34 weeks and another major milestone has been met :)

Today marks 34 weeks for us, which is a major milestone in my opinion, because this means that I can deliver at the hospital of my choosing when d-day arrives, whereas I would have had to deliver at a hospital more equipped with a NICU further from home, if I had gone into labor before today. We made it, woot woot!

T&Y are enjoying their trip in Canada and checking in periodically to ask how I'm feeling. I am sure to reassure them that I am still pregnant and, as of this very moment, I think it might stay that way for the next week or so. I know they're anxious and I'm happy that they are, because it seemed just the opposite a few weeks ago when they were telling me that they didn't intend to travel here until October 6th, one week before my due date, as things were "going so well". As mentioned in my last post, I'd rather have them here and watching and waiting for me to go into labor, than having to make an emergency trip and missing the birth. They are also cutting their trip short and arriving on Wednesday, September 25th. I will be breathing a sigh of relief when Wednesday arrives. Well, I won't ACTUALLY be able to breathe a big sigh....but you know what I mean ;)

I feel like I've exploded in growth over the week and I know it shows. My skin burns sometimes, from stretching. I will fully admit I'll lift my shirt and check for stretch-marks, randomly, at any given moment.......although I know I won't escape without them, but I'm still fearful of them. I also have contractions/Braxton Hicks quite frequently and a lot of the times I feel such an intense pressure from Baby A's head on my cervix, I wonder if he's going to come out and wave "hello" :) It will be interesting to see if I've made any progress, come Tuesday's OB appointment. I don't feel so incredibly miserable just yet that I'm begging for it to be over, honestly, which is great, although I'm definitely uncomfortable when sitting and laying and find it very hard to breathe and I tend to try to sleep sitting up at night. When I say "try", it's because I haven't slept in a very long time. Friday night was the first night in weeks that I was able to actually lay down and I slept SO well because of it. I live in leggings because they are far more comfortable than jeans at this point. My bras are not wide enough to accommodate my spreading rib-cage. Heart burn....O...M...G. I won't even go into it at this point. Old story. I regret the hot-dog I ate at the Surrogate Social today (it's still creeping up in my throat and it's been 7 hours). Don't know why I felt the need to eat that, I knew what would happen. My priorities were NOT in check, that's for sure. Think before you leap, Nicole! It's not rocket-science! Oh, that cheese pizza after delivery........drool....it's going to taste soooo good! 

Another exciting moment for me this weekend was when I decided to buy myself something I've been wanting for a very long time, AND it was on sale. Yippee! As a reminder, I do not typically buy myself things and when I DO, I second, third, and quadruple guess it before I take the plunge and usually return it in the end. So this is a very big deal! During the week I have my cup of coffee at work (free coffee at work, why not?). But on the weekends, I make my trip to the nearest SA gas station, and sometimes by the time I'm able to get there and out for my errands, I'm already feeling miserably tired and fatigued, not to mention the fact that gas station coffee doesn't really taste that great, I only drink it for the caffeine. Enter....the Keurig! (did you hear the heavenly bells and whistles in the background like I do when I look at it?) I've only had it a couple of days and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Target is having a special on the K-cups that you use with it and I already went crazy on those. We'll have coffee, cocoa, and apple cider to last us the year at this point. What a magical little machine. It's like Disney World on my counter-top...seriously! In second place is when I found a brand new, unopened toaster oven at Goodwill a few weeks ago. It's so pretty and shiny I can't even bring myself to break it in just yet. So, on my counter sits my amazing good morning buddy and toaster oven. I'm set for life.

Today was the Surrogate Social where the agency hosts a little get-together of it's staff and surrogates. It was fun and great to see a few of the surrogates that I screened/educated in the beginning when they were just starting their journeys, and now have just given birth or are about to. I'm proud of them! Everyone had interesting stories to share and I'm hoping we can have another social sooner than a year from now because I think it's a great opportunity for everyone to get to meet other surrogates. I often hear ladies comment how "rare" they thought surrogacy was until they had the opportunity to come to a social or talk with more of us. You just never know, pregnant women are EVERYWHERE and some of them are acting as surrogates without us ever knowing it. 

This week's planned adventures; Monday I have my weekly Chiropractic appointment (I'd go everyday if I could or, better yet, have her come and live at my house), Tuesday I have an OB appointment in the morning (think he'll be shocked when he sees that I haven't really gained those 5 lbs. and it was all water weight the last time?!), an ultrasound and NST right after my OB appointment, Wednesday the guys arrive, Thursday we go and tour the hospital, and Friday.....who knows what will happen Friday. This is only the "surrogate stuff", this doesn't take into account my own work schedule, Kaleb's appointment this week, and whatever else I need to do. When people inquire how I could possibly feel comfortable with intended parents who live so far away, I simply tell them that I couldn't have it any other way, knowing full well that my life is busy as it is, I couldn't fathom accommodating intended parents' busy schedules and trying to arrange appointments so that they could come to every one of them (although the thought is amazing and it would be nice) I just couldn't swing it. 

34 weeks...................whoa!!