Belly Pics

It's been awhile since I posted some...on Saturday I'll be 35w but I sure don't feel like it!

33w 1d:



34w 4d:


Chris looked at me this evening and he thinks I've dropped. I feel a little more pressure, but I think it's just more weight I'm carrying around.

This baby is so high! I feel him/her right beneath my chest and frankly it's getting harder to breathe! I have to sit up very straight so I don't squish the belly. I always feel him/her on the right side. I'm so excited for my dr appt tomorrow...I want to be prepared for the next few weeks as far as appointments and our growth u/s. By this time next month we could have this baby! CRAZY!

Quick Update

I met with the nutritionist yesterday afternoon and I am now on insulin. I figured it would happen because my waking numbers are just too high...which I really have no control over. So the doctor prescribed 20 units every night to be taken at 8:00. I gave myself the first injection last night and it wasn't bad at all. This morning my blood sugar was 94 (should be below 90, but much better than my average of 110.) I see the dr on Thursday and I'm curious to see what happens next...now that I'm considered high risk (UGH!) he may need to see me more often.

But my BP is fantastic, I haven't gained any weight since last week, and I'm feeling good (I can't get over how small my tummy is at this point!) I don't see why I couldn't carry until this baby is ready to come on its own. So we wait until Thursday.

Things I don't want to forget...Thankful Edition

Because there is so much to be thankful for right now!

Family...Our very first nephew was born this week...an adorable 9lb 8oz boy! A very strong one at that. He had an enlarged heart and a murmur but luckily he is able to go home today! I can't wait to see him and kiss all over his chubby cheeks...We are all so thankful he's ok.

Pregnancy...As much as I complain about the aching ribs (OMG THEY HURT SO BAD SOMTIMES!) I am feeling so, so good! I can't even believe I'm 34 weeks...this was me at 34 weeks with Audrey. I was much bigger (all over) and I felt like I carried so low. Sure, I'm a little sore by the end of the day, but otherwise I feel wonderful and have no problems getting around/picking up Audrey, etc. I'm very thankful to be carrying this way.

Baths... I'm talking REAL baths, where you go all out with candles, music, bubbles, and pillow. I rarely take baths and when I do I just fill up the tub with really warm water and whatever bath product I have on hand. I don't stay in very long because it's pretty boring after 5 minutes. So one night last week I decided to spice it up. I lit a candle and turned out the lights...wow, it instantly changed the mood. I found the Spa station on Sirius...very nice! I remembered I had a bath pillow so I dug it out of my closet...very comfy! I nearly fell asleep in the tub and when I finally did get out, my legs felt like jello...that is how relaxed I was. I had been missing out before! I find that I can relax even more if I just clear my mind and concentrate on the music. Everything goes away for a short period of time, and it's all I need to relax and recharge.

Diet...While I'm not thankful for having GD, I am totally looking on the bright side. There's no way I'd be able to eat this way normally. I'm counting carbs and carefully choosing what I eat. I'm making healthier choices and I feel great about it. I am shocked when I check the carbs on foods I normally wouldn't think twice about eating...and that makes it much easier to turn it down. I meet with the nutritionist on Monday and I'm hoping to make her proud!

Christopher & Audrey...I just love them so much. They are my entire world. My favorite parts of the day include them, from saying our goodbyes in the morning to finally getting home and settled at night. I just don't know what I'd do without them. I can't believe in just a few weeks we'll be adding another bundle of love to the mix. My heart overflows just thinking about it!

Yes, many things to be thankful for :)

Gestational Diabetes...I has it

I got the official news on Monday and wasn't too surprised based on my appt with Dr. K. I was able to go that afternoon and see another doctor to get more info (also, I weighed in at 148.) She was really great and gave me an order for the Diabetes Management Center. Usually you have to go to a 2 hour class but I got lucky and was able to snag a one-on-one consultation with a dietician Wednesday. Audrey and I met Chris at Panera for dinner (the last time I ate without counting carbs, lol) and we headed over.

LeAnn was very nice and easy to talk to. She didn't mind that Audrey was there and running/talking up a storm :) She explained everything...how GD works, what I need to do for my diet and how to test my blood sugar. We went over my current diet and it seems like I won't have to change too much. I just have to watch the carbs so that means cutting down on portions mostly. I do have to give up my morning glass of chocolate milk, Starbucks, and eating out at the usual places (Chic-fil-a, so sad!) I felt really good about everything when I left. Then I tested my blood sugar the next morning...

My waking level should be between 60-90. It was 114! So I already started out high for the day. An hour after my breakfast (2 slices of toast) it was 199 (should be <140 after a meal.) 2 hours after lunch it was 138 (but should be <120 after 2 hrs.) Ugh! I felt pretty defeated...I was sticking to my carb intake but not getting good results (and I was very, very hungry!) I had a ginormous salad for dinner and was relieved to see my level at 116 (a little less than the 120 mark, but I'll take it!) The way LeAnn explained it is that my morning fasting levels are very important. If those don't get under control it's likely I'll need insulin. Fingers crossed that's not the case...I go back 3/28 for my first follow up.

