maybe I slept wrong? Not sure, but it's totally not cool. At least we're in the home stretch, so if the feeling is here to stay then we only have a month to go anyways. I can tough it out that long. I might just need to stretch it out a bit more. We'll see if that works.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodPPeq93lFWolBpT6z5fY18YO0buavDMi03yJed3oO3GWgEow8Gt-qhYFp5pWrHhg3exVIjogaLqI_LHF6heycPcJwpoXrXW_yOb7_NccRTxLF9O4Gg6iAULA3LDB1QnhhQOLcJ_fAX0/s1600/20140607_141220_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="34 Weeks Pregnant Belly" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodPPeq93lFWolBpT6z5fY18YO0buavDMi03yJed3oO3GWgEow8Gt-qhYFp5pWrHhg3exVIjogaLqI_LHF6heycPcJwpoXrXW_yOb7_NccRTxLF9O4Gg6iAULA3LDB1QnhhQOLcJ_fAX0/s1600/20140607_141220_resized.jpg" height="225" title="34 Weeks Pregnant Belly" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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This week was my daughters' last week of school. Lots of busy busy fun as they got ready for summer. Movie days, Olympic Day, Party Days, and the Talent Show. The Talent Show was the best part of all. My girls performed the song "Let It Go" from Frozen, with their friend. They did great!!! I was so proud of them for getting up in front of the whole school to sing and they were proud of themselves. I also got them all set up for summer school. Looks like they'll be taking Ballet, Book Writing, & Edible Art. Sounds like lots of fun to me. Hope they like it!</div>
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As for me... I had another OB appointment on Thursday. I gained 3 pounds in 2 weeks which was not awesome, but not horribly bad. At least the nurse didn't say it was bad. Most importantly, baby is doing great. Heartbeat was in the 130's - 140's as usual and belly was measuring about 2-3 weeks ahead. Because I'm still measuring ahead, it looks like we're going to do another growth ultrasound to make sure baby isn't too big. The nurse did feel the head and thought it felt pretty small so she's not worried we have a big baby on our hands, but we're going to check just to make sure. Yay for another peek at baby, and Belle will be here for that visit!!!! Perfect timing!!!</div>
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This weekend I made my last trip out of town. I drove 6 hours down to Southern California for my sister's baby shower. I still can't believe she's due only a week after Belle's baby and I can't wait to see my new baby nephew! She had a Lil' Mister Baby Shower, complete with lots of mustaches to go around. I didn't throw the actual party because it would have been just too hard being as far along as I am, but I did help out with a few things. I created a photo booth with lots of little props for guests to take pictures with, I made a baby shower sign, and I took pictures for the event. It was lots of fun and everyone had a great time!!! I still can't believe that the next time I see my sister she will either be in labor, or have a baby (depending on if I make it there in time for the birth or not).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEisho4FnhnIlNzrr2AcsrtZWIgvUBJqp4r-5caECiNUVOSg8sfgsKG6a3boG8NB0lLIPyLoWeOoiEAlR6ZQkQF7Crentv1Fq5E1WdJpRWW6F8h8nohUhbw9TIOwXZeKgH5-R5x21qNqY/s1600/Party.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mustache Baby Shower" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEisho4FnhnIlNzrr2AcsrtZWIgvUBJqp4r-5caECiNUVOSg8sfgsKG6a3boG8NB0lLIPyLoWeOoiEAlR6ZQkQF7Crentv1Fq5E1WdJpRWW6F8h8nohUhbw9TIOwXZeKgH5-R5x21qNqY/s1600/Party.jpg" height="480" title="Mustache Baby Shower" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cQniaHadjT6GdjHdtHTxeTtSpI-9llqljGiLRzVWvCBlWuDA70xu9p60mJ2G4QA8IWxki7PnsMK0a4jJSL_vThfrvE3zmNt1uFnlPgi9ge3OM7ZgMM6SrRfmArM0LbcJkrCGrl6qUxg/s1600/Photo+Booth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mustache Baby Shower Photo Booth" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cQniaHadjT6GdjHdtHTxeTtSpI-9llqljGiLRzVWvCBlWuDA70xu9p60mJ2G4QA8IWxki7PnsMK0a4jJSL_vThfrvE3zmNt1uFnlPgi9ge3OM7ZgMM6SrRfmArM0LbcJkrCGrl6qUxg/s1600/Photo+Booth.jpg" height="534" title="Mustache Baby Shower Photo Booth" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<![endif]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">"This
week was full of more fun baby stuff! We got the: car seat, crib, stroller,
bottles, diaper bag, and many more little items all shipped out! We also got
another gift sent out to Chana- hopefully it arrives and comes in handy. This
week, I was also able to change my flight, and will now be arriving a day
earlier. The time cant come soon enough, I'm getting very anxious waiting
around here!!!" - <i>Belle</i></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>June 19th</b> - 36 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit.<br />
<i><u><b>June 24th</b> - Belle Gets Here</u></i> - Belle gets here to wait it out for the big day. Lots of stuff to do!<br />
<i><u><b>June 26th</b> - 37 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Growth Ultrasound & OB Visit. <br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - 38 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit.<br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - Adam Gets Here</u></i> - Adam gets here to wait it out for the big day. We're all ready to go!<br />
<i><u><b>July 12th</b> - 40 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit. We will NOT make it to this appointment! Haha!<br />
<i><u><b>July 13th</b> - DUE DATE!!!!</u></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some
of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to
protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
</div>
The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-73211304337346797042014-06-04T09:20:00.000-07:002014-06-04T09:20:10.862-07:00Mickey & Minnie Mouse Book Baby Shower<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Ok, it's been almost a month since the baby shower and I'm finally getting around to doing a formal post about it. I'm sure most of you know that I'm a surrogate, carrying a baby for a wonderful couple that has been wanting a baby for so long. Well the big day is almost here and to celebrate I decided to throw the mommy to be a baby shower. Since she knows the sex of the baby, but the daddy does not, I decided to make the party gender neutral with both Mickey and Minnie instead of just one or the other. It actually worked out great that way and I love the way it all came together. I also decided to make it a book shower, where guests brought books instead of cards to help get the baby's library started early on. Check out below to see how it all came out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUhlG-ua0pcFgeK8uC7wEfzKttXEIWBYM94-jV-mXpo5blwXU78Mz4CgY7aI9VC7jh1CBqYnYjLFX26oAF4uDHKjKmv1faa-8Xqd_T-_Xfh86-8ZOj_uOeQfyM7hA5IwdhRGCqlNMix0/s1600/Decorations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUhlG-ua0pcFgeK8uC7wEfzKttXEIWBYM94-jV-mXpo5blwXU78Mz4CgY7aI9VC7jh1CBqYnYjLFX26oAF4uDHKjKmv1faa-8Xqd_T-_Xfh86-8ZOj_uOeQfyM7hA5IwdhRGCqlNMix0/s1600/Decorations.jpg" height="474" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><u>Baby Shower Sign</u></b> - First I printed out the letters using a <a href="http://www.fontspace.com/category/disney" target="_blank">free "Walter" font</a> and cut them into triangles. Then I cut out red construction paper triangles slightly larger than the letter triangles. Then I cut out newspaper triangles slightly larger than the red triangles. Then I pasted them all together with the letters on top, the red in the middle, and the newspaper in the back. I then punched holes in the top two corners so I could string all the letters together on black yarn. I also added a red construction paper Mickey face in the middle.<br />
<u><b>Tissue Paper Pinwheels</b></u> - I used white, red, black, and polka dot tissue paper, as well as newspaper, to make my pinwheels. You can make your own using this <a href="http://whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com/2012/06/how-to-diy-pinwheels-fans-tutorial.html" target="_blank">Pinwheel Tutorial from Whimsical Wonderland Weddings</a>.<br />
<u><b>Mickey & Minnie Mouse Ears</b></u> - All guests got their own Mickey or Minnie ears to wear during the party. They were easy to make and I scored by finding a 4th of July pack of headbands at the Dollar Store! Perfect colors and very inexpensive. You can make your own using this <a href="http://becomingmartha.com/minnie-mouse-party-favors/" target="_blank">Mickey & Minnie Headband Tutorial from Becoming Martha</a>.<br />
<u><b>Book Table Decorations</b></u> - I gathered up all the books in our house and made book covers for them using white, red, and polka dot wrapping paper. Here is a <a href="http://www.paper-source.com/cgi-bin/paper/howto/ideas/paper_book_covers.html" target="_blank">Bookcover Tutorial from Paper Source</a> if you would like to make your own.<br />
<u><b>Signage</b></u> - I printed out various signage like the Mommy To Be sign above, using the <a href="http://catchmyparty.com/blog/free-mickey-minnie-mouse-birthday-party-printables-from-printabelle" target="_blank">Free Mickey & Minnie Printables from Catch My Party</a>. Some I added my own text to, so I just made the changes in Microsoft Paint before printing them.<br />
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<u><b>Party Favors</b></u> - I included a bottle of red nail polish, a nail file, a custom made bookmark, and a Mickey or Minnie Mouse Oreo cookie pop in each favor box. I got the boxes from the Dollar Store and printed out the labels using the free printable I mentioned above. I also added a square of red tissue. Voila!<br />
<u><b>Mickey & Minnie Oreo Pops</b></u> - Yum! I made these using double stuffed Oreos and mini Oreos. I dipped them in melted white chocolate then dipped them in red sprinkles. I added the white buttons and red bows using cookie decorator icing, and stuck a cake pop stick up the center. To make your own, you can also use this <a href="http://vegetariangastronomy.com/2013/06/mickey-mousse-pops-contains-gluten-contains-dairy/" target="_blank">Mickey Mouse Pop Tutorial from Vegetarian Gastronomy</a>.<br />
<u><b>Custom Bookmarks</b></u> - Using one of the free printables (link above) I created bookmarks with each of the guests names and a Disney quote on them. I just made the changes in Microsoft Paint. I then had them laminated, cut them out, hole punched at the top, and added a pom pom tassel to the end. You can use this <a href="http://www.eskimimimakes.com/2012/03/fork-pom-poms.html" target="_blank">Pom Pom Tutorial from Eskimimi Makes</a> to make your own.<br />
<u><b>Fabric Wrapped Pillows</b></u> - I wanted some pillow decorations easy and fast, so I just bought some fabric, wrapped it around my pillows like a present, and tied them in the corners with ribbon to stay. I also added safety pins on the back to keep them in place. Mickey and Minnie were made with felt and glued on. Here's another <a href="http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpress/the-easiest-pillow-cover-ever" target="_blank">Easy No Sew Pillow Cover tutorial from Organize and Decorate Everything</a>.<br />
<u><b>How Many Gumballs?</b></u> - One of the games we played was to guess how many gumballs are in the bowl. I found red and white gumballs to match the party.</div>
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<u><b>Food</b></u> - For the party I wanted bright colors with lots of red to go with the Mickey/Minnie Mouse theme. I served strawberry, pecan, avocado, and blue cheese salad, a mixed fruit salad, a mini sandwich bar, chips, and veggies. For beverages I served strawberry lemonade in mason jars with red swirly straws (not pictured).<br />
<u><b>Who Has The Sticker?</b></u> - Another easy fun game we did was to see who had the Mickey Mouse sticker under their plate. Before the party I stuck a sticker under one of the dinner plates on the table. Whoever had the sticker under their plate won the prize, only guests didn't know this until they were already eating. </div>
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<u><b>Desserts </b></u>- For desserts I went for a red, black, and white theme. I served cherry jello with whip cream and chocolate chips on top, berry cobbler, and Mickey Mouse cupcakes. The cupcakes were super easy. I just used chocolate cake with white icing, then added mini oreos on top for ears. If you wanted, you could also add bows with icing or fruit by the foot so some of them are Minnie cupcakes, but I ran out of time. I also found the cupcake shells at Michaels. I love the cute polka dots! Check out this post from <a href="http://www.huntedinterior.com/2012/07/minnie-mouse-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">The Hunted Interior to see an example of the Minnie Mouse cupcakes</a>. </div>
