Welcome to Moe's!!!! Thank Goodness!

For those of you that don't know... I'm completely addicted to the restaurant Moe's. We usually go there at least once a week and I ALWAYS get the same thing... veggie quesadilla (aka. the Instant Friend - with queso, of course). Since I've been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, I was afraid my "Moe's Days" were over - but I was wrong! We went for lunch yesterday and I enjoyed EVERY bite (except for the scary clown that was there making balloon animals - I HATE HATE HATE clowns!!!!!!). I had to take my blood sugar level 2 hours after eating, so I was a little nervous. I even went for a small walk after lunch to burn off some carbs... just in case. Two hours passed and it was time for me to check my levels and - Woo Hoo!!!! - it was 108 (I have to be under 120)!! So now I can add Moe's to my list of "Gestational Diabetes Friendly Foods"!! Wednesday afternoon I've got to go back to the Diabetes dietician so she can go over my levels and my food I've been eating for the last week and evaluate whether or not I need to go on insulin. Looks like I might be able to control it with my diet... so hopefully no insulin for me!

Oh, how I want a BIG FAT Dr. Pepper!!!!!

So... Gestational Diabetes Sucks!!!!! My life is now consumed with "what time do I need to eat?", "what time do I have to check my blood sugar levels?", "am I eating the right things?". I had been saving up for the third trimester because I knew that's when I gained the most weight anyways :)... and now I'm losing weight! I went to the class Wednesday morning and everything they went over seemed like "no big deal"... but that's not the case! I've been put on a "diet" that consists of 3 meals and 3 snacks. Each meal is laid out with a certain number of carbs as well as how much meat and veggies I need to eat. That part isn't actually so hard... it's the inconsistency of my blood sugar when I'm following the diet to a tee! After following the diet for 2 days now, I've had about half of my blood sugar results come back high, a couple in normal range and then yesterday after lunch it crashed and I was having major symptoms of low blood sugar. I'm hoping I just need to be on this diet for a few more days to get all "regulated". I've got a consultation with the dietician next Wednesday and they have informed me that I need to gain some weight before then. I don't think I'm gaining any because even though I eat 3 meals and 3 snacks... I'm still hungry!! I've always been one of those people that "grazes" throughout the day. With my previous history of low blood sugar, I've always just had a little snack here and there when I needed it and this structure does not seem to work for me.

Oh well... like I've said before, if this is the worst thing that happens during my pregnancy, it still has not been that bad. Baby Clay is still doing great and is moving all over the place... that is a constant reminder of why I'm doing all this and how it will all be worth it in the end! Only 10 or so more weeks to go!

The Most Beautiful Red Head in the World!!!

This past weekend I got to spend lots of time with my parents, sister and beautiful niece in Atlanta. It was a blast! I haven't been able to make it over there since March so I was looking a lot different :)! We got to do lots of my 2 favorite things right now... eat and shop! We even took Clayton to his first Braves baseball game. I think he may have enjoyed it because he was kicking the whole time! I kept encouraging him to be a baseball player instead of a race car driver like his daddy wants him to be.

I had such a successful shopping trip too!!! I finally found the adorable diaper bag I've been looking for! I saw it online at gap.com and then they sold out of it. I've been watching for it on Ebay, but had no luck. We went to Lennox mall and they had it at the Gap Maternity there. I was ecstatic!!! Mark did not share in my enthusiasm... I told him the diaper bag is the most important thing... well, besides the baby, of course :). I know you are all wondering what in the world this adorable diaper bag looks like, so I've included a picture:

Isn't it the cutest thing in the world???!!!!! I will definitely have it monogrammed!

We also attended a surprise 30th birthday party for our good friend Leigh. Her boyfriend, Jason pulled it off! She was SOOOOOOO surprised! We had a great time seeing everyone and celebrating her special day.

Now for the Most Beautiful Red Head in the World part of my post... here are some adorable pictures of my precious niece, Cadence! She has gotten so big! She turned 1 back in February and is growing like a weed!

Look at that red hair!

Cadence and her beautiful mommy

Movie Star Cadence

And so everyone can see how huge I've gotten, here's a picture of me and Mark. I have a feeling I'm not going to like taking pictures much longer (the bigger I get!). Now keep in mind... the camera does add 10 pounds :).

My sweet little Clayton

Sorry it's taken me so long to post pictures from my 4-d ultrasound! I finally got to go to Atlanta this past weekend to visit my family so I haven't had much time to sit down and get all the pictures downloaded.

The 4-d ultrasound went great! We got some really good pictures of little Clayton. I still think they look like little aliens in the 4-d, but it's very neat how they can get you a picture of what your baby looks like! I personally think he looks like me... or at least my side of the family :). I had read in one of my weekly emails that they can open their eyes around 27 weeks or so and I was a little over 28 weeks when we had it done, so I was hoping he wouldn't freak us out and open his eyes... but he did and it was VERY wicked looking!

Tonight we start our childbirth classes. I'm excited about them! Mark... not so much. He knows he gets to watch the "Miracle of Life" video with the whole "uncensored" delivery and he's not very excited about it. I'm sure I'll have some interesting stories from this class! Wednesday is my Gestational Diabetes class so I get to learn how to prick my finger and check my glucose levels as well as meet with a dietician to tell me what I can and can't eat. I think they are also putting me on insulin, so maybe I can splurge every now and then :).

Anyways, here is what you've all been waiting for... (If I get savvy and can figure it out, I'll try to post part of the DVD later on.)

