Gestational Diabetes

At my appointment earlier this week I did my standard glucose test and drunk that lovely sugary carbonated beverage. Well, the next day I got a call from the nurse that I indeed did NOT pass the initial glucose test.

I didn't worry about it too much as I actually didn't pass when I was Haken either. However, with Haken I ate strawberries at lunch right before and I think that messed up the results. I also ended up passing the 3 hour glucose test that I had to take.

This time, however, I made sure to eat a carb free breakfast so the results would for sure be accurate. The nurse said I barely didn't pass, but I still had to go back in and do the 3 hour glucose test later that week.

So, today I went in and did the 3 hour test at the hospital. It was actually kind of nice as I got to sit there for a solid three hours by myself doing whatever I wanted to do. I took the laptop with me and got my blog all updated through the summer. It's amazing how much I can get done when I don't have any distractions. Shad stayed home with the kids and it was a good thing that he did because Jack ended up having a pump site at school that wasn't working at all. When Shad went to go change it out it was completely kinked. We haven't had an incident like that in a while. I'm glad he was close enough to take care of it so we could get his blood sugar down.

During the test I actually felt a little bit nauseous in the beginning, probably due to the high blood sugar on an empty stomach because I had to go fasting that morning. I was done by 11:00 though, so it wasn't too bad.

On the way home from the hospital I got a call from the nurse. I did NOT pass the 3 hour glucose test and so I am now considered a gestational diabetic.

This was so weird to me as I thought I was actually being really healthy this pregnancy. I was eating a salad a day for pretty much my whole pregnancy. I was trying to exercise regularly, although the last few weeks I had been a little lazier as I just didn't have the energy and thought carrying twins was a good excuse to sleep in instead of wake up and work out.

Apparently, you are more prone to have gestational diabetes if you are carrying multiples and have a history of diabetes in your family. Obviously, we have type 1 that runs in our family, but my dad was also technically considered type 2 so I think it is something that I will need to watch for in the future.

Because my numbers were technically "right on the line" she said to start by managing it with diet and then we will see where it goes from there. I have to check my blood sugar in the morning before I eat, 2 hours after lunch, 2 hours after dinner, and at bedtime. She was going to order me in a blood glucose monitor and test strips but I told her that we have an extra meter and lots of strips because of Jack, so we didn't worry about getting a new prescription.

Jack is kind of loving the fact that I get to check my blood sugar with him. Although, my numbers do look a bit different than his. I am supposed to be under 95 when fasting and under 120 after a meal and before bedtime. I think they just like to see that I am coming down on my own. By looking at my fasting blood glucose they can also see whether that is happening overnight as well. If it starts to rise, then that means it is not well controlled and I need to do more than just managing it with a low carb diet.

This pregnancy has been really easy so far so I thought something like this was bound to happen eventually. I am determined to keep it under control though because I read about the effect it can have on the babies like having low blood sugar when they are born and even making them more prone to being diabetics later in their lives. It sure is going to be a challenge though with the holidays coming up.

Say a little prayer for me.

27 weeks. Third trimester!

October 11th marked the beginning of my third trimester! Honestly, I can't believe we are on the home stretch, but at the same time, I feel like we have such a long way to go. When I think about having to go 10 more weeks it seems a little daunting to me.

2 weeks ago I had a little bit of a reality check. I decided to compare how big I was with my last pregnancies with this one. I have been feeling really big and telling people that I felt like I am the same size I was when I delivered my other kids. The picture I found was from the night before I delivered Gracie and I think I was right. I actually think that I look bigger right now than I was when I delivered her. She was my smallest baby, but I still wasn't much bigger with any of my other kids. I can't imagine how big I am going to be in 9-10 weeks when I deliver. It is going to be insane.

Today I had my monthly doctor appointment and ultrasound. It was also the glucose test appointment. I haven't heard the results back yet, so I'm just praying it comes back normal as it would be pretty hard to be on a strict diet right now.

The babies looked great on the ultrasound. Both are measuring almost exactly the same with Baby A at 2lbs 10oz and Baby B at 2lbs 9oz. The ultrasound tech said that Baby A tends to typically be smaller than Baby B, so I guess that is a sign they are doing really well. I honestly can't believe I already have over 5 lbs of baby in there already!

