32 WEEKS!

This past week has been pretty uneventful. My feet seem to somehow swell even more as the days pass. Baby girl's kicks are getting really painful, especially on the right side. I haven't had many contractions lately and so far I've avoided stretch marks on my tummy. My sugars are staying under control for the most part and although I don't have a lot of energy, I'm getting more things accomplished. Only 5 more weeks until term!

My cousin Chelsea was house sitting for my sister this week so I went and spent an evening with her. It was nice to talk and catch up.

Steven has been gone a lot this week so I've been busting out some sewing projects. I finished a nursing cover...



reversible car seat cover with flower snap embellishment.......





and Momma helped me by cutting out a huge stack of wipes. Auntie Anne wanted a case to hold her knitting needles so I came up with this.



Here is me at 32 weeks.



And a front view for fun.

31 WEEKS!

This last week was a busy week for us! Somehow I hurt my foot. I don't recall hitting it on anything, but a large bruise colored spot appeared around my ankle and hurt like none other. I'm also having tons of swelling in my feet and I think it's moving up my legs. Little one has been feisty in there and wiggling away. I feel huge movements and see all kinds of body parts distort my stomach. She's putting a lot of pressure down below and I'm having pretty frequent Braxton Hicks contractions and Round Ligament pain.

On Sunday Mike and Tanya and their kids came by for the afternoon and evening. It was nice visiting with them as always.

On Tuesday Steven's Mom, Diane, flew in from Salt Lake and we spent the evening with her over dinner at a friend's house. She made a super cute blanket and tutu for baby girl and brought presents from Auntie Laura as well. Thanks!









Wednesday I had a 30 week Dr appointment. I have no idea why we have to go to these, it always feels so pointless. I get more information off the girls in my forum or the Internet than I ever do from her. She looked at my blood sugar numbers log and said I was doing really well and would see me in two weeks. I weighed in at 191 lbs, a 5 lb gain in 3 weeks! Yikes! She didn't seem very concerned about it but the OB coordinator sure laid into me. She said I need to eat less and when she saw my log book she wasn't as thrilled as the Dr. LoL. I'm so afraid to go to my next appointment because she'll yell at me again if I gain more than 3 lbs. Ah well, it's hot, I'm swelling, and haven't gained much weight overall so I'm ok with that. There is no way I can eat less though, I'm always hungry.

On Thursday we went to our 3D/4D ultrasound with the grandparents. I still feel like I have no idea what she looks like, but it sure was a neat experience to see. Here is the best picture. I'm so anxious to be done and meet her!





On Saturday we went to see my grandparents who were visiting from Arizona. I haven't seen them since they moved last year so it was great to catch up. They bought a bunch of cute things for the baby and we had a great time chatting. There's a lot of pictures in this post, but I can't leave any out. :)





And as usual, me at 31 weeks.

30 WEEKS!

We are getting close to the home stretch now. Baby girl has settled into some patterns with her movements. I can feel body parts I just don't know which ones they are. Sometimes I feel something big and long so I wonder if it's her back. Some of the ladies on my forum know which direction their little ones are facing and I have no clue. I can't tell if she's breech, head up, or head down. I've been doing ok as far as symptoms go. I haven't had nearly as many stomach issues since changing my diet. I don't have much energy and get tired easily though.

For July 4th we went to Uncle Jim's house in Riverside and had a little BBQ with some family. It was a quiet little gathering (well, for the Sylvesters) but still very nice to visit with everyone. The weather was surprisingly cool. We didn't go see any fireworks or anything but that didn't bother me. When you grow up next to Disneyland where they do fireworks every night, it all gets a little overrated.

Tuesday was our last pregnancy/ baby class at the clinic and we got our free stroller. :) Everyone brought food and we had a potluck. There was soooo much food! We had a nice time getting to chat a little more informally with the other parents-to-be.

I found out there was a problem with my MediCal this week when I called to see where my cards were. Apparently my information was mixed up with another person that has my same name and a very similar social security number. It was a pain getting that all cleared up and I don't think it's over yet. It also looks like I'll be on Cal Optima which means I likely can't deliver at UCI. :( I'm really sad about that. I have to find out more information when my cards come in and I can talk to my OB coordinator. Luckily I was able to finally get the prescription filled for my Sugar Monitor's test strips. It's $130 for 100 strips if you have to pay cash!!

