Anna's Birth Story Part 1

Well, my dear sweet Anna is almost 2 weeks old. While some days have seemed to drag on (due to sheer exhaustion), for the most part it just seems like a crazy whirl wind dream that I fully expect to wake up from at any moment. Throughout this time though, I keep going back to one thing... Thank you Lord for a healthy, happy, precious baby girl. She has blessed us so much in these 2 weeks. I am also thankful and grateful to a very supportive hands-on husband who doesn't mind doing a 12am feeding so I can get an extra few hours of sleep, and who doesn't mind changing diapers or holding her and playing with her. Jeremy is truly an amazing man that I've fallen even deeper in love with, in just these past 2 weeks. Anyway, you didn't click on this link to read mush... so, here's the details of Anna's birth story.

On December 16th, I woke up earlier than normal around 7:15. I had a full day planned ahead of me. I did the norm... ate breakfast, got dressed, did my hair and make-up. While I was getting dressed (pretty close to 8am) I noticed a small trickle going down my leg. Now, embarrassing as it is, I was not certain what I was experiencing. So, I pondered it for a few minutes... and then went on with doing the dishes. I did send Jeremy a text that went something like "Not to scare you, but I think I may be leaking amniotic fluid." I don't really remember his response, but I imagine it something like "oh, ok." I told him my plan was to just watch things, and call my midwife at 8:30 when they would be in. So, I did the rest of the dishes... and then I packed a few things in our "hospital bag" since I didn't know if this was "it" or not. I called the midwife right at 8:30 and talked to a really nice nurse who asked me a whole slew of questions. She told me she would get in touch with my midwife Char (who incidentally I had an appointment with at 1:15 later that day). But that either way, but 9:39 she would call me back to check on me. Soo... I decided to just continue on with my day.

I was supposed to go out to my mom's school to see their last rehearsal of their Christmas program. So, I finished packing up the few toiletries that I would at some point need at the hospital... sent my mom a text saying I'd be a little late... and then got in my car.

On my way to the freeway, I got a call back from the midwife's office saying Char wanted to see me, how soon could I be there? So, I told the woman I was already in the car, and about 10 minutes away, so I could be there soon. She said "great, we'll see you in 10 minutes."

I got to the office about 9am, checked in and waited for a few minutes. I again texted my mom saying they wanted me to come in earlier (I did omit the whole possible water breaking detail... I wanted to be sure before I spread the word). I went back around 9:30, gave a urine sample to which my glucose level was normal, but the other levels were high. So the assistant was thinking it may be another UTI (for which I was slightly relieved... eh... UTI.. not bad. Give me some antibiotics, and we'll be on our way). I'd also like to point out that my blood pressure was a wonderful 126/78. Which, as most of you know, is phenomenal!! (Especially as the day progressed. Ha!) My midwife came in a bit of time later... and we talked for a few minutes, and then she made a slide... she told me if it was truly amniotic fluid then it would "crystalize on the slide." So, she got a sample.. and then she "just for kicks" decided to check to see if I was dilated at all. To which she proudly proclaimed... you're 3 centimeters! And then looked at the slide, and said "oh, yes, definitely amniotic fluid."

So, sort of with a frown (not because I wasn't excited, but because this was an EXTREMELY busy weekend for us.) I said "what now?" And she said "oh, you'll be having your baby within the next 24 hours." She asked if I had had any contractions. To which, I hadn't so I responded with a no. She then said that when I go to the hospital, they may put me on pitocin to get things a-movin. I frowned a little more because I really didn't want pitocin. My final question to her was "Can I go home and shower?" She said most definitely... try to be at the hospital in 2-3 hours. And with that... I called Jeremy told him the deal of the day... and headed home.

(And this is where I leave you hanging, because my little sweetie has awakened.)

What's in a name?

Well, many people have asked how we decided on the name Anna. Let me tell you, it was probably one of the hardest decisions we had to make during the whole pregnancy. After all, she is stuck with it for the rest of her life. Hopefully she'll love it! Hopefully she'll come to realize that we did not take this task lightly. There were many nights when we would just list of name after name.... probably several thousand.... and none just seemed to suit us.

One of the toughest problems was that we had decided we wanted to give her the middle name Kimberly. (For those of you who do not know, or who are not aware, Kimberly is the name of my twin sister. She is a big part of my life. She has helped shape who I am. So, we wanted to give her the honor of being named after her Aunt Kimmee.) Well, that brought on a whole new set of problems. Kimberly is a longer name... so I wanted a shorter name. I didn't like names that ended in an "e" sound either. And... the criteria could go on, an on. I also wanted a strong name, that would last through the ages... when she was a baby and on through adulthood. I wanted a name with meaning... or significance. We looked at plenty of Biblical names, but I just couldn't imagine naming my child something like Jezebel, or the like.

Well, about a month and a half ago, we were at our Bradley class, and our teacher had brought in a few baby name books. Since we hadn't settled on a name yet, I quickly snatched one up. Boy was it a doozy. (haha) It was titled "Baby Names from Around the World." Basically it had names categorized by nationality. There were Chinese names, Jewish names, Arabic names...etc. Well, I was looking at this book during our snack time, when Jeremy came over to me, and being funny... he said "the one one pages 74." So, being curious, I flipped to page 74. And wouldn't you know, it was the first page that started off "female, biblical names." I laugh, scanned the page and then saw "Anna"... it gave a brief description and where "Anna" could be found in the Bible.

In light of Christmas, I thought this post would be appropriate. Many people probably read the Christmas story in Luke 2 on or around Christmas (that's the tradition in our family). But, most people stop at "and Mary treasured these things in her heart." But, if you continue on down through the story, starting in verse 33 (Luke 2: 33) you will see that is where Jesus' parents take him to the temple. (Read for yourself)

^33-35Jesus' father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words. Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother,

This child marks both the failure and
the recovery of many in Israel,
A figure misunderstood and contradicted—
the pain of a sword-thrust through you—
But the rejection will force honesty,
as God reveals who they really are.

^36-38Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.

So our sweet baby girl's name can be found in the Bible. She was the prophetess who after years of worshiping at the temple waiting for the Messiah, saw Him face to face. That is our prayer for our Anna. That one day she would in fact declare Jesus the Messiah, and make Him Lord of her life. Her name also means "grace, and favor." So, it had all that we wanted... good, strong... classic, and great meaning.

So... That folks is how the Lord blessed us with the name He wanted for our beautiful baby girl!

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!!

37 weeks... err.... 1 week old

What. A. Whirlwind!

I still cannot believe that instead of having the typical week by week pregnancy update, I now will have a week by week baby update. It still just seems unreal that we have her here with us. Sometimes I just feel like I will just wake up and realize it was all a dream.

To sum up our week, it has been busy... and a week of adjustments. God has been so good to us. Even though some days seemed to drag on, with very little change from day to day (except for who visited us on a given day)... the week has also flown by.

