Our little guy...or should I say big guy?

Today was my ultrasound to make sure everything is ok with our little one. I was measuring a little big at my last appointment (as you may remember) so I was anxious to see what's going on.

Our guy is healthy in every way. Everything looked good: his heart, bones, brain, bloodflow to all the important areas, etc. All the measurements were normal...and then she measured his belly. Her question to me was if I passed my glucose test. I said "yes" and knew the reason she was asking was because he is a big boy.

Then she asked if I've been eating a lot of carbs. To which I replied "yes". I can't seem to avoid those darn carbs (anything containing sugar or flour). She suggested less carbs, more protein. yippee.

So I was brave enough to ask: "So, how much does he currently weigh?" Keep in mind, his daddy weighed 9lbs. 9oz. when he was born (yikes!) and I'm hoping my 7lbs. 4 oz. would even it out. Anyway, the technician replied: He weighs 4lbs. 14 oz. That's right, at 31 weeks my boy weighs nearly 5lbs already. Yikes (again)! He's about 2 weeks ahead of where he should be.

So, I'm going back for another ultrasound in 5 weeks to make sure he's not getting too big for me to deliver. I'm getting the feeling that he's going to be making his appearance earlier than his Sept. 29 due date.

Well, here's a couple shots of our munchkin: his foot and his face (his eyes are open!) Enjoy!

Another ultrasound coming soon!

Yesterday was my 30 week check-up. For once I didn't gain any weight! Granted, it had only been 2 weeks since my last visit, but since my gaining seemed so rapid before, it was a welcome change.

The Dr. measured my belly as usual and I asked if I get to have another ultrasound (just anxious to see the little guy again). She said that I could go ahead and schedule another ultrasound because I'm measuring a little big. Apparently I'm measuring 33 weeks when I'm only 30 weeks. She didn't seem at all concerned, so I guess I shouldn't be either.

After doing a little research on the internet, I'm finding that not only are those measurements somewhat inaccurate, there are so many factors that can play into it. The baby could have been positioned funny yesterday, I could have a little extra amniotic fluid, etc.

So anyway, I'm still doing great (blood pressure is still excellent) and have scheduled another ultrasound for July 30. Hopefully I will be able to post some really cool 3D images!!

Another check-up

Well, today was my 28-week check up. Again, my weight has taken another significant jump. The doctor and myself can't quite figure it out. My blood pressure is excellent, I'm not completely swollen, my belly measurements are normal, and my glucose test was normal. So, I'm just going to keep trying to cut out extras where I can and hope for the best. I'm sure the multiple helpings of homemade ice cream this past weekend at my parents' house didn't help the cause, but it just tasted so darn good!

My appointments will be every 2 weeks from now until 36 weeks. I also am to start doing "kick counts". This involves counting the baby's movements within an hour. Once I've counted six movements, I can stop. This shouldn't be a problem as it seems he is growing more active each day. It's interesting to watch my belly contort as he gets comfy. I'm getting more anxious to meet this little guy!

In other happenings, we are going camping for one night this weekend in Columbus with our church group. This should be interesting. I wasn't born a camper, but I try to be a good sport. This time, I'm pregnant and use the restroom quite a bit. So, finding my way in the dark to the facilities could be fun. We're taking our double-high inflatable mattress with plenty of pillows (which are important these days) to make my one night of "roughing-it" somewhat tolerable. The forecast is saying mid to upper 70s which makes me happy. This 94 degree weather does not work well for me.

OK, that's my news for now. Glad you liked the coconut poofs, Kris. We wouldn't steer you wrong!

Below is a photo taken at the beginning of my 27th week of pregnancy.

I passed!

Well, after not hearing from my doctor's office all last week, I thought I better call to see if the results of my glucose screening had come in. I was hopeful that no news was good news. Sure enough, my results we normal! No 3-hour glucose test necessary (3 blood draws would put me over the edge).

Feels good to be normal! Oh, I thought everyone might enjoy the beginning of the clip from Tommy Boy when Tommy passes his test with a D+. I thought of this immediately when I passed my glucose test.

Interesting start to the week

We're off to a great start this morning. At about 5:45 am I looked out the window to see we had been vandalized overnight. The side of our white garage had been spraypainted with graffiti. I'm guessing it was a few satanic symbols with the motto of some wannabe gang members. Who knows. Oh, and 1 of our landscaping lights was also stolen. Last summer 3 lights were stolen in one night. Guess these kids weren't as brave this summer and only took 1.

