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 32 - 8 Weeks and Counting

Well, first off, to the person who voted for Chelsea, that is not Sparky's name.

Week 32 is off to a so-so start. I have a terrible cold and I cannot take any over the counter medication because it raises blood sugar. So, Sparky is getting the normal diet to keep her from getting too big while I am sipping hot tea hoping it will help somehow with the congestion, sore throat, sneezing, cough, and earache. So far it is day 4 with the cold and it has been no fun. Being sick apparently raises your blood sugar naturally, so I've been struggling to keep my sugar levels down and having to be extra careful about what I am eating.

My waistline is still at 45 inches, although I seem to be rapidly changing shape and I am assuming a big expansion is on the horizon. I have lost about 5 pounds since starting the diabetic diet, but the doctor isn't too concerned about it so I am sure that Sparky is doing just fine. She should be about 19 inches long and around 4 pounds this week. She is now pretty thoroughly stuck now and we can feel her back pretty well, along with feeling her little rear end frequently pushing up into my ribcage. I can't complain too much, though, now that we are regulating our sugar Sparky is much better behaved and I've had a much easier time sleeping and working.

We are back to the doctor on Wednesday, but I don't expect it to be much more than listening to Sparky's heartbeat and checking my sugar levels. Hopefully the cold does not linger much beyond this week.

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.

Extra Wild Wednesday

Sparky has decided that today is extra wild Wednesday and my body has been suffering the consequences all day. This morning I actually had a few incidents of her head pushing down in my lower abdomen and her feet pushing up diagonally on the opposite side near my ribs. OUCH! I was worried for a few moments that we may have a car wreck because of her craziness. She has been wild since 5 am without much rest in between.

After lunch I had to take a break from answering my phone - resulting in 3 voicemail messages I had to return - because the attacks were getting a little too strong and much to frequent to risk being on the phone with one of my builder contacts and blurting out "ouch" or any other reaction to Sparky's fun. I should be thinking about making dinner, but standing up right now is not something I am looking forward to doing. At least we know she is active and healthy, right???

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...

80 Days...

According to Sparky's due date, we have 80 days left until our family of 3 (counting Maize of course) becomes a family of 4. In that amount of time I can apparently go around the world (according to the classic novel). Can anyone tell me what else I can do in exactly 80 days - just for curiosity's sake.