33 is hitting hard. Between SI joint pain (read: my hips hurt. It hurts to walk and sometimes to stand. Weeee!), sore abdominal muscles, and general hugeness I'm having a hard time getting around or sitting comfortably. I also strained my lower abdomen moving furniture. My bad. Kraig was quick to remind me to wait until he is home for his help. Will that deter me in the future from "doing too much"? If you know what the nesting instinct is like, you know the answer to that is "likely not". It's just a sore muscle, no harm to baby, though I have been trying to take it a little easier.
My chiropractor appointment is today and I fully expect to feel quite a bit better after that. I know some of you who've never been to the chiro are rolling your eyes at me, and to that I say... that's because you've never been! They are amazing. Can't deny real improvement in pain :-) I can't wait!
So, 7 weeks or less (or more... don't remind me!) Remember how I said it was 50 days last time? I really should count for myself before listening to SOMEBODY ELSE (I don't think she is reading this but if she is, maybe I just heard her wrong? :-P) Anyway, it's really less than 50 days this time. Promise.
I think our midwife appointment last week and getting some projects done around this house has really helped me feel like we're almost ready.
Baby Tiny is ~4.5 lbs this week- I think he had a growth spurt because he's very, very close to my ribs now. Eek! He's mostly just gaining weight and developing his lungs until the end. Every day counts!
I met with my nutritionist/diabetic counselor for the last time this week. My numbers looked okay to her- we identified a few foods (potatoes, beans) that I should really limit but overall I can slightly increase my carb intake, mostly when snacking. I was happy to hear good news! Looks like I will avoid medication! I'm very excited about that. I'll have to see what my midwife says about another ultrasound though. I *think* she'll want to monitor baby towards the end, but I forget what she had said about it pre-diagnosis. She returns from vacation this week and we have our next appointment on Wednesday.
My next hurdle is to "pass" my next (final?) blood draw. I've been supplementing iron to treat my anemia, and if my numbers dropped from the last time (at 28 weeks) I'll be risked out (i.e. have to birth in hospital.) I can't imagine that my numbers have dropped, though, and I generally don't feel as iron-deficient as I did previously so here's hoping my iron levels are good!
I may be sore and uncomfortable, but Kraig and I are both just so excited for Baby Tiny to get here!
30 September 2011
25 September 2011
Polish Festival (aka NoPoPo Fest Round 2)
After a year of wonderful firsts here in Portland, the Polish Festival was finally the first "second time" we've done something. "Na zdrowie" (cheers) to many more years of attending this festival. It's really a great one, and we love that it's always near Kraig's birthday.
(From our time there last year. Oh my gosh, you guys- Owen was wearing the exact same outfit last year as this year. How hilarious is that.... He's been wearing the same size for over a year. Something tells me he's grown up and thinned out, but you can check the photos for yourself.)
Donna and Gordon joined us for the evening, but according to our camera only two of the 5 of us were there... Oops!
The entertainment for the kids this year was MUCH better than last year- two bounce houses, a snack tent, face painting, chalk.... Great job, festival planners!
We also sampled some noms that we missed last year- the pastry!
Owen was in cookie heaven. I'm not ready to admit how many he ate...
The icing on the cake was a police car outside the entrance- Gordon was wonderful enough to bring Owen over and get him a special sticker from the officer. He's been wearing it ever since... Thanks, Papa G!
We had a lot of fun and can't wait for next year's festival.
Pregnancy: 32 weeks
We have less than 60 days until our due date. When put into those terms, it really starts to freak me out. I guess the silver lining is that then I can stop monitoring my glucose :-)
Just a short update on the GD front- my numbers are generally really good, but sometimes ridiculously high (I really am eating good, low-carb foods and doing what I am supposed to do, so those numbers baffle me.) I'm just going to let this little monster out now: I am a little concerned about what will happen if I can't control this with my diet. It could mean insulin injections, more monitoring (BPPs (ultrasounds) and non-stress tests, up to 2-3 times a week!) and also a hospital birth. Yes, I could lose my out-of-hospital birth experience. I'm only a week in to the diet, though, so hopefully things start to level out soon. I don't think I need to say this, but birthing in the hospital is the (second to) last thing I would want to happen. Of course, a healthy baby is priority #1, but my birth experience is very important to me and I would be devastated. (I understand that many of you may not understand why, but you're also not me. So please, try to empathize.) For now, though, we are still able to stay at the birth center. I'm just hoping my numbers stay low.... We'll see what my diabetic counselor and midwife have to say about it this week. Positive thoughts!
Everything else is great. I feel pretty good- I actually don't feel all that huge yet. I do have some hip and back pain that I need to see the chiropractor for. A good adjustment would do me a WORLD of good. Thankfully I'll be seeing the chiro this week. Whew! I don't have a lot of the discomforts that I remember having with Owen, perhaps because I know what my limits are now and I am not working on my feet!
