Just Doing My Part

Well it's my turn this week to give you a quick update as to what has been going on with us since Rhonda is in getting ready for bed. As most of you know, she started a new position on Monday, and so far she is really enjoying it. She has had to get used to the early mornings this week though, since she has been starting work at 6 am after a 30-45 minute commute, so it's understandable that she is a bit tired. The new position is considerably a lot less stressful and the hours are set, which are big pluses. She comes in, makes sure all of the patients are doing well and having all of their needs met and that the nurses are getting everything they need to do their jobs, and then goes home after her 8 hours. That translates into more time for our little angel when he or she finally arrives.

It was exciting for her to start her first day on Monday, so like most excited parents do on their child's first day of school, I wanted to take my girls picture to capture the moment. I haven't seen her in scrubs for quite some time, and if I must say, she looks good!!! I'm proud of her .

The girls at her prior job sent her a picture this week of her buddy, who apparently really, really misses her. Or does he miss all of the treats that she used to bring him? Check out his picture, does he look sad or what?

I also had some great news this week. I had recently applied, tested and interviewed for a position at a new fire department. The competition as always, was tough, but in the end I ranked number one, and yesterday I was officially offered a full-time position, which of course I accepted!!! The new position allows me to work 2 days on and 4 days off. And, as with Rhonda's job, that translates into more time to spend with our little angel.

We continue to receive updates from our wonderful doctors at SI on our lovely surrogate KT's condition as the days pass and we get closer and closer to the day that our little one makes their entry into the world. She has been resting at the clinic ever since our little scare with a brief episode of spotting, that was caused by the placenta moving lower in the cervix due to the babies large size. We are so thankful for all of the incredible care that the doctors are giving our surrogate and baby.

A neat milestone for us this week was that our blog surpassed 20000 hits, WOW!!! When Rhonda started this blog last year, she did so to have an avenue to tell others of our journey to have a child, and as well, to possibly help others in the world who also are suffering from infertility and are longing for a child of their own. Looking back, we feel that we have been able to help so many people and at the same time, we have been helped by so many people as we share all of our experiences. A special thanks to all of you that have taken the time to visit our blog, please continue to check in as our amazing journey continues.

First day of work

Napoleon misses Rhonda...

Your Baby at 27 weeks:

Baby's lungs and immune system are maturing this week as baby prepares for his grand entrance. If he were born today he would have an 85 percent chance of surviving as his lungs are capable of breathing air (with medical assistance, of course).

Other exciting developments:

Baby's done a lot of growing over the past few months. His length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! And that's not the only thing growing—baby's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. His brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby. If baby is a he, his testes will have completely descended at this point. Your baby now weighs in at approximately 14½ inches and just over 2 pounds, or about the size of that roast you made last time your in-laws were in town. (OK, the baby is the size of that roast you meant to cook before you decided that ordering Chinese was a much better idea.)

Baby Shower/Good Bye Party...

What a fabulous day! Gerry and I were both overwhelmed at the outpouring of gifts and well wishes we received at our party yesterday. So many people from my management team, to my Nurses and C.N.A's and their families all came to show us their love. WOW!!! There are no other words to describe our appreciation.

We were blown away with such a fabulous shindig! Barb and her entire family truly went all out with loaning their beautiful home for the day. Jo and so many others did an awesome job preparing decorations and bringing food dishes, and we can't forget Angelica who slaved for days on our beautiful and very yummy cake.

I am definitely going to miss working with these wonderful people and seeing their smiling faces every day. But I will definitely will keep in touch and certainly I will be visiting them with our new bundle of joy very soon.

The whole gang (well minus a bunch)

Della making the hat.

What's a baby Shower without a crazy hat?

Cole wanted a picture of the gift he bought us.


Quite the spread!

Thank you Angelica!

Becky and Bea (keeping track of all the gifts)

We have already planned on having a get-together here at our home in mid July to share in our new baby, since so many of our friends and neighbors are wanting to be included. We certainly did not prepare for the outpouring of gifts that we received yesterday. I suppose everyone was right in telling us to "Stop buying!"


Now its on to the multitude of 'Thank you' cards and of course, trying to find a spot for all of our little angels goodies in its waiting nursery.

Doing my civic duty as a new American.

They found me!!! I have been a U.S citizen for less then a year and already have been called for jury duty. Of the 36 people who showed 6 were chosen to serve, and YEP, you guessed it, I got chosen. All other 6 in 36 gambles, I would never be selected. My luck normally STINKS! But this... I get picked. Go figure!?! Actually, all kidding aside, it was a very eye opening experience and I even got to serve as the Jury Foreperson and submit our verdict to the judge. It was a criminal case and thankfully only lasted one day. I truly felt really great going home with the knowledge that I had made a huge difference in someones life that day.

