31 Weeks and Counting

How far along: 31 weeks. If you haven't seen this website, you should check it out. I love checking it weekly to see fetal size updates.

Total weight gain/loss: It is getting up there. 28 pounds!

Maternity clothes: Yes! I am sick of Maternity clothes.

Sleep: Getting harder and harder to get comfortable and I am still waking up three to four nights to go to the bathroom.

Best moment this week: Watching Baskettball with the hubby & Mila lifting my shirt and pointing to my belly saying "baby, baby."

Food cravings: Not much is sounding good to me right now, surprisingly. I have wanted pimento cheese and tuna.

Food aversions: Too many to list. I am to the point where food is a necessity. When I am starving, I get full off just a few bites.

Gender: Baby Boy!

Labor signs: None yet. Thank goodness.

Pregnancy symptoms: weight gain, moodiness, back pain, being uncomfortable, not able to sleep.

Belly Button in or out? It has pretty much disappeared.

What I miss: IPA, wine, sashimi, being able to walk and not waddle, working out.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting our Baby Boy, getting my body back.


Milestones: Finally lots of movement. It took a while to feel him since I have an anterior placenta.

Maternity Wardrobe Challenge

My maternity photos are coming up. I have been thinking about what to wear for a while. With my last pregnancy, the photoshoot was indoors in a studio. The photographer had lots of wraps, so wardrobe was not an issue.

Although I loved my pictures, I wanted to go with a more affordable photographer this time around. I feel like this happens a lot with the second child. The quality of products for the new baby goes down quite a bit. Hand me downs, cheaper crib, Up & Up diapers instead of Pampers, and less money on photos. The first child is a great learning experience. By the second, I feel like a pro and I know where I should and shouldn't be spending my money.

I spent around a hundred bucks last night on clothing options for the pictures. This is totally justified since my photographer is about a fourth of the price of my last. We will be outside for the shoot. With the weather warming up, I think this will work out great. I love outdoor photos.

I searched and searched for the perfect dress. It seems like all maternity clothes are loose and flowy. I really wanted something tight to show off my curves. As soon as I came across this dress, I wanted it.

I searched the internet an hour or so more but went back to this pick. I thought navy blue would be a great color since it is a boy.

I also grabbed a couple bandeaus and maxi skirts. Here are a couple. Obviously, they don't go together.

Bandeau 

Skirt

Of course, I have to show off my huge midriff! Hoping these work out. I will find out soon enough!

Pantless Baby and A Dog in a Tutu

Holidays are so much better now that I have a child. I so look forward to them, even St. Patrick's Day.

I didn't buy Mila a ton of Shamrock goodies. In fact, I didn't buy her anything for this holiday except a five dollar shirt from Wal-mart. I planned on pairing it up with a green tutu already in her closet and snapping some really cute photos.

Mila said No to the tutu, decided to go pantless, and this is how she felt about the idea.

That sad face breaks my heart! I at least managed to get a couple shots of her somewhat smiling.

Off with the bow Mama just put in!

 

We have two school buses that go by our house back to back around 4:45 p.m. We make a point to try to get Mila to the front door to see them. It is quite cute and some days we even get a wave from the bus driver. Mila was totally excited to see the buses yesterday while playing outside.

Since we couldn't put Mila is the green skirt, we thought somebody else should enjoy it.

 Hopefully this weekend's planned Easter shoot will go much better than the pantless photos here!

Weekend Success

I feel like Mila grew up a year in a matter of a weekend.

Her attention span is really growing. Just last week, I couldn't get her to color for more than a couple minutes. This weekend coloring was her favorite activity. She would sit on her couch and color and place a sticker and color and place a sticker. It was awesome. Since I was sick with a viral and ear infection, I was able to just lay beside her and watch her doodle. She must have stayed entertained for thirty minutes at a time.

 

Who cares that she is not even coloring in the book!

I was also able to work in the kitchen for a good amount of time. I just handed Mila some utensils and a pot with a tiny amount of water and she played and played for a good half hour. This is a girl that usually needs constant attention and entertainment. I am still shocked by her ability to play by herself.

Mila also showed us that she wants to do some things on her own, such as getting dressed. The two minute task has become a fifteen minute task, but at least she is learning how to put her clothes on.

The most surprising of all weekend activities was...... Mila peed in her potty! What? We really haven't even been working with her yet to potty train. She grabbed her diaper, so my husband asked he if she needed to use the bathroom. She waddled into the bathroom and we sat her on her training toilet and sure enough there was music. Yes, I said music. The potty has a built in reward system that plays tunes for potty success. Sounded silly to me at first, but we knew as soon as she tinkled. Good girl Mila!

