Test One - Passed!

I officially passed the first glucose challenge test, so as of last week I hadn't developed gestational diabetes. There will probably need to be a re-test in about 10 weeks, but it's nice to know that I can enjoy some yummy holiday treats without worrying about my blood sugar. And I think tonight is going to involve some ice cream in celebration!

Abby had a great play date with her friends Little Abby and A.J. this morning. We really enjoy the ability to play with other kids (and she also enjoyed playing with their puppies Maggie and CoCo). Abby and I are thinking about heading out to finish up some Christmas shopping today - we are over halfway done and hoping to be all finished before Thanksgiving. Abby has been thinking really hard about what to get for her Aunties and Uncles now that we have all of her cousins' shopping done.

Not Easily Entertained

Abby was not being easily entertained last night, so our pie making endeavors lasted late into the night and we are all a little tired. But we do have two perfect pumpkin pies (my first attempt) and a dutch apple pie as well. Abby did get to watch some extra television last night and got to play in her exersaucer, which is our favorite baby entertainer. I think it would be on my must have list for new babies. That and a dog who likes to play with a baby. Maize was actually a very helpful distraction for a tired girl last night.

Hopefully she will be back on the right schedule today and will be happy and friendly tonight while our company is here. And tomorrow Abby is going to have two little visitors to spend the day with. Our pastor's wife is going down to Petosky to take the 3 hour glucose tolerance test to see if she has gestational diabetes. We are praying that her test comes back normal. We are going to be hanging out with their 4 and 5 year old daughters tomorrow so that they don't have to spend the day in the hospital lab too. It should be fun. Now back to cleaning... still have a bathroom to spiff up.

The Week 36 Checkup

Steve and I went to the doctor's office for the week 36 checkup. It was NOT fun. I am big and uncomfortable and not dilated at all. And... for the doctor to determine I was not dilated was the most uncomfortable part of pregnancy thus far. Needless to say, I left the doctor's office as a very unhappy camper.

Our doctor will be in Jamaica next week, so the current goal is to make it to the second week of April. He's hoping we don't have to meet his fill in next week and that we can aim for week 38. We will see if Sparky will cooperate with the current plan. With both the doctor and Steve and my parents hours away, next week would be a really bad time for her to decide to make her arrival.

We learned an important lesson this week - cough drops, even the sugar free ones, will make your blood sugar high. So... I've had a high reading most days at lunch because the cough drops were necessary to make it through the afternoon (in the morning I can use the hot shower and the evening I just sleep). Luckily the doctor doesn't get upset when there is a logical explanation for the high readings. Unluckily, the baby is still crazy from the extra sugar, even if there is a logical explanation for needing it.

Steve is leaving me this weekend to go scope out houses in Sault Ste. Marie - I am going to try very, very hard to stay off my feet and relax. We finally got the mortgage situation under control, so hopefully we will have some housing arrangements for "Up North" soon.

What happens when you give the baby sugar...

I've been sick since Thursday, so today I decided I didn't really care what I was supposed to eat. It's been 5 or 6 weeks with no bad readings, so today at lunch I decided to have Arby's for lunch. My blood sugar has been high all week anyway from being sick and taking medicine to combat the symptoms.

Sparky obviously enjoyed today's cheat. We won't be doing it again - her extra energy made it so not worth it.

The Doctor's Visit

Steve joined us for Sparky's visit to the doctor's office this week. It wasn't really a very eventful visit for Sparky and I, so I'm sure Steve found it much more interesting than we did. We heard Sparky's heartbeat and we were measuring at the right size for 33 weeks. The doctor said we have been doing so well monitoring my sugar level that he thinks we can probably go all the way to week 39 before inducing labor. I was not too excited about that idea - I was thinking 37 or 38 weeks sounded just fine to me. Of course, that is why he is the doctor and I am not.

We are scheduled for an ultrasound next Tuesday to check Sparky's height and weight. I am really excited to get another peek of her. We're also going to be sure to have the technician confirm that Sparky is a girl - if she's not then she will be a little boy with a lot of pink and purple clothing. But they were 99.9 percent sure Sparky was a girl at 20 weeks, so I'm sure we won't have any surprises.

We have continued to have an uneventful pregnancy. Sparky is moving a lot, but it is a very different movement now that she is so big. We've started to get things washed, set up, and assembled for her big arrival. Last weekend we created a baby first aid kit just in case our little girl needs a band-aid or has a fever. My afghan is coming along well - I have 2/3rds of it sewn together.

Steve is taking his licensure boards this weekend, so Sparky, Maize, and I will be cleaning and catching up on rest.

