What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

The Final Three: A Smooch Update


It's official...I am 37 weeks, only three more weeks to go. I figured now is as good a time as any to get a Smooch update written out. Wouldn't it be grand if this were the last one!?!?


I rang in week 37 at the hospital getting a three-hour blood glucose test done, since I had failed the one hour last week. Thanks to my mother-in-law, I was able to start a crochet project for Smooch during the hours of waiting, instead of reading (and shushing) three squirmy children in waiting room for half the day. In fact, as slow a crocheter as I am, I got halfway through the project by the time I was able to go home! I was THAT b.o.r.e.d.


The project is this one, and the colors of the yarn I chose are beautiful. I originally thought the yarn was teal with light brown accents, so I was thinking of bordering it in brown. As the sweater worked up, though, I started to see some purple highlights in there too.

My hope was to make something distinctly "boy" since I already have a distinctly GIRL version of this sweater. So I may continue with a brown accent. But I do think I will put it on Smooch even if HE is actually a SHE, because the teal and purple will totally work with a she-baby.

No-we have no clue what we are having. Matt thinks its a boy. I think its a girl. We both are usually wrong---I don't know what that means so I try not to think about it. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Failing the test would mean completely upending my diet, pricking myself four times a day and calling in my blood sugars. Knowing these "inconveniences" would only be for three weeks or so wasn't too great a comfort, I admit. I did my fair share of fretting about it. It wasn't so much the diet change as the pricking and calling in blood sugars that had me scared.

Preparing for the fasting test over the weekend, I read as much as I could about gestational diabetes diets and realized that the food choices were not that profound-and pretty easy to accommodate.
Small portions. Whole wheat breads and pastas (we only eat whole wheat anyway, but I had never really jumped on the whole wheat pasta bandwagon before.) Lots of dairy. Lots of veggies. Lots of protein and beans. LOTS of water. No fried foods. No soda. Limited sweets, and sweets you do have come in healthy ways, like fruit. It isn't rocket science, it is simply eating REAL food.

I decided in the waiting room of the hospital that regardless of the outcome of the test, I ought to adopt many of the principles of the diet. I got the call last night that I had passed (yay!!!) the test but I am sticking to my guns about the diet. I will not be as stringent, of course, (I *must* be able to have some sugar from time to time!) but I do hope that making some good changes to my diet will be worthwhile. If nothing else, it will help me to lose my baby weight. After all, in three more weeks I won't have the pregnancy excuse anymore. And speaking of weight: I weighed myself this morning and this is what was staring back at me.


OUCH.

Looking forward to never seeing THAT number again. (pretty please!?!?)

My arms and legs have always been on the slimmer side, which is a good thing. On the FLIPSIDE though, all the weight that accumulates has to go SOMEWHERE and it goes straight to my face. This is not pleasant. You can cover your arms and wear long skirts for your legs but unless I make some major geographical and religious changes, there is no way I can hide the immense glob of putty that is called my face. Which is why I prefer the "headless" pregnancy shots--which you have likely noticed by now.


The weight gain hasn't slowed me down TOO too much, because I can still play a MEAN game of kickball. (Girls have won both times we have played in the last month!) So a nine-month pregnant woman playing kickball can't be THAT bad. Of course, I try not to let anyone see me skuttle around the house the next day though either. It ain't pretty. :-)

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We are no closer to having names picked out for Smooch than we ever were; in fact, our "list" is actually longer than ever before. Who KNOWS who this baby will turn out to be!

Right about now is the time I start freaking out about delivery too. I begin to remember (very clearly) how it feels to push a child out and I realize there ain't no turning back at this point. The pain is inevitable and I am stuck right here waiting for it-and that gives me terror chills. I know the pain completely disappears once the baby is born, but that doesn't give me much consolation when you consider you still have to get to that point. So...in a way...I am in no rush for Smooch to come out.

In fact, I have grown quite accustomed to my own personal built-in tabletop. My, they are handy to have around.


There you have it. A Smooch update. Corynn delivered at 37 weeks by inducement, Andrew delivered at 38 weeks and Adele' delivered at 39 weeks. So....the way I see it, Smooch might come at any time!

15 comments:

Melodie said...

You look absolutely radiant! I love the scale picture. That's what I see too and my baby is 7 months now. Hmmm...they may not have been what you want to here = ) lol

Paula said...

