1 Month Old

Age: Four weeks

Approximate height and weight: 20 inches, 8 lbs., 1 oz.

Milestones: Ehren has hit the ground running in terms of achieving milestones. Right after he was born, he could already lift his head for up to 30 seconds and was great at making eye contact. One of the nurses even commented that they'd never seen a stronger newborn lol. He is showing strong reflexes and is a definite wiggle worm. At this point, he still can't see very far and his vision is black and white, but it's improving every day. During tummy time, he manages to flip himself over and hits/kicks objects that you dangle in front of him. He makes a lot of noises from grunting to puppy-like barks, and grabs my hair and shirt when I hold him. One of the best things has been seeing all of the little faces he's learning to make. Whenever something interests him, he purses his lips and looks genuinely astonished. He's managed a few smiles and has the most heartbreakingly-cute pouty face.

Likes: When he's in the mood for it, Ehren LOVES tummy time. Many times, he works on his army crawl and inches around, does the cobra pose, and even planks once in a while. He also enjoys going to the "art gallery" a.k.a. looking at all of the photos and magnets on our fridge. Leif and I read to him a lot and it's hit or miss if he's engaged in the illustrations or not. Lights, shadows, curtains flowing, dangling objects, and fans fascinate him, and his favorite place to be is asleep on mommy or daddy's chest.

Dislikes: Ehren is a pretty relaxed baby if all of his basic needs are met, however, once he gets hungry, he is very impatient and full of rage. We've taken him out for a few walks, but he's not a big fan of being strapped into his car seat. Now that he's over 8 pounds, we can begin using our baby carrier, so hopefully, he'll like going outside more after that. He's warming up to his playmat and swing, but he still doesn't last very long in them. He's come a long way sleeping in his bassinet, but still prefers sleeping next to one of us on the couch or being held.

Memory: There haven't been many episodes of being peed or pooped on so far, but the few incidents we have had were extreme. Leif and I have both experienced the projectile "missile launch" poops that sprayed at least a foot. I managed to dodge the blast when it happened to me, but poor Leif was blasted all over his shirt.

Mom and Dad: Leif and I are absolutely in love with our little guy. The last few weeks have been a major adjustment period, but despite the sleep deprivation, stress, and complete lifestyle change, we're very happy and seeing Ehren happy and content makes it all worth it.

Ehren's Birth Story

Ehren Gabriel, born Tuesday, June 12th at 5:20 a.m. 20 inches long, 7 lbs. and 4 oz.

Despite all of the prenatal classes I took and all of the advice I gathered from countless other parents, nothing could have prepared me for the fears, joys, surprises, stresses, and overpowering love that comes with having a child.

Ehren's birth story: As I mentioned in my previous posts, I'd been having contractions for a week or two, and by Saturday, June 9th, they'd become very intense and regular.

On Thursday the 7th, I had my cervix checked which seems to have set off my labor. That night, I was leaking blood and fluid, so I went into Labor and Delivery Friday morning. I had dilated to about 1 cm within about 18 hours but was sent home since my water hadn't broken. Friday night, the contractions began picking up and were 5-7 minutes apart by Saturday morning... so we went into Labor and Delivery again. This time, I was a little further dilated but still not enough to be admitted.

The contractions died down a little Saturday afternoon, but as soon as nighttime hit, I can pretty safely say that's when early labor went into full swing. Labor and Delivery said not to come in again unless the contractions were consistently 2-5 minutes apart for at least 2 hours, so I experienced about 36 hours of increasingly painful contractions that only allowed me to sleep in 5 minute intervals.

I had been too exhausted to walk around but Monday morning, I pushed myself to get in some activity and noticed that my contractions were then about 3 minutes apart.

I called my OBGYN office instead of Labor and Delivery and they said I should definitely go in and that I had labored at home long enough. Having been turned away multiple times already, I wasn't convinced that it wasn't another false alarm, however, Labor and Delivery immediately determined that I was 6 cm dialated and 80% effaced, so I was checked into a room right away. Leif had dropped me off at Labor and Delivery since I didn't want him to miss any work in the event that I was sent home again, so I surprised him with a call that I was in labor. I told the rest of my family and was on the verge of tears being overwhelmed with what was to come.

