I am diabetes free! :)

I went in for my BIG test yesterday. Hadn’t had anything to eat but a small protein-packed dinner from the previous evening and I was starving. My appointment was at 8:30am but due to all kinds of problems with traffic including a broken traffic light I was about 20+ minutes late and stressing. Luckily it was no big deal. I of course prayed before everything started. I was called in and the fasting blood sample was drawn. Then I was given a waiting room to sit in to wait for blood draws every hour.

I spent the time telling little baby number 2 that we gotta be a team and work that sugar off. I had blood draws every 7th minute of the hour. The nurse would come and take my blood and leave. I joked that she was like a mosquito. DH came to visit me right before my blood draw at 11:07. I was stressing that he won’t make it and it sure looked like he wouldn’t, but the nurse was running a little late. He called me to say that he’s hitting light after light and probably won’t be in before the blood draw and so he wished me luck. I kept looking at the clock and soon there was a knock on the door. I figured it was the nurse, but I openned it up and it was DH – literally seconds before my blood was drawn! 🙂 I saw that as a good sign. I was so scared of this test and the chance that I would fail it but after DH came in just in time, it was as if I saw it as a good luck sign.

Well, today I got a call at about 1:30pm. The nurse happily tols me that my results came back with great numbers!!!! All the numbers looked good and were within normal range. I cannot describe the relief and the gratitude and the happiness I felt right then. It made my day!

There is so much going on, so much stress, so much to do – I am certainly not getting enough sleep in the least. And I do feel that this is definitely the 3rd trimester. I am beginning to feel more heavy and tired. Baby’s movements feel HUGE right now. Turning over during sleep is less comfortable. Sometimes I feel like this baby is literally on the brink of being here. And with everything going on, time sure does fly. But one day at a time. I will never forget to be grateful for the things I am blessed with. Passing the big test today is an example of that.

Failing the Glucose Screening and more…

On Tuesday morning I had my regular doctor’s appointment together with the glucose screening. The appointment itself went OK, other than that my blood pressure was originally sky high – as I expected it would be from being nervous about the glucose test. Or maybe it was from practically doing jumping jacks in the bathroom to burn off some excess sugar. Luckily, a second reading a little bit later (after trying to get a little bit more Zen) was more normal – 128/70.

I had diligently taken in the orange flavored sugar drink 45 minutes prior to the appointment and finished it at 9:15am. So I had my blood draw at 10:15, right after the usual pleasure of listening to the baby’s heartbeat.

I was also given the swine flu shot – which they luckily had just gotten in the office. AND they sent me to another place that they had heard had the regular flu shot. So talk about having a needle filled day.
But I guess nothing comparing to what I will face next week. Unfortunately today at 10am, they called me with the news I was hoping not to receive, even though I knew it was a slim shot. My levels came back high. My 175 didn’t quite make the under 140 mark, so its off to the glucose challenge test for me again. And this time, I am somehow really dreading that I will have the condition – maybe because I know I am heavier (20 whole pounds!) than last time and am so high risk anyway with diabetes in my family.

I was told I can come in between Tuesday and Friday of next week, so I chose Tuesday – might as well get the test done sooner. And I’m just going to pray that I pass it the way I did last time.

I absolutely cannot believe that I did not seem to record anywhere what my levels came back for the screening test the last time. I suspect it was a little lower than 175 – like maybe 169 or something. But I have no idea! I actually never wrote it down – not that I can find anyway. Somehow it would have been comforting to look at that number right now to compare somehow. I guess I will just have to call the office and get it on Monday.

In the mean time, I decided enough is enough and I really need to start making myself a priority with more healthy eating habits and a daily workout. My life right now is crazy. So I am on the severe backburner all the time. The last thing I seem to have time for is the gym. So today I made it out to the gym and worked out for 25 minutes. And I’ll just have to make time no matter what. I am kicking myself a little for practically going my entire 2nd trimester without any exercise. I just SHOULD have made this a priority – isn’t my and the baby’s health the top priority right now no matter what? But crazy as it is, when you are hit with a million things going on and a toddler, somehow going to the gym just falls off the radar. I am getting about 6 hours sleep a day – and am busy from dusk till dawn without a moment to spare, and I still can’t squeeze everything I need to into my day. Unexpected things constantly crop up. Things take longer than I want. Its just a crazy life and that’s that. And I realize it won’t get any easier once my little newborn is here, which is why I panick and keep cramming more and more to do now, while I still (sort of) can. When I realize how little time is left, it is a little scary. I actually can’t believe I am about to enter the third trimester this Sunday (27 weeks). How did THAT happen!??! It really does feel like it is on the brink – and with the holidays and a million other things right in between, it feels like there’s no time at all.