Anyway, the police officer was at our house by 6:05am and he took photos and even measured a footprint I saw in our garden (smashing a lettuce plant).

The guy that lives across the street had an old white van parked in his driveway. It got the same graffiti as our garage. Also, Saturday night, the elderly people across the street got eggs and a can of Coke thrown on their house. Apparently our relatively quiet section of the street has become a new target. Hopefully the police will see that they need to patrol our area every hour during the night.

Maybe I'll try to snap a photo of the damage tonight, but I have other things I need to do. We'll see.

Hope everyone else's Monday is off to a better start than ours!!

Tipping the scales

Well, yesterday was my 24-week check up at the doctor. I knew I had gained another 7lbs. (was hoping for 4) and the scales confirmed it. I have now gained a total of 22 lbs. Evan says I weigh as much as him now (thanks Evan!). I am frustrated because I have been drinking water, eating salads and fruit, going on walks, choosing low-sodium and low-sugar options of foods. I let myself have treats, of course, and the dr. said that I definitely should. I'm pregnant after all!
So, she gave me a diet plan if I want to try to be even more careful. I'm thinking it may be all about portion control. Hopefully my 28-week weight won't be as much.

I also have to get the glucose screening done. I plan on doing this on Saturday to get it over with. I don't like getting blood drawn, so the quicker the better. This tests for gestational diabetes and involves drinking a very sweet orange drink before getting your blood drawn. Should take an hour they said. Fun! Let's pray that everything is fine, because I don't want to have to go back for the more extensive blood work or have to go on a strict diet.

Back from PA

Evan and I spent around 6 days last week in Pennsylvania as our vacation. A brief recap:

We started in Philadelphia, where the very first stop was at Geno's for a cheesesteak. This was Evan's main priority and he thought it was really good. The line to order at Geno's is always long, 24 hours a day. When we arrived around 1:30pm, the line was probably 50 people or so. It moves pretty quickly. Evan had researched how to order the sandwiches as to not look like a tourist. Apparently they can be like the Soup Nazi if you don't know what you want. We had to eat our sandwiches in the car due to lack of outdoor seating, which wasn't ideal. We made it work.

The next day was spent walking around the historical sites in Philadelphia, mainly Independence Hall, Liberty Bell Center, etc. Evan had never been there and it had changed a bit since I was there in elementary school.

Next we headed to Reading, PA for some shopping. This was a complete disappointment. Apparently a bunch of the outlets had closed up. Evan and I both remember it being a shopping destination, but the outlets it did have were a let down.

Off to Hershey the next day. I had never been there. You can't take a tour of the real factory, so you have to take this Disney-like ride through a simulated factory to learn how they make the chocolate. The gift shop had all the varieties of Hershey products including many of the varieties of Hershey kisses since it's the 100th anniversary of the Kiss. The best part was that after dinner, we stepped outside and the air smelled like chocolate. It was great, like someone was baking a giant chocolate cake.

Then we headed to Gettysburg for a day. We did a walking tour of the cemetery where we learned about the famous battle and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Though the walking tour was fine, Evan was most excited about taking the ghost tour that evening. Gettysburg is said to be the most haunted place in America. I guess if thousands of soldiers died in one little town, you could expect that. So we went and Evan took pictures like crazy hoping for something cool to appear. Others in our group were capturing "orbs" in their photos, according to the tour guide. Evan captured nothing. He was disappointed and even tried manipulating the camera settings. ha.

Last on our PA tour was to see Fallingwater, one of the famous homes designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright (pictured above). I had wanted to see this for a long time. It really is amazing, whether you're a designer or not. It's located in an absolutely beautiful setting out in the middle of nowhere. Very cool. Besides the house itself, the highlight for me at this stop was seeing a bear cub walking through the woods maybe 20 feet from our car. Unbelievable! I never have seen a bear in the wild before. It was cute. We snapped a quick picture after fumbling for the camera, but he had started to trot away, so it wasn't super clear.

After that it was back to Ohio. All in all the trip was good. Nothing too exciting, but it was a nice break from work...where I'll be the entire rest of the summer. I held up pretty well, considering all the walking and the hot temperatures. I've discovered that the heat and sitting for long periods will make my ankles swell. I try to drink as much water as I can, but I think it's just the beginning of my summer of swelling. I guess it's a small price I'll pay while carrying the little one.