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<u><b>ABC Book</b></u> - Our main activity for the party was to make an ABC book for the mommy to be and her baby. I bought a red scrapbook and decorated the front with felt and white puff paint. Each guest was given a scrapbook page with all the pieces needed to assemble their page (pre-printed letter, square to draw picture, and rectangle to write word). Guests would cut out their letter, draw their picture starting with the letter, and write what their picture was. They also wrote their name so that mommy and baby would know who created that page. It all came out really cute!!!! My only regret was that I didn't pre-prepare the pages more. We ran out of time with all the cutting and pasting. If I were to do it again, I would have cut out and pasted everything on the page myself and just had them do the drawing and writing.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOYaWxJaKzfQP7vC7qoPYXPbjYN6t1amyVeDIcaBJ20Zgbb5GXBXedYZw0_N3gpb42ZqZFR8fSVscwP098pBGmOoOZtC_88A7cvvGS1t6WGRcI4gX5uIrRXHLjPgU0IPs3YBhUbfsJUM/s1600/DSC_0088+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOYaWxJaKzfQP7vC7qoPYXPbjYN6t1amyVeDIcaBJ20Zgbb5GXBXedYZw0_N3gpb42ZqZFR8fSVscwP098pBGmOoOZtC_88A7cvvGS1t6WGRcI4gX5uIrRXHLjPgU0IPs3YBhUbfsJUM/s1600/DSC_0088+-+Copy.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Mommy, Baby, and I</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<u><b>Minnie Mouse Shirt</b></u> - I got my <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polka-Dot-Black-Red-bow-Maternity-Sleeveless-Top-Casual-Womens-White-S-M-L-XL-/151093257345?pt=US_CSA_WC_Shirts_Tops&var=450195395339&hash=item232ddc2481" target="_blank">Minnie Mouse Shirt on Ebay</a> and paired it with a pair of white maternity pants that I got from Target.</div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-76800743957810224552014-06-02T10:33:00.001-07:002014-06-02T10:33:44.816-07:00Surro Files - 34 Weeks & Becoming a Doula<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CWr4DQ0iJ5Sl-Bgm9BZya22-neSG5oMMIM2vLS56ekmmr6YbGV_TgJBprhjiy-1V8HfiBQKRik-ic432FG9Aq1BLYgeE__3okYaAgUYpZeWMWbrAKpsZ59CawAcW_Jwb_bmHQRRVj08/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Surrogacy 34 weeks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CWr4DQ0iJ5Sl-Bgm9BZya22-neSG5oMMIM2vLS56ekmmr6YbGV_TgJBprhjiy-1V8HfiBQKRik-ic432FG9Aq1BLYgeE__3okYaAgUYpZeWMWbrAKpsZ59CawAcW_Jwb_bmHQRRVj08/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="343" title="Surrogacy 34 weeks" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The Bun</b><br />
Baby is now about the size of a butternut squash (17.75 in) and 4.75 pounds. The waxy protective coating, vernix, is becoming much thicker this week as the lanugo continues to shed and may be almost completely gone by now. Inside baby, the lungs are continuing to mature in preparation for breathing in the outside world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BtvIUMzRpAW4TJ2I3H5nN0MnRjHZkC5pw_LXl_vdRTDFWJWw2sXUxS4srtSK1WT6BTJ3etHJQ7bpCWR4u8dJmd_cnz_hEcxOIkqRqk9zUD89KT7f8JYh6Lk0A2bEtxl1AVT329cc_QY/s1600/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="34 Weeks Butternut Squash" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BtvIUMzRpAW4TJ2I3H5nN0MnRjHZkC5pw_LXl_vdRTDFWJWw2sXUxS4srtSK1WT6BTJ3etHJQ7bpCWR4u8dJmd_cnz_hEcxOIkqRqk9zUD89KT7f8JYh6Lk0A2bEtxl1AVT329cc_QY/s1600/34.jpg" height="400" title="34 Weeks Butternut Squash" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Photo by Belle and Adam</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
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Feeling pretty good this week. I did do a lot of driving so my feet swelled up a bit, but other than that I've been feeling great! Maybe it's because of my new routine. I've started adding in my daily "getting ready for labor day" exercises. Every day I do 25 pelvic tilts 3x a day, tailor sitting (butterfly sitting) 3x a day, squatting 3x a day, and 10 kegels 3-10 times a day depending on how many times I think to do them... just thought about it... ok, and done. Haha! Hopefully all this prepping gets my pelvis nice and open with baby in just the right position so we have a nice easy birth.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia3hTwogiwro8F7EXB1k3fehxDqAmYdhOYBSE8TEwM7LWgI0YwlUACWSYZlMYTXL7m68V3VQPSWSbpfo9lyaRTwSJh1KmgJeK709ugigmggeRxSxCmFSkk7p-rWwCoBJU2Lv9DdJ2p53M/s1600/2014-05-26+16.59.45_resized_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pregnant belly at 34 weeks" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia3hTwogiwro8F7EXB1k3fehxDqAmYdhOYBSE8TEwM7LWgI0YwlUACWSYZlMYTXL7m68V3VQPSWSbpfo9lyaRTwSJh1KmgJeK709ugigmggeRxSxCmFSkk7p-rWwCoBJU2Lv9DdJ2p53M/s1600/2014-05-26+16.59.45_resized_1.jpg" height="296" title="Pregnant belly at 34 weeks" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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Another very busy week for me! Surprised? Probably not. I'm go go go...<br />
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Last Monday Brian and I took the girls to a Giants baseball game in San Francisco. Now I'm not a sports fan, but it is kind of fun if you go there in person. Cheering, food, being outside, dressing up in the teams colors... it all makes for a great day. Unfortunately the Giants lost, but we all had fun and really that's all that matters. I even found a team shirt that would cover this big belly... almost. Haha!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEA8o2Ydx4_LsYIGZM8tg42XZLm1BahCY_Pf2K_W3gsXvHumrt-GmK4RoVt9AFxT2HJalMKQWhnq1MiLKnoeINVNX8jtSkuGWZRX4SX14bg3UkLmpsWzanGvDK90iTmsS2PEZcTBTcN4/s1600/Giants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Giants Game" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAEA8o2Ydx4_LsYIGZM8tg42XZLm1BahCY_Pf2K_W3gsXvHumrt-GmK4RoVt9AFxT2HJalMKQWhnq1MiLKnoeINVNX8jtSkuGWZRX4SX14bg3UkLmpsWzanGvDK90iTmsS2PEZcTBTcN4/s1600/Giants.jpg" height="568" title="Giants Game" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Fun at the Giants Game</b></i></u></td></tr>
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Tuesday I had another meeting with our doula. She thought it would be a great time to just go over the emotional part of the birth to come. It's going to be a very new experience for me to go through labor and delivery for a baby that is not mine, and she wanted us to work through that before the big day so we can prepare and think through how this will all go. I've always known in my heart that I will not grow attached to this baby that I know is not mine, but that doesn't mean that I won't be sad when it's all over and I will need a way to create closure for this amazing journey that we all have been on for so long. In the end I've decided that just seeing Belle and Adam with their baby right after the birth is what I need. This new amazing family, bonding skin to skin as one, nurturing and loving, knowing that I helped to create that family and feeling forever grateful that they allowed me and trusted me with such an important role in their lives. I need to see those first moments together, to see their love, and I know that I will be ok. More than ok. I will feel complete, with my heart filled, and no sorrow. That's how I hope this big day will go. Have I ever said how thankful I am that my doula is also a psychologist?? Definitely one of the main reasons I picked her. She's great! The session went great and we also got to talk about my use of the Hypnobabies program and how that will work during labor and delivery. We're actually going to do another visit, just to test it out after I've finish all the classes in my book. Let's hope it works!<br />
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Most exciting this week was my DONA doula training class!!! I've been looking forward to it for awhile. Years actually. Friday through Sunday, I went to class from 8am - 6pm learning the most amazing things about pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum care, and of course about being a doula. It was so great to meet the 6 other ladies in there that had the same dreams as me... to help mothers (and surrogates) go through this amazing moment where baby enters the world. I want these moments to be filled with love, education, and support, and I feel that this class really helped me to learn how to give that to my future clients. I know that birth is a very unpredictable thing, and we can't control it or always get what we want, but I hope to make the birth that does evolve a happy one that parents will look back upon with fond memories and no regrets. As of today, I'm now a doula! Still working to become a certified doula, but heading in the right direction and that feels great. Below I posted a picture of our wonderful group, plus my perfect birth drawing, and the beautiful doula beads necklace that was given to me by Debbie, our instructor. Thanks Debbie!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>My perfect birth drawing, Doula birth beads necklace, & Our wonderful training group with instructor.</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"This
week has been another busy week, getting ready for the summer. Flights have
been booked, hotels are booked, car rentals (mostly) booked, and travel plans
written out in full! One exciting thing to mention was our second hotel
booking, in which the hotel called and asked if we would like a crib for our
little one! How sweet and exciting is that!!! This week I also started my
Adoptive Breastfeeding Protocol, which has been interesting to say the least;
waking up every 3 hours to try and increase the 'supply'. Now there are only 3
weeks left until we are back in California!" - <i>Belle</i></span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>June 5th</b> - 34 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit.<br />
<i><u><b>June 25th</b> - Belle Gets Here</u></i> - Belle gets here to wait it out for the big day. Lots of stuff to do!<br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - Adam Gets Here</u></i> - Adam gets here to wait it out for the big day. We're all ready to go!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-45647942625645478012014-05-27T08:36:00.000-07:002014-05-27T08:36:01.263-07:00Surro Files - 33 Weeks With Family, Softball, Water Fun, and More!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b>The Bun</b><br />
Baby is now about the size of a durian fruit (yeah, I have no idea what that even is), which is about 17 inches and 4.25 pounds. Over the next four weeks baby will put on another half pound per week. This rapid weight gain will slow by next month though. No wonder why I'm so hungry all the time!!! The skeleton is also hardening although the bones in the skull will not fuse together completely, but will overlap allowing for continued growth all the way up until early adulthood.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Hmmmm... so that's what a durian looks like. Kind of scary looking.</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
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The oven is ummmm... bigger??? Haha! I'm running out of updates on my belly progress. I just feel like I'm complaining now. I'm still not at that "kill me now" stage, so that's good. I think I have a few more weeks till I hit that point, but getting out of bed is definitely getting a bit harder without lots of strategic body positioning and if baby gets in just the right... or maybe the wrong position, then just walking to get a drink of water puts me out of breadth. I'm also getting lots of braxton-hicks contractions, but they don't bother me in the least. I actually enjoy working through them and get excited that the big day is just around the corner.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>The belly getting some sun and cooling off at the water park.</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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After a slow week last week, we made up for it again this week and will continue to be busy for the next few weeks. I don't mind though. I like being busy. Yes, it's nice to breath once in awhile, but I'm the type that has to go go go, or I just don't know what to do with myself. Haha! I'm sure I drive my husband crazy with all the stuff I do.<br />
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Well, we started off the week with my parents and brother visiting from Southern California. Do you know it's been YEARS since they've been up here to visit! Needless to say, it was great to see them and spend some time together. They picked the perfect time to come up and visit too. Tuesday was the girls last softball game of the season, and they also got to see them at gymnastics class on Wednesday. My mom also got to go with me to my prenatal appointment on Wednesday. It was kind of nice since she never got to attend any of my appointments with the kids since they live so far. I hope we can do this again soon. We'll have to plan a trip to see some of the local sights, like the beach or the mountains next time. But for now, it was nice just hanging out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>My Family ... well some of them.</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>The girls last softball game</b></i></u></td></tr>
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Like I said above, this past Wednesday was our 32 week OB appointment. Looks like everything is right on track and looking great! I only gained 1 pound since our last appointment (now up to 141 pounds), and belly is still measuring 3 weeks ahead which is pretty much on track for how my belly measured with all my kids. The doctor did have a bit of trouble finding baby's heartbeat at first, but after some persistence, we found that all was well and beating strong. Overall, a great appointment! We'll be back in 2 weeks.<br />
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I had been pondering the idea, but finally decided that I would like to try the <a href="https://www.hypnobabies.com/" target="_blank">Hypnobabies</a> labor & birth hypnosis program. It's a program that takes lots of dedication listening to 2 thirty minute CD tracks each day, but I think I can squeeze in some quiet me time each day to do it. It's actually pretty nice taking out time for me. With all my kids I did the Bradley labor & birth method and it worked great for me, but since I'm planning on becoming a doula, I thought I'd try something new just so I'd have the experience in the back of my head. What it does, is re-trains your mind to view labor and birth as a beautiful and natural experience that will not hurt. It teaches you to relax and come into a self-hypnosis state that you control while in labor and birth. You aren't asleep, but you are less focused on your surroundings I would say. You're just thinking about your body and the "birthing waves" you're going through to bring baby out. I guess this is really how I normally think while I'm in labor, so it really won't be that hard to re-train my mind. Let's hope it works and I have a pain free birth! Wouldn't that be nice.<br />