I hadn't made any final decisions about my birth plan since so many people told me that you need to be flexible and it was hard to make the call regarding pain medications. After consulting some family and doctors, I opted for the epidural, and Leif held my hand as I prayed I wouldn't have any negative side effects while it was being placed. Thankfully, it went smoothly and once the epidural kicked in, I felt so good that I was flooded with optimism about the experience. I even got a couple hours of sleep as I waited to dilate to 10 cm.

Dilating the rest of the way ended up taking much longer than expected but after my nap, I was refueled and ready to push. Pushing began a little after midnight and I was very slowly working Ehren down the birth canal. Unfortunately, after the first hour or two, he simply stopped advancing. My doctor wasn't on call so I had someone I hadn't met before. She said Ehren was in a slightly awkward position but there was still a chance I could deliver him naturally since he wasn't very large.

Since I had already invested so much time and wanted to avoid the risks and recovery related to my other birthing options, I decided to continue pushing. The nurses kept telling me I was pushing well, so I was crushed when another hour passed and I was told he still hadn't budged.

I was given the options of forceps, vacuum assistance, or a c section. I was told that forceps posed no risk to the baby (which I later found out isn't exactly accurate since they can damage the baby's brain, but fortunately there are no signs of that), so they tried using them twice with no success.

By this time, the epidural had worn off for the most part and the contractions were excruciating. Not wanting to use vacuum assistance, a c section was the only choice left, and by that time, I was so tired and frustrated with how everything went that I broke down. They pushed Ehren back up my birth canal and wheeled me to the operating room. We waited for my epidural to take effect again but it was taking too long. Even though I could still feel the anesthesiologist's test pokes, they decided to make the incision... and I could feel it. Within minutes, they put me to sleep and about 20 minutes later, I woke up shivering and coughing from the worst sore throat caused by the breathing tube. I was really out of it, but saw Leif holding Ehren out of the corner of my eye. After seeing Ehren, I immediately started crying again... this time, out of happiness and relief. Leif brought him over and I reached out to touch his hand, saying something along the lines of "Baby... baby, I love you, baby..."

I honestly don't remember much of the following 12 hours besides Ehren being briefly placed on my chest and him feeling so warm and looking very aware of his surroundings. Next thing I remember was the nurse telling me I spiked a fever from an infection and needed antibiotics. I think I passed out again and Leif took care of updating all of the family.

Once I came to, I was in an incredible amount of pain and was extremely sick. It was heartbreaking not being able to pick Ehren up out of the bassinet or help with his first bath, changing, etc. but I knew I needed to rest and get my strength back.

The following day, I focused on recovery and taking tiny steps toward walking and regaining some independence. I got to hold Ehren a lot but since he experienced some trauma during birth, he was somewhat fussy and was struggling with breastfeeding, however, that night, he came around and was like a completely different baby - very engaged, active, and curious about the world. With us both feeling a bit better, I could relax and better enjoy everything.

I wasn't sure how my anxiety would be with the sleep deprivation and trauma, but surprisingly, I only cried a few more times and either it was health-related or I was just so happy. Ehren did well on all his tests, got an 8/9 on his APGAR, and fell right in the middle for size percentiles. He had a bruise in his head from all of the pushing making him more susceptible to jaundice, but he didn't even develop that.

Even though so many things went wrong during labor, I can say that I am so grateful that Ehren is okay and I have almost made a full recovery. You never know how these things are going to go, but I have to tell myself that made the best decisions I could with the information I had. I feel like labor is an introduction to how much you're willing to endure and sacrifice for your child, and Ehren will always be worth it. 

Week 37

How far along: 37 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Honeydew melon (19 inches, 7 pounds)

Milestones: BB's lungs are just about perfected, and he is basically the length he will be at birth. His reflexes are quite strong, and if I were to put my finger in his palm, he'd grasp it so hard that I could nearly lift him up. BB will be born with about 70 reflexes designed to help him survive on the outside. 

