Mom & More

Stationery card

2011-06-26T23:38:00.001-07:00

Pretty Pink Ribbon Birth Announcement

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cute free card I got

2010-11-22T23:44:00.001-08:00

With Love Blue Christmas Card

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OMGoodness!

2010-04-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

It has been four months. And a lot has happened. We moved into our house, finally. I am 20 weeks pregnant with boy/girl twins and I am finally starting up my doula business.

Our house closed escrow on February 11th. That day took forever to come. We didn't move in right away though. A few updates needed to be done to the house. We scraped the popcorn ceilings, had all the walls re-plastered and painted. Got new carpet in the bedrooms and put in new lighting fixtures. Then we moved. All in two days. We still have to update the bathrooms and parts of the kitchen but that can wait. In the next couple of weekends we are going to start on the front and back yards. We already removed lots of overgrown bushes and trees so no we need to get the grass looking good and flowers planted.

Like I said I am half way done with this pregnancy. We found out at 12 weeks that they were a boy and a girl. L&G are thrilled and her first thought was a girl for me and a brother for Lachlan. I am growing everyday and some days I look hugh just depending on how they are laying. I feel them move little bits here and there but the little girls placenta is on the front of my uterus and is blocking most of what I should be able to feel. We are due labor day weekend but anytime after my 30th birthday in August the will be welcome.

I have my first doula client. She is due any day now. I hope that I don't suck at being a support person but I have the knowledge I just have to put it into action. I also have my web page up. It will change over the next few months as I am getting used to html codes. So check out my page and if you know of anybody who is looking for a birth doula send them my way. Bellies N Babies

December

2009-12-27T21:54:00.000-08:00

The month started out with me beginning my meds for another transfer. Had an ultrasound and some blood work done then waited.

The girls had their last week of school the same week I transfered. We were lucky enough that we were able to see Trystan's Christmas program at school before we had to leave for a few days. The 16th Nick and I drove up to Alameda to stay the night with Lisa and Gerry. We got to their house and played with Lachlan for a bit before they got home. He doesn't seem to care much for me but went right to Nick :)
After L's bedtime Lisa and I went to the club and I got a massage while she relaxed in the spa. We both enjoyed our time and felt much more relaxed after. Then we went home and ate pizza :) Nick and Gerry had been talking and catching up. So we talked a bit more then headed to bed.

The next morning I had a fruit salad with lots of pineapple for breakfast. We got on the road at 9:30 for our 10:30 transfer and still didn't make it. It is usually a 25 minute drive but there had been an accident and road work going on. Lisa called and let them know we were running a little behind and they had no problem. So at 11:30, an hour after we were supposed to have our transfer, we transfered 2 beautiful blasts. One was in the beginning stages of hatching and the other looked great.

I started testing 4 days later. And got a positive on the first test that I took.

They progressively got darker

and the next day I got this

So now tomorrow morning I will have my beta done. I hope our numbers are strong and not too high.

Buying a House

2009-11-18T16:42:00.001-08:00

Why does it have to be so hard? They said this was a buyers market. I don't believe that, not after 5 months. I have given up. I am tired of all the crap the banks pull. They are in it for money but when you want to give them your money they act like fools.
I can't even find a house to rent. I need to get out of this apartment. It was supposed to be a one month thing and now we have been here 3 months going on 4.
I wish I had known when I was 16 that credit cards are bad, and not to take out student loans. We don't have much credit card debt maybe $800 at most. But when we first got married times were rough and that's how we survived. Now it's biting us in the butt. And don't get me started on student loans. Oh how i wish we had free education in the States. And look where going to a private school got me. A stay at home mom that has never finished her degree and is living in an apartment. When are we going to grow up and be able to settle down?

Packing

2009-11-17T21:56:00.001-08:00

Nick and Bailey are going to Sonora for a few days with Bailey's 6th grade class. We have been packing their stuff for two days now. Bailey was done earlier today and now we are dealing with Nick's stuff. Of course he waited until the last minute but I don't think I've ever seen him do anything but :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Basketball

2009-11-17T17:53:00.000-08:00

I bet you didn't think you'd ever see a post titled that :) Bailey is now playing basketball at her school. She had a tournament today. It has been a very long time since I had to watch kids play that don't really know how. Her team lost all 4 games but she got better as the day went on. There were some pretty aggressive girls and parents there. I mean they still have 6 years to perfect their game if they plan on playing in college. But this one girl and her mom were hecka crazy. Hacking at the other girls, pushing and shoving and man was she a ball hog. And her mom was encouraging it. But I guess she wants her daughter to be one of those players. I on the other hand would rather Bailey learn how to be aggressive the right way. Not trying to hurt the girls, just get the ball away and score :)
She played pretty well defensively. Got rebounds and boxed out, they only play 1/2 court press so once she had control they had to back off. She scored once. Now she just needs to learn to dribble the ball. Hopefully Nick will be able to work some drills with her if we can find a gym with courts open when they both are available.

Making Babies

2009-11-17T17:44:00.000-08:00

Started the meds last night. It really wasn't that bad. But these are the little needles. So it will get worse. All in the name of making babies (well we hope only one but will love two if it happens).

We have our calendar!

2009-11-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

We are going to make L a big brother. We finished our contract and sent it off to the clinic and now we are getting started. Monday I so for an u/s and then I start injections. And I get to continue those for the next 12 weeks :) We should transfer around Dec 16th so that means I will hopefully have a great BFP to give to L&G for Christmas.

I just want to cry

2009-11-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Well this morning we got a call about the house. Its not our house anymore. The bank has decided not to do anymore repairs. If they would have done them right the first time this wouldn't be happening. It was their fault the water was turned off. If it had been paid like it was supposed to then the pipe wouldn't have cracked when it was turned back on. If they would have taken care of the water damage immediately, not 3 weeks later, then the subfloor might not have been ruined. If they would have patched the roof when we told them, back in August, then the rain wouldn't have gotten in and made more of a mess in the ceiling. But now to fix what could have been avoided is going to cost them $15K and they don't want to pay it. So we are SOL.
I don't know what we are going to do. But this has got to be the worst timing ever.

House Report

2009-10-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went by the house since it's on my way back from dropping the girls off at school. There were actually people there doing work. One guy was installing insulation and the other guys were discussing important matters (yeah right) in the garage. So satisfied with what I saw I went home.
After school was out I drove by again ( I know a little overbearing). The drywall was up and they had base cabinets in the room. Not yet installed but I was okay with that.
So we had a meeting at the school for Bailey's trip to Sonora and then drove by again :) I think the guys were staring to notice my car. Not sure what they had accomplished but they were working.
This morning I stopped by again. Nobody there but to my surprise (NOT) they left the side door open. So inside I went. They put the kitchen 90% back. They need to finish mudding the wall and install the flooring but that shouldn't take much longer. But thats what I have said all along and here we are almost 4 months later :(

Doula

2009-10-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Last year I attended a doula training workshop. I figured I have had enough babies that I could help others have them too. I have yet to attend a birth. Granted I was pregnant for most of last year and then we lived in Modesto where I knew nobody. But I really want to succeed at this. I think I can do a good job.
So where do I start? Right now I know 3 pregnant gals. One is due any day now and doesn't want the use of a doula. The next due is my cousin. Around Christmas. And her mom will overtake the whole process and I don't want to be involved. The last friend due is a fellow surrogate. She is due in January and is trying to VBAC so the last I've talked to her she said I was welcome to be her doula.
I don't have a name for my business. Would I just make up card and pass them out? I need a plan and I need to find pregnant people. So now I need to think.

We have progress

2009-10-09T16:53:00.002-07:00

So today (and by that I mean Friday, October 9th) I went by our house. The one that we aren't living in and don't know when we will be living in. The water damage is starting to be taken care of. They have taken out the carpet, a wall of cabinets and a wall of drywall. I don't know when they will be putting things back in but hopefully it's soon.
We also talked with our lender, whom is also the owner of the house. He says that they opted for the highest bidder for the repairs. They want things to be done right and nice. That's a plus. But it's also a negative because I want to redo the kitchen my way and I will feel bad if I need to tear stuff out. But we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
He also says that he want's this done by the end of the month. That's only 21 days away. If it works out then we will have a home for our Thanksgiving Dinner. :) Keep us in you thoughts.