Baby is growing wonderfully and he's in such a great position- he switches between LOA or ROA (head down, back toward the front of my abdomen, either on the left or right side) which are perfect positions for labor. Owen was posterior for the longest time, right up until the minute before I was to start pushing. Maybe, just maybe, I won't have such excruciating back labor this time! (Posterior positioning is often the culprit since baby is spine-to-spine with mama instead of face-to-spine. Many women say back labor is much, much, much more painful than "regular" labor. We'll see!) Anyway, on average baby should be right around 4lbs (WOW) and ~17inches from head to toe at this point.
Our midwife appointment this week was great. We talked about a lot of things regarding the birth, and it was good for me to revisit some of those issues. The MW's loved (really, they couldn't get enough!) palpating my belly and feeling all of baby's body parts. He's really easy to feel, and he was active and kicking his little feet for them.
Ok, picture time. Here is an 8-month shot:
I've got a little more rounding out to do.
In other news, I miss drinking coffee, I want to sleep on my belly, and could someone please tell Owen to sleep in past 5:30am?
Just a short update on the GD front- my numbers are generally really good, but sometimes ridiculously high (I really am eating good, low-carb foods and doing what I am supposed to do, so those numbers baffle me.) I'm just going to let this little monster out now: I am a little concerned about what will happen if I can't control this with my diet. It could mean insulin injections, more monitoring (BPPs (ultrasounds) and non-stress tests, up to 2-3 times a week!) and also a hospital birth. Yes, I could lose my out-of-hospital birth experience. I'm only a week in to the diet, though, so hopefully things start to level out soon. I don't think I need to say this, but birthing in the hospital is the (second to) last thing I would want to happen. Of course, a healthy baby is priority #1, but my birth experience is very important to me and I would be devastated. (I understand that many of you may not understand why, but you're also not me. So please, try to empathize.) For now, though, we are still able to stay at the birth center. I'm just hoping my numbers stay low.... We'll see what my diabetic counselor and midwife have to say about it this week. Positive thoughts!
Everything else is great. I feel pretty good- I actually don't feel all that huge yet. I do have some hip and back pain that I need to see the chiropractor for. A good adjustment would do me a WORLD of good. Thankfully I'll be seeing the chiro this week. Whew! I don't have a lot of the discomforts that I remember having with Owen, perhaps because I know what my limits are now and I am not working on my feet!
Baby is growing wonderfully and he's in such a great position- he switches between LOA or ROA (head down, back toward the front of my abdomen, either on the left or right side) which are perfect positions for labor. Owen was posterior for the longest time, right up until the minute before I was to start pushing. Maybe, just maybe, I won't have such excruciating back labor this time! (Posterior positioning is often the culprit since baby is spine-to-spine with mama instead of face-to-spine. Many women say back labor is much, much, much more painful than "regular" labor. We'll see!) Anyway, on average baby should be right around 4lbs (WOW) and ~17inches from head to toe at this point.
Our midwife appointment this week was great. We talked about a lot of things regarding the birth, and it was good for me to revisit some of those issues. The MW's loved (really, they couldn't get enough!) palpating my belly and feeling all of baby's body parts. He's really easy to feel, and he was active and kicking his little feet for them.
Ok, picture time. Here is an 8-month shot:
Now, before you declare that I look "ready to pop", let me remind you what I looked like at full-term with Owen:
I've got a little more rounding out to do.
In other news, I miss drinking coffee, I want to sleep on my belly, and could someone please tell Owen to sleep in past 5:30am?
21 September 2011
Owen Update- 2.5 years
Yes, Owen is still here. I haven't been talking about him much lately because, well, there's so much to say!
People have been commenting on his conversation skills lately. I guess I have always thought he was a great talker, and I also see more of the gradual progression so I didn't notice. But yes, he is VERY conversational. He's also very imaginative, so it's interesting just sitting and listening to the stories he comes up with. Some of my favorites from the past few weeks:
- I put his dinner on his plate and he said "That looks AMAZING!" It made me blush, seriously. What a compliment!
- He was rambling on about something after lunch and all I caught was the end: "....I'm going to clean it out because it is YUCKY and GROSS" (yes, he says all those words, clear as day. I'm not translating. Also, I have no idea what was gross?)
I could go on. He cracks me up all day long, seriously. About 50x a day I tell Kraig something along the lines of "I just love him at this age. He is so awesome." I don't mean to gloat, but after hearing everyone say "just wait 'til he's two!" for the past two years, I have to say- What's the big deal? He's pretty much amazing now. That may come back to bite me when he's 3 (or 13), but for now we are enjoying this mild-tempered, intelligent, sweet little man.
