Miracle In The Making

Birth Announcement

2009-06-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

I scanned Ella and Emma's birth announcement so you all could see it too! GS Lady...Just search my name on Facebook "Melissa Berg" to find me!

New Pics

2009-06-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a few new pics! It's been difficult for me to get on the computer to blog and upload photos to this sight because it takes so long. If you want to see lots of pictures of the twins than I you'll have to join me on Facebook. Facebook uploads 30 photos in 30 seconds, blogger can only do 5 photos at a time and it takes forever. So I'll mostly be on FB now! I'll check in from time to time if I have something surrogacy related to report...like hopefully a birth story soon!

News about the twins: Ella and Emma are super easy babies! They are very happy and content most of the time. Ella is so relaxed and all the time and just goes with the flow. Emma is a bit more demanding and loves to be snuggled but who can resist a cute little baby! Emma usually wakes up around 3 in the morning to be fed and so I wake Ella up too and feed them both at the same time. They go right back to sleep and don't wake up until 6. So I'm being totally spoiled and only have to get up once a night!

We are home! More photos!

2009-05-21T06:20:00.001-07:00

Here we are before the C-Section, all looking slightly nervous!
Ella coming out, she's mad!
Ella Deborah Berg
Emma Elaine Berg
Happy mom and dad thanks to Steph!
Steph holding Ella for the first time!
Big sister Hannah!
The Berg girls!
Fresh babies after their baths!
Ella's eyes!!!
Emma close up! Ella is on the left and Emma is on the right!
Ella
Emma
Steph with both girls!

Ella and Emma are here!

2009-05-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Ella and Emma are here, they were delivered by C-Section at 12:52 (Ella) and 12:53 (Emma)! Steph did an amazing job and is already pumping up a storm for them! Ella was 6 pounds 3 ounces and 19 inches long! Emma was 6 pounds 8 ounces and 19 inches long! We are feeling incredibly grateful for two perfect babies! We are just glowing in their new babyness! Here are a few photos, we only have the photos taken with my moms camera available right now, when we get home we'll put up some other photos with our camera of Steph, Ella, Emma and our whole gang! Ella is on the left and Emma is on the right!Me with my 4 girls!
Mom and dad are so happy!

Iowa

2009-05-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

We are off to Iowa! Next time I post I'll be a mom of four!

OB Appointment

2009-05-14T06:13:00.000-07:00

Steph had her OB appointment yesterday and she is doing great! She also had an ultrasound to find out the positions of the twins...Ella is still breech. We scheduled a C-Section for Monday at noon and are all very excited about meeting our twins in just a few days! Steph has done an amazing job carrying our twins, I can hardly believe we are already 38 weeks!

Does anyone want to guess the weights and heights of our twins??? Let me know in the comment section! I'll start....

Ella (baby A) Weight: 6lbs 10oz & Height: 20 inches

Emma (baby B) Weight: 6lbs 12oz & Height: 19 inches

Hannah and Olivia's bedroom

2009-05-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hannah and Olivia's bedroom is complete!!! Olivia's big girl bed arrived yesterday so Darin and I spent the evening setting everything up. We are really happy with the outcome and know that our girls will love sharing a room!

OB Appointment - 37 Weeks

2009-05-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Todays OB appointment didn't answer as many questions as I was hoping for, we are still just waiting to see what next week brings. Ella is still breech so Steph will go back next Wednesday to check again. If Ella is still breech next Wednesday than we will have a C-Section on May 18th. Steph is now 1cm dilated. This makes me really nervous because if Steph's body goes into labor on it's own than we will have an emergency C-Section. I'm feeling really tired and stressed but thankful that we are now 37 weeks and full term!

Rooms

2009-05-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

Ella and Emma's letters arrived yesterday so now their rooms are pretty much complete. I took a few photos of their cribs, Olivia is still sleeping in Ella's crib/room so her bedding is not complete. We are still waiting for Olivia's new bed to arrive, the furniture store keeps pushing back the date with the newest date being May 8th. We are hoping that her bed does get delivered that day but aren't worried about it because the babies will sleep in our room for at least 6 weeks so we still have plenty of time.

Here is the diagram you requested Kate, LOL! I'm not sure what the small bump by her neck is...Hannah thinks it's her Adam's apple...so many reasons to crack up about this drawing....at least Steph is smiling!

Ultrasound

2009-04-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

We had a great day with Steph and Soleil today! The appointment was good and not so good...the babies are doing great but are both little stinkers! Ella decided that she wanted to get a better look at her sister so she turned around again...so she's now breech. Ella and Emma's heads are side by side, it looked really cute on the ultrasound...like they were snuggling or kissing but it does present us with a problem. Steph will most likely have to have a C-Section now. She goes back in next week to recheck their positions and if Ella is still breach then she will have a C-Section the following week (38 weeks). Steph is acting like a real trooper but I know she's scared and a bit sad, this will be her first C-Section in 6 pregnancies. We all hope that Ella will decide to turn again but she's quickly running out of room so the chances are slim.

The good news...Ella and Emma were both practicing breathing today so their lungs are mature. Ella had a heart rate of 134 and Emma had a heart rate of 145. Ella weighs 5lbs 8oz and Emma weighs 5lbs 9oz. And they both looked beautiful and happy! More good news...Steph's cervix is still closed up tight! 36 weeks tomorrow...crazy!

Steph also got the girls some crazy cute onsies, bibs and blankets. I can't wait to see E & E wearing them! Thanks Steph for such a great day!

Two by Two...Getting Organized

2009-04-28T16:21:00.000-07:00

Darin made us this daily log for the babies. I asked him to make this log because I was worried that I would forget which baby I fed and so on. These logs will help me keep track of all of the important info. I had him add a "misc" column to keep track of all the other info like runny noses, ouchies and growth. I think he did a great job!
We decided to set up some of our baby gear a little early to encourage our big girls to get all of their curiosity and touching out of the way. I think the babies will be really comfy in these cradle swings!
Here are their blanket sets, my big girls adore their "little giraffe" blankets! We got these other "wubbies" in Hawaii. The purple and pink blankets are Emma's and the yellow and green blankets are Ella's.
These beautiful hats were made by my friend Lisa! I love them and I know the girls will look adorable in them.

New Books

2009-04-26T06:28:00.000-07:00

A great friend sent us some really cool books recently! Hannah and Olivia both love them and I have a feeling that Ella and Emma are going to love them too! Thank you Marty, you are always so thoughtful and giving!

OB Appointment

2009-04-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

Steph had her 2nd NST and 100th (or it seems that way anyway) OB appointment today! Everything went smoothly and everyone looks great! No dilation yet!!! Go Steph!!!

OB appointment and NST

2009-04-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

Steph had her OB appointment today and her first NST (Non-Stress Test). She said that the nurses had a hard time getting the straps on her belly because the girls did not cooperate. They were kicking wildly. But the NST went fine. She couldn't give me definitive heart rates because they were all over the place depending on Ella and Emma's activity.
Steph's cervix is still closed. There is a head near it but her doctor said it is pretty high up there. Her stomach measures 36 weeks and she had no weight gain.
They also drew her blood today to recheck her hemoglobin, we should have those results back tomorrow.
All in all, her doctor was very happy with things.

Here are a few photos of Steph from this week!