I have internet again

2009-10-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. We haven't had the internet since we moved in so I had to post my previous two entries today. I can't tell you how hard my life has been without being able to hop on the computer and check up on things. (Really I didn't notice much until about a day ago). So I'm back.

House Update

2009-10-09T16:51:00.000-07:00

Our house is still being worked on. I went by there today and watered the fern in the front yard. I really don't want it to die. It's a nice plant that is probably 10 years old if not older. The pool it starting to look green again but thats a given since nobody is there to take care of it. I don't know what the holdup is on fixing the water damage so I am not sure when we could possibly get in.
But since we are in an apartment know (see previous post) I am not going to worry so much.

**originally written on 9/29**

We've Moved....

2009-10-09T16:46:00.001-07:00

Into an apartment. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

**originally written on 9/29**

House Hunting

2009-09-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

Since the last time I've been on much has happened. We found a great house for a great price. Repairs need to be made and we asked the bank to do them. It took them a few days over 4 weeks to say yes but they finally did. Then the repairs got underway. The pool was drained and cleaned then refilled. The pest control guy came out and removed the siding on part of the front of the house. He sprayed some really bad smelling stuff and then left. Two days later he came back and drilled for termites. He also replaced the siding and he was done. Well that's where the fun started.

Apparently when the pool people turned the water back on it cracked a pipe in the kitchen and started to leak. The whole room along with half of the living room was flooded. So now we are back to waiting for the bank to okay repairs again. Hopefully since this water can turn to mold they will move a bit faster than they previously had.

I'm such a slacker

2009-07-20T15:00:00.001-07:00

I have been MIA for too long. My world is upside down right now and blogging really didn't interest me.

Well where to start. We moved out of our apartment in Modesto and had nowhere to live. So we are staying with my mom. She lives in a 2 bedroom house in Porterville. So there are six of us sharing 1 bathroom. It's a bit hectic at times but we are dealing. Nick is driving back and forth to Fresno until we get a place.

That place may have been found. We have been looking for about 2 months for a house to buy in Clovis. We also looked in a few good parts of Fresno but were hoping to get the girls back into Clovis Unified. Well about 3 weeks ago we had an accepted offer. It was in Fresno but in a good school district. We went to look at it again and found mold. It had been broken into and flooded. So we decided that it was not the house for us.

Now another of our offers was accepted. This house is in the Clovis Unified School District. It's out in the Sunnyside area of Fresno. It even has a pool in the backyard. We are needing to get approval through the banks lender but as of now things are looking up. We may be moving into our new home at the end of August!

Moving Update

2009-05-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well we have news. Our offer on the house was accepted. But we had to tell them we didn't want the house now. We aren't staying in Modesto.
Nick had his annual review this past week with his area director. During this meeting he was told that he was doing really well. He wants to get promoted again and the AD told him he would have a better chance at shining at another restaurant. Well the AD just happened to have the restaurant in mind. Fresno. So we are going back. Nick starts the first of July so we are hurrying to find a house.

Just Me

2009-05-12T23:16:00.000-07:00

I am running on empty. I cant get myself out of this funk. Don't know when it started but it's there. I have been getting myself out of the apartment as much as possible. I have even visited with friends. But whenever I am by myself I just feel blah. No motivation at all. I am stuck not knowing what I want to do, where I want to be or sometimes even who I am.
Our move to Modesto was for Nick's job. Any other time we have moved it's been for Nick. I think maybe I am resenting that I have to uproot my life each time he say to. Nick has always had something waiting for him when we arrived at our new location. I had to start from scratch. I don't like change much and then it takes me a long time to adapt. This time it's taking longer than I would have liked it to. I want to do something during the day besides clean house.
I am thinking about taking some classes at the JC but that costs money that we don't have excess of. I have been very close to graduation twice. Both times we have moved. That makes this move even harder.
That's enough crying from me for now. Maybe just getting it out can help me figure out what to do. Who knows.

My Sunday

2009-05-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Went to lunch today with a few friends. We had a good time talking and eating. I'm sure the server at BJ's loved us sitting in her section for 2 and a 1/2 hours.

Nick went and looked at three more houses today. He put offers on two of them. So now that make four houses with offers. Hopefully we get one of them :)

House hunting

2009-04-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today we went to look at 3 houses. The first was near Bailey's school. It has 3 bedrooms which is what we need. The backyard was a bit small but there was plenty of space inside so it made up for the lack of yard. The next was down the road a bit but still in the school district we want. It has 3 bedrooms and a separate family room/living room. The layout works really well and it has a huge backyard. It reminded Nick and I both of the houses we grew up in. The third house was looking good when we drove up but then the realtor couldn't find the lock box. She called the listing agent and told her that it was missing and then she informed us that someone had taken it and she hadn't come to replace it. Apparently selling the house wasn't a top priority for her.
So we saw two houses and put an offer on one of them. We already have an offer on another house just waiting to see if it is going to be approved. We upped that offer just because it is in a great location, walking distance to the elementary school and it has a pool. We can update things how we want instead of having to live with carpet and windows and appliances that were chosen by the previous owner. It's also about $15,000 less than the second house we put an offer on.
Now we wait and see. They are supposed to give us an answer by May 20th but I'm hoping it's sooner. It would be nice for Nick to get a great birthday present and me to get a great Mother's Day gift. A new home!

My weekend

2009-04-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

My best friend from high school is getting married. She stuck with me through my 1st pregnancy and all the aftermath. When we moved away we still kept in touch, as much as we could have being 2000 miles apart.

Well this past weekend was her bachelorette party. Her sister put together a great weekend down in Palm Dessert. I think my weekend started a bit earlier than others (3am on Friday morning) but who could complain when we were going to relax and have fun all weekend. Like i said I was up at 3am to start the drive to Visalia. I was picking up K & M at 6. We left on time, who can say that when you are getting 3 girls together? We drove to Ontario to pick up two more girls, K's friends from college. Then on to the resort. OMG! This thing was huge. It was on a golf course, and had over 2000 rooms, 5 pools, a lake and a spa. Our rooms were nice too.

Three more girls came during the afternoon. We sat by the pool, tried to get a bit of color, didn't work too well. And then the real fun started. Mixed drinks until we were all ready for dinner and then we headed to the Lobby Bar. We had a drink and then went out for pizza. We were a bit crazy at the pizza place and the kids kept looking at up like they were scared, lol. I guess they didn't see 8 buzzed girls too often. Then we headed to the club at the hotel. Can we say time to let loose. We danced until we were soaked. There we so many people in there I'm guessing that it was about 100 degrees inside. It was time to go back to the room but we weren't tired so four of us went back to the lobby and hung out just talking. A couple of guys came and sat with us and it's funny to talk to drunk people. They were so loud and made no sense. But we still had a good time.

The next morning was time for our massage. We got to the spa with a few minutes to spare so we sat in the steam room. I now want one in my bathroom. I love it. It was the best prelude to the massage and also a good finish. So relaxed. Then it was back to the pool. This time I did manage to get some color although it was a bit red. We were down there for about six hours before we decided to head to the room and get ready for Mexican food :0 Dinner was so much fun, especially since we each had a 16oz margarita. We shared some favorite times that will not be shared on here. And then headed back to the hotel. A few girls played some of the games M brought but I was not one of them. It was fun to watch especially since one of the objects was to get a guys undies.

Sunday was a unwind day. So we started with the breakfast buffet. No alcohol, I think the first meal without. We sat by the pool for about 2 hours waiting until checkout. Then it was time to go. B & N drove themselves so the left first. The the rest of us packed into my car. We dropped T off first. Then we headed to Ontario to drop off A & M. Our weekend was over. K, M & I all headed back to Visalia. Then I finished my drive home. I had a great time but I was sure glad to be back in my bed with my hubby.

