Doctor, Doctor Give me the News!!

I called and talked to the nurse today and told her that the Dr. never called me back yesterday. She said he was making rounds in the hospital today, but she would call his cell and get back to me. She just called and said that she got a hold of him and he wants to see me to go over my results next week. She said that I don't have to redo the test and he just wants to discuss some stuff with me. I asked if that meant that I had Gestational Diabetes and she said no. So, as far as I know, I'm in the clear!

Later this afternoon:
I just got a message from my doctor. Turns out that the nurse didn't know what she was talking about. My glucose levels were borderline, so I do have GD. I now have to stay away from all refined sugars. Next week he will go over stuff with me and put me on a new diet. I will have to check my blood sugar regularly to make sure it's not too high. This is really going to suck because what am I supposed to eat? Everything has sugar in it! I guess I don't have to worry about having a tiny baby, since GD babies are normally above average in size.

27 Weeks

Well, I am officially in the third trimester, bittersweet. I think that this baby is going to be out of control, the exact opposite of Xander. He doesn't move all day long, but when he does it's like a one man party going on in there. I love it! We still can't agree on any names. I'm debating on putting a poll on the blog about it, but I don't want anyone stealing our names. We still have 13 weeks, give or take, to decide.

I called the doctor this morning to get the results from my glucose test. I talked to the nurse and she was surprised that he never called me back last week. She said that he was down in L&D instead of the office and that she would leave him a note to call me first thing. She did say that I would probably have to redo my 3 hour test because my levels were weird, whatever that means. Of course, he never called me back. I remembered to call again at 5:00 and that's when they close. So, I will be calling first thing in the morning and I will probably not be very nice about it either. In the meantime I'm ignorantly enjoying my mint Oreos and pretending like everything is okay, because no one has told me any differently.
I had to remove Ashley and Brad from my "Baby Bump" list because they had their adorable little boy on Monday. So, there is an open slot available! I know there is someone out there that would love to come forward and claim it, you know who you are!

Your wee bantling suddenly isn’t quite so wee anymore! Even though he appears smaller when curled up in a ball in utero, he’s a regular Yao Ming at 14 ½" from head to toe.

Even though he's the size of a player's shoe, he’s not exactly NBA-bound. He’s not yet prepared to race up and down a basketball court, but his lungs are starting to function as they will post-birth. They are capable of breathing air, although the placenta is still supplying his oxygen for now.

His pulmonary vascular system is ready to handle the exchange of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide), and his central nervous system is developed enough to control rhythmic breathing. His immune system is also developing, thanks to the white blood cells being churned out by his marrow.

26 Weeks

I was waiting to hear back on my test results before posting for this week, but still no word. I called and talked to the nurse yesterday and she said that there were some irregularities or something with my levels and something didn't seem right, so they sent the blood work to another lab to be analyzed. She said that she couldn't get a hold of that lab for the results and she would call me back when she found out. I still haven't heard back. Now I have to wait until next Wednesday when my doctor is down here again before I can find out if I'm poisoning myself and my baby with inappropriate amounts of sugar. I'm a little frustrated to say the least. However, my bruise is healing nicley. It is now a beautiful shade of spring green with a sprinkling of buttercup yellow around the edges, just beautiful!
I kind of had a bit of a scare this morning. I was laying in bed trying to drag myself to life when I realized I hadn't felt the baby kick all morning. This is pretty unusual for my unborn fetus because he is usually going crazy in the morning. I get in the shower, eat breakfast, and pick up the house a little. All the while, worse case scenarios are going through my head, especially because I helped Brandon stack some wood last night, and before you know it, I'm in tears. I call Brandon to let him know what is going on and then I call my doctor. While I'm on hold my little guy decided to come to life. It was such a huge relief to feel those jabs and kicks! I know I overreacted a little, but we tried so long to get this baby that I just couldn't stand the thought of anything going wrong and me not trying to do something about it. Just for the record I didn't overdo it by stacking the wood. I didn't over-exert myself in any way. Brandon and Alisha made sure that I only lifted the small ones.
On a lighter note, I'm expecting the first set of many stretchmarks any day now. My skin is getting pretty tight and my belly button is stretched wide open. I kind of wish that I had the type of belly button that poked out during pregnancy. That way I wouldn't have a large dent in the middle of the stomach that shows in anything I wear. I know that outies show too, but at least I could put a bandaid on it or something and have a nice spherical shape. I don't really mind stretch marks that much. I already have tons from my last pregnancy, so what's a few more? Besides, no one ever sees them. The only gripe I have is when they start to itch, I hate being itchy!
The website that I get my development info from is down, so I'll post it when it is up and running again.