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This weekend was also packed with lots of fun! They opened a race track at our local mall, so we decided to go check it out. It's actually pretty awesome and the cars go really fast. They also have kids cars that go a bit slower and my oldest decided to give it a go. She was nervous at first, but once she put the peddle to the metal, she was hooked. She now asks us to go everyday. Brian and I also went to a wedding for a friend and client of his. I didn't know a lot of people there, but who doesn't love a wedding with lots of great food and cake? Yum! Then Sunday we hit up the water park. This was my belly's debut appearance to the sun and water for the year. It actually went really well. I didn't burn, the water was relaxing, and I even got a few compliments which made me feel great! Later that night I met up with some local surrogates. This was my first time meeting most of them in person, but once we all got talking it was like I had known them forever. So nice to talk to others that know exactly what you're going through right now and I can't wait for us all to meet up again soon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Checking out the new hot spot to race</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Keeping cool at the water park</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Meeting up with some other awesome local Surrogates</b></i></u></td></tr>
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Oh!!!!! And I totally forgot to mention last week that Belle received a gift in the mail from Stephanie of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CalgaryFluff" target="_blank">Calgary Fluff</a>. Stephanie is a work at home mom from Canada who specializes in super cute, custom made cloth diapers and baby accessories. What she's really known for though, is her detailed character designs on cloth diapers. You have to check out some of the stuff that she has created!!! I especially love the R2D2 that she recently created on her page and of course this cute little minion that she created just for Belle and her little one. Can't wait to see how it looks on the bum!!! Originally we had hoped it would get here in time for the baby shower, but it's here now and waiting for when Belle gets here in a little less than a month. Eeeek!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Belle's cute Minion diaper from Calgary Fluff</b></i></u></td></tr>
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Speaking of gifts... I received an awesome gift from Belle this past weekend. I admit that I originally thought it was a shawl when I first opened it up, but it's actually a Rebozo Shawl. I had to Google how to use it, but it's basically a multi-purpose tool used to assist the mother in various labor positions and relaxation. So perfect for my doula labor kit and for the big day to come as well!!!! Thanks so much Belle!!! So very thoughtful of you. You can read more about Rebozo Shawls and their purpose on <a href="http://www.birthingnaturally.net/cn/tool/rebozo.html" target="_blank">Birthing Naturally's</a> website as well as <a href="http://thepeacefulbirthproject.org/2012/04/mothering-the-mother-with-a-rebozo/" target="_blank">The Peaceful Birth Project </a>website.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Rebozo Shawl gift from Belle</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"This
week has been busy! Visiting with friends and family, a full house! We also
managed to sort out some of the logistics for after the Due Date: passports,
travel, accommodation, etc... Everything sounds much more complicated with a
newborn, but we both look forward to the challenge! Im getting very excited
that my suitcase is now fully packed, and ready to go! Still debating packing a
whole extra suitcase, for all the little items you think you might need...Less
than one month now I will be back visiting Chana and her family; counting the
days!" - Belle</span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<u style="font-style: italic;"><b>May 27th</b> - Doula Meeting</u> - Meeting at the house to talk more about the big day.<br />
<i><u><b>June 5th</b> - 34 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Just a routine visit.<br />
<i><u><b>June 25th</b> - Belle Gets Here</u></i> - Belle gets here to wait it out for the big day. Lots of stuff to do!<br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - Adam Gets Here</u></i> - Adam gets here to wait it out for the big day. We're all ready to go!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-48134513029607548432014-05-19T08:58:00.001-07:002014-05-19T14:11:05.629-07:00Surro Files - 32 Weeks And All Emotional<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b>The Bun</b><br />
Baby is now about the size of a large squash (16.7 inches) and 3.75 pounds. Baby is really plumping up and will gain almost half of their body weight by the time of delivery. This needed body fat will help to keep baby warm in the outside world. The layer of soft lanugo hair is also starting to shed. Over the next few weeks baby's real hair and skin will become soft and smooth. Getting ready for the big day!!!!<br />
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On a side note... I just wanted to say that this little bun has started getting the hiccups everyday now. Currently has them as I write this. I thought it was strange that this whole pregnancy I didn't notice any hiccups (which are noticeable by their repetition), but I guess baby is making up for it by having them several times a day now. Haha!<br />
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
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Itchy restless legs at night, swollen feet by the end of the day, & contractions off and on throughout the day. That's where this oven is at the moment. Think I need to take it in for a tune up. Maybe a massage??? Haha! Any reason to get a massage I'm all for. Baby is also moving about in there quite a bit again. Went to one of the girl's school functions with music going and you would swear I had an alien about to bust out. Oh! And did I mention that the munchies have come back? I'm seriously hungry ALL the time!!! I was hoping that the growth would slow down this last trimester, but it looks like baby might want to go through a growth spurt.<br />
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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This has actually been quite a slow week. I guess I really deserve one after all the crazy back to back weeks. For the most part I've been reading, reading, reading. It's paid off though. I'm finally done with book one for my doula certification!!! I finished <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Birth-Partner-Childbirth-Companions/dp/155832819X" target="_blank"><i>The Birth Partner</i>, by Penny Simkin</a>. Great book!!! I've actually read it before, but it's been about 8 years, so I figured it couldn't hurt to read it again in a more updated version. Next up on my book list is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Doula-Book-Companion-Healthier/dp/0738215066" target="_blank">The Doula Book</a>. But before that I'm studying up on some photography techniques since I'll also be offering birth photography. Fun stuff!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZULRxEjWYgtRbQmmDVEi73cAcDZaG6vMI3FRxXeHS6R8wFipBcBzvH3lbmQWbUVG4oNWoIqcgY0vi8XjeNi8WqjfCR3nrsqOxKCwrUurJX-g-RTIUltobS6m1I3BBHL132k4Puzb29I/s1600/crying-pregnant-woman__large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZULRxEjWYgtRbQmmDVEi73cAcDZaG6vMI3FRxXeHS6R8wFipBcBzvH3lbmQWbUVG4oNWoIqcgY0vi8XjeNi8WqjfCR3nrsqOxKCwrUurJX-g-RTIUltobS6m1I3BBHL132k4Puzb29I/s1600/crying-pregnant-woman__large.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a>As a result of this being a slow week, I think I've let my mind run off a bit too much. Emotions are running high, and I'm starting to realize that this journey is almost over. Not like I'm not happy that in two months I won't be pregnant anymore. I'll definitely celebrate my ability to pick things up off the floor, get dressed without feeling like I just ran a marathon, and putting on a shirt that actually covers my belly (yes, even most maternity shirts are too small now). I plan on bringing a bottle of champagne to the hospital with me to celebrate those moments to come. What I'm not celebrating is losing such a close friend. Belle and I have become so close over these past 9 months... wait... 15 months since we matched... wait... 4 years since we met. Ok, I know I'm not losing her as a friend, but I know it'll be different and I'm just all emotional about the unknown. I know we won't be e-mailing several times a day or everyday or who knows... maybe not even every week or month. Her new life will be centered around nurturing her new little baby as it should, but it doesn't mean I won't be sad... Of course I'll be happy at the same time. I mean, isn't that what we're all working towards? Yes, I'll be happy, but right now my emotions are running high as I know they will for the birth and right after as well. Bear with me if I shed a few tears or a waterfall. Yep, I know it's going to happen.<br />
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I also found out this week that I'll need to lean on my labor support people a bit more than I had originally planned. I plan on having Belle, Adam, my best friend Dawn, and my doula Natalie at the birth with me. During early labor before heading to the hospital I had only planned on having Belle and Adam there to keep me company with Natalie coming towards the end when things got rough, and Dawn coming when we headed to the hospital. Well, turns out Belle and Adam are a bit uneasy about laboring without doctors around, so they've decided to wait till I head to the hospital to join us. Plus they have lots of legal work to get squared away for the baby. I was pretty sad that they won't be there, but at the same time I understand. That being said, I'll now most likely be calling upon my doula a bit earlier than I had planned and seeing if my friend Dawn can come earlier as well. I'll really need that support early on to keep my mind busy and off of the contractions. After all, time flies when you're having fun with friends.</div>
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<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry, no update from Belle again this week. She's in London right now and it's hard to get on the internet while there. I will say she's been busy keeping the house clean for </span>house guests<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and house showings. Keeping my fingers crossed that they sell their house soon!!!! She's also been packing everything up for the big move. After all, when she comes back to California for the big day, she won't be flying back to the UK. She'll be flying back to Canada instead to live with her family and the baby till their house sells. Adam unfortunately will be flying back to the UK to finalize selling the house and getting them moved out. Hope it all happens sooner than later. So much to do before this last big trip! Hope there is enough time to get it all done.</span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>May 21st</b> - 32 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Meeting with the doctor again. Just a routine visit.<br />
<i><u><b>June 25th</b> - Belle Gets Here</u></i> - Belle gets here to wait it out for the big day. Lots of stuff to do!<br />
<i><u><b>July 2nd</b> - Adam Gets Here</u></i> - Adam gets here to wait it out for the big day. We're all ready to go!<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-53907010442803420332014-05-17T13:43:00.001-07:002014-05-17T13:43:53.945-07:00Surrogacy America<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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As you all know, I am a surrogate helping a couple to make their dreams come true of starting a family. In that quest, I love to see other companies that are also working to make other couples dreams come true to start their own families. Below you can read about one of those companies and decide if you too want to start your own journey to becoming a parent or surrogate.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><<<<<<< O >>>>>>></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.surrogacyamerica.com/" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 13.5pt;" target="_blank">Surrogacy America</a><span style="color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 13.5pt;"> is dedicated to fulfilling dreams around the
world by bringing together extraordinary surrogate mothers and loving </span><span style="color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 13.5pt;">prospective
parents. We are a group of experienced and caring professionals dedicated
to helping people from all parts of the globe build their families. Our </span><a href="http://www.surrogacyamerica.com/location_baltimore.php" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 13.5pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Maryland</span></a><span style="color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 13.5pt;"> location is an easy