Best Moment This Week: Ever since contractions were picked up on the non-stress test, I've been trying to pay more attention to see if I can detect them. Most of the time, I don't feel anything, but I'll happen to reach down and my belly is very firm. Other times, I experience a little cramping or pain that indicates one's happening. Not feeling every single one, I can't say for sure how many I'm having in a day or how close together they are, but I'm estimating it's between 10-12 a day, once or twice per hour. The OB didn't seem too concerned unless the contractions start getting closer together or my water breaks, of course... Next week, they'll start checking my cervix to see if it's softening/dilating. At my appointment, BB's heart rate was in the 140s-150s and he was still head-down. 

What I’m Looking Forward To: I'm feeling good about all of our preparations for when BB arrives! We had a few stressful days where we couldn't figure out how we were going to keep the bedroom cool enough for BB since the temperature kept spiking into the upper 80s. Maintenance gave us the best air conditioner they had and helped us strategically set up fans to maximize the cooling effect. If we run the air conditioner fairly regularly, it gets down to about 75 degrees, so we can live with that... It's just going to ramp up our electricity bill a little more than we were hoping. At least we'll only have to deal with the heat for a few months, so it's not the end of the world. 

What I Miss The Most: Trying to soak in the last few weeks of this pregnancy. I feel like I've been pregnant forever lol and it will be bittersweet having BB on the outside rather than snug in my belly. At the same time, it will be freeing being able to eat sushi again, go jogging, sleep on my stomach, and not worry about how everything I take or do affects him. 

Symptoms: Besides the contractions off and on, there hasn't been anything new. I've been a little neurotic about cleaning and organizing for a while now, but I guess you can say that's been on overdrive. 

Cravings: Cream cheese and bagels has continued to be a go-to, along with an occasional piece of cheesecake, and I found a low carb fruit-based popsicle that I have sometimes.

Week 36

How far along: 36 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Romaine lettuce (19 inches, 6 pounds)

Milestones: BB is continuing to shed his downy coating of hair and the waxy substance that protects his skin, or vernix caseosa. Interestingly enough, he is eating the substances to kick his digestive system into action. He is definitely head-down at this point and running out of room as he puts on his final pounds of fat. 

Best Moment This Week: It was definitely a week of excitement. At my 36 week ultrasound/appointment, everything looked great, but the doctor told me my amniotic fluid was low. The typical range for amniotic fluid is 5 to 25 cm. and mine was at about 6 cm. This was too far on the low end for my OB's comfort, so she scheduled me for another ultrasound and non-stress test the next day to see if it was continuing to get lower. My OB had a suspicion that I was dehydrated, but she wanted to make sure nothing else was going on. I loaded up on water the next 24 hours and my levels went up to 17 cm. It's amazing how much hydration impacts the fluid. BB rocked his non-stress test, but I was shocked to learn that some contractions were also picked up! I couldn't feel them, so my OB said that they must not be affecting my cervix yet. 

What I’m Looking Forward To: With less than a month to go, I'm nervously looking forward to meeting BB and experiencing a long line of "firsts." With all the ultrasounds I had (even though he doesn't seem to like to show his whole face!), I have a pretty good idea of what he'll look like. I'm also really excited to see Leif hold and interact with him and all of us becoming a little family. I know there will be lots of challenges and obstacles, but I know there will be plenty of moments that make up for all of the struggles. 

What I Miss The Most: As expected, my mobility has become considerably limited, which has made organizing the nursery area somewhat time-consuming, but I'm happy to pretty much have everything done. Our scare at the end of the week made me go into overdrive over the weekend cooking food to freeze, packing my hospital bag, finishing baby laundry, and organizing supplies. Leif was very helpful, building the changing table, crib, and moving heavier items. When I thought there was a possibility BB might come sooner than expected, I also had to scramble to get grants turned in and tie up loose ends at work on Friday. It was complete madness since I had planned for June 1 to be my last day at the earliest. The good news is that I got a lot of things done in record time, so now I'm basically prepared to leave work at any time.