Our days pretty much consist of (at this point) the cliche: eating, sleeping and pooping. :-) But really, she is such a joy. We've sort of fallen into a good steady routine for the most part.

This is how our week went....
Friday night, obviously, we had precious Anna, so... that was the excitement of the day!!
Saturday was filled with the "what now?" type of adjustments. Filled with some visitors, and vital signs being checked, and naps on and off. (More off than on, though.) Sunday evening we spent most of it at the hospital waiting to be discharged... and we got home around 8:45. Our first night home, wasn't too bad. She slept on and off, and Jer and I tag-teamed it really well. My dad came over on Monday to help out, hold the baby, and let me sleep... so that was nice, especially since Jer went into work for a few hours. My mom came on Monday night and stayed with us to help out. Bless her heart, Anna gave her a run for her money. She definitely didn't sleep very well. :-( Tuesday, dad came over again... and I took a good nap, again. We had a few visitors as well. Wednesday we had our first visit with the pediatrician. Anna checked out well, but they noticed her bilirubin levels were a little high (jaundice). So, Wednesday night we had a little glow worm baby because she had to sleep on the Bili-blanket (which is more of a belt, really) all night. Thursday, we went back to the lab to have a blood sample taken. The Lord answered our prayers, and her bilirubin levels were low enough that she didn't have to stay on the Bili-blanket. Friday, we went back for yet another lab to be taken for the sweet princess (she did well with the sticks, really... I had Jer take her back while I went for a little walk). We still haven't heard about the labs, so hopefully we can assume her levels are continuing to go down. Friday night also brought about our first Christmas gathering with family... namely out of state cousins of which I haven't seen in a few years. Lots of fun. Anna was definitely spoiled by her Auntie and the others who held her so sweetly while I talked, and ate.

We are very excited to celebrate Christmas this Sunday with our new family of 3, as well as my family. It is sad, that we will be unable to celebrate with Jer's side of the family on Christmas Eve since we aren't supposed to be traveling more than an hour away (she didn't pass her car seat test... a 90 minute test that checks the vitals of premies while riding in the car seat). But next year, with our 1 year old, we will definitely have fun celebrating.

Well, that's about it, I know this is sort of rambling... but once I figure out how i want to organize posts about Anna, then I will not ramble nearly as much. (But I didn't want to forget our first week as parents.)

For now.. that's all I've got. Gotta go get some sleep before our next feeding session.

Thanks for checking in on us.

Wanna make a meal??

I found this awesome site in a magazine. Since a bunch of people have asked if they could make a meal for us, I've decided to give this a try. So, feel free to click on the link, and give it a try. If it doesn't work, and you want to make a meal call/email/text/facebook etc. and we'll give you a good day. Thank you in advance!

Flatt-family of 3!

Click Here

36 week picture...

This is what our 36 week "bump" picture looked like.... :-)

36 weeks!

Your baby is the size of a Crenshaw melon, and this week dimples are forming at his elbows and knees as his body grows rounder.

Baby's Length: 18.66 in.

Baby's Weight: 5.78 lbs.

Our baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Our baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, our baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly. Of course, the last 2 appointments, the midwife has thought that she is head down. So, hopefully there will be no need for this coaxing.

I remember when it was a few weeks ago when we had a small simple goal of "make it another 3 weeks." Now it just seems like that was a long long time ago. Hahaha... instead of just a month ago. I am thankful and grateful each day for our little darling. I am so thankful for the days she is very active and kicking and pushing on my rib cage. (When she's less active it just stresses me out. Rightfully so, right?)

I will be posting this on Thursday night (the eve of 36 week day), because tomorrow will be very busy. We do have a doctor's appointment in the afternoon, so I'm hoping that we'll get a little bit of info on how we are doing together, Jellee and I. Hopefully, we'll hear the words "progress," or maybe even the word "dilated." hehehe... While I am not uncomfortable at all (except for some random pains), I am just getting very very very excited to meet our little darling. So, that's where I'm at at this point. I will also try to post a picture of the 36 week baby belly picture. Soo... be on the look out.

All right, well that is about it for now. Thanks for checking in on us. If there is any news of progress, I will try to post it in with the picture. Soo.. here's to hoping!!

35 weeks!

Your baby is the size of a honeydew melon, and he's now able to suck a nipple.

Baby's Length: 18.19 in.

Baby's Weight: 5.25 lbs.

Our baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in my womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight. At this point, our unborn baby should be positioned with her head facing down (which according to the last two visits...she was/is.). About 97 percent of babies have adopted this position by this point; the rest remain in what's known as breech position -- when the butt or feet are in place to come out first.

How far along? 35 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Not quite sure... think we're about 15 pounds now. YIKES!
Maternity clothes? yep!
Stretch marks? not that I've seen
Sleep: Other than getting up at night for a bathroom run... sleep this week has actually been GREAT! Still dealing with the numbness, but... it's ok. I enjoy being lulled to sleep by soft (or not so soft) kicks... and being greeted each morning with kicks as well. I have gone back to regularly taking an afternoon nap... it's been a few weeks since I "needed" a nap. I haven't taken one every day this week, but if I'm home around 2-5ish... you can bet that somewhere in there there is an hour-ish block of time that is getting a nap. And boy are those wonderful!!
Best moment this week: baby shower!! It was wonderful, and everything went so well. I am so thankful for the special ladies in my life who love us enough to throw us such a great party!
Movement: She still kicks a lot, but definitely not doing the somersaults any more... which I miss. Sometimes she'd hit an interesting spot, and it would actually tickle.
Food cravings: Anything...
Gender: Girl!!! And now, after the 3d ultrasound, I'm convinced... but... we'll just have to wait and see!!
Name: We talked about a name, randomly, that we didn't hate. (<--Our random name from a few weeks ago, is really growing on me... could it be??) :-) Either way, we will probably not be announcing it until she is really here.
Labor Signs: Nope... at least not that I know of... definitely getting some random tightening which I have been told are the great Braxton Hicks contractions... but, honestly, if I'm not sitting still, I do not notice them.
Belly Button in or out? In, but definitely flattening out. I'm pretty sure it will stay in though at this point.
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach, Starbuck's Chai Tea Latte, eating carbs during the day

What I am looking forward to: Meeting the little princess... and getting the thank you cards from our shower done... not necessarily in that order though. I am also looking forward to the day when our large pile of thank you cards are all done! I am also looking forward to Jer's graduation on the 18th... so about a week and a half from now!!

Weekly Wisdom: Savor this time...

Well, it has been a calm week here. Most of the week our house was in total disarray due to the stuff from our shower last Saturday and the lack of motivation or desire to move it all to the babies room. I have been working pretty hard (for the most part) on meeting my daily quota of thank you notes each night. This is our off-week for our doctors' appointments... so we didn't have to go. That was a good thing, and I even welcomed the break. I've worked some this week, with a full working weekend ahead of me. The next few weeks will be very busy... and that doesn't include if I were to spontaneously go into labor. Hahaha...

