Gestational diabetes

A week and half ago I failed the one hour glucose tolerance test. I did the same thing over 6yrs ago too. This was, however a shock. I had been checking my glucose levels periodically and was doing fine. So, I thought. After that test I dcided to check my blood sugar every two hours (after meals) and fasting for the next 3 days. I was consistently high on the two hour ones. My fasting ones were perfect (under 100).

Last week when i went in for the 3hour I failed the first two numbers. My fasting was 111, then I drank the 100gr of glucose lemon lime drink (btw, they are no longer carbonated). BLECH!!! My one hour number was 183 (supposed to be under 180) and was told I probably hadn't even peaked out yet. I wasn't surprised at this actually.

I saw the dietician at Mountain View Hospital and feel a bit better. It is great to have guidelines now. Poking my fingers every two hours is not my idea of fun. I am a grazer and like to eat when I like. If I want to eat an orange when I get the urge, by golly I want to eat it. However I can't. Carb counting is the bain of my existence right now. I am amazed at the amounts of carbs in foods. I even checked out Weight Watcher's Smart Ones today at Walmart and the carb count on them was too high! I was hoping for a quick fix this week while Scott is in Portland.

A GD diet is all about balance, and that balancing act gets tricky! I can have something that is in the limit of the carb limit and still be high two hours later. AND I can eat the right amounts and crash. So confusing!!! Now, I'm looking at the next 2.5 months and feeling sad. I have three birthdays in the next two weeks and two major holidays. The EATING ones!!!!! I know, I can count my blessings that I'm not on an IV for the holidays. No food, might be easier than seeing everyone else eat what they want and having to avoid the GOOD stuff. LOL! On and an IV I would probably in a hospital AWAY from food! LOL!

On the up side, I will keep my weight gain to about 20lbs probably! I have gained 16 so far, but have lost a pound or two already.

****I wanted to add a few things that I didn't know before about GD. The risks to mom, weight gain, increase in possiblity of having Type 2 later in life. Risks to baby, early birth (Journey was 4wks early planned induction but I was in labor already), high weight (Journey was 7lb 11oz at 36wks), low blood sugar at birth and jaundice. When the mom's blood sugar is up the baby's pancreas (sp?) can compensate for it in the womb. After birth the baby doesn't have the mom's sugars coming in and the pancreas is STILL pumpping out the high doses of insulin and the baby can crash due to low blood sugar. This is the main reason to keep the blood glucose level! An occassional high number is okay but consistent ones harm the baby. This is why I will keep the diet.

I think it is over!

A week ago, Dejah and Katie started with flu like symptoms. NO!!!!!!!! By morning they both were lethargic and exhausted! Of course I was worried with all the hype of N1H1 and pregnancy. I knew my kids who are usually healthy would be fine. They got blessings and I took them in to be tested, not knowing they would NOT test them. Had I known that I would have avoided the waiting room entirely and treated them at home as if they did have N1H1. The doc said he was 99% sure it was swine flu. By Friday, Bryan had the chills and a headache. He started vomitting and fevering in the evening and was lethargic the next 2 days. Lindsey quickly followed the lead and was sick. Luckily she was mild! Journey was probbaly the luckiest of all! She only got a low grade fever (99-101.5) and that was it. She did not have the lethargy the first three had and no added cough! She even enjoyed her 6th birthday!!!

Dejah's fever was the only one that returned for an added day. Today marks a week and the fevers have totally broken and if the fever doesn't return they will each get to go to school in the morning! They are thrilled! So am I.

The symptoms that the kid had were

chills, aches, fever, sore throat, headache, dizziness, lethargy, cough, congestion.

The cough is the only continuing symptom. The doctors say the cough can last THREE weeks. I think that is a hard one for me since when I hear them cough I automatically turn away and cover my own mouth and nose. They have been doing a great job covering, but it is hard to catch them all.

I was going to keep them home for 10days, but the doctor said they could return to regular activities after 24hrs of being fever free. The CDC website once said it could be contagious for up to 10 days. Apparently they have changed their minds. I hope they are right. I have done what I could by keeping them home (all of them) until the last one was fever free. Three could have returned to school on Monday only to have Dejah's fever return. I'm glad I made that choice.