Symptoms: Apparently contractions lol, but I'm unsure how often they are happening. It makes me worry that I won't know when I'm going into labor, but I guess I won't miss my water breaking and the painful contractions that follow. It might actually be nice to not know I'm experiencing early labor since it'll save me some suspense and anxiety. My foot is feeling better, although if I step on it wrong, it's still kind of tender and I get some pretty intense pelvic joint pain after sitting too long or sleeping.

Cravings: Enjoying having 1 1/2 mini bagels with cream cheese and protein cookies for snacks. Otherwise, it's been the same-old with meat and veggies, cheese and crackers, and low sugar fruit snacks. 

Week 35

How far along: 35 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Bunch of carrots (19 inches, 5.5 pounds)

Milestones: BB's skeletal development is nearly complete, and hopefully, by now, he is rotated into the right position for birth (still seems like it, I can feel him hiccuping in my lower belly right now as I type!). Within the next couple weeks, he should drop lower in my pelvis, known as "lightening," which will take some pressure off of my stomach and lungs... and place it on my bladder. Mostly, at this point, BB is refining his abilities, growing stronger, and gaining his last pounds of weight.

Best Moment This Week: It blows my mind to look back at the eight week ultrasound picture and know that my little peanut is a nearly fully grown little baby! I don't think I'll ever cease to be amazed by this whole process and the miracle of life. As this week comes to a close, I'm getting butterflies knowing that BB will be here in no more than four short weeks! Even though Leif and I have plenty of anxiety going into this, we're both experiencing the same level of warm fuzzies and inexpressible love for our BB.

What I’m Looking Forward To: We ended up splurging a little and getting a changing table, which we didn't originally plan on buying. After learning how much recovery time I'll need, especially if I end up needing a c-section, we felt like it was a good investment. Plus, this changing table will work as shelving for BB's room after he doesn't need it for changing anymore, and it was fun picking out a whale-themed cover for the changing pad. However, it's definitely been like a game of Tetris making everything fit in our bedroom. Thank you to Leif for building all of the furniture! 

What I Miss The Most: So far, reducing my carb choices at each meal has helped stabilize my sugars for the most part. Only failed one test this week! I don't have to do nearly as much exercise to pass my tests, so unless things change, I'm crossing my fingers that I can make it through the last few weeks without insulin. The new diet and exercise have continued improving my energy levels and health issues I was experiencing, so it makes me miss my old ways less and less! I plan to hold onto a lot of the new dietary and exercise changes I've made during this time, but it'll be nice to have some more flexibility with meal timing and food choices again.

Symptoms: The added weight of my belly is causing more and more wear and tear on my body. Earlier this week, after taking a walk, my foot started hurting a lot and I noticed that I had a big bruise developing near my ankle. After a few days of little improvement, I had it checked out and my doctor thinks it's a case of tendinitis, so I'm trying to balance getting enough activity in with giving it time to heal. I already experience a lot of strain when I get on my feet in the morning, so now it's a lot worse with my foot muscles being out of whack. I've also had a few days of pretty extreme fatigue this week, which is battling my compulsion to clean, organize, and get everything I can ready for BB! Other than those things, I've been well.

Cravings: Found a white chocolate chip protein cookie that I can have as a snack, so that's been a nice indulgence. Been eating a lot of the same foods otherwise - just meat, veggies, a little rice, fruit, cheese and crackers, milk, lots of peanut butter sandwiches, and cheesy popcorn. 

Week 34

How far along: 34 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Savoy cabbage (19 inches, 5 pounds)

Milestones: The slippery coat the protects BB's skin from the amniotic fluid is starting to fall off and his immune system is improving. His lungs are reaching their final stage of development and he's continuing to put on fat to keep him warm outside the womb!