All in all, the finger pricks aren't too bad. I'm excited about the conscious effort to eat more healthy. And I feel great...despite the swollen ankles and occasional rib pain. Tomorrow I'll be 33 weeks!

Early Easter pics

It was gorgeous outside today. I'm in full nesting mode. Baby Burns is probably going to be here right around Easter. I have a credit to use at Shutterfly before next week. All perfect excuses for our Easter photo shoot!










So different from last year! She actually wanted to keep her hat on. She was very distracted by things going on...a cat ran across our yard; "Cat! Running!" A car drove by; "Red car!" The moon was slightly visible in the sky; "Moon! Tickle, tickle!" Yes, she wanted to tickle the moon :)

Some out takes:


There goes the cat!


Where'd he go?!


Moon!


Tickle, tickle!


She wanted to "dig"


Before we even began taking pictures she fell and scraped her knee pretty badly. She was so tough, didn't cry at all!

And finally, a picture from last year's shoot.


Love her!

3 hour test, not so bad!

I had been dreading it, of course. The thought of sitting anywhere for 3 hours immediately puts me off (unless it's on my own couch for a 48 Hours marathon.) I had contemplated bringing Audrey since she's such good company but at the last minute I decided against it. When they called me back, I had my blood drawn by a very nice lady who had no problem finding a vein (unlike the last woman who butchered my arm for the 1 hour test...) Then she gave me the drink...and it was COLD! Oh, so much better. It was also fruit punch flavored. For the 1 hour the lady at the front desk handed me a warm orange drink and I nearly puked as I tried to get it down. I was on my way back to the front waiting room when the lady offered to let me sit in the back waiting room. "There's a back waiting room? Like a secret waiting room?" "Oh yes, and it has recliners and you don't have to be out there with the waiting room drama." Ummm, sold! So I got to sit in a nice recliner, all by myself, equipped with my cell phone, ipod, and a good James Patterson book. It was actually really nice to have nothing to do but sit and read and text Chris. So, not a bad experience at all.

Then I headed up to see my dr. My bp was good and I weighed in at 145. Dr K came in all happy- and then he saw my 1 hour test results. He was not happy. In fact, he is almost positive I have GD and he even wondered if I had it with Audrey since she was so big. He worried me a bit...he said that babies born to mothers with GD don't do a great job of thriving when they are born. They are so used to getting sugar and when that immediately stops, it's a bit traumatizing. Babies sometimes need to go to the ICU. That got my attention. Basically when my results come back, if I fail two of the tests, I'll need to go to diabetes training where they'll teach me how to manage my diet & record my blood sugar 4x a day.

Well, all I can say is that this is certainly not the worst thing in the world and I can manage this. I'm very thankful this has been the only complication. So many things can go wrong with a pregnancy, so I'm counting my blessings.

I am 32 weeks, 2 days pregnant.

Baby News and Things I Don't Want to Forget

March is off to a great start...I'm so happy Spring is right around the corner!

Tomorrow I will be 32 weeks. Last week I finally made it in to take the 1 hour glucose test- and I failed it. I think I was a little overconfident. I'd had a small glass of chocolate milk at about 5 am, then a banana right before the test at 7:30. I'm taking the 3 hour test today and praying that I don't have GD. My love of chocolate aside, I am so worried about Baby Burns. I've read up on GD and I know it's very easily controlled...but it freaks me out! I'm going to try and not worry until I hear for sure.

I'm feeling pretty good but not getting much sleep. I've been waking up around 2 am every night this week. I end up going out on the couch so I can fall asleep with the tv on without bothering Chris. Luckily I can fall back to sleep quickly and I'm not exhausted throughout the day. My belly is growing so fast, but I compared 31 week pics from being pregnant with Audrey and I look much smaller this time!


At our baby shower (Nov 1st, 2008 @ 31 weeks)


March 9th, 2011 @ 31 weeks

Pretty big difference, right?!

It's been awhile since I've posted about things I don't want to forget:


Audrey is such a ham! We were cooking dinner and found her singing like this in the living room. She absolutely loves this basket (which usually holds attribute blocks) and wears it as a hat all the time! She found my necklace on the dining room table and added her own Rainbow Bright bracelet. But the Dora microphone completes the outfit, don't you think?!



She must, must, must have her "friends" in bed with her for naps and nighttime. Usually it's Mickey, Minnie, a girl from Little People, and Lilo. She doesn't stay up and play with them, she just insists on having them in bed with her.


Piling them in the crib

She now asks for Lady Gaga by name in the car. I've heard 'Born This Way' countless times, but I love the smile she gets when she hears the first few notes. Her new favorite snack is Gummies and I love hearing her ask for them...sometimes it sounds like she's saying "dummies" and she walks into Grandma's house asking for them right away.

I'm really looking forward to the next 2 months of being pregnant (hopefully without GD!) and spending time with our first baby!