Other than that, we're just taking inventory of things that we still need for the baby... which at this point isn't much that we "need" just more a few things that we'd like to make our lives a little easier. I did spend a good portion of time organizing and cleaning things from the shower, so... hopefully we'll get a handle on things.

Anyway, I know this is a super boring post... because this week has been very uneventful. (Which is good in light of how busy the next few weeks will be.)

Everyone, have a great, great week ahead!!

As always, thanks for checking in on us....

34 weeks!!

Your baby is the size of a cantaloupe, and her main job now is simply to continue plumping up.

Baby's Length: 17.72 in.

Baby's Weight: 4.73 lbs.

Our baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder (and no doubt about that... remember those chubby cheeks from last week's ultrasound?!). Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Our baby is preparing for her arrival in just a few short weeks! This week, the protective vernix caseosa (that cheese-like, white, waxy coating that's keeping her skin safe) begins to thicken, ensuring that her birthday suit stays smooth and well-moisturized during D-day. Our baby will likely arrive covered in the stuff, especially in the folds under her arms, behind her ears, and in the groin area. But it'll all be washed off very shortly after birth -- during her first-ever bath.

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Not quite sure... think we're about 15 pounds now. YIKES!
Maternity clothes? yep!
Stretch marks? not that I've seen
Sleep: Other than getting up at night for a bathroom run... sleep this week has actually been GREAT! Still dealing with the numbness, but... it's ok. I enjoy being lulled to sleep by soft (or not so soft) kicks... and being greeted each morning with kicks as well. I have gone back to regularly taking an afternoon nap... it's been a few weeks since I "needed" a nap. I haven't taken one every day this week, but if I'm home around 2-5ish... you can bet that somewhere in there there is an hour-ish block of time that is getting a nap. And boy are those wonderful!!
Best moment this week: Getting the "okay" to only test my blood sugar twice a day, as opposed to the 4 times I day I have done for the last 3 weeks. My fingers are enjoying this time off.
Movement: Lots! Pretty much any time I'm sitting/laying still. Sometimes I don't even have to be THAT still either. She has been sleeping like a champ (although sometimes that makes me paranoid that something's the matter). Yesterday when we went to the doctor we got a (now seemingly routine) monitoring of the baby for about an hour. She was moving some, but definitely sleeping. They woke her up.... and boy did that tick her off. I think I experienced our daughter's very first temper tantrum! It was highly amusing, nonetheless.
Food cravings: Anything...
Gender: Girl!!! And now, after the 3d ultrasound, I'm convinced... but... we'll just have to wait and see!!
Name: We talked about a name, randomly, that we didn't hate. (<--Our random name from a few weeks ago, is really growing on me... could it be??) :-) Either way, we will probably not be announcing it until she is really here.
Labor Signs: Nope... at least not that I know of... definitely getting some random tightening which I have been told are the great Braxton Hicks contractions... but, honestly, if I'm not sitting still, I do not notice them.
Belly Button in or out? In, but definitely flattening out. I'm pretty sure it will stay in though at this point.
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach, Starbuck's Chai Tea Latte, eating carbs during the day.
What I am looking forward to: Baby shower #2. I'm excited to see all my friends and family. I am humbled at how many people wanted to come out and join us for our festive occasion. I am also looking forward to the special honor of having my sister fly in from Virginia just to be here for the shower. Jellee is very excited to hear her auntie.
Weekly Wisdom: Savor the final weeks of being pregnant... before I know it she will be here. Time does fly when you're having fun. I find it crazy that I'm 34 weeks already... and even more crazy that in just a short time our little princess will be here with us!!


This week has been a pretty good week in general. I have loved, loved, loved feeling our little dear kick. Some nights I can only describe her as a crazy girl! I can definitely tell she is a sleeper... at least an in-the-womb-sleeper. There are definite times where she is VERY active, and definite times where she isn't as much. This week we got a complementary baby monitoring at the doctor's office... just to check on the little dear. She had a great steady heart rate. But wasn't moving a ton.... so after an hour they used this noisy vibraty thing (sorry, princess!) to "wake her up." And BOY DID IT!! I think we had about 7 detected movements (by me, not just the monitor those detected her every wince.) in an hour... and I think in 5 minutes, we had upwards of 30 movements! As my sister-in-law said, I experienced my daughters very first temper tantrum. I know it's not cute when they're having a tantrum in a store, or at home... but I was highly amused by this display of annoyance. (Sorry, beautiful!)

Tomorrow, is our second baby shower. It may be fairly large.... I'm just so excited to see all the people who are near and dear to us. I am sooo grateful to the friends who are putting it on for us. They are such a blessing to our family!! I will try to post pictures from this shower... as long as we get batteries. Last week, we made some major progress on the baby's room. We washed all the current clothing that we had, only to discover that we had about 5 complete outfits for the 0-3 month range, and about 6 for the 3-6 month range. haha... crazy... but apparently pants are an afterthought of clothing purchase. So, hopefully we'll get a few more pants that can act as "staples" (ie jeans, or solids etc...) tomorrow. If not, then we'll just have to hit up the amazing children's consignment shop. Soo.. we'll see. I am totally trusting that the Lord knows our needs, and will provide exactly what we need at the right time. I am SOOOO looking forward to tomorrow.

Black Friday Fun!

My typical idea of the perfect Black Friday has NOTHING to do with shopping. In fact, I usually boycott the whole idea of going out with all those hostile crowds and waking up WAAAAAY too early (or not even going to bed at all). Those are two of some of my least favorite things... large crowds & waking up early! Normally, we don't go anywhere we just enjoy our day at home. A few years ago we went out to Lowes around 4 or so to look for area rugs... we spent about 5 minutes to get there, and 10 minutes in the store.... and about 5 minutes back home.... and we didn't buy a single thing!!

Anyway, this year we had another idea... and waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more fun. We had our 3d ultrasound!! And boy was that fun!! Of course, it would have been even more fun if the little darling would have cooperated a little bit. But she's still as precious as ever! We got to see her yawn quite a few times. (Which, does that mean she got my sleep gene?) She even stuck her tongue out at one point... now that was cute! We got a little smirk picture! It was GREAT!

After the ultrasound the 12 of us (who went to the ultrasound) went out to lunch, then Jer's side headed back to our house for a little nursery renovation! We did some laundry, sorted clothing, moved the bed and dresser, and played with the baby monitor. It was highly productive! Then, we went out to dinner! (hehehe)

My favorite picture... she has her daddy's smirk!

And that my friends is an excellent way to spend Black Friday!

Thankful for being 33 weeks!

Your baby is as big as a pineapple, and she's starting to shed her downy hair, called lanugo.

Baby's Length: 17.20 in.