My Beta Day

2009-04-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

It was actually Thursday. I just wanted to gather my thought before I posted. As you may have figured it wasn't good news. It came back at less than 2 which is definately not pregnant.
I was very confused by the signs my body was giving. I wanted so bad for this transfer to work. I think more than I had ever wanted one to result in a pregnancy. Every other time we had always had a plan B if it didn't work but this time there was no plan B. This transfer was only meant to be a one time thing. I wasn't expecting anything but success. But I did my best and the embie didn't stick.
I talked with Bill & Bill after Anita had called and given them the results. They were so great. I am sure they were disappointed but they have two beautiful babies that lessened the hurt. I had so much support from them, Lisa (my IM) and from all my friends IRL and online that my disappointment was lessend as well. And if you don't believe how great they are here is what they wrote on my Facebook page.

"Making babies with you, Erica, over the last three years has been wonderful. You, Nick, and the girls, (& your Mom) have become family to us. We love you. We are so grateful for the experiences we've shared with you and the little babies you carried for us. We appreciate everyone in your life who supports you. It is nice to see all the well-wishers. We've had so much fun....we're going to have to get together again real soon. XOXO. The Bills"

I am so glad that I had the chance to meet them and carry the twins. I'm sure that they will be in our lives for a long time and for that I am greatful.

6.5dp5dt

2009-04-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

Still a BFN. But technically I am only 11.5 days past ovulation and there is still a chance I will get a positive in the next few days. I am trying not to worry about it but it's hard not to.

UGH!

2009-04-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

That's how I feel right now. I don't even think that word is meant to be a feeling.
A little backstory. Last year we moved to Modesto. It was supposed to be a temporary place because we were going to be moving to Chico when that restaurant was to open. Well things happened as they always do. Chico was a no go and here we are still in Modesto. Our lease, in this tiny two bedroom apt, expires at the end of the month. We don't have any place lined up to move to after that so we are stuck. And with that we have to pay an extra $200 a month.
Well we want to buy, but not something that we won't be able to rent if we have to move. We don't have the best of credit and it's hard to get a loan. So everybody keeps telling us to wait. If you know me, and most of you should if you are reading my blog, you know I'm not the most patient person. When I want something I want it now. It's just really frusturating.
And to top things off my body is ugh! I feel so bloated and crampy and pregnant. But still no BFP. Maybe (hopefully) Easter morning will be my day!

4.5dp5dt

2009-04-10T21:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I saw two lines but i think my eyes were playing tricks on me. It's still very early and by this weekend I should know more. I have been extra tired and I don't feel like I'm getting sick so maybe it's just an early sign that this little one is snuggling right on in for the next nine months.

2.5dp5dt

2009-04-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

Feeling a little crampy tonight. I am going to shoot up (progesterone only tonight) and then head off to bed. I hope this is a good sign. :)

The Horrid 2ww

2009-04-07T22:37:00.000-07:00

Transfer was Monday the 6th at about 11:30am. We got there at 10:30 for blood draw and then to get set. All four of us (Bill, Bill, Nick and I) were in the room waiting, the office was crazy busy that morning, so we decided to play some cards. Gin it was. Well to make it interesting we added rules, like passing 4 cards to the left and 2 were wild. There were others but my vailumed brain makes it a bit hard to remember them all.
We had 5 remaining frozen embryos. Our plan was to thaw them all and transfer the best looking one. When they were thawed on Friday only 4 survived that first night. By Sunday we had 1 six cell, 2 five cell, and 1 four cell. Monday morning we only had one left. It looked beautiful and there were too many cells to count. So we transfered one great looking cell that will hopefully be a great looking baby in about 38 weeks.
I didn't get a chance to see my NC because of the busy-ness of the office but she called me later that afternoon. She said that all my levels were great and keep doing what I was doing. She asked about what we transfered and I let her know the whole story. She said that when they see agressive embryos that divide that quick those are the ones that tend to split. So we may get twins again after all.
I will have the final results on the 16th. But my POAS habit will be starting in about T-minus 32 hours. :)

The calm before the storm

2009-04-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

9:50 pm and I am sitting in my hotel room in Santa Monica. We had a fun day. It started off with a 3 hour drive from Porterville. We checked into the hotel at 12:45 and got warm chocolate chip cookies. They sure do know how to make a hormonal woman feel good :) The guys and the twins got here a little after us and we went to lunch. We walked down the promonade and watched a bunch of street performers. Then everybody started to get tired and back to the hotel we came.
Well you can't have great weather and not swim, but you can't swim without swimsuits. So off to Target to buy the girls suits. A little hard to find for tourists, even with the garmin, but we made it back and headed out to the pool. The water was chilly but Penny did not seem to mind. She was bouncing around like crazy. She looked like a regular ol' guppie. Rex on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the water.
So out of the water and on to dinner. What a mess. That is all I will say. The twins fell asleep and the guys had to take their food to the room. We stayed and finished and now I am here.
Tomorrow is Tday. We should be getting the final call in the morning but all looks well. We will be transfering at 11am and then I will offically be in the 2ww. Well I hope that it does not last two weeks and that I get a nice BFP (big fat positive) about 5-6 days after tranfser. So stay tuned. You will be the first to know when I pee.

CD 13

2009-04-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

Lining check today. For those that dont know it's an ultrasound with the infamous 'wenie wand'. The nurse gets all up close and personal with you, does her thing and leaves. At least my nurse talks to me and asks questions about our cycle so it's not too bad.
It was 8.4mm and triple striped, that's good. I had two follicles at less than 8mm, that's good too. I start my progesterone tonight and continue until 12 weeks of pregnancy. I also start taking baby asprin, not to sure what it does but I've taken it with every cycle. Maybe I'll ask about it on Monday.
So as of now Monday is for sure. We will know what time on Sunday.

CD, wait does anybody know?!?

2009-03-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

I am so lost but who cares I have 6 days left before I transfer. I am an old pro at my shots. I start progresterone tomorrow after my labs come in and my scan. I am hoping my lining is nice and fluffy (at least 7mm) and continues to get fluffier.

All my meds (first batch anyways) Estrogen

Progesterone & NEEDLES (Ooooh)

CD 8

2009-03-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Only 11 more days until transfer. I have been giving myself estrogen shots since Saturday and I should be starting my progesterone soon. I will know more after we get my lab results tomorrow. I am getting excited.
Saturday the 4th I am goinng to a baby shower in Porterville. My BIL's wife is having twins so I made two diaper cakes. When I get my internet back at home I will post the pictures.

Then Sunday morning we are going to start the drive down. I am trying to plan attending the Gospel Brunch at House of Blues. We went the day before we transfered the twins. I think it was good luck juju. Then the big day will be on Monday. So that's the plan.
I let you know how it turns out. But until thenn the suspense will be killing you, at least it will be with me, lol.

ETA: Pictures

CD 19

2009-03-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

So I skipped a few days but they were not interesting. Now here Iam on CD 19 and as expected I will reset to CD 1. Tomorrow I need to get my blood drawn to check my E2 levels and then I will know when to start my injections. Now is the countdown. 19 days until we transfer.

The big, bad scary DENTIST!

2009-03-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Well not so. I had my bi-annual visit yesterday at a new office. I actually only went once last year, I know bad me, but since we moved I just didn't feel like finding a new dentist. Well we just got a new insurance so that reminded me that we need to be seen. I am glad to report that I have no cavities. After I had the twins I ended up with seven, yes 7, cavities. So my pregnancy with L didn't have a bad effect on my teeth just my gallbladder. But I now have to wear a night guard. I guess I grind my teeth. Other than that my teeth and gums are healthy and I hope to keep them for a long time.

CD 10, 11, 12

2009-03-12T15:59:00.000-07:00

I am so bored with this already. I want to be in the nitty gritty of all the shots already. We have less than a month to transfer and about a week before all the 'fun' stuff begins. I have my first lab draw next Friday and I should also be starting my estrogen. I still haven't found a monitoring doc yet but my NC doesn't seem concerned. I only have to have one scan done this cycle. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.

CD 7-9

2009-03-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

One more week of BCP's. That's about it.

The wedding

2009-03-06T21:47:00.001-08:00

So the wedding was this past weekend. It's taken that long for me to recover and blog about it. I'm glad to say it was a nice event. The day has a few snags but what day doesn't. We lost my aunt for a while and I had to take the bride to get her hair done instead of getting my girls ready. I had a plan set up so that we would be able to get a few pictures done prior to the wedding but had to scrap that when nobody was ready on time. We only started about 20 minutes later than planned and it was a nice day so the guest weren't upset. The ceremony was nice and quick but I sis nmanage to get about 500 pictures taken in 40 minutes. Most were duplicates so they were scraped but still that's a lot of pictures. The reception was nice. We had a nice buffet and GREAT wine that was made and bottled at Bella La Vina in Terra Bella (where the wedding/reception was held). We danced, ate and talked until the sun went down and a bit after. Over all it was a nice time.