About that temper- well, he doesn't really have one. He gets kind of bossy, but I think that is his way of throwing a tantrum because we certainly don't see many (any?) all-out tantrums. And honestly, it's pretty funny when he's bossy. It's hard to "discipline" him (and let him know that we don't appreciate being spoken to that way) when it's so stinkin' cute. He's usually trying to boss Kraig around (i.e. "No talking, DADDY!" or "NO doing that, DADDY!" in his most firm, most emphatic voice). I kid that he is vying for man-of-the-house. I think he might win! Kraig is a softie :-)
Not to say that Owen is a bully- surely not. He is actually pretty sensitive. Recently another child his age was stealing food from Owen's hands so Kraig intervened and let the other child know that he could get him some of his own food if he'd like. Owen got pretty upset... but we try to let him know that he can establish his personal boundaries and say "I don't want you to do that". Work in progress. (Owen must also be just like me- I can't stand when people take food off my plate! Haha!)
When he's not being bossy, talking up a storm, or making up stories with his toys, he is very content. He sits still and entertains himself for quite a while. He is not a very physical little guy- sure he can get going when there are other, usually older, boys around, but when he's just here with us he's pretty laid-back. I honestly don't think anything of it until there is another, more rambunctious kid around- then I really appreciate Owen's contentedness. For instance, we babysat an 18-month old last week and WOW was he active. All over the place! Climbing! Running! Jumping! Playing! What a difference from our little guy. We're spoiled, methinks.
He's been handling his transition to the big bed pretty well, considering that it is a huge change. There was a brief period of resistance but he stays in the bed and sleeps really well. He sure makes this parenting gig easy for us. He is waking up super early though, so we're working on that. Potty training has been going better lately. He's been going on the potty multiple times a day (on his own, even!) and had his first trip in the car sans-diaper! He stayed dry for the 45 minutes we were in the car. I was so proud!
Speaking of being proud (can I brag about my kid for a few more minutes?), he is counting so well- up to 15, but he usually stops at 12- and can recite the last half of the alphabet (starting at L). He gets the first half, but G - K are a mess. He just put together a 24-piece floor puzzle that he had never seen before. That was pretty darn impressive. He loves reading and can help me "read" from memory his favorite books (Eric Carle). He seems to be much more a thinker and not so much an athlete. (He still needs some help navigating staircases, for example. Maybe that's because he's kind of short (10th percentile)). Honestly, I kind of prefer it this way- Nerds Unite!
We're learning songs together, like the Itsy Bitsy Spider, Cuppycake (he loves when I sing this one to him before bed, and Kraig will sing his own version of made-up lyrics), and a few that Donna (next door) teaches him. He catches on pretty quickly to the words and can be caught singing to himself throughout the day.
This is by far my favorite update of all- he says "I love you" all on his own. I don't think there is anything better than hearing, out of the blue, "Mama, I love you." Such a sweetheart!
I'm probably missing so many milestones, but that's the jist at 30 months. We're so very proud of him and love watching him grow and learn. He brings so much joy to our days.
People have been commenting on his conversation skills lately. I guess I have always thought he was a great talker, and I also see more of the gradual progression so I didn't notice. But yes, he is VERY conversational. He's also very imaginative, so it's interesting just sitting and listening to the stories he comes up with. Some of my favorites from the past few weeks:
- I put his dinner on his plate and he said "That looks AMAZING!" It made me blush, seriously. What a compliment!
- He was rambling on about something after lunch and all I caught was the end: "....I'm going to clean it out because it is YUCKY and GROSS" (yes, he says all those words, clear as day. I'm not translating. Also, I have no idea what was gross?)
I could go on. He cracks me up all day long, seriously. About 50x a day I tell Kraig something along the lines of "I just love him at this age. He is so awesome." I don't mean to gloat, but after hearing everyone say "just wait 'til he's two!" for the past two years, I have to say- What's the big deal? He's pretty much amazing now. That may come back to bite me when he's 3 (or 13), but for now we are enjoying this mild-tempered, intelligent, sweet little man.
About that temper- well, he doesn't really have one. He gets kind of bossy, but I think that is his way of throwing a tantrum because we certainly don't see many (any?) all-out tantrums. And honestly, it's pretty funny when he's bossy. It's hard to "discipline" him (and let him know that we don't appreciate being spoken to that way) when it's so stinkin' cute. He's usually trying to boss Kraig around (i.e. "No talking, DADDY!" or "NO doing that, DADDY!" in his most firm, most emphatic voice). I kid that he is vying for man-of-the-house. I think he might win! Kraig is a softie :-)
When he's not being bossy, talking up a storm, or making up stories with his toys, he is very content. He sits still and entertains himself for quite a while. He is not a very physical little guy- sure he can get going when there are other, usually older, boys around, but when he's just here with us he's pretty laid-back. I honestly don't think anything of it until there is another, more rambunctious kid around- then I really appreciate Owen's contentedness. For instance, we babysat an 18-month old last week and WOW was he active. All over the place! Climbing! Running! Jumping! Playing! What a difference from our little guy. We're spoiled, methinks.