Baby's Weight: 4.23 lbs.

Our baby doesn't have much elbow room these days -- that's probably going to mean fewer elbow jabs to the ribs for me. Because space in my uterus is running out, our baby becomes less active at this point in the pregnancy. I may also notice that her movements are affected by my daily routine -- how much and when I eat, what position I am in and sounds from the world outside can all affect my baby's activity level.

She's also rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

How far along? 33 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Not sure... somewhere between 12-15 lbs. And probably today (Thanksgiving when I'm writing this), It's at least 20. hahaha... Jellee and I enjoyed Thanksgiving meals today!!
Maternity clothes? yep!
Stretch marks? not that I've seen
Sleep: Other than getting up at night for a bathroom run... sleep this week has actually been GREAT! Still dealing with the numbness, but... it's ok. I enjoy being lulled to sleep by soft (or not so soft) kicks... and being greeted each morning with kicks as well. I have gone back to regularly taking an afternoon nap... it's been a few weeks since I "needed" a nap. I haven't taken one every day this week, but if I'm home around 2-5ish... you can bet that somewhere in there there is an hour-ish block of time that is getting a nap.
Best moment this week: Taking a walk around the block with Jeremy a couple times this week.
Movement: Lots! Pretty much any time I'm sitting/laying still. Sometimes I don't even have to be THAT still either.
Food cravings: Anything...
Gender: Girl!!! (Or so they say... hopefully our 3d ultrasound will confirm this suspicion)
Name: We talked about a name, randomly, that we didn't hate. (<--Our random name from last week, is really growing on me... could it be??) :-) Either way, we will probably not be announcing it until she is really here.
Labor Signs: Nope... at least not that I know of... definitely getting some random tightening which I have been told are the great Braxton Hicks contractions... but, honestly, if I'm not sitting still, I do not notice them.
Belly Button in or out? In, but definitely flattening out. I'm pretty sure it will stay in though at this point.
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach, Starbuck's Chai Tea Latte, eating carbs during the day.
What I am looking forward to: 3d Ultrasound, and baby shower next week
Weekly Wisdom: Use my energy to be productive with baby stuff


Well this week was a pretty good week. FAR less eventful than last week. On Tuesday we had a follow-up appointment just to check on the sweet inner princess and to confirm that all the fun from last Friday was just "fake fun" and that those contractions didn't actually do anything. So, as it was, when all my labs came back, they decided that I had an asymptomatic UTI and that's what was causing the contractions. So on Monday night, I started a round of antibiotics... and honestly after a few days, I haven't really felt any tightness at all... so... that's a good thing. It means little miss Jellee is happy and content to stay where she is for a little while longer! (At least 2-4 weeks....)

I have also been extremely blessed this week by the kindness and thoughtfulness of my very own husband. It's been so nice to be pampered. He has been extremely helpful in so many little ways... it just takes my breath away. It just solidifies what I've known for a while... he's going to be a great dad!

As mentioned before, I am writing this the night of Thanksgiving (the even of 33 weeks officially) because tomorrow is going to be quite busy. Tomorrow around noon we are scheduled to have a 3d ultrasound. I am very excited about this!! It will be so neat to see what our little jewel looks like... although I suspect she'll be slightly squishy looking since she's very quickly running out of room. Haha... But it will be fun. I also hope that they can confirm that she is indeed a she.... I'm not expecting any surprises, but if we're going to be surprised, it would be great to find out before the big baby shower!! hahaha... After the ultrasound, my wonderful sister-in-law and I are probably going to tackle some of the baby's room. Doing laundry and getting things organized... and maybe even moving the furniture around a bit so that I can enjoy the set up instead of tolerating the set up. (hehe) So tomorrow will be busy... busy.

Other than that, we enjoyed a fantastic Thanksgiving with our families. It was full of good food, and laughter. I spent the morning compiling a list of things I was thankful for. Even though it was 100 things, I probably could have gone on and on for at least another 100. :-) God has been soo good to us. There is so much that I have to be thankful for. One of the things I mentioned was my glucose meter. While I do despise it, I'm also thankful for it. I'm thankful for a method with which to keep me accountable. I am thankful that conditions such as gestational diabetes can be found, and monitored. I also look forward to another week or so of good readings... so that our hopeful goal of going down to testing twice a day may actually be realized. I also find it a whole time of growth for me. Those of you who know me, know I am quite the freakazoid when it comes to needles... and especially so when it comes to self inflicting pain... while I will admit, I do not like it one bit, and it still causes a bit of anxiety... I have come to realize just how much my love for my baby is... that this little one has me soooo wrapped around her finger, that I am willing to do whatever it is to ensure her health and safety, no matter the discomfort it may cause me. I may never be a fan of needles... and I may always be a freakazoid, but... God is still working on me and making me stronger and stronger each day through different experiences.

Well,this is the off week for pictures, we seem to do one every 2 weeks. So.. I will leave you with the thought that we're a month away from Christmas... and there is SOOOO much to do!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful, safe and family-filled Thanksgiving!

Thanks for checking in on us!

100 things to be thankful for.....

Every time someone asks "What are you thankful for?" I usually give them a list of maybe 5 or 6 things and top it off with "... and the list could go on and on." So last night in between wakefulness and sleep, I decided I should try to make a list of at least 100 things that I am thankful for. Soooo, here is my list. These aren't in any particular order. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