Well, I will just keep doing what I do – taking a deep breath and dealing with it one day out of time, hopefully I will manage to knock out everything that needs to be squared off before the baby comes and the million other things too. Oh and yeah – a daily work out. Because I think I have realized that I simply have to start putting the health of this pregnancy at a much greater priority than I have been.

I’m praying that I pass the glucose challenge test next week!

3 Years Ago…

So today is a very special day. Three years ago today exactly, my DD AND the baby I carry now, were conceived! Its a little mindboggling when I think about it that way, that both my children were conceived on this day 3 years ago together. One is already here and this vibrant 2 year old that I am so in love with. The other is on the way and growing inside me daily, already having such a presence, and already such a huge part of my life. And it is amazing to me that they share this day together, like a bond. What a truly amazing day it was. I remember so clearly posting here on this blog on that day, so full of emotion and in so much awe of the days’ events, and so hopeful. I was hopeful, and yet even then little did I imagine what a blessed day it was – that it was the day not only my so long awaited child would be conceived, but her sibling that is now on the way too…

I am thinking and remembering this day today, and I want to do something memorable to remember it. I am thinking about getting some pregnancy pictures done today as a family – it would mean a lot to me to know that they were done specifically today. It is truly a one of a kind event to think about the significance of 3 years ago, while looking at your child and being pregnant with the next. Will I ever be pregnant again on this day? Only God knows. We knew we would definitely try for two children, but the future other than that is unknown.

But for now, I won’t think about that, and just savor each moment today and remember what a blessed and miraculous day this is in my life.

100 Days to Go!

I keep this pregnancy application on my phone that has been fun to keep track of – it tells me the days to go, shows a picture of the baby, gives weekly information and so on. Today I glanced at it and realized that it is exactly 100 days to my due date! So today starts the official 100 day count-down. And if this baby is going to come a little earlier than the due date, as I predict, that is even fewer days!

In other terms, that’s about 14 weeks to go. 14 weekends remaining to get everything ready, which are also jam packed with the holidays and all kinds of events and things to the point where I am literally wondering how it will all fit in! And yet this baby is coming ready or not, and I am doing everything I can to take the time to appreciate this pregnancy, no matter what!

I now feel very distinct movements, like when the baby is awake and changing positions. I am also finding it a lot harder to get comfortable sleeping, and I still like to pretend I am sleeping on my tummy, even though I realize I am not. In fact, now at 6 months plus pregnant, it is pretty obvious that I am. I have gained about 26 pounds. Not at all the number I had hoped for, but at least in the last 4 weeks it has only been 2 pounds. I am hoping this number sticks around and doesn’t go higher for my next appointment next week, which also happens to be the dreaded glucose test. Since I am at high risk, I am pretty apprehensive of it. I failed the first test when pregnant with DD, but thankfully passed the second. I guess we’ll see this time around what is in store for me. I am of course praying to avoid it.

Life with a toddler, does not allow much time to “baby” your pregnancy though. I am lifting, chasing, pretty much doing everything I would be doing as a mother of an active toddler, pregnant or not. I laugh sometimes when I hold her in my arms before bedtime, and the new little one inside my tummy starts to kick her. She doesn’t mind though. In fact she nods very seriously when I tell her there is a baby inside mommy’s tummy, like she definitely is aware of that. She changes her mind daily as to whether she would prefer a baby brother or baby sister. Not that I think she knows what the difference really is. 🙂 I guess its gonna be one or the other one way or another 🙂

Yesterday, I went shopping  at a Baby store and bought something for her as well as for the new little one. That’s a first. I bought some pants for her, and a pair of beige white soft warm pants (with feet) for the baby in the making as well. She was a summer baby, but this will be a winter baby. It hit me, I don’t really have any warm newborn clothes!

I’d like to say we’re in full swing of getting ready, but really we’re not. Not yet. A ton remains to be done. I guess we now have 100 days (less in reality) to do it. I hope that between now and my next update a few solid things will be knocked out that I will feel good about. That, and even more importantly, that I will do good on the glucose test and pregnancy will continue to be uneventful.

Life, and this pregnancy is rolling on. One hundred days more to go! 🙂