PBO (Pre-Birth Order)

2009-04-08T12:13:00.001-07:00

I just received our PBO in the mail today....YAY!!! The PBO is a legal document, signed by a judge. It states that Darin and I are the legal and biological parents of both Ella and Emma. This document ensures that the hospital will recognize us as the babies' parents and will allow us to take full responsibility for the babies once they are born. It also ensures that mine and Darin's names will be directly put the on Ella and Emma's birth certificates. This will make things a lot less confusing for the hospital staff too! Yay, that's one more thing crossed off my list...we must be getting closer!!!

OB Appointment

2009-04-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

Steph had a great appointment today, it was fast and filled with good news!!! Ella's heart rate was 123 bpm and Emma's heart rate was 154. Her iron level has gone up and Dr. Richman will check it again next week. Steph will start weekly Non-Stress Tests (monitor hooked up to her belly and she pushes a button every time she feels a kick) next week. It also monitors her uterus for any contractions.

And the very best news of all is that Dr. Richman felt a head by Steph's cervix!!!!! YAY Ella is finally head down!!!! Now we just have to pray that she stays that way.

So it was a great appointment today, I can't believe we are almost 33 weeks!!

Thank you Steph!!!

2009-04-03T13:48:00.001-07:00

Steph sent Darin and I these beautiful flowers and vase!!! Thank you Steph, we love them!!! But we disagree...we think that you are the one that ROCKS!!!

32 Weeks!

2009-04-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

And here's a photo of Steph at 32 weeks! I think she look beautiful, I can't believe how much her belly has grown since the last time we saw her!!!
Here's a little bit about how the babies are developing, I read this on babycenter.com this morning. By now, your babies weigh 3.75 pounds each (pick up a large jicama) and they are about 16.7 inches long. The babies will gain a third to half of their birth weight during the next 7 weeks as they fatten up for survival outside the womb. They now have toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). The babies' skin is becoming soft and smooth as they plump up in preparation for birth.
And here's another fabulous picture of Steph!!! Thanks Steph for sending these to me!!
We are hoping for another ultrasound at the end of April, around 36 weeks!

OB Appointment

2009-04-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

Steph had her OB appointment today and she says it was pretty basic with nothing to really report. Ella's heart rate was 145 and Emma's was 136. Steph's cervix remains closed and good. She took a complete blood count test today so tomorrow we should know those results. Let's hope her hemoglobin is in the mid 7's at least. She gained about 7 pounds this last week and is still pretty swollen but hanging in. Tomorrow we'll be 32 weeks!

Iron update

2009-03-27T15:41:00.001-07:00

Steph got her iron levels rechecked at her last OB appointment and unfortunately there is no change despite Steph trying her hardest to get it up. Her body just doesn't absorb iron very well since her gastric bypass surgery. The actual numbers are...two weeks ago her iron level was 7.1 and on Wednesday it was 7.2. Obviously this needs to be fixed before labor. She had her first "injection" today although it's not really an injection at all. It was an IV bag that took 3 1/2 hours. She will have them now for the next 9 days straight. She says that there weren't any real bad side effects. She's just really tired and hungry now and she still has the IV port in her arm for tomorrow. We hope things will be looking up real soon and this will solve this problem. Her doctor will run some more labs Sunday after that injection. Poor, poor Steph...I feel so bad for her.

OB Appointment

2009-03-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

Steph had a good OB appointment today! She is measuring 34 weeks but she will actually be 31 weeks tomorrow. Her doctor tested her iron level again today but we won't have the results back for a few days. Ella's heart rate was135 and Emma's was 150. Her cervix is closed up nice and tight. She gained about 3 pounds since her last appointment. All in all, everything is good and uneventful. We are getting more and more excited everyday, just 8 more weeks to go until we meet our youngest two sweet daughters.

30 Weeks!

2009-03-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Okay so I've been avoiding this post because I didn't want to put any grandparents into hysteria and didn't want my mom to think she needs to start driving here today. But there really is nothing to worry about so I thought I would share some news now. Steph unexpectedly went to the OB last Friday. She has been experiencing some quivering sensations where Emma is laying and got worried. She called the OB and they told her to come in immediately. They ordered an ultrasound and couldn't find anything wrong with either baby, everything is just perfect. The doctor on call thought that possibly one of the babies is laying on one of Steph's nerves and is causing the quivering sensation, so they think it could be Steph's body quivering not Emma's but they can't be sure without actually seeing it. So basically nothing is wrong but now we have some more info on E and E! Both heart rates were excellent!!! Ella weighs 3lbs 8oz and Emma weighs 3lbs 7oz! The doctor was very pleased at the almost identical sizes! The bad news is they are still both laying transverse...sideways...so Ella better start getting her butt in gear or actually her her head down so Steph can have a vaginal delivery.

Cute Story

2009-03-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Hannah and I were driving in the car and out of nowhere she started a conversation about Stephanie. Here's how it went....

Hannah: "You know the person who has our babies in her tummy? What's her name?"
Me: "Stephanie"
Hannah: "Yes, Yes Stephanie! I think we should buy her a present!"
Me: "That's a nice idea. What do you think we should get her?"
Hannah: "A card and a movie. And I can write in the card and draw a big heart!"
Me: "That's a great idea, I think she would really like your drawing! I think we should get her a card for sure. I don't think we'll get her a movie though."
Hannah: "But I think she would like a movie."
Me: "You're probably right she would like a movie, but how about we get her a card and some cookies instead."
Hannah: "Okay that's a great idea!"

So when we got to the store we bought Steph a card (Hannah picked it out all by herself, it had to be a singing card) and we ordered her some girl scout cookies that night. Well the girl scout cookies just came in so Hannah wrote her card on Saturday and we sent Steph her package. Hannah was so excited and proud. She drew a picture of our family and wrote on the card too! I am so proud of Hannah, she is such a thoughtful and caring little girl!

Here's a photo of her card!
You can click on the photo to see the card a little better!

OB Appointment

2009-03-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

Not much to report on today's OB appointment. Steph gained a pound. Emma's heart rate (B) was 140 and Ella's heart rate (A) was 130. Steph's cervix is closed. Her doctor will recheck her Iron level next week. She said today's appointment was pretty boring and uneventful.

Four and Curious...

2009-03-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hannah recently turned four! Her birthdays are always a special time to remember and talk about her surrogate, Lisa. Hannah received a card from Lisa on her birthday and I said "this card is from the nice lady, Lisa, that carried you in her tummy when you were growing and getting ready for us." She just said "oh" and was too enamored with the card to say anything else. When we got home she left the card in the car. Today when we got back in the car she immediately asked to hold her card. Here's how the conversation unfolded in the car today...

Hannah: "Can we go play with her?"
Me: "who?"
Hannah: "I was in her tummy."
Me: "Her name is Lisa. Lisa lives really far away so we can't go play with her today but maybe next time we visit Nana and Papa. She lives in CA just like them."
Hannah: "How did I get out of her tummy?"
Me: (trying to avoid giving all the graphic details) "The same way most babies are born."
Hannah: "I came out of her mouth."
Me: (kind of laughing) "No babies come out of private parts."
Hannah didn't say anything she just gave me a really funny look...like I was totally crazy and wrong. She's going through a know it all phase.

I wonder what kind of things we'll talk about the next time we get in the car!

OB Appointment

2009-03-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

The babies are doing good! Ella's heart rate was 124 BPM and Emma's was 130 BMP. Steph is doing okay, her iron level is extremely low which could be really bad at delivery. She is doubling up on iron pills and we are hopeful that will do the trick...if not she'll have to get iron injections. She says she doesn't feel that bad so she was shocked at the number. She also gained 1.8 pounds since last week!

