One Month Letter

Dear Aidan,

I refuse to believe I've known you for only a month. I honestly feel like my whole life I've known you. My whole life is you. My whole life was leading up to me being your mother. I really feel that way, and I couldn't be happier with you.

Your smiles melt my heart, you cries ice it over until I can make sure you are okay. I never thought I'd be able to smile and adore a little screaming baby at 3am when I haven't slept more than an hour at a time in days. But I do. And when you sleep through the night I never thought I'd wake up and check on you, I figured I'd be too exhausted to care. I was up multiple times just to know you were breathing.

You've taken my world, shook it, turned it upside down, and I can't remember what my life used to be like anymore. What did I do when I got home from work? Now I hold you, feed you, and rock you long after you've fallen asleep. What did I do on the weekends? I crammed as many work hours in as possible because I was bored, now I try to leave work as much as possible because I can't stand the thought of you lacking quality time with your mother.

I am scared to death I'm somehow harming you by being back to work so soon. I really hope our time together, althought scant, is quality time that shows you how much I care. I know it's irrational, so I really hope one day you'll understand.

My little man, so innocent. It's hard to be mad when you cry. You don't know how to manipulate anyone. You don't know how to act like a spoiled brat. You only know a few basic things (am I fed, changed, clothed, warm, secure?). the innocense I see in your face while you're sleeping literally brings me to tears.

So, my little man, I hope time slows down a bit. It's gone by way too quickly and now I can't help but panic a little because I already see so many changes in you. It's hard to adjust, but we'll work through it together, okay?

Love You,
Mommy

Routines + Holidays

Routines + holidays don't mix well with us, apparently. We happily had Aidan on a routine (well, as much of a routine as an infant can have!) and he was sleeping through the night easily. Enter the holidays, and all routine was out the window. Also out the window was any hope of him sleeping through the night! We were out all day, therefore he was up most of the day, and out late at night. You'd think he would be more tired, and sleep better, but nope. He was up every 2-3 hours again.

Luckily last night we had no obligations, went home after work, and went right back to our routine. bath, bottle, rocking to sleep. He was out like a light by 10pm, and didn't make one single peep until 6:30am.

Good, good boy. Momma loved the sleep.

I guess our little man thrives on routine, which is nice, because I do too. I get disgruntled easily when my days are skewed by unknown circumstances.

The holidays were good over here in our little world. Get togethers and plenty of gifts, and yummy food. Truthfully I'm just happy they are over. It was stressful with a new baby and not really having tons of money to throw out the window to buy gifts for everyone. The whole family insisted on exchanging gifts so we felt pressured into reciprocating. I feel bad because we didn't really have the extra money, but we did, and they liked their gifts and now it's over. Aidan got lots of things, clothes, a couple toys, diapers, etc. I'll have to take some pictures of the best items.

My favorite, most treasured present (other than my beautiful son) is a necklace that my brother and sister in law bought me. You can see what it looks like http://www.thingsremembered.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TRproduct_10001_9951_599760_-1 there. They had it engraved with "Aidan Michael" on the heart. I definitely teared up and haven't taken it off since. It isn't super expensive or fancy, but it's so precious to me.

I have more pictures to share once I'm at home, and I have his 1 month letter coming later today hopefully. I can't believe he's over 1 month old already!

I Found Santa

He might of stolen my heart first thing this morning, all dressed up and quietly looking around.
He also got quite excited when he realized there was fur on his collar, and on the ends of his sleeves. He rubbed against his collar all day.

He was pretty pooped out by the end of the day. Being Santa isn't easy after all.
Merry Christmas from Aidan, Mike, & Me! :)

Week Four

Aidan is 4 weeks old today! With that announcement I have some pictures, and of course updates!


Here is my big boy, eyeballin me and wondering when he gets to eat again. LOL. His hair is starting to get wavy, which isn't surprising since Mike and I both have wavy hair. I think it's absolutely precious! Pardon my face, the flash was really bright, and I had just got home from a 10 hour work day so I was exhausted!


Here's Booboo Butt in his bouncer. He is finally liking the bouncer. Up until this week he would scream within minutes of being put in it, but he's finally learned to appreciate it, and he wiggles around to the music just to make himself bounce. It's so precious to watch.

Aidan's version of a smile. He's getting there! He smiles his little half smile a couple times a day. It doesn't seem to be gas related, but it might be. Either way it melts my heart each and everytime, especially when he smiles at me when I get home from work! It's like he missed me. :)
Another one of us. We both look a little wonky, but it shows off his cute double chin, and mine, too. LOL.

Aidan slept through the night a couple nights in a row so far. The first time was Sunday night, from 11pm-6:30am. Monday night he got up once to eat (but slept 9 hours all together). Tuesday was 8 hours all together, with one feeding in the middle, and Wednesday night was a 6 hour stretch, a feeding, and then another 4 hour stretch.

I can hopefully say this will continue! He's an excellent sleeper. He just lays there and snores his little baby snores, and even when he does wake up to eat he doesn't go straight to screaming, he just wiggles around and grunts enough to wake me up, and I feed him and he goes straight back to sleep.

I'm not even going to lie, even if this whole sleeping well thing is only temporary, we're definitely enjoying the increased sleep. It makes my time with him SO MUCH more enjoyable when I have some sleep.

He is so much more alert now than he was last week. He spends hours at a time awake, just looking around and cooing, and grunting, and being quiet. He isn't a crier unless he needs something. I consider us SO BLESSED. I read about poor babies who cry all the time, and their poor parents and I can't even imagine. I'm thrilled to have such a good baby boy.

He's starting to develop a sense of independence. Sometimes I'll hold him after I feed him and he'll start to fuss. If I lay him down alone he will lay there happily and quietly and eventually fall asleep. Sometimes he wants to be held, but sometimes he just wants to be left alone! Just like me and Mike. LOL.

We had an allergic reaction with him, and it scared the crap out of us! I went to buy formula and decided to try CVS brand soy formula since Enfamil Prosobee is so expensive, and his first feeding with it was around 1am Wednesday morning. He spit up pretty much everything he ate, but he fell asleep so I figured it was reflux related and I let him sleep it off. I went to work as usual Wednesday and Mike called me around 2pm saying Aidan wouldn't eat, and when he did he would spit it all up and then cry for more, wash rinse and repeat. We figured it was formula related, he didn't have a fever. I left work, bought Enfamil, and came home and fed him. Sure enough he ate it all up, then some more, and kept it all down. By last night he had a rash all over his face where he had spit up that CVS formula. Anywhere the formula touched on his face and chest he has broken out in a red bumpy rash. It's slowly getting better today, but it's still there. Poor boy, I can't even imagine how he must of felt on the inside when he ate the formula since he has a rash on the outside. I feel SO GUILTY, but I had no way of knowing he'd be allergic!

So from now on we have a strict Only-Enfamil policy in our house. Every other brand of formula we've tried with him has not gone well for one reason or another. I'd rather spend the money and have a happy, healthy baby!

So it's Christmas Eve and tonight we're going to be with Mike's Dads side of the family. Tomorrow we're going to my grandparents house in the early afternoon, and Mike's Moms later in the afternoon. Busy busy! Aidan has a santa outfit we're dressing him in tomorrow. I'll make sure to take pictures. He's snoozing right now, so I'm going to go hop in the shower while Mike watches him. I hope everyone has a happy holiday!

Week Three

Here's my little man, looking confused as to why I was taking pictures instead snuggling him. This week has gone well. He definitely hit a growth spurt at 2 weeks, and I think he's possibly starting one this week as well. I try not to put too much stock in growth spurts though, isn't that first year one big growth spurt pretty much? LOL. His sleeping is going well, he's napping a little less during the day and only waking up 2-3 times per night maximum. If I go to bed around 11pm I only have to get up with him once, maybe twice. It's really nice to get some uninterrupted sleep in 3-4 hour stretches!