Best Moment This Week: My post-delivery work schedule was officially approved except that I have to work my hours from home at a particular time, not whenever I can get to them. It's a relief to have that finally locked down. I had my 34 week appointment on my birthday and BB's heart rate and growth still look perfect! My coworker made me a low-carb dessert that I ate right before my appointment, so BB's heart rate on the doppler was a lot higher than usual from the little influx of sugar lol. In two short weeks, we have our next ultrasound to see how big BB is and if he's in the right position. If he's over 10 pounds, they'll do c-section at 39 weeks, but otherwise, they'll wait until he comes naturally or induce me when my due date hits. I think he is in or close to the right position since I primarily feel his hiccups lower down, but I'll know for sure soon enough. Leif and I took a couple more classes this week - Baby Safety and Preparing for the Unexpected. Preparing for the Unexpected was pretty eye-opening, but I'm trying not to think about it too much. I was just shocked to find out that sometimes when you get a c-section, the surgeon sets your uterus on top of you to repair it! 

What I’m Looking Forward To: Even though I'm hoping to go into labor naturally, it's nice knowing that I'll have BB in no longer than a little more than five weeks from now. My friend just had her baby and she's been posting a lot about her extreme sleep deprivation on Facebook, but I'm hoping that Leif and I can tag-team it enough to keep me from hitting critical burnout.

What I Miss The Most: It continues to get harder and harder to control my gestational diabetes. My numbers have been spiking more lately, so my dietitian recommended eating the fewest carb servings allowed at each meal and see if that changes anything. So far, it has helped a little, so we'll see if it creates any long-term change. Still dreaming of the day when I'll be able to get back to eating my favorite desserts and snacks! 

Symptoms: As my belly gets bigger, it's definitely getting more tender from the strain. I also feel like my memory is starting to go a little (not that it was that great to begin with haha!) and if I walk too fast or for too long, I get random stabbing pains in my abdominal muscles. I had a moment where I felt like I was going to faint the other day, but my OB thinks that I had either been standing too long or was locking my knees, so she wasn't too worried. Other than that, it's been smooth sailing! 

Cravings: Thankfully, my family, friends, and coworkers have been really accommodating providing me diabetes-friendly birthday treats. I've been able to indulge in low-carb lemon-blueberry bread, lots of fresh fruit and some cheesecake.  

Week 33

How far along: 33 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Cauliflower blossom (19 inches, 5 pounds)

Milestones: BB is getting so close to being the size he'll be at full-term (which is 37 weeks, only four short weeks away!). He'll keep putting on about a half a pound a week until he reaches his birth weight. His eyes are almost always open when he's awake now (although I imagine the view can't be too interesting), and his bones are still a little soft, so they need more time to harden.

Best Moment This Week: Leif kindly built the majority of our baby furniture and spent some time further optimizing our space for all of BB's things. Now, I just need to arrange everything and put the few decorations that we have up! I still haven't received the final word from work, but it's sounding like my schedule will be working 30 hours a week (22 hours in the office and eight hours from home), so even though it's not ideal, I'm grateful that they were willing to meet me in the middle. BB will be at daycare those 22 hours, but luckily, I can clock out to nurse him throughout the day as my schedule allows. This schedule will be reevaluated after a year and I may go back to a regular schedule depending on how things go... but that's way down the line. I also got to attend a Mom's Night Out hosted by CR Mom's Blog, which was pretty fun. I talked to a lot of local mother/child-related businesses, listened to a helpful panel of experts answer common questions, and won a really nice car seat cover... one of the only items we were still missing!

What I’m Looking Forward To: Counting down the weeks until BB will be here! We have a few more prenatal classes scheduled, including Safety First, CPR, Medicated Birthing Options, When the Unexpected Happens, and a couple others. Our Labor and Birth Skills class went well, I learned a lot of ways to try managing pain without medication (it's hard to say if they'll be super effective, but good to know at least to help me stay calm) and learned about the different stages of labor. And, of course, we watched some footage of a few women giving birth! I was worried that this class would make me more anxious, but the way it was presented makes me feel better prepared and comfortable. St. Luke's provides a lot of tools to help make labor smoother too - aromatherapy, a jacuzzi-style tub, positioners, yoga balls, heating and cooling pads, and even comfort animals! I know that just having Leif there will make the biggest difference though, I can always count on him to make me laugh. 