100 Things I Am Thankful For (2011)

1. Being saved by grace, through faith in my Lord
2. A godly husband
3. A healthy baby in the works
4. A home
5. A job that I love
6. A job where I feel appreciated
7. Grandparents who have been married 61 years!
8. Parents who have been married 36 years!
9. A car that has been paid off for a while.
10. A car that will be paid off in February.
11. My education
12. My church home.
13. Friends with a bunch of wisdom
14. My washing machine
15. 2 legs that can walk
16. The ability to hear
17. Wise doctors
18. My midwife
19. A boss with whom I can enjoy working
20. The Caribbean
21. My dishwasher
22. The ability to still sleep fairly comfortably
23. Friends with medical knowledge
24. (Even though I sort of despise it) My glucose meter that keeps me accountable
25. The Lord meeting our needs each and every month financially
26. My crazy weird dog
27. My sister-in-law, her husband and her beautiful children
28. Heat in our home
29. My husband's c-pap machine
30. A thoughtful husband who goes out of his way to ensure my comfort
31. A much improved relationship with family
32. Food on the table, and extra in the fridge
33. The sunshine
34. 2 other brother-in-laws who are awesome!
35. My comfy pair of maternity blue jeans
36. Generous friends who have donated to little Miss Jellee
37. Generous family who have already spoiled our unborn baby
38. Running water
39. Email
40.Cell phones
41. Internet
42. Fresh towels
43. Blogs
44. Medical technology
45. Police Officers
46. Dave Ramsey
47. Friends with the gift of encouraging
48. A squirmy baby in the making
49. My hair straightener
50. A husband who gives unlimited hugs
51. Parents who are there to listen
52. My scale (also keeps me accountable)
53. The cook at work who spoils me!
54. A listening ear
55. An awesome sister-in-law who is always willing to help out
56. Coats for the winter
57. Hardwood floors
58. Friends who are throwing me a baby shower
59. Friends who are coming to the baby shower
60. Tulips
61. Health
62. Good blood glucose readings
63. Reruns on tv from my childhood
64. My experience teaching
65. My voice
66. A husband who balances me out
67. A mom and dad who make me laugh
68. A twin sister
69. Ceiling fans
70. Friends who call "just to see how I'm doing."
71. Pretty smelling candles
72. Moisturizing lotion
73. Lysol wipes
74. Warm blankets
75. Jersey sheets
76. Baby crib & dresser
77. Winter gloves
78. Health insurance
79. Food that brings my blood sugar down
80. My neighbors
81. Pictures to preserve memories
82. In-laws that have been a great example to my husband and I
83. Residents where I work, who are genuinely concerned about the baby
84. Co-workers who stay "on-call" in case I can't make it to work
85. The soothing music app on my husband's phone
86. Coupons
87. Marriage
88. Baseball
89. Cousins who I get closer to each and every year.
90. The power of prayer
91. Central air
92. Experiences traveling
93. Friends who pray
94. Random chocolatey things
95. Shoes on my feet
96. Date night!
97. Laughter
98. Splenda
99. A husband who can pack a bag speedily
100. My older sister whom I look up to

Again, these are in no particular order....

Soo... what are you thankful for? Have you shared your list with anyone?

I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow, we're at 33 weeks! Stay tuned for your weekly update!

32 weeks, and going strong!!

Your baby is the size of a jicama, and by now all of her major organs, except for her lungs, are fully functioning.

Baby's Length: 16.69 in.

Baby's Weight: 3.75 lbs.

By now, our baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) (she's more than likely bigger than her mama was at birth weight) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in my uterus (and pretty much everywhere else in my thoracic cavity). I'm gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz) (<---- could this be the cause of my recurring heartburn/reflux?). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

How far along? 32 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 15 lbs...according to my last dr. appointment...but I may be back down to 13 since I've been walking a lot this week to help keep the blood sugar down.
Maternity clothes? yep!
Stretch marks? not that I've seen
Sleep: Other than getting up at night for a bathroom run... sleep this week has actually been GREAT! Still dealing with the numbness, but... it's ok. I enjoy being lulled to sleep by soft (or not so soft) kicks... and being greeted each morning with kicks as well. I have gone back to regularly taking an afternoon nap... it's been a few weeks since I "needed" a nap. I haven't taken one every day this week, but if I'm home around 2-5ish... you can bet that somewhere in there there is an hour-ish block of time that is getting a nap.
Best moment this week: Sunday
Movement: Lots! Pretty much any time I'm sitting/laying still. Sometimes I don't even have to be THAT still either.
Food cravings: Anything... although this week I seem to really enjoy anything with cinnamon. (Which is good, because cinnamon is supposed to help regulate blood sugar.). I am also enjoying that my nightly routine seems to be eat a yummy dessert later in the evening, and my blood sugar is better in the morning. (DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT FACT ONE BIT, but I'll take it) I don't usually eat anything desserty during the day, but at night has been GREAT!!
Gender: Girl!!! (Or so they say...)
Name: We talked about a name, randomly, that we didn't hate. (<--Our random name from last week, is really growing on me... could it be??) :-) Either way, we will probably not be announcing it until she is really here.
Labor Signs: Nope... at least not that I know of.
Belly Button in or out? In, but definitely flattening out.
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach, Starbuck's Chai Tea Latte, eating carbs during the day.

What I am looking forward to: An evening without heartburn/reflux (whatever it is that is plaguing me.) And eating a meal without having anxiety that I will then have to stab myself 2 hours later.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't feel bad about taking a nap if you're tired.

I always write my posts usually on Thursday evening so they are ready to post for Friday. So this post is no different... except I had an appointment with my midwife this morning at 8:30am. It is now 5:39pm... and I've been home for about 15 minutes. :-)

As it was, my blood pressure was good this morning. The baby was measuring at the correct size. The urinalysis came back fine. My blood sugar log looked good. Everything was going great! In fact my midwife was so pleased with my blood sugar counts, that she said if I can keep it up for the next week, then I can go down to 2 sticks a day instead of 4. Soo... everything was going great... then they took the baby's hear rate. It was a little slow... they said she might have been sleeping. So they wanted to put me on some monitors for a little bit. So I sat in a [cold] room and was monitored for 30-45 minutes. During this time, the monitors showed that I was having contractions every 4 minutes or so. Contractions I wasn't feeling, by the way.

So then, that led to a few internal exams (lucky me)... and then orders to go straight to the hospital where the other midwife was expecting me. So I called Jer (who as always, is a fabulous husband), and told him what was up. (Of course, this would be the day I would forget my cell phone at home.) So I arrived there about 11 am.

I had the pleasure of being hooked up, yet again, to monitors for the next hour or so. Gave them my test bags (that were taken at the office), gave them yet another urine sample. And sat and waited. Jer got there around 12.... bringing my lifeline...aka my cell phone.

Then they so graciously gave me a complementary bag of IV fluids... still being monitored.... while waiting for the test results to come back.

After bag 1, the midwife came back... we talked. My test results looked good. I got yet another internal exam (again, lucky, lucky me) to determine that I still hadn't dilated any.... then told I should be given another half bag of fluids at a ridiculous rate... and that I could leave after that.

Soo... all this fun in 1 day. I'm exhausted. However, the baby checked out fine. Good strong heartbeat. (They said she was the most well behaved baby on the floor. And no, she wasn't the only baby.) She still does not like monitors... as she kicked it several times. (Making Jer and I laugh.) But for now, I have no restrictions. I'm not going to work the weekend... and I will just take it easy. We are thanking and praising God for keep our little girl and myself safe today. We're grateful to be home, resting in our own bed (or on the couch, as it may apply).

So, keep praying for us. We want to go AT LEAST another 2 weeks to 34... but obviously 35+ is better. So, lets pray for NO ACTION until she's fully cooked!! I know, life out here must sound exciting... but we'd like our baby to be well done, not rare. So, pray for us. We'd all appreciate it. So, now since all of this came about today, I get to go every week to the doctor now.

So... we'll see how all that goes.

32 Weeks

Thanks for checking in on us.

31 weeks!

Our baby is as long as a bunch of bok choy, and she now turns her head from side to side.

Baby's Length: 16.18 in.

Baby's Weight: 3.31 lbs.

Our baby is gaining more weight than height at this point. Because she's too big to stretch out (but I think she still tries!!), she's now forced into the fetal position, which she'll stay in until birth. This week also boasts some exciting reproductive developments

.