The ultrasound tech did a little 4D ultrasound for me, but we didn't get a great shot of Baby A because he is breach, his arms and legs were over his face, and his face was towards my back. Hopefully he flips around in the next couple of weeks and gets in position because if he is not head down then the doctor will be doing a C-section instead of a vaginal delivery. It all depends on which way he is positioned because Baby B can squeeze out breach since he is second. We did, however, get a good shot of Baby B's face. I think he has a "butt chin" like the rest of my kids.

My weight is sitting at 157 which means I have gained 37lbs already. This is definitely over the weight that I delivered my other babies. I think I topped out at about 150. It this rate I may actually catch up to Shad as we are only about 15lbs apart. Hopefully this is the only time in our marriage that this will be the case.  Here's hoping that nursing two really does help the weight come off quick.

I'm measuring at 32 weeks which means I am about 4-5 weeks ahead of a singleton pregnancy. This is actually kind of small for a twin pregnancy as most measure about 6-7 weeks ahead. However, the size of the babies is right on where they should be for gestational age, so I guess there is just lots of room in there still.

Overall everything is looking great! The doctor is really impressed with how well everything is going. Hopefully that will be the case for the last few weeks.

Pee Pee in the Potty!!!

Over the summer I tried potty training Benny twice.

The first time I tried for a day and then after cleaning up multiple accidents on the floor and not having a single success with him going in the potty even though I knew that he had to go, I decided it wasn't worth it.

The second time he again didn't have a single success and I had lots of resistance. Every time I would ask him to sit on the potty he would say "not again" and I would physically have to put him on the potty with him screaming. After a day of that, I decided it wasn't worth it.

I had come to the realization that he might actually be in diapers when the babies got here and I would have four in diapers.

Whatever.

However, one day when I was praying I just got this feeling that I should try again and this time be the mean mom and not give up. I realized that with Benny everything has had lots of resistance. He doesn't do things unless he wants to. He doesn't like doing hard things that will interfere with his day and potty training is one of those.

It was easier for him to crawl instead of walk, so he didn't walk until he was 18 months old. It was easier to grunt and scream for things that he wanted, so he decided not to talk. It was easier to keep the binky, so he three when we made him give that up.

He is the type of kid that has to be pushed into doing things and once he realizes that it is actually a good thing, then he gets on board, but there is always a lot of resistance.

Potty training was the same.

This time Shad and I both buckled down. We took him to school late for a few days because he wouldn't go pee before the bus came. We dealt with him screaming on the potty as we forced him to sit there until he went because it had been 4 hours. He has the most amazing bladder control, which is great, but also a struggle because he would not let the pee go. I think a lot of it was due to his stubbornness. If he went pee then we had won and he lost.

However, after a week of this and only 2 accidents, he is dry and going on his own and even waking up dry in the morning in regular underwear. Once we got through that week it was a breeze.

We also found he was really motivated by these growing capsules. We went through three packages during a week and a half of potty training. Every time he went potty he got to pick one and put it in a cup of water and watch it grow into something. They really were "magic"!

Now he goes without them but he does sometimes say to me "I want a dino" or "I want a dolphin." I told him they were all gone and isn't it nice to be dry?! I think he really likes being a big boy and he makes sure to tell everyone when "the pee pee is coming" as he releases it on the toilet. It really was a huge deal to him once he figured that out.

Now if he can motivate Ruby to be potty trained by the end of the year maybe we will actually only have 2 in diapers!!

"How are you feeling?"

The most common question I get from anyone lately is "how are you feeling?" I think these pictures pretty much sum it up...

Last weekend was conference weekend. I gave the kids stickers to play with while we listened to conference. It kept them pretty busy during most of Sunday. This was their favorite place to stick stickers.

Ruby thought it was so much fun that she decided to do it again today as I was sitting at the computer.

When I look at these pictures I realize how big I really am. I am getting to the point where I don't really try to bend over to pick things up off the floor anymore. If I really want it I can usually use my toes to pick it up....or it can just stay there until someone else picks it up.