What I Miss The Most: Still missing my pre-gestational diabetes diet a bit, but I've been able to branch out and eat a cookie and found a relatively low carb ice cream that I can have a cup of. I tested high a couple times this week, but it was due to not having time to take a long enough walk after eating. I've found that with dinner especially, I have to walk at a pretty good pace for at least 30-40 minutes. I feel like I'm getting into much better shape, though, and I'm hoping this will pay off with an easier labor! 

Symptoms: My belly is starting to feel stretched to the max! My skin has been really itchy on and off and even though I got away with not developing stretchmarks the whole pregnancy, they're finally starting to come in. However, stretchmarks are just one of the badges of motherhood, so they don't bother me too much. Many people are shocked that I still have about seven weeks to go since I'm popping out so much, but I'm guessing my frame just makes the bump look dramatic since BB is measuring normally. I haven't had too many other symptoms besides some occasional shortness of breath and rib pain.

Cravings: Loved the cup of ice cream I had the other day! Still eating a lot of meat and veggies, nut butters, cheese and crackers, and fruit.

Week 32

How far along: 32 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Florida pomelo (18 inches, 4 pounds)

Milestones: BB is sucking his thumb, sprouting hair, and continuing to make his way into birthing position. At this stage, most babies suck their thumbs so much that if it comes out, he or she starts scrambling to find it again lol. He has a full set of fingernails and toenails and is still practicing breathing and coordinated movements.

Best Moment This Week: It never gets old hearing sweet BB's heartbeat! It was in the 140s at my 32 week appointment and his growth is still right on target! My OB was happy with my ability to control my gestational diabetes with diet and exercise so far and BB and I had an overall good report! I lost a little weight after starting my new diet, so I was glad to see I gained a couple pounds back.

What I’m Looking Forward To: Now that I have a good feel for all the baby clothes we have, I just need to pick up a few more summer and fall items, which will be fun to shop for. This weekend will be very busy with our Birth and Labor class for five hours on Saturday and getting the crib and baby corner set up on Sunday, but it'll feel good to have everything finally done!

What I Miss The Most: Earlier this week, I had a really powerful craving for an ice cream cone, but I was thankfully able to overcome it. There are some other types of ice creams I can probably eat like Halo, so if it happens again, I might look into it! One thing my OB wanted me to work on is staying off my back when I sleep to prevent oxygen deprivation from the weight of BB on a major artery. I'm normally a side sleeper, but I switch sides during the night, so there's no way for me to tell if I've been on my back. Rolling up my robe and wedging it behind my lower back seemed to do the trick, so I'll need to make sure to keep doing that the rest of the pregnancy. 

Symptoms: I was pretty worried about BB earlier this week because he had another couple of "lazy days" where he wasn't moving as much without me waking him up. My OB said this is okay as long as I'm still able to feel ten movements in two hours during kick counts. However, today, he's been back to his energetic self, so that's a relief. I'm surprised I haven't had any back pain or many stomach issues despite my growing size, so hopefully that continues! Between the number of daily walks I take and my healthier diet, I've been feeling great!

Cravings: Since developing gastritis, I haven't touched many citrus fruits, but the other day, I had a couple Halo oranges and they were AMAZING! I had a little acid reflux afterward, but nothing too bad, so I might continue eating them in moderation. Still continuing with the cheese and Triscuits, fruit, almond butter and brown bread, and the occasional burger! Once BB is born and my blood sugar goes back to normal (hopefully), I will be having that ice cream cone! 

Week 31

How far along: 31 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Head of Lettuce (17 ½ inches, over 3.5 pounds)

Milestones: BB is about halfway to his birth weight with roughly three to five more pounds to go. His neck is becoming more flexible, so he can turn his head with ease, and his joints are also more fully developed now, making it easier to move every limb.