28 Weeks

2009-03-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

Yay, we are now 28 weeks pregnant and in the third trimester!!!!!
Here's a little info on how our twins our growing...
According to Babycenter by this week our twins should weigh about two and a quarter pounds each (like a Chinese cabbage) and measure 14.8 inches from the top of their heads to their heels. Ella and Emma can blink their eyes, which now have lashes. Their eyesight is developing and they may be able to see the light that filters in through the womb. They are also developing billions of neurons in their brains and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

OB Appointment

2009-03-04T16:03:00.001-08:00

Steph had her first of many weekly OB appointments today and everything is looking great! She lost 3lbs but she was weighed on a different scale than last time so that could be wrong. Steph's blood pressure was great and her cervix is still nice and closed. Her stomach is measuring a 1/2cm bigger than last week. She also took the blood glucose test and passed with flying colors.

Ella's heart rate was 136 BPM and Emma's was 145 BPM! I can't believe that we are 28 weeks tomorrow, wow this pregnancy is going so fast!

Steph is truly making this pregnancy so easy on Darin and I, she's a miraculous woman! Thanks again Steph!

Ultrasound - 26 weeks 6 days

2009-02-25T18:56:00.000-08:00

We are back from our trip to IA to see Steph, Ella and Emma today! Everyone is doing great! Ella and Emma are getting so big! We got to see both of their faces really well today...so, so cute!

Steph is looking great, I don't know where she is hiding my babies! Here she is at 26 weeks 6 days with my twins! She's measuring 29 weeks! She is having some problems with her feet though...bad swelling. Dr. Richman's not too concerned, he wants her to majorly increase her protein and no more salt at all. I think we should all let her know how beautiful she looks and also how amazing she's doing carrying my twins!
Here's Hannah touching her sisters!
Here's a 3D photo of Ella's face! She is our big baby right now weighing in at 2lbs 5oz. Her heart rate was 130 BPM! She is measuring exactly right at 26 weeks 6 days!
Baby Ella's foot!
Baby Ella's profile!

Here is Baby Emma's face! We didn't get very good shots of her today, I have a few others but you really can't see anything. She's measuring a little small but nothing to worry about, 26 weeks even. She weighs 1lb 15oz! Her heart rate was 144 BPM!

Preemie Clothes

2009-02-24T12:32:00.001-08:00

I recently purchased some preemie clothes from another IM. Her sweet baby girl out grew them so I gladly snatched them up at a steal of a price. I received them in the mail yesterday and immediately threw them in the washer. I walked in my bedroom last night and found Darin folding all the laundry. I noticed that he had put two of the preemie shirts in a pile by themselves away from all the other preemie clothes that I had purchased. When he saw me he held up one of the shirts and jokingly said "Why did you buy all these doll clothes?" The clothes are seriously that tiny! He then informed me that he was taking these shirts to work with him to hang up on his wall, he said that they are just too cute and he wants to think of our twins to brighten up his days at work. He's such a sweet guy!
These are the shirts that he took to work, I took pictures of them with their matching pants.

Reflections- Transferring Olivia

2009-02-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

Reflections...Transferring Olivia!
It was going to be an incredible day, I knew it when I woke up in the morning. It was odd for me leading up to Olivia’s transfer because I really didn’t have anything to do…physically anyway. I didn’t need to take shots or pills, I didn’t need to have an egg retrieval and Darin didn’t need to do anything physical either. We’d had both already done our parts a few years back and the precious outcome of our work was sitting in a freezer at our clinic just waiting for us. Not having my shots to focus on sure did make me feel that much worse for Kristy (our wonderful surrogate that carried and delivered Olivia). She still had to take daily injections to prepare her body to receive our embryos and then continue to take injections so her body wouldn't reject our embryos.
This transfer was also very different because Darin and I had moved across the Country since our last transfer with Hannah. We were now living in Wisconsin so getting to our clinic wasn’t just an hour drive. Kristy was also living far away in Ohio…we wanted our surrogate to live close to us so she had a long way to travel also. Darin and I had decided since it was going to be such a short trip (just a few days) that it would be best to keep Hannah at home with him and for me to travel to CA by myself. So we made all the travel arrangements for Kristy and myself and crossed our fingers that we guessed right and our transfer would happen on one of the days we were scheduled to be in town. We both arrived in San Francisco on November 16, 2006. Thankfully Kristy’s body cooperated and we had our transfer the following day on November 17, 2006. We stayed at my parents house in Pleasanton while we were in CA so we still had about an hour drive to the clinic. We woke up early on the 17th and my mom drove us to the clinic. On the drive we had wishful conversations. I was hopeful but really scared that it wouldn’t work but Kristy never faltered…she knew it would work. Her confidence shined through that morning. We arrived at the clinic with time to spare, our transfer was scheduled for 9:30a.m. We announced ourselves and were ushered back to the pre-op waiting area. Kristy and I were called back to the procedure room and Dr. Ryan came in to discuss my embryo's quality and how they thawed. I shocked to hear that they thawed 3 embryos and all 3 survived. I don’t know why but I was totally expecting to hear that they had to thaw all 8 and that we only had 2 or 3 to transfer. I was immediately filled with mixed emotions about our successful thaw rate. I was happy that we had 3 to transfer and happy that if this transfer didn’t work then we would still have a few embryos to try again later. But I was also sad because I felt no hope in the 5 remaining embryos if these first 3 didn’t work. And if we did get pregnant on the first try than what would we do with the remaining 5 embryos. I hope I’m making since…it makes since to me but I’ve thought about all this stuff endlessly. Boy if I knew then what I know now…it makes me laugh!
Dr. Ryan told us that the 3 embryos we were about to transfer all looked great! Kristy and I shared some moments of laughter and talked nervously while we waited. Dr. Ryan came in with the embryologist, I had to give them all the appropriate information to confirm that these embryos were in fact mine. We were given a picture of my embryos that we were transferring. It was so overwhelming to look at that photo…3 perfect little embryos. It was time to watch those perfect embryos on the ultrasound machine. Dr. Ryan put the catheter containing my embryos in Kristy’s uterus and released my little babies. It really is a weird feeling to watch your babies going in another woman’s body. I feel so thankful for technology and for Kristy…I wouldn’t be Olivia’s mom if it weren’t for her. Afterwards, we were able to sit and chat and just rest for a while. We stopped off at McDonald's and the grocery store on the way home. McDonald's for some french fries (all you surrogate's and IP's know about this superstition) and went to the grocery store for some pineapple (again...a surrogate/IP's superstition...fries and pineapple help the embryos hang around...they are a must for every surrogate just after transfer). We then headed back to my mom and dad’s house and took it easy for a few days. We headed home on November 19th full of hope. Kristy took several HPT’s but sadly they were all negative so we weren’t very hopeful the day of her Beta test (blood test – pregnancy test). All I remember is Kristy calling me…I remember seeing her name on the caller ID and dread sinking in…I just didn’t want to hear bad news. I answered the phone and Kristy was yelling with excitement…”The number is 18, it worked…I’m pregnant!” I was in disbelief, the number was low but still a positive. I hung up from Kristy and called my clinic, they too said it was positive but wanted to wait for our next Beta test two days later to be sure. They said to be cautiously optimistic. Two days later Kristy’s beta number was 65.7, it had more than doubled…YAY! I was getting more excited by the minute. We had a third beta test on December 2nd and the number was 268, Kristy was definitely pregnant with one of my babies! We had a wonderful journey together and the end result was perfect…One sweet little Olivia! She was born on July 23, 2007! Thank you Kristy for helping Olivia into this world, my world wouldn’t be the same without her! You are truly one of the most kind, thoughtful and honest people I know…I’m proud to call you my friend!
My three little embryos just before they were transferred into Kristy's uterus! Olivia at 9 weeks gestation! She looks like a cute little teddy bear!