Here's Booboo in his car seat. I wish I was a picture to compare it to, but he used to be swallowed by his car seat! He actually fits it pretty well now, and we had to loosen the straps a little to accomodate him.
He's such an old man in a small body.. he's so pensive and quietly alert through most of the day. He just loves to stare at our faces, and whenever a cat meows he gets all excited and frustrated trying to find the source of that noise. It's super cute.
Big yawn, showing off his perpetually white tounge, thanks to the soy milk for that. I thought he had a case of thrush, but it all wipes off if I sit there and attempt to wipe it off, which I don't anymore now that I know it's just formula!
And one last picture of him sleeping, so peaceful! And before anyone gripes at me we live in Florida and it was 80 degrees outside! He was perfectly toasty and warm. :)

I can't believe we're almost at 1 month with him. It seems like I've known this little person forever! I'm happy to say my weight loss is ongoing, albeit obviously quite a bit slower than those first few weeks. I am also happy to say that the majority of my baby blues have gone away. I was a bit worried about post partum depression considering my past with anxiety and depression, but so far things are going okay, no extended crying jags or any irrational thoughts or feelings.

I'm feeling good overall. I'm not really bleeding anymore, I'm barely even spotting. I don't have to wear any sort of panty liners anymore. YAY for that, I hated it! I almost maybe feel like I could be up for some sexy time, but so far I'm holding off. I want to wait at least a month post partum, and 6 weeks falls on January 7th. I am also nervous about getting pregnant again so soon. I love Aidan, but please no more for at least a couple years!! LOL. I'm thinking about getting a 2 year IUD placed at my 6 week appt. I definitely will NOT remember to take a pill every day, so obviously standard birth control really isn't a good idea. I thought about Depo, but I've heard weight gain is common with that and I don't need to gain any weight! Plus my periods were pretty severe prepregnancy, so I'm hoping an IUD could help lighten them a bit, and help ease off some of the PMS symptoms. We'll see!

I will be posting another update for Christmas, and then another for his 4 week update. Time is flying!

Week Two + Pictures

Aidan is over two weeks old now! I already see so many changes in him. His little fingernails are already twice the size they were at birth, his toes and fingers are longer, his eyes are settling more into a brown rather than slate gray, etc. My little man is literally changing before my eyes.

The second week went much better than the first for the most part. He settled into a every 2-4 hour sleeping/eating schedule at night, so that helps out tremendously! He had his two week pediatrician checkup, he's now 21 inches tall and 7 lb 15 oz. So he regained all of his weight plus some! He also appears to have reflux. Doctor put him on two medications, Zantac and one other one I can't remember. It's really helping a ton. He doesn't spit up as much anymore, doesn't arch his neck and back to the breaking point after feedings. the doctor was skeptical but I knew all about reflux and he had classic symptoms so he relented and gave us the meds. I'm so happy I held my ground because it's helped his sleep, and helped us sleep better too. he doesn't act like he's in pain anymore. yay!

I am sick, but luckily I'm getting over it. Wednesday I woke up from a nap feeling like crap, took my temp and it was 102! By that night it was 103. Mike slept in the living room with Aidan in the travel crib so I could get some uninterrupted sleep. My fever was gone the next day, but my sore throat, headaches, runny stuffy nose, and swollen glands still persist. I'm keeping my distance from Aidan unless I'm doing something neccesary like changing or feeding him. I don't want him sick!

I had my two week checkup at my OBs office too. According to their scales I've lost 43 lbs in two weeks. They were shocked! I almost fell off the scale, too. I weighed in at 230 on delivery day, and 187 on Thursday. I am somewhere around 185 today. I'm not doing anything different, I'm eating all my meals, I'm certainly not exercising or anything yet. I guess I'm a freak of nature.


That's me in early labor.


And that's me today.

Aidan also had his first bath and he loved it! Here's an after picture, happy as a clam in his ducky towel. <3

The First Week

I can't believe our son is over a week old already! He's doing really well. His cicumcision is healed nicely, and his umbilical cord stump fell off last night at some point because I found it in his sleeper this morning.

Things have been hectic, but wonderful. He is a really good baby. He sleeps a lot during the day, like most newborns. The first week was a little hard because his nightly schedule was being awake (and crying) from around midnight until at least 7am. Luckily into the second week he's started to regulate himself, and he's been sleeping 2-3 and sometimes 4 hour stretches at night, only really waking up to eat. It's really nice to get those 3 hour stretches of sleep. I've been trying to regulate myself to less sleep because I go back to work on Friday and I won't be able to nap! I have been trying to stay up during the days this week, last week I napped every day. LOL.

I am happy to go back to work, even though it's really early. I'm ready to get back into earning money. Sucks that Mike can't find a job, because otherwise I could afford to stay home longer! Stupid job market.

My outside stitches are dissolved, I'm not sure about any internal ones. Obviously I'm not sticking anything up there to find out. Feeling pretty well these days, except for a killer headache today.

I've already lost all of my baby weight, I actually weigh 3 lbs less than when I found out I was pregnant. Not sure how that happened, but I'll take it! So nice to be able to wear prepregnancy clothes again.

Aidan has his 2 week checkup on Wednesday, and I go for my 2 week checkup on Thursday. I hope he's doing well, and myself, too. I can't wait to see how much he weighs, I'm sure he's surpassed his birth weight by now. These two weeks have been a whirlwind.. poor Mike is in for a shock starting Friday. He knows he's staying home with Aidan but I don't think he understands quite what it means to be alone with a newborn all day. He's really good with changing diapers, feedings, etc. I'm not worried about leaving them alone together, but I hope he can handle it. I can't afford daycare with Mike not working right now!

Anyway, I'm going to go change a diaper and love on my son.

Labor Story

So I've been putting off writing this. I wasn't sure how to format it, what to say, and didn't want any details to be lost in translation. It was such a precious, scary time for me. I really hope to remember it so I'm forcing myself to write it out finally while Aidan sleeps.

I went in for my scheduled induction on Wednesday, November 25th at 7am. They took my right up to labor and delivery, I changed into a gown, and my nurse set up my IV for fluids. After a quick cervix check, still 1cm and 50% effaced, my nurse popped some Pitocin in my IV line at 8am and we were getting settled in. I had Mike with me of course, and my really good friend Stacey took her time to be with me there, too. We sat around and played cards, Phase 10. I started getting menstrual cramp like contractions around 9am, but they didn't reach a painful point until about noon. By noon I was having clear cut contractions, I could feel the beginning, the peak, and the end of each one. By this point I had been having consistant contractions every 2-4 minutes for about 4 hours, so she checked me again. I was only 2cm and 60% effaced. After she checked me I started losing my mucus plug, and that resulted in pretty much constant bleeding for the rest of my labor. By 3pm my contractions were painful enough that I wanted the TV off, total silence, and something for pain. Because I was still early on an epidural was out of the question, since my doctor seemed to think I would end up a 2 day induction. I opted for a shot of Nubain, which basically made me feel drunk. I spent 4 hours in and out of sleep, only waking up for contractions. I could still feel them, even though the sensation was dulled a bit.

By 6pm my doctor checked me and I was 2.5cm and 80% effaced. She turned off the Pitocin, let me shower, eat dinner, walk around, etc. She wanted me to rest, so I took an Ambien and passed out until 4am when my IV was hooked back up to the Pitocin. I started having pretty immediate contractions. My body remembered the pitocin and kicked right into gear. By 6am I was really, really uncomfortable with such close contractions and I had to go to the bathroom. I went to sit up and I felt like I had peed on myself! I got up, went to the bathroom, and came back. I noticed though that with every contraction more fluid would leak out. I really didn't want to cry wolf, but I mentioned it to my nurse anyway. She kind of laughed and said it was probably urine, but when she checked me it was my water! It definitely broke on it's own at 6:05am when I was only 2.5cm. By 6:30am I was in tears, begging for an epidural. Whoever said contractions kick in big time after your water breaks was NOT lying! My stupid nurse didn't want to give me an epidural, since I was so closed still, but after talking to my doctor she relented and called anethesiology. I was about 2 second away from hitting her if she didn't comply ;)

Dr. Ben came in and gave me my epidural. I had to answer questions so he knew that I knew I was consenting to it, had to sign a paper even though I'd preregistered. It was over and done with in about 10 minutes, and no, it didn't hurt at all. Compared to the contractions I'd been having I would have let him stab me 50 times in the back!! I was also given another shot of Nubaine, because my stupid nurse "didn't hear me" when I said I didn't want it, that I'd wait for the epidural. So I spent the rest of my labor in and out, passing out anytime I wasn't being spoken to.

