THIRD TRIMESTER... YA BABY!!!!!!

We are over the moon, thrilled, ecstatic, blessed, happy, and all those wonderful words that describe our excitement!

We are down to double digits on our counter now. Less than 90 days already?!? WOW...time sure flies! Everyone asks, 'Are you ready?' Is anyone ever REALLY ready to be a new parent? We have all the stuff and the nursery is prepared, but once that little one is in your arms...I think all the preparation in the world is thrown out the window and its you and only you to face the world with your little one. I couldn't imagine going at this alone. I am so lucky to have such a special guy to share in this new and amazing experience.

We received our most recent ultrasound pics and report and all is well on the Indian home front. Our baby is in breech position, so if he/she doesn't turn themselves around soon, we will be looking at that scheduled c-section after all. We talked to Dr. Sudhir tonight and he told us we need to start preparing everything. Frankie's care, packing, and all that stuff to be able to leave at a moments notice... Oh, shit!!!! Sorry for the profanity, but that was the immediate thought that came to our minds...this is happening and it might be any day now. At first we thought he was just kidding, but he was totally serious! WHOA!!!

I renewed my CPR certification at work today and made sure the instructor went over infant CPR, not that in an emergency with my own little angel, I wouldn't completely panic!! but it is good to know that its fresh in my mind. As a nurse, handling emergencies as they arise almost becomes second nature, but when it's your own...

These early mornings, up at 5am and to work by 6am are taking some getting used too. My body is ready for bed by 8:30pm. I am a big fan of lots of rest and love my bed, so I am totally out of my realm. I suppose its just more preparation for the months to come with sleepless days and nights.

Hopefully in the next week or so, I will get a little more accustomed to all of this, so I can get back to my routine with time to blog, answer emails and catch up on some of my favorite shows.

Oh, yah...I almost forgot, guess that happens when you get old! I turned 39 yesterday. I woke up to a decorated kitchen of balloons and banners and cards and gifts from both my special guy and girl (Frankie).


Your Baby at 28 weeks:

As the Big Day nears, your baby is getting ready to go towards the light at the end of the tunnel (the tunnel being the birth canal, the light being the one the doctor is shining directly into it so she can see what the heck she's doing).

Other highlights this week:

Your baby's eyes are partially open now and can blink. Truly superior babies can actually wink. (OK, there is no way to prove that, but it's fun to imagine, no?) Your baby can also now become a shiny, happy person as she has begun having rapid eye movement (Get it? REM? Shiny, happy person?? We'll be here all week.)

Her eyes have color now, too. It may not be the color she ultimately ends up with, especially if they're light gray or blue. The eyes typically don't settle on a final hue until nine months after baby is born. So when your mother-in-law says that the baby has her eyes, you can politely inform her that they'll most likely change soon. Sorry.

Your babe is downright chubby compared to a few weeks ago. She is about 15 inches long, about the length of an amusement park cinnamon-sugar-coated churro (yum!), and weighs 2 to 3 pounds.

Passing the time...

We had a jam packed week with work and adjusting to new hours and new schedules for both of us. This weekend, we just hung out and spent time together.

We purchase the Chicco Poly Discovery high chair that we had picked out at Toys R' US over the weekend. We found it at a significantly reduced price since it was a floor model so we couldn't resist the deal. (Yes Frankie has to give each and every item her 'sniff' of approval.)



And of course we did some more window shopping, which meant visiting every baby store and yes...more onesies. I told you I was addicted!!! Gerry has officially determined that this child already has more clothes then he has had in his lifetime.

Together we assembled our Precious Planet take-along baby swing that we received as a shower gift and then tried to find a place for it.



Gerry surprised me the other day when I got home from work with a huge stuffed Bengal tiger that goes great with our Rain Forest theme. It is as big as Frankie and she had to meet it by sniffing its butt. We both had a good laugh at that one.
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We finally got together with S & J. They recently returned home after picking up their precious bundle of joy from Mumbai. Their beautiful little girl Savannah is already 3 months old and even more precious in person then her pictures. I held her almost the entire night and told S & J we would be seeing them again soon, as I know I will need another Savannah fix very, very soon. She is such a good baby and both Gerry and I enjoyed every minute of her.

I received a beautiful email from some dear friends back in Canada and just had to share it as I know all my fellow animal/pet lovers will enjoy it as much as I did. It was about a military K9 dog name Brutus who won the K9 Congressional Medal of Honor last year from his tour in Iraq. Brutus rescued his handler and 4 other soldiers who had been captured and were being held hostage by the Iraqis.

The later part of the email talks about a Pet's 10 Commandments and they read as such (for those of you that are animal lovers like Gerry and I , you may need a tissue):

1. My life is likely to last 10-15 years. Any separation from you is likely to be painful.

2. Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3. Place your trust in me. It is crucial for my well-being.

4. Don't be angry with me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your friends, your entertainment, but I have only you.

5. Talk to me. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when speaking to me.

6. Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7. Before you hit me, before you strike me, remember that I could hurt you, and yet, I choose not to bite you.

8. Before you scold me for being lazy or uncooperative, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I'm not getting the right food, I have been in the sun too long, or my heart might be getting old or weak.

9. Please take care of me when I grow old. You too, will grow old.

10. On the ultimate difficult journey, go with me please. Never say you can't bear to watch. Don't make me face this alone. Everything is easier for me if you are there, because I love you so.

~Take a moment today to thank God for your pets. Enjoy and take good care of them. Life would be a much duller, less joyful experience without God's critters. We do not have to wait for Heaven, to be surrounded by hope, love, and joyfulness. It is here on earth and has four legs!

We love you Frankie girl!

We just received two surprise phone calls from both of the Docs. They are both totally exhausted from taking care of 8 clients in the last 2 weeks, and now have a short break until the next round of IP's arrive in July.

They told us that KT is doing great! She is on complete bed rest at home and her hubby is required to check in frequently with Dr. Yash to ensure that she is following strict Dr.'s orders. J (hubby) in fact, has temporarily stopped working to take care of KT and their 2 boys at home so she can continue to rest and take every percaution to ensure our baby stays put. It appears that the fold-up mattress we purchased on our last trip to Mumbai is certainly coming in more handy then we ever anticipated.

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).