Okay, don't worry. I didn't actually throw up on him. But I almost did...I think. Well, anyway, this wave of nausea came over me as my itty bitty Jaxon was laboring his way through "Old MacDonald Had a Song" and I just about lost it. Luckily, the wave passed pretty quickly and I was fine, but it was a reminder that I really need to tell these parents! "Just so you know, I'm pregnant but it's not mine. Tell your kid."
I'm hoping everyone is okay with it. I know it's not an easy conversation to have with this age of child (7-9) because they understand it but they just don't GET it. Sawyer was easy as he doesn't know any different. His biggest concern when we told him was how the baby was going to get home to Minnesota. (Well, honestly he wasn't thrilled that he wasn't getting a brother out of the deal, but that passed pretty quick.)
Basically, they are going to have to explain it to their child or they just won't be able to take lessons with me any more. Knowing my families, I really don't think that will happen, but you never know how people are going to react. Surrogacy is becoming much more commonplace these days, but I don't think it's rolled into mainstream suburban San Antonio just quite yet. In my eyes, it would be a great teachable moment on faith, trust, servanthood, people coming together to accomplish a goal, and the marvels of modern medicine. So let's just hope that's how it plays out.
In other news, I ate a HUGE pancake this morning at my favorite breakfast spot without an ounce of guilt. One of the perks of pregnancy.
7 days until the ultrasound! Can't wait to see who's in there!!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
The Gag Test
Tonight Ryan and I resurrected an old game we used to play while I in my first trimester with E and S. It's called The Gag Test. Here's how you play: 1) I close my eyes and think of a food that doesn't activate my gag reflex. 2) R goes to get that food. Game over.
This game is pretty much reserved for weekends, as weeknights nobody has the time to deal with the fickle tastes of "The Yuck." (Oh, I have renamed "Morning Sickness" "The Yuck" because it's not morning and I'm not sick. I'm just "yuck".) And tonight we kind of bent the rules because I had to choose between feeding and bathing my children and driving to get my food. I chose the drive.
And tonight's winner of The Gag Test is...... Savannah Chopped Salad from McCallister's Deli!
I thought it would be fun to keep a running list of the "good" foods and "yuck" foods so see how they change in the coming weeks. So here we go:
Food That Make Me Say "Yum"
Food That Make Me Throw Up in My Mouth a Little Bit
This game is pretty much reserved for weekends, as weeknights nobody has the time to deal with the fickle tastes of "The Yuck." (Oh, I have renamed "Morning Sickness" "The Yuck" because it's not morning and I'm not sick. I'm just "yuck".) And tonight we kind of bent the rules because I had to choose between feeding and bathing my children and driving to get my food. I chose the drive.
And tonight's winner of The Gag Test is...... Savannah Chopped Salad from McCallister's Deli!
I thought it would be fun to keep a running list of the "good" foods and "yuck" foods so see how they change in the coming weeks. So here we go:
Food That Make Me Say "Yum"
- McCallister's Savannah Chopped Salad
- Subway (this tends to be one place that always sounds good when I'm pregnant. I think the last time I ate there I was pregnant.)
- cold cuts of any kind
- the kids' macaroni and cheese (I NEVER eat this and probably never actually will do it)
- cold pasta salad
- broccoli/kale salad from Byerly's (been craving it)
- cold pea soup
- turkey hot dogs (also something I NEVER consume, but thinking about picking up a pack of the natural ones...)
- apples and most fruit in general
- popsicles
- cold tomato sauce
Food That Make Me Throw Up in My Mouth a Little Bit
- hot grains of any kind (quinoa, lentils, oatmeal, etc.)
- hot soup
- milk (still getting my calcium, mom!)
- chocolate and candy
- hummus
- carrots
- hot vegetables
- coffee
- soda or anything carbonated
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
The REAL Two Week Wait
I am NOT by nature a patient person. Nope, not at all. I enjoy immediate gratification just as much, and probably more, than your average person. So when you tell me I have seriously high levels of hcg in my blood for only 11 days after the transfer, I immediately want to know how many little rascals are kicking around in there. AND I want to know that whoever is in there is healthy and growing as they should.
Our answers will come in TWO WEEKS!
We've already been waiting 6 days from the last beta test, and now I have 14 more?!?! I know if I'm jumping out of my skin, my IP's are probably even more eagerly crossing off days on the calendar, hoping for March 5 to get here as quickly as possible.
On the up side, that's the most I have to complain about right now. I'm feeling good, although I think I'm starting to feel the inklings of some nausea coming on. That's all a good sign that my levels are continuing to increase, though, so I'm kind of happy about not feeling fantastic. Also feeling a little more tired than usual, and after staring at me in the showing for about 5 minutes straight with a big grin on his face, R informed me that my body is "plumping" in certain husband-pleasing areas.
So right now things are rather uneventful, which is a good thing. Although they aren't doing much right now, I really wish these little guys inside me could know how many people are cheering for them, praying for them, and waiting so, so patiently (or not so patiently) for them.