I was checked at noon, and I was 6cm, 100% effaced. My nurse said the lip of my cervix was swollen, and even though I was a 6 the lip was making my cervix remain partially blocked. She decided to fiddle around in there to see if she could stretch my cervix lip out of the way. At this point I had partial sensation in my legs, and I could somewhat feel what she was doing. It didn't feel good, and I couldn't imagine what it would feel like without any medication! She did manage to move it out of the way, and managed to stretch me to 8cm while she was in there. My cervix was swollen 2 full cms! She left for a minute, and by the time she came back I was in transition. I was crying again because I could feel the contractions and the pressure was IMMENSE. I was shaking the whole bed, crying all over myself, and all Mike could do was stare and ask Stacey if this was normal. I tried to tell him it was but I was shaking so bad I thought I'd bite my tongue off with my teeth chattering.

My stupid nurse came prancing back in the room singing "someone looks like they are almost completeeee! look at those shakes!" and I would have literally throat punched her if I thought I would be able to. :P

She told me I'd be pushing in about 30 minutes, she was off to call my doctor and then came back and was setting up. She checked me 5 minutes later and I was complete, ready to go. She instructed me NOT TO PUSH because my cervix lip was swollen again. She thought I might end up with a c section because of it. If I could have lifted my leg I would have kicked her, because no way did I go through all of this to end up with a c section. My doctor popped in, pretty cheerful considering I'd interrupted her Thanksgiving! She agreed my cervix was inflamed, but she said she'd manually hold it back while I pushed. I thought, "okay!" but as soon as she started to hold it back I was screaming in pain. Seriously pushing out my son was EASIER to deal with on a pain level than her hand in there doing god knows what she had to do to get him out. I am not happy my epidural wasn't working right, but it helped me to push because I could feel it. Oh, by the way, the Ring of Fire is definitely an accurate statement to describe what crowning feels like!

I started pushing at 1:56pm on Thanksgiving day, 11/26. I pushed for a total of 5 contractions, 3 pushes each. I delivered Aidan Michael at 2:08PM. He was 7 pounds, 12 ounces, 20.5 inches long. I did have an episiotomy, & stitches.

Honestly it hasn't been bad at all. I expected to feel a lot worse than I do. He is such a joy, incredibly handsome. He has his days and nights mixed up, he sleeps all day and it up from midnight until whenever he stops fighting sleep. The first 4 days was midnight until 7am, last night was midnight until 4am. I'm hoping it keeps getting better!

There was a mix up at the hospital and he wasn't able to be circumcised there, so we took him this morning. He took it well, he screamed for a minute afterwards, and in the car on the way home. Once he was fed and snuggled he fell asleep and has been out all day. I can barely wake him to feed him! My poor little man is tuckered out from it.

Anyway, I hope someone took the time to read that, and hopefully it helps someone else! :)

1 day old photo taken by the hospital photographer.

Welcome Aidan!

Aidan Michael born 11/26 at 2:08PM after 20 hours on pitocin & 12 minutes of pushing. He is 7lb12oz, 20.5 inches long. 10 fingers, 10 toes, & the absolute best thing to ever happen to me. So worth the diet, the swelling, the wait, the episiotomy, etc. I'll post a birth story soon.

Last Day

..before I'm a mom. It's pure insanity.

We slept in until 10am. Got up, and got online. It was weird to not go to work! We hung out and relaxed until lunch time and then we went to Taco Bell and ate lunch. When we got home we stuck Aidan's sheets and bumper in the washer so they are fresh for him, and we've been cleaning some. I got our clothes bag for the hospital packed. I am about to finish cleaning, then take a shower, shave, etc so that I can pack our toiletries. I refuse to spend more time in the hospital without my own shampoo and conditioner. Theirs sucks!!

I am also going to wash our pillow cases, sheets, etc so that we have a clean bed to come home to also. Plus I don't want to take dirty pillows to the hospital with me. LOL.

I really only need to sweep the house, do dishes, and then swiffer mop. And laundry. Then I'm finished for the day.

It also occured to me this morning that I haven't bought a trash can for the nursery yet. And I also haven't bought any pads for when I come home from the hospital. I'm not sure how I've made it this far without thinking of those two items, but I have! So I'm taking off for the store later on to grab a small, cheap trash can and some super sized pads for my post partum bleeding.

Such an exciting last day, hmm? It may not be exciting, but it's keeping me busy so that I'm not freaking out. Which is always a plus. :)

Induction Set

YAY!!

I'm 1cm dilated, 50% effaced, and he's -2 station. And this is enough to schedule my induction. YAY! I call labor and delivery tomorrow, and if they have a bed open I go tomorrow. If not, I will definitely go in on Wednesday. I'm so super excited.

:)

Still Here

I'm still here, still pregnant. No signs of anything changing.

I just can not bring myself to have as much sex as I should. I am just not in the mood. Once a day is even asking a lot of me, and I have to force it. Blah. The only reason I force once a day is I really believe it might help.

I've been walking, too. Not dedicated walks, but I haven't shyed away from any shopping oppurtunity etc that might give me a chance to walk a lot. All that's done so far is make my feet swell EVEN MORE and my hips feel like they are broken.

I'm okay though. Today was nice. Met up with my friend who's 11 weeks pregnant and we went out to the Chinese buffet and had some yummy food. Then we went to a consignment store and looked at maternity clothes for her, and baby clothes for Aidan.

Now I'm about to go hop in the shower and wash my hair. I'm ready to get today over with so that I'm one day closer to Monday. I'm hoping for some progress so I can have this baby!!

No Baby Yet

I'm still here, still pregnant, and quite weepy about it, actually.

I went in for my appt yesterday with my OB. Cervix is still completely closed, really thick, and Aidan is still up high. So no progress whatsoever.

She chose not to induce me this week, just because the risk of a failed induction and/or emergency c-section is way higher when there's no natural labor progression at the start.

Logically I understand and appreciate her desire to avoid chopping me into bits on the surgery table and/or putting Aidan in a stressful situation when my body just isn't prepared for it.

But I still am sad. I was really prepared and excited to meet my son, and knowing I have to wait just plain sucks. I'm in so much pain, and just ready to get the ball rolling.

I went and walked the mall yesterday with my girlfriend. I ate some spicy food. I had some sex.

My OB prescribed sex 3 times a day, and my fiance is actually less up for this than I am. I'm trying my best though to get in on on a regular basis. I'm just so tired of being pregnant!! Oh, nipple stimulation, too. Tried a little of that.

I'm not going to be downing any oils or any weird things, just natural, normal things that aren't going to make me crap my pants and have false labor. :P

I'm sorry I haven't been around on The Bump lately. I miss you girls but I just haven't had time! I've been so tired all the time, and so swollen and sore. My right foot has been so swollen for so long that the top of it literally feels like it's broken. Anytime something touches it I just want to cry because it feels so bruised.

Anyway, enough whining. Other than normal pregnancy aches I'm actually holding up really well. I'm still sleeping well, etc. I'm grateful to have such a big healthy boy, and while I can't wait to meet him I know it isn't going to hurt for him to bake a little bit longer. :)

Ergh

I have been feeling pretty under the weather. I've been convinced for over a week now that I'm "getting sick" but the symptoms never go away, and I never actually get sick. My OB seems to think it's just general pregnancy blahs.

I am so exhausted, all. the. time. Coupled with horrible headaches everyday, insane swelling (hands, feet, legs, and face), general aches and bones popping all the time.. it just makes me pretty miserable. I'm so grateful to only have to work 4 hours a day. By the time I get home I'm ready for a nap everyday, literally. And I'm not a napper, I didn't even nap in first trimester!

I'm not even really nervous about having him anymore. I think I've officially hit the "I'm done" point. I know I'm in for a shock of life with a newborn, but dear lord I'm so ready to have this boy and meet him and see why I've been so miserable the past couple weeks. I'm ready to move on and take that next step and actually have a son instead of just being a big whiner all the time.