37 weeks...that seems to have come round very quickly, but I know it always feels longer when you are the one carrying the baby! You are looking lovely. Praying for a safe, swift delivery for your newest little one. Can't wait to 'meet' him or her.

Best wishes,
Paula (long time reader, rare commenter, from the UK)

Full of Grace said...

So glad your test came back good. So glad you got alot of crocheting accomplished for smooch (the colors are amazing) So glad you posted photos of your belly- smooch looks like he/she is doing well :) So glad you found humor in the scale this morning, I have little humor when I feel like I've jumped off the health bandwagon and cheated badly :P You look beautiful as ever!!! Love Ya!

Regina said...

Rebecca, there is nothing more beautiful than a woman who is carrying Godly fruit within her.

Unknown said...

Love your pictures! :) LOL...nice scale shot! :P You crack me up! I understand the L & D thoughts...can't wait to see your precious babe AND learn the name! :-)

Nanci said...

I was so dismayed when I read that you had to take the 3 hr. GGT and soooo very relieved when I read the good results.

ALSO

HOORAAAAY for the Girls' Kickball team!!!! :o)

MameyJane said...

WOW. A woman who plays kickball @ 9 months preggo!! HERC-U-LEEZ!! lol...

You look gorgeous--especially the last picture. I know that's hard to believe when you feel so heavy and waddly and miserable, but you DO.

Can't wait to meet the new little one, bloggy style!!

Marlene Bibby said...

Hate to disappoint you, but you have to wait until August 27. That is the birthday of 2 special people, and we would like Smooch to be born on that day. Pretty please. The waiting is almost over, and the pain is the best you will ever have to go through. Remember some people would give their eye teeth to have to endure it.

Leah said...

That yarn looks like Homespun. I made my oldest son a huge crocheted blanket out of dark brown Homespun.
It is sooooo cozy - soft and thick and warm.

You look very cute though. Even your face!

Riahli said...

So exciting! You look great...can't wait to see cute pictures of an itty-bitty baby!! :)

A Happy Wife said...

Dear Rebecca,

Must tell you that you look positively LOVELY...whatever the scales say!

And, I can't understand why they make you take the blood-glucose test so close to your due date...like it will make much difference now? The whole gestational diabetes thing seems to me just to be their latest scare tactic. And they continue to "tighten" the parameters, in my opinion, to move more women into the treatable category.

I failed the 3-hour test with my third (Tobin), but it was during an extremely stressful period in my life and I think the stress contributed to my failing. After that, I was very careful with my food intake, and was able to keep my sugars within their acceptable range, and he was 5lb, 7oz at birth.

When I got pregnant with Camryn, they would not even let me re-test...their protocol is that once you've tested gestational, you're gestational for every subsequent pregnancy. Well, I was not quite so careful with her...not that I ate poorly, because, of course, I was concerned about her health...but my blood sugars were not nearly as controlled as before, and she was still under 6 lbs at birth.

They both had normal blood sugars at birth.

I even had one of the diabetes nurses tell me that there is a "theory" that women who have children of a lower birth weight (like me...) will put more glucose into their blood stream in an attempt to grow their babies larger.
If that is the case, then following too strict a diet is fighting against what your body is instinctively doing all on its own.

I'm glad for modern medical technology, but sometimes I don't think they know as much as they'd like us to believe...

So good to trust an all-knowing, life-giving, loving God!!!

I'm glad your test results were good...one less thing to worry about, anyway.

Will be anxiously awaiting a glimpse of your new little blessing. I'll be praying for you!!

Kris Zerby (Sorry this got so long!)

LFlores said...

Rebecca, what are you talking about? You look gorgeous! And at 37 weeks!! Almost time to pop the baby out! Hope you have a quick and safe delivery. Praying all is well!

-LauraD

Bonnie said...

Hah! The water jar is great! Our little one is FAR to active for that, oh how I wish he would settle down a bit, I think my insides are bruised....

Rebecca said...

Thanks to everyone for your encouragement---it came at the perfect time. TRUST me. :-)

Leah~you are right--it IS homespun. Love the stuff. Works up quickly and is soft and cuddly. (Washes well too!)

Kris~it was so good to hear from you stranger! I thought the same thing about "why BOTHER for only three more weeks?" I asked the midwife if I could just follow the regimented diet instead of taking the TEST again but she refused. I guess I COULD have REFUSED but it goes against a persons' nature to question "authority". But you are right--EXACTLY right---about the medical industry sometimes presuming to know too much.

Kimberly said...

You're beautiful.