The surrogate's kid

This email I just got from Mariela made me laugh:

Um... woohoo?  I can't even imagine what this exciting bucket looks like.

Oh gosh, ask and ye shall receive-- just got a second email:

LOL.

Can't wait to get home and see my shot bucket!

15 weeks

I'm trying to come up with something witty to say about 15. 

Google suggests I might be inspired by Taylor Swift.

My musical references are even less sophisticated (imagine!)-- this was the first 15 song I thought of. I tried to time tag it, but don't know how with blogger-- you need to jump forward to 2 minutes to skip all of the strange silence at the beginning:

 

Right, so cheesy music references aside, 15 weeks is looking pretty good.  I'm feeling good-- no complaints at all.  I'm definitely showing-- Mariela likes to point out that I'm "really big!" just about every day, each time as if it's a total surprise.  I actually disagree with her-- I'm not REALLY big, just sporting a bit of a belly.  I was telling M yesterday that I still think I could hide it if I needed to, but it would take careful wardrobe consideration, and an audience that didn't know me well to pull it off. 

 

I like the belly.  I say good morning to the babies every day, because that's when it's most obvious to me.  Still not feeling movement-- I think I've said before that I don't count anything short of true kicks, because I always figure it could be my digestive system or something.  I think we're still 2 or 3 weeks away from that.  Can't wait!

 

Here's what babycenter says today:

How your baby's growing:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds. Finally, if you have an ultrasound this week, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or a girl! (Don't be too disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down your baby's sex depends on the clarity of the picture and on your baby's position. He or she may be modestly curled up or turned in such a way as to "hide the goods.")

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-15-weeks_1104.bc

Beat you to the punch on the boy/girl thing, babycenter!  One boy, one girl, one maybe-boy.  We'll get confirmation on that little guy next week.

4 inches x 3 babies = 1 foot of baby.  I love it!

Still gaining weight.  This morning I was 167.4, which if we're counting from the 158 lowpoint is nearly a 10 pound gain at 15 weeks.  Or 5ish from where I started.  Either way, going up like it's supposed to.  I have a feeling the growth curve may take a sharper turn soon, when these babies are weighing more than 1/2 a pound total (that's what they are right now).

I guess that's all for now.  I'm really looking forward to next week's ultrasound and the confirmation it will give us that everything is looking good. 

Oh, one more thing-- this weekend, I met someone who was in the hospital when someone came in and delivered trips at 38 weeks.  38 weeks!  The bar has been raised.  LOL.

Jolly Green Giant

14w5d.

Gender reveal

So, the surprise I brought with us to Houston was a gender reveal!  It was so fun.  I'd asked Dr. Uribe to see if he could tell what the sexes of the babies were at Friday's ultrasound, because I knew M, N, and A would be in Greece for our next appointment on 6/7, when we'll certainly be able to tell.  Luckily, the trio was (mostly) cooperative.  So on Saturday, Andie and I drove around to do some shopping to make our reveal idea a reality.  We were so excited!

As it turns out, Rick had a pretty tough shift at work and didn't get off when we expected him to.  We finally got home about 7:30 pm Saturday night and we left for Houston soon after-- I think we got in a little after 10.  Too late for our surprise then, so we left it until the next morning.

And here's how it went on Sunday morning-- with A in a swimsuit and M and N still in their PJs (excuse the giggling from yours truly on the videos):

Baby A is a ... BOY!
Baby B is a ... GIRL!
and
Baby C is a ... MYSTERY!  Well, not exactly.  Dr. Uribe guessed it was a boy, but he said (several times) "Don't paint the room yet."

M, A, and N holding the outfits and balloons.  A was definitely excited about the *pink* baby.

 

Me (and the trio- bump hidden by the outfits):

 

This is one happy papa.  He kept saying "I'm going to have three babies!"

 

This is actually from the inside of my car, right after we got the outfits.  They are just too adorable all lined up together. 

 

All in all, super fun weekend.  The kids spent hours and hours in the pool, we ate a lot of great food, hit some balls at Top Golf, drove around in the enormous Sprinter they're trying out, and just enjoyed the company.  It'll probably be about a month before we can get together again-- we should be about halfway through by then!

14 weeks

Officially, no matter how you look at it, in the second trimester now.  Woohoo!  Yay us!

Here's what babycenter has for me:

How your baby's growing:

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.
In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-14-weeks_1103.bc

And as it turns out, I got to see these three little squinting, grimacing (gee, this isn't as cute-sounding as I intended) little people today!  Had an OB appointment with Dr. Uribe.  In stark contrast to the previous two appointments in that office, I didn't have to wait very long!  Got called back at 11:06 for an 11:00 appointment.  Waited another 30 minutes or so in the exam room, but I'll take a 40 minute wait over a 2 hour wait any day.  Much better.

