Officially 12 weeks!

It's finally here!  You might be thinking that I'm excited to be safely into the second trimester stage...which is definitely true, but I'm also excited for one other milestone...

No more PIO shots or Estrogen pills!  Its only been 3 months but holy moly does it seem like having to be home by 9:20 has been a part of my life for so much longer!🤣⏰

No more shots!  My bum can finally start to smooth those lovely knots out🥰❤️.

We had our second OB appointment on Wednesday...and my oh my has it changed since I last came with my own pregnancies.  It's like a 3 hour ordeal now!  

My appointment was at 10AM and was supposed to consist of lab work, an ultrasound, and an exam, which it did...but each was treated like it's own appointment because they send you back to the waiting room in between!  

I first had to go and leave a urine sample, so fun.  Then I was called back for my ultrasound.  (Definitely the highlight)

I was told this particular ultrasound was to check the thickness of the tissue of both babies necks to check for Down Syndrome.  I of course gave the shrug and obligatory nod like ok, whatever you need to do.  He then says, "Now you're using donor eggs, right?"

Probably a perfectly normal question...but it seemed so odd to hear it that way!  I paused for a second...trying to process what he asked..and then he broke the silence and said, "Or was it just the sperm donated?"

Haha I had to giggle and say, "The whole kit and kaboodle are donated.  The eggs were my sister's and fertilized by her husband...implanted via IVF.  So...I guess you can say they were donated to me until they are born...then I'm giving them back!"

Haha I think as I said it, he remembered either me from the last appointment where we had both my sister and my husband there (probably odd to have so many people at a first ultrasound) or it noted in my chart🤣.  In either case he totally laughed and said that's right...gestational carrier.  

Now with the pleasantries out of the way, he got to scanning.  He was super easy to talk to, since the proverbial ice had been broken, so I asked a bunch of questions as he was looking at things.

First, he labeled the baby on the screen "baby A".  So I had to ask...is Baby A always just the first you happen to see?  He said no, it's the baby closest to your cervix, or lowest in the uterus.  Ahh...so we finally have a rhyme and a reason to the A and B thing.  Okay this was good to know!  

He let me know that baby A was on the lower left side and seemed to have their hand over their face 🥰.  They were perfect for all scans.  He was able to get a beautiful measurement of that neck tissue he was going for along with lots of great silhouette pictures.  

Baby A side view 

Baby A was measuring right on track for 11 weeks 5 days.  Heartbeat was cruising at a 171 beats per minute.  They were active, I could see them kicking and moving the entire time🥰.

On to Baby B!  Baby B is above and to the right, and happened to be facing my back. So I was asked to cough so baby would turn around for us.  I honestly was a little skeptical...but it worked!  Baby B moved right on around.  He was able to catch the scans he needed and recorded a heartbeat of 165. 

Baby B was measuring 2 days ahead at exactly 12 weeks.  Everything on both looked great!  As he was going back and forth between babies it appeared as though one baby was literally kicking the other!  So I asked how close they were and if they could feel that?!  (Literally, I think A kicked B in the head mid scan😲.  Sibling rivalry is already starting!)

He said they are right next to each other.  Only separated by the amniotic sac membranes, which he said are about as thin as a rubber band.  So yes they can feel each other!  So crazy and amazing to watch them fidget and kick around together.  I hope they enjoy the room while it lasts! 😕😬

So twins are getting too big to be on the same scan, so he did a split screen so he could capture one then the other but put them both on the screen.  As he was capturing babies he caught a cute little frog legged pose from baby A. (Pictured below 👇🏼)

Baby A frog leg pose

Then he went over to baby B and tried to capture the same thing.  He then asks, "Do you already know the sex of the babies?"  I said yes, one boy and one girl.  He said well I am seeing some anatomy on Baby B that would suggest he's the boy!  (Pictured 👇🏼 below ... would you agree🤭?)

Anatomy between the legs of Baby B

So I'm excited to know the difference between baby A and B now!  B for boy ...super easy to remember too!

After the ultrasound and an additional trip to the waiting room, I was called back for my exam.  It went pretty seamlessly.  I gained 1 pound, my blood pressure was great, and I was told the twins look very healthy and happy!  So I should keep doing whatever I'm doing 👏🏼😁

I was scheduled to come back in 4 weeks, December 6th (which would make me 16 weeks by then) and was scheduled for another ultrasound during the same appointment...so they can check fetal growth.