travel destination for intended parents from the U.S. and around the world, and
also provides convenient access to gestational surrogates from nearby
surrogacy-friendly states.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 13.5pt;">For
prospective parents, Surrogacy America offers a roster of extraordinary women,
ready to be matched as surrogate mothers immediately. You will be given the
full support of our team as we take you step-by-step through the surrogacy
process. For those looking to </span><a href="http://www.surrogacyamerica.com/surrogate_become.php" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 13.5pt;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">become a surrogatemother</span></a><span style="color: #242424; font-family: inherit; line-height: 13.5pt;">, Surrogacy America will to there to guide you through the
process, alleviating any concerns you may have to ensure that your surrogacy
journey is pleasant and fulfilling experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #474641; line-height: 115%;">Please<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">contact
us<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #474641;"> </span></span><span style="color: #474641;">and see for yourself why so many prospective parents and
surrogate mothers rave about working with us and why </span>fertility doctors <span style="color: #474641;">around the world trust our services and continually refer
their patients to us.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-9162309846754441422014-05-13T15:51:00.000-07:002014-05-13T15:51:06.668-07:00Surro Files - 31 Weeks for Mother's Day<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b>The Bun</b><br />
Baby is now about the size of a pineapple (16.25 in) and 3.3 pounds. This week baby is gaining more weight as baby fat is filling in underneath the skin. (Haha! That cracks me up, because if you remember the pictures from last week's ultrasound update... this baby has plenty of fat under those cute little cheeks already. Haha!) Their color is also becoming less red and more pink in color. In addition, baby's irises can now dilate and respond to changes in light.<br />
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
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Not much new with the oven this week... Just lots of eyes bugging out when I tell them we still have two months left. Yep, this belly will get bigger.<br />
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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Another busy week for us in the kitchen. Do we ever have a slow week??? Doesn't seem like it. Well the first half of the week was spent playing catch up and clean up after a week of fun with Belle. It's always so fun to be busy busy busy having lots of fun, but it's totally not cool when you have to come back to the reality that you have 10 loads of laundry and decorations galore to put away. Oh well. Things are back to normal now and it's nice to have an organized house again.<br />
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In addition to cleaning, this week was also filled with lots of fun. Brian and I drove down to Los Angeles this weekend to attend Maynard James Keenan's (lead singer of TOOL) 50th birthday celebration concert. Wow! I must be old. How could Maynard be 50 already???? Time has went by way too fast. Saturday we met up with my sister, my high school best friend, and their husbands for the first night of the celebration. It was awesome! We weren't close up, but the venue was so small that I don't think they have a bad seat in the house. And yes, it was seated, which is a pregnant girl's dream concert. Yay for saving my poor little feet! The next night Brian and I went by ourselves to the second night of the celebration. This time we had VIP tickets and were right up front!!!! We also got signed posters, t-shirts, and cupcakes. Yum!!! It was like we were in our own little world up there so close. I couldn't believe it! Was bummed that someone stole my concert sweater that I had just bought the night before, but I guess it was my fault for stepping away from it on my chair. Boo! While on our trip we also got to check out Hollywood. Having lived in Southern California half my life, you would think that I would have explored LA a bit more, but this was actually my first time going to see the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. It was pretty fun and we even met Shrek... kind of. Haha!<br />
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*Note: If you look very closely at the picture above (center/right) you will see Maynard in the center flanked by two band members (one giving him bunny ears) and then there is me right behind them!!! I'm right between Maynard and the other male band member. Pretty awesome!!!! Right up front.*<br />
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This weekend was also Mother's Day. Unfortunately we weren't home to celebrate on the actual day with the kids, but we did go out to dinner with them on Friday. I picked Spaghetti Factory. Brian hates it, but I LOVE it! Yum Yum! The girls made me super cute cards and they all got me a Pandora charm bracelet with birth stones from each of the kids, as well as a heart that says "Family", and a charm that says "Live, Laugh, Love". I love it! I might add a charm or two to it, but I think it's perfect the way it is. Then on Sunday we went out to breakfast with my high school best friend who also came to the concert, toured Hollywood (as I said above), and got massages. Ohhhhhhh so nice!!!!!! I was in heaven. Can we do that again???<br />
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Also had to wish Belle a Happy Mother's Day this weekend too!!! She's already done so much to get ready for this cute little munchkin and pretty soon the real fun will start. She's going to do awesome and be a super fun Mom!!!!</div>
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<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry. No update this week.</span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>May 21st</b> - 32 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Meeting with the doctor again. Just a routine visit.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-59557484934969664402014-05-07T17:16:00.000-07:002014-05-07T17:16:20.605-07:00Surro Files - 30 Weeks & Lots of Fun With Belle!!!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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So sorry for the delay in getting this post up on the blog. It's been quite a week and has taken be awhile to get back into the groove of things. We all had a blast this week and I'm excited to share with you what we've all been up to.</div>
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<b>The Bun</b><br />
Baby is now about the size of a cucumber (15.7 inches) and 2.75 pounds. As baby continues to practice breathing they might get the hiccups. I haven't noticed any hiccups yet, but I know my first daughter had them about a million times a day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Photo by Belle & Adam</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
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Oven is still getting bigger (140 lbs now / up 35 lbs), but slowing down on growth according to my OB's measurements. This month I'm measuring 3 weeks ahead, but last month I was measuring 4 weeks ahead and the month before that I was measuring 5 weeks ahead. Glad this baby making machine is slowing down! As far as aches and pains, I'm feeling pretty good. Well, I am as long as I'm not doing too much. This week was a bit much with everything going on and my ankles turned into cankles, and my chicken feet turned into elephant feet. Haha! Luckily after resting a bit, they're almost back to normal. Too bad I've got another busy weekend coming up, but I think I can handle it. Pre-Labor contractions are still there now and then too. Nothing alarming, but they do take my breath away when they decide to show up.<br />
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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Wow!!!! Where do I even start with this week???? It's been BUSY!!!!!! This week was the week Belle came to visit. She flew in late Wednesday night and after a night of rest for her, we were non-stop till she left Tuesday morning. Baby shower was on Thursday, Disneyland from Friday to Sunday, and then a whole day of appointments on Monday. Phew!!!! But we survived. For the most part. Belle ended up leaving yesterday morning without her voice. I hope it's just a one day sickness and she gets over it soon, but that's no fun flying while sick.<br />
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So Thursday was the baby shower. I've ALWAYS wanted to throw a baby shower, so as soon as Belle and Adam's little bean came into existence, I just knew I wanted to throw them a baby shower. I can't remember when exactly I started the planning, but it's been at least a good few months that I've been working non-stop to make this a great day to remember for Belle. I kept the party pretty small (party of 12). My main goal was just for my closest friends and family to meet this amazing mommy to be and I knew we wouldn't have too many other chances for that. The theme evolved a few times, but in the end we settled on a Mickey and Minnie Mouse Book Party. What better theme for a Disney loving couple who want to keep the gender a secret and love books? It was perfect!!! The party went great! I'll admit, that it didn't turn out as grand as I imagined. I cut out a few things that I had planned due to lack of time and although I've been getting ready for this party for months, and I had help setting up the day of the party, I still found that there wasn't enough time to do everything I wanted to do, so a game was eliminated, our activity was a bit chaotic, a few decorations left out, but in the end I think everyone had a great time. I'll do another post to elaborate on the party a bit more, but here are some pictures from our super fun day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>My Gift To Belle & Adam</u></i></b></td></tr>
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The very next morning my girls Riley and Reagan, Belle, and I, all packed up the car and left for Disneyland. Yay!!!! My girls had been looking forward to this trip since they heard about it in February. They were sooooooooo excited! I'll admit, Belle and I were pretty darn excited too. This was Belle's first trip to the official Disneyland, and I just love Disneyland, so I couldn't wait. The highlight of the trip was on Saturday. Belle had arranged for the girls to get all made up at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. That's where fairy godmothers dress up little boys and girls to become little princes and princesses. The girls got their hair done super cute and makeup as well. They looked adorable!!!! Afterwards we all got our pictures done with the princesses. I can't even count how many compliments the girls got on how cute they looked and everyone was excited to see their costumes as Mulan and Pocahontas since they are two under appreciated princesses in the Disney world. It was a bit crowded at the parks (when is it not?), but we managed to get on quite a few rides. My girls even got Belle to ride Splash Mountain with them despite Belle's fear of scary rides. What a trooper Belle!!! Here are some pictures from our trip.<br />
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Monday was our appointment day starting bright and early at 8am. First up was the 30 week growth ultrasound. We even got to do it at the really good ultrasound clinic so the pictures were awesome!!! I drank a whole bunch of orange juice that morning and had a cupcake leftover from the party for breakfast in hopes that baby would be moving about for us to see. It was really working in the waiting room and I hoped that they would call us back before baby went back to sleep, but no such luck. Baby was asleep by the time we finally got started. Boo! Oh well. At least it allowed us to get some great pictures. And by the end of the ultrasound baby finally woke up, so we got a little movement and a few smiles. Sooooooo cute! I guess that wasn't the point of the ultrasound though. Haha! We did find out important stuff too. Baby's looking great health wise and measuring only a tiny bit ahead (about a week). Amniotic fluid looks great too. Not too much and not too little. I will say that this baby has the biggest squishy cheeks ever though. Absolutely adorable!!!! Baby was measuring in at about 4 pounds 5 ounces, with a heartbeat of 143 beats per minute.<br />
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Next up was our doula appointment. I just love our doula and meeting her again just solidified my decision to go with her. She's just so calming and I feel like she really knows a lot about birth and how to make this a great experience for us all. We talked about the birth plan a bit, talked about ways we might be able to avoid back labor this time around (since I've had it with two of my children), and talked about different ways to ease the pain in in early labor before she gets there to join us. We also got to smell a few different essential oils just to see what types I might want to use during labor and talked about using some quiet music during labor as well. I've never tried music, but the music she was playing in her office sounded really soothing. Near the end of the appointment we met up with our backup doula so she could meet Belle. I'd also interviewed her and really liked her a lot, so it was nice knowing who would be there just in case I go into labor on a day that our doula couldn't make it. In closing Belle and I did a meditation session together and that was very soothing as well. I can't wait for the big day!!!! Our next meeting with the doula will most likely be after Adam gets here so he can meet her and she can see my house and their hotel room (two possible places we might labor). It's getting so close!!!!<br />