The Unnecessary Ultrasound

I am so happy to have a healthy pregnancy. It is awesome and brings so much relief. The only drawback is during a healthy pregnancy, you only get to see the baby twice, two ultrasounds. Once at twelve weeks and again around the pregnancy middle mark. This is unless a problem arises. I am so thankful that I haven't had any problems with this pregnancy. With that said, I just had to see that baby again! I have mentioned Prenatal Peak in earlier posts. They even told my husband and I the gender before fifteen weeks with 100% certainty. As you can see above, they were right!

It is totally worth the $90 to get that extra glance. I have been a little concerned with fetal movement. I mentioned it to my OB/GYN and they hooked me to the monitor and said the baby was fine. I just wanted to be sure. Not only did this extra ultrasound confirm that the umbilical cord is not around the neck, it also showed me that it exactly where it is supposed to be.

The technician was also able to show me that I have an anterior placenta. Placentas typically attach themselves in the back/posterior of the uterus, but when your placenta is anterior it is right up front. This is the cause for not feeling the baby as often as I think I should. This is a bit annoying, but I am thankful I have a healthy placenta keeping my baby healthy.

The 3D ultrasounds weird me out a little, but this picture is so cute! Sure, I may be a little bias but you have to admit the technology is pretty amazing. We even know he has hair! I cannot wait to meet this little guy.  

Who is Gordon Dioxide?

I am not sure exactly when but I do know it was before babies that I discovered Gordon Dioxide. One night I couldn't sleep and I asked my hubby to read me a story. He grabbed his phone, did a google search, and wah lah the Gordon Dioxide stories began. I wasn't too sure about the odd stories at first. I may have even said they were stupid at one time but every story had me laughing out loud. I was fast to realize I love Gordon Dioxide! My husband even bought me the one and only published Gordon Dioxide book for my birthday.

I think most people agree that when you like something, you want to know more about it. My husband and I searched Gordon Dioxide but results only displayed his website, one published book, and this youtube video.

If you are looking for bedtime stories for five to eleven year olds or just want a good laugh, Gordon Dioxide stories will not disappoint. I just wish I knew more about this mystery author with that awesome pen name.

Here is one of his stories.

