The Countdown Begins

• Last week I went and got a pedicure, choosing a nice shade of pink in honor of Baby B's soon to be arrival. I like to be strategic in when I go to the nail salon in the winter. I like to be able to wear my flip flops so I can leave in my own shoes and not mess up toes. So I picked a day that was in the 60s and it all worked out fine. However, when I go home Johnathan and I were going out and it had started to cool outside so I put on socks and shoes. When we got home later that night, I knew something was wrong. my sock wasn't coming off! Finally the tale was told...both my big toes were ruined. I left it like that for a while, and then decided to just remove the polish from those two toes. I've decided not to have it fixed because I'm cheap to teach infant B a valuable lesson on how we can plan things, but they don't always work out the way we want them to. Good thing I have cute new knee socks for the hospital.
• Johnathan and I decided that it would be nice to have pictures of our little family of three (talking about our little yorkie poo Jericho as the third), before Baby B came along and made it a family of four. Luckily we have a super talented photographer in the family that is kind enough to help us out whenever we ask. So we dragged ourselves outdoors on a blistery, windy day and soldiered the cold. I think all of our hands were frozen and noses were running by the end. I hope they come out well, I don't really consider myself very photogenic and Jericho was often not looking in the right direction. I'll post some of them once they're available.
• Had my last OBGYN appointment today, for my last ultrasound and NST. The ultrasound went well, with Baby B being active and cooperative as always. It seems she's rolled over so now her hands and feet are on the right side of my body. But she's still head down. The tech said it doesn't look like she's wanting to come out soon (she's not in the pelvis yet), so it looks like we'll probably make it to our induction date of 1/24. She weighed in at 7 lbs 7 ounces, and the tech said even though it's hard to be exact at this point babies usually come out weighing less than they measure in belly. So Baby B is a very nice, respectable size. The NST went well as always. Although Baby B was being a little peaceful so the nurse said, "Looks like she's asleep, let's buzz her." And before the buzzer could even be used Baby B's heartrate went up and she started moving. I think she knows what that buzzer is all about and said, no thanks I'll pass! My cervix hasn't really changed, so the game plan remains the same. I'll go to the hospital at 7pm on 1/24 where they'll put me on a low does of Pitocin to start me contracting and they'll also give me a sleep aid. The next day they'll up my dose so that real labor starts and at some point on 1/25 Baby B will be here!
• There are benefits to being induced. I can actually plan my time a little better. I've already scheduled a hair appointment that afternoon to get my hair straightened and a color touch-up. I know it seems silly, but my hair looks like a rats nest if slept on curly and straight hair is more manageable over a longer period of time. I don't want to look like a ragamuffin. Also, they've told me to eat before I go, because they won't let me once I'm at the hospital. I think I've landed on wanting Boston Market. We don't have a lot around, but there is one somewhat near the hospital. I think it should stick to my ribs pretty good.
• WE CAN'T WAIT! YAY!

Baby B's birthday will be...

With the news that Baby B would definitely be here soon, Johnathan and I got our butts in gear. This past weekend the nursery was pulled together: cleaned out, furniture put together (crib, changing table, glider), and rug placed. Although she won't spend that much time in there right away, it's nice to know it's there. There are a few wall decals that we won't to put up, so I'll wait to share pictures until it's complete. We also installed our baby seat in the Honda and had it inspected. The hospital bags are packed with things we could go ahead and pack, just waiting for a few last minute rush to the hospital additions. We also bought the baby swing I had my eye on at a discount because it was a floor display. It didn't have the power cord, but I reached out to Fisher Price and they're going to send me one. Yay!

Had another ultrasound/NST today, we were kinda hoping I'd show up and they would say oh you have to deliver today! We're ready for this little girl to be here! But no such luck. The ultrasound went well, she was moving like she should and she sure is crammed in there. She's still head down and she's now facing the right way, so no back labor for me! She had her hands in front of her face, and gave me a thumbs up at one point. Dr. N and I agreed to an induction date, the evening of Jan. 24th. which puts delivery at some time Jan. 25th. I have to wait for the hospital to verify, but it looks like if Baby B doesn't come sooner, then her birthday will be 1/25/2012.