CD 6

2009-03-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

This morning all of my meds arrived. I start them on the 20th if all goes well. That's about it.

CD 3- 5

2009-03-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

Same ol same ol. I am on BCP's and prenatal vitamins. I talked with Anita (nc) and we are set for April 6th. That means a Christmas baby. The guys are excited. We will (hopefully, fingers crossed) get to spend Christmas with Bill, Bill, Rex & Penny.
Meds are ordered and I should get them tomorrow. I start estrogen (IM (intramuscular)) on the 20th. Never had to do it that way before so I hope I don't freak like I did with all my other shots. But only time will tell. I still need to find someone to monitor me here in Modesto, I really don't want to fly to LA more than necessary.

CD 2

2009-03-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

Not much going on. Starting my BCP's today. Emailed my nc and I'm waiting on her to get back with me. That's it for now.

ETA: I received my fertility charm from TL on SMO. She was gracious enough to send it to me with a fertility blessing attached. There have been quite a few multiples conceived lately by women with these charms so I hope it works but not as much as it did for the other ladies. :)

CD 1

2009-03-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

I am officially cycling to make the twins a big brother and big sister. Today is CD (cycle day) 1. I am going to blog everyday (well hopefully) to let you know what's going on. I talked to the guys today and we made a plan for them to venture out to CA a few days before and a few days after our tentative transfer date. It looks like April 13th now so the countdown begins. We were even trying to figure out our due date based on the transfer date, so we know this is going to work.

So far this week

2009-02-24T21:40:00.000-08:00

I have been so lazy! I have had nothing on my mind but my missing period. I really wish I could see what was going on in my body. As soon as I start (CD1) I need to let my nurse coordinator know. Then we can get our calendar. Does my body not know that I have people waiting? I think that's the problem. The waiting. Normally I just go with the flow, no pun intended. I really have never tracked my cycles as I have been on some sort of contraceptive or pregnant, or cycling to become pregnant for the majority of the last 5 years. So I just wait.
But while waiting I have been researching what to do to help along the start of my cycle. I found a site that gives information about herbs that are supposed to help. So for the past 2 days I have been drinking parsley tea and taking 1500mg of Vit C. So far nada. Well what else can I do? So I will meditate. So not me but every now and then I need a good talking to myself.

Sunday's Lunch

2009-02-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

Sunday was a good day. The weather was yuck but I was inside with friends. Most used to be online friends but now I know them IRL. I pick up Darla and we drove to Dublin. We had nice conversation the whole way there and actually got there early. So we sat in the car and waited and talked some more. Then the gals started rolling in at about 1. We had 8 ladies and two little guys. It was nice to meet people that you 'talk' to almost everyday through the internet. We talked and laughed for almost 3 hours and then Lisa showed up.
Lachlan is so big. He checked everybody out before he started to smile and talk for us. He really enjoyed watching Jenn's boys. I know he is going to skip crawling and just start running, you can see it in his eyes. He loves to be moving. When I was able to hold him he gave me kisses. I'm sure he gives them to everybody but its still nice. I still can't believe it's been six months since he was born. And I'm looking to get pregnant again. What's wrong with me?!?
Lisa had to leave, she left Gerry at the bookstore. 8 women would nave been too much for him. So we said our goodbyes. I need to go up there and spend some more time with all three of them and get lots of pictures. We stayed for a bit longer. Everybody still had lots to talk about. But it was getting late and Darla and I still had an hour drive in the rain. So the rest of us also said our goodbyes. I had such a great time talking about stuff with other surrogates that most people don't want to hear about. We always say we need to do this more often but we always get busy with life and we wait. Hopefully it wont be too long. But I do know that I will be going to Jenn's in May for a little GTG. And we are going to have a Fresno GTG soon too.

Contract

2009-02-11T16:19:00.000-08:00

Well it's here. I need to print and sign but have to wait until the 19th. I have my phone consult with Michelle then. I've done it all before so no worries.
Soon we will be transfering. I can't wait. I will get to see the guys and the twins, who aren't babies anymore. They are 2 as of 3 days ago.

My Dream

2009-02-10T16:11:00.001-08:00

Last night I was all snuggled in bed and dreaming. I do this often and more than not I remember my dreams. I guess this dream was really bring to light what is on my mind. The Wedding.
My cousin is getting married at the end of this month and I have been asked to help. I don't mind helping, but my mom and I have been put in charge. We are planning the entire thing. This is even faster than my wedding that we planned in six weeks.
So back to the dream. Nick and I have been looking for homes to buy and one that we saw just happens to be the backdrop of this dream. This house need some work done in the backyard, not much but we would have liked to have grass. So I was removing the sand from the enormous sandbox and taking it out through the house to the front yard. In a tiny bucket. Don't know why the bucket was so small. Then here comes the entire family telling me to hurry the wedding is going to start. WTH! First off I had no music, hadn't finished the playlist. They said that was fine. Then we have no officiant, it's OK I can perform the ceremony. So I start. Then I realize what about pictures! I hadn't received my tax return yet so I didn't buy my camera. So I stopped in the middle of the ceremony to go find a wind up camera. I'm trying to take pictures and officiate at the same time. Then another thought pops into my head. The programs! I hadn't finished designing them because we weren't sure on the best man and had no officiant. Nobody cares. Why? So the whole things is finally over, yup I did it all. Then I go to look at the calender and try to figure out why I was so unprepared. Well it wasn't the 28th yet, I was supposed to have 2 more weeks.
Now that dream has got me worried and I hope we can pull this off. I still need to make the playlist, design the programs, find an officiant, and buy my camera.

New Updates on Upcoming Transfer

2009-02-06T20:10:00.000-08:00

I emailed my NC (nurse coordinator) and asked if we could use BCP so we would have a bit more definite calender. She put a note in to the doc and got back to me the next day. I will now start the pills on CD 2-3 and then transfer will be around CD 19. The guys really wanted to come out so this helps tremendously. I picked up my pills and my prenatal vitamins today from Target so now it's starting to get closer. We are just waiting on the contracts to be signed, we agreed on everything so no going back and forth changing things. Then come April I will hopefully be pregnant.

And another thing the twins will be 2 in 2 days! Can you believe it?

Planning a Wedding

2009-02-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

No it's not mine. My cousin will be getting married on February 28th. It was originally planned for Valentines Day but there was no place to hold it. Thank you whomever booked everywhere in P'ville because now we have 2 extra weeks to plan. I knew about the engagement during Christmas but we thought there wouldn't be a wedding until summer. Well on our way to Disneyland we stopped in P'ville and I was told I am now a wedding planner. The only wedding I have ever had any hand in was my own and it wasn't that great. But I guess when you need help you will take all you can get.
So I am now in charge of music, photography, programs, flower girl, and anything else that can be thrown at me. Did I mention that I live 3 hours away? So for the last 2 days I have been organizing my music files so that i can have a playlist for the wedding. I did my tax return so that I could buy my new camera that I will be using to take the pictures. I signed up for The Knot to get ideas for the programs and anything else they can help me with. Oh and Trystan is the flower girl. Why me? Nick has to work so how am I going to do all this? I really hope that it goes smooth. But with our family that rarely happens. Wish me well!

Feeling Discouraged

2009-01-14T21:45:00.001-08:00

Part of my New Year's resolution was to be healthier and to lose some weight. I have stuck to my guns and have not had soda since a few days before Jan 1. I would say about 99.5% of my drinking has been water ( I had a few cups of coffee at breakfast). I have been exercising almost daily, I didn't workout on Friday or Saturday last week because Nick was off and we went house hunting. But every other day since new years I have. I am watching what I eat and cutting down on snacking but I'm gaining weight!!!! UGH!
I am not sure if my body is working properly. I don't think it remembers all we learned in school. More calories out vs. coming in = weight loss. Not weight gain. I hope that I start seeing results soon or I will become more discouraged and resolve to be fat the rest of my life. Not really but it still sucks. I want my clothes to fit, I want to feel better and most of all I want to not look pregnant when I'm not.

