I know I'm a day early, but we're packing up and headed up the mountain where we have no internet connect, so I thought I would give my thanks a little early.
I am so thankful for a wonderful family, immediate and extended. I've said this before, but I feel so blessed to have a family that enjoys spending time together and welcomes my in laws into the mix. We always have a blast and come away with great stories to share.
I am so thankful that we have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food on the table...this year has been hard for so many people, it makes me extra thankful for what we have right now.
I am thankful for the amazing miracle of life that I feel dancing around in my midsection right now. What a blessing it is to be on the road to parenthood with the full support of my family and friends.
I am thankful for my friends who understand that life gets hectic and even if we don't talk every day or every week, we are still on each others' minds and hearts at all times.
And mostly, I am thankful for my wonderful husband who has kindly put up with my sleepless nights and stress filled dreams and helped me laugh about it in the morning (just two nights ago I woke him up to tell him if he was taking data on the program, I would support it as long as the data shows improvement in behavior, and last night I woke myself asking 'are you alright, sweetheart?'...work never ends, does it?!). I couldn't have asked for a better match for a life partner.
Happy Thanksgiving and I hope this finds you surrounded by love and warmth that fills you to the brim and inspires you to share it with others.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
26 Weeks
Here's my latest look...
Multiple people have commented on how I seem to have just "popped out" over night, but I disagree. Up until last week, I'd been wearing all my late-summer maternity clothes to work, the ones that are all flow-y and comfy. Now that the temperature has dropped and the wind has picked up, I've been forced into the maternity sweaters and long-sleeve shirts, which seem to all hug every bulge in my body. I'm not entirely comfortable with how tight the clothes are; I've just strayed away from form fitting clothes ever since I started working on school sites, but it seems to be unavoidable now. Oh well...at least we're warm :)
Multiple people have commented on how I seem to have just "popped out" over night, but I disagree. Up until last week, I'd been wearing all my late-summer maternity clothes to work, the ones that are all flow-y and comfy. Now that the temperature has dropped and the wind has picked up, I've been forced into the maternity sweaters and long-sleeve shirts, which seem to all hug every bulge in my body. I'm not entirely comfortable with how tight the clothes are; I've just strayed away from form fitting clothes ever since I started working on school sites, but it seems to be unavoidable now. Oh well...at least we're warm :)
Baby's room = painted!
We finished painting the baby's room this weekend. It's a lovely shade of sage and I can't wait to purchase a crib for it. As of now, the old stuff went right back in to the room so I could have my yoga room back (and get back to doing yoga...no more of this "I'm too tired to do yoga tonight," Whine, whine, whine...) I LOVE the color and can't wait to introduce Baby Walsh to his/her room.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Glucose Update
I have a few posts I want to put up here, but I am having such a hard time finding the time to sit down and write!
First things first...the original glucose test came back 8 points above the top end cut off of normal so I was required to take the 3-hour test (YUCK!) It was rough. I had to be there first thing in the morning on a work day, so I packed up my laptop and all my notes for a report I had to write and camped out in their uncomfortable chairs. I didn't find out until I got there that I was going to be having my blood drawn 4 times (fasting level, then every hour for the duration of the 3 hour test), so I was a bit surprised by that information. I drank the nasty stuff (100 mg is sooooooo much worse than the 50 mg) and tried not to vomit. I settled in and wrote my report, waiting for my hours to tick by. Of course the lab was short staffed, and the only phlebotomist on hand had only been working for 2 weeks, so the waiting room was packed. It's really hard to balance a laptop on a lap that is quickly disappearing!
At the end of my time there, I walked out with bruises on my arms (poor new phlebotomist...she tried her best, but it hurt!), a headache AND a backache from sitting in those darn plastic chairs. It was 11am and I was STARVING- I typically eat within 15 minutes of waking up in the morning (or I turn into a grumpy, mean person), so I'm sure my body was freaking out. I drove the few blocks home and heated up some leftovers. I scarfed them down and then broke out in a cold sweat, my hands started shaking uncontrollably, and I was still starving. I didn't know what to do so I drank a glass of water, ate 1/2 an apple muffin, and waited it out. It took about 20 minutes for the shaking to go away, but then I was feeling queasy. I was late for a meeting, so I packed up and left. When I got there, my coworkers told me I looked like hell (in a much nicer way, of course) and asked if I was okay. I said not really, but I've got to get things done today. So I pushed through the queasiness and kept working. Around 4:30, I started to feel normal and HUNGRY again. I called it a day, went home, ate dinner and went to bed. What a crappy day.
That all happened on Wednesday. Friday, I received a voicemail from the midwives, telling me my gestational diabetes screening came back on the extremely low side, borderline hypoglycemic, so I need to start watching my diet for different reasons. I still need to cut back on the carbs, eat more protein, and eat more often, or I'll get more episodes like I described above. I've always been a good eater, meaning, I usually have balanced meals, I eat every few hours or I get a headache, and I drink a TON of water, pregnant or not. So this was a little irritating for me. Because I do eat every few hours, I wonder if I'm really hypoglycemic or if my body was just freaking out because it was STARVING. Or am I hypoglycemic, but managing it unknowingly because I listen to my body and deliver what it asks for? Any thoughts from other bloggers?