Due Date: January 30, 2012. 20 more days! However, we'll be induced on January 24th if she doesn't come before then.

Weight Gain: I've gained about 20 lbs.

Symptoms: My back pain has gotten worse and tends to develop even when I'm not sleeping. I think my curses and groans scare Johnathan sometimes. I ran out of my Gaviscon the other night and had awful acid reflux. I had to sleep sitting up the rest of the night and get my airplane pillow so my head wouldn't flop over. Make no mistake, I bought Gaviscon the very next day.

Cravings/Aversions: You know how when you're about to be on vacation your motivation at work flags? Well my diabetes maintenance willpower has started to flag. I'm still doing what I should, but I can feel the call of some bad food more and more. Dr. S wants me to have my a1c tested shortly after I have Baby B and I'm afraid the results may not be very good. I have a list of foods called Freedom Foods that I plan to enjoy after the baby is born. Sorry endorincologist friend who reads this blog! I'll get back to healthy once I've sown my wild oats.

Sleep: Not only do I wake up regularly to go to the bathroom and/or test my blood sugar, but I deal with the acid reflux waking me up and/or just not being able to sleep. Anyone who says catch up on your sleep now, must not remember how hard that can be.

I am loving: Knowing that the end is near and we'll have a beautiful baby soon.

I miss: Pre-pregnancy me

I am looking forward to: January 24th

Best thing about this week: Getting my induction date

Milestones: 2 more weeks to delivery

Movement: Her movements are less kicks and more just moving around. I guess she doesn't have much room to kick or punch.

It's a...: girl!

Heart Burn: Ugh, so much!

Belly button in or out?: Eh, it's a weird hybrid. I will admit to putting band aids on my belly button to keep the poke out down to a minimum :).

Labor signs?: I've started having some Braxton Hicks contractions, I'm 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced

Suck it Mayans! 2012 Is Gonna Rock!

Happy New Year everyone! I'm not really one to make a big deal about years changing or make New Year's resolutions but this one feels special. 2011 was a big year for us, we bought a new house and moved to a new state (only just over the border, but still). We conceived our precious little one and I lovingly carried her for most of the year. I've had trials and tribulations with taking care of my diabetes while pregnant. I've drawn blood in my fingers 4 times a day for about 5.5 months (that's close to 660 times). I've shot myself with insulin countless times (up to 4 times a day for a while now). I've counted carbs and watched what I ate and felt guilty when I allowed myself to eat more than I should have. I've had more ultrasounds than I can count, which are always fun but also take up lotsa time.

All building up to this year...2012. The year of Baby B! The year that Johnathan and I become parents and change our lives forever. This yearly change feels like it means something, that it's not just another ho-hum rolling of the calendar. Johnathan has a New Year's resolution to be the most awesomest Dad ever, and I have no doubt he'll do it. We're both looking forward to our time in the hospital together, working together to bring Baby B into the world. I feel that his role supporting me is almost as important as my role. And we're especially looking forward to spending time at home after she's here getting to know her and loving her. We both get 3 months off from work and words can't explain how excited we are for that. 2012 MEANS SOMETHING and we're ready for it.

I had an OB appointment today, the normal ultrasound/NST combo. This time they measured her in the ultrasound, and she's measuring approximately 6 lbs 9 ounces which seems to be on track. The sonographer said Baby B's head looked like a normal size, so thank goodness she didn't inherit Johnathan's big noggin. Baby B passed all the tests they threw at her with flying colors, so I think she takes after me with her need to achieve :). Had another cervix check because the NST showed contractions and I'm still softening with 1cm dilation (she said I was 1 cm last time too which was news to me). I have 2 more ultrasounds/NST scheduled, and THEN they're going to induce me the week of Jan. 23rd!!! Don't have a date yet, but I can now plan for that week! Unless Baby B decides to escape early.

Sugar Issues, Sounds Fun but It's Not!

Since I've last posted I've had a few doctors appointments, I'm at once a week these days. At each appointment I have an ultrasound and an non-stress test. In each visit and test Baby B has tested very well. On the biophysical she scores 8 each time. And in her non-stress test her heartbeat is strong. They said I had a few contractions on the Dec. 23rd NST so they checked my cervix. She said it was softening but no big change, which is about right for how far along I am.