Olivia at 12 weeks gestation!
Olivia at 20 weeks gestation. I think she's actually sucking her thumb in this photo!
Kristy-just before she delivered our sweet Olivia! A very happy family!

A brand new baby!
Here's a photo of Olivia today, she's 19 months old!

Sleep

2009-02-19T05:18:00.000-08:00

I have not been getting very much sleep the past few nights, you would think I was the one pregnant tossing around from all the aches and pains but aches and pains are not my problem...it's my overactive mind. I wake up almost every hour to create a new list. Lists of things to buy (for every child...believe it or not Olivia needs the most stuff...a new bed, new bedding, a mattress,..ect), things to paint, things to organize and so on. I'm seriously feeling overwhelmed right now and way behind. Darin keeps telling me to calm down because we have 12 weeks still to get all of this done but that just makes it worse. 12 weeks sounds like nothing to me and having him act all cavalier about it makes me feel like he's not taking it seriously. I need him to be motivated right now. We only have 12 weeks left if our perfect plan of 38 weeks actually happens. We weren't going to start to paint Hannah and Olivia's room until the 27th but we are now starting tonight. I just feel a need to start getting things done. I'm going out today to buy the paint and some hangers too. Time to start organizing all our baby clothes. This just sucks, I really need my sleep now because I'm definitely not going to be getting any in 12 weeks.

OB Appointment

2009-02-11T15:16:00.000-08:00

Steph had her OB appointment today! The babies were very calm and happy during the appointment today! Ella's heart rate was 123 BPM and Emma's heart rate was 138 BPM, they must have been sleeping!

Steph's tummy is measuring 27 weeks, we are currently 24 weeks 6 days! She is doing awesome and has only gained 5 pounds in the last three weeks...way to go Steph!

Dr. Richman was feeling Steph's tummy and Ella gave him a big kick...LOL! That girl has some spunk!!!

Our next ultrasound is in 2 weeks...YAY! I can't wait to see my 2 cutie pies again!

Names

2009-02-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

Well I just have to say that my name polls were no help at all, you all pretty much equally voted for all the names. Some how Darin and I have made our final decision and will be naming our twin girls.....Drumroll, Please.....

Ella and Emma

We both really love the names! They sound great together and with Hannah and Olivia. All 4 names just flow so nicely. We are so excited to be able to call our girls by their names instead of "Baby A and B"!

I'm off to go search for wall letters now...decorating two baby rooms is so much fun!

24 Weeks

2009-02-05T07:18:00.001-08:00

I was just reading online about the 24th weeks of gestation and how my twins are growing. Here are some of the details. The babies are growing fast, they most likely gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts them at just over a pound each. They are also almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn). Their bodies are filling out proportionally and they'll soon start to plump up. Their brains are also growing quickly now, and their taste buds are continuing to develop. Their skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

I'm really excited to be at this point in the pregnancy! We are far enough along that my babies can survive outside the womb and yet delivery still feels a good distance away (14 weeks)...plenty of time to get all the essential things taken care of around the house!

Double Digits

2009-02-04T06:08:00.000-08:00

That's right, we officially have 99 days until my babies break out of their shell!!!! Ignore the baby ticker that says "113" days to go, that takes us all the way to 40 weeks and we are only going to 38 weeks. YAY!!!!

Twin Baby Dolls

2009-01-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

Steph got Hannah and Olivia twin baby dolls to share. The girls love them and have somehow decided between themselves which doll belongs to each of them. Hannah's doll is the girl in the pink outfit and Olivia loves the doll in the green outfit. Olivia won't play with the doll in the pink outfit and if you try to give it to her she shakes her head "no" and runs to get the doll in the green outfit...weird. Olivia loves wrapping her baby up in a blanket and kissing her, it's so cute! They both love to put their babies in our doll strollers and run around the house like wild children.
Here's Olivia kissing her baby!

And now her baby is all snuggled up!
Thank you Steph!!! The girls are thrilled!

On a side note...Hannah realized something very important at dinner last night. She was eating quietly, obviously thinking about something and said "Mom, When the babies come we won't have enough chairs. How will we all eat together?" She's right we are short 2 chairs so that's something we'll have to fix soon. It makes me happy to hear her talking about the twins so much, I'm proud that she understands this very complicated way to make a family and accepts it so willingly.

OB Appointment

2009-01-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

Steph had her OB appointment today and everything looks great with our twin baby girls! Baby A's (aka-Tinkerbell) heart rate was 140bpm, apparently she was being stubborn so it took a while to find her heartbeat. Baby B's (aka-Rex) heart rate was 150bpm.

Steph's looking good with no weight gain this week and measuring 25 weeks (we are 21.6 weeks)! Thanks Steph for growing our babies so well!!!!

The Great Debate: Clothes for Twins

2009-01-17T15:49:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about how I will dress my twins, especially more now that I know they are both girls. I have so many choices...identical outfits, coordinating outfits, the same outfit in two different colors, or two totally different outfits. I don't have an exact plan because I think all options are acceptable with pros and cons.

Why dress them the same: For one thing, I think it will be easier to dress the twins alike. I'm going to be exhausted and probably won't have the patience to choose two outfits, much less two outfits in the right size that are temperature, activity and style appropriate for the days events! Don't forget I have to dress two other small children as well! When I see twins dressed the same I think it's cute and fun. And it sure does make for nice pictures! That being said I was just at the mall looking at outfits for my twins and I had a difficult time purchasing the exact same outfit. I kept asking myself Why am I spending money on two of the same outfits when I can buy two different cute outfits. I don't know why I was having such a hard time, it's not like we are having any other children so it really doesn't matter what I buy because no one else is going to wear it.

Why not to do it: I haven't found any specific research that indicates that dressing twins the same could cause any lasting negative affects on them. However many psychologists do recommend against it for parents that wish to emphasize individuality. Of course I want to emphasize individuality.

I guess I feel like there is no right or wrong way to dress my twins. I think I'd prefer coordinating outfits but I'm not opposed to identical outfits at all. I'm positive the occasional identical outfits won't harm them. I'm sure after the age of three they'll be able to express their own opinions on the matter.

I'm very fortunate to have a great friend who has twin daughters. She mostly dresses them the same and they always look adorable! I recently went to their baby boutique (their basement) and found some great clothes at a marvelous price. Here are a few of my favorites!

I'll put a poll up to get all your opinions on this very important debate! Please take a few seconds to vote!