This week, our baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's moving a lot, too, so I may have trouble sleeping because she kicks and somersaults keeping me up (but I haven't noticed missing any sleep. I do notice that when I go to sleep... I feel kicks, when I wake up in the middle of the night... I feel kicks, and when I wake up, I feel kicks. It's actually quite relaxing to me to feel.). Tak

e comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy. Growth begins to slow a teeny bit, and the brain goes through a period of rapid development. The only major organ left to fully develop is the lungs.

How far along? 31 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 15 lbs...according to my last dr. appointment...but I may be back down to 13 since I've been walking a lot this week to help keep the blood sugar down.
Maternity clothes? yep!
Stretch marks? not that I've seen
Sleep: Other than getting up at night for a bathroom run... sleep this week has actually been GREAT! Still dealing with the numbness, but... it's ok. I enjoy being lulled to sleep by soft (or not so soft) kicks... and being greeted each morning with kicks as well.

Best moment this week: Getting our crib & dresser!! I LOVE it!!
Movement: (Decided to change this up a little bit this week.) She's still moving around a lot! This week during birth class, I was sitting with my arms crossed laying on my belly. (Usually I don't do this, because it's uncomfortable.) A few minutes later, my arm was visibly lifted/kicked off my belly. It was kind of funny, and yet, very odd feeling!
Food cravings: Anything... although this week I seem to really enjoy anything with cinnamon. (Which is good, because cinnamon is supposed to help regulate blood sugar.)
Gender: Girl!!! (Or so they say...)
Name: We talked about a name, randomly, that we didn't hate. Soo

oo...We're working on it... I think we have our back-up boy name if she turns out to be a he... but we're struggling more with girly names. I think we have a middle name... but, the first name, a little more tricky. :-) Either way, we will probably not be announcing it until she is really here.
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In, but definitely flattening out.

What I miss: sleeping on my stomach, and Starbucks Chai Tea Latte (if anyone wants to bring me one at the hospital, after I give birth when you visit... feel free. That would be delicious!! I realllllllllly miss those!)
What I am looking forward to: Baby Shower in December!!
Weekly Wisdom: Teach your children to be content with what they get and have. They don't need the top of the line, name brands. If you teach them this, then they will be content when they do get things... anything. Which, I would like... I would like to have a content and grateful child!!

Well, this week has been an emotional roller coaster, but we have leveled out! It started out on Monday with my less than stellar doctor's appointment. Normally, these are my favorite times of the month (now visits are every two weeks). I came in knowing that I failed the 3 hour glucose tolerance test, but I didn't know how that would impact me. It started off with my blood pressure being taken. While it wasn't "high" it was higher than they like for mothers with gestational diabetes. This lead to the conversation of "what to watch for." We don't want to head into the territory of preeclempsia, because that could be dangerous for both of us. The only way for preeclempsia to be cured is to deliver the baby. (Which before that would mean, bed rest.) Then, that conversation lead to the pressure to not consider anything but

an epidural. While I've always said I'm not set in stone one way or the other, we have been preparing and practicing all we can for a natural childbirth. Then, when I was measured I was measuring slightly larger than what I should be... so that wasn't a good thing either. It was a very discouraging appointment to say the least. Although, with everything there is a silver lining, right?? Her heart rate was very good! Nice and strong, and the right number of beats. And, the midwife said she thought that her head was down. Soo... we did get some good news. After my appointment with the midwife, I had my gestational "diabetes education" with a nurse. Which "education" is a word I should use loosely. It involved learning how to

stab myself, and use my blood glucose meter. (To which I had a small panic attack, and was definitely crying by the time it was all over. I just don't do well stabbing myself.) I left the appointment holding back as many tears as possible. (Poor woman at the front desk.) Then I went to work. After my 1st shift at work I went to the pharmacy to drop off my prescription for lancets and test strips. I went after my 2nd shift to pick them up. Only to be told by the pharmacy tech that she needed my other insurance... my primary insurance. To which I informed her I didn't have any other insurance... this IS my primary. She called the insurance company who wouldn't talk to me, and wouldn't tell h

er who they thought I had... and who couldn't resolve the issue. So I left the pharmacy very upset and frustrated... and once again, crying. Jer was very wonderful to me that evening showering me with hugs, and calming me down. (God sooooo blessed me when he put us together.) The next day, after sleeping it all off, had me in a better mood. It was 70+ outside, and I was off work. So, I went for a nice long walk to our voting place. It was a good time to pray, and really enjoy the outside. (Which most of you know, I'm not really an outside person.) I stopped at the pharmacy again, because Jer called the insurance this morning, and they said there is no reason I should have been denied b/c they weren't showing another insurance. So, after voting, I stopped by there... waited a few minutes to have the pharmacist stick his head out and say "its being denied." I called Jer... long story short, our insurance doesn't want to cover the testing supplies from a retail pharmacy. If they are going to cover it, it involved en

rolling in their diabetes wellness program, and then getting the stuff from a mail-order pharmacy.... the process could take up to 3 weeks. Soo.. I have 9 weeks left, and we could take 3 weeks off of that?! What the heck!! So I called the doctors office and explained the situation (to which they probably think I'm lying), and they couldn't believe that our insurance would do that since it's not for "diabetes" but rather for "gestational diabetes" which is usually a temporary. Then, later that day I had an appointment with a nutritionist, whi

ch my mom said would be a waste of time, and my midwife said I needed to keep. I went there, met with the nutritionist. My appointment consisted of her handing me a pamphlet that she had written on (without explaining what she was writing), and giving me a diabetic exchange booklet. She asked me if I was checking my blood sugar. I told her yes. She looked at me and said "Well... I don't think I have anything to worry about with you." and then sent me on my way. I think my consultation may have been 7 minutes... mmmmmmmaybe. It really was a huge waste of time. But the irony, is my insurance had no problem paying for that consultation... and yet, they won't pay for the testing supplies that I need! Then, on Wednesday, I got a call from the nurse I had been working with... she called the pharmacy rep who gave them the free supplies (starter kits including meter, test strips and lancets), and explained my stupid situation. He brought by some more free samples. So I have enough to last easily 50 days

. Which as of last night I have 63 days left. So, now I doubt we'll even enroll in the program with our insurance.

So... that was a bulk of my week. Crazy up and down. But we got through it. My finger tips are quite sore, so please pray for that. There is one finger that still feels like t

here are shards of glass stuck in it (or something similar). It's just not very pleasant.

Anyway, this weekend is Youth explosion at our church, so I need to finish prepping for the students that we will have stay at our house.

I will try to post pictures of our crib and dresser soon. I can't find the micro sd adapter that I can put directly into my computer... so until I do find it, the pictures are stuck on my phone.