Gerry is away this week playing soldier in the Pan Handle of Florida. He is dealing with intense humidity, heat and bugs while fighting fires and pretending to be at war. It has made him appreciate why we left Florida in the first place. Sorry, my dear Floridian friends, but it was certainly more then just the hurricanes that convinced us to leave and never look back. We LOVE Arizona and are so happy to live here. Gerry returns Saturday afternoon, just in time for our Baby Shower/My going-away party. It may just be a doozy as Barb and Jo have invited the entire facility to join in the festivities.

Tomorrow marks my last day in my 8 year career run as a Director of Nursing. I am overjoyed about beginning this new job on Monday and can't wait to get started and just take a bit of a break from worrying about everyone and everything, everyday. So Unit Manager...here I come!

We are already at 26 weeks and thrilled. My emotions tend to go from zero to sixty in a moment, ranging from, "WOW!" to, "OMG, what have I done?" to, " I'm going to be responsible for another little life very, very soon!" to, "this is REALLY happening!" But when all is said and done, I know that deep down this is our dream come true and together we can do anything.

Your Baby at 26 weeks:

Deep breath! Air sacks are developing in your baby's lungs, which means it just might be possible for your baby to take a breath at the end of this week. The air sacks (technically called alveoli) will continue to grow for the next nine years. The membrane that keeps the alveoli separate from the blood vessels is now thin enough to allow for that oxygen–carbon dioxide exchange we call breathing.

Other highlights this week:

The retina completes the development of its normal layers this week—all the better to see you with. Well not you, per se, because her eyes are still sealed shut and it's really dark in there, but your baby's eyes are now fully developed.

Brainwaves for the auditory and visual systems are detectable in baby's noggin this week. That means baby's brain is registering things like sound and light. She can't understand what any of it means yet, but she's on track to comprehend an entire episode of Blue's Clues in no time! As hearing continues to develop, your baby will start to recognize voices. Research has shown that newborns actually recognize familiar sounds after birth. Proof that your baby has been paying attention all along.

Break out the sparkling apple juice—baby has now completed two-thirds of her stay in Hotel Womb. Your baby is about 1 2/3 pounds and is 14 inches long head-to-heel, or about the length of a burp cloth (otherwise known as your primary wardrobe accessory for the next several months).

ONESIE Fun...

Your Baby at 25 weeks:

Get ready for pat-a-cake! Baby's hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness of your uterus. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that your baby can feel the sensation of touch.

Other highlights include: Your baby's arms and legs have grown to almost the proportions they will be at birth, which is still sort of short. So don't be alarmed when your newborn's arms barely clear his waist.

Baby's nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, clear out (like he's taken a super-dose of Sudafed) and he can practice breathing through the nose. The structures of your baby's spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments.

The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in your baby's body, giving his formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week. You'll see how well that worked out when your baby gives those lungs a workout while you're on line at the bank in a few months.

Your baby weighs about a pound and a half and is about 13½ inches long—roughly the length of one of those recorders you played in elementary school music class. Who's up for a round of "Hot Cross Buns?"

A POST FOR MY SOLDIER

When I met Gerry in 1998 he was not in the military. Very soon after moving to the U.S.A he joined the Coast Guard reserves. I thought, "Good for him, if that's what makes him happy. It's only one weekend per month and 2 weeks a year away from us, that's a piece of a cake."

A few months later, Gerry was called to active duty to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom. My heart stopped. Thoughts of fear and the unknown filled my mind. I was never a soldier's wife! I don't know what to do all alone! What if he never comes home? etc. etc. This wasn't supposed to happen to us, but it had. February 2004 Frankie and I drove to the West Coast of Florida to drop our guy off for what would be a long flight to the border of Iraq and Kuwait. It was one of the most emotional and terrifying times in my life, one I will never forget.

What started out as, "Oh, the Coast Guard never does more then 3 month deployments." Turned into almost a full year away from home for Gerry. I spent little time watching the news as I was scared to know what was happening so far away and out of my control. I waited for my daily, YES daily phone calls from him. My amazing soldier would walk 2 miles and wait in line 2 hours (sometimes more) every day to use the phone, just to hear my voice. In 10.5 months he only missed one day (which was out of his control). Some calls would end suddenly and I would hold my breath hoping and praying all was okay, till the next day when I could hear his sweet voice again.
While Gerry bravely fought for our country (even if neither of us were actual citizens yet) I tried to keep things status quo on the home front and stay strong and calm for him. It seemed like nothing compared to the sacrifice he was making to protect me and our friends and family from terrorism here in America. In the end it truly made our marriage stronger and gave us both a better appreciation for what we had...each other.

Memorial Day makes me remember his sacrifice and duty to his country, and I couldn't be more proud of my man and what he has done. He has served in Desert Storm for the Canadian military and Operation Iraqi Freedom for the U.S military, 2 wars for 2 countries...What a wonderful thing to share with our children some day!

God Bless all of those men and women who have served so bravely and selfishly for their country so that we could live a life of freedom.

I love you Staff Sergeant Wile and I am proud to say, ' I am a military wife, and wouldn't want to have it any other way.'