He's going to be so worth it, I just know it.

Update Again

Went to OB today. Cervix is not even a fingertip dilated. Not thinned at all, and he's still up high.

She said I'm 37 weeks today, so next week will be 38 weeks. Glad to have that situated!

I'm not sad about not seeing any progress, there is an end in sight (induction) whether I'm progressing naturally or not. :)

She said weight is good, sugars are good. No real concerns, just ride out my last full week of being pregnant, because next appt on Monday it will be a matter of days until I have him.

My fasting numbers this past week dropped even more.

92.5 fasting average
89.0 after breakfast average
106.8 after lunch average
106.0 after dinner average

So yay for that. Whatever I'm doing is working, apparently.

Aidan was being stubborn. Dr Murphy was trying to get us a 3D shot of his face, and he got irritated with being pressed on and he put his hand up in front of his face and pushed back against the ultrasound wand. The whole screen was his hand, super detailed fingers and all. It was crazy cute, and even though we didn't get a shot of his face it was adorable to see his little hand like that. :)

38 Weeks

How far along? 38 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +23 total
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? My old ones are growing a bit,
Sleep: Still sleeping like the dead.
Best moment this week: The weather getting a bit cooler. Totally not baby related, but awesome!
Movement: Lots of rolling and stretching, not any real big kicks anymore.
Food cravings: Pasta, bread.. pretty much anything I can't have much of. LOL
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks, and random cramping.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely out.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: Being induced in about a week? or 2?
Weekly Wisdom: Don't take things forgranted. Not really baby related, but good advice either way.
Milestones: Being full term, and knowing I'm having a baby in a matter of days.

I'm SO CONFUSED about my due date! LOL. My original date was 11/24. Then 11/30. Then 11/21. I've been using 11/21 for the purpose of this blog, and I'm continuing to do so. My OB was using 11/30 for the longest time, but I'm not so sure now.

Based on 11/21 due date I'm 38 weeks today. Which would mean I'm having a baby within 3-4 days max.

Based on 11/24 due date I'll be 38 weeks on Tuesday. So again, within a matter of days.

Based on 11/30 due date I'll be 38 weeks on 11/16. Which would mean I have 9 days until I'm 38 weeks, and I would be induced at some point during a 7-14 day period.

See why I'm so confused? My last ultrasound where it says "gestational age" they had 37 weeks, and that was taken on 11/02, which would mean I'll be 38 weeks this coming monday.

.... I just confused myself. Definitely going to ask my OB on monday!

Even More Math

Since last week my averages have dropped even lower.

93.7 Fasting
100.0 After breakfast
109.0 After lunch
112.1 After dinner

This is 6.3 points lower fasting, 5 points lower after breakfast, 9.1 points lower after lunch, and 3.2 points lower after dinner.

I'm so incredibly proud of this. My numbers are perfect, even my fasting number is almost where it should be (under 90).

This means total since my first week I've lowered my fastings 35 points, breakfasts 17 points, lunches 27 points, and dinners 53 points!!

I hate math, but it's kind of fun to see how things average out.

OB Update

Say my OB today. Sugars are still good, so I'm still out of the hospital.

Aidan is still head down, yippee!! His heartbeat was 165, which is a bit higher than usual but he was wide awake and kicking at the ultrasound wand the whole time. We got a really cute picture of his face. He definitely has my nose, and really adorable chubby cheeks.

Induction is still set in my 38th week. It's a floating schedule, and my name is already on the list. Once they have availibility they will call me in to start the induction. So basically I won't know in advance, really, they just call and tell you when to show up. It can be any time that week.

I had my Group B Strep swab taken. That was simple and easy.

I also had my first internal exam. I'm closed up tight, cervix is thick, and still up high. So I'm locked up like Fort Knox. She was hoping all my Braxton Hicks and cramping were getting me somewhere, but no such luck. We might be in for a long induction!

I told my OB about my killer headaches, and how I've had one pretty much constantly since my appt last week. She said my blood pressure is fine, and I'm not spilling proteins, so she isn't worried about pre-eclampsia. I'm very happy to hear that, I've been a bit concerned. She did prescribe me Fioricet, though, to be taken as needed with a maximum of every 6 hours. I don't plan on taking it that frequently, unless my headaches don't go away. I took one about 30 minutes ago right when I got my script filled, and I feel a little drowsy and relaxed. Head still isn't completely clear though. I'm hoping it'll ease off more once I eat something.

Mike is making cheeseburgers for lunch. Words can't describe how excited I am to chow down. I've definitely hit that pregnancy "stuff my face constantly" stage.

And I officially have my first stretch marks! With only 2 weeks to go!! I'm not surprised at all, I had them at puberty, so I figured I'd get them in pregnancy, too. I don't really have any NEW stretch marks, but I did already have some on my stomach and hips from puberty, and those have sort of lengthened themselves. Apparently I'm pretty lucky though because last night the tips of them were all red and weird looking, but this morning they have already faded to look like my stretchmarks from puberty. I don't know how that works, but I'll take faded marks over blood red ones! :P

Picture!

This is me in all of my bed raggled glory. I look hungover and exhausted, but that's just because I've had a ton of Braxton Hicks this morning and I've been cramping a lot. I'm also at work so I'm really not in the best mood, but I'm trying!

Depending on which due date you use, I'm either 37 weeks today, or 35w5d. I will assume 37 weeks since I've been blogging using my adjusted due date, and not my original due date.

How far along? 37 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +20 total
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: Still sleeping like the dead.
Best moment this week: Reaching 37 weeks!!!!!! Having an OB checkup and being able to stay out of the hospital!!
Movement: Kicks, nudges, rolls, and flips the majority of the day.
Food cravings: Pasta, bread.. pretty much anything I can't have much of. LOL
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks, and random cramping.
Belly Button in or out? Definitely out.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: Being induced in about 2 weeks!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't take things forgranted. Not really baby related, but good advice either way.
Milestones: Being full term, and knowing I'm having a baby in about 2 weeks!

Averages

Lets play averages, shall we?

These are my average sugars since I've been out of the hospital:

Fasting: 100.0
After Breakfast: 105.0
After Lunch: 118.1
After Dinner: 115.3

Compared to my previous numbers, I've managed to lower my numbers quite a bit.

I lowered my fastings by about 28.5 points. My breakfasts by about 12 points, lunches by about 18 points, and dinners by a whopping FIFTY POINTS!

It's insane, and I have no real explanation other than my original meal plan was wrong, and through a bunch of tweaking I've gotten quite far. The only number that isn't averaging out quite right is my fasting number (should be under 90 ideally) but my OB is content with an average of 100.. it's close, and my other numbers are well controlled.

Today has been a little hectic. I worked from 8-12, then I came home with a killer headache. I vegged out for a while, then I got up and made myself lunch. A big cheeseburger on a wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, and ketchup with a side salad with diet 1000 island dressing. Mmm! Then I cleaned up bits of trash throughout the house, swept, did dishes, did a load of laundry.. now I'm sitting here about to eat my mid day snack, and then I'm going to take a shower, wash my hair, shave, etc. After that comes dinner decisions, I really want to cook something but we need to go to the grocery store!

I haven't been nesting cleaning wise, I'm just barely keeping up with maintaining house, but COOKING! OMG COOKING! I NEVER COOK. EVAR. But I've been cooking at least twice a day for the past week, and I can't get enough of it. I surf diabetes safe, low carb recipes and plan my meals in advance. It's crazy! I will admit I'm loving it, and so is Mike. He's appreciating the time off, since he was the designated chef of the house before. He really likes my garlic herb chicken, which of course made me super happy because I usually never cook.

Tonight I think we're going to watch The Orphan. I'm really freaked out by the idea of the movie, so I hope it's a good one! It's perfect timing too, with Halloween right around the corner.

Anyway, I'm going to go motivate some more and get some things done. In another hour or so I'll be busted out tired and not want to do anything else!