Every week that I clean the bathrooms and do the laundry I wonder how many more weeks I will be able to do this. At what point do I have someone come in and do these things for me?

I'm not really working out anymore as going up and down the stairs is enough of a workout for me. A few weeks ago I decided I wasn't going to walk with my friends in the morning anymore. After going almost 5 miles with them and being whipped out for the rest of the day I decided that it wasn't worth it. I was so sore and tired that I really couldn't do much of anything. Now I will occasionally walk two miles or do some prenatal workouts, but nothing like I used to do. It just isn't worth being on bed rest. I have also made it a goal to lay down for 30 minutes to an hour every afternoon as I find that I feel so much better when I do this. The weight is off of my pelvis when I lay down and I feel like I can breathe.

The greatest blessing with this pregnancy is that I haven't really had any issues with varicose veins which were terrible with my other pregnancies. I think that is a huge tender mercy as it has allowed me to still stand and make dinner and take care of my family. Hopefully it stays that way.

September in pictures

The month of September was packed with lots of stuff. We got into the swing of school and the weather was still hot like summer so we spent lots of time outside.

We went on a Sunday walk with the Noonans at Lake of the Woods and watched the sunset...

We went to a Labor Day BBQ and pool party at the Ruggieri's. Shad was pretty excited to bring out his "Rompem" and...surprise! James had a matching one. They were the talk of the party for sure. The kids had a lot of fun too.

Ruby has found a love of "coneys" and lines everything up while mommy gets ready or works around the house in the mornings.

Shad and I had the opportunity to go to the "Face to Face" with Elder Cook in Nauvoo. A handful of our YSA's were there and Jennifer Jensen was in the choir and Spencer Heslop was one of the hosts. I had to watch from the distance in a tent, but Shad was able to give some last minute help and held up a canopy to block the sun so Elder Cook could read the teleprompter.

It was such a neat experience and a great conversation with Elder Cook and two church historians. The information available to us now with church history is so great. Being right by the Nauvoo temple and the Mississippi River also made it so memorable. It was absolutely worth the 3 hour drive there and back.

The Noonan's were great and took care of our kids for us. Haken and Laney made a cooking show while making dinner. They had a lot of fun, even if it did take them 2 hours to make chicken enchiladas.

Elder Cook walking up to the broadcast location.

Gracie went to her best friend Joey's birthday party at Juniper's pizza.

My mom flew into Chicago for the bridal market so of course I had to go see her. Since she already had me registered from last year's bridal market I was able to get in easy. She brought the whole crew with her time time with Barb and two of their employees. I spent the day up there after dropping off Jennifer's stuff at her apartment in Hyde Park. I love spending time with my mom at market. I'm glad that they have it in Chicago.

Of course Grandma wouldn't come without bringing gifts for the kids...Fairy wings for the girls, mustaches and silly glasses for Jack, plastic animals for Benny, and a movie for Haken (with some of Grandpa's old European coins).

Haken thought Jack's mustaches were pretty cool I guess. I found a bunch of these pictures on my phone.

Shad arranged a midweek get away for us in Pekin. He had a teacher to visit there and a fun hotel that he likes called "The Harvester Inn" so of course took advantage of the free night stay. One of our favorite YSA's, Steph, came and stayed overnight with the kids and got them off to school so we could go.
We stopped at a BBQ restaurant in Peoria that was right along the Illinois River. It was a really great get away. We are trying to live it up before the twins get here and I am so grateful for people who are making it possible for us to do it.

Gracie, Ruby, and I had a girls night with Monica and Laney while the boys went to the priesthood camp out with the stake. We painted nails, watched Cinderella, and played games.

We had a neighborhood party in the cul-de-sac down the street. Shad made all of the smoked BBQ meat and the neighbors brought the sides. We live in such a great neighborhood. I love how many kids there are to play with. The weather couldn't have been better either.

Ate lots of snacks and played outside.

Went to the Mahomet homecoming parade and got WAY too much candy.

Jack had a field trip at the Lake of the Woods Museum and I was able to go with him.

Jack's friend Erin got baptized. He said he feels a little "left out" as he will be the last one to get baptized in his class. I'm so glad that he has good friends that he will be growing up with.