And the Verdict is...

Yes, folks... I have gestational diabetes. Not just borderline... but true gestational diabetes that I have to monitor by pricking my own finger and testing my own blood! I have no clue how I will get through that since I'm a wimp when it comes to having my finger pricked. I get to go to an oh-so-fun class next Wednesday morning where they get to teach me how to prick my finger and test it as well as go over the diet I'm supposed to be on. The lady went over it on the phone with me a little bit and I'm basically already doing the things she told me (with a few exceptions, of course), so I'm afraid I may have to do the insulin shots... BOO!!! She also said I need to start eating 3 meals and 3 snacks... including one right before bedtime. I guess if this is the worse thing that happens during all of this, I'm ok with it. Although, if I look on the bright side... at least I'll get to have a few more ultrasounds that I wouldn't have gotten to have if I was "normal". Oh well! I'll probably learn more about the results from my Dr. when I go in for the 4-d ultrasound Thursday. Be looking for pictures!!!

I am SOOOOO eating Carbs after this!

Ok, so I'm in the middle of my 3-hour glucose test and so far so good... I haven't passed out, thrown up or even gotten a headache! I hope that's a good sign! I've got one more blood draw (I'll have 4 total) at 10:25 this morning and then I'm done! I've been told I should find out the results either tomorrow or Wednesday... so I'm going to eat all the carbs I can get after this test :)! Hopefully I won't have Gestational Diabetes and will be able to continue with a normal life... well at least as normal of a life as a pregnant person can have. Wish me luck and I'll update everyone when I get the results!!


UPDATE 06/16/08 - 12:15 PM
Yea! I've finished the test and I went and had LOTS of carbs for lunch (went to eat at Moe's, of course). I feel much better :). I even drank a real Mr. Pibb... and it was GREAT! Now I'll probably be worthless for the rest of the day. Hopefully I'll find out the results tomorrow... if not, guess I'll just have to have a few more carbs just in case!

Boo!!! No more carbs and sugar for me... for now

Well, I thought my doctor's appointment would be like any other... uneventful, but I was wrong. I had to drink my lovely orange glucose drink (which, by the way, wasn't that bad) and have my finger pricked. The cut off was 140 and my level was 150!!!! Not that much higher, but just high enough that I now have to go do the 3 hour glucose test next week. My doctor seems to think that it was something I ate over the weekend - she mentioned carbs like pasta, bread, etc. - and yes, I did have Manicotti and lots of bread at Carrabas on Saturday... dang! Wish I would have known to leave that out of my diet before this test! Anyways, she doesn't think I have gestational diabetes, but to be on the safe side, I have to do the 3 hour test. She basically told me to try and eat normal, well-balanced meals now so that when I do take the test next week, nothing will be skewed.

I also got another surprise... Baby Clay is measuring big... really BIG! I'll be 27 weeks tomorrow and he's measuring at 32 weeks. My doctor said that he could just be really stretched out and that it was nothing to be too alarmed about. She will measure him next Thursday when we go in for the 4-d ultrasound and see if he's gotten any bigger. I asked if it had something to do with my elevated glucose levels and she said most likely not, since they were so close to the cut off... I'm just probably having a big baby. Since we are absolutely certain of the date of conception, we know it's not the due date that's off... so I'm not farther along (thank goodness - I'd really be freaking out!). Oh well... c-section is starting to look really nice now :). My family has been known to pop out some large babies (all normal vaginal deliveries too!). I'm a wimp - so if my doctor thinks a c-section is best, I'm all for it.

Other than that, everything else was normal! Guess I'll just have to wait until the next appointment!

Lord! I feel huge!

I'm 26 weeks this week... and I just realized that I have less than 2 weeks until I move into my 3rd trimester! I can't believe how fast it's gone by... I have SOOOOO much to do! I haven't even ordered the furniture for the nursery! Next Monday I get to do the lovely Glucose Tolerance Test to see if I might have Gestational Diabetes. The doctor doesn't think I have anything to worry about... no one in my family has had it and I normally have the opposite of Diabetes - Hypoglycemia - so I'm not too worried. I'm just not excited about drinking the nasty orange stuff, but through some good advice from other mommies, they told me to make sure it's VERY cold and chug it! They will prick my finger when I go in for my appt that morning to determine if I "might" have it. I hate having my finger pricked (I know, I'm a wimp)!! Of course, even more than hating my finger pricked, I hate getting on that darn scale! It's VERY depressing seeing the numbers go up every 4 weeks! I know, I know... I've got an excuse, but I don't think there's any female on the face of this earth that likes to see the scale go up. Anyways, just to humor myself, I've decided to post my preggo pics in order to show you the HUGE difference a few weeks makes! Here you go:

In the beginning - not much of a baby bump - 15 weeks

What a cute little bump - 17 weeks

Not too shabby - 20 weeks

That's definitely a baby in there - 22 weeks

Holy Crap! Did I swallow a watermelon??? - 26 weeks

Oh! To have his life!!

I have now decided who's life I would SO like to have... Monte's! For those of you that do not know Monte, he is my spoiled rotten, 4 1/2 pound furbaby. This dog has it made! All he has to do is sleep, eat, go out, and sleep some more! Here is Monte doing his most favorite thing:

Sleeping in our bed

Sleeping on the couch

And even more sleeping... while standing up!

And his favorite... napping with his girlfriend MiMi

Oh! To have his life!!!