Reflections - Transferring Hannah

2009-01-13T12:20:00.000-08:00

It was hard to sleep the night before our transfer but somehow I managed to fall asleep just after midnight. When I awoke the morning of our transfer I was filled with excitement, disbelief, and anxiety. I knew it would be an incredible day!!! The alarm went off at 4:45 a.m. Darin and I rushed to get ready and headed out the door. We drove an hour to pick up our friend and surrogate, Lisa and then had to drive another hour to get to our clinic in San Francisco. Darin, Lisa and I nervously talked in the car. We mainly had “what if” conversations…positive and negative. We arrived at the clinic around 7:30a.m. and were immediately taken back to the pre-op waiting area. Darin stayed in the waiting area while Lisa and I headed back to the operating room. I waited just outside the door while Lisa undressed from the waist down and covered up with a blanket. The embryologist stopped by our room and gave us our embryo report. They all looked beautiful so we decided to transfer 3 grade A, 3 day fresh embryos. The embryologist also let us know that we’d be freezing 8 for sure and keeping an eye on 2 (the two never made it to freezing). It was nice to know that we had 8 beautiful embryos left…just in case. I was given a picture of our embryos (one is now Hannah) that we were transferring. It was a magical moment! But it’s even more magical for me today. I sometimes sit and stare at that picture of those little embryos and wonder which one is Hannah.
Our three little embryos on July 3, 2004.

Dr. Ryan came in the room and got set up for our transfer. The nurse set up the ultrasound machine so we could see inside Lisa’s uterus. The embryologist brought in the catheter containing the three embryos and Dr. Ryan placed it into Lisa’s uterus. Lisa and I stared in amazement as my little embryos entered her uterus. We could actually see all three little embryos on the ultrasound screen as they were inserted. It was an overwhelming moment for me. I remember feeling so hopeful! I was willing and begging one or all of those embryos to grow! After our transfer Lisa had to sit for 15 minutes and relax. We all went out to lunch and back home! Now we would have to wait 11 days to find out if Lisa was pregnant.
The day before our beta (blood pregnancy test) I called Lisa. I was crying and so upset because I was feeling bad, I was scared that our transfer didn’t work. She just started laughing and said “Oh I’m pretty sure it worked, I feel nauseous and gross.” She offered to go get a pregnancy test and to call me with the results. She called about 30 minutes later with our good news! The rest is history! Lisa and I shared some really great moments, she’s a very laid back woman with an amazing heart. I will always be eternally grateful to her!

Hannah at 7 weeks! Hannah at 9 weeks! Me, Lisa and Darin. Lisa was 6 months pregnant with Hannah!
Happy Birthday Hannah! March 14, 2005 This is Hannah today! She's a beautiful 3 year old!

Positioning of the Babies

2009-01-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

Some friends of mine were laughing and making fun of my drawing of the babies in the previous post, they thought Hannah drew it. So I decided to spend a little more time today drawing a new picture. Please remember that I'm not a professional artist so this is the best that I can do. Sorry Steph...I didn't mean to give you such a big butt or belly button!!!

Baby Girl A

2009-01-10T07:10:00.001-08:00

Baby Girl A was being a bit stubborn yesterday! She was face up for the first few seconds of our ultrasound but quickly turned face down so we couldn't really see her and she never turned back up. She was being cute though! She had the hiccups, it was so fun to watch! At one time she was touching her head, it looked like she was twirling her hair just like big sister Hannah does. Baby Girl A's foot! You can also see Baby Girl B's head to the left of the photo!

Baby Girl A's arm!
Here she is sticking her butt out at us! She's a stinker!
This photo is hilarious! You can see Baby Girl B's head on the left side of the photo and Baby Girl A's legs and feet on the right side of the photo. Baby Girl A was kicking Baby Girl B's head constantly. At one point she (A) even punched her (B) in the face. It was amazing to see how close they are inside Steph's tummy.
Baby Girl A is measuring 2 days behind at 19 weeks 6 days! She weighs 11 ounces (317 grams), she is just slightly smaller than her sister right now! She had a heart rate of 137 beats per minute! She's doing awesome too!

Baby Girl A is head down! We are hoping she stays like that for delivery! Baby B is currently transverse, sideways in Steph's tummy. So they look like this....

Baby Girl B

2009-01-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

Baby Girl B was being so adorable yesterday, here she is sucking her thumb! She was moving and turning a lot, showing off for her two older sisters! She was being a perfect model for pictures too! Baby Girl B's profile, she has such a cute nose!

Baby Girl B's legs and tummy!
Baby Girl B's foot! Footprint ultrasound photos are my favorite!
Baby Girl B's face! Her hand is touching the left side of her face!
Baby Girl B is measuring ahead at 20weeks 2 days! She weighs 11 ounces (323 grams)! Her Heart rate was 144 beats per minute! She's doing awesome!

Level 2 Ultrasound

2009-01-09T20:31:00.000-08:00

Darin and I are happy and excited to share with you the results of our ultrasound today!!! First off the twins are both doing wonderfully! They are healthy and right on target with growth!

Only 12% of those who voted in our guess the genders poll guessed correctly, 88% of you were wrong! That's right we are going to be a house full of sugar and spice and everything nice...It's Twin Girls!!! Darin's master plan to create an all-Berg women's swimming relay team for the 2020 Summer Olympics is well under way! We are so excited!

The girls were very good today considering that they were in the car for over 13 hours! Hannah had some very cute things to say about the babies and today's ultrasound. Before the ultrasound today Darin and I asked her what she wanted to name our babies. At the time we were in the car and she was watching movies. She decided that she wanted to name the babies Tinkerbell (I don't think I need to explain this one) and Rex (the dog from the Little Mermaid). After the ultrasound today we were looking at our wonderful pictures and she said "It's pretty dark in Stephanie's tummy." The ultrasound pictures have black surrounding the babies. She keeps us laughing!

Here are a few photos from today! I'll post the ultrasound photos tomorrow with a bigger update on each baby girl!

Here's a photo of Steph and a small update on her too! She's measuring 23.5 weeks pregnant, we are currently 20 weeks. She's had some swelling lately so Dr. Richman suggested she decrease her intake of salt and increase her intake of protein. She looks beautiful as you all can see!
This is us after our ultrasound today!
The big girls and I at the Waterloo mall picking out some cute clothes for our two little girls!

Genders

2009-01-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

We have our level 2 ultrasound tomorrow and will be finding out the genders of our twins...YAY!! We are so excited to see them both again and to finally be able to start seriously discussing...FIGHTING about names. We'll be back late tomorrow evening with lots of new pictures of Steph, us, our girls and our two little babies to share.
The "guess our babies' genders" poll is closed. The results are below!
Two Girls...7 votes
Two Boys...17 votes
One Girl/One Boy...30 votes
We've decided the winners should get a really good prize...How does changing a few diapers sound???!

Halfway!!!

2009-01-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

We've hit our halfway mark in this pregnancy!!! We are 19 weeks today!! We'll have a scheduled induction at 38 weeks so we are officially halfway to our grand finale. The babies weigh about 8.5 ounces now and measure 6 inches each from head to bottom. Each baby is about the size of a large heirloom tomato now. They are starting to sprout hair. Some research suggests that our babies may be able to hear voices now. Due to this research Darin and I are debating making a CD with us reading and the girls singing. Steph would play our CD and let the babies listen to our voices through headphones on her tummy. We did not do this for Hannah or Olivia and we didn't have any bonding issues with them but we may give it a try this time just for kicks. I think it would be fun for Hannah and Olivia to do something special for their new baby siblings.

Hawaii Vacation- 2008

2008-12-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

We are home from Hawaii!!! It was a long and fabulous vacation but we are happy to be home and ready to get back to real life. We have so many things to look forward to in the New Year! Here are a few of our photos!