Best Moment This Week: With some of our baby shower money, I was able to order a few more things for our nursery corner like a lightweight rocking chair, a storage cart to keep diaper supplies organized, a storage cubby tower for baby clothes, a baby mattress, a set of glass storage containers that go from freezer to oven, and a couple decorative items. We’re getting the crib from our friend soon, so everything will come together in the next couple weeks. I’m really excited to get everything in place and do as much organization and preparation as possible before BB is born. A big thing I plan to do is make a bunch of freezer meals in advance so we don’t have to worry about cooking those first couple weeks at least. Time is moving fast now!

What I’m Looking Forward To: We have our Birth Basics and Labor Skills classes next week, so hopefully I’ll learn enough to make informed decisions, but not so much that I get psyched out! Actually, I feel surprisingly calm thinking about labor. I used to be terrified of the idea when I was younger, but I’d say it’s one of the less stressful things that I’ve had to think about during this pregnancy. Although, I’m sure this is all easy to say before I’ve even experienced it, so we’ll see what happens once the contractions start haha.

What I Miss The Most: The gestational diabetes diet has been going pretty well. I've already developed a lot of self-discipline from adhering to my gastritis diet, so this hasn’t been too horrible. I can’t say that I don’t crave an ice cream cone or some cookies once in a while though! It’s all worth it to keep BB healthy. I’ve been able to keep my sugars under control over 90% of the time, so the dietitian doesn’t think I’ll need to resort to insulin unless things change drastically. The key has still been taking at least a 10 minute walk after I eat. 

Symptoms: BB’s movements are pretty different nowadays, much more tumbling and stretching than jabs and kicks. Luckily, he’s taken a break from kicking my ribs and I only get pain once in a while when he hits a nerve or shoves me too hard inside. It’s taking longer and a greater degree of focus to turn over in bed and I get stiff almost instantaneously. 

Cravings: Been eating lots of berries, cheese and Triscuits, and almond butter sandwiches. I feel like this section is going to be a lot less interesting the last two months since my diet is pretty one-track now!

Week 30

How far along: 30 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Cantaloupe (about 17 inches long, 3.5 pounds)

Milestones: BB's lanugo or "furry coat" that's been helping keep him warm is beginning to fall off since he's putting on plenty of fat to survive without it. From this point on, he'll put on about half a pound a week until he reaches the end of his journey in-utero. His eyes are still developing and his eyesight will be fairly poor until some time after birth. In four weeks, he will have vision that's as strong as it will be at birth. By that time, he will also likely be able to track objects moving horizontally and vertically. He's also making his way into the head-down position he needs to be in for birth.

Best Moment This Week: This has been a week of ups and downs. My shower was absolutely wonderful, and I'm so thankful for all of the support and love Leif, BB, and I received. It was a whirlwind, but I'm glad I got to at least get in a little time with everyone who attended. I took my first gestational diabetes class on Tuesday and learned that there's a lot more that I can eat than I originally thought. Carbs are not only allowed, but required at every meal. I'm supposed to get between 2-4 15g portions of carbs six times a day. The tricky thing is finding the right combination of foods and activity that keep my blood sugar from spiking. The first day of testing, I had two high readings (I'm supposed to call the dietitian if I have three or more), so I removed pretty much everything with more than a little added sugar and started walking 15-30 minutes after eating. This has done wonders and I haven't had a bad test since. There have definitely been some moments of stress, but I'm getting used to it. If I'm unable to consistently keep my levels down, I'll have to start on insulin and get weekly ultrasounds to check BB's growth and fluid, but it seems like I've got a good enough handle on it (fingers crossed). I was told that with just having gestational diabetes in general, they won't let me go beyond my due date, so that rules out any later June birthdays! If the diabetes worsens, they'll have to induce me early.

What I’m Looking Forward To: More and more, I can't wait to meet little BB! I'm happy that I'm taking better care of my health and getting more exercise to help him develop optimally in these last couple months. This weekend, I'm finally going to go through all of the wonderful gifts we got at the shower and start organizing. We finally figured out a good solution to keeping our cats out of the bedroom/baby room - we're going to buy an extra tall pet gate (about 43 inches) that you can step through and if the girls can clear that, we'll stack another plastic baby gate on top. I'm really relieved since we were in limbo and all of our other ideas weren't working out. Once we get the gates ordered and set up, we'll start putting together the few pieces of furniture and equipment, then all we'll need is BB!

