The question of the hour

I have been contracting for weeks now but more so the past week.  It has been enough that I've had to question whether I was going to actually be in labor soon.  Contracting for hours at a time for it to only slow down and then to stop completely.

Another beta...

I love seeing this number double every couple of days.  This means we have a very strong little one in there and little snowflake is growing and thriving!! :)

Official

I had my official beta per the clinic today and it was 333 which is PERFECT!!  WE ARE PREGNANT!!!  I am on day 10 but was 9.50dpt when I had my blood drawn.  I don't have another blood draw until the following week but the clinic agreed to let us have another done two days later.  I am more obsessed with seeing this number double the way it needs to.  It is comforting to see it go up since we have to wait for our ultrasound.  Ultrasound is in a few weeks...

Addicted

Any surrogate will tell you that you become obsessed and addicted to seeing that line get darker and darker.  I couldn't help but constantly taking tests to see it get darker and be reassured that the baby was growing and doing okay.  It is hard not to.

My last test I took

On Friday I also had my blood drawn to see what the levels were, they generally want the numbers to double every 48 hours.  My numbers were at 85 on Friday morning which meant we were right on track.  I don't have my official beta per the clinics orders until Monday morning.  We have dinner with J, T and the kids.  We also get to meet Todd's mom for the first time!  I am so excited!

Sign

Tuesday morning I peed on the stick and anticipated it to be negative again since it was still too early.  To my surprise there was another line and this time it was darker than Monday's test.  I was really starting to freak out and do the happy dance.  I sent it to my surro friends again and we picked it apart to determine that there was indeed a second line starting.  I wanted to wait til it was darker to show J and T again just to avoid them getting discouraged.  J was texting me by 7 am though asking if I had tested yet, it is kind of hard to hold this huge news in too.  I sent her the picture and she said she could see it.  I told her I would test again later that night just to make sure it was getting darker.  I was technically only 3.50 days past transfer when we got this line, so super early to know.

Since I wasn't at work on Tuesday the soonest I could get my blood levels checked were on Wednesday to see what was going on.  I was thinking they would be about the same as my first journey and be maybe 15 or so.  They ended up being  at 26 on 4.50dpt.  I was pretty excited that we had some really good news here!  It worked and this little "snowflake" stuck around!!!

3 weeks and 2 days along

Home

I thought I would have waited to start testing at home but Monday morning I figured why not.  I knew it would be negative anyways and it would be fun to see when I did start seeing a line.  To my surprise though I saw a line, I sent it to a few surro friends who have the squinter abilities and they could see it as well.  I was freaking out and thinking, Oh my gosh!  This is happening and SOOO early.  I wasn't going to say anything to J and T til I had a darker line and then I couldn't keep it in.  I told them that they were going to be parents.  It was so cute to hear their reactions!

I work for a lab and as soon as I got to work I had my blood drawn to see what my levels were.  My levels came back as negative though.  It was really strange because this was definitely a line and I wasn't just making it up in my head.  Maybe it is the start of something there....

Sticks

From top to bottom is the proof that this little one is sticking around for a while.  I started testing on 2dpt5dt but of course didn't get a positive til later.  The top is 4dpt and then so on until 18dpt and the line is finally darker then the control line.  It makes me so happy for the California's!!  We have our first ultrasound in a couple weeks and they can't wait to see their little pea or two!  Come on, let the time pass by quickly!

Official Beta

Tuesday I have my levels checked per the fertility doctors orders this go around.  I was surprised at how much higher they were then what I thought they'd be.  We figured if it doubled like it should that they would about 80-90 on Tuesday and then double like normal.  They have this myth that if you are carrying twins that it will triple.  I have always felt like I would carry twins but when the "unofficial" beta came back and it only doubled I started to think there was just one pea in my pod!

Tuesday my level was a 143 and so I got a little shock by that.  Was NOT expecting that number.  Not getting my hopes though.  Then Thursday I had my second official beta check and it was at 426.  It had basically tripled.

Either this pea is really strong or there are two peas in my pod!!  We are having an ultrasound on September 7th or 8th and will know more then!

Holy freaking YEAH!!!

Last night I took it easy and had a great night with my bugs a boo!  We went to the movie and enjoyed the movie theatre all to our self and got Smart Cookie!  So fun!!

Thursday morning I really wasn't going to POAS but I just thought why not.  I honestly thought it was going to be negative again.  I dipped it and set it on the top of the toilet and then continued to get ready for the day.  When I looked a few minutes later I was SHOCKED!!  I started screaming and jumping up and down!  It was a positive!!!  I was freaking out with excitement, it worked!!  It actually freaking worked and I was carrying for this amazing couple!

I am an hour ahead of my IPs and so I called them and probably startled my IM a bit.  Our conversation went something like this....

Mrs. California: Is everything okay?

Me: Yes, I am your 4th child calling to say good morning!!

Mrs. California: What??

Me: You are going to be a mommy again!

Seriously I wish I could have been in person when I told her but I could tell from her voice how excited she was and probably shocked that there last hope had worked!!  I called before her hubby left for work so they got to find out together that they were having another baby!  I talked to their youngest Ms. Diva and she is pretty excited to be a big sister, I don't know if she knows exactly what that entails yet. :)

Since I work at a lab I went ahead and had my blood drawn to just check to see if my numbers would double or not.  Those results for later!

Here is to having a little pea in my pod now!!

 Home test!!

 We drew my blood and took the serum from the draw and put it on to see if I'd get a positive from my blood already and sure enough it was a light line with in a minute!!

POAS.....

Once I left California I made it a goal to wait until at least 5 days post transfer to start testing to see if I would get a positive.  I just couldn't wait that long though and although I knew they would be negative so early I started testing Monday morning.  I thought why not and I knew it would be negative, but it is the excitement of waiting for a positive.

I thought it is too soon so I won't get my hopes up if it is negative until day 6.  Monday I got a negative and I was okay.  I felt like it's fine there is still plenty of time.  Tuesday a negative and I was still feeling confident that it would be positive.  I tested Wednesday and I swear there was a light, light, light line but there just wasn't.  I was a little disappointed about it.  I just wanted it to be positive so badly and want this to work for my couple so badly.  I want them to be able to add to their family.

I told everyone that I was going to wait until Friday or Saturday to test because I couldn't handle another negative.  So we wait.....

POAS

What does POAS stand for you ask?  Well it stand for peeing on a stick.  I have been waiting to start buying these beautiful sticks again and start my stash up.  I know that I will be needing them shortly and want to be prepared!