Slowly but Surely!

This was taken at 34 weeks, getting closer! On the good news front, the Dr. said that she probably wouldn't let me go past my due date if at all possible, due to the gestational diabetes. I guess that's one good thing that comes from that particularly crappy diagnosis. She said this last month, she would start checking my cervix, and if it looks "favorable" we would talk about induction.

I was also able to take another peek at the baby by ultrasound at about 33 weeks. We didn't get any pictures, but she does have chubby little cheeks! She weighed about 4 1/2 lbs. The ultrasound tech said that most babies will gain about 1/2 lb. per week from this point to delivery, so we figured if I make it to full term, the baby should weigh about 7 1/2 to 8 pounds. Not tiny, but it could be a lot worse!

How far along? 34 weeks

Total weight gain: dear sweet baby jesus in a manger...18 pounds (ouch).

Maternity Clothes? Uh, yeah.

Stretch marks: Two. I'm sure they'll be completely unnoticeable after birth *she tells herself in denial*

Sleep: total crap. I wake up every morning between 3 and 4 a.m.

Best moment this week: paint on the nursery walls, beautiful!

Movement: yup.

Food cravings: I'm really diggin' potatoes.

Gender: Still a girl (confirmed yet again at 33 week ultrasound).

Labor signs: more pressure, occasional contractions.

Belly button in or out? Still in.

What I miss: Walking up a flight of stairs without getting breathless.

What I'm looking forward to: Finishing the nursery, and seeing friends for Crab Feed.

Weekly Wisdom: Level out the concrete floor PRIOR to laying laminate. It's easier than having to tear it all up again....

Milestones: If baby were born now, there's a 99% chance of ZERO complications. Woohoo!

Baby Shower

Pics from the baby shower back in November. This is a generational picture of the family including grandmas, mom, sister, and cousin.

Ripping into the loot...great stuff!

26 weeks....I thought I was huge then, if only I knew....

The hot dog game....yeah it's sexy.

Going in for the kill.

The BE-A-U-TIFUL cake from Lovin' Oven. Thank you!

The moby wrap...can't wait to use it in real life! Thanks Bon Bon!

Christmas!

This is the gorgeous cradle my dad made for Haddie....I LOVE it! We are currently in the process of staining and sealing it. Pics of the finished product are soon to come.

Christmas morning at my parents' house...he gets so excited for presents ;)

Drew playing Santa on Christmas Eve at my grandparents' house. Cousin Anna looks concerned...

Sitting with my "stash", getting ready to start opening.

Oooooh....this is a nice look. Thanks, mom. Have officially updated my status from "cow" to "beached whale". But, I will say that was a freaking awesome recliner.

Friiiickk!

Official diagnosis: Gestational Diabetes.

Still feel very irritated about this. No family history of diabetes...AT ALL. I have not gained an absurd amount of weight, I work out, I try to eat fairly healthy, in general, I'm a healthy person! This is soooo not fair!

So, now I get to poke my finger SIX times a day, and there's a special diet to follow if needed. However, so far I have been eating like I normally do and my sugars stay within a normal range....maybe I'm just a bad test taker?

I even got my very own glucometer...and it has a pretty pink cover (per my request :). Of course, to add insult to injury, it's right during Christmas....and all the yummy goodness that comes with the holidays....and, to top it off, my fingers hurt!

Grrr....so frustrated, but I'll do whatever I have to for a healthy baby (she'd better appreciate this later ;)

Oh Crap

Yeah......so much for hoping I don't have to go back for the 3 hour glucose test. Got a call from the Dr. today, she said I failed the 1 hour test miserably. The three hour test is scheduled for next Tuesday, and as an added perk, I get to be poked before I start and then every hour on the hour for the remaining 3 hours....AWESOME. Just looking forward to it because it went so well the first time.

Update

How far along? 27 1/2 weeks

Total weight gain: 14 pounds (blaming that on the TWO Thanksgivings we had).

Maternity Clothes? Uh, yeah.

Stretch marks: No. ::knocks on every piece of wood in the house::

Sleep: total crap. I wake up every morning between 3 and 4 a.m.

Best moment this week: Visiting the family in Oregon!

Movement: baby's Rocky impressions continue.

Food cravings: minimal...but cinnamon rolls rock my socks.

Gender: still a girl, I hope. With the amount of clothes we have, if it's a boy, he's gonna have to get tough real quick, because he's going to be wearing a buttload of pink.

Labor signs: none.

Belly button in or out? In. I do believe it'll remain that way.

What I miss: A good night of sleep.

What I'm looking forward to: Wrapping presents and CHRISTMAS!!!

Weekly Wisdom: If a phlebotomy STUDENT asks if it's ok if SHE'S the one that draws your blood today....say HELL NO. Lesson learned.

Milestones: Finally in the third trimester!

We had our OB appointment today and the Dr. said I was measuring at just over 28 weeks...a little ahead of schedule, so she's pretty sure my amniotic fluid level is just fine, though in the ultrasound at 22 weeks it looked low. We don't even have to recheck it, so good news. In the not-so-good-news department, I had my 1 hour glucose test today. Fasted all morning (can't be too good for my weight gain momentum). Ah well, at least I jumped right back on that wagon afterwards (hello Taco Time, my old lover). I was called back so they could take some blood to check my sugars first. They had a new student who asked if it was ok that she drew my blood. Yeah, sure. I'm a nurse. I get it. Everyone has to learn. Needles don't bother me. No sweat. Fast forward to 5 min. later, where she is STILL fishing for my vein. Finally a regular took over and got it....whew. Now that I'm a blubbering mess on the floor in the fetal position, they decide to give me a GINORMOUS cup of "fruit punch". Ladies...if you think you're getting a treat...it's a LIE!! It is a tremendously sweet, thick, syrupy-type substance with red food coloring that must be downed within 5 min. Then, I got to sit in the waiting room for an hour while I feel my kid getting a sugar rush. After the hour is up, I go back so they can wreak more havoc on my veins. The right arm doesn't look great, so the girl drawing my blood thinks it'll be an AWESOME idea to go in the same arm that the student has already disabled. Same spot. Still more fishing. No luck. So, she tries the right arm that "doesn't look good". Poke, more fishing. "Oops, that's a tendon, not a vein," she giggles. B!?*# is lucky she still has her eyes. Poke number three in the right arm...in a vein this time. Interesting thing happened when she hit the vein....she got BLOOD (funny how that works). I had better have passed that little test, because I do NOT want to go back for another one.

Dining Room

We have finally (for the most part) finished the dining room! Here are some updated shots of it.

This is the dining room BEFORE:

....and from another angle

And the AFTER....I *heart* wainscoting :)

New windows, trim, and a dining room table.

And this is the "after" built-in china cabinet. You can catch a peek of what it used to look like in the above "before" pics.