32 1/2 Weeks... Trying to Stay on Track

So here's a quick rundown:
How far along: 32 1/2 weeks
Feeling: generally good
Symptoms: nothing unexpected... shortness of breath (baby feet in your lungs will do that), hip aches/pain, low abdominal/round ligament pain, fatigue
Weight Gain: Holding steady at about 26 (significantly less than with G at this point)

My GD condition:
Gestational Diabetes that is... at my 28 week checkup I had the rapid glucose tolerance test and failed miserably (meaning my body isn't producing insulin correctly because of a hormone produced by the placenta. Thus, I'm also not processing glucose correctly which = high blood sugar = baby being "over nourished" and growing too big = increased risk of repeat c-section = something we are trying hard to avoid). So, the following week I got to go in for the long glucose tolerance test, and again, failed miserably. I'm a pregnant glucose processing failure. I had already started on a "low carb" diet in efforts to minimize baby's (and my) weight gain all while making sure I still get enough to eat and enough of the right stuff. I went to a class and now am on a strict healthy eating plan and am testing blood sugar 4 times daily to make sure I'm not eating too much "sugar" (i.e. carbs) at once. My focus is veggies, lean protein, a little fruit, and a sprinkling of low fat dairy and high fiber whole grains. Now all I need is the willpower to do what I'm supposed to do. Sweets are bad. Sweets are bad. Sweets are bad. Maybe if I say it enough eventually I will stop wanting them.

I did really well the first few days, completely fell off the wagon over Thanksgiving week, but am now trying hard to be back on track this week. It's not too terrible. I eat three moderate sized meals and three moderate sized snacks per day so it's not usually a hunger issue. The hardest part is choosing the right things at the right time of day.  I don't have actual calorie restrictions, but what I do have to be careful of is my non-carb calories. For example, a dozen eggs and a pound of bacon (not that I could physically consume that much) wouldn't really affect my blood sugar, but it would affect our weight gain. It's all a delicate balance. Salad = good. Too much dressing negates good salad.  If I can get some really good habits in place before the Christmas holiday I think I'll make it through ok... we'll see. Wish me luck!

Conversations with a two-year-old

While riding in the car...

Garner, in the backseat by himself, talking to toy Thomas the train:
What say Thomas?
Ok.
Mommy! Thomas watch Chuggington!... Peeeeeaaaaasssseeee.
Me: Thomas wants to watch Chuggington?
G: Yup. Thomas say, "Peeeease, mama.", he say "PEEASEE".
Me: well, in that case...


At some unholy early hour in the morning, in my bed...

G: Mommy? Mommy? Mommy? Mommy? Mommy?
Me: What, baby?
G: Oh, pretty mommy...
Me: huh?
G: Narner need eat, mommy. Need candy.
Me: (in my head) sheesh.. suck up.


Everyday is a new adventure.... :)

You Know You're a Mom...

You know you're a mom when:

• you're kid is on the verge of expelling something from some orifice (puke, poop, snot, etc.) and you instinctively lunge towards him to attempt to "catch" it rather than jumping out of the way like the normal human reaction should be.
• you wake up so often to a bright eyed, wide smiling little creeper 2 inches from your face whispering "mommy? mommy? mommy? mommy? mommy? mommy? mommy, me need eat! mommy? mommy? mommy? mommy? mommy? mommy?" that it doesn't even startle you anymore.
• even with no kid in the car you habitually point and say things like: "Look, buddy! Choo choo!", and "See the cows?!? Moooo!"
• you're never really completely out of diapers. there's always at least one stashed in every purse, laptop case, vehicle seat pockets/glove compartment, suit case, reusable shopping bag, and refrigerator fruit drawer.
• you don't recall how a diaper came to be in the refrigerator fruit drawer, but it's been there going on two weeks. At least it's unused. 
• you go to work with random breakfast remnants on your shirt and think to yourself, "It could be worse. At least it's not something gross." (refer to the first item in this list)

The time i attacked my kid with the scissors...

I know I'm not the first, and im sure I'm not the last mom that will do it. I know i should have sought professional help, and probably still should, but sometimes a mom just. Cant. Take. ANY. MORE. and she snaps...

So after being a single parent (Jason has been gone for work) for two nights, and dealing with at least a couple of weeks of whining and moaning about "Hair! Eyes! Hair hurt! Eyes! EEEEEAAaaaaaaYYYYYYSSsssSss!!!". Mama finally reached the end of her rope and attacked. Here's a before and after... I'll let you be the judge of the homemade haircut...

Now that we're halfway there...

... I guess it'd be a good time to tell the world we are having another baby!

It hasn't been a secret. After all, we sent/delivered a card to our families, and texted a picture of the card to friends to announce the news...

It says: 

Sparklers: $11, Goofy patriotic head adornments: $18

Realizing there are FOUR people in these pictures: Priceless!

Happy FOURth of July!

... and I mentioned a deceased rabbit in a semi-cryptic, albeit unique, reference to my condition via Facebook.

So here's the rundown so far:

Baby is due mid-late January 2013. We are 20 weeks along (half way there!) and besides being tired, I am feeling good.