Time Is Flying

Time has resumed it's previous hauling ass-ness, same as before I was admitted to the hospital. I have roughly 2.5 weeks left of being pregnant. What? Since I'm being induced at 38 weeks, that could be as little as 19 days from now, depending on what day in my 38th week I'm induced. Holy cow!! I guess my OB is using my original due date (11/30) when scheduling my induction, because according to my adjusted due date (the most recent one I was given) 38 weeks would fall on 11/07! I'll take that extra 9 days for Aidan to bake in there happily.

My numbers are still good. I had a little scare yesterday, my fasting number was 116, which isn't even close to under 90 like it's supposed to be. I had a migraine really bad the night before and didn't sleep well though, so I think that might have contributed to it being a little elevated. Today it was back to normal, and things are going okay.

My biggest complaint of the moment is my absolute laziness. I work 4 hours a day, come home, sit on the couch with my laptop, and vegitate. All. Day. Long. I mean I KNOW I'm supposed to be on bedrest, that's the whole point! It's just so unlike me. Luckily Mike doesn't bat an eyelash at my laziness, he is HAPPY I'm sitting on my butt growing a big healthy baby.

My biggest physical complaint is that my legs and pelvic region feel like they are at risk of being snapped in half like a Thanksgiving wishbone. Every step I take sends shockwaves up my hips and into my "lady area" that reverberate around in there and I feel like Barbie, with some silly child pulling her legs apart until one pops out of the socket. I'm still sleeping fantastic, thank you all that is holy! I am a big grumpers when I don't sleep well. I know I still have time left, but usually women have trouble sleeping by now. I guess I'm just really good at adapting to things like a big belly in the way ;)

I guess that's pretty much it for an update. I sat in the nursery yesterday in the rocking chair for about 2 hours, just looking around and noticing the details of the room and I sifted through his clothes, all so tiny and precious, handpicked with love. And I might of gotten a little misty eyed. Third trimester hormones are in full swing with me, but I'm keeping them under wraps pretty well. :)

GD Update

Well, my numbers have been okay since I've been out.

And working 4 hours a day is kind of awesome. I'm so tired all the time, and it gives me time to do household things, take naps, etc. My stress level is WAY down from what it was before my hospital stay. I'm really grateful for my boss letting me work only 4 hours a day. In my job, there is no part time. It's overtime all the time, or no time. LOL. Luckily my boss is great!

I had one scare yesterday, I had a turkey sandwich on wheat, with lettuce, tomato, onion, and light mayo for lunch and my test number was 226!! After I picked myself up off of the floor (not literally, but almost!) I retested with a different finger and it was 119. A MUCH more reasonable number.

And I called in my refill for my prescription for my test strips, and they won't be available until Monday! I have enough to last until then, but only 3 strips extra. Hopefully I don't have too many times when I have to double test like yesterday, or else I'll run out!

I'm so grateful for the way things are. My cats are thrilled to have me home, and it's so nice to be able to snuggle with Mike again. Hospital bed + me + pregnant belly = not much room for Mike!

Thank you everyone for your well wishes, I can certainly feel them and I am using them as best I can, taking it one day at a time. :)

Busting Out

I mean that not only in terms of my clothing due to a recent growth spurt, but also due to the fact that I might very well be leaving the hospital soon! I basically broke down to my OB yesterday, and explained to her that I want a healthy baby, but I also want to be able to provide for him once he arrives. Seeing as I'm the only person working in our household at the moment (and I get no maternity leave/short term disability/etc) I kind of can't just sit here idly. I have a mortgage to pay, circumcision to save for, etc.

She is honestly scared of my baby dying. She really is concerned about my bodys ability to regulate stress & blood sugars outside a hospital setting. She was concerned because SOMETHING about the hospital my body likes, since my numbers have been good.

But she also understands my concerns and desires to not lose my job, not lose my home, etc.

She set up a meeting with the nurse from the Diabetes center and I met with her earlier. We went over the foods I've been eating here, carb counts etc so that I can take that information home to use if I want to.

I'm going to be on a very short leash. I have to limit my work to 4hrs a day, and I'm on modified bed rest for the rest of the day. I can use the bathroom, cook, etc. but I have to spend the majority of my day sitting and relaxing. I have a very short amount of time to prove myself and my ability to keep my body under control while I'm out. She hasn't given me an amount of days, etc. but she is very concerned about my sugars skyrocketing and my baby dying because of it. I can't help but be scared of that, but I'm hoping with VERY CAREFUL monitoring on my part, and a lot of prayers from family and friends we can pull this off. As of right now Aidan is in there rolling around having a grand time. He seems like a happy baby, based on the way he acts in utero.

A nurse just came in and said I have to test my sugar on my own meter while she watches, so she can document that I know how to use it, etc and then she's going to call my OB and let her know so the process of being discharged can be started. Looks like I might get to sleep in my own bed tonight.

I'm so hopeful, but I'm also so scared. I really hope I'm making the right choice for my child. I wish I was rich and could sit here and not worry, but if I want to be able to have a home to bring my child home to I need to work at least a little bit, even if it's only 4 hrs a day.

Hospital

I've been in the hospital since Thursday, October 15th. I am BORED OUT OF MY MIND. My OB FREAKED over my 1 time fasting sugar of 182 and had me admitted immediately leaving her office. Basically they aren't even doing anything for me. I'm picking my own foods, and my numbers are fine. They are testing my sugars, but I was doing that anyway. Basically they determined the stress of working, etc, was causing my sugars to jump way up.

My numbers have been low 100s and even 90s since I've been here, but yesterday I got fed up and cried half the afternoon away. My number last night was 156. Stress = high number.

I'm trying to finagle a way to get out of this damn hospital. Whether it be cutting back work hours, being on bedrest AT HOME, etc. I will literally do anything she asks but I refuse to stay in here.

She has flat out told me she's keeping me until I deliver (aka be induced, since she said 38 weeks is the magic number). I'm sorry, I've been here 5 days and you expect me to stay another 3 weeks?! No thanks, Dr Lady. No thanks.

Cross your fingers for me. I am asking her today if she'll have an endocrinologist come see me so me and the endo can come up with a plan (whether it involves insulin or not, as I'm currently completely off insulin and my numbers are fine!) that I could take HOME and use OUTSIDE.

Oh, and did I mention that I went FIVE DAYS without internet because no one felt fit to tell me that my hospital has free wifi? Yeah, my nurse was like "oh, are you online?" and I said no, and she was like "I can get you the wifi password and login, it's free".

It was like God sent this woman to my bedside.

Straight From Dietician's Mouth

Well, after today's insane fasting number of 182, I called my dietician to see what, if any, changes I should be making to my diet. I faxed meal logs, and sugar logs, and she reviewed them.

My meals are perfect, I'm meeting nutritional guidelines, and not going over on sugar or carbs at all. My numbers are indeed too high (I've only had 6 sugar levels within range in 1 weeks time) and so tomorrow when I meet with my OB I'm either being put on an increased dose of N insulin at night (currently 20 units), or more likely increasing my night time dose of N, and I'll start taking R during the days.

Hmm.

At least I know my insane numbers aren't due to my diet. I was really stressed because my OB said a lot of women are non compliant with the diet aspect, and end up hospitalized and the GD regulates with diet control in the hospital. At least I know (according to my dietician) that my diet is not the cause, and even if she DID hospitalize me, my numbers most likely wouldn't get any better based on diet alone.

Big update, not quite what I was hoping for (diet is easier to fix, and I was hoping to avoid more insulin) but at least it's answers.

Well Darn

Today's fasting blood sugar was 189!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I obviously didn't take my walk last night. I had what I can assume were Braxton Hicks? Maybe? But some serious abdomen cramping/contracting going on. So I laid my big booty on the couch and then I wake up to see this number! I almost fell face first off my couch. I mean last nights after dinner number was a bit elevated (155) considering all I had was a can of Minestrone soup (38g carbs, I'm supposed to have 45g at dinner, so I didn't go over).. but I definitely did NOT expect such a high number. That's the highest it's ever been. I woke Mike up to double check that I took my insulin last night (hello, pregnancy brain!) and he said I did, so I don't know!