First things first...the original glucose test came back 8 points above the top end cut off of normal so I was required to take the 3-hour test (YUCK!) It was rough. I had to be there first thing in the morning on a work day, so I packed up my laptop and all my notes for a report I had to write and camped out in their uncomfortable chairs. I didn't find out until I got there that I was going to be having my blood drawn 4 times (fasting level, then every hour for the duration of the 3 hour test), so I was a bit surprised by that information. I drank the nasty stuff (100 mg is sooooooo much worse than the 50 mg) and tried not to vomit. I settled in and wrote my report, waiting for my hours to tick by. Of course the lab was short staffed, and the only phlebotomist on hand had only been working for 2 weeks, so the waiting room was packed. It's really hard to balance a laptop on a lap that is quickly disappearing!
At the end of my time there, I walked out with bruises on my arms (poor new phlebotomist...she tried her best, but it hurt!), a headache AND a backache from sitting in those darn plastic chairs. It was 11am and I was STARVING- I typically eat within 15 minutes of waking up in the morning (or I turn into a grumpy, mean person), so I'm sure my body was freaking out. I drove the few blocks home and heated up some leftovers. I scarfed them down and then broke out in a cold sweat, my hands started shaking uncontrollably, and I was still starving. I didn't know what to do so I drank a glass of water, ate 1/2 an apple muffin, and waited it out. It took about 20 minutes for the shaking to go away, but then I was feeling queasy. I was late for a meeting, so I packed up and left. When I got there, my coworkers told me I looked like hell (in a much nicer way, of course) and asked if I was okay. I said not really, but I've got to get things done today. So I pushed through the queasiness and kept working. Around 4:30, I started to feel normal and HUNGRY again. I called it a day, went home, ate dinner and went to bed. What a crappy day.
That all happened on Wednesday. Friday, I received a voicemail from the midwives, telling me my gestational diabetes screening came back on the extremely low side, borderline hypoglycemic, so I need to start watching my diet for different reasons. I still need to cut back on the carbs, eat more protein, and eat more often, or I'll get more episodes like I described above. I've always been a good eater, meaning, I usually have balanced meals, I eat every few hours or I get a headache, and I drink a TON of water, pregnant or not. So this was a little irritating for me. Because I do eat every few hours, I wonder if I'm really hypoglycemic or if my body was just freaking out because it was STARVING. Or am I hypoglycemic, but managing it unknowingly because I listen to my body and deliver what it asks for? Any thoughts from other bloggers?
Monday, November 9, 2009
Glucose Test
Had to take the glucose test this afternoon and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I've heard horrible things about how nasty the glucose drink tastes, but it wasn't so bad for me. I drank it quickly before it had a chance to warm up and felt a little queasy when it hit my empty stomach all at once. I didn't even mind the hour wait~ I was able to read (for fun!!) a couple chapters in a new book. I did get paranoid when the waiting room started to fill up and there were adults of all ages coughing without covering. Didn't they learn anything in kindergarten?! It's one of the first rules they teach nowadays...cough into your elbow, not your hand. The other rule I'm hearing more and more is don't wait to be called on to go potty, just get up and go. Both are sound rules for the rest of our lives, right? I felt my eyes go wide and fought to keep my mouth from falling open at one point- an adult coughed without covering, and seconds later, her child coughed into her elbow. Guess the trickle-up-effect doesn't always work.
On another note all together, towards the end of my stay, a young family came in for the son's weekly blood test. He couldn't have been older than 4, could have been small for his age but had the linguistic structure of a child not yet in school. He was bald and red-cheeked. The office staff all new him by name and asked how chemo was going and what steroids he was currently on...One of the front-desk staff asked why his cheeks were so red and the mom explained it was from a new kind of chemo. A side effect of the chemo turns the child's bodily fluids red. He cries out red tears and they burn his cheeks as they run down his face. I almost started crying. My eyes filled up with tears and I had to start thinking of something else. No one should have tears that burn, much less a precious babe like that. Made my worries about my trip to the lab so silly. Stopped me from complaining and I didn't even flinch as the tech inserted the needle. If that child can do it every week, I can do it this time with no further complaints. He and is family are in my prayers and I hope his new chemo does the trick.
On another note all together, towards the end of my stay, a young family came in for the son's weekly blood test. He couldn't have been older than 4, could have been small for his age but had the linguistic structure of a child not yet in school. He was bald and red-cheeked. The office staff all new him by name and asked how chemo was going and what steroids he was currently on...One of the front-desk staff asked why his cheeks were so red and the mom explained it was from a new kind of chemo. A side effect of the chemo turns the child's bodily fluids red. He cries out red tears and they burn his cheeks as they run down his face. I almost started crying. My eyes filled up with tears and I had to start thinking of something else. No one should have tears that burn, much less a precious babe like that. Made my worries about my trip to the lab so silly. Stopped me from complaining and I didn't even flinch as the tech inserted the needle. If that child can do it every week, I can do it this time with no further complaints. He and is family are in my prayers and I hope his new chemo does the trick.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
24 Weeks
Six months today! The increased appetite has kicked in and Baby Walsh and I are packing on the weight :) We're both happy with the progress, at least I think Baby Walsh is happy...I'm feeling movement almost all day long and Travis and I are able to see my belly roll as Baby Walsh moves. Getting in and out of chairs is harder, and I can't bend over anymore, I have to bend down and reach over. The time change has worked in my favor this year- I'm so tired I go to bed at my old bed time which is an hour earlier than the real time and I sleep until the new alarm time. It's only an extra hour, but it makes such a difference. I would still love to take a nap everyday, but that's not going to happen, so I settle for being in bed by 9pm.
Travis took this picture tonight and I thought I should clarify a few things: 1) Tanner's more interested in the fact that I'm in my Walking the Dog Clothes than in the fact that my body is rapidly expanding, 2) I haven't dyed my hair red, it's just the lighting, and 3) I'm really glad you can't see the piles of laundry at my feet :)
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