Week 25 - Baby Face

This past Wednesday marked Week 25 of my epic journey to parenthood, and for the very first time, I caught a glimpse of my beautiful daughter's face. While still very tiny, you can see in the photo below, some of her features as well as a tiny hand and fingers that I can hardly wait to hold! In the past 4 weeks, my little peanut has nearly doubled in size and now measures just over 11 inches long and weighs approximately 1.25 pounds. Our next ultrasound is scheduled for December 20th, which I am particularly excited for, as I'll be there in person to meet with my doctors and Margartia (my surrogate). This will be my first trip to Panama since this incredible journey began nearly one year ago.

While I'm anxious for her birth, the weeks now seem to be flying by and I'm keeping busy checking tasks off my list in preparation for her arrival. I was very fortunate to have my parents visit for 2 weeks last month, and during their stay, they were of tremendous assistance in helping me prepare for the baby's arrival. While they were here, we put the final touches on the nursery, including hanging the window treatments and shelving. It was nice to be able to share some of the preparation with them, as up until now, they've had to experience all of this from home on Prince Edward Island. I think being here and seeing things firsthand made everything "official" and they seem quite excited about the arrival of their 2nd granddaughter. Their plan is to come back to Seattle in the spring following our return from Panama City sometime in late March or early April. It means a lot to have their support!

And speaking of support, I'm one step further in securing child care once my little girl comes home. As of today, my plan is to take a 3 month paternity leave from work starting on March 1st. Then starting on June 1st, my dear friend, Irene, has agreed to be my Nanny until September (at which time the baby is enrolled in a school for early childhood development less than 5 minutes from our home). Irene is Swedish and recently moved from Stockholm to be with her husband, Per, who is also a very good friend of mine. In every essence of the word, Irene is a beautiful person, whom I know will take excellent care of my little girl. Throughout my journey, Irene has been a wonderful advocate and of great support. As a mother of 20 year old twin boys born via IVF, she has a great understanding of the path I've taken, and the sacrifices made to have a family. I'm both thrilled and honored that Irene will be here to help us in the months ahead. I know her calm and caring nature will bring even more happiness to our home.

The support I've received from everyone has been overwhelming, and not a single day goes by that I don't stop and give thanks. In addition to this week's ultrasound photos, I also received photos of Margarita, and for the first time, our "baby bump". It was a bit surreal and somewhat emotional to see images of her pregnant belly and the little miracle growing inside of her. Until this week, I had only seen ultrasound images, so this was a pretty momentous occasion. It will be even more meaningful in a few weeks when I will have the first physical contact with her and the opportunity to hopefully feel my baby girl (provided she's active and kicking up a storm)! This will be the only opportunity I have to visit Margarita prior to the delivery, as frequent travel between Seattle and Panama City simply isn't feasible right now. The next time I see Margarita, we'll be in the O/R for the c-section and delivery sometime in late February or early March. At times my mind races about what I will say to her and how I will ever find the right words to express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude for the little miracle that is about to be...