~14 Weeks~

Yippee!! I feel alive again!! Thank goodness. :) I seriously have not been sick or tired once this whole week! Okay.. Maybe a little tired.. but I decided to go back to work full time this last Monday so that could be why too.

We had an appointment yesterday and C was able to make the drive down to come with me! I love her!! I feel so lucky to have the IP's be so close (well 4 hrs away) so that they could enjoy the growth of their baby. Yesterday, we were able to hear this little buns heartbeat and boy was it so strong & sweet!! I have to say, I was a little nervous going into the appointment.. I had been feeling "so" amazing that it kinda scared me a little. But the second I heard that little heart pounding.. my heart melted and immediately started pounding right along with his/hers. And that smile on C's face.. :) So gentle and soft, just made me grin from ear to ear!!

The only downfall to this appointment is when I noticed the nurse jotting down my weight gain!! :\ Yikes! 4 more lbs! So, now I am up 6 lbs.. Dang you watermelon, grapes, peaches, apples, grapes, cottage cheese, laughing cow Swiss cheese & Subways Veggie Delight sandwich!! LOL, just kidding! Could you imagine if I was craving junk food and fast food?? Ha Ha

After my appointment C took me to Cafe Rio and I seriously scarfed down a Sweet Pork Salad! We were able to enjoy some conversation. I wish I could sit and talk with her for hours.. But unfortunately, I had almost taken a 2 hour lunch and had to get back to work. :( She also brought me a goody bag of healthy and organic snacks! I would post a pic but I took it back to my office and have been snacking on them all day!

We finally remembered to take a picture together!

Weight Gain: 6 lbs!

Cravings: Watermelon, Peaches, Grapes, Apples, Pineapple, any kind of Dry Fruit, Cottage Cheese, Jalapeno Cheddar Bagels from Harmons (Thanks Boss!), Cafe Rio Salads, Subway, Ice Water, Juice.

Symptoms: Weight Gain, Extreme Potty Breaks, Picky Eating (still), Trouble Sleeping.

14 Week Baby Bump!
Finally started feeling round today!!

Their baby's the size of a lemon!

At week 14, their baby is 3.4 inches and 1.5 ounces, he's/she's almost doubled in weight since last week and keeps on growing.

Their baby at 14 weeks

• He's/She's probably sucking his/her thumb and wiggling his/her toes in there!
• His/Her kidneys are making urine, and his/her liver and spleen are doing their jobs, too.
• And he's/she's growing lanugo, a thin, peach-fuzz-like hair, all over his/her body -- it will help him/her keep warm!

~13 Weeks~

We are now in the first week of the second trimester!! I was almost hoping that once I instantly crossed over this mark I would immediately feel 100% better. Lets say I'm about 75% better! :) Which I will take any day! I continue to have bouts of morning sickness, depending on the day, which is so much better then everyday, right!? :) My exhaustion is "finally" starting to get better! I haven't taken a nap in 3 days! LOL

I am so excited to finally be showing! It just reassures me everyday that this little bun is healthy and growing strong for their Mommy & Daddy! I just feel so overwhelmed with gratitude towards family, friends, neighbors and even strangers! Now that I'm sporting this cute little bump, I have people ask me how far I am and the best one yet... "Is this your first?" Wow, absolutely love that comment!! :) And then when I say "No, this is my 7th pregnancy!" The disbelief on their face! I then feel so blessed to then share this beautiful blessing!  And to see how each and every person is so intrigued and interested overwhelms me! :)

In my heart I know what I am doing (to some people) is selfless, but honestly I believe in my heart that I am the lucky one. I believe that this journey that I am going through is going to make me a better person with a bigger heart! :) Thank you B & C for giving me the opportunity to receive this incredible blessing in my life!

Weight Gain: 2 lbs

Cravings: Peaches, Watermelon, Apples, Grapes, Smoothies, Cottage Cheese, Ice Water. And guess what I am craving real food! Well Subway, loving all the veggies! I've been there 3x this week! :\

Symptoms: Weight Gain, Bigger Bump, Hungry, Headaches, Extreme Sense of smell, Sensitive Gag Reflex!

13 Week Baby Bump!

Their Baby is the size of my favorite fruit!!

Their baby's the size of a peach!

He's/She's about 2.9 inches long and weighs about .81 ounces, and -- proportion-wise -- his/her head's now about 1/3 the size of his/her body (remember? It used to be bigger!).

Their baby at 13 weeks

• Can you believe he's/she's forming vocal cords and teeth?!
• And even though he's/she's still teeny, he/she already has fingerprints.
• His/Her intestines are moving from the umbilical cord to their more permanent place, in his/her tummy.

~12 Weeks~

Sorry for the delay in my post this week! I've had this written since Friday but wasn't able to post and edit until tonight! 

So excited to finally be 12 weeks! The first and hardest trimester is finally over... I hope! :) I'm not going to lie.. This has been harder then expected. I never once realized how exhausted I would feel. It has set me back more than I ever anticipated.