I waited for a third time in the waiting room and was called back for my blood work shortly after.  The cute lady who maybe only seemed about 10 years older than me, whispers to me..."So twins?!"

Haha I reply yes, that's right!  Twins.  She said wow you're handling this so well.  I was a little confused but simply responded with an uncomfortable, "haha I guess so far, so good!". 

She then starts reading her notes and says, "Oh, these are donor eggs?!  So you aren't too worried about down syndrome then, I bet?"

Oh my goodness, what is up with this office support staff and not reading their notes?🤣 I just said well ...I'm a gestational carrier for my sister.  These babies are on loan with me for a little while, then I'm giving them back!  Her entire demeanor changed and she got so happy and said how wonderful it was that I was willing to do that for her.  (It always makes me feel awkward when people tell me how wonderful I am...I feel like I'm doing something that most people would do, if it were possible.  Maybe I'm different, maybe I'm special...but I don't feel that I am. 🤷🏼‍♀️)

Anyway, after the 9 vials of blood they took and the funniest stories from this conversation starved phlebotomist, who probably missed her calling as a hair dresser, I was finally on my way!  I arrived at 9:54 and left at 12:55! Crazy.  

All in all babies are doing well!  I'm still experiencing sickness...some mornings and evenings are just worse than others, but definitely manageable.  I can still fit into my stretchy jeans but that waistband is definitely starting to dig in 😕.  Instead of wearing my self proclaimed "cute and trendy" clothes to work, I've opted for "cute and comfy"🤣.  Leggings and sweaters are where it's at for me right now.   I'm always cold and I'm always ready for a nap.  Comfy clothes make both of those things manageable 😘😃!

Graduation Day🥰

So today marks 9 weeks 5 days and is officially the last ultrasound or appointment I will have at the fertility clinic!  So bittersweet 🥲!  

Other than the typical morning and afternoon morning sickness...I'm feeling pretty good!  My sister in law sent me the sweetest package to help with it too!  She sent me "Preggie Pops", peppermint life savers, and vitamin B6 all things that helped her survive pregnancy while working🥰. I haven't opened them yet, but I'm so excited to try them...anything to help would be amazing 🤩!

Okay so these babies threw me for a loop...again!  The nurse practitioner takes a look at "Baby A" and the heart rate is cruising at 182 beats per minute!  He/she is moving their little limbs, clearly very active!  I'm also excited at this point because "Baby A" must be the same as last week..finally I can tell them apart 🤞🏼😊!

On to "Baby B", who is also moving and wiggling all around!  (So cute to watch!) As she hovers over to record their heart rate, I'm shocked to hear that it's 172 beats per minute?!  So wait...is this Baby A from two weeks ago?  Or did Baby B kick it up a few notches?? I'm at a loss?! 😜

Overall results both babies are the same size now (Baby B was measuring right on time and Baby A was measuring a little ahead two weeks ago) and have heartbeats within 10 beats of eachother 🤷🏼‍♀️😀.

So it throws my theory of being able to tell them apart at this stage... completely out the window 🤣😜 but the important part is the nurse practitioner said she reviews thousands and thousands of ultrasounds and early IVF pregnancies and these are among the strongest and healthiest fetuses she's seen! ❤️. Picture perfect in there ❤️❤️

Such a relief to hear, I know we still have a long way to go...but I'm excited that everything is cruising along just as it should be for now!🥰

Ultrasound Pics and comparisons:

9 weeks 5 days

Cute little wave from one of the babies!👋🏼

This week compared with 2 weeks ago!

Baby heartbeats💓💓💓

First OB Appointment, 2 Ultrasounds

 Today was an extremely long, but exciting day!  It's been a few weeks since my last ultrasound so let me fill you in on how things have been progressing!

I'm currently 7 weeks 5 days pregnant with twins today. A boy and a girl (we just don't know which is which). The last ultrasound (shown again below) showed us two beating hearts within two little seed sized embryos!  They were separated quite a bit in my uterus, so I'm excited today to how much they've grown and hopefully see two strong heartbeats 🤞🏼🥰.

