I've been a bad girl...

GESTATIONAL DIABETES STINKS!  Do you know how hard it is for someone who loves to eat to follow a NO CARB diet????  Especially when pregnancy cravings for sweet stuff are so fierce.  Meat and Veggies, Meat and Veggies, Meat and Veggies.  I'm sick of meat and veggies. 

I had a visit with my doc this afternoon and she still isn't happy with my blood sugar.  Especially my fasting sugars.  I've been up front with her about everything though.  I wrote down everything I ate that triggered the blood sugar level.  No need to lie.  My baby's well-being is at stake!  

So she's about 5 feet tall and thin as a rail and was scolding me.  She's a little spitfire and I love her methods.  She apologized for scolding me, but I told her that I thank her for it.  She has kept me from gaining too much wait throughout my pregnancy and I completely appreciate her for that. She tells it like it is.  She said, if you don't get it under control, you will force me to take the baby by c-section.  The baby will get too big.  There are complications that come along with C-section.  

I really don't want a c-section.  I have to do better on my diet.  It's only 2 more months.  I can totally do this.  I go back next week. I'll keep you posted.  

Who's body is THIS????

Wow. Last night I was looking down at my feet. And I just took a good look at my whole body in the mirror. The baby bump part I like, but the rest of me? Who on earth is THAT???? Wow. My body is completely out of my control it seems and I'm turning into someone I don't recognize. Especially my feet. They are HUGE! The third trimester really hasn't been much fun, I gotta' say. All I want to do is sleep and eat. My hip joints hurt, my back hurts, my feet hurt and nothing fits. Even my big maternity pants are starting to get too tight. I feel like I'm gonna' pop!

And I still have two months to go...Lord help me.

The partner...

Ok. Because I've heard this from many pregnant women and have also felt this myself. Partners in pregnancy, heed my words. There are a few things you can do to ensure that she will not fly into hysterics and begin crying.

1) Hug her every single day and tell her that you love her and she looks pretty. Although pregnant women are beautiful, they don't feel beautiful. They are getting bigger and bigger and they are getting stretch marks and they are tired. They feel ugly at times.

2) When she says there is something that needs updating or fixing in the house. Just do it. Whether you agree with her or not. Just do it. You will save yourself a lot of heartache.

3) If you don't care about feeling the baby move, lie to her and put your hand on her tummy when she asks you too. It's important to her to share the babies movements with you.

4) Make an effort to learn what is going on with her body and her emotions. And also what you should expect as the partner.

Ummm...this is all I can think of for now. But trust me. Women are complex creatures anyway. And pregnancy intensifies her feelings and her dependency on you. It may frustrate you sometimes, but try to remember what she is going through. You aren't going through it. So just try to be patient and supportive. Okay? Good Luck!

31 weeks this week!

Okay folks...now I'm beginning to realize that there is a real baby coming. A living, breathing, pooping baby. I mean, I've known this all along, but it's REALLY hitting me now. I will have my very own baby to love. Someone like me, someone like my husband. I can't wait to meet him and see what he will be like. The reality of everything happening is scary and exciting at the same time. I have 9 weeks to go and I really hope he stays in my tummy for the full-term. I have so much to do still before he gets here!

No carb diet is working. Doc is happy...for now...

I went back to my doctor on Monday to see how the "no carb" diet is working to regulate my sugars. She is happy! My levels are good unless I slip and eat something that I shouldn't. And believe me, I know what I shouldn't eat, but sometimes it's hard to pass up!

10 more weeks to go!!!!!

Placenta Brain is getting worse....

Whoa...I thought I had placenta brain bad before. It's getting worse. I am forgetting appointments, having trouble forming sentences sometimes which is not good for my line of work. I'm having trouble juggling my life and the baby isn't even here yet!

If you know me, this is very unlike me. I pride myself in being someone people can count on. When I say I'm going to do something, I do it. When I say I'm going to be somewhere, I am there. But these days, many of my good "Jennifer qualities" have flown right out the window.