Update

2008-12-24T15:31:00.000-08:00

Steph's OB appointment was great yesterday. Both babies are doing well and had great heartbeats!!! Steph was able to schedule our level 2 ultrasound and her next OB appointment together so Darin and I could attend both. We hope to find out the genders of our little ones on Friday, January 9, 2009! Big sisters, Hannah and Olivia will be going with us to celebrate that day. Hannah is hoping for two girls and Olivia doesn't have a preference, they are both excited!

We are still in Hawaii and are hoping our flights on Saturday get delayed a few days. It's so relaxing here. We went to a great beach this morning, the kids played in the water and built a sandcastle. We are going to our first Luau tonight, I think both the girls will be mesmerized by the dancers. Hannah is at the movies right now with her Nana, Papa and cousins...I don't quite understand going to a movie while in Maui but at least I get to enjoy a little quiet time completely by myself!

Back to Steph and my babies...the last craving I heard about was for onion rings. I hope Steph was able to satisfy everyone with a pile of onion rings. Steph has promised a belly picture so hopefully she'll deliver soon...maybe with a little begging from all of you (hint)!!!

I'll update more when we get home from this glorious vacation (I'm still in denile that I have to go back to temperatures below 0...it's 85 here today)!

OB Appointment

2008-12-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Steph had a great OB appointment today...except for the one hour wait (how dare people go into labor during her appointment)!!!

Steph grew 3 cm since her last visit, my babies are getting big fast! Dr. Richman was able to find both babies' heartbeats on the Doppler very easily today! Baby A's heartbeat was 140bpm and Baby B's heartbeat was 145bpm!

I'll be in Hawaii during our next appointment but I'll try to update everyone assuming I can spare 5 minutes off the beach!

16 Weeks

2008-12-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

Our twins are 16 weeks today!!! Here's some information on how they are growing. In the next few weeks, the twins will double their weights and add inches to their lengths. Right now, they are about the size of an avocado each. 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. Their legs are much more developed, their heads are more erect than they have been, and their eyes have moved closer to the front of their heads. Their ears are close to their final positions, too. The patterning of their scalps have begun, though their locks aren't recognizable yet. They've even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside their little bodies as well. For example, their hearts are now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as the twins continue to develop.

Steph has an OB appointment tomorrow so I'll update with all that good info soon!

Ultrasound photos - 13 weeks 6 days

2008-12-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

Here are the latest ultrasound pictures of our twins. They were taken at 13 weeks and 6 days.

Baby A...it looks like this baby is picking her/his nose.
Baby A's legs and feet!

Baby B's profile!

Reflections...Waiting for Our Fertilization Report and Our Transfer

2008-12-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

Reflections...Waiting for Our Fertilization Report and Our Transfer

My primary nurse, Anne, promised us that she would call the day after my retrieval with our fertilization report. I was a nervous wreck but Darin was very confident that everything would work out for us this time. For me it was a very long wait because at the time I was a teacher and school was out for the summer so I really had nothing to occupy my time. It was really easy to let my imagination get the best of me and only think of the worst possibilities. It’s easy to do when you have no control over the situation. When Anne called late that afternoon I was so nervous so I got very quiet. She went on to tell me that everything looks good for transfer and blah, blah, blah. Everything she was saying was great but I really just wanted to hear a number and she finally told us the news we’d been waiting to hear…13 of my 17 eggs fertilized!!!! Hearing the news was such a relief, I think I actually started jumping up and down in celebration. After my mini celebration Anne told me that she would call the following day for our next update. We still had two more days of waiting before our transfer. I called Darin at work to share our happy news and we went out to dinner that night to celebrate the fact that we had successfully jumped through another hoop. It didn’t matter that we still had a million more to go, we were so happy about this victory. The next day was filled with the same excruciating waiting. 5 minutes felt like hours to me. Our little embryos still had so much growing to do before transfer and it was hard not to worry about them. Only another person who has been through IVF knows this kind of pain. Anne finally called that afternoon and told me that all of our embryos were still growing and dividing perfectly! She said our transfer was scheduled for the next day and that she was going to call our Gestational Carrier, Lisa, to give her the information! As soon I got off the phone I got back on to call Darin and share our news. Our transfer was the next day, July 3rd 2004 at 7:45 a.m.

OB Appointment

2008-11-26T13:11:00.000-08:00

Steph had her OB appointment this afternoon. Dr. Richman couldn't find the babies' heartbeats on the Doppler so they took Steph back for an ultrasound. Both babies look great! Baby A had a heart rate of 152 and Baby B had a heart rate of 145. Steph called me during the ultrasound so I could listen to everything. It was awesome, I got to hear both heartbeats. Steph had to finish her OB appointment after her ultrasound so she'll call me with the rest of the info later. Our family is off to visit friends for Thanksgiving so I'll update the rest later. I'll also post the ultrasound pictures as soon as I receive them.

Reflecting back on my Egg Retrieval

2008-11-18T14:55:00.000-08:00

Reflecting back on my Egg Retrieval

Darin and I arrived at our clinic at 8:30 a.m on June 30th, my retrieval was scheduled for 9 a.m. My mom accompanied us because Darin needed to head to work after my procedure. The nurse set me up with a paper gown and hat and prepped me for surgery. Just before surgery I had to go to the bathroom to empty my bladder. I said goodbye to my mom and Darin and was wheeled into the operating room. The operating room was small and just had one door and a window that attached to the IVF lab. I was transferred over to the operating table to get started. There were two nurses, the Embryologist, the anesthesiologist and Dr. Ryan (my reproductive embryologist – the one taking my eggs from my body) in the operating room. The nurse had a very difficult time finding a vein for my IV. This always happens to me, I have invisible veins. Most nurses try several needles on me and then end up using a butterfly needle (the ones made for babies) because they can’t find a big vein. A few minutes after the nurse got the IV in my anesthesiologist gave me some sedation drugs and I was out. I only remember how bad the sedation drug stung going all the way up my arm and into my chest.
When I woke up in the recovery area I was very groggy but anxious to hear how many eggs my doctor was able to retrieve. Darin came in and told me the great news…we got 17 eggs!!! My doctor was very optimistic about the maturity of my eggs and thought that most of them would fertilize. The nurse came in to offer me crackers and Gatorade. I was starving because I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink anything after 8:00 p.m the night before so drank an entire bottle of Gatorade and stuffed the crackers in my mouth as quickly as possible. I still felt very bloated and huge, doctor Ryan said it would take a few days for all the swelling to go down and for my ovaries to return to their normal sizes. It was such a relief to have my part done and to know that my eggs were out and being fertilized with Darin’s sperm! After my retrieval I went home with my mom and Darin went to work. I had to stay with my mom until Darin could come pick me up. When I wasn’t sleeping I was chugging Gatorade and peeing…peeing a lot. I had to flush my system out.
Darin picked me up that night after work and we reflected on my retrieval and the whole experience that day. He told me all about his experience too. He had to give a fresh sample at the same time my eggs were being retrieved. From Darin's description of the room I'd say that the movies have this aspect of IVF correct, the room was fully equipped with movies and magazines. Darin also let me know that PFC (our IVF clinic) really needs to change the layout of their facility because the special man room is placed right next to the waiting room. Apparently my mom was in the waiting room talking very loudly. Poor Darin had to perform under some serious pressure. Thankfully he was able to block my mom out and focus.
Just before we left that day Dr. Ryan said that the clinic would call everyday before our transfer to give us our fertilization report so we anxiously waited for our phone call.
It's amazing to think that Hannah, Olivia and our twins were all created that day...June 30, 2004.

