Pinehurst weekend

We had a great weekend in Pinehurst with my parents. It was so nice to just get away for a few days and break out of the boring routine. Best of all, the trip to Pinehurst was just a little over an hour --- so we didn't have to spend hours in a car to feel like we "got away."

We'd get up in the morning and have lunch at the club with the boys, and then they'd take off for a round of golf and mom and I would do our thing. One day we went to the pool (until we got rained out) and the next day we went to the spa, shopping and THEN the pool (my kinda day!)

One late afternoon before dinner, the boys decided to play another "quick" nine holes so mom and I hopped in a golf cart and road around behind them.

Then we went out for a few nice dinners.

How cute are my parents?

Right when we got to The National Club on Friday - we went to get some lunch. My dad quickly pointed out that my mom was going to be drawing a lot of looks from the men at the club. His words "You're not allowed to walk around this place without me. The club is crawling with men who will be wanting you to be their next trophy wife." ;) And it was true... my mom (who is oblivious to ANYONE checking her out) drew lots of looks from all the fellas.

And here is me and the Chaddyboy.And finally, the gratuitous 27 week bump shot.


If I look relaxed, it's because of the massage and the sun!

Note: I need to find a way to convince Chad to let me get massages every couple of weeks from here on out. Any suggestions?

This baby of mine is moving up a storm lately - which is making sleep a more difficult task. He's so active at night that I have a hard time falling asleep. And every time I toss and turn to readjust myself, it wakes baby up and he likes to punch me for a little while to let me know he didn't appreciate it. But it's a special time and Chad and I have enjoyed laughing at him as he moves around my stomach (so hard that we don't even have to feel for him, we can just watch my belly.) It's the craziest thing to have this wild man in me!

Lawd Help Me

I walked into my office this morning and it was humid...

in my office...

at 7:30 a.m.

Turns out the A/C is broken. Must have been for a few days.

Luckily my best buddy on campus - who is a counterpart in another college - is having pity on my poor soul and is picking me up and taking me to partake in an iced coffee ASAP.

Hopefully this is not an omen for the rest of the work week.

So anyway - I had a fab weekend. And I'll be happy to update y'all on it once I'm not boiling inside my office. So it might have to wait until tomorrow.

Baby J Update

So sorry for the lack of posts this week. Blogger has been down - and I thought to try logging in from Internet Explorer instead of Firefox and it magically let me in. Hope they fix it soon!


Welllll, we had our follow-up appointment with a perinatal doctor this morning - which included a nice long ultrasound. We got a good 30 minutes to watch our little boy, and it was awesome. He has been moving nonstop lately, and he definitely was jabbing back at the ultrasound tech whenever she pressed down. She even had to told him, "I know you're in there!!!" He just wanted to make himself known.


We got another full anatomy scan, and all his organs are still growing perfectly. He's also still a "he" - because, ya know, I just had to triple check. He looks so much bigger now and I could definitely see his sweet little face much better than last time. He was looking right at the camera just for us!


J is measuring right on point - 26 weeks 6 days (right where I am.) He's a little thing - weighs exactly 2lbs right now and in the 18% percentile... but everything looks great and he's still super active... and if the kicks are any indication, he's nice and strong. The doctor said he's pretty sure I'm going to have a little baby, so I shouldn't have much to worry about with a "big baby" associated with gestational diabetes. But they'll do another check between 32-36 weeks to make sure he's still growing appropriately.


And on the diabetes front, my blood sugar readings were completely normal throughout the week. I get to decrease my finger pricks from 4x a day to 2x... much more manageable. The nutritionist also told me to feel free to be less strict with my diet, since everything looks so good. I was down 0.6lbs since last week, so now I'm only up 7.4lbs so far. The doctor doesn't seem too concerned, but told me they do want me gaining at least 1lb a week from here on out.


My mom is most concerned and is threating to show up on my doorstep with cupcakes if this weight gain doesn't come. But, if you could see my belly, it's definitely not the issue. My stomach has definitely grown - I just think my weight redistributed from other places... and I can't complain about that. ;)


But I'm off work tomorrow for an extra long Memorial Day weekend. We're heading to Pinehurst in the morning for a few days of sun, food, spa appointments and golfing. I can't wait to just relax for a few days!


I promise to be back next week with a good 27 week bump picture!


Hope you all have a blessed weekend.

Weekending

Happy Monday everyone.

I'm having a hard time believing that May is almost over.

That gives me June and July... and then sometime during August, a little boy will make his big debut! Crazy.

So, all in all, it was a pretty busy weekend. I guess for the gestational diabetes update, things have been going fine. I've been great about testing my blood sugar levels at all the right times. All my readings (up until today) have been completely normal... if not low. Today, my fasting level and my post-breakfast level are just a little over... 3 or 4 points... which is odd, because - at least for breakfast - I ate the exact same thing I've been eating all week that has given me super-low levels. Go figure. Looking forward to the doctor's appointment on Thursday to hear what they say.

