#intendedmother

[mybunsoven]

Going on maternity leave & final appointment updates. Leaving school yesterday was bittersweet. There seemed to be an electric buzz that hovered around me as I walked down the hallway and out of the doors. It was difficult to leave my art program, supplies and students in someone else's hands but that is sure to be a faint memory as Stacey told Katie, we now have three more wake ups till Monday. We just returned from our post op appointment today that lasted two and a half hours. To make sure everyone at the hospital was on the same page with what our very specific and unique delivery day would look like we had a revolving door of experts coming through the room. I think we talked to a total of seven women, all wonderful, supportive and encouraging. Go team! There are only two baby bracelets that one receives to be able to access the babies in the nursery so we wanted to ensure that Nate and I would be the recipients of that. If there is a room available, Nate and I will be able to rent a room for the night or so to be able to have the babies through the night. Katie will finally be able to get some good rest :). During a C-section usually only one person is able to be in the room. Katie & Leigh graciously offered for that person to be me so that one of the first people the babies see will be one of their parents. Speaking with the women today, we learned the doctors may be flexible enough to allow for Nate and myself to be in the room. !!!fingers crossed!!! We have known for sometime that our little boy has a cleft lip. We are unsure yet to whether he has a cleft palette or not. We have met with UNC specialists and have a wonderful person to assist us with a special bottle and feeding at the hospital. Feeling confident with all the steps in front of us and cannot wait to meet these bambinos. Today could not have run smoother. Now off to clean the house and enjoy the peace and quiet.

[mybunsoven]

March 14, 2014 34 weeks this last Monday and cheers with a chilly lemon water toast with sonic ice. I have been thinking all week about revisiting the blog as I have not written in awhile. Lately days and weeks have been simultaneously been flying by while also moving at slug speed. I keep hearing that I need to take advantage of the time that I still have before I am wrapped up with tiny arms and mouths, legs and bottoms. These past few evenings I have been using my time to reflect on this past year and what a year it has been. I was rereading through the blog and was astounded at how much ground we covered and all that we accomplished in this short year. We have been blessed beyond measure with so many things with the Ramsdells, our dear friends with our community with our friends and family with the unconditional, unstoppable force of support felt from every single direction we face. With monetary gifts to support our journey, with soup to freeze for days we need a warm meal, with heartfelt advice from years of experience, with cuddly, bright colored gifts to wrap our children with and with gifts of days off to Katie AND myself. It is astonishing, uplifting and unbelievably humbling. Let me tell you a lesson I have learned and learned well. Ask and you shall receive. and soon we will be blessed with our Mohsbies. We have met some challenges as of recently with our stubborn breech baby girl that will not move. Her position has lead us to go forward with a c-section where our first option was a natural birth. We currently have a date set for April 9th - mind you this is 38 weeks and 2 days. Whoa. IF, and I do mean IF Katie makes it this far she is officially the boss of pregnancy. I will run through the streets naked with bells on if this happens. Because that women is ridiculous! Who does that!!! It would be an amazing feat and she should receive some sort of honorary medal. Anybody got a hookup with the White House? Ahem my cousin.... Just saying. Really though, I wish that her job was through. She has absolutely rocked the socks off of this surrogate pregnancy. Our babies are healthy and happy and every time we see them we see their strong organs whether it is their big beating hearts to love with or their expanding hearts to breath with. We will be 35 weeks in two days and we will get to see our Mohsbies on Tuesday. I am chomping at the bit to see how much they weigh and to get a snapshot of how they are doing. 35 weeks y'all. Get ready. I will be in touch. our love, jg & n

[mybunsoven]

February 17, 2014

Our babies are growing! And no that isn’t my belly! Leigh took a great shot of Katie behind me and with a little photoshop tweaking it gives the illusion that I am actually pregnant. How surreal and moving to see myself in this way. We went to a variety of appointments today. Great news all around.

Baby boy : 3 pounds, 14 ounces 
Baby girl: 3 pounds, 11 ounces

[mybunsoven]

This is a picture taken of us all January 23, 2014, two days before our one year “conversation-versary”. Oh the joy!

We are currently 28 1/2 weeks pregnant and 2 1/2 weeks into our third trimester. These were big week hurdles we wanted to get past as we know of amazing twins that were born around this time. Every twin mom I seem to know carried up until 37 or even the 38th week. We will see where we meet on this twin birth timeline. As of now, I think they will show up the last week of March or first week of April. Both of those months are full of birthdays of people I love and adore so as far as concerned I am proud my babes will be born in either of those months.