I have a call into my dietician, though, because I realllllly don't want to end up in the hospital over this. And my OB rescheduled my appt for tomorrow instead of today. I guess she has to deliver a baby this morning, and she wants to meet with me personally, and not have me just meet with a nurse. It's kind of hitting me that she considers me high risk, since before the GD it was no big deal for me to just see a nurse in her place.

I feel really stupid for getting my hopes up yesterday. I really feel like my body is failing me, and it's super frustrating.

Hmm

I hesitate to say this, but I think my sugars might be regulating a little bit? Yesterday was pretty good (I managed to get 2/4 checks within range) and this morning my fasting number was the lowest it's ever been (107). So even though things still aren't GOOD, they are improving a little bit as time goes on. This gives me hope that when I go to my OB tomorrow she won't just throw me in the hospital!

34 Wks + Nursery Photos

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +20 total
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: The past week I've slept like the dead.
Best moment this week: Starting insulin I guess, trying to get my sugars under control.
Movement: Kicks, nudges, rolls, and flips the majority of the day.
Food cravings: Pasta, bread.. pretty much anything I can't have much of. LOL
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Popped out at least 85% of the day.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: Reaching 37 weeks!
Weekly Wisdom: Sometimes the best laid plans can be foiled by your body. Don't get discouraged, just react and keep fighting.
Milestones: Being only 3 weeks away from full term, and 6 weeks away from my due date!

We worked diligently on the nursery this weekend. We had all of our stuff, just not really organized. We got it pretty much completed this weekend. The only 3 things missing are the lamp (being delivered this week), the rug (being ordered this week), and Aidan (on his way soon enough!)!! I took some pictures if anyone is interested!


The wall letter stickers & decorative stickers that match the bedding.

Really cute baby toy/blankie that currently lives on the handle of the car seat (which is covered with a blanket because my cats LOVE the car seat for some reason).
Bouncer..
Comfort corner. LOL. Rocking chair, with the comforter from the crib set on the back, and a baby blanket on the seat. Boppy pillow, too.

Dresser packed with clothes, stroller folded up, baby bather, bath items, etc.
Swing!
Adorable sign we got at our shower
Wall letter stickers over the closet doors
Pooh Bear found our travel crib we set up, luckily she's already bored with it and hasn't touched it since.
Surprise! My big fat feet after a 10 hour work day. Mind you I have an office, sit down job. I couldn't imagine if I was on my feet all day! Notice the ROLLS on my feet. That's the epitome of sexy right there.


So moving on, my blood sugars still aren't under control. I'm trying my best not to stress out (read somewhere stress can adversely effect blood sugar), eat according to meal plan, and keep track. I have a catch up phone appointment with my dietician this Wednesday, and another appointment with my OB on Wednesday, too. Hopefully my numbers will average out a little bit better this week than last week! I'm really, really hoping my OB will see that I'm TRYING and not send me packing my way to the hospital for the remainder of the pregnancy.

Anyway, I'm going to go enjoy the rest of my weekend! Hope everyone else is having a good weekend, too.

Insulin

Well yesterday I took to heart everything my dietitican reccomended, and I ate something every 2 hours. I didn't miss one single oppurtunity to put something in my mouth. LOL. My sugar was high yesterday morning (as expected, hence the insulin), but my day time numbers were perfect. Once I hit dinner time it jumped to 142 after dinner, but I took my insulin, had my bed time snack, and went to bed.

I woke at 3am to test, just to make sure the insulin hadn't dropped my sugar TOO low, and it was 149. Upon waking it was 141.

I had the same breakfast as yesterday, 1 piece of wheat toast with a dab of peanut butter. I was skeptical, but my nutritionist swears by that breakfast. So, I had it yesterday and my number was fine. I had it this morning, and my number was 141. I almost fell out of my chair. I will admit to shedding a couple tears of frustration.

I had my mid morning snack, and mozzarella string cheese, same as yesterday. I'm crossing my fingers that my number is a little better before lunch. I'm having a grilled chicken sandwhich with lettuce, tomato, and light mayo on wheat bread for lunch.

I went from dealing pretty good with GD to suddenly being really, really freaked out. I was fine until she mentioned hospital bedrest. My bills and my bank account can't afford that and it really has me freaking out. I know insulin takes a couple days to regulate in the body, so I'm hoping in about two days my numbers will decrease a bit.

OB Appt

Things went well. She put me on insulin, 20 units. But I don't know what times. I pick up my prescription tonight, and tomorrow afternoon I have a meeting with my diabetes nurse to set up an insulin schedule.

My OB was very concerned in general, and bumped my appointments up to once a week effective now. She said if my sugars aren't under control in about two weeks I will be forced into hospital bedrest so they can MAKE my blood sugar cooperate.

Not what I wanted to hear. I feel like this whole diabetes things went from 0-60 in about 2 seconds! I knew my numbers weren't good, but I thought some insulin would help that and things would be okay. Then next thing I know it she's mentioning hospital bedrest, and how I will only be pregnant a maximum of 5 more weeks because my placenta is already deteriorating a bit from the diabetes.

What? I mean I know I'm only 6.5 weeks from my due date, but 5 weeks (or sooner!) is really really soon. I guess I'm a bit freaked out.

And I'm really scared of the hospital bed rest, so I'm going to literally try any and everything possible to get everything under control. Which I was before, but I'll keep trying. I can't afford to sit in the hospital on IV insulin just so they can monitor me. I'm the only one of us who works! The bills wouldn't get paid. Not good.

I refuse to think any more about that. It won't come to that, hopefully.

33 Weeks + Dietician Appt

How far along? 33 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +20 total
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: The past week I've slept like the dead.
Best moment this week: The plethora of movement he's been doing!
Movement: Kicks, nudges, rolls, and flips the majority of the day.
Food cravings: Pasta, bread.. pretty much anything I can't have much of. LOL
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Popped out at least 85% of the day.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: Reaching 37 weeks!
Weekly Wisdom: Sometimes the best laid plans can be foiled by your body. Don't get discouraged, just react and keep fighting.
Milestones: Being only 4 weeks away from full term, and 7 weeks away from my due date!

So I met with my dietician this morning. She is concerned about why my fasting sugars are always 30ish points higher than they should be. For this she's putting me on insulin at nights, to help the fasting sugars in the morning. She is giving me one week to try to finagle a way to get my lunch/dinner sugars down by tweaking my foods, and if they are still high then I will be put on insulin during the day, too. This really didn't turn out the way I had hoped.

I was about to cry in the office. I brought my food journal where I've logged every item of food I've eaten ever since I found out I had GD and she said I'm doing everything 150% correct, but my body just is NOT reacting to diet and exercise, so it's time to step it up. She said since I have so little time left we really need to step it up quicker than she would with other patients, because every week that goes by he's just getting bigger and bigger, and my sugars are getting higher and higher.

Boo.

At least I know I'm not doing anything wrong though. It's really nice to know that everything I'm doing is helping, just not enough.

So, I see my OB later this morning. I'm supposed to relay the message about the insulin. I'm not sure at what point I will be started on the insulin, but at least we have a plan of action.

Updates

Well tomorrow I see my dietician again, and then my OB later on in the morning. I'm glad, because my sugars are all out of whack.

I can eat a cup of peaches in light syrup and have a perfect sugar, and have a salad and it'll be over 200??

Definitely strange.

My average for last week was 128.5 fasting. 117 after breakfast. 136.2 after lunch. and 165.4 after dinner. Obviously not good.

Really irritating, and it makes me not even want to eat because things aren't as well under control as I'd hoped. I guess knowledge about diabetes doesn't neccesarily translate into my body DOING what it needs to do. Who knew :P

Dedication Does Not Always Equal Success

So despite my best efforts so far, the only time my blood sugars are within normal range is when I skip a meal entirely, and skip snacks. Even my fasting sugars first thing in the morning are too high.

It's frustrating to do everything 100% correct, and to know my body just can't conform to what needs to happen.

I'm not giving up, still trying new things, and trying my hardest to avoid medication if at all possible, though my OB doesn't seem to think it's looking very good at the moment.

GD Update

So I went to my appt today with my GD nurse and Dietician. I'm on a fairly simple plan.