He's been handling his transition to the big bed pretty well, considering that it is a huge change. There was a brief period of resistance but he stays in the bed and sleeps really well. He sure makes this parenting gig easy for us. He is waking up super early though, so we're working on that. Potty training has been going better lately. He's been going on the potty multiple times a day (on his own, even!) and had his first trip in the car sans-diaper! He stayed dry for the 45 minutes we were in the car. I was so proud!
This is by far my favorite update of all- he says "I love you" all on his own. I don't think there is anything better than hearing, out of the blue, "Mama, I love you." Such a sweetheart!
17 September 2011
Pregnancy: 31 weeks
Argh.
So.... I guess I do have gestational diabetes. Really, the difference between that and impaired glucose tolerance is nil for my purposes (still have to monitor diet, still have to check glucose levels...) The midwives (actually, my head MW is on vacation right now) said impaired glucose tolerance wasn't a "diagnosis"- so I confirmed with my diabetic counselor and she said definitely full-blown gestational diabetes. Confused? Me too.
As Kraig drove me to the meeting with my diabetic counselor I just felt so annoyed. I eat well! Why do I have to talk to a nutritionist?! What is she going to tell me that I don't already know?! Why is this happening to me?
She didn't really tell me anything I didn't know already- well, except she gave me a firm GD diagnosis. But it was a required part of my care, and she did give me a free glucose monitoring system (score!) So it wasn't all a waste of time :-)
On the way home I was feeling less annoyed and more upset. Sad. Defeated. I feel like my body failed me (and I treat it so well. Traitor.) I am upset that this pregnancy now has a "complication". And honestly, I'm bothered by having to watch what I eat and monitor my glucose (I think I've complained enough about how much it hurts, how annoying it is to "schedule" anything I eat, how it makes you have to think and evaluate and analyze so. much. more.) Part of me worries about my health in the future- I'll have to keep an eye on my blood glucose levels regularly after pregnancy is over to watch for pre-diabetes or diabetes. With my family history I was already at-risk, but having GD means my chances of developing Type II are 50% (1 in 2. Yup.) Risk of cardiovascular disease increases as well. I need to stop reading medical journals....
Anyway, I've encountered a lot of myths as I've talked with people about GD. First of all, it's not because of anything I did. Nothing I ate caused me to have GD. I think this goes without saying, but being a vegetarian has nothing to do with it. Secondly, I did not have gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy. I was tested for it and passed the test. The development of GD during this pregnancy is just because my body is reacting differently to this pregnancy- every pregnancy is different. Also, I do not have to eat less or more now, I just have to eat differently. I am not on a "no-carb" diet, I am on a restricted carb diet. My overall meal size and frequency of snacks is the same, I just have to eat different kinds of foods (much fewer carbs, more protein, fat, and veggies.) Finally, I will not have diabetes forever, just for the next two months (unless, of course, I develop it later in life.) Most women with GD say that as soon as the birth is over their glucose levels go back to normal and they can eat regular meals again. This is because the condition is solely related to how the placenta and pancreas interact, thus when the placenta is gone, the GD resolves itself, sometimes immediately.
It takes a LOT more thought and planning to cook now. My meals looks VERY different now. It's quite an adjustment, especially since now Kraig and I are eating very, very different meals. I can only have 30-ish grams of carbs in a meal. That's 2/3 cup of cooked pasta (and no other carbs in the meal). Beans count as carbs, yogurt has a lot of carbs, veggies and other protein sources have some carbs. It all adds up VERY quickly. Don't even get me started on trying to eat at a restaurant. I can basically eat salads and soup.
It will be an adjustment for sure. It all seems very overwhelming now, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. The changes are hard but I definitely want to control the diabetes so that the baby is healthy (I mentioned previously that uncontrolled GD increases the risk of quite a few birth complications as well as stillbirth. Yikes.) The chances of having to take insulin are pretty small for me because my fasting numbers are all perfect- the glucose levels just get crazy when I eat, so controlling it with diet should be easy. No insulin means no hospital birth! That's right- I can still have my midwife-attended birth (should no other complications arise)! I'm pretty happy about that.
So that's the excitement for this week. I'm feeling like this is a big black spot on my pregnancy record. I'm not as devastated as I was, but it's still a huge disappointment. Sigh. I'll be back to my cake-baking (and eating!) self in 2 months....
In other pregnancy news, I'm doing well but am starting to get some hip and nerve pain. Chiropractor, here I come. We've done ZERO nesting in the last few weeks. We seriously need to get a move on... I think I need to make this birth more of a priority- easier said than done when I have a 2-year-old to take care of (and whom I rather like spending time with.) I suppose the things that need to get done will get done and the others won't matter. Hopefully.
So.... I guess I do have gestational diabetes. Really, the difference between that and impaired glucose tolerance is nil for my purposes (still have to monitor diet, still have to check glucose levels...) The midwives (actually, my head MW is on vacation right now) said impaired glucose tolerance wasn't a "diagnosis"- so I confirmed with my diabetic counselor and she said definitely full-blown gestational diabetes. Confused? Me too.