One development in the Dec. 23rd appointment was that Dr. N continues to be concerned that my fasting blood sugars haven't been cooperating. She said she was going to reach out to my endocrinologist (Dr. S) to discuss, and she insinuated that she might want to hospitalize me to get it under control. That feels very drastic to me. It's not like Baby B is measuring very large and my blood sugar is pretty level all the rest of the time. Dr. S called me that night to discuss and asked that I start testing my blood sugar in the middle of the night and earlier in the morning. I suppose lucky for me, my sleeping is so erratic I don't even have to set an alarm to wake up at 2 or 3am because I do it naturally. He wanted to track if I'm high in the middle of the night too. If so, he's going to recommend a get put on an insulin pump to control my levels better. Honestly, I feel like both hospitalization and an insulin pump are a bit drastic considering how close I am to delivery.

I'd be lieing if I didn't say this whole situation has caused me quite a bit of stress, and I've had moments where I've cried because my blood sugar wasn't where I'd want it to be. On top of that, my bedtime insulin had to change because my insurance company won't cover what I'd been taking anymore. The kind I have to take now requires a syringe instead of using a pen. Plus the only needle they carry is twice as long as what I'd been using. I didn't cry about that change, but I was pretty angry about it. I now have been taking about 70 units at bedtime splitting them into two shots with the hopes that my body will take it better. The last few nights my blood sugar has been much better. Although a few times it was really low in the middle of the night so I ate something to be sure I didn't get too severe of low blood sugar.

I suppose we'll see how all that develops. In the meantime, the holidays were nice and relaxing. Johnathan and I had a few days of complete laziness that included watching a lot of Netflix. There have been a few moments of me not feeling well, but that probably just comes along with the late pregnancy territory.

Baby B 35w4days. She's a big fan of having her foot by her face.

Due Date: January 30, 2012. 32 more days! Depending on how things develop, we'll see if it's earlier.

Weight Gain: I've gained about 14 lbs.

Symptoms: Getting tired quicker (had to leave the in laws Christmas party at 11 while everyone else kept partying on), sleeping back pain, and stupid heart burn (this is the worst!) . She's started pushing on me in uncomfortable ways, last night it was the ribs (and just when I had been thinking how lucky I was not to have that issue).

Cravings/Aversions: Still crunching away on ice. There are other cravings that involve things I can't have, so it's not exactly something I indulge in.

Sleep: Not only do I wake up regularly to go to the bathroom and/or test my blood sugar, but I deal with the acid reflux waking me up and/or just not being able to sleep. Anyone who says catch up on your sleep now, must not remember how hard that can be.

I am loving: My current vacation time. Been off since Dec. 21 and won't go back until Jan. 3. Johnathan and I have had great opportunity to spend time together.

I miss: Not thinking about my food so much, putting my shoes on without effort, and rolling over without effort.

I am looking forward to: My next ultrasound on Jan. 3rd. They'll weigh her again then.

Best thing about this week: Relaxing as much as I can.

Milestones: Hmm not sure there has been one.

Movement: Her movements are less kicks and more just moving around. I guess she doesn't have much room to kick or punch.

It's a...: girl!

Heart Burn: Ugh, so much! I'm starting to have favorite Tums flavors (peppermint). I've also started using Gaviscon before bedtime. It does help with the acid, even if it is gross.

Belly button in or out?: Eh, it's a weird hybrid. I will admit to putting bandaids on my belly button to keep the poke out down to a minimum :).

Labor signs?: Nothing serious. I've started having some Braxton Hicks contractions, but they're weird and seem to last longer than I would expect. I'm nervous I won't know the real thing when it starts.

Warning!! The Stretch continues...

Look at how big it's getting!! Oh, and the belly is bigger too :). I guess those two things go hand in hand. They're right, after you've had a baby you won't be the same again. The best we can hope for is to accept it gracefully and realize that the sacrifice has a purpose.

 “Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness.” -Napoleon Hill

This, That, and the Baby

I think I'm going to dedicate this post to a few random thoughts I've had lately and a few doctors appointments that I've had.