I also wanted to say Happy Veterans' Day to Jellee and I's favorite veteran! Thank you, Jeremy for serving our country faithfully. We really are proud of you! I promise to instill in our baby girl (and other children) the pride they have when they talk about our military personel, for their selflessness and their sacrifice. Even before Jell-bell was a glimmer in our eye, you were an example to her through your service to our country! We love you and appreciate your dedication. It is because of men and women just like you, that we can enjoy this great nation. Thank you, dear, for your service!! You are our hero!!

I thought this picture would be appropriate because when Jer was stationed in
Japan he fell in love with a restaurant called Coco's Curry. (And since
I couldn't find a picture of him in his military attire, this will just
have to do.)

Thanks for checking in on us! Remember to keep us in your prayers!! Thanks!

30 week picture!!

This picture was taken last night. I am 30 weeks in this picture.
10-ish more weeks to go!
Grow, baby girl, grow!!

75% well done....

If I were a steak, I'd say we're at "medium" temperature. hahaha.... OR for those of you who prefer it in in weeks, we're at 30 weeks. IF you'd prefer to kick it old school, then Tuesday marks exactly 7 months. Sooo, there's the "how far along we are" stats.

Your baby is the size of a large cabbage, and by now he has developed all five senses.

Baby's Length: 15.71 in.

Baby's Weight: 2.91 lbs.

Our baby hasn't gained much weight or height this week, as most of her energy's been channeled to brain development. Our baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus.

Big news for baby's brain this week: It's starting to wrinkle and fold and looks like something that grew in the back of your fridge. This is due to the rapid growth of your little genius's brain cells. Other highlights this week:

Fingernails and toenails are finally finished—causing her parents great fear and anguish the first time they try to cut those little daggers! Plus, the bone marrow is completely in charge of red-blood-cell production now. This is a good thing!

She is starting to shed her lanugo—the downy hair that was covering her skin. Now that she's chubbier and better able to regulate her body temp, she doesn't need to sport a fur coat 24/7.

"I spy an umbilical cord and the inside of my mom's uterus!" When our baby is awake, her eyes are now wide open and she's whittling away the hours looking around, checking out his rather dark, limited environs. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

How far along? 30 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 13 lbs...according to my last dr. appointment...(slightly frightened for the next one....we'll see)
Maternity clothes? yep!
Stretch marks? not that I've seen
Sleep: Other than getting up at night for a bathroom run... sleep this week has actually been GREAT! Still dealing with the numbness, but... it's ok.
Best moment this week: Hearing the words... "Your crib and dresser are in." So... hopefully this week, we can get some progress made in the baby's room.
Movement: She moves around a lot! She's a wild girl!! L.O.V.E. it!! It's still funny she doesn't really like people touching my belly, she often will kick less... but if you wait for it, you can usually get a kick or two. Or if you'd rather just watch, you can see it! I have found myself being lulled to sleep by some fun, gentle kicks. I've also found that if I'm not getting a bunch of kicks before I sleep, then if I take some REALLY large deep breaths... she "wakes up." And does then starts kicking a bunch. (Revenge maybe?) hahaha... I love it though!
Food cravings: Nothing in particular, just food when we're hungry. On the top of the list is diet, caffeine free pop... (I found a 12 pack in my basement of diet, caffeine free coke... no idea when it arrived, how it got there, or anything about it... but I'm glad its here!! Also it's nice because it's out of the way, and out of sight, therefore out of mind.... so I haven't been going to town, only because I have to actually really WANT it. Haha... it's good to have a little self control forced on you.)
Gender: Girl!!! (Or so they say...)
Name:We're working on it... I think we have our back-up boy name if she turns out to be a he... but we're struggling more with girly names. I think we have a middle name... but, the first name, a little more tricky. :-) Either way, we will probably not be announcing it until she is really here.
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In, but definitely flattening out.
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach <----- still what I miss the most!
What I am looking forward to: Baby Shower in December!!
Weekly Wisdom: Do I have any this week? eh... I don't know that I do....

Well, this week has been ok. Not too much to discuss. We've kept Jeremy busy with people needing computers fixed. So, I've been appreciative that my back hasn't been as sore this week as it was in the past week(s). (Because when my back hurts we watch tv upstairs where the heating pad is when he fixes computers, in this case, he's downstairs in the living room.)

We have an upcoming appointment on Monday morning (8am no less!). At the last appointment the midwife said that after this appointment we would start going to twice a month appointments. Welcome to the homestretch!! On Tuesday we're supposed to meet with a nutritionist about the whole gestational diabetes issue. I'm not too hopeful that she'll tell me anything new that I don't already know (remember, 2 diabetic parents?). But, I'll go... we'll see! Maybe I'll learn something.

Bradley classes are going well. We're learning a lot. Although, I wish I were more diligent with the exercises than I actually am. The classes have been good and very informative.

We also took our hospital tour...and other than the women took 20-30 minutes showing us HOW to get to the maternity ward... that was also a very good experience. The only thing that was weird was that the women said they don't let you plug in electronics. "All we need is one person to not take care of their electrical cord, then there's a spark, and the whole hospital is in jeopardy." A little paranoid, no?

Anyway, we have 10 weeks to go!!

Thanks for checking in with us this week! Later this evening I'll be posting a 30 week picture. Stay tuned.

29 weeks... and counting!

Your baby is the size of a butternut squash, and this week his head is growing to make room for his developing brain.

Baby's Length: 15.2 in.

Baby's Weight: 2.54 lbs.

Our baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

See what your baby looks like this week.

How far along? 29 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 13 lbs...according to my last dr. appointment...
Maternity clothes? yep!
Stretch marks? not that I've seen
Sleep: On and off. Still dealing with the numbness in my hands when I sleep... but I did find out that is sometimes a symptom/side effect of gestational diabetes
Best moment this week: Having Monday off of work, and just relaxing.... also get a massage!! It was FABULOUS!
Movement: She moves around a lot! She's a wild girl!! L.O.V.E. it!! It's still funny she doesn't really like people touching my belly, she often will kick less... but if you wait for it, you can usually get a kick or two. Or if you'd rather just watch, you can see it!
Food cravings: Nothing in particular, just food when we're hungry.
Gender: Girl!!! (Or so they say...)
Name:We're working on it... I think we' have our back-up boy name if she turns out to be a he... but we're struggling more with girly names. I think we have a middle name... but, the first name, a little more tricky. :-) Either way, we will probably not be announcing it until she is really here.
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In, but definitely flattening out.
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach <----- still what I miss the most!
What I am looking forward to: January!!
Weekly Wisdom: Do I have any this week? eh... I don't know that I do....