(Previous Ultrasound Twins at 5 weeks 5 days)

Today I have not one, but two appointments.  I have my last appointment with the fertility clinic and then my first appointment with my OB!  After doing research and polling friends and reading reviews...I ultimately decided to go back to the same OB that delivered my last three children.  The visits are about 40 miles and two hours apart, so let's hope things run smoothly!

First appointment and ultrasound picture:

Twins at 7 weeks 5 days

The first thing I noticed was how much they've grown in the short two weeks since we've peeked at them last and how much closer together they are now!  The nurse practitioner at the fertility clinic is so thorough and was able to explain everything she was looking at and had all good news to share! She said as they grow gravity will pull them closer together.  

"Baby A" (not sure if this is the same Baby A as last week) was measuring a little bigger than Baby B.  Baby A's heartbeat was recorded at 172 beats per minute and everything looked amazing she said.  Baby B's heartbeat was recorded at 152 beats per minute and was looking absolutely wonderful ❤️!  

She got several pictures of their little umbilical chords and their little yolk sacs, which she said is rare to see so well🤷🏼‍♀️😃?!  She was thrilled at how well they are progressing and asked if we would be willing to come back for one more ultrasound before graduating to an OB in two weeks? Of course I wasn't going to turn down another opportunity to see their growth and progress, so we have another ultrasound planned in two weeks🤞🏼🥰!

Next was my OB appointment...which was actually kinda funny at first.  I guess it's not everyday you have a patient come in at 7 weeks 5 days and know that they are not only pregnant, but pregnant with fraternal twins.  The staff had to ask me, how I was so sure😂...I should have come up with some witty comment.  If I channeled my husband, I would have.  Instead I re-explained that I was a gestational carrier and had gotten pregnant, via IVF and have been being monitored by the fertility clinic.

Still skeptical they called me back to do an ultrasound to confirm.  I was relieved to find that they were going to do an on the tummy ultrasound! (Whew!) My vag was not looking forward to another wand today 🤣!

Two hours and some change apart and this ultrasound confirmed exactly what the first one did.  One twin had a heart rate of 172 bpm and the other had a 152 bpm heart rate!  The measurements were the same, showing one twin slightly bigger also!  They were also able to let us hear both heartbeats...which was pretty amazing!

So the annoying thing is I'm learning that "Baby A" is whoever the ultrasound tech sees first!  (Both places) So I was excited to finally be able to start telling them apart myself!  Baby A from now on will be the bigger one with the faster heart rate (I'm thinking the girl 😜) and Baby B will be the smaller one, with the chill heartbeat...I'm thinking the boy🤭)

After the ultrasound tech confirmed it was a twin pregnancy we met with my OB.  Who was actually way cooler and more "chatty" than I ever remember him being when I was here 14 years ago!

He put my mind at ease with his ability to deliver twins but also handle my high risk pregnancy.  He let me know the main difference between this pregnancy and my prior pregnancies would be the level of ultrasounds and monitoring, especially towards the 28th week.  He said the largest concern is making sure that both babies are growing and thriving.  Competition for those resources is steep towards the end and one twin can end up taking more than the other.  Made sense and it was good to know that they will be watching them (ultrasounds two times a week) towards the end! 😲

He shared that the twins look very healthy and based on we what he saw and the fact that both embryos were tested for genetic abnormalities prior to being implanted, that my chances of having a miscarriage was very minimal and to start planning for a healthy pregnancy!🥰

He will see me in 4 weeks😀

Snacks, Nausea, and Headaches...Oh My!

My days continue to be filled with bouts of nausea and then mini cravings.  I say mini, because other than Grimaldi's pizza, once I start eating what I thought I wanted, it's no longer really what I wanted 😜 🤷🏼‍♀️.  I've also started getting really really tired...like want to take a nap at work, tired! 💤

So I try to drink and sip my freezing cold water when the eyelids become heavy...it helps a little or pull an item out of my "snackpack"... typically a rice krispie treat🤭.

The official "snackpack"

So far I've gotten three headaches and both have been on the weekend or on a day I worked from home, which I've put together, might be related to my morning routine being changed!