• I know people mean well when they tell a pregnant woman that her and her husband will have a beautiful baby, but what does it mean?! Of course you're not going to look at a pregnant woman and say, "You're going to have such an ugly baby." Oh, people don't have a problem knocking your baby's name, that's within bounds, but I don't think anyone would be so bold as to insult how your child will look. I'm not worried, of course we'll have a beautiful baby :) but it was just a thought I had.
• In the quiet times, when I'm reading or watching tv or just being I sometimes have small moments of panic. I'm so excited for Baby B and really can't wait to meet her but those moments really bring home the fact that my life will never be the same. When I get those quiet moments again, they'll be few and far between. The era of ME will be over. Everyone goes through this, I'm sure. And I know that my love of her will take over any feeling of "loss" that, right now, I think I'll feel. But I will miss those times, a little :).
• Most women don't plan to deliver until their due date or after. Because of my diabetes I know I won't go past my due date, but I know that going early is a real possibility too. That's causing me a bit of stress, not really knowing when I'll deliver. It makes me write off all of January and makes me feel so much pressure to get things ready before then. Baby B has been developing perfectly, and isn't even too big so I don't know why I think I'll go early. But one thing I've learned from this gestational diabetes process is I can't control what will happen. If you know me at all, I like control. Losing it is hard on me.
• I had my monthly appointment with my endocrinologist on Thursday. As you know, I've been having issues with my fasting blood sugars being too high so we mostly discussed that. My a1c is 5 which is still non-diabetic so that's good. It means my fasting blood sugars aren't high for very long. He thinks my bedtime insulin just isn't holding it's own for long enough. So he's asked me to test earlier and eat breakfast earlier. He casually mentioned that if I was high for longer the next step would be an insulin pump, which I can say scared me. With only 7 more weeks to go, I think I'd have to fight that. Especially since I won't have to take insulin after I deliver. Anyway, we're just keeping on with the normal process. Insulin at the meals and bedtime, just increasing at bedtime as necessary. He said I'm not perfect, but I'm as close as can be expected.
• I had my weekly visit to the OB on Friday for an ultrasound and non-stress test. I was 10 minutes late which was pretty stressful for me. I think that contributed to my blood pressure being higher than normal. Luckily it wasn't outside of the accepted range. The ultrasound included measuring her for size and doing a biophysical profile. The biophysical is when the sonographer watches the baby for certain movement and scores her from 1-8. If she scores below a 6 I'd have to go to the hospital for more observation. Baby B scored an 8. Her measurements were about a week and a half ahead which is fine and honestly I'm not surprised. Before we visited the doctor for the first time we thought we were a week ahead of what they settled on anyway. Baby B weighed 5 lbs 9 oz! But the best reveal at the ultrasound was that she has HAIR! The NST took longer than normal because Baby B was asleep and didn't seem to want to wake up. They like to see higher heart rates and more movement. They buzzed her three times and it took the last one to get her going a little bit. Next week I'll make sure and have some caffeine before I go in. 

It's hard to see, but it's the hair proof!

33 weeks (8.5 months)

Due Date: January 30, 2012. 44 more days!

Weight Gain: I've gained about 12 lbs. I weighed 2 lbs more than my last appointment. However, the baby also gained 2 lbs so I'm thinking it's all her.

Symptoms: Starting to get tired quicker, sleeping back pain, and stupid heart burn (this is the worst!) . The bathroom is my BFF what with all the visits I've been making to it.

Cravings/Aversions: Still crunching away on ice. There are other cravings that involve things I can't have, so it's not exactly something I indulge in.

Sleep: Starting to get worse. I wake up far more often especially around 1am. It's weird that I find I wake up around the same times every night.

I am loving: Knowing that Baby B is growing and developing as she should.

I miss: Not thinking about my food so much, putting my shoes on without effort, and rolling over without effort.

I am looking forward to: The hospital tour tomorrow.

Best thing about this week: Learning about Baby B's hair! It was long enough to be floating in the amniotic fluid. Also, we found the pack and play we registered for on sale.

Milestones: We picked up the crib yesterday. Now if only we (Johnathan) can get motivated enough to put it together. They tend to be a pain!

Movement: Her movements are less kicks and more just moving around. I guess she doesn't have much room to kick or punch.

It's a...: girl!

Heart Burn: Ugh, so much! I'm starting to have favorite Tums flavors (peppermint).