Test Fasting blood sugar
Breakfast: 1 carb, 2oz protein, and 1 fat
Test sugar 2 hours after first bite
Snack: 2 carbs, optional protein
Lunch: 3 carbs, 3 oz protein, and 2 fats
Test sugar 2 hours after first bite
Snack: 1 carb, 1 protein
Dinner: 3 carbs, 3 oz protein, 2 fats
Test 2 hours after first bite
Snack: 1.5 carbs, 1oz protein

Viola! (1 carb = 1 serving = 15 grams of any given carbohydrate I choose)

I tested in front of my nurse to show her I knew how to work the machine and it was 155, but it was only 1 hour after eating breakfast. I tested again after what would have been my lunch time, but I didn't get to eat!! It was 83, which is to be expected because at that point I hadn't eaten in 5 hours. I did manage my afternoon snack (some sliced chicken breast, and a string cheese) and I am ready for dinner!

Anyway, just thought I'd put up my plan in case anyone else was wondering what a GD diet plan might look like. :)

32 Weeks!

How far along? 32 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +22 total
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: The past week I've slept like the dead.
Best moment this week: Hearing his heartbeat at our appt.
Movement: Kicks, nudges, rolls, and flips the majority of the day.
Food cravings: It varies so much.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Popped out at least 75% of the day.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: Baby shower October 3rd!
Weekly Wisdom: The Gestational Diabetes diet is really not hard at all.
Milestones: Being only 5 weeks away from full term, and 8 weeks away from my due date!

On The Hunt

So yesterday for lunch I had a McDonalds Southwest salad with grilled chicken, and for dinner I had a chef salad.

I'm so happy I love salads. I'm sure my body is loving this extra fiber, too. I really had been slacking on my fiber intake previously. Anyway, I'm on the hunt for some good diabetes safe recipes, things that are simple to make + pack a lunch, etc. I'm not a cook by any means, I can make simple things though!

Anyone have any good resources for meal ideas, easy to pack lunches, etc? :) As much as I love salads I won't be loving them 8 weeks from now if I keep eating them all the time. I need some variety!

K, I'm off to go search google for some ideas.

Changes!

So of course I can't eat how I used to. I was low carbing when I found out I was pregnant, but quickly abandoned that lifestyle once I got my positive pregnancy test. I am essentially back to low carbing, minus the strict induction stage. My nurse told me to go ahead and eat like normal, until I go to the diabetes place and get a meal plan. But I just can't, now that I know I have GD it seems important to me to try to regulate things as much as possible starting immediately.

For lunch yesterday I had a 6 inch turkey sub on whole wheat bread, with lettuce and tomato. For dinner I had a lean cuisine with grilled chicken and brown rice and veggies. And for breakfast this morning I had an egg omelette with bell peppers, onion, and ham, with a slice of whole wheat toast.

My nurse wanted to know what I was eating, so I called her this morning to report in and she seemed shocked that I'm not only willing to eat this way, but that I actually kind of look forward to it. She said I'm right on track the way I should be to manage my GD.

Not sure why she's surprised, I told her I am very well versed with diabetes, and I used to low carb, so neither is a big challenge for me.

I sound like I'm gloating, but I'm so not. Really what I'm hoping for is once my sugars are under control that I will be able to feel a little bit better, and not have such drastic drops in mood and energy levels throughout the day. Those drops make working really hard, because mid day I get bad headaches, and my whole mood plummets. Which when you work with the public makes things difficult. :P

Fail

Definitely failed my 3 hour glucose test. One of my levels was double what it should have been, and not one single level was within range.

Gestational Diabetes, here I come.

31 Weeks!!

How far along? 31 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +20 total
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: Can't get enough of it, but it's uncomfy a lot and I toss & turn.
Best moment this week: Having people start to be excited over the baby shower.
Movement: Kicks, nudges, rolls, and flips the majority of the day.
Food cravings: It varies so much.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Popped out at least 50% of the day, usually more.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: Baby shower October 3rd!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't beat yourself over the gestational diabetes tests. It really isn't the end of the world.
Milestones: Being only 6 weeks away from full term!

3 Hour Glucose Test

Well, today was the day. I took the test this morning. The wait was brutal, as I had imagined. No TV or reading material will do that. I brought some magazines, but I breezed through those quickly.

The blood draws weren't very pleasant, but not too big of a deal. I don't mind getting blood drawn but 4 times in the same spot gets a little sensitive. LOL.

If the way I feel right now is any indication of pass/fail, I say fail. I was very, very shaky, headachey, dizzy, and sweating profusely. I feel better now that I ate, but I didn't feel anything like that when I passed my first glucose test. I guess we'll see!

Failed Glucose Test

ERGH!

I took the glucose test again last Tuesday, and my nurse called me last night to tell me I failed. My levels were 174, and normal is considered under 140. She said there is no borderline about it, I definitely have to take the 3 hour glucose. And I have to take it Monday, and I can't even go to work without taking it. She's making it out to be a national emergency.

I'm a little concerned, only because I'm worried about our baby. I'm not worried about ME so much, I know a lot about diabetes. My mom was a severe diabetic, and so I'm very well accustomed to diabetic foods, testing blood sugars, etc. I'm confident I would be able to keep everything under control.

But now I kind of feel like a failure, and like OMG what if my son is at risk? It's a shame, to feel this way. And I can only imagine how I'm going to feel on monday. Last Tuesday I was a wreck after I drank the drink, I had killer headaches, I was dizzy with hot flashes, it was gross. Thank goodness Mike was with me to drive me back to work, because I felt horrible! I'm making him go with me on monday, too, even though he expressed that he didn't want to sit there with me all day. LOL. The lab I go to is super lame, no TV, not nearly enough air conditioning, no magazines or newspapers, not even any pictures on the walls! Just a big room, full of angsty, angry people.

Of course he IS going with me.. since my nurse mentioned that if I felt that bad after the 1 hour, the 3 hour would be really rough on me. She seems to think my reaction to the one hour means I have gestational diabetes, I took the offensive, but I'm not so sure anymore.

Keep fingers crossed for us! I won't find out my results until later in the week, maybe at my OB appt on Wednesday, but possible not until later than that. I hate waiting!

30 Weeks!

How far along? 30 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +20 total
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: Can't get enough of it, but it's uncomfy a lot and I toss & turn.
Best moment this week: reaching 30 weeks, 75%!
Movement: Kicks, nudges, rolls, and flips the majority of the day.
Food cravings: It varies so much.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Starting to pop out more and more, but it's still in sometimes.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: Baby shower October 3rd!
Weekly Wisdom: Umm... eat. LOL
Milestones: 30 weeks is a nice milestone, 75% complete! LOL

Another Week..

Baby shower drama is completely gone. Or at least, if it's still around then I'm not aware of it. I prefer it this way. I can't stand knowing there is tension around. We made some purchases this last weekend, some more clothes. Oh my gosh adorable! I'll have to post photos later on. I also apparently skipped this weeks belly photo and quiz. I turn 30 weeks on Saturday, and it's Thursday now.. so I guess I'll wait until then.

And HOLY MOTHER OF GOD I'LL BE THIRTY WEEKS PREGNANT on SATURDAY!!

Words can't describe how much that simultaniously freaks me out and makes me super excited.

Baby Shower ?

So there was a bit of baby shower drama going on yesterday. Suffice it to say I spent about half my day in tears with Mike trying to console me. I was trying to help out the people throwing my shower, and somehow ended up insulting someone. This person isn't my family, but I still feel badly about it. I honest to god was trying to help out to EASE stress, and somehow ended up CAUSING stress. Go effing figure, right!

So as yesterday Mike and I decided we shall just sit like little children and wait politely until the shower gets here. We won't try to help, or make things any easier. Just sit and wait. We don't want to step on any toes, or make anyone feel taken advantage of, make anything hard, etc.

Really, all I want is my 20 closest family and friends in one spot, with a cake, maybe some finger foods, and a couple gifts thrown in would be nice. I don't need a themed shower, I don't need 50 people there, or a full spread of food items. Just people, love, fun, and maybe a cake. because I'm pregnant and cake sounds gooooood. ;)

My family is still super unexcited and uninvolved. They like to look at my big fat belly, but have no real correllation with the fact that big belly = future family member. Yah, they are clueless in the most insulting of ways.