A LOVELY SUNNY DAY
by Gordon Dioxide

It was a lovely sunny day in Oak Tree Farm. An 8-year old boy called Tommy lay by the stream listening to the sounds of the countryside. The birds were singing, the cows were mooing, the lions were roaring, and the sheep were ..... Hang on, did I say lions? Yes I did, and they were heading straight for Tommy. Tommy stood up and saw the three fierce lions coming across the field. He heard a noise behind him, and, looking round, saw a grizzly bear stomping towards him. On his right were a large number of tigers staring at him, and on his left, in the stream, was a crocodile. There was no escape. Tommy didn't know what to do. He thought for a moment and realized that the only way out was downwards, so he got a spade and started to dig. But he couldn't dig fast enough - the lions were rapidly approaching, the grizzly bear was just a few feet away, the tigers were starting to move, and the crocodile was snapping at his heels. Suddenly, a spaceship flew down from the sky and picked him up. "Phew, that was a close shave" thought Tommy. Now he was flying through space at a hundred miles an hour. The spaceship was driven by two aliens, both called Dave. They were green with large red eyes and yellow horns. One of them was wearing a T-shirt with the words "I've been to Buckingham Palace and seen the queen" across the front. The other one wore an identical T-shirt. Tommy was pleased to have been rescued from the animal attack, but was a bit unsure about where these two Daves were taking him. It was quite warm in the spaceship, so Tommy asked if the heating could be turned down. Unfortunately, neither Dave was quite sure how the heating system worked so one of them opened a window instead. This was a big mistake because space is a vacuum and quite capable of sucking things out of spaceships. This is exactly what happened to the two Daves - they were sucked out of the window, never to be seen again. Tommy shut the window and sat down at the controls. He'd never driven a spaceship before and was going to have to learn fast, otherwise he'd be in big trouble. He saw a red button with the letter R on it, and pressed it. The radio came on playing Wannabe by the Spice Girls. Pressing a button marked W started the windscreen wipers, but it wasn't raining so he turned them off. Eventually he taught himself how to control the spaceship using the steering wheel and gear stick. He brought it down to Earth and landed in his back garden just in time for tea. He told his mum about his little adventure, but she told him to stop telling lies and get on with his fish fingers. Forty years later, Tommy was 48-years old and he went on holiday to Spain with his family. While relaxing on a beach he saw two objects falling from the sky. They landed on his towel, and, on closer inspection, Tommy realized that it was the two Daves! After all this time they had finally fallen out of space and back to Earth. The two Daves were delighted to see Tommy, and Tommy said he would look after them. Now, although the two Daves looked the same, they were in fact completely different. One was clever, and one wasn't. Let's call them Clever Dave and Not-so-Clever Dave. Tommy said he would drive them to a shop to get some decent clothes. Tommy got in the driving seat, Clever Dave got in the passenger seat, and Not-so-Clever Dave got on the roof rack. When the car started to move, Not-so-Clever Dave fell off the back of the car. He had to chase after them, but as he wasn't very good at running he decided to catch a bus. He climbed on board the number 46 bus and sat on the driver's lap. The bus followed the car all the way to the clothes shop. In the shop Clever Dave put on a nice black suit and tie. Not-so-Clever Dave put a shirt on his legs, some socks over his ears, a hat on his feet and some shoes on his shoulders. He thought he looked smart, but he actually looked quite ridiculous. Then they went to a posh restaurant to have a meal. Clever Dave picked up his knife and fork and ate his food. Not-so-Clever Dave picked up his food and ate his knife and fork! He even said it tasted delicious. For pudding, he had the tablecloth and a lady's purse. Not-so-Clever Dave had a lot of trouble adapting to life on Earth. He couldn't understand why people had to pay for things in shops, so he kept getting arrested for helping himself. One day, the two Daves were making a cake for Tommy's birthday. Clever Dave was mixing some flour and sugar, while Not-so-Clever Dave was mixing some eggs and dynamite. When Not-so-Clever Dave put the mixture in the oven, there was a huge explosion and both Daves were blasted back to space, never to be seen again. Tommy was sad to lose his friends, but tried to get on with life as best he could. Another forty years went past and Tommy was now very old. One day, he was doing some gardening when he saw an airplane flying past. There seemed to be something hanging from one of the wings, so he got his binoculars to have a better look. Suddenly, whatever it was came free from the plane and started to float down to the ground. It turned out to be two things, not one, and both of those things were Daves. Tommy was delighted to see his old friends again, although it was a shame that Not-so-Clever Dave had landed on his flower bed. They went into the house and got something to eat, because both Daves were hungry after floating around space for 40 years. Tommy mentioned that he wished he were young again, because being old can be a bit of a problem. Then an amazing thing happened. Clever Dave produced a pack of Magical Wishing Powder and sprinkled it over Tommy. Suddenly, Tommy was 8 years old again! He was lying by a stream in Oak Tree Farm and it was a lovely sunny day. The birds were singing, the cows were mooing, the lions were roaring, and the sheep were ..... Yes, thanks to Clever Dave, Tommy was able to live his life all over again. This time though, he dug a bit faster and escaped from the animals through a tunnel. In his second life he never met the Daves, but he always had happy memories of them ...

Denying the Glucola

I received that dreaded call on Wednesday that I failed my one hour glucose screening. This test, The Glucose Challenge Screening, is a preliminary screening test performed between 26-28 weeks that checks for potential gestational diabetes. I had to drink a sweet liquid (50 grams of glucola) in five minutes or less and then have my blood drawn one hour later. 

I had no problem passing the test with my first pregnancy and pretty much figured that is how things would go this time around. I even indulged in this yummy caramel drizzled praline ice cream the night before. Something I actually never do. I usually go for the cheeseburger and fries and stay away from sweets. Fingers crossed this dessert and unthought out decision is the cause for my glucose fail.

If a woman tests positive during this screening test, the second test, called the Glucose Tolerance Test, is performed.This test requires you drink 100 grams of glucola.

With the one hour screening I felt jittery and a little nauseous. The feeling passed in a couple of hours and I didn't think much of it. Now that it is recommended that I drink double the amount of glucola that made me feel bad enough to wonder if I was hurting my baby, I decided to do some research on the sugary drink.

One of the first articles I stumbled across, Think Before You Drink: A Closer Look At Glucola, listed common ingredients found in Glucola.

One of the most concerning is Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO). This product is also approved as a flame retardant and is banned in Europe and Japan. According to Aviva Romm, a midwife and MD who specializes in the health and wellness of pregnant mamas, “Research has found that brominated flame retardants build up in the body and breast milk. BVO leaves residues that accumulate in body fat, the brain, the liver, and other organs. BVO has been associated with heart lesions, fatty changes in the liver, and impaired growth and behavioral development, and both animal and human studies have linked BVO to neurological problems, fertility problems, and changes in thyroid hormones.

