One.

One perfect little baby. One healthy beating heart.

Ali and I made the trip out to Arizona one last time on August 28th. This was the big day. The day we finally found out just how many of those embryos decided to hold on. It was a long trip, and for the first time ever, we were actually late! They were ready for us though, and I think they were just as anxious as we were.

Head is to the right in all ultrasound pics!

Right away, we could see it. One little "gummy bear" as they called it. They showed us all the parts, the head, arms, legs, and the beating heart. It had a nice strong heart beat and was beating a 178 times per minute, high but perfect. They allowed us SO much time to look at everything and really enjoy seeing the baby. Then, Gina got serious. She wanted to find baby number two as she was certain that there had to be a second one. She searched around for quite a while, but there was only one. One is all they needed!

We had a great plan for finding out the sex if both embryos had taken. We were going to have them write it in an envelope and seal it. Then, Ali and Brian were going to decide how and when they really wanted to find out. Since there's only one, we asked them to tell us if they put in one of each, or both the same, without giving it away. I guess God's plan is for Ali and Brian to get to experience a little bit of a normal pregnancy. They put in one of each, so now we all have to wait...just like every other pregnant person out there!!

At first, I was slightly disappointed that they hadn't both taken. I had been imagining how exciting it would be to carry twins. I've carried one baby before, two babies would have been a whole new experience and so exciting. But, the more I thought about it, the more relief I felt. While tons of twins are born these days, perfectly healthy, and with perfectly healthy pregnancies, they still present a lot of risks. Twin pregnancies typically experience more morning sickness, greater chance at periods of bedrest, greater chance of c-section, and just a greater chance of getting huge! I'm not a very big person and like Lisa (one of our favorite nurses at the clinic) said, if it had been two, I probably would have been sticking out almost as far as I am tall. That would not be good for my little body.

Gina was kind enough to print tons of pictures for Ali and Brian, and she even allowed us to record the entire ultrasound. So, even though Brian wasn't able to be there, he was able to see the baby move and watch the fluttering of the baby's heart. One our way out, Dr. Nemiro happened to walk out to the front desk. Ali and I were both so happy to be able to see him one last time, and to thank him. He looked over all the pictures and was thrilled with the results. They made their predictions on girl or boy, and reminded us that we have to send them pictures when we find out and when the baby arrives! We said our goodbyes and left the office for the last time. It was actually a little sad. We have come to know so many of them over the past year and a half.

The drive home seemed SO long. Mainly because we both wanted to be home. Ali wanted to be able to talk to Brian and her family, and I was just ready to be home and in bed. We talked about all sorts of exciting things, how we felt since both hadn't taken, etc. I will let Ali share those feelings herself, when she's ready or when she wants to.

I'm currently 10 weeks and 3 days pregnant. Next week, we have our first OB appointment here and will get another ultrasound. My goal now is to try to stay healthy this pregnancy. I am finally feeling much better, so I'm working on getting back to eating well. I kind of let myself have whatever I wanted the past few weeks just to keep the nausea under control. Ali and I are walking three miles on the days I don't work. I drop off the kids at school, and then we go...up hills, down hills, all around. It's a great route and a reasonable workout.

So many people have asked me over the past year and a half how I could carry someone else's baby. I will tell you this, I have read many stories from surrogates stating that it just felt different from the beginning, and it really does. I don't know how to explain it, but it's not the same as when I was pregnant with my own children. I'm beyond thrilled for Ali and Brian. I'm incredibly happy to be able to give this gift to them. I love knowing that in a few months I'll be able to feel that little baby moving around. I love knowing what body parts are being formed this week, but there is a disconnect somewhere in there. I know I will always have a special bond with this baby, but I also know it isn't mine and seeing Ali and Brian hold their baby for the first time is going to be the most amazing thing ever. I just can't wait!