Typically, I wake around 4AM (naturally without an alarm) and begin my routine of taking my morning estrogen and thyroid pills, showering, etc and I am usually out the door by 6:45.  At that time I usually have some type of snack on the way into work, cereal, bagel, or an egg sandwich... depending on my mood.  On the weekends however, even though I still wake up early...I try to lay in bed longer...don't get up, and definitely am not eating a snack by 7am.  So it wasn't hard to put together, after two weekends in a row with a Saturday headache and being extra nauseous, that it's probably related to my morning routine!  Aren't I quick one?! Ha.  (So that will change this weekend!)

So when I say I had three headaches...I really had one that lasted two days and almost had me rushing to the ER.  Yes, I was in so much pain, I was actually willing to be taken to the emergency room for some relief!  I'm no stranger to headaches and migraines.  I've had them all my life and after my car accident in 2014 they were pretty severe for about 18 months.  

The biggest issue is while being pregnant I can only take Tylenol.  Tylenol doesn't do much for me and if the headache sets in too long, there's literally nothing I can do but ice my neck and head and pray I fall asleep to alleviate some of the pain. In this particular case (two weekends ago) the headache began on a Friday, late morning.  I was working from home so my routine was changed.  The work was the same, looking and reviewing spreadsheets and volumes of material on Excel (which would give most people a headache anyway😜).  By early afternoon it was pretty bad, I was super nauseous and didn't eat anything.  I kept drinking water and throwing up.  After a short nap, my headache pain dropped a bit and all I felt like was some type of bread and maybe butter.  So random!  (Date night idea, that I was taking a mental note to share with Phil 🤣.)

As luck would have it, Phil texts me a few minutes later and says we were invited by some friends to try a new restaurant in Surprise...which get this.... serves bread and different appetizers and dip!  It was so up my alley, no question we were going!  Btw the restaurant was great and so was the company, but headache was still there when we were done...womp womp.

Fast forward to Saturday morning... headache has not gone away.  I tossed and turned all night and everytime I got up to use the restroom, my headache was very proud to let me know it was still around.  To make a longer story shorter, the pain became so bad that I couldn't move my head without getting stabbing pains in one location on the top of my head.  At this point, I've said hundreds of mini prayers, asking for the pain to be relieved.  I didn't know what to do, then suddenly Phil thought to take my blood pressure.  I didn't know why, but he did and it was 155/114!  Clearly I'm in pain...but my typical BP is around 100-105 over 69-72.  So this is an extremely high jump!  We call the fertility clinic and they let us know that this is really high and they recommend going to the ER.  

As Phil is gathering our items, I stop him and ask for a blessing.  He and Boston give me a blessing that I will be healed and I ask him to get me a bag of ice and just allow me to rest for like 30 minutes longer.  (I know I've already done this...and it hasn't helped thus far, but I wanted to try)

Miraculously, I began to feel the pain subside over the next 30 minutes...the pain wasn't completely gone but it had reduced drastically!  Phil checked my blood pressure again and it had dropped to 134/108.  So he suggested that we go eat something, since I hadn't really been able to eat all day.  

We went to Garcia's (another favorite of mine) where I had some rice and beans and continued to feel better and better. When I got home we took my blood pressure again and it was 127/92!  Still high, but much better!🥳. 

By the next morning it was completely gone.  I'm so relieved I didn't have to go to the ER, but it definitely is making me acutely aware of how important it is that I keep my blood sugar from dropping too low and staying on a routine!  So thankful it went away🙏🏼❤️🥰.

Ultrasound Day!

Today is my 5 week, 5 day ultrasound appointment.  This is the first day since the transfer that we will be taking a glimpse to see the progress of the two embryos that were transferred on September 13th.  

Up to this point, we know we transfered two embryos and 5 days later I began testing positive on home pregnancy tests.  10 days later my HCG was recorded for 6 days and confirmed not only that I was pregnant, but that my levels were increasing very nicely and the nursing staff let me know these levels were a very positive sign of a healthy pregnancy.❤️

5 weeks, 5 days
(What to Expect When You're Expecting App)

The size of the embryo this week is the size of an orange seed...so we are still talking about something really small and still really early as far as pregnancy stages.  I mean...with all of my previous pregnancies I would barely be realizing that I was pregnant...let alone getting an ultrasound done!  Science and medicine and the progress that has been made is truly miraculous!  