12 Weeks...YAY!!!

2008-11-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

Today I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders...we are finally 12 weeks pregnant. This is such a happy milestone!!! I read my "pregnancy weekly" email and book today and here are the details of what is happening with our twins this week. They now have REFLEXES. Our babies' fingers will soon begin to open and close, their toes will curl, their eye muscles will clench, and their mouth will make sucking movements. Their kidneys will begin excreting urine into their bladder. When I read all these things about our babies I just feel in awe, creating life is such an amazing process...it truly is a miracle. I also read that our babies are about the size of a lime now and they weigh half an ounce.

On a side note...The babies in my ticker are so cute now, they are all bunched up in the fetal position and seem to have some hair. I also want to point out that my ticker is now out of the 200's...Yay!!! We are getting closer!

Reflecting Back on Stimming for my Egg Retrieval

2008-11-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

I started this blog mainly for my children. At the end of this journey I'm going to print out each post and make a book for my kids. It's extremely important to me that each one know exactly how they came into the world and made our family. So I'm going to take a few posts to reflect back on my stimming process, my egg retrieval, and on each embryo transfer. If it were't for any of those things none of my kids would be here today. So I'll start my "Reflection" posts now!!!

Reflecting Back on Stimming for my Egg Retrieval

When I think back to June 2004, I get a little teary eyed…At that time I had no idea what my future mommy status would be. I still can’t believe that Darin and I are going to have 4 children. I started my stimulation drugs on June 19th to start my egg production. It was both a very exciting and frightening day. Darin was a little scared to give me my first dose of Follistim and Repronex (that’s right two different shots) but I was down right panicked. Needles are not my friend so I was sobbing and at one point Darin was chasing me around the house with the first needle. It’s really funny to think about now but at the time it wasn’t funny at all. We had been through this process once before and had failed so this was our second attempt, which made the whole process worse because we both knew exactly what to expect. I felt like a wimp after that first shot was over because it really didn’t hurt at all but I knew it wouldn’t I was really scared of failure again. We had to repeat the shots daily and go in for frequent ultrasounds to measure my follicles (each egg sits inside its own follicle). These are hormone injections so they come with some nasty side effects, I was a weepy mess…even commercials made me sob. At about day 5 of the injections I started to feel bloated, my ovaries were getting really big and uncomfortable. On day 7 I had another ultrasound and found that my follicles were measuring perfect so it was time to slow them down to give my eggs some time to mature. So I started Antigon that night, now I was taking three injections a night. I stayed on Antigon for a few days and on day 10 all my stim drugs stopped. It was time to take my final injection-the biggest, fattest, scariest injection of them all…my HCG trigger. The HCG trigger injection releases the eggs from the wall of the follicle so my doctor could go in and retrieve the eggs. Our retrieval was set for June 30, 2004 at 9:00a.m.

Our Nuchal Translucency Ultrasound

2008-11-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

We had our Nuchal Translucency Ultrasound Test today. This test helps Dr. Richman (Steph's OB) assess our babies' risk of having Down syndrome. The ultrasound tech measured the clear (translucent) space in the tissue at the back of both our babies neck. Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid at the back of their neck during the first trimester, causing this clear space to be larger than average.
The NT scan must be done when you're between 11 and 14 weeks pregnant. Our Ju-Ju Bees are 11 weeks 4 days today and both measured FAR BELOW the abnormal range. They both looked very healthy and BIG!!!
This is Baby A! Baby A was flipping like crazy today, doing a happy dance. I think she/he was happy to see mommy! She/he actually waved at me! This is a face on shot, you can she the skeletal structure really well. Baby A measured 12 weeks even today and had a heart rate of 160 BPM.
Baby B was very calm compared to Baby A. He/she woke up from a nap for a few seconds to say hi but not much movement out of Baby B. Baby B measured 11 weeks 6 days and had a heart rate of 156 BPM.
Steph is doing great and showing a little!!! Cyn you'll be happy to hear that she was craving a cheese burger today!

11 Weeks

2008-11-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

According to Babycenter.com our babies are over 1.5 inches long and about the size of a fig!!! Steph says her tummy is protruding now, I can't wait to see her on Monday. I can just envision two little figs in there. Babycenter also said that their hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under their gums, and some of their bones are beginning to harden. They are also already busy kicking and stretching, and their tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. We have our next ultrasound on Monday and both the girls are going with me. Hannah can't wait to see "her babies"! I'll have to remember that description on Monday during our ultrasound because Hannah could definitely relate to that one, she loves any kind of ballet. I can just hear Hannah now talking to her friends saying...my babies are doing ballet in Stephanie's tummy.
Here's a photo of me, Steph and Darin (my DH), we were all deliriously happy after our 9 week ultrasound!

Our Family with our Family Pumpkins

2008-11-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

Here we are last night just before Trick or Treating! We are with all of our pumpkins including our two baby pumpkins!Hannah and Olivia all decked out ready for trick or treating! Hannah is a Flamingo and Olivia is a Skunk! Our family of Pumpkins! I'm the mean one!
And one last photo of my little stinker!

Let's Celebrate!!!

2008-10-31T06:06:00.001-07:00

Steph is finally done taking her shots!!! Last night was her last dose of Delestrogen and Progesterone...YAY!!!! This is huge...Steph has been on the injections since August 25th. She had to take the progesterone injection every night and the Delestrogen injection every Monday and Thursday. These hormone injections sustain the pregnancy until Steph's body realizes that it's pregnant and takes over on it's own...which happens around the 10th week of pregnancy...so it's a lot of injections. Her behind is very swollen, bruised and sore. We are just so happy to be passed this big milestone in our pregnancy!

Our 9 Week Ultrasound

2008-10-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Darin and I made the trip to IA today for our 9 week ultrasound, it's about a 4.5 hour drive each way so 9 hours total in the car but it's so worth it to get to see our adorable little babies! Both babies look wonderful! It was such a relief to see them immediately on the screen today, I just felt elated knowing that they are both doing so great. It's so difficult not to be able to feel the babies or feel sick because of the pregnancy or any other normal pregnancy symptoms, it makes me worry a lot. It makes these few times that Darin and I get to be an active part of the pregnancy so special. Steph does a wonderful job of keeping us updated on things and making us feel included. We didn't get to spend very much time with her today because she was working and we had to get back on the road but she called me immediately after we left her just because she was excited and wanted to talk to us some more, she's very sweet and sensitive to our needs.
This is a photo of both babies together. The ultrasound tech had a difficult time getting a photo of them together because they are getting so big. You can see Baby A's full body and Baby B's head. This is Baby A! Baby A is measuring 9 weeks even with a heartbeat of 160bpm. This is Baby B! Baby B is measuring 9 weeks 1 day with a heartbeat of 171bpm. We really need to come up with nicknames for them because I'm already getting tired of calling them Baby A and Baby B. Darin and I thought about nicknames today and came up with a few but are not completely sold on any of them...we need help. Any ideas? We like our Ju-Ju Bees for a combined name but they also need individual names.