Another good call

2009-01-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

This one is on the surrogacy front. I spoke with the guys tonight. It was the call most surrogates who go with an agency don't have to deal with. Compensation. I knew the call was coming as we are getting close to having contracts drafted. At first it was a bit uncomfortable but then I remembered who i was talking to. We agreed on everything. It was so smooth. I just need to wait on the lawyer to send out the agreement so it can be signed. Then on to contracts. March is almost here and that means baby making time. WooHoo.

A Good Call

2009-01-07T22:51:00.001-08:00

I just got off of the phone with a good friend. It's been almost 5 years since I've talked with him but we talked like it hadn't beeen that long. We grew up together, from P'ville, but we both probably wouldn't admit to it. Our live took us different ways but it's nice to still know where you came from, and that you still have friends from 'home'. I let him in on all the things I've done since the last time we talked. Can you believe he didn't know I was/am a surrogate? Well I hadn't made the decision 5 years ago.
It was a great talk. I guess that it was because I wow'd him and left him speechless, lol. I hope to do it again.

2009

2009-01-05T23:00:00.000-08:00

This year is going to be productive if it kills me. I plan on loosing some weight, having a baby (no not mine), graduating from school (any at this point), and buying a house.
I made a couple of resolutions that I plan on keeping. They aren't to hard as I've done them both before just at different times. I have stopped drinking soda and will not color my hair at all this year. I hope that not drinking any soda will help with my goal of loosing some weight. And I just want to find out what color my hair is.
In March or early April I will be trying to get pregnant. The twins are in need of a little brother/sister and I have vowed to help. It's not a job, as 20/20 has portrayed. I could get more working at Target. I love feeling like I am making a difference in somebodies life. It's all euphoric kinda like the high you get from jumping out of a plane, although I have not done that so I wouldn't know from personal experience.
Graduating is also in the plan. I am 5 classes short of a BS but since Fresno State is pretty far and Stanislaus State doesn't have my major I may just go to MJC and get my AA so that when I can go back to get my BS I will only need 2 classes.
Now the big one. We, Nick and I, have been talking about buying a house. We aren't too sure about living in Modesto but we are sure that we are tired of moving around. We think that having a home and a neighborhood and friends will warm us up to the idea of here being a more permanent home. I have met a great group of ladies here, we have all been brought together by surrogacy. And I have a few childhood friends who live up this way. We are also close to SF and Sac, and our favorite area Napa. So things may be looking good for us this year.
We have 12 months and then I may come back to this post and see what was actually completed on my plan.

Merry Christmas to all

2008-12-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

My say started at 5:30 am and is just finishing. Our girls decided to wake up very early this morning to see what Santa had brought. We then drove 2 1/2 hours to Porterville to spend the day with family. First up was my mom and grandma at noon. After we were done there we headed over to Nick's parents house. That is where we are now. Presents are all opened and our bellies are full. We will now be going to see Marley and Me.
What a day. I will write more and upload pictures later.

My Screening Appointment

2008-12-18T15:36:00.001-08:00

Sunday evening the family drove up to Alameda. Lisa and Gerry were nice enough to let us stay at the house. I had an early morning flight and didn't want to make the drive at 4am. We were unlucky thought because Lachlan was asleep when we got there and still asleep when we left. Nick hasn't seen him since he was a day old and I don't think he believes me about how big he is.
So Monday morning we left the house at 6:45 and got to SFO at 7:30. My flight was at 8:30 so I got through security and grabbed a bite to eat. Nick and the girls planned on going to pier 39 to spend the day while they waited for me to get back.
I made it to my appointment 30 minutes early and got my blood work drawn. They stuck me in the room and told me to put on the paper gown. Let me tell you how comfortable those gowns are. My behind was starting to get cold when Dr. R came in. He asked me general health questions and about my birthing history. It changes so often I need to keep people updated, lol. Then came the wonderful exam. For the most part it wasn't bad but then came the saline ultrasound. For those of you who don't know what that is, look it up, this is a family read blog. According to the u/s my uterus looks great. Good size and nothing in there that shouldn't be.
After all was said and done with Dr. R I met with Anita, our nurse coordinator. She told me that as soon as my blood work came back and Nick's too that we would be cleared to wait until March. We went over what our calendar would be like and I am lucky enough to not have to use BCP's or lupron. So that means only PEO and estrogen. I am keeping track of my cycles so we will have a tentative date but we will know for sure whenn nI start my cycles in March. Day 19 + or - a few days will be the day I will transfer Rex and Penny's little sibling.

Get Together

2008-12-14T13:51:00.000-08:00

So last night the girls and I went to visit with some friends. Jenn, Jess and Sarah were there with their kids. The three of them are also surrogates. It's nice to be able to talk to adults when you are home all day with kids but it is even better that they have been in my shoes. Not everybody truely understands why and how you can have a baby(ies) for another person. But these ladies can. And we talked about everything under the sun last night. Things I don't even talk to Nick about because I want him to still love me in the morning. :)
Even my girls had a good time. Trystan talked about Alex (Jess's little girl) all night. She kept telling me that she lived in Modesco (that is the way Trystan says Modesto) so we could see her and she could come to our house. Bailey was in heaven. There were kids there that would follow her and do whatever she said. She likes to be in charge, I wonder who she got that from, lol. She even got the kids to roast marshmallows in front of the gas fireplace.

December 15th

2008-12-04T22:29:00.000-08:00

On this day I will start the process of making Rex and Penny a big brother and sister. The guys and I have been talking about the 5 embies they have frozen for a few months. It actually started while I was still pregnant with Lachlan. They were unsure if they would want to try and have another baby. Well when we visited with them in October the talks continued. But this time they were leaning more to the side of trying one more time.
So now we are going to try one more time. I will meet with Dr. R in LA on 12/15. From there we will begin the process. Sometime in March I will transfer the brother or sister of Rex and Penny and hopefully 2 weeks after that date I will be able to report that I am pregnant.

I'm going BALD!

2008-11-30T20:38:00.001-08:00

After you have a baby youn reach a point where your hair starts to fall out. It's not so bad because during pregnancy you tend not to lose much hair.
I have a thick head of hair and when some falls out it's usually not a concern. The post-partum hair loss usually isn't bad either. Well my hair loss has gone to the extreme. I have been noticing more and more hair around the house, in the car, on my pillow, and definately in my brush and shower drain. Today I was drying my hair and realized I have a BALD patch. It's in the very front of my hairline and it looks horrible. The hair there has always been short, it doesn't grow very long, and thinner. Well now it is non-existant. I have had to reposition the part in my hair to cover this huge spot. I am hoping that the hair that is dormant will now start growing so my bald spot will soon be gone.

The week in review

2008-11-17T21:16:00.000-08:00

Well since it's been a while I have a whole lot to update.
Last Monday I had my gallbladder removed. It had been giving me problems for almost a year now. I went to the hospital at 5:30am and left at 10:30am. It was a pretty easy recovery the only issue I had was a blown vein were my IV was. Good thing it was in my left hand. I have still been watching what I eat but not as carefully as I had to before. I have my final visit with my surgeon on Wednesday and hopefully I wont have to see him again.

Wednesday and Thursday Nick was off. So we did a majority of our Christmas gift shopping. Toys 'R Us had a lot of our business. They had a coupon in the paper that if you spent $75 you would receive a $10 gift card. Nick also got a gift card for buying a new video game, so now i have $35 in gift cards to Toys 'R Us ready to be used on another gift. We still have a few things to buy but mostly it's just stuff for each other that we can't get while we are together, lol.

Friday night the new shops at Vintage Fair Mall opened. They had a little parade with Santa and Mrs. Clause and a few different performances. There was an ice skating rink, hot air balloon rides and free kettle corn and donuts. I took our girls and one of Bailey's friends. They had fun. Trystan was so excited to see Santa that she couldn't stay still. Nick had her on his shoulders so she could see above the crowds and wouldn't get lost. Who knew there were so many people in Modesto. After the parade it was our turn to go ice skating. Well more like the girls turn. They had never been before so it was hilarious to watch them. We had a long day ahead of us so we didn't stay long after the skating.

