26 & 27 Weeks- Results, Baby Moon, and Ultrasound

26 Weeks:  (7/17/11) "Baby's now the size of an eggplant!  He's soaking up your antibodies, getting his immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and he'll soon be practicing the blink...perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.  The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat."


27 Weeks:  (7/24/11) "This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on."

BIG STRETCH after sticking his tongue out at us! :)

He kept trying to grab/play with his feet! :)

Looking at us and smiling with his chubby cheeks! :)

Glucose Results: (7/21/11) Kevin and I had a doctor's visit.  She explained my glucose test results to us and it turns out that my numbers are borderline gestational diabetes. 1 of the 4 of my blood samples came back high, and a 2nd one came back at 92, and 95 would be considered high or abnormal.  SO....since you need 2 out of the 4 tests to be high to be diagnosed, I'm considered borderline and have to meet with a nutritionist ASAP.  I will probably have to be treated as if I do have gestational diabetes just to be on the safe side.  The diet is definitely going to be hard to adjust to, but Logey is well worth all of this!


Dietitian Appointment: (7/26/11) So I met with the nutritionist yesterday and she recommended that I start monitoring my glucose with a monitor, and go on a gestational diabetes diet to prevent me actually getting diagnosed, because my numbers were so borderline. I'm having to poke my finger 4 times a day and the diet is going to take A LOT of getting used to. The doc and nutritionist said that I may lose up to 10 lbs on this diet because the extra fluid in my belly will go down! WOOO! :)


ULTRASOUND:  (7/28/11) Today's ultrasound went well.  He's measuring 2 weeks ahead, instead of 2.5 weeks ahead like he was on the previous ultrasound.  I still have the same amount of amniotic fluid as the last ultrasound (23 cm), so at least it hasn't increased!  Hopefully the doctor will call me tomorrow or Monday with more details on the ultrasound and what we should do from here.  From what I know, I'll probably have to keep monitoring the fluid every 3 weeks or so with ultrasounds, and if it does increase, I may be considered "high risk" and have to see a specialist.  HOPEFULLY it doesn't come to that...especially since I'm treating my high blood sugar and exercising like a mad woman! 

*~*~*~* BaBy MoOn *~*~*~*

We had such an amazing time in Scottsdale last weekend! (7/22-7/25)  Since we're new to this whole "Baby Moon" thing, we just played everything by ear and did LOTS of relaxing, swimming at the pool, eating delicious food, and napping. :)  It was VERY hot the entire time we were there, but it was such a dry heat, that it honestly felt really good!  We both got some sun, and really enjoyed the weekend together. :)  One of my favorite parts was finishing dinner on Sunday night at The Grand Lux Cafe, and realizing that a major thunderstorm decided to say "hello"!  We walked out of the restaurant into POURING rain (it was still about 90 degrees), lots of lightning, and thunder! Kevin said he would get the car and bring it up to me so that I didn't have to walk in the rain, but I LOVE THE RAIN, so I said no. :)  We walked to for what seemed like several minutes to our car that was parked super far and Kevin almost slipped a handful of times in the puddles. lol.  Good thing I had good traction on my sandles!  When we finally made it to our car, we were both completely SOAKED and laughing our heads off! :)

25 Weeks & TWO Glucose Tests...

25 Weeks: (7/10/11):  "Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture."

SO....I don't know how accurate the above weekly update is, since he's measuring 2 weeks big! Technically he is the size of a 27 week old, but oh well. :)

1 HOUR GLUCOSE TEST- 7/12/11: I went in to the doctor's at 8am on Tuesday morning for my 1 hour glucose test.  I came prepared with a book, and some magazines, and tried not to be too afraid of the glucose drink I've heard so many bad things about!  The nurse came out and handed me a 10 oz. bottle that was "Lemon Lime" flavored and told me I had 5 minutes to drink it, but I couldn't just down it! 