Week 33 and Counting

Well, if you voted for Kathryn Ruth, you may want to change your vote because Sparky's name is not Kate. We both really loved the name Kate, but we didn't want to fight with people who would have wanted to use Katie, which we didn't like. And, Steve's family already has an Aunt Kathy and a cousin Cathy, so we didn't need to add another Kathryn to the mix.We've now survived 3 weeks of the diabetic diet. I have to admit, it's not as terrible as I thought it would be. It is expensive to buy all the fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grain products, but we have had a good variety of food and there are only a few things I want that I can't have (mostly in the baked goods category - like donuts, waffles, and cinnamon rolls). I've figured out how much I can eat of sweeter foods and what to pair with them to make sure my sugars stay in the acceptable range. I can't wait to have a big glass of chocolate milk and a cinnamon roll when this is over.

Steve and I did a lot of home improvement kind of things on Saturday and I did a lot of packing, which was not such a great idea in retrospect. I had quite a few contractions on Saturday night, but after laying low on Sunday things are back to normal. From my perspective it seems like Sparky is riding a lot lower since last week (and actually since yesterday), but that is based only on the fact that I can see my belly button again. Those of you more experienced baby bump watchers will have to tell us whether she really did drop a bit lower this week. My belly is still 45 inches around, so I haven't gotten any bigger in the last week. Since starting the diabetes diet I also haven't gained any weight (in other words I weigh the same now as I did in early February).

Dr. Sammarco says we are doing a great job managing the diabetes. Steve is going to try to come to this week's appointment so that we can get a better guestimate of Sparky's arrival date. It will also be Steve's first time hearing Sparky's heartbeat, since she would not cooperate for that the last time he came to the regular appointment.

So now for Sparky's estimated size. According to our friends at webmd.com, Sparky should be about 19.5 inches and 4.4 pounds. She is basically stuck in place (I can tell you this because we can feel most of her bumps and lumps now and can feel her whole back). Apparently Sparky is going to gain over 1/2 of her weight between now and birth. We hope that the 1/2 is less than 4 pounds, because if she is already over 4 pounds and gains much more than 4 pounds I may not be too happy when it comes time to evict her from her current home.

Check back Wednesday for more details about the timing of Sparky's arrival (we hope). Safe weeks to you all, especially those who live up here in cold Michigan with us and who are expecting another winter storm this week.

Another Trip to the Doctor

Sparky and I made our weekly trip to the doctor's office this afternoon. The wait is much longer when you have to go during the afternoon. I got bored waiting and Sparky got the hiccups. It was entertaining to watch my belly wiggle with each hiccup. According to Dr. Sammarco we are doing really well managing the sugar levels, so that may be pointing to a later delivery (like April 11 or 18). Fairly soon we will have an ultrasound to check in on the size Sparky has achieved.

Yesterday, in spite of the terrible headache, Steve and I washed all Sparky's smallest clothes so she would have something to wear in the hospital and when we all got home. It was so funny to be folding dozens of shirts that all came from the same load - we are so used to washing our clothes which fill the machine quite quickly. We are starting to feel ready to add this little girl to our family. This weekend will be another weekend of little projects and trying to finish Sparky's afghan so it is ready to bring her home in.

We all hope you are having good weeks and that you haven't come down with the mystery virus I've had.

Week 31 - Diabetes Diet Week 1

Well, we've survived almost 1 week of being diabetic and made it to week 31. My belly is still the same circumference and this week, thanks to the mostly salad diet, I have lost 1 pound. I'm sure the doctor will be happy to see the lower weight and the better blood sugar. My poor fingers are looking forward to the end of the pregnancy so they can get a break from the poking.

Now for Sparky's stats:

Height - 18.5 inches (approximately)
Weight = 3.5 pounds (for a normal baby, for sugar-fueled Super Sparky this may be much higher).
We will be getting ultrasounds periodically from here on out to see how big Sparky is so that she doesn't get too big to deliver naturally. Better estimates on her length and weight will be available after those visits. My next visit with my friends at the doctor's office is Wednesday morning.

No photos this week - maybe the camera man will be back next week.

The Safe Food List (So Far)

1. Whole grain blueberry oatmeal (some strange off brand)
2. Turkey sausage links
3. Oranges (only 1/2 per meal)
4. Grapes (only 30 per meal)
5. Wendy's Single burger without cheese
6. Chili (in small quantities)
7. Toast
8. Salad
9. Celery sticks
10. Carrot Sticks
11. No sugar, high fiber yogurt
12. Cottage Cheese
13. Fajitas without shells
14. Stir-Fry without sauce
15. California Pizza Kitchen extra thin crust pizza

As you can see - it's been a very boring diet and a very careful process of adding new things to the safe list (one item at a time). Each morning I add or change one thing to something new to see how it is going to affect my blood sugar. So far I've only had one reading above the doctor's recommended level (the first breakfast did not go so well).

Tomorrow we are trying breakfast burritos. On an interesting note, Sparky is apparently no longer on a sugar high and has been less active (don't worry - she is still passing the kick test everyday, so there is no reason to be concerned about her health or safety). My poor belly is finally getting a reprieve from the constant motion that we had been experiencing due to Sparky's sugar fueled behavior. The whole family is sleeping much better.