Your two-pound dreamer’s eyelashes are growing in this week and her eyelids are no longer fused shut, which means she’ll be batting those lashes at Daddy in no time at all. She’s also in heavy training for her season-ending dance with Johnny Castle as she moves in rhythm to the music with which you’ve been tickling her ears.

Most people think the utuerus is a quiet place, well insulated from noise. The truth is, your sweet babe has been surrounded by sound since the moment she was conceived: blood whooshing by, your thudding heartbeat and a cacophony of other body functions.

Even though her skin is losing its transparency, those tiny veins are still visible. Her brain continues to develop tissue and neurons at a record pace, which will continue until she's almost 8 years old! Her oil and sweat glands are fully functional (although, we all know she doesn't sweat, she glistens).

With your baby so active, you are probably feeling those kicks on a regular basis. If you are curious to know if your baby is moving as much as she should be, do a fetal kick count every day. Your doctor will tell you when you should begin tracking those tiny kicks and jabs (usually in your 28th week). Here's how to do a fetal kick count:

1. Pick a time of day when your little imp is usually active.

2. Gather a watch, pen and piece of paper.

3. Over a 30-minute period, make a note each time your baby moves.

4. If the little one moves 10 or more times before the time limit, you are done for the day!

5. If you have fewer than 10 movements in the initial 30 minutes, continue for another 30 minutes, but lay down on your left side. Eat a little something as well.

6. If you still don't feel 10 or more movements within two hours, call your doctor. There may be nothing wrong at all -- perhaps just a sleepy baby -- but that reassurance is worth the call!

Glucose Tolerance Test Round 2

I had my second test done today so that Brandon could stay home with Xander. I had to fast again and I got there at about 9:00 and I was starving! He took my blood and then I had to drink another drink. This time it was super suped up! Just thinking about the sugary stuff makes me cringe. I managed to get it down okay, but about 5 minutes later I was feeling pretty crappy. I took a book to read, but I was too nauseated to read it. I spent most of the next hour trying not to barf and walking back and forth from the bathroom to the waiting room. I had to have my blood drawn three more times after that on the hour, which makes for a very long morning. I was proud that I didn't puke, because then I would have had to start all over again.
Because it was Saturday, there wasn't anyone else getting lab work done. Plenty of people walked by several times and they all made comments like, "You're still here!", "Have you been helped yet?", "You've been here all morning". They probably thought I was a crazy person or something, especially when I tried to alleviate my sickness by trying to lay down on the miniature bench they had. I'm really glad that it's over! I do have to wait until Wednesday to get my results, so wish me luck.

After getting three needles in my left arm it was pretty sore and starting to bruise. He moved over to the right one and did the last two there without any problems. This is the bruise on my left arm, it looks worse in person, and I'm pretty lucky because I know people with much worse injuries after getting blood drawn.

The moral of this story is:
If you are pregnant, lay off the sweets!

I would like you all to meet our baby boy, supposedly!

25 Weeks

I went to the doctor's today to have my Glucose Tolerance test done. I was so hungry by the time I went in that I thought I was going to pass out. That orange drink never tasted better! Xander was very upset that he didn't get to have some of my "super duper pop". The bad news is that I failed, just like last time. I'm going in on Saturday to do the three hour test. It's a good thing we stopped at the library on the way home so that I will have something to do. I'm really glad that I've never had any problems getting my blood taken. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that the Phlebotomists at this hospital are fantastic, I have good veins, and I really enjoy blood and gore; the human body is amazing! Lets hope that I don't have to deal with Gestational Diabetes, that would really suck!

