7 Months!

I'm 7 months... wow.

31 weeks

Scale: has gone up a total of 22 lbs. (2 lbs this month)

Belly growth: Ok, so I had gained a total of 9 inches at 6 months and just measured to find a total of an 8 inch gain??? So somehow I lost an inch??? Maybe the new diet???

Jonesin' for: Since my diagnosis with Gestational Diabetes, this really doesn't matter. I eat a very strict diet so even if I do have cravings for good stuff I can't have it anyways. Boo.

Repulsed by: I'm really not having any unusual repulsions lately.

Symptoms:  Back pain and swelling have continued to increase. Wearing my wedding rings is no longer an option. I've had some pelvic pain throughout but nothing like it has been lately. It's mostly on my left side and it feels like a sports injury... like I pulled my groin or something. It makes it difficult to walk sometimes and it's frustrating because there's nothing I can really do about it. (They say it's your ligaments stretching out to prepare for birth). Also, my calves have gotten really tight and I've started getting charlie horses. I woke up at 3:00 in the morning the other day screaming and had to have Jeff stretch my leg for me! (You are welcome honey ;)

Clothes: I'm only wearing maternity bottoms or bottoms with elastic waists. And I wear a combo of maternity tops and regular tops that are just longer... but now the regular tops have to be MUCH longer to work. (I've started sleeping in Jeff's T-shirts because mine weren't cutting it).

Bedtime: The exhaustion is back and I prefer to be in bed no later than 9:00.

*Hollyn Faith* is: about 11.25 inches long head to rump and 18 inches in total length. She weighs about 3.5 lbs.

Fun Fact: Early in this month I was talking to my MIL about how I haven't noticed her having the hiccups yet (which so many people had told me I would start to feel). Literally seconds after saying that, I felt Hollyn have the hiccups for the first time. They feel a lot softer than a kick so I think she had probably already been having them and I just hadn't noticed. I notice them a lot now that I realize what they feel like.

Hollyn's Best Friend has Arrived!

Tuesday was a very special day... Hollyn's soon to be best friend joined the world!

Harper Grace Boyd was born at 8:19 AM on May 3rd, weighing 4lbs 15oz and 18in long.

I know I've mentioned that my best friend, Kelsey, was pregnant and 6 weeks ahead of me, but I don't think I really ever mentioned that there was a complication to her pregnancy. Kelsey was diagnosed with complete placenta previa which would mean more than likely, at some point, she would start bleeding and have to go straight to the hospital. From there, they would monitor and control her bleeding, but the next time she would bleed, they would take baby Harper via emergency c-section.

Late on April 13th, (at 31 weeks pregnant) what we were dreading happened. Kelsey started bleeding and had to get to the hospital immediately. They hooked her up to monitors and pumped her full of magnesium sulfate to slow her contractions. Her doctor informed her that she was basically a ticking time bomb. Her next bleed could occur at anytime... from within the hour, to a couple of weeks. He highly doubted there was any chance she would make it past 2 weeks.

Thanks to a lot of prayers and a holy God, Harper stayed put for 3 weeks. Tuesday Kelsey had her second bleed and Harper was here within the hour. Baby Harper truly is a little miracle.

Isn't she beautiful!?!?!

Because she was so early, she will have to remain in the NICU for a while.

So I'm asking for prayers for this precious little girl and her family. She is currently breathing on her own but the preemie development process is full of steps forward and steps back. This causes a roller-coaster of emotions. Please pray for her health and development (especially her little lungs), for her mom's recovery, and for comfort and peace for her family as they wait to be able to hold their baby girl... and even more so for the day they get to bring her home.

 Welcome Harper Grace! Aunt Katie loves you!

Ugh... Part 2

So after waiting to get my results back from the glucose test, I finally decided to call my doctor's office on Tuesday. My fear was that I would have to take the dreaded 3 hour glucose test. I don't have to. Apparently, my sugar was so high (270) that they diagnosed me with gestational diabetes without having to go back for another test. Ugh.

I'm relieved that I didn't have to take the 3 hour test (especially if it was going to tell them the same thing) but part of me feels like maybe if I would have taken it, my results would have been better since my first test wasn't a fasting test (wishful thinking???).

I'll be honest, after getting the news I had a complete emotional breakdown. We've had a lot go on during this pregnancy that's made it tough to fully enjoy. And I REALLY want to FULLY enjoy this pregnancy... the thing I've wanted for so long.

One of my initial emotions was guilt. Maybe if I had eaten better or exercised more I could have prevented this (later disproved by the learned fact that gestational diabetes just happens to some pregnant women and is caused by hormones). After researching my treatment (a VERY strict diet) my emotions went straight to anger. I had myself a pitty party thinking of how unfair it is that I can't be like other pregnant women and occasionally indulge in delicious treats. (After starting Metformin last March, I had lost my appetite almost completely... not to mention being very sick for the first few months. Then I was still on the meds through my first trimester which helped suppress my appetite... along with the pregnancy nausea. But when my second trimester hit, it was like I was discovering food for the first time! Only to have it taken away.)

After processing the diagnosis for a couple of days, I started to deal with it better. Part of me is glad that I'm forced to follow such a strict and healthy diet because I don't always do the best at eating healthy and this gives me no choice. And really, when I'm at home, it's pretty easy. It's when we're out and we want to grab a quick bite or around other people indulging in delicious foods. I know it is just food. But for some reason, food has always been almost a source of entertainment for me. I LOVE going out to eat and look forward to it. So it's been kind of a rollercoaster of emotions... from appreciative for my new healthy eating habits to pouty because I can't have dessert... or chips... or sweet tea...

But more than anything, I'm thankful for this baby girl and I will do what it takes to keep her healthy. I know she is worth the sacrifice. The good news is, Jeff and I will be taking a 4 hour class next week which should explain everything. I know once I have more information I will feel better.