As Kraig drove me to the meeting with my diabetic counselor I just felt so annoyed. I eat well! Why do I have to talk to a nutritionist?! What is she going to tell me that I don't already know?! Why is this happening to me?
She didn't really tell me anything I didn't know already- well, except she gave me a firm GD diagnosis. But it was a required part of my care, and she did give me a free glucose monitoring system (score!) So it wasn't all a waste of time :-)
On the way home I was feeling less annoyed and more upset. Sad. Defeated. I feel like my body failed me (and I treat it so well. Traitor.) I am upset that this pregnancy now has a "complication". And honestly, I'm bothered by having to watch what I eat and monitor my glucose (I think I've complained enough about how much it hurts, how annoying it is to "schedule" anything I eat, how it makes you have to think and evaluate and analyze so. much. more.) Part of me worries about my health in the future- I'll have to keep an eye on my blood glucose levels regularly after pregnancy is over to watch for pre-diabetes or diabetes. With my family history I was already at-risk, but having GD means my chances of developing Type II are 50% (1 in 2. Yup.) Risk of cardiovascular disease increases as well. I need to stop reading medical journals....
Anyway, I've encountered a lot of myths as I've talked with people about GD. First of all, it's not because of anything I did. Nothing I ate caused me to have GD. I think this goes without saying, but being a vegetarian has nothing to do with it. Secondly, I did not have gestational diabetes with my first pregnancy. I was tested for it and passed the test. The development of GD during this pregnancy is just because my body is reacting differently to this pregnancy- every pregnancy is different. Also, I do not have to eat less or more now, I just have to eat differently. I am not on a "no-carb" diet, I am on a restricted carb diet. My overall meal size and frequency of snacks is the same, I just have to eat different kinds of foods (much fewer carbs, more protein, fat, and veggies.) Finally, I will not have diabetes forever, just for the next two months (unless, of course, I develop it later in life.) Most women with GD say that as soon as the birth is over their glucose levels go back to normal and they can eat regular meals again. This is because the condition is solely related to how the placenta and pancreas interact, thus when the placenta is gone, the GD resolves itself, sometimes immediately.
It takes a LOT more thought and planning to cook now. My meals looks VERY different now. It's quite an adjustment, especially since now Kraig and I are eating very, very different meals. I can only have 30-ish grams of carbs in a meal. That's 2/3 cup of cooked pasta (and no other carbs in the meal). Beans count as carbs, yogurt has a lot of carbs, veggies and other protein sources have some carbs. It all adds up VERY quickly. Don't even get me started on trying to eat at a restaurant. I can basically eat salads and soup.
It will be an adjustment for sure. It all seems very overwhelming now, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. The changes are hard but I definitely want to control the diabetes so that the baby is healthy (I mentioned previously that uncontrolled GD increases the risk of quite a few birth complications as well as stillbirth. Yikes.) The chances of having to take insulin are pretty small for me because my fasting numbers are all perfect- the glucose levels just get crazy when I eat, so controlling it with diet should be easy. No insulin means no hospital birth! That's right- I can still have my midwife-attended birth (should no other complications arise)! I'm pretty happy about that.
So that's the excitement for this week. I'm feeling like this is a big black spot on my pregnancy record. I'm not as devastated as I was, but it's still a huge disappointment. Sigh. I'll be back to my cake-baking (and eating!) self in 2 months....
In other pregnancy news, I'm doing well but am starting to get some hip and nerve pain. Chiropractor, here I come. We've done ZERO nesting in the last few weeks. We seriously need to get a move on... I think I need to make this birth more of a priority- easier said than done when I have a 2-year-old to take care of (and whom I rather like spending time with.) I suppose the things that need to get done will get done and the others won't matter. Hopefully.
16 September 2011
Owen's artwork
This is a camera phone photo, so sorry it's blurry.
All of a sudden Owen went from scribbling to drawing deliberate circle(-esque) figures. He drew this little masterpiece all by himself. He told me "who" each person was as he went....
From left to right:
Me, Baby Tiny, Owen.
More details: Look how round "I" am! I think he really captured my pregnant essence. Way to go, bud. Also, Baby Tiny is looking very tadpole-like which I think is an accurate portrayal of a fetus. I'm impressed. Finally, he says that "Owen" has hair, a face (see that eye?) and is holding a banana. Also, feet. He has feet. Look at that!
I don't know about you, but I'm impressed.
13 September 2011
Glucose intolerance
Dessert is now a distant memory. Seriously, how SAD is that?! (wah wah, so sad, I know.)
Remember that birthday cake from Kraig's 26th last year? I know I do. It was the most rich, moist, delicious chocolate cake with creamy peanut butter frosting and chocolate peanut butter ganache. Holy cats, was it ever decadent. Pretty sure it was one of my best cakes ever.