It was a quick appointment.  Weighed in (their scale said 165, but mine this morning said 165.6-- I think their's is off).  Tried to pee in a cup, but my performance anxiety/shy bladder got in the way (and I ended up having to chug massive amounts of water and wait it out afterward).  Dr. Uribe came in and checked out the babies on ultrasound.  Everyone is present and accounted for.  Baby A (closest to my cervix) had a heart rate of 160, Baby B (mid-uterus, to the left) had a heart rate of 160, and Baby C (fundal, a/k/a at the very tip-top of my uterus) had a heart rate of 158.  They've all stretched out and claimed their own third of the real estate-- so far no kicking each other in the head, though that's definitely coming.

My uterus is measuring at 20 weeks now-- so actually less ahead than last time (I think I was 11, measuring 18, so I've lost a week).  I am definitely showing, though.  I got my first comment about the pregnancy from a stranger yesterday-- a woman asked me if I'd like to try some ice cream and when I said yes, she added "I know the baby wants some!"  So then of course I had to say "3 babies!" just to watch her eyes bug out.  Hee hee.

That's about it.  We're headed to Houston tomorrow, to introduce the trio to their family.  I might have a little surprise for the family too... stay tuned for that.

13 weeks

Babycenter update:

How your baby's growing:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-13-weeks_1102.bc

Weight update: 163.6 lbs.  Another gain.  I'm going to credit the dinner Andie and I had last night at Salty Sow, just down the street.  It's a higher-end restaurant with, hello, a $4 happy hour menu.  Yum!  We had truffled deviled eggs, goat cheese fritters with kalamata spread on toast, crispy brussel sprout leaves, duck fat fries topped with poached duck eggs, and bananas foster beignets for dessert (as if that was necessary).  So much food.  Final bill: $25.  Craziness.

Right, so as that may indicate, food is definitely more appealing these days.  I have maybe the slightest passing bits of nausea, but for the most part, life is better.

And hey-- today someone cat-called me (well, rolled down the window and yelled, "Hey Baby!") while I was at Mariela's school.  So I must be looking pretty hot, right?  Granted, I was standing behind my car at the time, and all he could see was me brushing my hair into a ponytail.  Uh, whatever gets you going, Random Stranger Dude.  Made me laugh.  I'm sure if he got the full, increasingly belly-centric picture, he might have had a different opinion.

I checked in on the babies with the doppler last night.  I don't want to go crazy with exposing them to it, so I only tried to find one heartbeat, but it was super easy to get it.  Rick timed it at 168 beats per minute.  Going strong!

Oh, one yuck note for an otherwise upbeat post.  I continue to have light bleeding or spotting most days-- the darned cervical polyp will not let up.  I've researched it and what I've read supports what Dr. Uribe said-- it's no concern, just a nuisance. Pregnancy should not involve bleeding.  Boo.  Hiss.

I think that's it for this week.  Next Friday, I have an appointment with Dr. Uribe-- just another 2 hour wait for a 5 minute appointment?  Let's hope not!  Just in case, I'll bring my ipad and earbuds, so I can watch a movie.  Two weeks after that is our anatomy scan with Dr. Haeri, my BFF.

Rockin' and rollin'.

Bump

Took a picture, since I'm wearing a dress that accents the bump.

Disclaimer: first thing in the morning, before I brushed my hair.  Had to hurry before my photographer left for school.

No diabetes for me

Just logged on to check my glucose tolerance test results.  I got a 101, which is well within the acceptable range (up to 140).  Woohoo!  So now I can ignore that for another 12 weeks or so, until I get to take it again.  Hopefully with a result just as low.

Today is my 35th birthday.  Welcome to Advanced Maternal Age, the first time in my life I've been officially labeled "old."  I'm feeling pretty spry.  I think I'll make it at least another 35 years or so (really, I'm going for at least another 70).

Photos

Weight today: 162. Definitely a gain!  I think my low point was 158, so that's +4 at 12 weeks.

Here are the pics I took this morning. The close-up shows the Lovenox bruises. The bump is more obvious in clothes, I think. 

 

Oh!  Also forgot to mention that I took/survived the gestational diabetes test yesterday.  I was really worried that the glucola drink would trigger my morning sickness, but I made it through unscathed.  I imagine I'll have results early next week.  I don't expect any issue, but it will be good to confirm that.

12 weeks

1/3 of the way to 36 weeks!  Woohoo!  I think my official "reach" goal is 37 weeks, but 36 would be pretty rockin' for triplets.  We'd take that.  And the minimum goal (hopefully avoiding the super-scary preemie issues) is 28 weeks, so we're 43% of the way there on that one.  We've got this.

I tried out the fetal doppler last night and I heard all three heartbeats.  All with their own rythym, all in different places-- one low, one left, one right.  Yay babies!  Grow, grow, grow!  N asked if I could video it, but I was home alone and I needed an extra set of hands to manage that.  So I'll recruit Andie sometime soon and we'll get some video evidence up here.