 It wasn't as bad as I had expected, and tasted just like a very sweet, non-carbonated Sprite.  After waiting an hour, the nurse took me back and drew some blood.  She told me that the results would be in later that day, and that I should get a phone call tomorrow.  Wednesday came and went, and STILL no phone call! I was NOT happy when I called on Thursday and the nurse told me that the results were in, but that the other doctor (my doc was out of town) hadn't had time to look over them.  UGH!!!!  She had the nerve to tell me that the doc would "try" to get back to me today, but that they would probably have the results to me by next week. UMMM...NO!  I told her that I was not going to wait all weekend for the results and that she needed to tell the doctor I needed the results today! Poor girl....I'm pretty sure I scared her.  I was just SO frustrated/scared/anxious! I needed to know asap so that I could take the 3 hour glucose test and get the show on the road.  Well....after I let my pregnant wrath out on the poor nurse, she called me back 2 hours later with the results.  She said that the test did come back abnormal, so I had to come back for the 3 hour test as soon as possible.  Part of me was relieved because if I do end up having gestational diabetes, at least it's something I can take control of.  I definitely DO NOT want Logan to be a gigantic baby! lol.  I scheduled my 3 hour test for Friday morning at 8am.

3 HOUR GLUCOSE TEST- 7/15/11: I decided to have my 3 hour test at the Harmony Lab, instead of at my doctor's office, because I heard they have cozy recliners and free WiFi!  I got here at about 8:15 this morning, and had my first blood draw at 8:45 after giving them a urine sample.  For this test, I had to fast for at least 12 hours! :( I am sooo hungry! It just doesn't seem okay to make a pregnant woman not eat for this long.  I should be done with the test a little before noon today, so I'm going to get some yummy food, and get a pedicure!  Unfortunately, they had to poke me every hour, for a total of 4 blood draws! UGH!  My poor arms are going to be so bruised!  Luckily, I'm pretty comfortable in the recliner and under the blankets they gave me. :)  Who knows when my doctor will call me back with the results for this test, but I'm thinking I will have to take advantage of eating whatever I want this weekend, since it may be the last time!

6 Month Appointment and Ultrasound

UPDATE (7/6/11 & 7/7/11):  Kevin and I went in for my 6 month check up with Dr. Guiroy on Wednesday, the 6th.  She listened to Logan's heartbeat, and did the usual blood pressure test, and measurements.   When she measured my belly, she said I was already at 30cm, which was bigger than average.  That REALLY did not make me feel good at all. :(  I couldn't understand why I was measuring big since I'd been eating well and being active.  She told me that there was a chance that I had a condition called polyhydramnios, which basically means that I could have extra amniotic fluid in my uterus.  She told me to get an ultrasound the following day to check the fluid levels.  

Of course, I was freaking out!  She said that if I did have extra fluid, the worst side effect was possible early labor.  She explained that when there is fluid in the uterus, the uterus thinks that it's full to capacity because of the baby, when in actuality, it's mainly the extra fluid!  I scheduled the ultrasound for 6pm the following evening, and Kevin and I went to Chipotle for dinner.  I was so scared and hated that I had to wait SO long to do the ultrasound.  Needless to say, the rest of the night was filled with both of us googling everything we could about polyhydramnios, and a few tears on my end. 


ULTRASOUND:  The following evening, Kevin and I went to get my ultrasound.  It turned out that I did have extra fluid in my uterus.  Logan was having a blast moving all around in his "swimming pool" though.  The ultrasound tech measured the fluid and said that I had 23.4 cm of fluid and that the normal range was below 20.  She was a little too chatty and began telling me about how she had this happen when she was pregnant, and that her baby was born at 36 weeks. bla bla bla.  Basically, she freaked me out even more! She also measured Logan and said that he was measuring at about 26.5 weeks, even though I was only 24 weeks!  Basically, that led us to believe that I may have gestational diabetes. :(  It left me feeling so guilty that I could have done something to cause this, even though I knew there was almost never a cause for why this happens.  Waiting for the results of the ultrasound was SOOO frustrating.  I had to call and pester the doctor several times until I finally heard back from her on Monday!  


RESULTS:  She did make me feel a little better by saying that my amniotic fluid level was NOT abnormal.  She said that I was on the higher side of normal, but nothing to freak out about at all!!! She did want me to take the glucose test early to check for gestational diabetes and she also wanted me to schedule another ultrasound in 3 weeks to check the fluid level again.


All in all...this has been a very emotional week.  I know how blessed I've been so far in this pregnancy, and am trying my very best to stay positive.  I will do everything I can so that Logan and I stay healthy throughout the remainder of my pregnancy, even if it means that I do have gestational diabetes and have to change my diet, poke my finger for blood tests after every meal, and monitor what I eat. It's not going to be easy, but we'll see what the glucose test says!

