Let's Celebrate!!!

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

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

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...

Until we see our babies again!

8 Weeks

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

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!

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!

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!

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!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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.