Did I mention that we are 28 weeks pregnant this week? That means in 10 or less weeks we will have babies filling our house with noise, love and laughter. I am going to be a mother. I already am a mother. My sweet little lass Mohsbies even punched me in the ear when I was listening in on her the other day. Right after I had joked aloud with Katie and Nate saying - watch her punch me in the ear. Both our Mohsbies are movers and shakers and love to let Nate & I know they are around whenever I rub the belly. Although I still jump whenever I feel them pressing against Katie’s skin. I cannot even imagine the roller coaster ride Katie is on with two little people jostling around inside of her. Our last check-up revealed that our baby boy is a healthy 2 pounds 10 ounces while our little girl is 2 pounds 1 ounce. Both very healthy. A women we know that has a singleton who is one week ahead of us revealed that her child was 2 pounds 11 ounces. Whew Katie. God Bless you. She has that… plus our other baby.

We are starting to check off all the steps pre-birth. 1. Pre-birth order complete - This is completed with a surrogacy lawyer. If this was not in place when the Mohsbies are born Katie and Leigh would be written in as mother and father and we would have to adopt our children. With the birth order in place, our names will go on the birth certificate as we are the egg & sperm sources. 2. Pediatrician - We are on the prowl for one. and the list goes on and on…

The closer it gets the more surreal it gets. One day we will leave our house empty handed and walk back in with hands brimming over. Oh happy day!

[mybunsoven]

2014!

We have been anxiously awaiting 2014 as this will be our year of the Mohsbies. It doesn’t even seem real although Katie I am sure could tell you otherwise.  I have a few things to share as this new year begins to lay itself before us.

1 - I am so beyond appreciative for Katie, Leigh and Josephine.  Katie as well as her family have leant us their body, their time, their diet, their emotions, their year.  This picture below was taken on January 25, 2013 - almost one year ago when we all decided to take this journey together. They are changing our lives in the most significant way possible and we will forever be grateful.

2 - If I didn’t already know that we were supported by our community - now I know.  We have currently raised $21,000.  Yup, you read that right.  $21,000 to help us along this wild journey.  We have been humbled by the Ramsdells as well as the community around us for their bountiful gifts.  We are so deeply honored and grateful.

3 - We have decided to move our art show in Greensboro until after the babies are born so that I have some more time to create work.  In the meantime, my children’s book Mamalu’s Secrets is now on Amazon.com.  Please visit Createspace or Amazon to purchase. Or please leave a review if you have already purchased.

Happy New Year everyone!  It is going to be a tremendous year!

[mybunsoven]

Happy Thanksgiving - so much to give thanks for this year.  For your viewing pleasure, our Mohsbies at week 18.  These pictures were taken last Monday. 

Last night we had date night with our Mohsbies, Katie, and Leigh as we all are about to go on our own Thanksgiving ways. AND!!! as I was rubbing that sweet belly I felt my little boy flip over.  Katie was in Mexico over the weekend and so they must have missed us. She said they were moving more than usual while we were there talking. OH!  The joy!  Is it wrong to want to wish time to pass! I am ready for April already.

Katie also mentioned that while she was in Mexico she ate a churro and our baby boy went wild - again, Nate’s son.  I bet I will have two possibly three votes for Mexican food on the daily once they get here.  Right now all I have to contend with is Nate and his insatiable appetite for all things Mexican. Maybe I can wait a little longer.  :)

[mybunsoven]

Week 18

It’s a girl!

And

A boy!

We of course are over the moon. Nate called it. From the first ultrasound when we saw our jumping bean in the top bunk he thought it was a girl. Then he was right on target to call the baby in the bottom bunk a boy. So thankful.

Baby A: 9 ounces Baby B: 8 ounces

My parents were able to be in the room with us to be able to experience the advancement of technology. We saw red and blue blood pumping through our twins strong hearts, and three dimensional pictures to see our babes’ faces. It was amazing. Cindy, Nate’s mother, was also able to watch and hear as we had her “facetimed” in during the ultrasound. Katie of course was so graceful, calm and kind throughout it all.

Blessed are we.

[mybunsoven]

November Anecdotes

1) So it seems our Mohsbies are either smitten with and/or disgusted with Aerosmith’s song Sweet Emotion. Katie said that one of our babies threw a fit when the song came on the radio the other day. Nate said that Axl Rose (Nate’s favorite musician of all time) considers Aerosmith to be one of the greatest bands ever. Our babies are acting like Mohs already.

2) I had the most wonderful dream the other day that I could see both our babes through Katie’s belly. One girl, one boy - both with blue eyes. As the dream changed I held one in my arms.

3) We find out the gender(s) of our Mohsbies this Monday. Woot.