Babymoon

I know, I know. I haven't posted for two whole weeks. Apologies for keeping all of you on edge wondering what's going on with us.

Firstly, we went to my gestational diabetes class on Friday the 19th. It was reminiscent of a middle school health class. Turns out there was some stuff I already knew and some stuff I actually learned. For instance, I learned how to test my blood sugar and came home with my own blood glucose machine. I get to prick my fingers four times a day - once in the morning before eating and two hours after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It doesn't hurt that badly, but I do get a bit of anxiety having to push that little blue button on the lancing needle each time.

Also, I have to count carbs at each meal and snack; something I've never done before. It requires a lot more thought to plan out my meals and snacks now. I am struggling a little bit because it's actually harder (than I thought) to make sure I'm getting no more and no less than my allotted number of carbs per meal. I worry that my blood sugar will skyrocket if I eat something questionable. My fasting level (first reading in the morning) should be under 95 and my levels after meals should be under 120. The highest it's been was 164 and that was after eating an 8" Jimmy Johns sub along with a bag of chips. So, DUH, of course it was pretty high! Other than that one day each reading has been under 120. This weeks readings are higher than last weeks, but still under 120. The dietitian said the further I am in my pregnancy the higher those readings will go. If they keep climbing I may have to start taking Glyburide, so it's important that I continue to track carbs and exercise - by exercise they mean walking 30 minutes at a time 3-4 times per week.

Last week we went on our babymoon! We rented a car (because it was free!) and drove to Nashville on Thursday morning. The drive up was very pretty through the mountains. We were staying about a block away from the main strip at the Marriott Rennaisance. We were on the 24th floor and had access to the concierge lounge (hooray for Taylor's gold status!) which provided free breakfast, evening appetizers and desserts, as well as unlimited drinks of any kind. Great perks!

View of the strip

Ryman Auditorium

As soon as we got there we headed out to the strip to shop and get something to eat. The first place we stopped in was a cowboy boots store. I have never owned a pair of cowboy boots before, so the goal was to buy a pair boots before we left. Unfortunately that store was a bit pricey. The boots started around $300 and went up to FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!! I had no idea cowboy boots were so expensive! Also, boots can be made out of pretty much any animal. We saw cow, ostrich, elephant, alligator, snakeskin, and GIRAFFES. Insanity.
For lunch we went to Merchants, which used to be an old hotel before it was converted into a restaurant. A lot of country legends stayed at the hotel - legends like Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Hank Williams just to name a few. Read more about it here. The food was great! I highly recommend eating there if you ever find yourself in Nashville.  (FYI - We ate on the first floor, which is a little more affordable than dining on the upper level.)
My back and hips were pretty sore so we retired to the hotel to nap and shower before hitting the strip for the evening.
We didn't end up going out for a fancy dinner like we originally planned. We went bar hopping where I indulged in water and Taylor drank Jack and Coke allllll night long. It was pretty cool going into bar after bar listening to live music. Once we were hungry enough we ventured into a small BBQ restaurant - Jack's Bar-B-Que. OH MY GOSH, it ended up being the BEST bbq I've had in a very long time. I'm pretty picky about bbq - the meat has to be perfect, as does the sauce. This place delivered! In fact, we enjoyed it so much we went back for lunch the next day. Fantastic! I'm definitely going to order some KC style sauce. http://www.jacksbarbque.com/
Friday we lucked out and each found a pair of cowboy boots! My hips and back were still giving me problems, so we retired early in order to rest up for our big night at The Grand Ole Opry. Not sure if you know what it is, but it's actually a live radio show with past and present country stars who get to preform two songs each. Every thirty minutes there is a commercial break and you get to actually hear the commercials. It was great! We saw Little Jimmy Dickens, Steel Magnolia, and Joe Diffie just to name a few. We had great seats in the front row mezzanine. Another great thing to do if you find yourself in Nashville sometime. And we felt extra special wearing our new cowboy boots around!

On Saturday we decided to drive to Lynchburg to take a tour of the Jack Daniels distillery. It was about 30 miles out of our way on the way home and unfortunately there was a HUGE BBQ invitational sponsored by the distillery, so parking was a nightmare. After driving around almost an hour with no luck we decided to give up and go home. It was disappointing, but we will be back to try again.

My back pain and hip pain have been getting to be pretty constant and it's getting harder and harder to control. Unfortunately there aren't really any triggers. I will continue going to the chiropractor as often as he recommends until I've got less pain. He suggested a prenatal massage for additional pain relief, so hopefully I can schedule that soon. I've noticed that I'm moving a lot slower now than I used to. I've started showering before bed so I can try to relax and sleep better. It helps a little.