Momma and I went shopping this week for her trip to TX. We found all of the items she needed and luckily at great prices. I think we can safely say we're awesome bargain shoppers. I always wanted a big pregnant belly to see what it would look and feel like, but after shopping with her and dealing with crappy maternity clothes, I can't wait to be able to wear normal things again. I'm really motivated to get my butt into the gym after this baby comes and go down a size or two.

No news on the job front. One of the jobs Steven really wanted is still in limbo. Apparently they haven't started interviews yet and so far he's the only qualified candidate. So it's a waiting game as usual. They were in such a hurry a few weeks ago and now they are dragging their feet. I know there are always things to tie up and replacing a big position like IT Director isn't easy, but seriously....let's get this show on the road!

29 WEEKS!

This has been an eventful week for my pregnancy. Little one's movements are smaller because she seems very cramped. My belly changes shape depending on what she's doing. I can't wait for the next ultrasound to see her!

Sunday my sister called with an alteration emergency. Her bridesmaid dress was ordered two sizes too big by the idiot sales girls. Her usual alterations lady wasn't able to make it look right so she brought it to me. We literally took it all apart and put it back together again, a half inch smaller in every way. I think we did a pretty good job and she'll look beautiful at the wedding.

Monday I didn't feel well at all. I spent most of the day on the couch watching tv and making these onsies. I discovered yoyo's and now I can't stop! haha. The EAGeR study called for my monthly update. I miss going to visit those ladies, they are so nice.



Tuesday we had our baby class. We talked about parenting and discipline. It was interesting to hear everyone's perspective on the different styles the class pointed out. There are many different cultures represented in the class and the view ranged from being very strict to very lenient. I'd like for us to take more parenting classes but I doubt Steven will want to go. He seems to think we can "wing" everything but I'd rather be more prepared. I also found out that I failed my 1 hr glucose test and needed to come in for the 3 hr. :(

Wednesday we arrived at the clinic early for the 3 hr glucose test. I had to fast all night without food or water and when I arrived they took a blood sample and had me suck down a drink twice as sweet as the last test within 5 minutes. Gigi set me up in her quiet education room but the drink started to make me really sick so she had me lay in an empty exam room. I was trying so hard not to throw up, because if you do they make you start the test over again. At hour intervals they took my blood again. I know I looked like death because I sure felt like it. It made me hot, and nausiated, my heart was racing, and it was hard to breathe. Ugh...so awful. Thankfully Steven was with me and he ended up reading to me. He's not good at reading out loud, bless him, but it sure helped the time pass quickly. After the 3 hr mark I was able to walk again without hanging on to the wall. LoL. I'm so glad I had the foresight to bring bread and water in the truck to eat on the way home. Needless to say I spent the rest of the day resting.

On Friday I received the results of the test and I failed. They diagnosed me with Gestational Diabetes. I now have a monitor to test my blood 4 times a day, follow a very strict diet, and increase my exercise. I need to keep my sugars at a certain level or they will put me on insulin shots and I'll have to transfer to the hospital Dr's for care since the clinic can't take high risk patients. Gigi said that at 32 weeks I'll have to start going to the hospital twice a week for fetal monitoring. I'm sure I'll find out more at my next Dr's apppointment. The extra exercise has caused me to have a lot of contractions. At my last visit my Dr told me to rest more but now I have to walk to keep my sugars down.

Momma and I also went to visit Rachel for the first time on Friday. We took them a carseat cover that I made. What a beautiful little girl! She really is a miracle baby having been told by all of the Dr's that she wouldn't survive outside the womb. She's 7 weeks old and doing great! Congratulations Matthew and Rida!

In other exciting news, I've found a photographer to do my maternity photos! He has a very cool style and I'm really excited. I found him on craigslist looking to expand his portfolio to weddings and engagements. I wrote to see if he was interested in maternity and he said yes, so yay! Free pictures! It should be really fun. We're going to do them editorial style instead of the usual maternity photos you typically see. I have nothing to lose but a few hours of my time so it sounds perfect to me. :)

Here is 29 weeks!