We're coming up on Kraig's birthday again, and I'm sad to think that I might not be able to eat any cake... or have dessert on our anniversary.... or enjoy some cupcakes at my baby shower. It's no secret that I LOVE desserts- and I love to bake them as much as I love to eat them.
You know what's unfair about all this no-dessert business? I have seriously cut back on my dessert intake this entire pregnancy (too much sugar has made me feel pretty yucky this whole time.... imagine that.) I'd literally have 4 small bites of ice cream, or just a piece or two of candy- and those instances were few and far between. Now I feel like I should have splurged while I had the green light!
So I'm guessing you have figured out by now that my glucose numbers weren't impressive to the midwives. They did not diagnose me with full-blown gestational diabetes but I do have a glucose intolerance. I am being referred to a nutritionist and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist (they see women who are at-risk, high-risk, or have otherwise "complicated" pregnancies) to figure out what I'll have to do next. I'll likely resume glucose monitoring and will definitely have to change my diet. In the interim (before my appointments) I have been asked to stop eating refined carbs (white flours, sweeteners). So no white pasta, no baked goods, no desserts-- period. We usually eat whole grains anyway, but I'll probably be asked to watch my overall carb intake which would not only limit whole grains but also beans, fruits, potatoes, corn, etc.
If you're putting this together with my vegetarian diet, you're right to assume that it will be difficult. Whole grains and beans are HUGE protein sources for vegetarians. I hope the nutritionist has some great ideas for me....
I know it might seem trivial to have to change my diet, but my choices are already so limited because I am vegetarian and now I have no idea what to eat! That's not entirely true, but eating eggs and nuts all day doesn't sound appealing. Our pantry is full of snacks and staples that are carb-centric... grains, beans, cereals, fruits, etc. Even a whole banana is two carb servings. TWO!
Sigh.
These are going to be a long two (2 and a half?) months.
I'm going to make Kraig promise to have a big fat slice of cake ready for me after the birth!
12 September 2011
Sauvie Island
Leave it to us to choose one of the hottest days of the year to visit the farm. At least heat here is without humidity, so it's not a sticky, humid, sweat-inducing heat as much as it is a dry, breezy kind of heat. The kind that isn't uncomfortable but at the same time makes your skin feel like it's turning into leather in a matter of minutes.
We didn't get much produce- just picked a few ears of sweet corn and some cucumbers. The last round of peaches wasn't ripe yet (booo) which is what we originally intended to get while there. Ah well, it was an adventure.
We capped off the day with a meal at one of our favorites- Vita Cafe. Mostly vegetarian/vegan and always delicious. Owen loves getting this from the kids menu:
Brown rice with grilled tofu and vegetables. He LOVES it. Every time he puts a piece of purple cabbage or broccoli into his mouth, I have this wonderful feeling that we're doing something right. Or maybe we just got lucky with this one.
In any case, Wednesday nights are the nights to eat at Vita. Lots of specials, including the daily "kids happy hour" from 5-7. Kids meals are all $1. Yes, that huge plate of food up there for one single dollar. Amazing.
10 September 2011
Babywearing
Owen was stung with jealousy when he saw me put his bear into my new Moby Sling (ever used one of those? 18 feet of fabric that you wrap and wrap and wrap around yourself and then tuck a baby gently inside. It's really not as hard as it seems, thankfully.)
It wasn't the kind of new-sibling jealousy that we are waiting anxiously for, though. No, no. He wanted a sling of his own for his baby monkey.
Being the super-crunchy parents that we are, we were thrilled that he was so excited about it and wanted to mimic something we think is so important. Rah, rah, babywearing! and all of that.
I found a scarf that would tie around him multiple times, wrapped him up, and tucked his baby near his chest. Just like he'll see me do many, many times very soon. (See what we're doing here? Don't worry about that new baby that mama is carrying around- HERE have your own little "baby" to take care of! You're such a big boy! *distract, redirect, and so on*)
He's seriously the sweetest little babywearing "daddy" ever. Cuddling and kissing his baby. Walking around saying "I'm a good daddy!" Yes, Owen. Yes, you are.
I couldn't be more proud.
Pregnancy: 30 weeks
I'm 75% done with this pregnancy, give or take :-) As anyone who's ever been pregnant knows, the third trimester is sort of bittersweet. There's the anticipation of meeting one's baby coupled with the impatience to not be pregnant anymore (hey, these last weeks are rough.) At the same time, there are things (though possibly few) about pregnancy that are to be missed- baby kicks, the joy of being pregnant, feeling special, and guilt-free calories- just keeping it real. This being our last baby (biologically-speaking, at least) I am feeling an increased need to romanticize this time. I mentioned, too, that these last weeks are rough, right? Yeah. Bittersweet times.