Other than that - we're just busy, busy! After some deliberation, Chad decided that he wanted to pull all the fescue grass out of our yard and hire someone to re-sod with zoysia (a warm-weather grass.) I hemmed and hawed over the whole thing because I realllly didn't want a warm-weather grass (that goes dormant once it gets cold), but our yard is just too big and gets way too much sun to justify trying to keep fescue alive during the hot summers. Our irrigation bill last summer was out.of.control. and we still ended up with burnt grass.

I must say, the zoysia does look really good and once it starts greening up in the next couple of weeks (this 90+ degree heat we'll have all week actually will help it), I know we'll enjoy it. Next weekend, once we return from Pinehurst, we're going to tackle some of the new flower beds we put in. It's a big undertaking but I know the end result will be worth it.

We're also still making moves on the nursery front. We picked up our dresser and end-table this weekend, and in the next few weekends (after the yardwork gets done), Chad will start painting them. I think they're going to look awesome when he's done. That room is really coming together.

Paint: check
Crib and mattress: check
Crib bedding: check
Glider and ottoman: check
Dresser: check
End table: check
End table lamp: check
Art work: check
Window treatments: check

We still need to buy a few shelves, and perhaps a corner bookshelf (though this can wait), and the room will be complete!

Gestational Diabetes update

So I had my first appointment yesterday with the kind folks at Duke University's Perinatal Specialists. First, can I give a cheers for being able to live in an area with some many great medical institutes surrounding us? We truly can find some of the best care in the nation within minutes of our door... and that is something to be thankful for.

I met with the perinatal doctor, a nurse and a nurse/diabetic counselor yesterday. All three were really wonderful. They made me feel so much better reassuring me that this just sometimes happens with women - it's nothing that I did and nothing I should beat myself up for. They reiterated that they knew I was a healthy person... so I didn't have anything to be worried about (for me or the baby long-term) assuming I keep up a healthy lifestyle. It was actually interesting to meet with the counselor because she gave me such great information that I'll likely keep post-pregnancy.

Just looking at the meal plans, I realized that the protein in my diet has been severely, severely lacking. I am a veggie + fruit + carb person. And I likely enjoy the carbs (pastas, breads, potatoes, etc.) because they fill me up since I'm not getting the protein I need.

Now, that's not to say "no carbs" - the nurse was quick to tell me to be careful to make sure I am eating all the portions of carbs they laid out for me because I need the energy and the baby will need the energy that comes from them. Besides, if the baby isn't gaining enough weight, they will have to modify it. But, if I can get used to eating more protein (and finding extra sources of protein that I wouldn't normally think of), I can likely make longer-term changes on my diet.

So that part = good.

As for the blood sugar testing... ehhhh, not such a fan. Certainely it really doesn't hurt - it's a quick pinch, collect the blood drop, deposit on my testing strip and get my blood sugar count. More than anything, it's an inconvenience. For the time being, I have to test first thing when I wake up, and then once after every major meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner.) I have to do this a full week, and assuming my readings look good next week - indicating that the diet is working for me - I'll get to cut back how often I test. For most people, the diet does the trick... but there is still a chance I could follow the diet perfectly and STILL end up on medicine. But, I'm staying positive here and hoping that won't be an issue for me. My first two readings this morning were completely normal - hoorah!

And a big "Thank You" to my sweet Chaddy who, again, woke up at a little past 6 a.m. with me - despite it being his day off - so he could support me when I did my first blood-draw solo and could help me make my breakfast. He really is the best.

So now for the good part about, once again, being a "high-risk pregnancy":
1) Meetings with the perinatal doctors... who specialize in high-risk pregnancies and are truly the best of the best. Baby J is really getting the best care possible.
2) I get at least TWO extra ultrasounds on my little peanut (or, at 26 weeks, a 2-pound eggplant.) This is to make sure the baby isn't growing too big (a side effect of gestational diabetes) or too small (a side effect of the diet you're put on.) Next Thursday is our next ultrasound, and we'll get another one at 32 weeks. We had thought after the gender ultrasound, that would be it. So Chad and I are really excited to be able to see the baby again a few more times before he's born.

So, all in all, I'm doing fine. I had various screenings done during this pregnancy, and if ANY one was going to be come back negative or abnormal, this is the one you want... because while it's an inconvenience for you, it doesn't really have an impact on the baby (assuming you're treating it.)

There you go, my friends! All you ever wanted to know and more. :)

Happy Friday and have a great weekend.

Thursday Tune

...or tunes, I supposed.

I had forgotten how much I l.o.v.e.d. this performance by Mumford & Sons, Avett Brothers and Bob Dylan at this year's Grammys. Especially M&S and ABs.... two of my favorites singing some of my favorite songs. And I just loved how the much younger guys in M&S and ABs got to play and sing alongside one of their idols. Just so cool.

And of course, one of my favorite lines from Avett Brothers:
"If you're loved by someone you're never rejected. Decide who to be and go be it."


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Chad and I love blasting music while we cook, clean and just hang out around the house. I can't wait for us to dance around the house with our little baby to these songs.

99 days...

Yes, my friends. The countdown is in the double digits...

9 9 D A Y S
until baby j

Three months to go.