Another issue I came across is the reliability of the gestational diabetes test. Many people think that the test gives women a definite answer to whether or not they have gestational diabetes. That is not true. In fact studies have concluded that for every one hundred women tested with gestational diabetes, only seventy-six are identified.  Twenty-four percent of women who do not have gestational diabetes will actually test positive. I do not want to become one of those false positives that are considered high risk.

My initial test was not given to me until the middle of my twenty-seventh week, possibly the middle of my twenty-eighth week according to my dating and one Doctor's opinion. Several sites including a PubMed article stated that one could fail a test in week twenty-eight that you would have passed had you taken it in week twenty four. This is because “blood glucose values rise as pregnancy advances, but no adjustments are made for this.”

Because of the ingredients in glucola, potential harm to me and my unborn baby, and the lack of reliability in the test, I have decided to deny the Glucose Tolerance Test. If I have another child in the future, I will probably deny the Glucose Challenge Screening as well. We all have the right to refuse the test if we choose to.

I cancelled my three hour test and was immediately sent to the nurse's line. They wanted me to talk with a doctor or nurse and I did. During the twenty minute conversation I heard a lot of "I highly recommended the three hour test," from the nurse practitioner. After my explanation, I finally got her "approval" to do an alternate test that surprisingly is simple and "reliable." The nurse even said she was impressed with all my knowledge. Funny how she did a complete 360 in twenty minutes time.

This morning I went in for a Hemoglobin A1C. All I had to do is fast after midnight the night prior and get one vial of blood taken. Easy peasy. The test determines whether you already had undetectable diabetes before even becoming pregnant, and a level of 5.45% is associated with gestational diabetes. So now I wait and hope for a negative gestational diabetes result.

Easter Basket Goodies

I'll admit I went a little overboard with the Easter goodies. I usually am pretty good about not buying Mila too much stuff especially at the age she is now. She is still too young to know what is going on. I always start my shopping after the holiday the year prior. Last year her my obsession was Sock Monkey. I was stoked to find a Sock Monkey Easter Basket for two bucks the day after Easter last year. I was also able to score eggs on clearance for about a quarter. 

My Easter basket filler search began about a month ago. I found most everything on Amazon. We are Amazon Prime members and boy do we get our money's worth with that. I found the bunny bag for half the price it is for sale now. I completely forgot about the purchase because of the delayed shipping and bought Mila the Care Bear bunny from Walmart. I ended up giving her the Bunny bag early. She seems to really like it. 

I have mentioned before that Mila loves stickers, so I had to get her some. I am not sure she is going to actually wear the sunglasses, but I could not resist Target's dollar bin glasses. The finger puppets and harmonica are so cute, cheap, and perfect basket stuffers. I almost forget the tradition of a book per holiday. This is the one I chose for Easter Happy Easter (sparkle 'n' shimmer book).

Harmonica   Sock Monkey Basket   Bunny Bag   Stickers   Sock Puppets

27 Weeks & Snowy Weather

How far along: 27 weeks. The baby is the size of a head of cauliflower.

Total weight gain/loss: 23 pounds

Maternity clothes: Yes! None of my clothes fit anymore...not even the yoga pants!

Sleep: Not easy to get comfortable and I am still waking up three to four nights to go to the bathroom.

Best moment this week: This week was pretty awesome. It snowed six plus inches, so we had lots of family time.

Food cravings: Bojangles honey mustard, Icee drinks

Food aversions: None really.

Gender: Baby Boy!

Labor signs: No way.

Pregnancy symptoms: Sickness during first trimester, extreme tiredness, moodiness, weight gain, always hungry.

Belly Button in or out? I say two more weeks and it will be out.

What I miss: Wine, sushi, no back pain, being skinny, rare meat.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting our Baby Boy!

Milestones: Hello third trimester!

In other news, I am happy to report after eight snow days in the past two weeks, life is back to normal. North Carolina basically shuts down at an inch of wintry precipitation. We all flock to the store for bread and milk. My husband and I make sure to get condensed milk just in case we can make snow cream. We had it twice during the weather mess. Yum. Mila preferred just eating snow which is cool too. She started shaking she was downing so much.

The family time was great but I am so glad to be back in a normal routine. Being stuck inside looked a lot like this.

Mila did get a lot of playtime in. She loves the chair we got from Grandma's and have I mentioned her love for stickers? She goes from toy to toy but she really concentrates on her stickers. It is pretty cute.

And lastly, just this weekend I have found a new love of Mila's....Forts. Building and rebuilding forts kept her entertained most of the morning yesterday.