Belly button in or out?: In still. But the edge is poking out in a funny way, which almost gives the appearance of an outtie. I gotta say, it's rare to get such an in depth look at the bottom of your belly button.

Labor signs?: Nope, not even Braxton Hicks contractions

When It Showers It Pours...

This has been a big week for me! Sunday I finally had my baby shower and today I had my first non-stress test at the OB (I have to get another on Thursday but I'll get into that later).

My aunt, mother-in-law, and 2 friends pooled their resources to throw the baby shower for me at my aunt's house. There was food, and games, and presents. An all around good time. I had the biggest slice of cake imaginable, which I'm sure wasn't good for my diabetes but it sure was delicious! We got a lot of things that we needed and some things we didn't need but love all the more. Of course, being the type A personality that I am I came home and made a list of all the things we still need and will buy ourselves, along with prices listed. It never hurts to be prepared! I feel like the baby shower was my last big hurdle before the baby comes, now I'm feeling all kinds of pressure to get everything done before she comes. I'll share pictures of the event once I get my hands on them.

Today's non-stress test was the first for me. Basically they hook some things to your belly and track the baby's heartbeat and any contractions for 20 minutes. I push a button every time I feel her move. They just want to be sure things are ticking along with her. When we started her heartbeat was between 140 - 145 and she wasn't really moving. I warned the nurse that she doesn't move a whole lot in the morning. The nurse came in after a few minutes and said, "Yep, she's sleeping" and pulled out a vibrating buzzer thing. She put it to my belly for a few seconds and Baby B jolted awake! Her heartbeat jumped to 165 and she started moving a lot. I felt kinda bad for her. Who wants to be woken up that way!? Her results over the 20 minute period were good, with no concerns.

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of being honest with my OB about my fasting blood sugars. They haven't been cooperating for months now. They're supposed to be below 90 and I'm lucky if I get that result twice a week. Generally it's in the 90s and sometimes in the low hundreds. My endocrinologist and I have been trying our best to get it under control with my bedtime insulin (I'm up to 54 units right now), but it's just not working. My overall blood sugar is good, but the fasting is an issue.

Dr. N heard that and decided we need to monitor the baby more closely. She wants me to have 2 non-stress tests a week, unless I have an ultrasound then I'll only need one non-stress test that week. So we've scheduled another NST for this week, and ultrasound and NST for next week and the week after that. She said they usually don't schedule NSTs on Friday's in case they have to admit the patient to the hospital, which opens up a whole other can of worms in my mind. I'm not worried about Baby B, she's been healthy this whole time. And I don't think she'll have to be delivered in 2011 but what if!? We're totally not prepared for that! I know it's better safe then sorry, but it's just a little overwhelming so early in my third trimester.

THANK GOD for my work. If I didn't work for such a good company I'd be stressed about all the time out of work I have to take. But they are so easy-going and flexible with my schedule. I cannot imagine what women do when they don't have that kind of support.



32 weeks and smaller than the Christmas tree!

Due Date: January 30, 2012. 55 more days!

Weight Gain: I've gained about 10 lbs. I weighed 2 lbs more than on Nov. 25th but I was wearing high heel boots this time, so I'm thinking no weight gain.

Symptoms: Starting to get tired quicker, sleeping back pain, and stupid heart burn. The bathroom is my BFF what with all the visits I've been making to it.

Cravings/Aversions: I'm starting to crave bad foods. It's becoming harder and harder to resist. Also, ice! I can crunch on ice all day long!

Sleep: Starting to get worse. I wake up far more often.

I am loving: All the love I got at the baby shower!

I miss: Not thinking about my food so much.

I am looking forward to: Having this beautiful baby.

Best thing about this week: BABY SHOWER!!!!

Milestones: Being a little bit more prepared then we were last week.

Movement: We felt hiccups last week! It was fun and she didn't stop when Johnathan tried to feel.

It's a...: girl!

Heart Burn: Ugh, so much! I'm starting to have favorite Tums flavors. Really, that shouldn't happen!

Belly button in or out?: In still. But the edge is poking out in a funny way, which almost gives the appearance of an outtie. I gotta say, it's rare to get such an in depth look at the bottom of your belly button.

Labor signs?: Nope.