Week 25 - What a week!

I'm not even sure where to begin this entry.  Should I start with mentioning the few minor contractions I had last weekend scaring poor IM to death?   Or perhaps by telling about a wonderful day spent in Chicago with some of the most amazing women surrogacy has brought me in contact with.  Or maybe all the details of our most recent appointment with MFM and hospital tour.  Yep, all that in the last week.  That doesn't even include the day and half I spent laid up unable to walk thanks to spraining my ankle.  Good thing the daycare was closed and my kids were all out of town this week so I was able to get in some R&R among all that.

So, last weekend Jason and I traveled to southeast Iowa to take our two youngest to spend a week with the in-laws.  A couple of hours into our trip I started feeling some cramping which I later noted was coming and going somewhat regularly.  These were unlike braxton hicks which are usually just annoying, they were more menstrual like and uncomfortable.  Seeing as this is my 6th pregnancy I'm not a stranger to contractions that turn out to be nothing but, since we were only 25 weeks they were worthy of my attention.  I know from experience that the recommended thing to do is usually - the opposite of what you are doing so, seeing as I had been sitting for awhile we stopped so I could walk around, use the restroom and rehydrate with water.  They'd tapper off but return again awhile later, never too intense or long but noticeable so I gave Jason the warning that if they didn't disappear once we got to our destination we'd drop the girls off and head right back home.  Perhaps they were due to the inactivity, a full bladder, the simple fact that I have two babies in my belly who knows but, thankfully after getting to Iowa and settling in they went away.  I talked to my OB after returning home and she recommended doing all the things I had if they were to come again and to call her office.  She also commented that she would have advised against me traveling, which took me off guard seeing as she'd never mentioned this restriction before.  I'm still unsure if that would have been her recommendation a week ago had I asked her or if it was just in retrospect that she made this decision.  None the less, I've been told to stay closer to home and no long distances (more than 2 hours from our hospital) from here on out despite no real complications.  A week later they haven't returned and I hope to not experience any real contractions for quite some time.  We want these babies to stay put for another 10 weeks if possible.

This almost interfered with some mid week plans to go visit IM in Chicago.  It's within the radius but, she was pretty freaked out by the whole contraction episode and wasn't sure about the trip.  All was quiet from Saturday when I felt these contractions until Thursday when we were going to meet up so, we went ahead with everything and I'm so glad because it was a great night I wouldn't have wanted to miss. IM K, my FIM A, my surrosister Daisy, her FIM A and I all went to dinner at RMP Italian.  For those of you who don't know, this is Bill and Guiliana Rancic's new restaurant in Chicago.  They are a high profile couple that have shared their story of infertility on their reality television show on the Style Network and who after several disappointments and health issues pursued surrogacy to build their family.  They are excitedly expecting a baby boy later this summer thanks to their gestational carrier.   It was such a treat to spend the evening with these four ladies, I am so blessed to have all of them in my life.  Afterwards we returned back to K&S's home and got to visit with IF for a bit before heading out.  I added a pic of us all to the PHOTO ALBUM here on the blog.

I'm going to do a separate entry about our appointment with MFM, the hospital tour and meeting with the Doula all of which we squeezed in yesterday wrapping up our 25th week ... told you it was a busy week!!