Week 32 Update

The past seven days have passed by in much of a non event as the previous seven. Both Darren and I are putting the finishing touches on Noddy's room. We have bought a much smaller light for the room as our current chandelier is now too low and we keep hitting our heads on it every time we enter the room. We bought a five arm light fixture from a local 2nd hand store that we plan of painting white and adding some white shades. Currently it's brass and has bad 80s glass shades...urgh. A little bit of DIY should do the trick and at only $45 it's a bargain. When complete I will post a photo. We have also finished painting the timber trim above our panelling and now just three pieces left to be painted (wait, four) and then...voila! Darren has had two beautiful oak pieces of furniture since he was around 19 years old that we are going to paint white, a bookcase from our dear friend Bron, who recently moved to the USA will also get the same treatment and then a rocking chair currently federation green will also get a lick of paint or two or three as I think it may need. The weekend ahead will be a busy one!

For some unknown reason I have been feeling anxious when thinking about Noddy the past few days. Most likely because our surrogate's WBC count has been a little elevated. Drs Yash and Sudhir were on the ball and quickly placed our surrogate on a five day course of antibiotics just as a precaution. This along with reading other IPs threads on the SI forum has helped me to relax slightly but I can't quite put my finger on the reason for this unwanted anxiety.

There has been some sad news this week in the surrogacy community we find oursleves a part of. Couples who have had negative results and others coming to their second trimester miscarrying. It is terribly devastating and I can not begin to imagine their anguish. This also reminded me of a client recently who came into my work place to book flights to the UK.

Their daughter was pregnant and all was well. Baby was growing as it should be and 'normal'. The soon to be grandparents were elated.

Then, all of a sudden their baby didn't continue growing. It's heart simply stopped. By this stage, the expectant mother was 35 weeks pregnant and just thinking of what awful sadness she, her partner and their families must have gone through gives me goosebumps and saddens me beyond expression. WHY, WHY, WHY?

How on earth does one cope with such sadness and loss? I am shaking my head as I type these words.

I suppose I am anxious as any new parent would be. Both Darren, myself and our families are so looking forward to this new arrival. A new life. Noddy is already so loved and cherished the fear that this wonder could be taken from us scares the hell out of me. I pray this is not our fate.

Onto a lighter and happier note, we do know that Noddy IS growing well and IS healthy and we have NO reason to be fearful or anxious. We ARE in the best of hands and our surrogate IS going to deliver a beautiful, healthy baby boy or girl very soon. I was so happy to wake up this morning and find more 3D scans from two days ago, the 23rd February. The scans show Noddy's approximate gestational age at 31weeks and 5days.

WEEK 32

Fetal size: crown-rump 29cm (11.6 inches), crown-toes 42cm (18.9 inches). Fetal weight 1.7kg (4 pounds). This week your baby has continued to grow and his/her lungs and digestive system have also continued to mature. Your baby's senses are functioning and by week 32 the mind may have even started to function. Your baby still needs more time in the womb to continue maturation, and the build up of fat stores.