Our answers will come in TWO WEEKS!
We've already been waiting 6 days from the last beta test, and now I have 14 more?!?! I know if I'm jumping out of my skin, my IP's are probably even more eagerly crossing off days on the calendar, hoping for March 5 to get here as quickly as possible.
On the up side, that's the most I have to complain about right now. I'm feeling good, although I think I'm starting to feel the inklings of some nausea coming on. That's all a good sign that my levels are continuing to increase, though, so I'm kind of happy about not feeling fantastic. Also feeling a little more tired than usual, and after staring at me in the showing for about 5 minutes straight with a big grin on his face, R informed me that my body is "plumping" in certain husband-pleasing areas.
So right now things are rather uneventful, which is a good thing. Although they aren't doing much right now, I really wish these little guys inside me could know how many people are cheering for them, praying for them, and waiting so, so patiently (or not so patiently) for them.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Fast Forward a Few Months....
Wow, it's sure been a long time since I posted, and SO much has happened.
The months of October-December were rather uneventful, but in January the ball started rolling again. Meds arrived, pills were popped, shots were injected, patches were stuck, and then I hopped on a plane to the cold, cold Midwest.
Three feet of snow welcomed me as I stepped out of the airport, and the sub-zero temps were NOT the highlight of my visit. Seriously, it's crazy that people are expected to go outdoors in that weather. If San Antonio ever saw anything remotely similar, our city would literally shut down for a good three months of the year. Craziness...
Anyhow, on the morning of Sunday, February 2, we (well, the doctor) transferred two adorable blastocysts into my plumped and primed uterus. The embryos were "beauties" according to the RE, and he gave us a 79% chance of a singleton, and 60% of twinkies. (Somewhere in the "less than 1%" range there exists a chance of triplets or quads, but let's not even go there.) Last time, our odds were 50%.
Now all that science stuff is well and good, but after was when the REAL magic happened:
1) Pineapple. I ate 1/5 of a pineapple every day for 5 days, including the core. Some say the enzyme bromelain in the core causes the uterus to get "puffy" (a good thing).
2) Bill Cosby. Watched an old stand-up routine about drunk people immediately following the transfer. Hospitals in Israel send a Medical Clown to women's rooms for 15 minutes post-transfer. Studies have shown a 20% higher rate of pregnancy when the women were entertained immediately following IVF.
3) Miralax. I won't elaborate.
I laid around for a few days up north, discovered the wonder of Byerly's, fell in love with a new soap and organic milk, decided Juan Pablo is kind of a sleeze-ball, and hung out with awesome IF and IM before returning to a 70 degree February day in San Antonio.
After a LONG "2 Week Wait" (actually 9dp5dt), I went in for my blood test on February 11 so they could measure my hcg levels. Last time mine were a big fat ZERO. This time.....562.
Repeated the test two days later and levels were at 1585. YES, FOLKS, WE ARE PREGNANT!!**
**With a very special thank you to Bill Cosby, the makers of Miralax, and God (the maker of pineapple)
The months of October-December were rather uneventful, but in January the ball started rolling again. Meds arrived, pills were popped, shots were injected, patches were stuck, and then I hopped on a plane to the cold, cold Midwest.
Three feet of snow welcomed me as I stepped out of the airport, and the sub-zero temps were NOT the highlight of my visit. Seriously, it's crazy that people are expected to go outdoors in that weather. If San Antonio ever saw anything remotely similar, our city would literally shut down for a good three months of the year. Craziness...
Anyhow, on the morning of Sunday, February 2, we (well, the doctor) transferred two adorable blastocysts into my plumped and primed uterus. The embryos were "beauties" according to the RE, and he gave us a 79% chance of a singleton, and 60% of twinkies. (Somewhere in the "less than 1%" range there exists a chance of triplets or quads, but let's not even go there.) Last time, our odds were 50%.
Now all that science stuff is well and good, but after was when the REAL magic happened:
1) Pineapple. I ate 1/5 of a pineapple every day for 5 days, including the core. Some say the enzyme bromelain in the core causes the uterus to get "puffy" (a good thing).
2) Bill Cosby. Watched an old stand-up routine about drunk people immediately following the transfer. Hospitals in Israel send a Medical Clown to women's rooms for 15 minutes post-transfer. Studies have shown a 20% higher rate of pregnancy when the women were entertained immediately following IVF.
3) Miralax. I won't elaborate.
I laid around for a few days up north, discovered the wonder of Byerly's, fell in love with a new soap and organic milk, decided Juan Pablo is kind of a sleeze-ball, and hung out with awesome IF and IM before returning to a 70 degree February day in San Antonio.
After a LONG "2 Week Wait" (actually 9dp5dt), I went in for my blood test on February 11 so they could measure my hcg levels. Last time mine were a big fat ZERO. This time.....562.
Repeated the test two days later and levels were at 1585. YES, FOLKS, WE ARE PREGNANT!!**
**With a very special thank you to Bill Cosby, the makers of Miralax, and God (the maker of pineapple)