Well this week has been busy, and yet not so busy... if it can be such a thing. I actually had Sunday and Monday off this week.. it was heavenly!! It's been a while since I've had 2 days off without an agenda. So, that was wonderful. On Wednesday, I called my midwife's office to ask why I haven't "gotten a call" from a nutritionist or a nurse concerning my failure of my 3 hour glucose test. When the looked things up, apparently my midwife was "super concerned" with the results, because she "wrote the orders, but forgot to send them..." as the woman on the phone told me. Needless to say, I find that kind of interesting. So, I have an appointment to see a nutritionist on November 8. (My next appointment with the midwife is November 7.) I may be cancelling it if it turns out our insurance won't cover that conversation (as my mom found out a few years ago.)... there is a nutritionist at work that I can talk to. But, I don't know anything else other than that at this point. I have no idea when or how I get the whole "meter thing" to start actually monitoring the blood sugar. I'm guessing I will find that out when I go to my next appointment.

That's the newest info on the homefront. Not too much going on... pretty boring. But as I figure, boring is good.

Anyway, thanks for your weekly check-in!!

28 weeks!!

Our baby is the size of a head of iceberg lettuce, and she takes 20 to 30 minute naps regularly these days.

Baby's Length: 14.80 in.

Baby's Weight: 2.22 lbs.

By this week, our baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. Until now, her eyelids have been fused shut, but this week she'll begin to open and close her eyes. What's more, her irises are now filled with pigment. Even if you could peek at the color of her peepers now, though, they might not stay that color, as a baby's eyes can change up until she's 6 months to 1 year old (especially if your little gal is born with baby blues).With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

How far along? 28 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 13 lbs...according to my last dr. appointment...
Maternity clothes? yep!
Stretch marks? not that I've seen
Sleep: On and off. Still dealing with the numbness in my hands when I sleep... but I did find out that is sometimes a symptom/side effect of gestational diabetes
Best moment this week: Baby shower last Saturday, and spending time with Jer
Movement: She moves around a lot! She's a wild girl!! L.O.V.E. it!! It's still funny she doesn't really like people touching my belly, she often will kick less... but if you wait for it, you can usually get a kick or two. Or if you'd rather just watch, you can see it!
Food cravings: Nothing in particular, just food when we're hungry.
Gender: Girl!!! (Or so they say...)
Name:We're working on it... I think we' have our back-up boy name if she turns out to be a he... but we're struggling more with girly names. I think we have a middle name... but, the first name, a little more tricky. :-) Either way, we will probably not be announcing it until she is really here.
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In, but definitely flattening out.
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach <----- still what I miss the most!
What I am looking forward to: January!!
Weekly Wisdom: "Faith is thanking God that when I am left with shattered plans, He has better plans."

Well, this week definitely started off rough. I heard from my midwife on Monday morning as I was headed out for work. We did not pass the 3 hour glucose.... not by much, but not passing, is not passing. :-( So, I spent most of Monday in a very emotional state. This is definitely not what we hoped for, not what we prayed for and NOT what we wanted. But after some wise counsel with some friends, I have come to terms with it. (See the above "weekly wisdom" statement.) I know there is a reason for this... and quite frankly, I am glad that it's found out so that we can be aware and change things. On the other hand I struggle, because I really feel that the 3 hour glucose test is not an accurate reflection of my lifestyle at all. (Thus explaining why I never test positive at the office during the routine urine tests.) I mean, who drinks straight up liquified sugar?? Not me, that's for sure!! I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the occasional sweets, but who doesn't? I would personally love to take the test again, but do it with real food that I might actually eat (like pancakes with syrup, or a nice tall glass or orange juice... or maybe some ice cream!!). Oh well... this is all part of God's plan. So this week has been spent really reducing carbs (crap I love pasta!!), and loading up on lots of protein (which is recommended from the Bradley class anyway). I am not looking forward to the finger stabbing... but, we'll see. I'm still waiting for my phone call from the nurse & dietitian to call. (Obviously I'm a top priority case!)

Well, if you're thinking of us, please say a prayer... because my attitude is not the greatest when it comes to "testing my blood sugar." I can handle diet all the way... but, that makes me a little um... crabby and anxious. (As most of you know, I'm a needle-a-phobe... the blood draws were enough for me!)

Anyway, thanks for checking in on us!!

27 week picture

I forgot to post this (for all my non-facebook buddies) in my earlier post...so there's no better time than the present to post it, I suppose. So here you go, a 27 week picture!!

3rd trimester here we come!! We're 27 weeks!!

Our baby is the size of a head of cauliflower, and she's growing fast! Since the 12-week mark her crown-to-rump length has probably tripled.

Baby's Length: 14.41 in.

Baby's Weight: 1.93 lb

This week, our baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, our baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so I just relax and enjoy the tickle.

How far along? 27 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 13 lbs...according to my last dr. appointment...
Maternity clothes? yep!
Stretch marks? not that I've seen
Sleep: On and off. Still dealing with the numbness in my hands when I sleep...
Best moment this week: Jer finally got to feel her kick! It was pretty cool, and definitely brought a smile to his face. (I think she has him wrapped around her little itty-bitty finger.)
Movement: Most nights when I'm laying in bed... trying to fall sleep or simply when I sit still. Starting to feel her more throughout the day still mostly when I'm sitting.
Food cravings: Nothing in particular, just food when we're hungry.
Gender: Girl!!! (Or so they say...)
Name:We're working on it... I think we' have our back-up boy name if she turns out to be a he... but we're struggling more with girly names. I think we have a middle name... but, the first name, a little more tricky. :-) Either way, we will probably not be announcing it until she is really here.
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In, but definitely flattening out.
What I miss: sleeping on my stomach <----- still what I miss the most!
What I am looking forward to: Baby Shower # 1 tomorrow with Jer's family.
Weekly Wisdom: "Kellee - you must remember that this test is not a reflection of your character or your genetic pedigree - you can do everything right and still have this issue to deal with. However, I will pray for the best outcome for you and the baby." -given to me in regards to the glucose tolerance test/gestational diabetes.

Well, we're in our final week of the 2nd trimester. It seems like she'll be here so soon! Kind of crazy when I think about it. We love her so much, and can't wait to meet her! This week has been kind of a crazy one. I started off the 26th week with the 1 hour glucose test last week. Ugh... that was awful. 50ml of "glucola" (think watered down orange flavor kool-aid crossed with excessively sugary flat pop-- have I painted the picture for you?), and 3 vials of blood drawn.

We had an appointment with our midwife on Tuesday to be informed that we failed the glucose tolerance test. So yesterday we had to go back to the lab for the 3 hour glucose test... this time it was 100mL of glucola, and 3 hours of time, and 4 blood draws. My arm was a little...err... a lot sore by the time I was done. So, we may know the results today, but I am super apprehensive, and not quite sure I want to even hear the results.... but.... hopefully, we'll come back as passing with flying colors.

Tomorrow, little princess and I have our first shower given to us by my sister-in-law for predominantly Jer's family. Should be a fun time!! We're excited!!

Well, thanks for checking in... I'm already excited about next week's post, our first in the 3rd trimester!! Rah rah! Gooo Jellee!!