I forgot to weigh myself today.  Bad Simi.  But I promised someone today that I would take a belly shot in the morning, so I'll get that and my weight up first thing in the morning and all shall be forgiven.  Right?  Maybe I've actually gained something.  It's sure starting to look that way.

Here's the babycenter update for 12 weeks:

How your baby's growing:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.
Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.
 

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-12-weeks_1101.bc

And here's their picture of twins at 12 weeks. Just picture another one thrown in there for fun:

 Last night, I changed out all of my "normal" clothes for maternity clothes.  Hopefully I have enough-- they're a collection of hand-me-downs from other people for the most part and it seemed to me last night that there was a disproprotionate amount of cold weather stuff.  Hmm.  Who am I kidding?  By the end, I'm going to be staying in the house and wearing a mumu.  Nobody will care about my fashion sense.

Since my rough days Sunday and Monday, I've felt better.  I hate saying things like that, because I'll be puking my guts out in the morning.  But, knock on wood, the later half of the week has been good to me.  Come on, weight gain!

That's it for now.  Signing off with the little limes...

Rough week

Not pregnancy-related, but it's been a hard week from a personal perspective.  We're having an issue with one of our (beloved) dogs, yesterday our kitchen ceiling fell through and created a huge mess, something died in the attic and stunk up the house, I left the house this morning and drove a block before realizing my pants had 4" gaps in the center seams.  Some big things, some small things, but it all adds up to not a lot of fun.  Ready to leave the plagues behind.

Two bright spots:

- I just received notice that I've been accepted into a professional organization for reproductive technology attorneys.  It's nice to gain a professional community and a relevant credential in one swoop.  Yay, me!

- Yesterday, I got the fetal doppler I ordered earlier this week in the mail.  I haven't had the chance to open it, but I should get to try it out tonight.  After our loss in the fall, I think being able to check on heartbeats every so often will be a great comfort.  I do feel good about this pregnancy and these babies, but I'll still take some reassurance!

Blech

I ended up throwing up again last night. And then spending most of the day today trying to avoid getting sick at work. I sat on a bench in the ladies' room for a long, long time. And eventually triumphed. It's not so much the puking that I dread, it's kneeling on the floor in a public restroom. Gross.

I think this is a trend for me. I distinctly remember having surges of strong morning sickness late in the first trimester with each of my pregnancies, right as those weekly pregnancy updates are saying infuriating things like, "By now, you're probably feeling better, as morning sickness fades away." Shut up.

Another fun thought: today Mariela told me that elephants gestate for 2 years (I thought it was 18 months, but I'm not arguing). I was saying it was a good thing I didn't have to be pregnant for that long, or I'd be really, really tired. But then I counted up all the time I have been pregnant and it's three years! Holy moly. By the time I'm finished, it will be 10% of my lifetime. Good gracious.

Banner day

Well, turns out my therapeutic ice cream ended up being completely nauseating. At least it was easy to throw up. Yuck.

Confession: it's a little reassuring to have morning sickness. I mean, I'm happy to skip it, but when I do have it, I feel like everything will be ok.

Heart rates

One thing I forgot to write down about our ultrasound- Everyone's heart rates were high. I think the range was 178-184. Of course, they were all very active too, but old wives' tales would have you believe there are three girls baking in there.

For what it's worth, I don't think so. I dreamed that one of the babies was a boy, so I am inclined to think there's at least a little testosterone hanging around.

On a yuckier note, I woke up with some bleeding in the middle of the night. Almost certainly from the polyp on my cervix, which is not a threat in any way, but ugh. Never like to see blood. Out of a abundance of caution (and possibly some laziness), I've spent the morning lounging in bed. I am about to have some therapeutic chocolate ice cream as well.

Bliss!

Last night, I had strong cravings for dinner-- either eggs benedict or lox and bagels.  And, go figure, there's not a lot of options to get brunch foods at dinner.  I decided to go to Kerby Lane, since they serve breakfast all day and seemed like a good option.  And if they left me high and dry, I could choose some other breakfasty option and be happy.

Well, turns out neither eggs benedict nor lox and bagels is on the menu!  Oh no!  But wait!  On the special seasonal menu, they had smoked salmon benedict.  Shut the front door.  I think I nearly cried.  My two cravings, combined.  And was it everything I dreamed of?  Oh, yes.  Delicious, rich, creamy, smoky perfection.  Andie agreed that it was the best thing ever (she snuck two bites) and decided we had to learn to make it. Yes, please learn to make Hollandaise sauce, Andie.  I can't imagine our lives would be any worse for it.

I hate to use up my allotted miracles on things like fulfilled cravings, but man, that was good.