My next OB appointment is on Monday. It will be the first time I go to see the doc since my gestational diabetes diagnosis. I'll be going to the doctor every two weeks after this one.

The baby moves all the time! It's starting to become a little bit painful depending on where the kicks are located. But it's ok! I enjoy seeing/feeling him or her moving around.

Weekly photos:

How far along: 28 weeks

Trimester: Third!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 141 pounds

Current weight: 136.5 pounds

Maternity clothes: Yes. I can no longer fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans effective this week. Need more maternity clothes!

Sleep: It's okay.

Stretch marks: Haven't seen anything new yet.

Best moment of the week: I just like feeling the baby move. Those are great moments.

Movement: Lots!

Food Cravings: Jimmy John's.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing.

Miss anything? Nope. I'm doing just fine!

Other symptoms: Back pain and hip pain. 

Have you started to show yet? Yes.

Sex: It will be a surprise.

Labor Signs: None.

Belly button in or out? It's pretty much out. Lol.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Moody or not moody? Depends on the day! 

Looking forward to: My baby shower this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!

Flip flops

No, not the popular variety of cheap thong sandals.

The flip flops I'm referring to are the ones that baby bear is doing in utero ALL the time. And the ones my stomach does when I think about delivery and recovery.

Let's start with the former. For the past few days this little bear has really been familiarizing himself/herself with all space available in the womb. Last night he/she was all the way over on my upper left side just moving away. Kicking, poking, flipping, I don't really know what's going on in there, but I bet its a blast. All day today he/she has been all the way over on my upper right side doing the same thing. This is new to me because up until last night I'd mostly been feeling movement well below my slowly disappearing bellybutton. It's cool and comforting knowing my baby is so active. But I won't lie. It feels so WEIRD sometimes!

Now, for the latter. I have been thinking a lot about delivery lately. And I find myself worrying a lot about it. I'm not one of those women who has a specific birth plan in mind. I'm open to a vaginal delivery or a c-section. I'm DEFINITELY not going all natural. I want as many pain killers as I'm allowed to have and I'm not shy about saying that. But what I worry about are complications, during and after delivery. What if I tear? What if I pass out? What if I go # 2 on the delivery table? What if I need an episiotomy? What if I have a c-section and I end up with an infection? What if recovery takes a really long time? What if I bleed out? I'll stop there, because my list of worries of quite extensive, but you get the idea. Did anyone else have these concerns or am I just over-the-top?

So, I had my second glucose test on Friday. It was AWFUL. I had to fast, so I hadn't eaten since about 8 p.m. on Thursday. I had to have blood drawn four different times over the course of three hours. I thought they'd just do a finger prick each time. NOPE. The first draw happened as soon as I got there. My expectation went from finger prick to catheter in order to avoid poking me four different times. NOPE.
After the first draw I was handed a drink that looked similar to the orange one I posted a photo of in my last post, except this one was the consistency of cough syrup and was twice as sweet. To say it was terrible would be a gross understatement. I spent the first hour doing everything I could to not throw up. Even the thought of getting up and walking to the bathroom made me feel awful. I promise I'm not being melodramatic. I was really struggling. Had my second blood draw exactly an hour after I finished the drink. At that point I was allowed to drink ice water for the next hour. Then I had the third draw. That's when I started feeling better and was looking forward to lunch. I was so glad to leave after that fourth and final blood draw.
And Monday I got the call. I do, in fact, have gestational diabetes. My OB referred me to Northside Hospital, where I will deliver, for all further treatment information. What they do is offer an all-day class where I assume I'll learn how to eat and how to check my blood sugar among other diabetes related things. I get to take that class tomorrow. I'll do what it takes to make sure baby bear and I stay healthy.

Tuesday I had my first chiropractor appointment. It was fantastic. The doctor has been adjusting pregnant women for nine years and was very gentle. It really alleviated SO MUCH of that lumbar SI/hip pain I was having. I'm looking forward to my next appointment.

Oh, also noticing a lot of red spots popping up on my skin. They're not like acne or a rash, more like broken blood vessels, maybe? I'm not sure if I should be concerned or not so I'll add it to my list of concerns to address at my next appointment.

Next week we are taking our babymoon vacation! Our first choice was Asheville, NC, but Marriott will not let us use any rewards points for any hotels even close to Asheville. Same goes for Gatlinburg, TN (our second choice.) So we're going to Nashville, TN instead. I have never been there and Taylor's only gone once. We'll get there Thursday and leave Saturday. So far our definite plans include seeing a show Friday night at the Grand Ole Opry (Joe Diffie, anyone?) and a stop at the Jack Daniels distillery on the way back home Saturday. I'm excited!!

