Here we are at 27 weeks, baby Jingle and me. Baby weighs anywhere from 1.5 to 2.2 pounds now and is starting to show real signs of brain activity if you were able to put an MRI “in there.” 14 inches is baby’s height now, so we are officially over 1 foot tall!
I am in my last 4 days with students so that’s AWESOME! But other than that, we just keep chugging right along!
As always, things are busy in the final push for the end of the school year. We are 2 weeks away from End of Grade testing which means that I only have 9 more days of work to go. While that is VERY exciting, it also means that work is VERY demanding right now.
We also just finished up Session 3 of classes at my dog club, so last week was graduation. It’s a fun week, but it’s also busy.
On top of all that, an F1 tornado hit my neighborhood. WHAT? We live on the beach in NC! I was at work when it happened. My husband had JUST picked my son up from the bus stop (for whatever reason he had decided to drive instead of walk, thank goodness) and one their way back to the house (less than a block) there was a sudden gust of wind, and then another that threw a garbage can in front of the car! My husband gunned it trying to get home, but didn’t get there before it became unsafe to get out of the car. He put my kids in the floorboard and leaned over them while for 3 minutes the car was shaken by wind and pummeled by debris! Thankfully, no one was hurt, including our pups who were enjoying the previously lovely day out in their puppy pen in the yard! It’s a miracle really. Some of out neighbors lost roofs, cars and had trees ripped up by the roots, so overall, our damage was minimal. It was very scary though.
In pregnancy news, all is well. I am over 6 months now, I have gained 11 pounds and Jingle continues to measure right on track. There is much wriggling and wiggling going on in my belly most of the time now. I scheduled the glucose tolerance test for 3 weeks from today (ick) and I will get my rhogam shot at that appointment as well. So, we are just plugging along!
well, here we are, 1 week from 6 months preggo. Time seems to be flying by.
I’m battling a horrible spring cold, but other than that, life is good. Jingle flips and flops often, especially late in the evening when I’m trying to sleep! Little rascal!
Most days pregnancy isn’t a big deal, I can do everything I need to do and not feel inhibited in any way. Some days though, whew, I am really starting to feel it! I’m glad there’s only 5 more weeks in my program and then I’ll be getting a month off work before summer camp begins. I love my students, but some days their energy level and mine just aren’t the same!
half way through the fifth month and Jingle and I are feeling fine. There’s much wriggling and wiggling going on in there these days. I’ve gained 9 pounds, which my midwife is very pleased with.
We’re just rocking and rolling around here. The closer it gets to end of grade testing, the crazier my students get, so the more challenging work gets! But, only six weeks left until summer! The weather is beautiful and we will be making our way to the beach soon!
Now that we are half way there, I’m going to try and be better about belly pics. I’ve gained 6 pounds so 
far.
Whoa, SO BEHIND!
I am 20 weeks today. We did the anatomy scan on Wednesday and everything still looks great. Both my midwife and the ultrasound said said that Jingle looks happy and healthy. There was much wiggling and squirming around, but they got all the measurements they needed and were able to look at the heart, the brain and the kidneys in every view they needed.
We were able to skype with the IPs during the ultrasound so that they were able to see. She even switched to 4D for a little while so they could see everything in more “real” detail. She printed out some pictures and everyone went home smiling.
I have gained 6 pounds so far (not bad for 5 months) and I am starting to wear maternity clothes. I guess that was inevitable.
Other good news, the blood panel on Jingle came back TOTALLY normal for the 3 big genetic issues they can screen for: Down’s Syndrome, Spina Bifeda, and Trisomy 18. All good news for the health and well being of my womb mate.
On occasion, I can feel Jingle thumping around in there. It’s VERY different from feeling your own children move. Oftentimes, people ask me “Won’t it be hard when the baby is born?” Now, I cannot tell you from experience, but I can tell you just from my feelings now, that it absolutely won’t be. When I felt my own children move there was a sense of “awe and wonder.” I felt like I was bonding with them and they were communicating with me in a wondrous way. When Jingle gives me a thump or a bump, I just kind of say, “What’s up kid” and keep going about my day. I don’t lie in bed with my hand on my belly waiting to feel a kick, I just drift off to sleep! It’s SO different. Even during the ultrasound things were different. During my own children’s ultrasounds, I was GLUED to the screen, taking in every movement, every measurement. During this ultrasound, I watched my IP’s faces as THEY were glued to the screen. It’s just a very different experience.
Our IPs did the sweetest thing, to celebrate 20 weeks, the half way mark, they are sending us and the kids out to dinner “on them.” It was such an unexpected and sweet gesture! Now comes the hard part, finding time in our schedule to actually GO out!
Well, baby Jingle is about 5oz and inches long now! The umbilical cord is thickening and lengthening everyday, giving more leeway to kick and swim and bend those joints that are no fully functional. Puberty’s awkwardness is already developing as sweat glands begin to form this week! Bones are hardening and everything is generally just moving along!
I am just dandy. After recovering from a GNARLY stomach virus, I am feeling great. THIS is the pregnancy feeling that I know and love! I am spry and full of energy! I’m not going to be able to get away with avoiding maternity clothes much longer. Currently, i am residing in soft waist banded skirts. Thank goodness for the beautifully warm weather we are having because everyone just assumes I am embracing spring with loose, flowy materials. I am going to have to make the announcement sooner rather than later though. I’m just not looking forward to the intrusion into my privacy. Pregnancy has become such a public thing and I didn’t care for that with my own children. I KNOW I am going to be like the local sideshow in out small town when everyone finds out I am a surrogate. I have been enjoying the peace and quiet, but there’s nothing I can do about the belly that’s about to arrive!
Other than that, life as usual. My son started baseball, so we have practices now and games soon. I am hosting a dog show this weekend so that will be taking up most of my time. And then I head out of town for a conference for work Mon-Wed. Keeping busy, staying active, enjoying spring!
Whhhhhhat? Four months? How did that happen?
Jingle is about 4.5 inches long now and about 3.5 oz! The head is now more erect as the body starts to catch up and the neck begins to really develop. The ears are almost at their final position on the sides of the head! The week the patterns for hair follicles coming in is on the scalp, but that sweet baby peach fuzz won’t be there for quite some time. Toe nails are also covering those adorable little piggies as well!
I’m okay. We all got hit with hideous stomach virus. First my husband, then me, then my son. I am looking at my daughter like she is a ticking time bomb! I spend 48 full hours either in bed or in the bathroom. I managed to stay hydrated so I could avoid a hospital visit. I had a stomach virus early in my pregnancy with my daughter and was not able to stay hydrated so I had to head to the hospital for IV fluids and zofran. I was NOT going to let that happen this time! I am on the upswing now, just feeling pretty puny and weak.
It’s times like these that I am thankful to have the doppler. I was able to keep an eye on Jingle’s heartbeat so I knew that all was well and right in uterus land despite my body being rocked by grossness!
Tomorrow, I head back to the specialist to draw the second blood sample so that they can compare it to the sample taken at the 12 week appointment. This will provide them a comparison to screen for genetic abnormalities. I am pretty confident that everything will be fine.
Let Me Carry That For You 