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!!!!!!!!!!!!