Bailey had her soccer tourney on Saturday and Sunday. Her team the Hurricanes had finished the season in third place. They had two games on Saturday. The first game they played against a team that had beat them the two time they played. We won by 1 goal. It was nice to finally beat them. The second game went by fairly quick with another win. Sunday mornings game was another story. The girls were all tired and it was so early. The ground was soaking wet and so they were wet which made it even colder. We ended up losing by a goal because one of the refs made a mistake on a call which would have made the game tied. We had to wait for two more games to be played to see if we had made it into the finals. At 11:30am the coach called and said we were in the Championships. So with either a win or lose we still finished ahead of what we did during the season.
The game was supposed to start at 2:30 pm but did not start until 3:15pm. So our girls had been sitting in the sun waiting for over an hour to play. They gave it their all and played just like the coach had told them. They still lost. But hey second place is still better than third.
CONGRATULATIONS HURRICANES GIRLS U12 SOCCER!

And now for news on the surrogacy front. I spoke with the Bill's tonight. We had been talking for a few months now about doing a sibling journey but had not decided on anything. When we met up in Vegas they dropped of couple of hints but still no decision was made. Well tonight they finnally said they wanted to proceed. I am all up for making Rex & Penny a big brother and sister so of course I said yes. They are goinng to talk to all the necessary people and get finances in order andn we will try for another baby next spring.

$84 ice cream

2008-11-03T20:54:00.000-08:00

I totally forgot to put this in my post about Vegas.

So after the concert we had two hours before we had to be back in the room. We decided to walk around Cesars. We didn't have any dessert at dinner so we ordered gelato. They had 5 different sizes. I didn't want to die so my mom and I shared the terminator. The guys got one each for themselves. Just so you know prices weren't listed anywhere near the gelato. You ordered first then walked down to pay. Well Bill also decided he was thirsty and got a bottled water. Then the girl said $84 and some change, I don't think the change part really matters. All of us looked at eachother and then back at her. She then decided to tell us that the terminator size cost $24.99. OMG! So 3 terminators and a bottle of water cost $84.

Vegas Baby

2008-11-02T22:50:00.001-08:00

My mom and I took the girls to Las Vegas last week. We met up with the Bill's and the twins. Had a blast. We got there Wednesday afternoon and stayed at the Flamingo. That ninght we, the guys and my mom and I, went to the Elton John concert. OMG! It was great. No cameras were allowed so I didn't get any good pictures. But I tried with my phone and he looks like a little blob on the stage, lol. Throughout the concert there were videos playing on the screen, a different one for each song. I knew all but 3 songs and I think I was the youngest person there.

We also say Carrot Top at the concert. He has a show at the Luxor but I guess he decided that Elton was more entertaining.

Thursday we spent the whole day together. We went to Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef. The kids had a blast. My girls got to pet the rays and the horseshoe crabs. Penny tried her hardest to pet them but her arms were to short. Then we had lunch at their buffet. Dr. Bill met us during hos lunch break. Sooo much food, and it was good. We sat there for for about an hour and a half until we were all tired and needed a nap.

That afternoon the girls went swimming with the Bill's and the twins, I would have went but after two back to back pregnancies my body just wont fit into a swim suit. The pool was supposed to have been heated but the twins and the girls ended up purple after about 20 minutes. So we got out and headed back to our rooms. We decided to meet up for dinner at Rainforest Cafe so we could celebrate Trystan's birthday.

We got there and they immediately had a thunder storm. Rex was so excited. The animals were all going wild and he was copying them all. There were tons of kids there and may I say mine were the most well behaved. The group next to us actually let their kids run around climbing on things and picking eachother up. We ate our dinner and then had a volcano brownie for dessert. Trystan got to blow out the candle and they sang Happy Birthday to her. She opened her gift from the guys and a part of her gift from me. The night had come to an end and we all were exhausted.

Friday morning we met up for a goodbye breakfast. We had to make our way home and the guys were heading to Flagstaff to meet up with some friends. It was so great to see them. It had been 14 months since the last time we visited. They have gotten so big, but I guess that's what kids do.

Gall Bladder Attack

2008-10-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a little rough. Thursday afternoon Nick and I went to lunch at Round Table. Had me some hawaiian pizza and a salad. About 2 hours later the tummy started to hurt. Figured I had to poo (sorry this may be a TMI post). Well did my business in the bathroom and felt a bit better. Then it hit, and I mean like a mac truck. I took my pain pills in hopes that they would work. After about half an hour I went and layed in the shower. Warm water usually helps me relax and it did it's job. So I got out to take another pill because the first ones were wearing off. Well about 10 minutes after taking the pill (TMI coming) I started shaking and threw up all over the toilet. Mostly in it but my aim isn't the best with my eyes closed. So off the the ER we went.
I needed pain control at this point and since I couldn't keep anything down figured it was going to come from a shot. We got there and signed in. How come the time you really need to get seen fast the whole city is also in the ER? So they call me back and I explain whats going on. The nurse is a total B*tch. She talks down to me and then proceeds to tell me that they can't do anything for me except give me pain meds because I don't have a primary care physican. HELLO, I just moved to Modesto what am I supposed to do.
So needless to say I still have my gallbladder and have an appointment with my surgeon in Fresno on Wednensday. I am not sure of what is going to be done but I can tell you I want the stones gone. My pain lasted for 3 days and I couldn't enjoy anytime with my family this weekend. But we are going to Vegas in 8 days so hopefully it can nbe done quick or it will have to wait.

NO on Prop 8

2008-10-11T17:47:00.001-07:00

My Hatchlings

2008-10-07T21:33:00.001-07:00

Mean Mom

2008-10-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

Well they didn't actually come out and say it but I knew they were thinking it. You could see it in their faces as all the toys on the floor went into the trash bag.
I have been having problems with them keeping their room clean and have threatened to take all their toys away but I've never followed through. Well I had enough tonight. First I said if they had it clean by 5pm (this was at 4:30) hen they would be able to play Guitar Hero. Well 5 came and went. Then they started wanting to go outside. I said the room had to be cleaned. 6 o'clock came and I said no dinner until the room was clean. Well at 7 they both came out of the room and I thought maybe it had been cleaned. NOPE! I told them to get back in there and clean or it was bedtime with no dinner and the toys would be gone. The fighting began.
So I followed through. They are in bed, did not get dinner (had a snack at 3 of apples and peanut butter) and their most prized possessions (the toys) are in a trash bag sitting by the door to be put outside. They are going to have to earn each toy back and I'm not sure if I want to give them back. I hope they see that keeping their room clean allows them to keep their stuff.

Lisa sent pictures

2008-10-06T16:44:00.001-07:00

Today in my inbox I had an email from Lisa. She uploaded pictures of Lachlan who is now 7 weeks. My time does fly. I let her know that she needed to talk to him and let him know that he needs to stop growing. If he doesn't I may get the urge to get pregnant again (not our baby) too soon. So here are some picturs of the big boy.

Soccer Saturday

2008-10-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

As usual we had soccer yesterday. Trystan's game was bright (well cloudy) and early at 8am. We arrived and set up our chairs and the girls practiced for a couple of minutes. She was playing a team that had jersey's that were fluorescent green. They were so bright it didn't matter that the sun was nowhere to be found. The game started and Trystan was at the back of the pack. I think she just likes to run around the field. She's not really into taking the ball away from the other girls so she can kick it. So we let her be. Well at half time she was out on the field practicing again and was going up and down the field dribbling. Her coach saw her and asked why she didn't do that during the game. He told her that she could take the ball away from the other team. So that is what happened. She took the ball away twice and scored two goals. They happened to be in the other teams goal but at least she played the game.
We didn't get to stay for her entire game because Bailey had pictures so we left about 5 minutes early. But I didn't have a problem with leaving because the sprinkles had started. We got Bailey to pictures on time but they were running behind so we had to wait. As we were waiting the sprinkles turned into full on monsoon rain. There was really no place to keep dry so everybody at the park that didn't have umbrellas were under the trees. The rain was coming down so hard that the trees didn't do much. After about half an hour pictures were done and the rain had slowed. So off to Target to buy a shirt for Bailey to put under her jersey and water.
Bailey's game was at 10:30 and we had to be there at 10. Trystan and I set up the chairs again and had our snack. Her game started on time and the sky's had started to clear. Her team is playing really well together and scored 3 goals the first half. Bailey played left defender and they didn't allow any goals and only one shot. The second half the other team scored almost right away but then no more shot were allowed. We scored one more time and the sun came out. So it was a good ending to a day that had it's ups and downs.