So naturally I have this hope that both have implanted and today we will see two babies growing...but reality says there's a good chance that only one has taken hold.  There's also only about a 50% chance that we will be able to see a beating heart this early on an ultrasound.

My mind is racing with all the possibilities 🤣.  Is it one? If so, which one implanted?  Was it the girl or the boy?  If it's two, was it the two that were transferred or was it one that split?  So instead of being two fraternal twins, could it be two identical twins instead? Hahaha...we won't even go into the possibility of there being more than 2, because that's too much to wrap my head around🤯!

Okay so the time has come...we all arrive separately, but pretty much at the same time, a few minutes before my appointment.  My sister brought me some healthy juices tied with an optimistic pink and blue ribbon🩷💙!

A few minutes before the ultrasound

My name is called and my entourage and I all stand up and follow her to the back.  She shows me to my little ultrasound room and tells me to undress from the waist down. (I'm very familiar with this drill...just never have had an audience before.) So I turn to the group and say stay out here, I'll call ya when I'm ready.

I came prepared, wearing a dress so it helped me to A. Get undressed quickly (only my underwear had to go) and B. Remain decent on the back end, since I would have an audience behind me in this tiny little space!  The dress kinda pooled around me on the table, which was nice because the thin little napkin that was supposed to cover me, didn't like to stay closed in the back 🥴.

I let the group know that I was decent and they are welcomed to make their way in and find a space where they can see the screen and avoid seeing my personal bits.🫣

My husband is right behind me closest to the table I'm sitting on and my sister and her husband are to my right right next to a sink and chair.  It's a tiny space so very cozy.

The NP comes in and her eyes suddenly open wide, clearly shocked to see so many people, looks at me and asks me to share who I brought today.  (I think at this point, she must have forgotten that I'm a GC) So I start by saying these are the intended parents, my sister and her husband and then she remembers and immediately starts saying that's right, you're doing this special thing for your sister!  Well in the chaos, I fail to introduce my husband so then he says, Hi I'm Phil.  I suddenly turn around and say yes, my husband, is here also!  (Sorry babe)😜.  I think I kinda assumed she knew who my husband was, but I guess he doesn't come usually either🤷🏼‍♀️😜.  So now introductions are done...she understands why there's a need for an audience...and is ready to begin the ultrasound.  

I scoot down to the very end of the table...and she inserts the ultrasound "wand".  Almost immediately we see a little black hole with a flickering circle inside and she says we have one...with a strong little heartbeat!  Wow this early, that's a great sign!  Then she says lets look to see if we have...suddenly we see another black hole with a round circle and she says we have another!  We don't immediately see flickering like the other, but she doesn't zoom in right away. Instead moves back to the other, now named "Baby A" and begins taking measurements.  She let us know that she was able to see a yoke sac in both and even though it was quick, she was able to see the blood supply to the womb on both also, which means they are both developing and on track!  As she was taking measurements of Baby A..she said it looks strong and everything looks great!  

Baby A

Before moving to Baby B she lets us know that it's very common not to see a heart beat at this age, so if we don't see one with Baby B, she's not going to be worried at all.  As she starts to move around to look for Baby B, we see another smaller fluid filled round area and ask if that's another?!

She explains that it's not another baby, but a small bleed from implantation, which is very common with IVF.  She said, it's small, so she's not worried about it at all.  (Okay that's reassuring)

On our quest to look for Baby B, which seems a lot harder to find, she explains that Baby A is placed anterior, which is on top and that's why it's so easy to see.  Baby B, which she now has on the screen, is posterior, lying behind a lot of my arteries, so that's why it's a little harder to find right now.  As she zooms in, we all see a little flicker!  So both have heart beats and she begins taking measurements of Baby B and is just as happy as she was with Baby A.  She gives us all a very happy congratulations and tells us this pregnancy looks great, both look great and she will schedule another ultrasound in 2 weeks to take more measurements when babies have had a little more time to develop and grow ❤️❤️🥳!

Baby B

Baby A and Baby B

All four of us, super excited that both are doing well 🩷💙

Treatin' Tuesday...