Now to get everyone caught up on stuff from school.

THANK YOU!

We have been asking Scott for MONTHS for a new kitty. Last Friday (week and half ago) I saw a mouse run across the kitchen floor. I freaked! NOT IN MY KITCHEN!!!! I called Scott and said "THERE IS A MOUSE IN THE PANTRY!" He calmly said, "put a sticky trap in there". I did. I found a "calico kitten" on Freecylce and for fun I emailed the gal. I just do that. I had no clue she would look so much like Teeka (our kitty we had to put down). I sent Scott an email with the link to pictures and he said WE COULD GET HER! I was SHOCKED! I figured he would only be MORE annoyed with me. We picked her up on Saturday.

This morning, I saw a mouse. Of course it was the same one! Yes, I am in denial. So I grabbed our new kitty and tossed her into the pantry too. I hear her rifling around and I decide I will help by removing things. I only LET the mouse get lose! She apparently still was after it. I saw her all over the house in search mode.

I came home from getting the girls from school and getting hair cuts. I bought some leave in conditioner and went to put it in their bathroom and found the toilet needing to be flushed. (Not a surprise in a house full of kids) See waht I found on further investigation? That would be a mouse and lots of mouse droppings!!! Thank you Kitty and thank you Scott!

Kitty came with Ella as a name, which is WAY too close to Nala. I love Ella though! We have been calling her "Smudge". I have a feeling she will be both in our house. When we call Ella, Nala comes. Kitty doesn't even know her name! I guess that is a bonus, but a week of calling her Ella, has stuck for us.

 

She enjoys the outdoors.

 

Isn't too old to play yet. Loves her feather toy.

 

Playing

 

Loves the toilet water? Guess that is why she put the mouse there?

 

The surprise I came home too. Thank you Smudge!

Verdict is in!

Here's a story problem for you....

The Jackson Family has four girls and one boy, Come the new year this will change there will be a total of six but with 5 of one and only one of the other. What is the new baby?

You guessed it, I am having a GIRL! Of course this throws a small wrench in things. Where do we put her? We have 5 bedrooms and will have 6 kids, 5 girls and one boy. The two girls rooms are filled to over flowing now. Bryan's room is the only one with room. SO, for a while we will have to bunk up a girl and boy. I have two girls already ready to fight for that. LOL! I don't think they realize what that means.

The best part of all of this is she has all the right things in the right place, everything seems perfect. She is a bit stubborn and unwilling to show everything in a timely fashion or in a "normal" order. She is breach and all curled up in a ball. Tight and facing my spine. Hard to get a good view of her face, no profile view either. SHe was free with her hands moving all in front of herself. Great views of her legs too. As far as what she will look like, well, that is obvious, just like the other four I'm sure.

I was hoping for a playmate for Bryan, and he will have one for a while, but she will eventually not be so "fun" for him. She will look up to him and have crushes on ALL of his friends. I'm sure she will be an annoyance to him, yet he will protect her and love her in his own ways.

Now, on the name search! Wouldn't think we had any left, huh? Life is GOOD!

Boy or girl?

 

Tomorrow I will be officially 21 weeks and Monday is my ultrasound. Any guesses on boy or girl? Or twins? Lindsey took this picture again, I asked for my head not to be cut off. This was the second, the first had a smile. :) Love it!

UGH!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry this is a venting post

I HATE being pregnant! Hate hate hate hate it! The issues I tend to have are occuring faster this time around. Which of course I'm not pleased about! The light headedness is here to stay (usually the 3rd trimester) and along with it are the dang varicose veins. They make me feel like my insides are falling out and tons of pressure. The treatment for them, causes other issues. UGH!!!!! I am trying an herb I read about and hope that helps. So for the past little while I have been laying down on my left side as much as I can. Modified bed rest, is what my doctors in the past called it. I have only had one bought of sciatica, Hallelujah!

