30 weeks and a new year!

Saturday, January 2, 2021

Surely no one is sad to say goodbye to 2020. I know I’m not. Welcome 2021, we’re glad you’re here. This will be the year I help another family bring a precious life into the world. With all of the changes and uncertainty that 2020 brought we decided to end the year right. Christmas morning we surprised the kids with a box of Mickey ear balloons and a card saying “Pack your bags, we leave for Disney World in the morning!” We packed that afternoon and left first thing the next day (starting the day with a dead car battery of course). 


We spent the next 7 days in the beautiful Florida sun. We did 4 days in the parks with some down time between. I somehow survived 30 miles of walking (60,000 steps) at 30 weeks pregnant with very little complaining or contracting. My husband and I hadn’t been to Disney since we were kids. Experiencing it through the eyes of our 4 & 6 year olds was nothing short of magical. 


As we head home I am grateful for a safe trip, healthy pregnancy and happy children. 


Putting this here because years from now when I look back I want to remember the crazy start to our journey home. Keys locked in the car, dead car battery, forgotten bag and 30 min detour to retrieve it). My husband the trooper taking it all in stride (more or less). 


Pregnancy update: I feel huge but measure on track (1cm behind I believe). I failed my 1 hour glucose tolerance test and had to do the 3 hour test. I was really dreading it and cried a little when I found out. The intended mom failed hers as well which made me feel a little better. 


Fortunately the test itself wasn’t bad at all. I felt totally fine (even with 16 hours of fasting and a whole lot of sugar) until the last 30 mins when my blood sugar dropped. I passed and was so very grateful. A diabetes diagnosis right before the holidays and Disney would have crushed me. 


I can’t believe this journey is coming to an end so quickly but am looking forward to the moment when the intended parents meet their baby girl and we all get to celebrate an incredible blessing after the strangest year ever. 


Wishing you all a VERY Happy & Healthy 2021. 




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26 weeks

I was so excited to start feeling Baby Girl move much earlier than Blake. I started feeling her move at 18 weeks. She is now almost 26 weeks now and was measuring 1 lb 9 oz at 24 weeks (42%). We had a normal level II u/s and fetal echocardiogram. Her placenta was initially low lying but that has already resolved and she's already head down!  She had the hiccups during the entire 24 week ultrasound and the intended mom was able to feel her move for the first time. It was so precious!!  I can definitely tell she is getting more excited as time goes on and this gets more real for her.

My girls have decided to call her baby butterfly (fitting as I sit here feeling her flutter away in there).  Blake (4) was sitting beside me on the couch the other day and pushing her belly out. She said "mommy can you put your belly down?"  I said no ma'am I cannot lol. Aside from some mild shortness of breath I don't feel pregnant most of the time until my belly bumps into something or I feel her kick. 2nd trimester has been great. 

We've completed the pre-birth order for the state of SC which declares the intended parents as the legal guardians/parents of this baby. Because it's only done for this state I can't travel out of the state past 30 weeks. We are going to take advantage of our last window to travel and are taking the kids on a surprise trip to Disney World the week after Christmas!  We are SO excited.  They are going to lose their minds. I can't wait. 

Last week I had the pleasure of catching the baby of another gestational carrier. I got to spend time with the Intended Mom as well and was able to help facilitate their birth plan. The intended mom helped catch the baby and her reaction was absolutely priceless. It was a magical experience!!!  

Here are a few pics from the last few weeks. 



Polar Express!

24 week ultrasound

25 weeks


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