I felt worse early on than I did with Garner. For about 8 weeks I looked and felt green around the gills, like I might toss my cookies at any minute (side thought: mmm cookies...), 90% of the day. I was never actually physically ill (Thankfully!), but it was much worse than the occasional 2 minute queasy spells I had early on the first pregnancy. That has faded now, giving way to rampant hunger and the occasional craving for olives.

Baby and I both got excellent health reports at our 20 week checkup, where we found out that baby is in fact a boy! We are thrilled, not that we wouldn't have been just as thrilled if we were having a girl. Repeat boy is a bonus though. No need for excessive new clothes purchasing! My budget says, "Yay!".

Garner still vacillates between no response whatsoever and "No." when asked if he wants a baby. This is an improvement from his consistent "NOOOOO!" response to the same question early on. He does however kiss baby (my tummy) night night and has been patting my tummy and saying, "bruh-der" since we found out it's a boy. I think he'll come around.... or be forced to get over it once baby arrives! LOL!

All in all, we are excited and all doing well. Enjoying our last few months as a little family of three before we become a little bigger family of four.

I hope to be able to post/update more frequently than I have the first half of this journey... but seeing as I don't have a really consistent history of regularly scheduled blog posts... I wouldn't bank on it if I were you. ;)

Toddler Fact #4... Tall Tales

For many toddlers, namely my own, creativity and imagination begin to bloom. Good thing? In some cases... yes. In others... not so much.

Me: "Garner, did you poop?"

G: "No."

Me: "Are you sure?"

G: "NO."

Me: "No, you aren't sure? Or, no, you didn't poop?"

G: mischievous grin...

Me: "Did you poop?"

G: "No.... DADDY."

Me: "Daddy pooped?"

G: BIG grin

Please note: Daddy is at work... 40 miles away. Either Garner and Daddy have some sort of weird bathroom ESP, or G is fudging the truth a bit. (Ha! Yes, I did just say "fudging" in a poop story!)


One hour later....

*sound of refrigerator water dispenser running... sound of water hitting the floor*

Me: entering kitchen... "Garner, did you make a mess?"

G: "Nooooooooooooooooooo."

Me: "How'd all this water get in the floor?"

G: pauses to think... "(F)ISH!" (the "f" is silent)

Me: "Fish?? In the kitchen?"

G: "Ish! Water!"... pointing at puddle.

Elusive messy kitchen fish? Mommy thinks probably not...

Toddler Fact #3... Toddlers love their booze

He's always wanting me to help him get into his booze or daddy's booze. The booze by the back door, the booze under the bed, the booze in the closet. He loves all the booze.

Oh, I guess I should mention that by "booze" what he means is "boots".

"Garner, put your shoes on."

"Booze!"

"How about your crocs?"

"NOOOoooOO! BOOZE!"

The kid knows what he wants.

Reasons that it's good I don't live in town...

...because I find myself yelling things in the yard like,"Doggie! Stop licking the baby's wiener!!". (Disclaimer: the baby was fully clothed eating a hot dog. No dogs or babies were harmed... I cannot say the same for wieners.)

This post could also be appropriately titled: why I fit in redneck America or things no respectable human should yell out loud.

Yes, this IS a half consumed hot dog on a stump. Letting my toddler eat off of a stump... Probably another reason it's good I don't live in town.

Toddler fact #2.... Pants optional

What's that? Why does my toddler wear so many one piece outfits?

Well...

My toddler believes pants are optional. Along with shoes... And cleanliness... And modesty.

It's a simple fact... Pants are harder to take off if they are attached to your shirt, or even better, if they are part of your shirt.

Man training...

He may not be potty trained...
But at least he uses a coaster...
You're welcome, future wife.

Curse of the trashy thong

Everybody's got a pair. Those ratty flip flops you should only wear around the house, in the garden, or to run to the mailbox real quick. Or maybe you SHOULD NOT wear them. Ever. Never in public. The pair you should've given up a few years ago when the toe piece got yanked loose so now they have dirty duct tape holding them together. The pair your grandma would gasp if she saw. But, you just haven't had time or been able to splurge and spend $2.50 on a new pair. Don't play innocent. You know what I'm talking about.

Well, today it ends. Trashy thongs, meet dumpster, your new home. At least for the worst of my many pairs. Why? They love to come to town. Mostly on days that it's not ok if I look trashy. And have no other shoes with me. And am already running late for something. I step out of the house wearing nice shoes, slip on the ratty little devils to run out to feed the animals, and BAM! 25 minutes later, 1/2 way on my 45 minute drive to town, there they are. Smiling up at me with great glee that they once again tricked me into not putting my nice shoes back on.

Siiiiiggggggghhhhh. Thank you concerned lady at the grocery store for your kind offer, but it's ok. I know you don't believe me, but I can afford decent shoes. I just can't seem to wear them to town...

Toddler Fact #1

Give me fresh snacks and I will either snub them, or take them but proceed to crush and/or hide them in every furniture crevice I can reach, only actually consuming a minuscule proportion.

However, if you get out the vacuum to clean up a week (or more) worth of snack carnage, I will run around rabidly scarfing the stale/soggy treasures you revealed when you moved the coffee table/couch/etc. I might even attempt a hostile takeover of the vacuum and contemplation of how to bust into the canister to retrieve the culinary delights within...