What I Miss The Most: Sometimes I miss not having to think about everything I'm eating, but I'd say the bigger pain is testing my blood sugar exactly an hour after my first bite of food. I'm a slow eater, and if I want to get a substantial walk in, I have to shovel everything down pretty quickly. At the same time, I like that my eating patterns have a more consistent rhythm, and I'm still feeling much better since cutting the sugar.  

Symptoms: Last weekend, I had a little scare when I had worsening upper right abdominal pain that they thought could've been preeclampsia. After running some tests, they couldn't tell exactly what it was but suspected that BB keeps repeatedly kicking me in that area. Thankfully, it hasn't been nearly as bad this week. My gastritis has been acting up a little most likely due to the growing pressure on my stomach and my pelvic muscles have been killing me, especially when I get up after lounging for a while, but otherwise, all is well!

Cravings: My favorite gestational diabetes snack has been one piece of whole grain bread with a few tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter with half a sliced banana. I save it for my last snack of the day, so it's something to look forward to! Now that I've cut sugar for the most part, fruit is so much more delicious! I've also been eating more cheese and crackers and berries.

Week 29

*Wrote this last Friday... sorry that some of the information is outdated!

How far along: 29 weeks – began September 11, 2017.

Size of Baby: Pineapple (about 16 inches long, 3 pounds)

Milestones: BB is growing so big that he's starting to run out of room, so his movements are beginning to feel different (less uncoordinated kicks and more deliberate rolling and stretching). Other than that, he's continuing to work on muscle and lung development to get ready for his big debut.

Best Moment This Week: BB was really active the other day (to the point where I was actually getting concerned, if that even makes sense haha), so Leif got to feel him a bunch. I'm so glad I can depend on semi-consistent movements throughout the day as reassurance that things are going well.

What I’m Looking Forward To: I can't believe that my shower is almost here! I'm so excited to celebrate BB with everyone, but I know the party will be a whirlwind. I see that there's snow on the forecast, but hopefully it doesn't make driving conditions too dangerous for anyone. I chose April since I thought we'd be past all the cruddy weather but it's been a weird spring (even for Iowa)!

What I Miss The Most: As some of you already know, I was officially diagnosed with gestational diabetes last Tuesday, so I have to begin taking nutrition classes and monitor my blood sugar. From what I've read, the risk of complications is pretty low as long as it's managed properly. So far, I've been instructed to cut all sugar from my diet and space out my meals a specific way to prevent blood sugar spikes. I've already been feeling a difference. Despite the inconvenience (especially right before my shower!!... although cupcakes do freeze well...), I'm staying positive since this will only help me eat healthier and be more active. Apparently, between 10-20% of the population gets gestational diabetes and the majority of the time, the cause is ultimately unknown. I'll do my best with it and hopefully develop some new lifelong healthy habits along the way! 

Symptoms: I've been feeling especially heavy lately - I thought getting out of bed was hard last month, but now I have to always hook my foot under the bed and use all of my arm strength! Crouching down is also problematic... there was a time at a store when my legs could barely lift me back up. I've also been getting some different feeling round ligament pain, kind of like a shock or snap in my side muscles. I'm pretty sure some nerves are getting pinched too since once in a while when I bend my arm, it feels like electricity runs through my thumb, but that could also be my carpal tunnel acting up. Other than those things, everything is going smoothly!

Cravings: My new diet hasn't been too rough so far - I can still have cheesy popcorn and am allowed to have peanut butter sandwiches as snacks! I can have certain fruit, so that helps with my sweet cravings and I don't think I'll have to change my main meals that much since they're usually veggies and meat anyway. The only really problematic meal was my instant oatmeal breakfast with bananas and milk, but if I want to make it healthier, I just need to switch to steel cut oats, berries, and plant milk.