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Last up was our 30 week OB appointment. This appointment almost got canceled because my nurse midwife was sick that day, but we were able to get in with another nurse since this was Belle's last day in town. All looked great and we set up our next appointment for two weeks from now. Yay!!!!! On to appointments every two weeks. Like I said before... we're getting close!!!!</div>
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<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Obviously since Belle is sick right now, I don't expect her to send over an update for this week, but since she was with me most of the week, our updates are just about the same anyways. We should hear back again from Belle next week on here.</span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>May 21st</b> - 32 week OB Appt.</u></i> - Meeting with the doctor again. Just a routine visit.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed and faces blocked out to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-44082083297019808562014-04-28T09:41:00.000-07:002014-04-28T09:41:59.463-07:00Surro Files - 29 Weeks & Gearing Up For Belle's Visit<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRblvp-aJfQcuYq4fiXbvYB4hkeo2TMZoPfmk-kDn7EOobYtAlyn512OysKh3cmeajPrxa0h9aMdAEXH15DBP4N8YmUbbvyVWdDg91eTwi5ypH6xTfnkqMbSjqLDkiv2EHpxFPm41HYiQ/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRblvp-aJfQcuYq4fiXbvYB4hkeo2TMZoPfmk-kDn7EOobYtAlyn512OysKh3cmeajPrxa0h9aMdAEXH15DBP4N8YmUbbvyVWdDg91eTwi5ypH6xTfnkqMbSjqLDkiv2EHpxFPm41HYiQ/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="342" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Bun</b><br />
Baby is now about the size of a butternut squash (15.25 inches) and 2.5 pounds. Over the next three months the baby is in for a major growth spurt. Because of this there has been less movement going on inside of the belly. This is due to the increasingly cramped space.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Baby is now the size of a Butternut Squash at 29 Weeks</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
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You know that point in a pregnancy when you are just aching and done. Well this usually hits me the last month of the pregnancy. Big, aching, huge, can't move in any direction without feeling tired and in pain. I'm not there yet, but I feel it on the horizon. It usually hits in the evening after a long day of being up and about. Depends on the day and what I'm doing, but the most common symptoms I feel at the end of the day are backache and/or a heavy, baby's about to fall out, type of feeling. Sitting down for just a few minutes seems to make everything better, so I welcome the calm evenings where I just read, watch TV, or mess around on Facebook.<br />
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In addition, I've also noticed a change in baby movements this week. What used to be kicks and side swipes, is slowing down and turning into more baby shifts and pushing. There's just getting less and less room in there for karate classes and yoga, so baby has resorted to lots of sleeping and just rolling over when they want a change of position. I love this stage of movement because I can feel a leg, an arm, or a butt, and it's fun to just rub those spots and try to guess what the body part is. I'm sure I'm wrong every time, but it's fun to guess. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbsaIR28EMqgW-aFrAMFpnCvOC8WA7Z8DU6LZM7m6GWHQrDOLDzvl9x2AXm6FvJ1PaEGIIoRBBgph97tFQMRH8_-AAvIppkJZbbT0UogrUmxChup1KHVfSD2XvI9F5rft9CuU3Le_TRM/s1600/29w+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbsaIR28EMqgW-aFrAMFpnCvOC8WA7Z8DU6LZM7m6GWHQrDOLDzvl9x2AXm6FvJ1PaEGIIoRBBgph97tFQMRH8_-AAvIppkJZbbT0UogrUmxChup1KHVfSD2XvI9F5rft9CuU3Le_TRM/s1600/29w+1.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>The Belly @ 29 Weeks</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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This week I did the glucose test. Fun times!!!! You get this "yummy" [insert sarcasm] super sweet orange drink, that you have to down in 5 minutes or less and then you get to sit there for an hour (no food or drinks allowed) after which they draw your blood to find out how your body responded to all the sugar. They're basically looking to see if I have gestational diabetes which is a pregnant form of diabetes. I've only failed this test once in all my pregnancies, which means you then have to do the 3 hour long test, but I've never failed the 3 hour test. Yay for that! I think I did good this time around. I decided to fast instead of going later in the day, so I think my levels will be well within range. I guess we'll find out in a week when Belle and I go to our 30 week OB appointment.<br />
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Other than the glucose test, this week has been pretty slow. It was cold, windy, and rainy, so I didn't want to do much. Bummer too, because the Clovis Rodeo was this weekend and every year I say I'm going to go. After living here for about 17 years, I'm sure I will go one day. It's a huge deal here.<br />
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What I did do this week though was finish up on some of the last minute details that I had left for Belle's baby shower. Only 4 more days till the shower!!!! I can't wait!!! I hope Belle and everyone else coming has a great time. Here's a sneak peak of what I've been making this week. Yum Yum!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAR8NJ695SyV751-v8OwTAAxStBWsiFdMaQte8oe82aKPoigc7OV1MdK5g75T0LYiS6w65OylJaUqh2qozkmSzWE8UQ3KEJMLbbK50JjWRynleU19OJ85GARVyg07HuUcBmW5U-aTxg4/s1600/DSC_0049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNAR8NJ695SyV751-v8OwTAAxStBWsiFdMaQte8oe82aKPoigc7OV1MdK5g75T0LYiS6w65OylJaUqh2qozkmSzWE8UQ3KEJMLbbK50JjWRynleU19OJ85GARVyg07HuUcBmW5U-aTxg4/s1600/DSC_0049.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>Mickey & Minnie Oreo Cookie Pops</u></i></b></td></tr>
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I also have been working a lot on becoming a Doula. I started reading the first of many books that I need to read, <i>The Birth Partner</i>. I've read it before, but that was about 9 years ago, so I thought I'd read the new version this time around. I also signed up for the training class I need to take. It's a 3 day course with 2 days in doula training and 1 day in childbirth training. On top of that I decided on a company name, <i>Beautiful Beginnings</i>, purchased my web address, started a Facebook page, and started working on the logo and graphics. Yep, I'd say I'm pretty excited about it all! And it all comes at perfect timing. Did you know next month is Doula Appreciation Month??? As soon as I get the web page and Facebook page up and running, I'll post a link in case any of you want to follow that journey as well. </div>
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<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry, no update from Belle this week. She's out having fun with her friends and family this week before heading out here. I can tell you that she's been having lots of fun though! Last week she let you know that she was going to be moving back home after the baby is born to save on some of the stress of traveling with a newborn clear across the world, and trying to sell a house with a newborn. That being said, she's been getting her new temporary room ready for after the baby is born. It seems to be coming together great and will be a perfect little space for her and baby while they are in transition between homes. In addition to getting the new space ready, she's also been doing lots of baby shopping and even had a baby shower with her best friends this past weekend. Sounds like she had a blast!!!! I can't wait to see pictures! Now she's off to visit more family and do a little more shopping before heading on a plane over here on Wednesday. Yayyy!!!!</span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>April 30th-6th</b> - Belle Visits</u></i> - Yay!!!! I can't wait!!!!! Always so much fun to hang out and spend some quality time together. And we've got LOTS planned!!!!<br />
<i style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>May 1st</b> - Baby Shower</i> - Yayyyyyyy!!!!! I've been waiting for this day for quite awhile. Can't wait to shower this mommy to be with lots of love and gifts!<br />
<i style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>May 2nd-4th</b> - Disneyland</i> - Fun Fun fun!!! The girls are so excited for our girls only trip to Disneyland.<br />
<i style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>May 5th</b> - 30 week OB Visit</i> - Will find out glucose test results and talk about the growth scan.<br />
<i style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>May 5th</b> - 30 week Growth Scan</i> - Yay!!!!! Another chance to see baby. So is this a big baby? Lots of fluid? Or do we have a 2nd baby hiding in there???<br />
<i style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>May 5th</b> - Doula Meeting</i> - This is our 1st official meeting with the doula to go over our birth plan and how labor and delivery will go to keep us nice and calm.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-13815139266070047642014-04-21T12:38:00.000-07:002014-04-21T12:38:46.779-07:00Surro Files - 28 Weeks for Spring Break & Easter<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b>The Bun</b><br />
The baby is now about the size of an Aubergine (14.8 inches) and 2.25 pounds. Baby's brain has developed more tissue and has formed grooves on the surface. It's likely the baby has developed a more regular sleep schedule also, ranging from 20-30 minute intervals. If we're having a boy, then his testes are migrating into his scrotum. If we're having a girl, then her clitoris is beginning to form. Hmmmmm.... Boy or girl??? You'll all soon find out!<br />
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
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Oven is still growing nice and big. As you can see in the picture below, my belly now takes up about half my lap. Haha! Staying on track with my growth curve at about a pound a week. We're now up to 135 lbs (up from 106) so I'm still hoping to stay within my 45-50 lb weight gain range that I normally gain. No new aches or pains this week. I actually have felt great!<br />
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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Ok, a LOT has happened this week!!!!!<br />
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Last I wrote we were in the middle of our vacation and just heading over to LegoLand for the second half of spring break. This was our first time there and the kids were soooooooooo excited!!!! We even stayed in their newly built LegoLand Hotel which is awesome!!!! I love this park. It's a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be and just perfect for our kids ages. I would say it would be best for kids between 36" high to about 9 or 10 years old. Although my girls will love it even longer because they aren't into big kid rides just yet. I didn't do too bad walking around the park, but I will say that the one day that I decided to not take a nap, I was totally done by the end of the day... or I probably could have called it quits even sooner. By then this baby had been putting pressure down below for long enough and I seriously felt like they were just going to fall out. Note to self for our trip to Disneyland coming up... must take a mid-day break or get a scooter. Haha!<br />
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As soon as we got back from LegoLand, our Easter festivities began. We colored eggs, visited the Easter Bunny, had an egg hunt (or two), opened Easter baskets, and had our Easter BBQ. Phew! Busy weekend!!!! I know Linc's favorite part was all the candy. That's all he could say all day. The girls on the other hand LOVED the egg hunt. Thus they had me hide them for a second time so they could do it all over again. Haha! It was a great day though, with candy overdose bellyaches at the end. Oh the joys of lots of candy.<br />
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No candy for me though. I decided to do my glucose test today (a day earlier than I had planned). I decided to fast this time and feel really confident that I passed. I guess we'll find out at our next doctor appointment when Belle gets to go with me. Yay!<br />
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Oh! And in other news... I've decided to become a doula!!! I'm really excited to start on this new journey and can't wait to get started. I've already ordered some of the required reading materials and booked my doula workshop classes. Yay!!!!!!!!</div>
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<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"This past week has been full of big decisions. Adam and I
have decided its best I move back home after the baby is born. No more waiting
around for our house to sell! This decision kept us busy, as we had to not only
re-plan our entire summer, but also re-shop
for all our main baby items all over again (crib, mattress, etc..) and have all
the items delivered to my parents home.