As you can imagine with all the laying down I have done in the past 4 months, my house has become a disaster. My kids and husband seemed to do half jobs here and there, which didn't keep things up. I did half jobs too. Then when my vomitting subsided (I'm too chicken to try without the unisom), that stopped and it was back on me. Now, I have to have to have their whole help again. I have become snappy and jumpy which I HATE! WHat has me in a poor mood today is Scott actually called me on it. "Shelley, I have noticed you have been yelling more and more. How are we to expect the kids to not yell if you are yelling at them all the time?" I felt about a millimeter tall. Instead of saying, "you're right" I got defensive. Ended up yelling at him! NICE!!!!!!! Made my daughter cry because she heard it!

So today I feel like I am total failure even though I know I'm not. Today just sucks and it isn't even 9am yet. I have about 80lbs of laundry to do, Scott wore "recycled" underclothes today. Nice! I'm out of lunch foods for the girls and cereal. I'm tired of the disaster and want to clean it all! I'm in severe pain being up for 30 minutes at a time. I need to suck it up and get something done, pain or not. Hopefully the white oak bark will help!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for posting a woe is me post. I know many people have it worse or are wanting to be pregnant! I feel better having written things down. I may come back and delete this post later. Sigh!

Last Hurrah! San Diego, California

Since I have been so sick over the summer the kids have not really had much fun. Seeing how I do well on the meds we decided to make a last chance trip to Sea World. I am happy to say, I didn't need my meds until Saturday on our way home. I forgot to take the unisom on Friday night. OOPS! I am getting back to normal!!!!

I learned a few things on our trip...............

1) a dvd player is a life saver! The last minute purchase made the 14hr trip enjoyable for everyone.

2) having a plan on when the kids could drink and eat snacks made life easier!

3) A/C is a must traveling through the desert (I'm thankful mine worked!!!)

4) I don't like Vegas (too crowded and too much construction going on)

5) Hotel Circle in San Diego lacks gas stations

6) There are too many interstates in San Diego!

7) I will forever be a small town girl! Yes, I know I wasn' a small town girl growing up. Maui forever ruined me. Which I am thankful for!

8) Kids love sea world (big and small)

9) Sea lions have finger like thingies next to their noses...that's how they hold balls.

10) Soak Zone means that you get SOAKED

11) A three year old boy makes a decent shield for the soak zone. Hey, he wanted to sit on my lap!

12) Havenly Father has created an incredible world for us! Amazing creatures!

13) Seaweed is gross! Too much on the beach we went too.

14) Kids don't like salt water, but LOVE sand! you should have seen them spitting it all out.

15) Hotels that have connecting rooms ROCK! Life is easier when you can walk next door in privacy, not walk outside to the next room. One night was connecting, two were not.

16) VERIFY your hotel resservations! No matter how long you talk to the gal about how you have 7 people and want connecting rooms, she may only book you for ONE! Then be FULL on the night of arrival! ARGH!

17) The "thank you's" you hear are priceless.

18) Seeing the Santaquin exit sign is like heaven after a quick packed trip.

19) The money spent was worth the memories!

Shark Teeth!

So three of my four that have lost teeth get what we call "shark teeth", the adult teeth grow in behind the baby teeth. When this happens the baby teeth don't get very loose for a LONg time. As the adult teeth grow in there is litte room to grab the baby tooth. Journey's teeth got so loose this time that it HUNG. She wouldn't let me get near her to "pull it". She let me LOOK at it and take a picture. The only reason she let me oull it was because we were going to the dentist. I told her he would charge me to pull her tooth. She said "I'll let you pull it so you don't have to pay $50 for him to pull it". I doubt he would have charged me for that one. But the others have been about $56 to pull, they never got this loose.



By the way, she swallowed the other one. She had no clue it came out. Seriously, I remember being so excited to loose a tooth I would run to my parents and beg them to pull the loose tooth at the first sign of it being loose. I noticed Journey's "shark teeth" right after her last cleaning, so 6 months ago. It took that long for them to "fall" out. They weren't wiggly 6 months ago. They take after Scott....he had shark teeth too.