I really love my doctor, but his staff sucks. I think it is mostly a communication problem. They never gave me any lab requests or instructions for my glucose screening, so I had to call and ask what the heck I was supposed to do. They told me that I needed to take the drink and then be at the lab an hour later to have my blood drawn. They said it takes several hours to get the results from the lab, so I needed to get it done hours before my appointment. So, I went to the lab last night to pick up my drink for today. I asked the lab tech how long I should give myself for the results to come back. She said 30 minutes, tops. So, I drove an hour to pick up my drink that I could have just taken before my appointment. Then when I get there today to have my blood drawn, the receptionist asks for my lab request. Of course I didn't have one, so everyone was a confused about what to do with me. So, I get done at my doctor's office in the afternoon and head over to the lab with my lab request, I made sure I got one this time. I ask the receptionist for my drink because I'm coming in on Saturday to take my test. The lab tech brings it out and then asks if I know what to do this time. I said no, they didn't tell me anything. She looks at me in disbelief and then explains that I don't need the drink ahead of time because they take my blood before I drink it and then two times after. So, I look stupid once again. I know some of this is probably my fault and the rest probably doesn't even make any sense, but come on throw a confused pregnant lady a bone, or at least an instruction or two!
During my appointment my doctor asked when my last pap was done. I told him June 2007. He asks me if I'm sure and then checks my records, which were finally faxed over, to make sure I'm correct. He then gets kind of mad that my previous doctor didn't do one at any of my appointments because you are supposed to have one done at that time. So, I had to have a pap done, which I was not expecting. I moved Xander's chair out of the line of sight because I didn't want him bringing that up to the fabric lady or in church.
One more complaint. After my appointment I met with the billing lady about insurance and payments. She explained to me that I have a really high deductible and I need to make payments every time I come in so that my end bill is not so high. So, I made a payment today and then I told Brandon about it. He got mad because that's not how our insurance works and I should not be making payments at all. I know I should know how our insurance works so that stuff like this doesn't happen, but I'm so dumb at insurance. Plus, it's this lady's job to have the right information for me. I might consider doing a home birth after today!

I've had a few requests for a new belly shot, so I hope this feeds everyone's sick imaginations. I really wish that I was one of those women that looks like I have a basketball under my shirt, but alas, I was destined to look like I have an air mattress under there instead. I tried my darnedest to suck it in again, but it didn't make much of a difference and I almost threw up, sorry TMI.


Your sweet dulcinea attains a momentous milestone this week: if she were born at this point in your pregnancy, she would probably survive, but would require lots of assistance from doctors. Her organ systems are formed well enough that she would be all right, albeit tiny. As if that weren’t enough, other big changes are happening: her skin turns opaque and the pigments start depositing, hair color starts developing and her spinal structure is forming. She may even begin to rotate out of the breech position in preparation for her upcoming gondolier-ship, where she’ll make the journey down the birth canal.

Due Dialect: Breech Position
Shortly before birth, most babies rotate into delivery position, which means their heads are pointed down towards the birth canal. Some babies refuse to budge, however, and remain upright, with their feet oriented downwards. This is referred to as the "breech" position. There are three primary types of breech positions:

* Frank Breech -- the baby's bum is set to come out first, with the rest of the body folded nearly in half, with his feet up by his head.
* Complete Breech -- the baby is in a sort of kneeling position, preparing to exit knees first. His legs are bent at the knees and feet are near the bum.
* Footling Breech -- the baby has one or both feet pointing down and in position to be delivered first.

If your baby has not moved out of breech position by week 35, your doctor may attempt to move him so that you can give birth vaginally. Another common option is to give birth via cesarean section -- your doctor will inform you of all your choices and advise you accordingly. Either way, the breech position rarely poses any threat at all to a baby, and most breech babies are completely healthy when born.

24 Weeks

Wearing Gs has never bothered me, until pregnancy. Some of my tops are starting to come untucked in the front during the day and it drives me nuts. My bottoms are getting pretty tight as well. When I was pregnant with Xander I never wore maternity ones, but I'm considering it this time. What is all of your experiences with this subject?
I think I figured out why I can feel and see this baby move a lot more than last time. Last time my placenta was in front of the baby so there was a lot of extra cushioning there, this time it's not. I can already see little body parts poking out in my belly. I don't know what they are, but it's kind of fun to see and feel them.
Xander and I went through our smallest baby clothes tote this morning. I definitely don't feel like I have everything I'm going to need, and a lot of the stuff is out of style. I am so sick of baby blue already because that's what everything is! I'm excited to buy a few new things for the summer, but not excited to spend money on them. So, if anyone finds any screaming deals, please let me know.

REM is not just an alt-rock band from Athens, Ga., it’s also something your little rocker is doing this week. Because his sleep cycles are set, he’s finally experiencing rapid eye movement. He is about the size of a cantaloupe this week, and just as sweet.

He’s also hard at work filling out that skin of his, and is looking less like Iggy Pop every day. His inner ear is fairly well developed, so even though he might not know what it means, he’ll be able to sense when he’s upside down or on his side.

Not to be left out of the loop, his marrow is busy producing white blood cells which will enable him to combat infections and disease later on. And, over the next weeks, he’ll be adding blood vessels to his lungs in preparation for oxygenating his blood supply and not, as you may come to believe, to increase the decibel level of his crying.