Mrs. David

2008-10-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

Bailey is now in the fifth grade. She is in a total imersion GATE class. This is the first time she is in this type of class. Last year her GATE program was twice a month being taken out of her regular class.
She is doing very well in Math and Spelling. A's in both of them just like last last year. Writing she is struggling in, just like last year as well. She is refusing to do work and once she decided against it there is no use in trying to get her engaged again. Mrs. David asked if this was something she has done before and I let her know its not new. But she is determined to get thru to Bailey and hopefully get her to enjoy writing.
Bailey is reading a lot right now too. She is reading the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. It has taken her most of the summer and now she is on the last book. Once she is done I don't know what we are going to do to keep her entertained.

Meeting with Mrs. Halsey

2008-10-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

Wednesday afternoon Nick and I met with Trystan's teacher. I didn't know what to expect out of Trystan, so everything she told us was a surprise (well almost everything).
A little background.
When she was 2 we started getting concerned about her speech. She babbled a lot but very few of her words were understandable. Then started the testing. First it was hearing. Perfectly fine. Next was cognative. She could understand everything we said. After that was done it was decided that she just had speech difficulties. We then started speech therapy. She was 3 at the time. Three times a week for a year, then starting prechool and going twice a week really improved her language. Her prechool teachers commented on how much she had improved and Mrs. Halsey said she didn't even think she needed to go to speech therapy.
So back to Wednesday.
Trystan is excelling in her class. She has reached the kindergarten standard in almost all areas. We are now working on site words to learn how to read. She does have one problem though. She is very social. Especially when they are supposed to be listening to the teacher. So we decided that she should be moved closer to the front of the carpet so that she wouldn't have as many distractions. Hopefully that works and we are on our way to first grade.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

2008-10-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

Minimum days this week and no school tomorrow.

Off to Vegas

2008-10-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

Four weeks a little less than 28 days and I get to see the Bill's, Rex & Penny. My mom, the girls and I will be driving to Las Vegas to meet up with them. We are going to arrive Wednesday morning and spend the day with them. Then Wednesday night the four adults will be going to the Elton John concert. We will be there all day Thursday taking in the sites and celebrating Trystan's birthday. Then back home on Friday. I can't wait.
The twins will be almost 20 months. The last time we saw them in person they were 6 months. So quite a big difference.

The passing of Mr. Bean

2008-09-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Tonight my mom called me crying. She had ran over our cat. We had him for 14 years. His mom was our cat. My grandpa brought her home for the prison that he worked at. She was just a kitten. Pure black with bright yellow eyes. Her third litter of kittens the only one that survived was Mr. Bean (he was the only one that survived out of all of her litters) He was the best cat. Looked just like his mom except he was fluffier.
In the 14 years we had him he moved with us four times. He never left us for longer then a day or so and would often bring us presents when he came back. Thank you Bean for the birds and squirrels left on our door step. In his last few months his health had been deteriorating. He had a few seizures and would be paralyzed for a few days after. I am thinking that he had one of these seizures tonight and that is why he wasn't able to move when my mom pulled into the driveway.My mom is very upset over this. I wish I had been closer so that I could have gone to comfort her but all I had was the phone.

Goodbye Mr. Bean you will be missed by your family.

Pics of the surro babes

2008-09-24T22:27:00.001-07:00

Today in my email I received pictures of Rex & Penny. They are 19months. I am going to Vegas at the end of October to visit with them & the Bill's. It will be the first time I will seen them since they were 6months old.

On Monday the family took a drive to Dublin and met up with Lisa & Lachlan. Here are a few new picts of the 11 pounder.

I have decided

2008-09-24T22:14:00.001-07:00

So one of my least favorite chores is doing laundry. There are too many steps to actually complete the task.

1. seperate laundry
2. load washer
3. wait for washer to be done (during this time it's usually another chore being done)
4. unload washer (seperate out clothes that need to be hung dry)
5. put dryer sheet in dryer, clean lint filter turn on dryer
6. wait (again)
7. unload dryer
8. fold clothes
9. put clothes away

Well now I am skipping step 7. I will fold clothes directly out of the dryer. I find that this helps with the full laundry basket of clean clothes that never gets folded or put away. So hopefully this lasts and I can keep on top of the laundry.

Soccer Again

2008-09-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

Another weekend of soccer.
We (meaning me and the girls as Nick had to work this morning) were up bright and early to get everybody ready, fed and at the soccer field this morning for Bailey's game. It was a brisk morning but it felt like real soccer weather. Trystan and I set up our chairs and sat down to wait for the game to start, that was the last time I sat. Once the game was going it was nonstop action. This was the first game of the season that I thought the girls actually played together as a team.
Bailey was on defense the whole game and did extremely well. She blocked a couple of really good shots by a girl that was a good six inches taller than her and all over bigger. By the end of the first half she was pooped and rightly so. Her team won the game 10-3 and they were all so happy (it was their first win).
Trystan's game was much of the same as last time. 10 little girls chasing the ball like a swarm of bees. It's too cute.

What do I want to be?

2008-09-17T22:38:00.000-07:00

I have not figured that out yet. I have had many ideas but none of them have ever come to fruition. I just want to do something that I enjoy. So for now I stay at home and take came of my family.
I am a few units away from completing my BS in Kinesiology but now I don't know what I would do with my degree. I took a certification course to become a doula but after my most recent birth I am not sure that I would be able to help a woman during one of the most painful (yet rewarding) times in her life. I once thought I could be a personal trainer, but I think I would need to be fit first. Now I am thinking I would like to take up photography. I think it will have to start as a hobby, as I should concentrate on my girls and school (at least until I graduate). But maybe if I become good enough someday people will pay me.

I want to move back

2008-09-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well we have been in Modesto for about a month now. I have tried to get used to the place. It's not that bad and there is quite a big group of surrogates and IM's around so we can get together time to time. I just don't feel like this is our home. I know it takes time to get used to a new place but I don't remember it being this bad when we moved to Kansas City. I think we were far enough from family that I knew we wouldn't be able to see them and then we moved back to Fresno and we were so much closer, only an hours drive. But now we are just far enough that driving is a pain in the @$$. Six hours round trip as opposed to two.
I do know that we aren't going to be here for long but I don't know where we are going to end up. I want to be home. Wherever that may be. I want my own house that I can paint and decorate any way I want. I want a front yard that I can plant flowers in. I want a back yard that has trees and grass and maybe even a dog house. I want a place that the girls feel safe going outside to play or ride thier bikes or make friends. Is that too much to ask?
I feel like that place could have been in Fresno/Clovis. But now Nick has obligations and we don't know if we will ever go back or have to find a new place to be comfortable in. I just needed to get that out. Maybe now I can try to make this place a bit more like home, nah.

Soccer Mom

2008-09-13T23:40:00.001-07:00

So I am a soccer mom. I have been for 4 years now. I do NOT drive a van. This is the first year that I am having to juggle game schedules though. Trystan plays on an under 6 team. They don't practice during the week. Their practice is during game time. The first 30 minutes is practice and then they have 2-15 minute halves. She likes it so what so I have to complain about.

Bailey is now on an under 12 team in division 'A'. She is the youngest on her team but she is doing good. I had to miss her game today but Nick was able to be there. We split games and the next time they play at the same time I will go watch Bailey and Nick will watch Trystan.

I was able to take pictures of Trystan and next week we will get some of Bailey. Enjoy the show.

I missed the first day of school

2008-09-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

I had my summer planned out. Nick started his new job in Modesto in July so he had to move. The girls and I stayed in Clovis until August when they went to stay with my mom and I went to stay with Brooke. I needed to be near the hospital so I could deliver Lachlan and not have to drive an hour and a half. Well my due date came and went along with my plans to be in Modesto for the girls' first day at their new school.