I've sort of been in denial for the past 2-3 weeks that we are really nearing the end (relatively speaking). Baby could be here in 7 weeks for all we know (or 13... hopefully closer to 10). I have a lot to do! I haven't gotten baby clothes out, we still need a few necessary items, and we need to make some adjustments in the house to make room for a new person! Oh, my to-do list is really ridiculously long. I'm the type that is paralyzed by such a list so it's hard to get motivated and know where to start. Surely everything will get done. Kraig, bless him, has done so much and is SO willing to do anything I ask of him (put that in the "pros of pregnancy" column).
It's hard to know that we still have so much to do to prepare and yet be so impatient to meet our little man and start raising our two boys. That third trimester.... it's a tug of war. We're also trying to do a lot of fun activities with Owen. Not only for him- since he'll soon have a bit less freedom due to the usurper- but also for us. We're certainly going to miss this time as a family of three. We love Owen so very much and enjoy spending time with him immensely. It's hard to think about having to split our attention. So, we don't think about it much. NEXT TOPIC!
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| 30 weeks prego mama with Owen in the wagon at Sauvie Island Farm |
So, I guess you could say it's all becoming pretty real for us. Crunch time is here, and we're realizing slowly that a lot of decisions need to be made pretty quickly. Easy decisions, really (picking a birthing suite, making last minute decisions and preparations for the birth, preparing things for the newborn period, making arrangements for Owen for the birth, etc.) but it all points to one thing- Baby Tiny will be here before we know it.
We are keeping this set up in our living room as a constant reminder....
And then there's Owen who reminds us almost daily that Baby Tiny is coming out soon. Thanks, buddy.
09 September 2011
Bah.
It would seem that glucose testing has taken the place of blogging this past week. Well, and a work project that's due in a week, but is a substantial number of hours (who knew I had "free time" to squeeze in more work?) I do have a couple of posts in the queue- I'll likely hit publish on those tomorrow. For now, I am feeling a little overwhelmed. Monitoring blood sugar is basically the worst. I plan my meals according to when I can test (has to be one-hour after I start eating) so I can't, for instance, eat lunch before my haircut because I don't want to test at my hair appointment. You know? Annoying. And snacking while cooking? Can't do that either since it might mess up my blood sugar spike. Then there's the overanalyzing of everything I am eating, since I am supposed to be eating "normally" BUT when I see a high glucose reading it makes me manage my carbs better for the rest of the day to make up for it. Ugh. I have a new respect for diabetics. It's really tougher than it sounds.
Well, I'm done with week one of testing. I may have to do another, I may be done, or I may have to continue to do it for the rest of the pregnancy. I hope to find out tomorrow when I speak to the midwife (not *my* midwife, which makes it all the more frustrating.) Under 20% of my numbers were "allowed" to be high. Of course, I was right on the line- 21.4% of mine are high. Well, 24% if you count the extra reading I did at 2 hours post-meal since the 1-hour reading was SO high. A handful of others were iffy, if you ask me (but I'm no doc and every practice has different standards). Needless to say, I'm nervous.
I want NOT to have GD, of course. But I also think my numbers look questionable, and I want to err on the side of caution here. GD is a really serious disease if uncontrolled, so I want to do what is absolutely in the best interest of the baby. If managing my carbs and monitoring my sugar for the next two months will ensure a healthy baby- I'll do it.
We'll see what tomorrow brings....
Well, I'm done with week one of testing. I may have to do another, I may be done, or I may have to continue to do it for the rest of the pregnancy. I hope to find out tomorrow when I speak to the midwife (not *my* midwife, which makes it all the more frustrating.) Under 20% of my numbers were "allowed" to be high. Of course, I was right on the line- 21.4% of mine are high. Well, 24% if you count the extra reading I did at 2 hours post-meal since the 1-hour reading was SO high. A handful of others were iffy, if you ask me (but I'm no doc and every practice has different standards). Needless to say, I'm nervous.
I want NOT to have GD, of course. But I also think my numbers look questionable, and I want to err on the side of caution here. GD is a really serious disease if uncontrolled, so I want to do what is absolutely in the best interest of the baby. If managing my carbs and monitoring my sugar for the next two months will ensure a healthy baby- I'll do it.
We'll see what tomorrow brings....
02 September 2011
Pregnancy: 29 weeks
Bless your hearts for reading these pregnancy updates. I asked Kraig if he reads them (I seriously don't expect anyone to) and he said yes. He likes that I write them, for memory's sake, but he also said they're pretty boring :) (he really just wants more photos) Haha! I knew that, but I appreciate the space to jot down some thoughts along the way. Only 10(ish) more updates to go!
Things certainly have gotten dramatic around here, right along with these hot days. Lots of nesting, but also lots of (annoying) testing, errands for the testing (um, glucose test strips are expensive. Found them cheapest at Target), and trying to squeeze in every last memory we can with Owen before we add a fourth family member. That's probably another post for another day, but oh my, do we ever love this little man of ours. And we're adding another boy? I don't think my heart can take it!