9 Weeks

2008-10-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

I don't have a book about twins but I read my singleton pregnancy book this morning and here are a few things happening with our babies this week. The babies are nearly an inch long — They are about the size of a grape(that is so tiny still)— and they weigh just a fraction of an ounce each now. They are starting to look more and more human(which is evident in my baby ticker, those babies are so darn cute). Their essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. The babies hearts finish dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do their tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Both babies organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. Their external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks...darn I really want to know now!

The most exciting thing happening this week is our ultrasound tomorrow so be on the watch for new photos of our twins!

3 More Days...

2008-10-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Until we see our babies again!

8 Weeks

2008-10-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

Here's babycenters version of what's happening with our babies this week! "Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. His arms have lengthened, too, and his hands are now flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart. His knee joints have formed, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways."
Only 30 more weeks to go! Steph's doctor will induce her at 38 weeks since we are having twins. She made it that far last time with twins. I wonder how far her body would last if she wasn't induced...she's amazing!!
I decided to use this photo this week instead of the one with two babies because this photo is closer up and you see the baby's details better. Just image that there are two babies! I found this 3D ultrasound photo on babycenter also, the baby is 8 weeks along. It's cheeks are so adorable!!!

Feeling Pregnant

2008-10-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Steph is having all kinds of pregnancy symptoms lately. She's feeling nauseous...that's her "girl" symptom and she's getting headaches...that's her "boy" symptom. Since she's having both girl and boy symptoms she believes that we are having one of each...her symptom signs have never failed her before and she's had 5 previous pregnancies. We'll find out in January if her symptoms hold true for this pregnancy too.
She also reports that her pants are feeling snug and she's growing on top too! I love hearing all about her pregnancy symptoms, it makes me happy and feel secure that our babies are doing great!
This photo of Steph and I was taken right before our ultrasound. We were so nervous before our ultrasound and excited after our ultrasound that we forgot to take more photos...hopefully we'll remember next time.

Olivia's Reaction to Our News!

2008-10-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

We finally got an opportunity to share our news with Olivia! We wanted to tell her when she was in a good mood. Olivia is going to be a great big sister after all she has a great role model in Hannah!

7 Weeks!

2008-10-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

Here's what Babycenter has to say about 7 weeks! "Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry."

The floating babies in my baby ticker changed dramatically today, they are starting to look more and more like cute cuddly teddy bears! Our actual twins were so cute yesterday during the ultrasound, I already want to smother them in kisses!

Hannah's Reaction To Our Special News!

2008-10-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

If you have trouble watching the video above you can also click on the link below to view the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imNTNC7Rs_U

It's TWINS!!!

2008-10-08T16:31:00.001-07:00

Darin and I drove to IA this morning to go with Steph to our first ultrasound! We were so nervous and were just hoping to see one healthy baby heartbeat but we got the best surprise of our lives when we saw TWO beautiful babies and TWO beautiful heartbeats! Steph had it right all along, she just knew we would be having TWINS!!!
Both the babies are in this ultrasound photo! They both measured right on target at 6 weeks 4 days and they both have very strong heartbeats! This is TWIN A! Twin A's heart rate was 129bpm!
And this is TWIN B! Twin B's heart rate was 133 bpm!

6 Weeks

2008-10-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

We are 6 weeks pregnant today...YAY!!! I receive weekly email updates about our baby's development from babycenter.com, here's what is happening with our baby this week!
"The nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see your baby, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones. Right now, your baby is a quarter of an inch long, about the size of a lentil bean." I will never look at a lentil bean the same again!

Steph has been having major cravings for Stoffers stove top stuffing and for peanut butter...yummy! She's keeping our little one happy!

Waiting is so hard

2008-09-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

I'm dying to see our little one on the 8th, I can't wait to see the baby's little heartbeat. I really want to find out if we are expecting more than one this time. I'm so excited to show the ultrasound pictures to Hannah, she knows that we put our baby in Steph's tummy but she's already getting a little impatient...she wants the baby to come home now and she only wants the baby to be a girl. We've talked a lot about how the baby needs a long time to grow and get strong before he/she can live outside of Steph's tummy. We've also talked a lot about how we can't choose if the baby will be a boy or a girl and she will love the baby no matter what. She says she will love the baby but she only wants a boy if it comes with a girl. It will be so nice when we know the sex of this baby so we can help Hannah adjust.

I just noticed that the floating baby in one of my tickers has a heartbeat now...that is so cool!

2nd Beta-HCG Test

2008-09-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

Steph had her second beta pregnancy test this morning and our number doubled perfectly...todays number was 221. We are so excited and definitely expecting another baby!!!! I think I'm still in shock and a little numb...it's just so hard to believe that Darin and I are going to parents of 3 kids. We struggled so hard to have one and now we are going to have 3, life is amazing!
Our first ultrasound will be on October 8th, we can't wait to see our baby!!!

Beta-HCG The Pregnancy Hormone

2008-09-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

We officially got a positive pregnancy test today!!! Steph's HCG level was a 95, which is very strong with this early in the pregnancy. We are so excited and relieved...I think we can safely eliminate the triplet worries!!! Steph has to go get a second Beta-HCG test done on Saturday to make sure the number doubles...it should double every two days. So Saturdays number should be around 200. I'm keeping my guess the same...I think we are adding one baby girl to our family!

Our 3 embryos

2008-09-17T11:39:00.001-07:00

Here's a first look at our embryos. These photos were taken just minutes before our transfer...Aren't they beautiful?!!!

BETA (otherwise known as a pregnancy test)

2008-09-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

Steph goes in on Thursday, September 18 for our official pregnancy test (blood draw). The number has to be above 2 for it to be a positive test. Before Steph and I left CA we bought a few home pregnancy tests to take a few days before our official test. Steph has gotten several positive tests already so we know our beta number will be good.

Here are a few pictures of our positive home tests!

Transferring our Frozen Babes

2008-09-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

Steph and I made our way to CA on September 7th for our transfer (technical term for putting our babies in her uterus). Our transfer was on September 8th at 11:30 pacific standard time...1:30p.m. central time. Steph had an unbelievably good uterine lining (19) so we all had a great feeling from the beginning! Our little embryos made it through the thaw, we only had to thaw 3 embryos to transfer 3 so we still have 2 waiting in the freezer. In order to survive the thawing process the embryos have to retain at least 50 percent of their original cells. Our embryos started with 7, 8 and 9 cells and retained 7, 5 and 6 of their original cells. They looked beautiful!!! We transferred our 3 little darlings to Steph and the wait was on.

Here are a few pictures of Steph and I during our trip!
This is Steph just minutes before our little babes were transferred into her care for the next 9 months!
The day after transfer we headed to Carmel for a relaxing walk on the beach. We also did the 17 mile drive...it is spectacular!

The beginning

2008-09-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

Darin and I decided that we wanted to have another baby. We have 5 embryos left waiting for us in the deep freeze in CA and we just felt like our family wasn't complete without giving them a chance to join us. So we set out on our 3rd surrogacy journey looking for the perfect woman to help bring our baby into this world. It took a while to find her, but it was worth the wait...she's perfect for us! Her name is Stephanie and she lives in Iowa about 4 hours from us. She's been a surrogate before and delivered boy/girl twins for another Wisconsin family in 2007. She's very easy going and loves being pregnant...and she's really good at being pregnant too...she carried the twins until 38 weeks. She has 4 kids of her own, 3 boys and a girl. Elliott is 14, Isaiah is 12, Tannis is 9 and Soleil is 6. We are so excited to have Steph and her family join us in making another miracle for our family.