Surro Files - 17 Weeks & We KNOW The Gender!!!

The Bun
The baby is now the size of an onion (5.1 in), and 5.9 oz.  This week the baby has mastered some simple reflexes such as swallowing, sucking, and blinking.  They may even have a bout of the hiccups!  Fat is also forming underneath the baby's skin and will continue to do so in the later months of the pregnancy.  This will help prepare the baby for the temperature change from inside the womb to the outside world.

Baby is now the size of an onion at 17 weeks

The Oven

Not much new going on in the oven.  I think baby bean is going through a growth spurt, so they're sleeping more... and I want to sleep more too.  A little less kicking, but it's still there.  Pants are also getting a bit too tight.  I think I'm going to have to break down and move onto maternity.  Gah!  I do have a few pants that are larger sizes, but one is camo and one is cream corduroy, so I can't wear those everyday.  Maybe I should buy a larger pair of jeans to wear.  Hmmmm...  Maternity and I just don't get along when it comes to pants.  Always falling off my non-existent butt.  Haha!

The Belly @ 17 Weeks in the Snow

The Happenings In the Kitchen

Gender ultrasound week!!!!!!!  Belle booked us an Elective Gender Ultrasound at a local 3D/4D ultrasound place.  We got a pretty good guess at the sex of this baby when we went to the NT Scan at the beginning of January, but it was just a guess.  Baby's sex isn't fully developed until about 16 weeks, so we opted to take another peek at 16 weeks and 4 days.  Belle and Adam couldn't make it to this appointment (Adam doesn't want to know the sex anyways), but the whole ultrasound was recorded for them and sent over via e-mail after the ultrasound.  So what are Belle and Adam having???  LOL!  Don't you wish you knew!  It's a secret that won't be told till baby makes their appearance at the birth, but at least Belle can start shopping and getting ready for the big day.  I'm guessing Adam will cave in eventually too.  I know Brian did at about this time in the pregnancy with ours.

Baby Bean @ 16w4d ~ So cute!!!!

Checking Out the Goods.  Better Cover Up!!!!  No Peeking.

This week I got the doppler in the mail from Belle.  Now we can check up on their little bean whenever we want to.  I broke it out for the first time Friday night.  It took me quite awhile to figure it out and find baby bean in there, but I finally did it!  I wanted to film this first one for Belle and Adam, but let me tell you... that wasn't easy.  I had the belly wand in my hand, my phone to record the heartbeat in my other hand, and I had to stick the monitor in between my legs.  I thought it was pretty successful till I watched the video.  I filmed it upside down!!!  LOL!  I'm sure Belle and Adam got the idea though.  Heartbeat was 149 and baby was camping out just a few inches below my belly button.  The next night was also 149 but baby had moved a bit to the right.  Then last night was my freak out.  I couldn't find the baby!!!!!  Instant panic.  I took a break, watched some TV, stressed some more... then tried again.  Still struggling to find anything... then I found them!!!!!  Lower on my belly than before, but there.  Heartbeat was 140.  Then the little stinker kept kicking me after that.  I think they thought their game of hide and seek was pretty darn funny.  Not so funny then, but funny now.  Haha!  Also got a cute box of preggo products from Belle.  They smell sooooooooo good.  I think I'll buy more when I run out.  Love this stuff!!!

Gift Set From Belle For The Belly

My little man, Linc, is camping with my inlaws for the week and Brian went to Vegas for the weekend.  So that just left me with the girls.  Perfect time for a girls weekend!!!!  On Saturday we headed up to the snow.  You don't know how excited we were.  California has been going through an unusually hot winter, so we haven't seen rain or snow in months, but it finally came!!!!  Lots of snow and we had a blast.  Baby bean and I sat on the sidelines, but the girls went sledding, and jumping, and climbing till the sun went down.  We even built a snowman that we named Olaf of course.  Did I mention we blasted the soundtrack of Frozen all the way up the mountain?  Haha!  On the way down we searched for 4 Geocaches (found 2) and then headed home for a late dinner.  Sunday we spent the morning building the biggest fort ever!  Tent city in our living room.  Then we went to lunch, got our first mommy/daughter pedicures, then came home to have dinner in our tent.  Ended the day with a few Wii games, then headed to bed.  Love my girls!

Pedicures

Snow Day!!!

The Chefs

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!!!  Always busy getting ready for the baby.  This week was spent getting the room ready.  Cleaning it out, organizing, putting up shelving, hanging clothing rods and hangers.  It's looking great!  I was so honored that Belle asked my advice on the shelving and rods.  I'm all over that being an interior designer.  I think I'm going through withdrawals since I haven't worked since Linc was born.  I miss it!

Belle also booked the birthing class today.  So funny!!!!!  Looks like a fellow surrogate that I had met for a group lunch last summer is going to be the one teaching it!  What are the chances!!!!  It will be great learning from a surrogate that knows that this birth will be special and help us to organize things so they go smoothly... can you every really organize birth though?  Haha!  I will say, Brian is laughing at me for taking a birthing class when I've done this 3 times already, but I assured him this would really help us for the big day.  I'm excited!!!

Belle also booked us a girls weekend!!!!  Belle, Riley, Reagan, and I, are heading out to Disneyland in May!!!!  We're all so excited!!!!  This will even be Belle's first trip to Disneyland in the United States (she has been to the Paris one) so I'm excited that we get to share that experience with her.  Although I am laughing since she's not a scary ride type of person, and I can't go on them, so of course the girls will be dragging her on all the rides that she normally would shy away from.  Haha!  Good luck Belle!!!!

The Girls Just Found Out About Disneyland!!!!

Coming Soon !!!

17 Week OB Appt on February 6th - Going to do an internal exam at this appointment.  Fun times.
Childbirth Class on February 19th - Yay!  Will be fun doing the class with Belle so we're all ready for the big day.
20 Week Anatomy Scan on February 20th - Can't wait for Belle and Adam to get here for this one!  So exciting!!!!
21 Week OB Appt on March 6th - Meeting with the doctor again on this appointment.  Love her!

Don't forget to check out my "Surrogacy" tab at the top of this page to catch up on any posts you might have missed

*Some of the names in this post have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in this journey*