OHHHH yeah! We painted the baby's room green! We used Valspar paint plus primer and the color is called Sunny Dale. You can see a color swatch online here. But that swatch doesn't do it justice AT ALL. It's a lovely, bold shade of green.

Before: tan. After: green!

Weekly photo:

How far along: 26 weeks

Trimester: Second

Total weight gain/loss: According to the scale at work I should be down about 7 pounds now. So, still haven't actually gained any weight.

Maternity clothes: Yes. I love stretchy waistbands.

Sleep: Sleeping great after my chiropractor appointment.

Stretch marks: Haven't seen anything new yet.

Best moment of the week: Realizing my back and hip pain had vastly improved after one chiropractor appointment.

Movement: This is a very active little baby!

Food Cravings: Waffle fries. But I haven't had any.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not that I can recall lately.

Miss anything? Nope. I'm just enjoying everything.

Other symptoms: Heartburn. And I do need help getting up off the couch and the floor now. Lol. OH and "pregnancy brain," which I honestly thought was a crock of you-know-what that pregnant women used as an excuse for being forgetful. I can now attest that it's real. 

Have you started to show yet? Yes.

Sex: It will be a surprise.

Labor Signs: None.

Belly button in or out? In? Out? Not sure. It's stretching out!

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Moody or not moody? Moody - feel like crying a lot. But not because I'm sad. 

Looking forward to: Visiting Jody (Taylor's mom) in Locust Grove this weekend.

Sugar actually isn't my friend

Lots of changes coming up for me! Most notably, my diet. There is a possibility that I may have gestational diabetes. I'll be going back to the doctor Friday and will find out early next week.
I had my oral glucose screening on Monday...and on Tuesday I got the call that I need to come back in for the three hour test. 
According to WebMD:

"A blood sugar level greater than or equal to 140mg/dL is recognized as abnormal. If your results are abnormal based on the oral glucose tolerance test, another test will be given after fasting for several hours."

My blood sugar level was 164mg/dL. A little high...so I get to go in and get pricked four times over the course of three hours after NOT eating for twelve hours and then chugging 100g of that lovely orange drink. I only had to drink 50g on Monday and I only got poked one time. Bummer!
BY THE WAY, the drink really wasn't that bad. The last gulp was the worst. Ugh.

Please pray that I don't have gestational DM. And please pray that I have the self control to correct my diet. I know how to eat well. I know what's good and bad for my body. Unfortunately, I chose to ignore it and this is more or less a wake up call to patch up my diet going forward. 

I gained two pounds since my last visit. It's ALL BABY, though, because the baby is currently weighing in at 1 pound and 11 ounces. That's almost two pounds! The ultrasound tech told us the baby should be around two pounds at my 28 week appointment. I won't have an ultrasound then since I've been cleared as "normal" for my cervical length measurements. On one hand, HOORAY, no more probing! But on the other, I'm bummed because I liked getting to see baby bear every four weeks. (Side note: when we saw baby bear this week we could see him/her swallowing amniotic fluid! It was really neat!)

I was also cleared to go to the chiropractor. I made an appointment at Windward Chiropractic Center next Tuesday since the doctor specializes in prenatal patients. I am a little worried (imagine that) but also anxious to see if he can help alleviate this nagging pain. I'm sure my co-workers and Taylor are sick of hearing me complain about my back and hip pain.

Last week I invested in a pair of stretchy maternity jeans, or as I like to call them, Thanksgiving pants. I had a 30% off coupon for Old Navy so I took a gamble and ordered them online without trying them on. It's their newest style - the demi panel. The pants look tight fitting but they're very stretchy and they have this fantastic, thick band around the waist. I honestly don't know if I can go back to my regular jeans after buying these! No buttons, snaps, or full panel band to worry about. 
Click here to see these awesome jeans.

We received the sweetest gift from my step-aunt, Holly. She sent us a giraffe noise machine for the crib, two sets of OSU pacifiers, and a set of giraffe printed socks. SO adorable!!

Also, the crib is ordered! Taylor's mom graciously offered to buy the crib, so all we have to do is buy the other matching pieces of furniture for the room. I'm so excited! Here's a stock photo of the furniture we decided on:

I believe the plan is to paint the baby's room this weekend. I'll be sure to take photos before and after!

Weekly photo:

How far along: 25 weeks

Trimester: Second

Total weight gain/loss: I gained two pounds since my last appointment so this puts me at negative eight pounds since I found out I was pregnant. Progress!