I hope things go off without a hitch. I hope all family and friendly ties are kept in tact after the shower. I just don't understand WHAT IN THE WORLD makes people so WEIRD about baby showers and pregnant people and shiz. I'm still me. Just pregnant.

Random Purchases

So we went shopping yesterday. I decided to try to stock up on some random items that I probably wouldn't get at my shower. We bought some wall decals, a baby bottle scrubber, extra nipples for the bottles we registered for, Mylicon, infant colic tablets, diaper rash cream, a 4 pack of burp cloths, and 2 outfits. Check out this ADORABLE freaking overall set.


And I nearly died when I found this outfit, it's like a little mini golfer! So preppy and precious.


I'm happy with our purchases. Next up on our list is more decorative items for the nursery. I need to buy the rug, lamp, and wall hangings to complete our nursery set. We put them on our registry, but I'd rather purchase those ourselves and let people buy us things we need, like the pack n play, bouncer, swing, etc. :)

I'm also past 28 weeks, obviously. I can't believe how quickly time is flying!

28 Weeks!

How far along? 28 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +19 total
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: Can't get enough of it.
Best moment this week: Having a good check up, hearing his heart beating away.
Movement: Back to normal, kicks and nudges all around.
Food cravings: It varies so much.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Starting to pop out more and more, but it's still in sometimes.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: Baby shower which will be at some point in October. LOL
Weekly Wisdom: Don't feel stupid stocking up on diapers, creams, and things. I'm proudly hitting the baby isle yet again today while I grocery shop, and Aidan shall have even more diapers to poop in later on.
Milestones: 3rd trimester, people starting to talk about baby shower, belly button popping out, first rib kicks... time is flying!

Everything Is A-OK

Had check up today. My OB was sick, so I didn't get our ultrasound. I did get to hear his heartbeat with the doppler though, which I've never done before. Usually we just hear it during the ultrasound. He is doing fine, I'm doing fine. His heartbeat was 155 at first, but bumped up to 163 while he was moving around. He kept kicking the wand and it made the worst noise!

Next appointment is scheduled for 9/23/2009. Another month! Hard to believe that after this next appointment our appointments will go to every 2 weeks. Insane how time flies!

My entire stomach is moving around right now, he's punching me in the ribs. I say punch because apparently he is breech. I guess at my next appointment we will see if he's flipped around. She seemed more concerned about him being breech than I am, I figure he has plenty of time to flip. Oh well. :P

27 Weeks

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +19 total
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: Can't get enough of it.
Best moment this week: Buying our first diapers and wipes. The check out lady side eyed me though.
Movement: Actually a little less the past few days. I think he's in a growth spurt.
Food cravings: It varies so much.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? Depending on his position, it pops out half way at least a couple times a day.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: OB appt on Wednesday! I hope he has turned around so we can get a 3D shot of his face!
Weekly Wisdom: Sleep sleep sleep. Oh, and ask people about diapers BEFORE you go to the store. I always knew there was 15 different brands, but actually being there made it super hard to make a decision.
Milestones: 3rd trimester!

3rd Trimester

So apparently I'm in 3rd trimester as of today. !!!!!!!!!!!!

:D

26 Weeks!

How far along? 26 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +17 total
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: Can't get enough of it.
Best moment this week: Actually SEEING kicks from the outside. Mike STILL hasn't felt it! Everytime he puts his hand there Aidan stops immediately.
Movement: Getting more and more frequent.
Food cravings: It varies so much.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In, but getting more shallow.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: 3rd trimester & OB appt next week.
Weekly Wisdom: Strawberry cheesecake ice cream cures every ailment.
Milestones: We hit double digits! And also seeing kicks from the outside is a pretty big milestone to me!

99 Days!

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!

Okay, freakout over.

I'm in the double digits people!! And to celebrate, I shall go shopping this weekend, which I do every weekend, but this weekend will be even more special because I'm getting so close! Time to start stocking up on diapers, creams, wipes, and things. My friend started at the beginning of 3rd trimester and she didn't have to buy any diapers, wipes, creams, or clothes until her daughter was almost a year old! That's my kind of idea. I heard I need to be careful with the wipes though, and some brands dry out I guess? I need to look into that further. ;)

I'm so incredibly excited, I FINALLY feel like I'm progressing. 3rd trimester will be amazing I hope!

:D :D

Oh Boy..

I don't feel very good. I think my salad expanded in my stomach and now it's really hard and it physically hurts. I know it's normal, but I bloat after lunch every single day and it hurts so bad. I never bloat after breakfast or dinner. I don't understand! It's so uncomfortable, makes breathing feel labored and feels slightly crampy-like.. I just want to lay down, but I'm at work.

And what types of stretches does everyone do? The past couple of days my middle back(right by my bra hooks) hurts so bad. I know the extra weight, the baby bump, my gigantic boobs, and my poor posture don't help the situation.

I try not to whine too much, but today I'm absolutely miserable. I just want to lay in a hot tub and then go to bed and start over tomorrow. This is my first "miserable" pregnant moment. :(

25 weeks.. A Little Late

How far along? 25 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +18 total. .
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: Can't get enough of it.
Best moment this week: Feeling definite kicks from the outside. Mike hasn't felt them yet, though.
Movement: Several bouts of movement per day, getting more frequent.
Food cravings: It varies so much.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: Double digits, and 3rd trimester!
Weekly Wisdom: On days when life is really stressing you out, just eat some ice cream and block out the stupidity.
Milestones: Almost double digits!

This week has been insane! We went this weekend and picked up more baby items, some sleepers, some onesies, a hat & sock set, and 1 outfit. I also got to see the bouncer that I want in person. It's just as cute as I'd hoped. :)

Work has been insane, working overtime and just being stressed out a bit in general. Customers being angry and mean to me. Yesterday was weird, every single person I talked to was rude to me. By the end of the day I just wanted to sit down and cry. I didn't though, but boy did I want to!

This weekend I think we're going to buy some wall letters and paint them to match the bedding and hang them over the crib. I'll definitely post pictures once that little endeavor is finished! :)

So...

I haven't had a blog comment in forever. It's my fault, I never comment on anyone else's either. This week I've tried to do more commenting, in hopes that more people would read my blog and comment, too. That's how karma works, right? LOL

I feel good lately. Still a bit in shock as the days tick down. Somehow I guess I was in pregnancy denial or something? But the rolling around and kicking and things going on in my uterus don't lie! This is definitely the best point in my pregnancy so far. I've been so blessed with how things have worked out so far with no morning sickness, etc. My only complaint is the horrible, insane, horrifying mood swings I experienced. LOL But something about feeling him in there moving around is SO reassuring and comforting. And I treasure the times he's moving while I'm alone, in a quiet place, where I can just sit there, hold my belly, and bond a bit with him.

OMG I'm such a sap. I'll shut up now. ;)

24 Weeks + Pictures

Here's my 24 week picture! I look tired, and bored, but I had just woken up :P




How far along? 24 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +15 total. .
Maternity clothes? About 95%
Stretch marks? No new ones!
Sleep: Can't get enough of it.
Best moment this week: Finding out that we're having a boy, and settling on a name: Aidan!
Movement: Several bouts of movement per day, getting more frequent.
Food cravings: It varies so much.
Gender: BOY!!
Labor Signs: None
Belly Button in or out? In.
What I miss: Being able to do a lot of things in one day without cramping/swelling/aching.
What I am looking forward to: Baby shower, whenever that will be.
Weekly Wisdom: If OJ doesn't wake baby up for the ultrasound, chocolate might. I ate a mini kit kat about 10 mins before and he was moving all over the place!
Milestones: They sat 24 weeks is the viability point, where if he was born now he might have a really slim chance of survival. No thanks, though, I'll keep him in for a while longer!

This is a onesie we bought Aidan. Mike is super handy, so it's adorable!

This is Tigger, one of our cats, all snuggled up in the crib. She's taking offense to the fact that she won't be the baby anymore. :P