I've really popped this week. I feel bigger, look bigger, waddle more (ha!), and people are making comments. I truly try my best to keep the waddling to a minimum (yes, it feels as silly as it looks). But my goodness is this baby ever LOW, LOW, LOW. I carried Owen much higher. Anyway, I'm glad to have had a little growth spurt after measuring 2 weeks behind at my last appointment. Thankfully nobody has made any "You look like you're due any day now!" comments. Seriously, you wouldn't believe the things people say to pregnant ladies.
Anyway, I'll start testing my glucose here at home tomorrow. I'm hoping for good numbers, but we'll see. I'm nervous, to be honest. This gestational diabetes junk is really raining on my pregnancy parade.
This time is going so quickly. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't believe it's September. The countdown is really on. I shouldn't have counted the days until our due date (well, one of our due dates.) Two and a half months. Somewhere in the range of 70-80 days, give or take a week or two- how's that for a range? Given how fast the months have ticked by, we'll be holding a fresh baby in no time.
Now excuse me while I knit my new boy a sweater.
01 September 2011
More suspense
So, apparently 100grams of glucose doesn't agree with my system.
That should come as no surprise. I mean, 100g is approximately 7 tablespoons of sugar, or almost half a cup. Seriously. YUCK.
Not to mention that I had to chug it - all 10 oz of it - within 5 minutes on a completely empty stomach. I then was not allowed to eat for the 3 hours of the test. Now, I had to take the 1hr test with Owen (standard) and the glucola was not that bad. It just tasted like orange soda- not something I normally drink, but it wasn't the sludge that many women complain of. That was a lesser amount as well as half the glucose load. But this stuff? Pure nastiness. Thick like syrup and so yucky. It wasn't even chilled. UGH.
All that to say that I did the fasting, drank the glucola, sat in the waiting area for the first hour before my first blood draw, and when I went to get the blood draw I promptly got sick.
Yup.
That means I couldn't continue since not all the glucola was in my system.
Relieved? Oh yes. Disappointed? A little. (I would have liked a diagnosis sooner than later.)
So I called my midwife and told her. She let me know that I wouldn't have to try it again (clearly I can't handle it) and instead I'd get a glucometer so I could test my blood sugars (via finger prick, like a diabetic) after normal meals here at home for a little while to see what my sugars look like.
Whew! So glad I'll never have to drink glucola again. Yuck.
But now I'll have to wait for a "diagnosis". At least in the meantime I'll be seeing my numbers and figuring out if there is any need for adjustment. I still don't feel very optimistic about it, just because I know how often I feel pretty yucky.... But we'll see.
I have been trying to watch my carb intake since last week, just to be sure I'm not overloading baby if I do in fact have GD. It's tough, to be honest, since nearly everything else gives me serious heartburn, so I'm kind of between a rock and a hard place. Pregnancy woes, sorry to complain!
All I'm saying is, I better not have GD because it's prime fruit pie season and this mama needs to enjoy it. Seriously.
That should come as no surprise. I mean, 100g is approximately 7 tablespoons of sugar, or almost half a cup. Seriously. YUCK.
Not to mention that I had to chug it - all 10 oz of it - within 5 minutes on a completely empty stomach. I then was not allowed to eat for the 3 hours of the test. Now, I had to take the 1hr test with Owen (standard) and the glucola was not that bad. It just tasted like orange soda- not something I normally drink, but it wasn't the sludge that many women complain of. That was a lesser amount as well as half the glucose load. But this stuff? Pure nastiness. Thick like syrup and so yucky. It wasn't even chilled. UGH.
All that to say that I did the fasting, drank the glucola, sat in the waiting area for the first hour before my first blood draw, and when I went to get the blood draw I promptly got sick.
Yup.
That means I couldn't continue since not all the glucola was in my system.
Relieved? Oh yes. Disappointed? A little. (I would have liked a diagnosis sooner than later.)
So I called my midwife and told her. She let me know that I wouldn't have to try it again (clearly I can't handle it) and instead I'd get a glucometer so I could test my blood sugars (via finger prick, like a diabetic) after normal meals here at home for a little while to see what my sugars look like.
Whew! So glad I'll never have to drink glucola again. Yuck.
But now I'll have to wait for a "diagnosis". At least in the meantime I'll be seeing my numbers and figuring out if there is any need for adjustment. I still don't feel very optimistic about it, just because I know how often I feel pretty yucky.... But we'll see.
I have been trying to watch my carb intake since last week, just to be sure I'm not overloading baby if I do in fact have GD. It's tough, to be honest, since nearly everything else gives me serious heartburn, so I'm kind of between a rock and a hard place. Pregnancy woes, sorry to complain!
All I'm saying is, I better not have GD because it's prime fruit pie season and this mama needs to enjoy it. Seriously.
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