Maternity clothes: Yes, love my new jeans.

Sleep: Depends on my back pain.

Stretch marks: Nothing new. I've been using lotion and Save My Skin.

Best moment of the week: Getting to see the baby on an ultrasound.

Movement: Yes, I could spend hours watching my stomach move.

Food Cravings: Lots, but now trying really hard not to indulge.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not lately...

Miss anything? I do miss not having back pain.

Other symptoms: No new ones.

Have you started to show yet? Yes.

Sex: It will be a surprise.

Labor Signs: None.

Belly button in or out? In and very stretched. I give it less than two weeks before it pops out.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Moody or not moody? Moody - actually experiencing a bit of anxiety when I think about delivery. Is that normal? 

Looking forward to: Finally starting on the nursery!

Can't stop eating

All I've wanted to do for the past few days is eat everything in sight. I can't help it. I don't know whats gotten into me. I want cheesecake, Big Macs, sushi, Holy Shiitake pie from Mellow Mushroom, waffle fries, party potatoes, green bean casserole, fried green tomatoes, Butterfingers, carrots and ranch dressing.... I could go on and on. And now I'm starving after typing all of that out. 

This past weekend we took a trip to Target and I bought a belly band! Up until now I've been using a hair tie to keep my jeans up. It wasn't comfortable at all. And it looked ridiculous. But now I can brag that I can still wear my size two pants while 24 weeks pregnant. Keep in mind I can't button or zip them...but I can still fit my bum and thighs into them and that's all that matters!
I also bought my own Boppy pregnancy pillow. I LOVE IT! It really does help me sleep better at night. And the cat loves to wedge himself between me and the pillow - extra snuggles!
Also bought a bunch of longer tank tops. On Sunday morning I discovered that all of my tank tops are waaaay too short now since my stomach has grown. So I treated myself to some new ones. One can never ever have too many tank tops, in my opinion.
While we were there we went up and down all of the baby aisles. I FINALLY found the perfect gender neutral high chair AND swing with giraffes on them! As soon as we got home I pulled up both my Babies-R-Us and Target registries online and removed the ones I had settled on before and added the ones we found in Target. All in all it was a very successful trip to Target.

Belly band!

Lifesaver.

Heyward loves my Boppy. And so do I.

Our next baby appointment is Monday. It will finally be the day for the dreaded glucose test. I get to drink this lovely bottle of orange sugary sweet stuff. Hurl. I am going to insist on a delicious lunch after that visit. But on the bright side we'll get to hear his or her heartbeat and I get another ultrasound! Prayers for a good report!

"Wow, that looks so refreshing!" said no one ever.

My mom and my mother-in-law, Jody, are throwing me two different baby showers in November. The one my mom is throwing will be all ladies and the one Jody is throwing will be a couple's shower. Mom sent her invites out last Friday and from what I've heard everyone has been getting them. If I asked for your address but you didn't get one it's probably because you're on Jody's list. Those invitations haven't gone out yet, so hang tight! I've never had any kind of shower or party given in my honor before so I'm really excited about both of them. I think I mentioned my love for parties in my last post.

Taylor and I tentatively discussed holiday plans. (I love planning.) I'm lucky because I work for a company that closes the week between Christmas and New Year's, so I automatically get a ton of time off. This year I am off from December 22 - January 2. We will spend Thanksgiving with Jody in Locust Grove and for Christmas it is my parents' year to have us. We are going to ask my mom, dad, and sister to come to our house and church this year. And, on December 27 I am meeting my best friend in Macon! I haven't seen her since I helped her move to CO in January of 2009 so this is WAY long overdue.

Weekly photo:

How far along: 24 weeks

Trimester: Second

Total weight gain/loss: According to the scale in our office I have gained three pounds - will confirm this on Monday!

Maternity clothes: Yes. Belly band! And I ordered a pair of maternity jeans from Old Navy. :)

Sleep: Lovely with my Boppy!

Stretch marks: Nothing new. I've been using lotion and Save My Skin.

Best moment of the week: I really loved going to Target. A LOT!

Movement: Lots! Baby loves my bladder already.

Food Cravings: Ha, see my first paragraph.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Not lately...

Miss anything? No.

Other symptoms: Still back pain. Going to ask the doc about seeing a chiropractor,

Have you started to show yet? Yes.

Sex: It will be a surprise.

Labor Signs: None.

Belly button in or out? In, but I have a feeling it will disappear soon.

Wedding rings on or off? On.

Moody or not moody? Not.  

Looking forward to: Taylor is out of town again, so I look forward to his return and our date night Friday! AND the appointment Monday!