I'm going to vent a little. I'm a woman/wife/mom that can multi-task like no other! :) I have friends and strangers call me superwoman! Not only do I have ADD but I also have OCD. If anyone else has both of these, I feel for ya!!! I am a major clean freak and tend to spend hours a day organizing or cleaning. I catch myself everyday wanting my kids to pick up this & put away that, I need to slow my roll and just let my kids be kids! So, I can tell you with as much down time as I have had these last few weeks, my kids have enjoyed every second of it! :) I usually can clean my house (every Monday) from top to bottom and finish every last load of wash in one productive day! Now... LOL! I believe it's Friday?? And I still have laundry in my dryer waiting to be folded! That I keep tumble drying just to freshen up the clothes and get the wrinkles out! :) I'm not ashamed to admit it! I would just like at least half of my energy back. I know that once I move past this trimester things should go much smoother! Okay.. Enough venting!

On a positive note!! Morning sickness is gone! WooHoo! Unfortunately, on Wednesday I had thought it returned but instead realized that I had come down with some 24 hour bug that would not allow me to hold anything down. I tried to sleep as much as possible just to allow it to pass. Thank goodness it did! :) I am so stinken excited to be moving onto the second trimester! I am ready to start looking like I am pregnant instead of everyone just thinking I am enjoying Big Macs and Salty Fries! :) I'm enjoying this little miracle growing inside my body and I am adoring waking up every morning to see my bump growing daily! I really hope B & C will be just as excited to see their little miracle baby getting bigger and bigger each and every week.

Thursday, I decided it was best to let all my dear family and friends share in the joy of this journey. I posted this note on Facebook:

"I've been contemplating how to start this post for weeks and even if I should share with all of you. I figured most of you would all see or hear about my extra large round bump I will soon be sporting! Yes! You have it, I'm pregnant! (Most of you probably have to go & pick your jaw off the ground right about now! And you're all probably thinking I'm crazy! They already have 6 kids!) But here is where it gets tricky.... The baby is not ours. Yep! Another shock right?! I've been so lucky to have the opportunity to have been asked from some dear friends to carry their beautiful baby... 

Some of you may not understand why I'm doing this but believe me, I've prayed so strongly about this & I felt in my heart that I was willing to give up 1 year of my life to give this amazing couple the opportunity to enjoy something for the rest of theirs! ❤ This is fully their baby. His & hers. I am just baking their bun. I'm not posting this to have the approval of all of you. Just want all of you to be grateful for all of your little miracles that we sometimes take for granted. There are so many amazing couples out there aching for a child. And here I am feeling so blessed to be "chosen" to bring life into this world for one of them!

For those of you who want to follow our journey or want to understand more I have made a blog. Please feel free to read along."

Can I just tell you how overwhelmed I am with emotions. I never thought in a million years how much love & support I would receive from all my family & friends! Thanks so much to all of you! ❤

Weight Gain: 0

Cravings: Grapes, Oranges, Pineapple, Apples, Peaches, Smoothies, PB & J's, Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, Top Ramen (lol), Purple Powerade, Ice water! I want real meals to sound good to me again. :( I have to force myself to eat them. All I want is fruit!

Symptoms: Bigger Breasts, Baby bump, Tight clothes, Potty Breaks like crazy, Picky eating, Exhausted, Headaches, Trouble sleeping, Vision Changing :(

12 Week Baby Bump!

Their baby's the size of a plum!

The average fetus at 12 weeks is about 2.1 inches long and .49 ounces. Now that he's/she's got pretty much all his/her parts, his/her main job is to keep on growing.

Their baby at 12 weeks

• Most of his/her critical systems are fully formed!
• He's/She's about to enter the growth and maturation stage, in which her organs and tissues will grow and develop rapidly.
• He's/She's now developing his/her reflexes -- if you poke his/her body, he'll/she'll likely move.
• He's/She's opening and closing his/her fingers and curling his/her toes, too.
• His/Her brain is developing fast!

~11 Weeks~

Who knows where this last week has gone! Boy have I been extremely busy! We decided to take our kids camping and to the lake over Memorial Day weekend and I honestly believe I am still recuperating from it! I have been so extremely exhausted this week. I just can't seem to get enough sleep or something. It could be the fact that all 6 of my kids are home now so there is no longer a wonderful, amazing thing called "NAP" taking place. :) I am really hoping and praying that my energy comes back in the next couple of weeks!

And boy am I hungry... all the time! :) At all hours of the day! I could seriously be in a deep sleep in the middle of the night and wake up with hunger pains, knowing I ate an apple or a bowl of grapes an hour before I climbed into bed! It takes everything in my power not to climb out of bed and find something to stuff my face with! HaHa!

Weight Gain: 0

Cravings: Grapes, Apples, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Crackers, Laughing Cow Swiss cheese spread. No real meal cravings yet.

Symptoms: Still tired, thirsty, hungry. Bump is getting bigger! :)

11 Week Baby Bump!

Their baby's the size of a lime!

Their fetus is about 1.6 inches long, and he's/she's got about a 1:1 head to body ratio. He/She now weighs in at about .25 ounces.

 

Their baby at 11 weeks

• You can't see it, but he's/she's moving fluidly and gracefully in there.
• His/Her skin is see-through, but he's/she's on her way to looking more like a baby.
• His/Her fingers and toes aren't webbed anymore.
• Tooth buds, hair follicles and nail beds are forming.