Very Sore Fingers

My trip to the doctor's on Wednesday morning resulted in the acquisition of a new "toy" that I am not too fond of. I am now the proud owner of a blood glucose monitor and have the privilege of sticking my finger 4 times each day to test my blood sugars (and adjust my diet based on the results). So far the approved food list is salad, stir-fry with barely any seasoning, and low-carb Special K (also known as cardboard flakes). Hopefully I can find some diabetic recipes online and spice up the diet a little bit now that I have some free time on the weekend.

Next trip to the doctor's office is next Wednesday (and every Wednesday thereafter until Sparky is born). Apparently we are going to closely monitor this little girl's weight, since there is a very good chance she will be a big, fat baby. From what the doctor said on Wednesday she is going to be delivered early (April 18th is probably the latest date and it could be as early as April 4th). The doctor had just delivered a 10+ pound baby that was 3 weeks early before I saw him, so I am sure he is hoping to avoid having that problem with Sparky.

So far I've had only one high reading and have lost 3 pounds in 2 days (probably mostly water weight). Steve and I are both hoping we can control Sparky's growth rate so we can avoid a c-section or a really early birthday for our not so little girl. So... unfortunately no Valentine's candy for me this year (and those conversation hearts are my favorite candy ever). Less than 10 weeks until donuts :)

The Last Quarter - Week 30

Well, week 30 is off to an eventful start. Sparky is about 17 inches long and should be weighing in around 3 pounds. We say should, because yesterday we got the results of the glucose tolerance test and the waffles were not the cause of the high reading. Unfortunately, I have gestational diabetes. On the bright side, if we can control the diabetes there are minimal risks to Sparky, the biggest risk being excessive weight gain by the little squirt, which may make a early c-section necessary. Hopefully the doctor will be able to answer most of our questions this morning at our appointment (which will now be a weekly event to make sure the diabetes is under control). My waistline went up to 45 inches, so I am sure she is growing well and she is getting quite a bit stronger (we can tell from her kicking).

I've made it to the last third of the baby afghan, so hopefully we will have that ready in time for Sparky to use it. We've also started to get our hospital stuff around, just in case. Other than that we are both growing bored with pregnancy and the aches, pains, swelling, and discomfort. Steve's been wonderful at helping me deal with it all (so has Maize by being remarkably calm most days).

Hoping you all are having a good week. Needless to say we've been a bit overwhelmed with the influx of information and the major changes that the next 10 weeks will hold, but we are deciding to remain positive and trying not to stress over things we can't change anyway.

The Glucose Tolerance Test

Well... yesterday I completed the glucose tolerance test. For those of you lucky enough to have never had this test, this is how it goes. First, you have to fast for at least 8 hours. My doctor's office told me this included water, but that was incorrect, so I was hungry and dehydrated yesterday morning. Second, they take an initial blood sample to see what your baseline blood sugar level is. Then you get to drink this really nasty, pure sugar beverage. One hour (exactly) later, they take your blood a second time. Then another hour later they take the third sample followed by a fourth sample three hours after you started the whole mess. This is the second time I've had the test done - I had it done once in high school to test for low blood sugar.

So, needless to say, by noon yesterday I had a terrible headache from almost 16 hours without food (since we had dinner at 5 on Thursday and I forgot to snack before bed in anticipation of the test) and about 12 hours without water. Steve had most of the day off, so he took me out for lunch after the ordeal, but putting food into a totally empty stomach just created extra acid reflux. Oh well...

I talked to my sister Melissa last night and gave her the low down on the test so that when she gets to the one hour test in a few weeks she will not eat anything sugary before and end up having to do the long test. Sitting in a hospital laboratory waiting room is not my idea of fun. Neither is being used to show the 3 nurses in training how to do the glucose tolerance test. We specifically decided to use the local hospital, rather than the University of Michigan's hospital to avoid having a bunch of students, interns, and trainees around. It just goes to show you that you can't always get what you want. Unfortunately Sparky won't be old enough to understand this lesson for quite a while.

The Week 29 Update

Well, we've made it to week 29. Another uneventful week for the most part. Unfortunately, I "failed" the one hour glucose tolerance test - so this Friday I have to take the 3 hour version of the test. This is not going to be a fun day - 4 blood draws in three hours. And... I have to fast for the 8 hours before and the three hours during the test.

Sparky is up to about 16.7 inches and around 2.7 pounds. She's still very active and hopefully is going to be moving to a head-down position. I've been trying to sleep at night, but she is getting to be big enough to push down on my bladder, so that I have to get up a few times at night to use the bathroom.

So Friday is the big day for the tolerance test. I am not surprised that I failed the one hour version - waffles right before the test probably didn't help my blood sugar. I will be quite surprised if I fail the three hour version and have gestational diabetes.

Stay tuned for the results...