All I can do is apologize and blame it on placenta brain. A symptom of pregnancy. Please don't be mad at the pregnant lady when she gets confused.

I apologize in advance...sorry...

The revisions in the diet are working already...

Well that was quick. Cutting the carbs has got my sugars regulated. I'm sure the medicine is helping too! My doc should be happy ! Hopefully this will continue to work and I can carry the baby to full-term.

But after he gets here? I DEMAND a large chocolate milkshake from Steak and Shake and a cupcake from The Cupcakery! I will send my hubby out on this very special mission! lol.

Gestational Diabetes...the saga continues

So I had a follow up appointment at the Diabetes Clinic and then with my doctor.  She wasn't happy with the results.  My fasting sugars were still too high.  Looks like the diabetes folks allowed me too many carbs on the diet.  So my doctor wants me to cut out carbs completely and put me on some low-dosage medication.  So I bought a bunch of new food and had to throw away all the food I had bought last week.  She says if these efforts don't work, she may not allow me to carry the baby full-term.  He would get too large which is dangerous.  

Can I just say, this has been frustrating, but educational and I totally love my doctor.  I love how direct she is and that she gives me instructions that I can understand.  There is no gray area with her and I really appreciate that.  

I think cutting out the carbs will help get my glucose regulated.  I'll keep you posted!  I go next week for a follow up.  

Men gain weight while their partner is pregnant. Yeah, sure. My husband has LOST 15 pounds!

According to a new study, men pack on an average of 14 pounds while their wives are pregnant.
The weight gain is blamed partly on the anxiety of becoming a new parent and also on taking part in their partner's cravings. But despite the weight gain, only 30% of fathers surveyed said they went on a diet after the baby was born to lose the weight.

Check out the article here: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-male-baby-bumps-sympathy-or-anxiety/

My husband has LOST 15 pounds! What's up with that???? Ha Ha! I'm happy for him, but why now? I wonder what motivated him to diet now?

My babies name

Tell me mother's and father's out there. Is it customary to announce your babies name before he/she is even born? I get asked this question all the time and I just don't know yet. I am about 99% sure of his name, but even still, I'm not ready to announce it yet. He's not even born yet! Maybe in my position, I don't want 1000's of people referring to my unborn child by name yet? It's still early. Things can happen. I'm terrified that something will go wrong. So I guess by calling the baby by a name, makes it even more real. It makes me grow even more attached to this baby that I already love so much, but haven't met yet.

So am I wrong, to keep the babies name to myself and get offended when people ask? Or do you feel this way too?

Even though I wanted to know the sex of the baby, perhaps not announcing his name yet is a way to keep the element of surprise there? I'm truly trying to figure out why it bothers me when people ask me what his name is. . And I'm trying to remember if I have asked other pregnant women the name of their baby. I think I have. I think it's just human nature to ask the name and I should just get over it.

Okay. I'm gonna' get over it. But I'm still not telling strangers my babies name. Not gonna' do it. You'll just have to wait til he gets here. ;)

29 weeks!

Wow, if I go full-term. That's only 11 weeks left until my baby boy arrives! I feel like it has gone by so fast! I'm officially into my third trimester and I'm really starting to feel it. I'm back to being tired a lot and dealing with the confusion of what to eat on a gestational diabetes diet doesn't help, but I'm slowly figuring it out.

I saw a picture of myself yesterday and there is no doubt now that I am pregnant. I've gone past that "is she pregnant or just fat" stage!

I have my first of three baby showers coming up this weekend and I'm really excited! I can't wait to start taking things off of the "needs" list and getting the babies room all set up.

It's so surreal still when people have given me baby gifts. I'm not used to receiving things for a baby! So it's been interesting!

Cankles and Sausage Feet

Ahhh...the joys of pregnancy. Cankles and Sausage Feet. I have never seen my feet look so fat. And I'm growing out of my shoes. This last trimester will be challenging I can tell. The heat of summer, combined with a strict gestational diabetes diet. I hope I can keep a pleasant disposition.