6 Months & In-Laws Visit! :)

24 Weeks:  (7/3/11) "Since he's about a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon"

~*~*~*~* Royal Gorge Train Ride in Cañon City *~*~*~*~

 

~*~*~*~* Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs *~*~*~*~

 

~*~*~*~* Colorado Rapids Soccer Game and Fireworks Show *~*~*~*~

~*~*~*~* 6 Month Belly Pic *~*~*~*~

 

UPDATE:  Kevin's parents came into town to visit us last week!  We had a lot of fun things planned and had a great time with them!! :)  On Saturday we went to Cañon City to ride on the Royal Gorge Train.  It was such a beautiful ride along the Arkansas River and through the "Grand Canyon of Colorado".  We sat in the Observation car, which had large dome-shaped windows all along the side to get the best view! The seats were in a restaurant booth style, so it was really nice to be able to eat and talk across the table to each other during the ride! The food was great and the entire ride was really informative and beautiful.  We were also allowed to go onto the open car of the train, which had no ceiling, and take lots of pictures! 

We spent the night in Colorado Springs after the train ride, which was about an hour away from Cañon City.  After a yummy buffet at the hotel, we headed to the pool, then went to explore The Garden of the Gods!  It was still really HOT, so we drove through most of it, and took just a few pictures.  It was so beautiful! :)

We headed to the Rapids game after that and Kevin and his mom enjoyed a nice cold beer at the stadium's Cantina while I watched with jealousy!  I was praying for the sun to go down FAST because the temperature was in the high 90's and there were no clouds in the sky. :(  I drank tons of water and sat in the shade until the sun had moved and our seats were finally in the shade!  Unfortunately, the score ended up being 0-0, but there were tons of near-misses, so that made the game exciting.  The best part of the night was the fireworks show!!!  Kevin and I went onto the field to watch the fireworks, while Nancy and George watched from their seats. It was a really great show!!!

23 Weeks & SoCal Baby Shower!!!

23 Weeks: (6/26/11) "Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb. Baby's little face is fully formed...minus the baby fat, of course. The next task at hand for baby: sprouting two teeny-tiny nipples!"

 

*~*~*~*~ Southern California Baby Shower: *~*~*~*~

June 25th, 2011

~*~*~*~* Disneyland, Pool, & Belly Pic: *~*~*~*~

UPDATES:  This week was amazing!  We had such a beautiful baby shower and fun time with family on this trip!!!  Thanks so much to my sister for planning, decorating, and thinking up every little detail for our shower. I love you!  It was so great seeing all my cousins, aunts, and friends on that day! The chocolate cake with chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin Robbins was a HUGE hit, and the games were really fun.  :)  Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.  We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather, and the delicious bbq was amazing! 

Seeing my nephews, Jackson and Jacob, was a huge highlight!  They were SO sweet to Logan in my tummy, and would talk to him and pat my tummy to make sure he was happy!  Jacob's quote of the weekend was, "Daddy, when will Logan be here tomorrow during the shower?" :)  He thought that a baby shower meant the baby was coming that DAY! Jackson was also very excited to start planning what kind of Lego Duplo set he was going to get Logan for his 1st birthday.  He would also talk to my belly and say, "Hi Logan, you're going to love Legos when you come out!" :) They were both so loving and so excited for their future little cousin and were such big helpers when it came to the finishing decorating touches for the shower!

Kevin and I also had a great time at Disneyland and going on all the "pregnant-friendly rides". :)  It was much more mellow and slow paced than what we would normally do, but we had a wonderful time and really enjoyed ourselves!  We had dinner at the Blue Bayou restaurant inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, ate all kinds of goodies throughout the day, and found as much shade as possible for little breaks here and there! What an amazing vacation!!!!

HIGHLIGHT:  Kevin felt Logan kick for the first time on Saturday, the 25th, after our baby shower! :)  I had been feeling Logan for a couple of weeks, but Kevin still wasn't able to feel him.  We had just gone upstairs after everyone left, and laid down on the bed to relax.  I felt Logan moving a lot, so I told Kevin to put his hand on my belly.  Kevin was so sweet and started talking to Logan, when out of nowhere, he kicked REALLY hard! Kevin was SO excited to feel him!!! It was a really great moment. :)