This was a hard decision to make, as I will be leaving Adam behind for a few
months, but the right one to make on many different levels. We are both overall
very excited for everything to come!" - Belle</span></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>April 30th-6th</b> - Belle Visits</u></i> - Yay!!!! I can't wait!!!!! Always so much fun to hang out and spend some quality time together. And we've got LOTS planned!!!!<br />
<i style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>May 1st</b> - Baby Shower</i> - Yayyyyyyy!!!!! I've been waiting for this day for quite awhile. Can't wait to shower this mommy to be with lots of love and gifts!<br />
<i style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>May 2nd-4th</b> - Disneyland</i> - Fun Fun fun!!! The girls are so excited for our girls only trip to Disneyland.<br />
<i style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>May 5th</b> - 30 week OB Visit</i> - Will find out glucose test results and talk about the growth scan.<br />
<i style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>May 5th</b> - 30 week Growth Scan</i> - Yay!!!!! Another chance to see baby. So is this a big baby? Lots of fluid? Or do we have a 2nd baby hiding in there???<br />
<i style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>May 5th</b> - Doula Meeting</i> - This is our 1st official meeting with the doula to go over our birth plan and how labor and delivery will go to keep us nice and calm.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-24274904674210958322014-04-12T09:48:00.004-07:002014-04-14T10:02:45.705-07:00Surro Files - 27 Weeks And We're In The 3rd Trimester!!!!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-aQtMNfH4OKSDZdUgzgqHuaZjhqA-kMvQ77ViqzkP2iIxfz-gUMOm_9cAhapZnJmLqv6F_M7cVeeZ0f4UbUhbI1T95JJt4Noo1TAjlc6yul3EYzlXenSR-iyncr-yTsHAjHzYHdjiJM/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-aQtMNfH4OKSDZdUgzgqHuaZjhqA-kMvQ77ViqzkP2iIxfz-gUMOm_9cAhapZnJmLqv6F_M7cVeeZ0f4UbUhbI1T95JJt4Noo1TAjlc6yul3EYzlXenSR-iyncr-yTsHAjHzYHdjiJM/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="342" width="400"></a></div>
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<b>The Bun</b><br>
Baby is now about the size of a rutabaga (14.5 inches) and about 2 pounds. Right now baby looks like a thinner, redder, more wrinkled version of what they will look like at birth, but in the next few weeks more fat will fill out their appearance. Baby's immune system is continuing to mature as are their lungs which are still practicing breathing amniotic fluid.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyt_Sxw5u8GKhKb9kDT0DqlZs1DkyNALI2vi_JO4D1AGauCoJTSPTcvKSlpn4uQbH9sm-1w33_2avV5zgBsTv4wUE9CdMXv7Im_AdiNzDGzbwxcvEbneFN6g79N9QngSdi0dlp-g65JI/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyt_Sxw5u8GKhKb9kDT0DqlZs1DkyNALI2vi_JO4D1AGauCoJTSPTcvKSlpn4uQbH9sm-1w33_2avV5zgBsTv4wUE9CdMXv7Im_AdiNzDGzbwxcvEbneFN6g79N9QngSdi0dlp-g65JI/s1600/27.jpg" height="320" width="236"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Photo Taken By Belle & Adam</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">This belly is now in the third trimester!!!! Woot woot! Ok, there is debate on if the third trimester starts at 27 or 28 weeks but I think 27 makes more sense so I'm going with that. That being said, I feel like end of pregnancy symptoms have decided to start all of a sudden right when we turned this new leaf into the home stretch. This weekend I could NOT sleep because of acid being pushed up through my throat due to tight space limits in the belly now. I also magically started getting leg cramps when I stretch which I hadn't had all pregnancy till now. Oh yes, the joys of the third trimester. But I know it means we're getting close and that makes me so excited. We're almost there Belle and Adam!!!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZYGoJyvTFTHnaHHjDMjoX9QPbTjy6KJqPfuYngpNX4smzxOixe3PZpt6TmEOcMCEBx9BDqlLh-6Bj7da2yAKfDd5oUy43jmiY698tXpq2xlO9S0a5H9Wcwhe9K2TK8lRd8_NncyFI3A/s640/blogger-image--1061709693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZYGoJyvTFTHnaHHjDMjoX9QPbTjy6KJqPfuYngpNX4smzxOixe3PZpt6TmEOcMCEBx9BDqlLh-6Bj7da2yAKfDd5oUy43jmiY698tXpq2xlO9S0a5H9Wcwhe9K2TK8lRd8_NncyFI3A/s640/blogger-image--1061709693.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">-Pic of my sister and I (27wks for me, 26 weeks for her)</div><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lately the belly has been a movin' and a groovin'. This baby does not like to sleep at all! Haha! I don't mind though. I'm quite amused by their playful side kicks and rolls. Even got a great video of a leg, or maybe an arm doing a few side swipes across the belly while they were listening to their mommy read books on our Belly Bud headphones ... or rather bellyphones??<br>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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Ok, do I really need to say what I've been doing this week??? Still working on the baby shower. Haha! Yes, it's a never ending process, but I wanted to get as much done as I could before we left on our spring break vacation. I'm feeling really good right now. I've gotten so much done and I'll still have 2 weeks when I get back to finish things up. So nice to not leave everything to the last minute! Ok, I'd post pictures of what I've been up to as far as projects, but I really want it to be a surprise for Belle when she gets here. I promise I will post TONS of pics after the shower.<br>
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This weekend started our spring break vacation. We headed down South to visit my family for a few days before heading to Lego Land for the week. I only get to see my family every few months, so it's really nice to catch up, laugh, and just relax. I'll admit it's a little chaotic getting all four kids together, but they do have fun... Most of the time. Haha! It's also great hanging out with my sister who is due with her own little bundle of joy just a week after Belle and Adam's baby. We can compare notes on baby aches and pains, kicks and rolls, and everything else to do with baby making. I just don't have the after birth tasks to share in. I like it that way though. Gives me more time to enjoy and talk about what everyone else is doing to get ready, while still concentrating on my own kids. Such a great mix.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxSs03Jh2s5eU9bcOkltidC-EC6GW95v6E9WNE_csbZOuszFT8nVdGpcxJEodyWuLJ2n6IaAee7CKzYeSt_QTCo4vyDcSBhnYcpmZD14li7nQTCSSituzQGFsOAMlQq9Z2ZQSfz8a_XY/s640/blogger-image-1515742545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxSs03Jh2s5eU9bcOkltidC-EC6GW95v6E9WNE_csbZOuszFT8nVdGpcxJEodyWuLJ2n6IaAee7CKzYeSt_QTCo4vyDcSBhnYcpmZD14li7nQTCSSituzQGFsOAMlQq9Z2ZQSfz8a_XY/s640/blogger-image-1515742545.jpg"></a></div>- My family with parents, sister, and her son. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br>
<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"</span><span style="text-align: start; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This past week has been quiet, but busy! Lots of nursery organizing going on. You can never be too organized. I got the last order of my cloth diapers in the mail, as well as the rest of my Zulily order = lots of laundry washing!</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="text-align: start;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Adam was away all week for work, which gave me time to put together the changing table and I now have it all set and ready to use. I can honestly say I feel like I now have everything ready for the baby's arrival and can relax (even though that wont happen!!!) </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Last thing on my list that I must get are mattress protectors, which I somehow forgot to buy up to this point. </span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">More house viewings coming up! Maybe our move is close at hand?!" -Belle</span></div>
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<b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>April 22nd</b> - Glucose Test</u></i> - Ewwwwww!!!!! Not looking forward to it.<br>
<i><u><b>April 30th-6th</b> - Belle Visits</u></i> - Yay!!!! Baby Shower, Disneyland, 30 Week Growth Ultrasound, 30 Week OB Visit, & Meet With Doula. Fun Fun Fun!!! Busy Busy Busy!!!</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-5247223511224546252014-04-07T08:20:00.000-07:002014-04-07T08:20:51.511-07:00Surro Files - 26 Weeks & We Have A Doula<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNVZtX5Lv2JHR2vS503p3K2HUKwX8HKTq_XOnb_66_Id3U4lw1c3iNJWf2R_0MwVNhujcB4uil2iA1eld-7eUnO7djB-jGvjO_ZYwe2-cU-W5EwS58cn5xcWGJ2cts3GUybPwu3-F5Oc/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNVZtX5Lv2JHR2vS503p3K2HUKwX8HKTq_XOnb_66_Id3U4lw1c3iNJWf2R_0MwVNhujcB4uil2iA1eld-7eUnO7djB-jGvjO_ZYwe2-cU-W5EwS58cn5xcWGJ2cts3GUybPwu3-F5Oc/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="342" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Bun</b><br />
Baby is now about the size of a head of lettuce (14 inches) and 1.75 pounds. By now baby's lungs and brain are much more developed. In fact, the baby can likely detect light and dark through the optic nerve. Baby can now also hear more than just my rumbling tummy (which is particularly rumbly right now), such as outside noises like voices.<br />
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Speaking of hearing... Each night I play voice recordings to baby that Belle and Adam have sent over to me. If you remember, last time Belle and Adam visited I gave them a pair of Belly Buds as a gift. Basically it's a baby belly headphone set so that I can play music and voice recordings for baby. Now their baby will already be accustomed to music they like and their voices. I also have a few recordings of their dogs so their cheerful barks will be familiar when baby gets home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCl6dlBEWIYwjDgIVsQkaf55r7Kc5ouUFP9bWAR0C81rMqqve5og3oPs-WCM4hfsw-kFX6wyjrAXSbmBbAQhIWFsVOgmcj5k1FYAelJZNuZVmyedYskTB1RuXK-206LBG2fWPYuKCZvA/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCl6dlBEWIYwjDgIVsQkaf55r7Kc5ouUFP9bWAR0C81rMqqve5og3oPs-WCM4hfsw-kFX6wyjrAXSbmBbAQhIWFsVOgmcj5k1FYAelJZNuZVmyedYskTB1RuXK-206LBG2fWPYuKCZvA/s1600/26.jpg" height="400" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>Photo by Belle & Adam</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
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Well, turns out the oven is a bit bigger than the average 26 week oven. It's actually measuring about 4 weeks ahead. Definitely explains why everyone thinks we're due a lot sooner than we really are and why a lot of my maternity shirts are already hitting max capacity. More about that below when I talk about our 25 week OB visit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXPxYcNTb9cqXi09WHV7LcGWafaHQmmRalzK7f-A6vGngYD1md0y0IEeSMj-f6OwhLbuPVrDXOKqQJydYaonf4RczkuVzsAsO8J6XVYpnZm_1LPju03Y2VGL8jTyyk2tZw3LY7Mhrgic/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaXPxYcNTb9cqXi09WHV7LcGWafaHQmmRalzK7f-A6vGngYD1md0y0IEeSMj-f6OwhLbuPVrDXOKqQJydYaonf4RczkuVzsAsO8J6XVYpnZm_1LPju03Y2VGL8jTyyk2tZw3LY7Mhrgic/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The belly at 26 Weeks</td></tr>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
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Lots going on this week! First off, we had our 25 week OB visit this past Thursday. I gained another 5 pounds this past month clocking me in at 135 pounds. Ack! That's a 29 pound increase so far. Still on track for what I usually gain, but it would be nice if we slowed down a bit this next month. Blood pressure looked great and baby's heartbeat sounded awesome at around 140 bpm. Only problem is like I said above... I'm measuring about 4 weeks ahead. Not sure what that's all about, but I usually measure pretty big. It's just the way I grow. Just to be on the safe side though, we're going to have a growth scan next month while Belle is here. Big baby, extra fluid, extra baby???? Haha! Who knows, but we'll find out. Funny story from our visit. My nurse practitioner was saying that I look like I'm carrying a {...beep...} even though I'm really carrying a {...beep...}. Then she made another comment about the sex of the baby saying it looked the opposite of what it really is. Baby did not like that at all and gave her a swift kick to the doppler. Freaked my nurse out. Haha! Don't call baby a {...beep...} when they're really a {...beep...}. You didn't think I was really going to spill the beans on the sex did you???? No way! Also got my lab slip for the glucose test. No bueno! I really hate that test. Ewwwww! <br />