I think after this week's fantastic appointments and healthy babies, I'm going to make the blog public again.  Hello, world.  Welcome to my Hollandaise-soaked triplet pregnancy.

11 weeks



Here they are, the stars of our show!

 

 

 

Here's what babycenter says: 

How your baby's growing:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.
She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-11-weeks_1100.bc

 

But lucky us, we don't have to rely on babycenter's generic update, because yesterday, we got to visit with the C Triplets up close and personal.  Woohoo!

 

We started out with Dr. Haeri, the MFM.  I LOVE HIM.  I cannot say how much better it makes me feel just to know this man is on our team.  Incredible, incredible appointment.

 

First, we met with the sonographer, who did a very detailed examination of each baby.  We saw their stomachs, bladders, legs and feet, arms and hands, hemispheres of the brain, and spines.  One of the main purposes of the appointment was to measure the back of the babies' necks, the nuchal fold, to see if it was at all enlarged-- all three had PERFECT 1 mm measurements.  All three also had nasal bones present-- absent nasal bones can be a marker of chromosomal abnormalities.

 

The ultrasound took a long, long time and the sonographer (I really wish I remembered her name, but I don't) told us this would be the shortest one we had.  I've heard twin moms complain about how uncomfortable the ultrasound is, but I'd never appreciated why.  It's hard to be flat on your back for well over all hour while they mash around on your uterus.  And this was without much additional weight.  Add another 40 pounds or so and I can see how it would be awful!

 

The babies looked so amazingly cool, by the way.  Even from the second she just rested the ultrasound thingee (I need to learn the name of that thing!) on my abdomen, we could see all three, just kicking and squirming like crazy in there.  Three completely formed little people.  So wild!  She never told us how they were measuring, but I'm pretty sure I saw 11w3d on each of them when she did the crown-to-rump length.  Looking good!

 

Here are the close-up pics we got:

 

 

Triplet A:

Triplet B:

Triplet C:

So then the FABULOUS Dr. Haeri came in to go over the results with us.  He said that the babies look perfect right now, and that, if it were him making the decision, he would not take even the slight risk of doing CVS when they look so good.  M agreed, so HOORAY!  No CVS!!  I was *dreading* it, so even that news alone made me pretty danged happy.

We went on to talk about all kinds of other things-- many of the same risks we talked about with Dr. Carpenter.  Dr. Haeri said that my being in shape from the get-go is the best gift I could have given him in terms of my care, so that's good.  We will closely monitor both the babies and me-- he said to expect growth assessments (ultrasounds) every 4 weeks, unless something starts to be concerning-- then they'd be more often.  He asked that I get tested for gestational diabetes now (hooray for glucola!  blech!) and then again at the normal 24-26 week timeframe, since if I'm going to get GD, it will be either now or then.  He also recommended I start taking a magnesium/calcium/zinc supplement, which can help prevent pre-term labor.  Will do!

He was enthusiastically supportive of our plans to deliver in Houston.  He still has privileges at Texas Children's, so he said it would be a snap to get all of my information set up there.  He asked me which OB I wanted to see and I said that I'd like to go to Dr. Dryden, but I knew that was unlikely and would require me to beg, since she's very, very busy.  "Damla?  She's a sweetheart!  And a fellow Turk.  No problem-- I'll talk to her and you're in."  Well, ok then!

I also told him he'd think I was crazy, but I'd like to try a vaginal delivery.  "That's not crazy!  Vaginal?  Great!  Do it!"  I have no idea how I lucked into this amazing doctor, but I am so, so thankful.  I left just feeling giddy and reenergized about this whole crazy pregnancy.  We can do this.

Rick and I grabbed lunch at Chipolte and then headed back to the hospital for appointment #2, with Dr. Uribe.  I did not expect the wait to be as bad this time, but it was worse.  75 minutes in the waiting room and then another hour or so in the exam room.  Awful.  The actual appointment was about 5-10 minutes long and very routine.  Highlight was getting pics of all three babies together, since we hadn't gotten those downstairs with Dr. Haeri.  This is likely the last time we'll fit all three in one frame!

My favorite of the three is at the top of the post, but here are the other ones we got:

 

And then, after about five hours of doctor's appointments, we were done.  Just barely in time to go pick up Mariela from school.  Exhausting day-- I won't purposefully schedule two appointments together like that again.  Our next appointments are May 24 with Dr. Uribe and June 7 with Dr. Haeri (for the anatomical survey).

 

So... Thursday was definitely the most eventful day of the week.  Other than that, not much going on.  I still have not gained weight.  This week I weighed 159.8, up 0.2 from last week- ha!  At least I have some assurance that the babies are growing appropriately.  The weight gain will come.  I do think I'm eating better since stopping the progesterone.

 

That's probably enough for now.  Today is M's 37th birthday.  The year he will become a father of 4!  That is just still so wild to imagine.  Crazy, crazy ride we're on.