Sugar Saga

Well I thought that it was about time to update you all on my Gestational Diabetes story. Things are going quite well. The sugar levels seem to be under control for the most part. The morning numbers are still a little high, however the doctor and the dietitian don't seem to be worried. My next goal is to continue to maintain my glucose levels and gain weight. Hmmmm.... I am not sure how to do this but I will try. My doctor booked another ultrasound for the end of February to monitor the baby and to see how big "bean" is. I guess this will determine if I get induced early or whether I go to full term! We are taking our prenatal on Saturday all day! We have heard from others that taking it in one day is great, instead of having to go once a week for multiple weeks. Our friends Paul and Sylvia will also be in the same class with us, so that should make the entire day a lot more fun! My belly is getting rounder by the day. I will post another picture soon.

Baby Shower

Here are a few pictures from our Baby Shower!

The cake was SO cute. Thanks Victoria for makeing it. I am sure that it was delicious, although I did not have any :(


Thanks again Marilyn and Michelle for all your hard work and effort. You guys are awsome!

Party Time

We had a wonderful time last weekend celebrating Ron's 27th Birthday. We were able to spend time with family and friends nearly all weekend long! It is such a blessing to have such a great family and wonderful friends in our lives. Here are a few pictures.

Here is a shot of the great cake that Victoria made for Ron. Of course the theme was football! Thanks Vic, it looked awsome!

Yesterday was also our first BABY SHOWER! We feel so blessed by all the beautiful gifts that we recived. It seems more real now that we have clothes in the dresser and linens on the crib. We cannot say thank you enough. Thanks esspecially to Marilyn and Michelle for hosting and sending out all the invitations. You did an awsome job! I will post pictures as soon as I get them from my mom and Michelle.

So long, Farewell.....

Today my brother left for Bible school. We went all the way to New Zeland! He will be studying at the Capenwray in Auckland (sp?). Bye Daniel! We will miss you, but we know that you will have a wonderful time! We wish you all the best and we look forward to seeing you when you get back in December!

Happy Birthday Ron!

To my dear husband on his 27th birthday. I love you so much! You are the best husband I could ask for. How did I get so lucky to score a great guy like you? Thank you for all that you do and how well you take care of me. I am so blessed to call you my husband. There is no one else in the world that I would want to be with. I appreciate your work ethic and that you also know how to realx and enjoy life. You always make me laugh when I am with you. Having you in my life is that greatest blessing that I have ever recived from God. Thank you for being my best friend. You are a wonderful man of God and I know that you will make an excellent father very soon. I thank God for you each day! Happy Birthday my Prince! May you have a blessed year as you contine to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ! Love Raine

Lancets, Strips, and Blood

I thought that it was time to post an update of my gestational diabetes saga. Last Tuesday I had my first appointment at the diabetes center located at MSA hospital. I was pretty nervous about what it would be like, but my fears were soon laid to rest when I met the wonderful nurse and dietitian who take care of all the diabetics in the area. They are so sweet and instantly put me at ease about the entire situation.
I started by filling in some forms about my information and watching a video about gestational diabetes. I was familiar with most of the information that they presented, except when they mentioned that women with GD are often induced to begin their labour as early as 38 weeks! Wow, that means that we could see our baby as early as March 8th. So much to do........ but I am getting distracted.
After I watched the video I met with the dietitian and discussed what kinds of food I can eat. I was encouraged to hear that I was already doing a good job of eating what I should. Basically it boils down to eating according the Canadian food guide (a good idea whether you are pregnant or not) and staying away from sugar. I was please to find out that I can still eat fruit and even indulge with some artificial sweeteners if I really need something sweet. I felt very encouraged and empowered when I left that meeting armed with the knowledge that I was able to control my blood glucose levels.
Next I saw the nurse who showed me how to prick my finger with a lancet (fancy name for a really sharp needle that makes you bleed). Then she gave me a tester kit with the strips that will tell me how high my glucose levels are. I need to test myself 7 times a day (before and after each meal and once before I go to sleep. So far they have been pretty good, with a few that have been higher than ideal. The nurse reminded me that a few spikes in my glucose levels is nothing to worry about, rather I should be concerned with trends of high levels.
My first week has gone quite well and I am going to the diabetic clinic again tomorrow so that they can see how I have done this week and to give me some more encourgement and information. Then on Wednesday I am off to see my doctor again. Either the doctor or the diabetic clinic would like to see me each week, so I guess I will get very familiar with the routine.
All in all I feel very good, I have decided that there is no sense in getting all worked up about something that I cannot control. I will just do my best to control my glucose levels and leave the rest up to God. I know that He loves this baby just as much as we do.

29 weeks

As promised here is a picture of me at 29 weeks!

I failed.....

Well I have officially resigned myself to the fact that the remainder of this pregnancy will not be as easy as it has been so far. The doctor called and told me that I have gestational diabetes. That's right folks I failed my sugar test last week. This is a huge change for me. Goodbye sweet treats and chocolate... oh how I will miss you!!! I am going to the MSA diabetic clinic next week to meet with the dietitian and to get some more information about what I can and cannot eat. Then on the 17th I go in to see my doctor again.
I had read a lot about healthy eating during pregnancy, however it was too easy to justify all the little treats I was eating. If you cant spoil yourself while your pregnant when can you? But alas it has all come to an end. My consolation is that the Christmas season is over and all the rich foods are gone. It seems that everyone vows to eat healthier in the New Year and now I have a great reason to join them. It has not been as difficult as I expected it to be so far. I guess I have more will power than I thought. It does not seem like a hard decison to choose between a piece of chocolate or delivering a healthy baby. I would do anything for our little "bean".

"Bean" is my new nickname for our baby. It is always jumping around and so I started referring to it as the "Jumping bean". It also comes in handy because we do not know the sex of the baby and I really dont like calling our baby "it"
The other day I was relaxing on the couch and I started talking to our baby. I said "Hi Bean, I love you" and then I felt him/her kick. "I love you and your daddy loves you" Kick,Kick, "And your Omas and Opas love you" Kick. "And your aunties and your uncles love you too" Kick Kick. I was so neat because it really seemed like "Bean" was responding to what I was saying. I love feeling our baby move inside me. It is the most amazing feeling in the world!
I will post a new picture of my ever expanding belly soon, Wow 29 weeks I can hardly beleive it!