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In other news this week, we also decided to hire a doula. Brian has decided not to be present at the<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivItvBtSC3aklRTwvBVtmjiRR_2jny2zS15ho2mqkuMjGBrIIxPje0rrJlOV2wRifvG6jf0e2w11HQeeULhW23jsMDR9yLpvEEBeeYIopQALC46Az5v2nYUMnw4GseOxhe3_EqwPoNvrc/s1600/page2-img1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivItvBtSC3aklRTwvBVtmjiRR_2jny2zS15ho2mqkuMjGBrIIxPje0rrJlOV2wRifvG6jf0e2w11HQeeULhW23jsMDR9yLpvEEBeeYIopQALC46Az5v2nYUMnw4GseOxhe3_EqwPoNvrc/s1600/page2-img1.jpg" height="200" width="120" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Our Doula Natalie</b></i></u></td></tr>
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birth because he feels slightly uncomfortable knowing that another man will watch his baby be born from me. He definitely feels that every parent should be able to watch their baby be born and has no problem with that, but still feels uncomfortable being present. So instead he will be on call (our house is only 5 min down the road) in case anything goes wrong. That being said, we feel that having a doula will help bridge the gap and give me more support during labor, birth, and after. So this week I started the interview process. Thursday I had two interviews and they both went great! I really liked both doulas, but something about the second doula just told me she was the one. It might have been the calming aura that she had about her. Or maybe it was that she seemed so knowledgeable in positions that might help my back labor which I've experience twice so far. Or it could have been the thought of massage and essential oils that caught my attention. Whatever it was, I just knew she was the one. I cancelled the rest of my interviews and booked her two days later. Yay for a doula!!!! So excited to be working with <a href="http://innerbalance.co.cr/" target="_blank">Natalie Garvey-De Leon of Inner Balance</a>. Belle and I will have our first real meeting with her next month while Belle is visiting.<br />
<br />
Lastly, I've been working on the baby shower this week. Surprised? I think not. That's what I do everyday, morning, noon, and night. Only 3-1/2 more weeks!!!! Just yesterday I finished some Mickey & Minnie mouse headbands for the party and almost all of the hanging flower decorations. Yay!!!! Hopefully this week I can get even more done before I'm out of commission for spring break.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_49tZ2CVzlVdNgvkhQN2Qyzn7AwndM_Iy5mOtzyASPih0BE4yPKdvsqnRMH1zOrc9sObbABe1W7-x8M_P2gm2z4O6EWaKQwogZjysO1Ynkuy1jErd8aeIfCUFIpQorwJajcb_XFVCyA/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_49tZ2CVzlVdNgvkhQN2Qyzn7AwndM_Iy5mOtzyASPih0BE4yPKdvsqnRMH1zOrc9sObbABe1W7-x8M_P2gm2z4O6EWaKQwogZjysO1Ynkuy1jErd8aeIfCUFIpQorwJajcb_XFVCyA/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Working on Baby Shower Tissue Flowers</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"More laundry and organizing going on for baby clothing. I have a dresser loaded full of items aged
0-5 YEARS (already)!!! Most items are now washed and put away, but I do have
another load or two (or 3) to go.... <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This week I
also was able to buy the last few extra little cloth diaper items I wanted,
until i wait and see what i get from friends and family as gifts! One neat
organization I did was arrange my cloth diapers in a door-shoe hanger for
easy access and quick changes! No running around here looking for lost items
(yet!) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We also got
the crib mattress in, and it is all set up, sheets and all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The rest of
our week was kept busy with a couple of house viewings we had, and hopefully we
will get an offer on our house soon!" - <i>Belle</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7tV68GPkeGQvJFtA8VEc9yAdosdO6K_7is51LLHki3PJGYLlYP_c-Uuf2Nb_XUnuLhGk7bz0YFt0LPvtn8W-dxOPAfE_LTokb_ZC01whM0FdzUOULFY6JOiNb3xuVSjxuQULDfXtr3s/s1600/cloth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7tV68GPkeGQvJFtA8VEc9yAdosdO6K_7is51LLHki3PJGYLlYP_c-Uuf2Nb_XUnuLhGk7bz0YFt0LPvtn8W-dxOPAfE_LTokb_ZC01whM0FdzUOULFY6JOiNb3xuVSjxuQULDfXtr3s/s1600/cloth.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Belle's New Cloth Diaper Storage System</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><u><b>April 22nd</b> - Glucose Test</u></i> - Ewwwwww!!!!! Not looking forward to it.<br />
<i><u><b>April 30th-6th</b> - Belle Visits</u></i> - Yay!!!! Baby Shower, Disneyland, 30 Week Growth Ultrasound, 30 Week OB Visit, & Meet With Doula. Fun Fun Fun!!! Busy Busy Busy!!!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
</div>
The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-4363137777733978162014-03-31T09:05:00.000-07:002014-03-31T09:05:20.420-07:00Surro Files - 25 Weeks With Baby Shower On The Brain<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-eEki54hVrug4oUFP62WCkoSjjeJmPaLwhyphenhyphencIsoXNDk7acg0-cf0gXsgWNO2jL7UtV5eqh-K4bY8S8LaJ96aJRdh5J8I5R1YpnpuE5lELxPeovXF2iuULVQmSwSWfUvrFfW7-rfOTNA/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-eEki54hVrug4oUFP62WCkoSjjeJmPaLwhyphenhyphencIsoXNDk7acg0-cf0gXsgWNO2jL7UtV5eqh-K4bY8S8LaJ96aJRdh5J8I5R1YpnpuE5lELxPeovXF2iuULVQmSwSWfUvrFfW7-rfOTNA/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="342" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>The Bun</b><br />
Baby is now about the size of cauliflower (13.5 in) and 1.5 pounds. Baby's body parts are continuing to become more proportional to each other. Baby fat is also continuing to fill in their skin for a smoother look and more hair is growing, developing texture and color. Hmmmmm... wonder what color hair this baby will have? I'm going to guess dark, but then again my little man has blonde hair and blue eyes with two dark haired, brown eyed parents.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRu6unU_1g6Gx6SeqpovUem2D-UbLQoHuWg_6q2oSvKlgrtJ0viwKmemYh8C_4bim9MoAyxIlRbd2KsVuz7KC-gg-r1964dehQjGpjhs5n3JDi1ZrPqdWCTImOExThto-dMx6bZLm5oT8/s1600/stock-footage-cauliflower-woman-showing-holding-cauliflower-isolated-on-white-background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRu6unU_1g6Gx6SeqpovUem2D-UbLQoHuWg_6q2oSvKlgrtJ0viwKmemYh8C_4bim9MoAyxIlRbd2KsVuz7KC-gg-r1964dehQjGpjhs5n3JDi1ZrPqdWCTImOExThto-dMx6bZLm5oT8/s1600/stock-footage-cauliflower-woman-showing-holding-cauliflower-isolated-on-white-background.jpg" height="221" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>At 25 Weeks baby is now the size of a large bunch of cauliflower</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
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Not much new with the oven. It's just getting bigger. I keep thinking it'll slow down, but I'm pretty sure I gained another 4 pounds this month. At least I'm consistent. Haha! I've also been feeling more Braxton Hicks contractions. Not painful... they just take my breath away for a minute as everything hardens up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTMTOL_obbglj09RmbKmMe7DNwzf71Z0XfIaUOejAoioAIK2HOlIy9GqGVzjvAWKWWeWJ0SwaS97ReneobkRDbUcmMU816fNPfRDKyfsn2VGW3xT5skNTG2Lqrh100aSMHmjpE60vui8/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTMTOL_obbglj09RmbKmMe7DNwzf71Z0XfIaUOejAoioAIK2HOlIy9GqGVzjvAWKWWeWJ0SwaS97ReneobkRDbUcmMU816fNPfRDKyfsn2VGW3xT5skNTG2Lqrh100aSMHmjpE60vui8/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>The Belly @ 25 weeks. Took my sticker photo a week late. Boo!</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
This week I've had baby shower on the brain 24/7! On May 1st I'm throwing a baby shower for Belle. I thought this would be a great way for Belle to meet some of my best friends and family members while celebrating the big day to come. I've always wanted to throw a baby shower so I was super excited that she finally gave in and said it was ok. She's not one for being the center of attention, but but who could resist a party to celebrate her little bundle of joy and becoming a mommy? Plus I throw a pretty good party. <i>*wink*</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCR650M3w7tI0EeMcsZNvOwaMGHeH4W0_fUT7HqKe5Qafz7QQEkoWKFeayt_7eyFlT9AUnMcusrCmeDpsMyD_4aQPqOeW9uR28ZFrkJeo24igFtU0aw0CYh6I2fqj-DneephqP4-oM7M/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCR650M3w7tI0EeMcsZNvOwaMGHeH4W0_fUT7HqKe5Qafz7QQEkoWKFeayt_7eyFlT9AUnMcusrCmeDpsMyD_4aQPqOeW9uR28ZFrkJeo24igFtU0aw0CYh6I2fqj-DneephqP4-oM7M/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>My Cute Little Party Invites. Even Includes a Bookplate for Book Gifts</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<i><br /></i>
So far I've got my whole game plan nailed down for our Mickey and Minnie Mouse Book Baby Shower. I've figured out what the overall look will be, what food I will serve, and games we will play. Then I made a shopping list to get crackin' on. That's what I've been doing all this week... shopping, shopping, shopping. I think I only have a few items left to buy and then I'm done! This week I'll start on projects. I need to start assembling some of the decorations so they'll be ready to go for the big day. You can never start too early.<br />
<br />
I've also finished shopping for Belle's baby shower gift basket. I admit I went a bit overboard with the shopping, but everything looked soooooooo cute!!!!! Now I'm just waiting for it all to come in the mail. Can't wait to see all the cute baby stuff. I love buying baby gifts.<br />
<br />
In addition to the baby shower Brian and I also went to a crab feed for his work industry. It was sooooooo yummy! Kind of odd at first to have cold crab, but you get used to it. Plus they had lots of prizes to raffle off and wouldn't you know it... I won!!!!! I kept telling Brian that I really wanted to win the party drink dispenser so I could use it for the baby shower. I didn't care about the gift certificates, the bottles of wine, or even the flat screen TV. I just wanted the drink dispenser. And I won it!!!!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCo1C599TzJBQMrAoQBrNCbWd-nCb0Odr9FUFy64AumUy2hdcPxZ0B49aKRQlO5lpzY_WLhrO9wIalelVVpbiAY6CuvnRv8VAz8B6BJ61CCys6V-ddjEdYJHPaxs_PfGgI-A_OW8x05dM/s1600/1010670_10203247268844275_1459731941_n+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCo1C599TzJBQMrAoQBrNCbWd-nCb0Odr9FUFy64AumUy2hdcPxZ0B49aKRQlO5lpzY_WLhrO9wIalelVVpbiAY6CuvnRv8VAz8B6BJ61CCys6V-ddjEdYJHPaxs_PfGgI-A_OW8x05dM/s1600/1010670_10203247268844275_1459731941_n+(2).jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>Brian and I at his industry crab feed function. Yum!</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YnFGcN1y2Ot6OFOlhcjPG4vKXH0WJt_GVgoubC3qzZg0MYnTTZMYTOrm5HwkJR0cHdqksJkTxjLQNNKFs_Ob-RqJvMVPRsq8I34fMuXBYzemEyA5q_RixszIWTTN4TCo2ZU9HKlGqEg/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YnFGcN1y2Ot6OFOlhcjPG4vKXH0WJt_GVgoubC3qzZg0MYnTTZMYTOrm5HwkJR0cHdqksJkTxjLQNNKFs_Ob-RqJvMVPRsq8I34fMuXBYzemEyA5q_RixszIWTTN4TCo2ZU9HKlGqEg/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="400" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>The Drink Dispenser That I Won!!!</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Chefs <i>(an update from Belle)</i></b><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"This past
week was busy, but fun! I got new cloth diapers in the mail (newborn size).