I actually deliverd 36 minutes before they were supposed to start school. When I came home Nick had been taking them to school and did for two weeks so that I could recover. Then I had my first day of school.

So two weeks late but I decided that I would have my own first day. Here are their pictures. Bailey is now in the 5th grade and Trystan just started kindergarden.

Had lunch

2008-09-06T00:31:00.000-07:00

Today I met up with Lisa and Lachlan for lunch. WE met in the middle at a Chilies. I got to hold him for most of lunch, I had to give him back to his mom so I could finish eating. He has gotten bigger but he is still so small. I am used to my girls who are bigger than average and not to mention the are way past the baby stage. He gain 1 whole pound in two weeks, so he is up to 9lbs 14oz. He has chunky little arms, which I have decided are cute as an infant and toddler but not a 28 year old woman.
Lisa and I talked about life, well mostly Lachlan's day to day business. We also talked about the whole Sarah Palin, republican, crazy election stuff. I have tried to stay away from anything republican related lately so she let me in on a few of the things that have been said during the convention. I just wish there was a presidential nominee that had my exact same views so I wouldn't have to even think about who I would vote for.
Then to finish off lunch I was able to feed the little guy. It took him a while but I got him to wake up and actually drink it. During the bottle feeding he decided he need to do some business. Well his business decided it did not want to be contained within the diaper and ended up all over my hand. So I get to walk through Chilies holding a baby with one arm so I don't smear poo all over him with the other. What a fun time.
We said our goodbyes and I gave Lisa the milk I have pumped for the past week and a half. I know Lachlan enjoys it, why else would he be refusing formula now, so that's why I keep pumping.

New haircut

2008-08-31T18:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was left all alone. My grandma came and picked up the girls for the weekend and Nick had to work. I was bored so what did I do? That's right I cut my hair. I didn't do too bad either. I guess my hormones got the best of me but at least I'm not a ball of tears. I needed something to make me feel better about myself. I don't fit in regular clothes yet and I don't think I will anytime soon so a haircut was what I needed. I will post before and after pics when I find a good before and take an after.

Visited the baby

2008-08-27T22:57:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun day. Well the first half I slept through, allergies, but after we picked the girls up from school we drove and hour and a half to visit L and his momma. He is now 9 days old and only 2oz lighter than when he was born. He looks a lot smaller to me than when I had him but maybe that because I pushed a bowling ball out of my whoohaa. He was alseep when we arrived but had to wake up because he was hungry. The girls wanted to love on him but since they had just started school we only let them look, didn't want to get him sick yet. He only stayed awake long enough to get a bottle and poo but I still got to hold and cuddle with him. We ate dinner and talked for a while and then it was time for us to go. But not before I woke him up again, and let him poo too. So we spent about 4 hours with them today and I am glad I was able to. No crying for me either, so in all it was a good day.

My weekend

2008-08-24T23:05:00.000-07:00

so I celebrated my 28th birthday yesterday. I am pretty sure I was the only one who didn't make a big deal of it. It was just another day to me, making me one year closer to 30. Nick had to work so me and the girls just roamed the house all morning. My phone rang at least 10 times before I even got out of bed and I got 3 texts because I wasn't answering. We went out to dinner at a mexican restaurant and I had my first alcoholoc beverage (a pina colada) since my birthday last year. My brother thought he should tell me that drinking was a much better habit than having babies. But I'm not so sure, lol.
I didn't let anybody know what I wanted for my birthday, because I really didn't want anything. But Nick wouldn't just let it be, he had to buy something. So he got me a new pair of sunglasses and the girls got me a giftcard to Starbucks. They also love to get the cards that play music. So I got two of those. I would have been happy with the cards but I am glad that I was remembered on my birthday as well.
Today my parents came up for the afternoon. They hadn't been here since we moved so we took them around to see the girls new school. We drove around for a bit and then headed out to lunch. We had a nice lunch and then my mom decided to let our server know that it was my birthday. I'm not one for public humiliation but I guess nobody minded. At least I got a peice of cake out of it.

The birth of Lachlan Alexander

2008-08-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

It all started Sunday August 17. I woke up at 8 to use the bathroom, one of the many times I had to pee since I was 41weeks 3days pregnant. I stood up getting out of bed and felt what I thought was my water breaking. I got to the bathroom and went to sit down when I realized that it wasn’t my water but a large gush of blood. I immediately thought the worse and yelled for my husband to wake up. I got in the shower to wash myself off and asked for a glass of orange juice to see id I could get the little guy to move. So Nick called Lisa to let her know what was going on and we headed to the hospital. I had been in Modesto with my family but was going to deliver in Clovis an hour and a half away. So Modesto’s hospital was the best choice for us given the options. When we got there I was hooked up to the monitor and waited. After about 4 hours we were seen by the ER doc on call and she consulted with the OB on call. They decided that since I was not actively bleeding and that I did not want them to perform a c-section they would release me. I was given instructions to go directly to Clovis and to go the hospital and let them know what had happened. So off we went. Nick packed the girls up and all four of us headed to Clovis with Lisa and Gerry following behind.
We arrived at 3:30 and were put on the monitors yet again. The doctors would be changing shifts at 5 so as soon as the new doctor came on she came to visit us. We had good readings on the baby by this time and no more bleeding except for during cervical exams. I was told that she wasn’t going to release me though because of the bleeding. We were going to have a baby either VBAC or by c-section. But I wasn’t in labor. So the doctor gave me the option to wait it out or break my water as I really wanted to VBAC. I made the decision to break my water and see if that would bring on labor. So I called my doula, Katie, and she came down to the hospital. Nick brought the girls in so they could see me before they had to head back to Modesto for the first day of school the next morning. And at 7:15 or so Dr. K broke my water.
I sat on the ball for about an hour before contractions started. Then I went to the bathroom and a pretty big gush of my water came out. That’s when things started to pick up. I was able to talk through most of the contractions and then the pain started. It was all on my cervix, I knew he would be OP as both of my girls had been OP so it was just intuition. At about 10:30 or so I started shivering, but I wasn’t cold, which I thought must be transition. Well my body was playing a trick on me because I was only at a 2, 50% effaced and -2 station. So I tried to not let that bother me and let my doulas help me get this baby out. We changed positions, sitting, hanging, hands and knees. And the contractions kept coming, faster, longer, harder. Then about 2 hours later I was able to get into the shower, and relax just enough to make my brain decide how to go about the rest of my labor. I was checked again and had made a bit of progress but not what I needed to make me think this baby was coming any time soon. I was only at a 4, 80% and 0 station. So I asked for some IV meds and they didn’t help at all. My body did not want to relax, I was tired, and really wanted all of this to be over. That’s when I decide the best way for me to have this baby was to get an epidural. My main goal was to VBAC but if I was able to do it with no meds it would have been an extra. So at 1:30 on Monday morning the anesthesiologist came in to give me the epidural. He was a jerk but without him I don’t believe I would have delivered vaginally. He proceeded to tell me that he had been waiting for 3 hours for me to call him in. He had been listening to me yell and was just waiting. If I had been able to get out of the bed at that time I would have punched him in the nose.
From then on my labor was pretty uneventful. I relaxed and was able to get some sleep between getting my blood pressure taken every half hour. My IP’s, doula and I talked off and on about the Olympics and just waited. I started making progress again and by 7am I was fully dilated and ready to push. But my body decided it was time for a rest and my contractions slowed to about every 7-8 minutes. So with each contraction that I could feel I would push to get him down. Once his head was in view I had one contraction with three pushes and he popped out face up. Katie said his cheeks were so cute as he was looking up. I didn’t get to see but I believe her.
Lisa was the first to hold her son. We waited for his cord to stop pulsing and then she was able to share her beautiful son with everybody. The whole time I was so happy that we had finally brought this little guy into the world. Lisa & Gerry both had glossy eyes and at that moment I knew how they felt seeing their baby for the first time.
So here are the stats: 8lbs 14oz and 19in long, he came into the world at 7:49 am on August 18th, 2008 almost 24 hours after it all began.

My first entry

2008-07-20T23:39:00.000-07:00

So I've blogged a bit on myspace but I've never had an actual blog. This will be very interesting to see how this all pans out.