Well it was too cute and completely unexpected not to share or document my unexpected surprise today.

Today's Tuesday...still one whole day away from finding out if there's one or two babies growing inside.  It started out like any other day, at 4AM.  

For whatever reason I can't seem to sleep in past 4:30AM🤷🏼‍♀️. (Probably has to do with the level of narcolepsy that overcomes me every night after my 9PM shot🤪) Oh well...so it started off like every other morning with the exception that my sister Sarah and I started texting back and forth about something silly and hilarious...in actuality it might not have been hilarious, but sisters just seem to make it that way sometimes🤣.(Since she lives across the country, she's the only one awake at this unearthly hour and I love it 💗😂)

I get to work around 7AM "snackpack" in hand.  (Fun Fact: I have a backpack that I bring to work, that used to contain some pens and my laptop...but now contains all sorts of goodies that sound good to me in the morning! (mostly cereal and granola bars and my coworkers have now affectionately started calling it a more appropriate name...a "snackpack"). I pulled out a bowl of 'Frosted Mini Wheats' and start munching while checking my emails.  It totally hit the spot, if you were wondering 🤣.

About an hour later, I start to feel nauseous out of nowhere...so I decide to go to our little vending machine and grab a gingerale.  (It sounded good for some reason!) Sipping that was great and by 11AM I was starting to feel hungry again.  I wasn't sure where I was going to go yet, but a sandwich or something with bread sounded really nice!

A few minutes later a coworker stops by and drops a huge Kneaders bag off on my desk and says, "To Summer, from Dad" with a huge smile.  

You know when you're so stunned and not expecting anything that your brain for a second can't process what is going on?  (Maybe that's just me?! 😂). Well that's what was going on...for a second I think they're joking for some odd reason then I look down at the large order receipt taped to the bag with what's inside and it has my dad's name on it!  Inside is filled with an order of Kneaders French Toast (syrup, whipped cream, and strawberries included), a pumpkin, chocolate chip cookie, a fruit tart, and a loaf of their Asiago Cheese bread with plenty of butter on the side!)

My surprise Kneaders delivery 

It all sounded so good and it couldn't have come at a more perfect time!  I called my dad to thank him and my mom, thinking for sure my momma asked him to do it...and then he shared that he did it all on his own!  (Stunned and shocked face going on...my mouth was completely open and I was holding back tears) He said that he knows what I'm doing isn't easy and he knows I must have ups and downs and he just wanted to send me something to brighten my day.  He also said he spoke to Sarah this morning and she shared that I was craving rolls the other day (true story!) So he found a place that serves bread in the morning, that delivered!❤️🥰 

I'm not used to my dad being overly thoughtful or doing sweet things like this so it came as a complete shock, made me feel super loved, and totally brightened my day!

Asiago Cheese loaf with some butter for the dinner win! 😋

Truly made my heart full and I appreciated every little thing!  I'm so lucky to have the family and friend support system that I do!  I couldn't do any of this without you guys ❤️🥰!

So excited to see what tomorrow brings...will it be one baby or two?!

Until tomorrow...

It's Ziploc Time...

So today marks that I'm officially 5 weeks pregnant! Up until this morning I've only had a few bouts of nausea and a growing list of food aversions...but full on morning sickness has not been an issue.  Until today...womp womp.

It's crazy how suddenly being sick and the feeling of morning sickness can immediately bring back all the memories from years ago, like it was yesterday!

I'm not sure if it was because I forgot to take my prenatal vitamins last night and instead took them this morning on an empty stomach?  Probably.  

But holy moly once I was completely ready it took me lying under a fan and a whole lot of self talk to be able to leave the house about thirty minutes later, Ziploc in hand of course 🤣.

I learned this trick when I was working and preggers with Brooklyn that the throwing up wasn't going to stop if I stayed home, but throwing up in a confined space and continuing to smell it wasn't a good option either.  So I tested a big ziploc on my way out the door and it's been my go to ever since!

Luckily I was able to get to work without using it...but now I have a backup in each car, just in case🤣🤢.  I started to feel a little better around 11am and the rest of the day I felt pretty good🥳😁.  So here's to hoping it was just badly timed vitamin consumption 🤞🏼❤️!