They are all so cute! I also got my Tula baby carrier in the mail, it looks
perfect and i cant wait to use it. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also
managed to sort all the baby clothes this week, wash them, and put them away. I
even have our baby's travel bag packed and ready to go! Only 15 weeks left
before the big day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In other
news, Adam has his flight booked out for the first week of July! He should
arrive about 10 days before the Due Date. I still need to book my flight, but I
will most likely be arriving the second to last week of June.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We have also
been busy trying to sell our house, with lots of showings going on. I hope to move
soon!" -<i> Belle</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnGkiSPQhYzwfc6nAr3N8KdUZn0kEyhHXmbrhqpdbZdVm9O4dkh87I4VQzTY4wSwfOrLkwoCmmEcZ1NJr2GcjhGmgZsD99nr3B-UQEu3OLWwBpLnROM8OrO9cARww_P0prZ_Idbv9404/s1600/diapers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnGkiSPQhYzwfc6nAr3N8KdUZn0kEyhHXmbrhqpdbZdVm9O4dkh87I4VQzTY4wSwfOrLkwoCmmEcZ1NJr2GcjhGmgZsD99nr3B-UQEu3OLWwBpLnROM8OrO9cARww_P0prZ_Idbv9404/s1600/diapers.png" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Belle's Cute Newborn Tots Bots Tiny Fit Cloth Diapers</b></i></u></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><u><b>April 3rd</b> - 25 Week OB Appt</u></i> - Meeting with the certified nurse midwife.<br />
<i><u><b>April 30th-7th</b> - Belle Visits</u></i> - Yay!!!! Baby Shower, Disneyland, 30 Week Growth Ultrasound. Fun Fun Fun!!!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
</div>
The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-23290759926673546382014-03-24T15:07:00.000-07:002014-03-24T15:07:55.430-07:00Surro Files - 24 Weeks & We Have Viability!!!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3XNBQl9iycBt4YdqylSTIKzQuSitjmc9Gad4kVAxULZZ_bi6OTVXfa5PsVcWzp8lkFieGUkSX5RF6t_fztjz4pM3Iemk1onPXdPF6GhOd6UGFy7432GgY5OZ6Hbwrihyrv2dPY1IhjI/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ3XNBQl9iycBt4YdqylSTIKzQuSitjmc9Gad4kVAxULZZ_bi6OTVXfa5PsVcWzp8lkFieGUkSX5RF6t_fztjz4pM3Iemk1onPXdPF6GhOd6UGFy7432GgY5OZ6Hbwrihyrv2dPY1IhjI/s1600/Bun+In+The+Oven+2.jpg" height="342" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>The Bun</b><br />
Baby is now about the size of a cantaloupe (12.5 in) and 1.25 pounds. With all the rapidly developing senses in the baby, they should probably be able to sense what is upside down or right side up. Baby's respiratory system is also rapidly growing. Lungs are developing in preparation for breathing and getting practice by moving amniotic fluid in and out of the lungs since for now baby still gets oxygen through the placenta. - <i>The Bump </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
In other news... we have reached VIABILITY!!!! So what does viability mean? No, it doesn't mean that baby will definitely survive if born at this point, but the odds are slowly going up with each day that baby stays in the womb. What it does mean, (at least here in the US) is that most hospitals and doctors will at this point try to use any means necessary to deliver and keep a baby alive that is born after 24 weeks. This is because at this point a baby has enough of a chance of survival (about 50%) and the ability to live outside the womb.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>Baby is now the size of a cantaloupe @ 24wks. - photo by Belle & Adam</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Oven</b></div>
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I know I talked about it before, but this week was an especially hard week for me in regards to my body image. This is a whole new territory for me. I've always adored my growing belly and find it amazing and cute and I just plain love it! So it's really taken me by surprise that certain comments made and personal matters that I don't wish to elaborate on in this blog post, have caused me to see the growth differently. I cried a lot this week because of this new outlook. Luckily I had a long talk with one of my main contributing factors to this change in outlook and I feel much better now. I also talked with Belle quite a bit about it and she helped to remind me why we are doing this and that with this growth comes an amazing gift of life. She reminded me that we know that this is a beautiful experience and it just doesn't matter what anyone else says. I might just be rambling and not making sense at this point, but I just want to say that I'm back to my positive thinking self and cherishing every moment of this surrogacy! I even came across an old favorite song of mine that helped to put things into perspective... "I am beautiful" by Christina Aguilera. <br />
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In honor of hitting the viability mark I've created a partial belly progression video. It's still a work in progress, but hope you like it!!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>The Belly @ 24 Weeks at Casa de Fruta</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Happenings In the Kitchen</b></div>
This has been a busy weekend for us. Friday, Linc and I drove to Monterey to meet up with a Fertility Friend due date mommy friend and her family. Her daughter was born the same month as my son, and although she lives in Canada and I live in California, we've still kept in contact over these years and met up twice so far. And if you don't remember, Fertility Friend is also the site I first met Belle on while trying to conceive Linc. Such a small world!!!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>Linc and I meeting up with friends in Monterey</u></i></b></td></tr>
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On the way home from Monterey, Linc and I also stopped by Casa de Fruta. Love this place! Not only do they have lots of great fresh fruit, but they also have lots of other produce, dried fruit, chocolate treats (oh so yummy looking!!!!!), wine, a deli, an RV park, and a kids fun park. The kids fun park is where we hung out the most. Linc and I rode the train twice, the carousel once, and played at the park forever. Wore Linc out for the second half of the trip home. Yay!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u><i><b>Linc and I hanging out at Casa de Fruta</b></i></u></td></tr>
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This weekend my daughters also ran in the Kidz Mud Factor 5k Run! They had a blast!... most of the time. Haha! I'll admit that a few times the mud kind of freaked them out and a few of the obstacles were a bit high and pretty darn scary even for me, but I was really proud of them for completing the race and going through almost all the obstacles. You go girls!!!!! You make your mommy so proud. Next year I hope I'll be able to do the run with them... or at least the adult version after their run. At least I got a little taste of the fun when Reagan got stuck in a big mud puddle and I had to go rescue her leaving me muddy all the way up to my thighs. Cold, sticky, dirty, and fun!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i><u>The girls getting down and dirty at the Kidz Mud Factor 5k Run</u></i></b></td></tr>
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<b>The Chefs</b><br />
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Another busy week for Belle out of town so I'll be writing her section this week. Don't worry, she'll be back home next week to give you all the low down on what she and Adam have been up to. I will say that she has been having a blast though! Her grandma is still visiting and they had a great time in London, and are currently in Paris! So jealous!!! That sounds like so much fun!!!! Sight seeing, great food, and lots of baby clothes shopping were the themes of the day I'm sure. So glad she's out having fun in these last months before baby gets here. So hard to find the time after that. <br />
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<b>Coming Soon !!!</b></div>
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<i><u><b>April 3rd</b> - 25 Week OB Appt</u></i> - Meeting with the certified nurse midwife.<br />
<i><u><b>April 30th-7th</b> - Belle Visits</u></i> - Yay!!!! Baby Shower, Disneyland, Fun Ultrasound. Fun Fun Fun!!!</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Don't forget to check out my </span><a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/p/gestational-surrogacy-is-when-surrogate.html" style="text-align: center;">"Surrogacy"</a><span style="text-align: center;"> tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-align: justify;">*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*</i></div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803360095744161499.post-59297554182746589922014-03-20T09:26:00.001-07:002014-03-20T09:26:20.578-07:00The Girls New Surfer Room Is DONE!!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Wow! I've been working on the design of this room since last summer, and the actual transformation of the room since the first day of 2014. It's been a labor of love and worth every ounce of energy I've put into it. The girls LOVE their new room!!!!!! We've went from a tomboy styled <i>Cars</i> room, to a hip surfer girl room that they're excited to show all their friends when they come over. What more can two <strike>little</strike> big girls ask for? Sorry it's taken me so long to post pictures. We've been go go go lately. <br />
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If you'd like to see the planning that went into this room and the before pictures, please see my previous post ... <a href="http://www.adventuresinfluff.com/2014/01/a-new-year-with-new-room.html" target="_blank">A New Year, A New Room</a>. And yes, you might notice that the slide did not happen. Boo!!!!! Brian thought it would make the room too much of a play place instead of a sleep place. Kill Joy! Haha! The girls love it anyways ... although they do bring up the slide now and then.<br />
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So without further ado, here are some pictures of the girls new room!<br />
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The bed was existing. I really couldn't tell you who made it, but I did buy it at USA Baby if that helps. The bedding is from the "Surfs Up Tropic" bedding collection. I got my set off of Ebay, but you can find it several places online. The curtains and blue accent pillows on the bed are from Anna's Linens. The blue rug (I cut up to fit the loft and floor) is from Target. The grass window valances are from Shindigz.com. They were table skirts that I cut up and glued to a curtain rod. The surfboard sign is custom cut by a friend of ours and I painted it myself. The surfboard decals on the wall are from Pottery Barn Kids. Sorry, can't remember where the clock is from, but I did use nail polish to paint the numbers on it.</div>
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The same friend of ours that cut out the surfboard made this awesome loft for us!!!! Isn't it awesome?!?! I did all the painting on it. The little table and chairs under the loft and the stuffed animal storage hanger are from Ikea. The Hello Kitty wall decal is from Fat Head. The bed sheets are from Pottery Barn Kids.</div>
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The dresser is from Ikea. The bookshelf on top of the dresser was a companion piece with the bunk beds. The light under the bunk bed and under the loft are from Ikea. The star knobs are from Rejuvenated Creations on Etsy. Please feel free to ask me if I forgot to list the source of anything. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have.</div>
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The Happy Hangerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01471396901269433949noreply@blogger.com2