Last Week of the Second Trimester!

How Far Am I: 27 weeks pregnant today! Our baby is roughly the size of a cauliflower. I, on the other hand, am not.

Baby's Gender: Most likely a boy, but surprises have happened before :) We are anticipating a boy based on the last ultrasound, not looking again because we don't want to expose our little one to too much radiation unnecessarily, and if we have a surprise...wahoo for that too!

How Much Weight Have I Gained: +7 lbs total. I gained 2 lbs in the last 4 weeks. So far, my weight gain has been on target. My previous pregnancies I gained a total of 12 and 15 lbs respectively, and I am being extra careful not to go overboard this time around either.

Cravings: None whatsoever. Other than a piece of chocolate now and then...but isn't that most women, regardless of their womb status?! That, and fresh fruits/veggies. It's summer, so snap peas, cherries, and peaches are on the counter frequently to snack on.

Baby Movement: This baby is not as active in an, "I emulate a ninja" sort of way. Micah and Levi were both killer to my bladder and rib cage. Maybe I am just not far enough for this baby to be really wreaking havoc, but he (possibly she) seems much more mellow. Plenty of movement, just not so, how should I say, rambunctious.

Body Changes: My belly is starting to itch once in a while from the skin stretching, but I am combating that with coconut oil and lotion pretty often. I use face and eye cream, so after my shower at night, the rest of me just gets slathered up. I am having less round ligament pain, but am having to shift more at night while sleeping. I have had one or two little twinges of sciatic pain, which happened in the latter segments with both of our other kiddos, but both times it was from lifting things. Other than that, the only real complaint that I have is I am HOT! I have never been in the tail end of my pregnancy when it has been so hot (December and January kiddos), and I swear- I have never sweat so much in my life. By the way- I passed my OGTT with flying colors (my glucose was 87 at the one hour mark), and my hemoglobin was great- not anemic- so things are going well! My endocrinologist is monitoring my synthetic thyroid medication well, and I am currently taking prenatal vitamins, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, probiotics, and occasional iron supplements. Hopefully my nutritional work will pay off and keep any harm from coming our way.

26 1/2 week bump

Sleep Habits: I am tired quite a bit lately. Keeping up with everything at home, two rugrats, being pregnant, and breastfeeding still definitely wears me out. I am mentally ready to hit the sack around 10 or earlier, but my body being so hot...tossing and turning...it seems I can't fall asleep until close to midnight. Jose is moving to day shift starting the week of July 24th, so hopefully having him home consistently at night will help me sleep a little deeper.

What Micah (5) /Levi (16 mos) Think of the Baby: Micah has been given the job (if he is present during the birth) of announcing the sex of the baby, and telling me what color the baby's hair is when they are descending. I figured that giving him a job to do would help take any "scariness" out of it, and make him feel important and included in the event if he is here. He is quite excited about that.

The bump is definitely more pronounced with Levi perched on top!

Baby Prep So Far: I started today on sewing more baby wipes (I got a good deal on flannel at Target). It's the first step of MANY that need to take place. I don't think it's quite set in that in 10-14 weeks or so we will be adding a family member. We also need to order new car seats that will fit in to the back seat of our Escort. The SUV is in the process of being sold (please pray it sells!), and if we don't have a bigger vehicle by the time baby comes, we will all be cramming in the little blue car. We were able to find great steel-framed car seats (VERY durable) that are much skinnier than average car seats, so our back seat will accommodate them. It's just a matter of deciding if we want to do the whole infant seat thing again, or just go with the one that is rear or forward facing for long term use. Decisions, decisions.

Birth Prep: More reading, more praying, more stocking my head full of positive birth stories/ scriptures/ affirmations to remember during labor. I have the exercise ball blown up and I am sitting on it and stretching every day. I ordered a new pregnancy Pilates video that will be here next week- I am SO excited about it. I really want my core, back, and pelvis to be in the best shape possible to aid in natural delivery. I have yet to clean our room out and rearrange things, but I am sure that will come in time. We are almost half way on paying down our home birth sum, which is exciting for us. We are having to cut a lot of expenses in order to come up with the money for our birth choice, but we really feel it's worth it. You put your money, time, and efforts towards things that are important to you. And this is something truly important to me.

Name Ideas: We are flip flopping. I have a friend who delivered her baby today, and he is still not named. I have a feeling that will be our situation in the near future. Jose and I are currently on the following trend, and it's likely to change by tomorrow:

• Jordi David- Jordi is a Spanish variation of Jordan. The name means "descending," and is significant in the Bible as being the place that Jesus was baptized...that John baptized...that feeds the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea...where Joshua crossed to Jericho... and so much more. It is an cherished resource for those living near it. We also thought it was fitting because our midwife Jyl's practice is Descending Dove Midwifery Services. We thought we could honor our first home birth with her, as well as pray for a baby that descends supernaturally, quickly, and with relative ease. (Jose's input- Jordi Alba was instrumental in Spain's winning the Euro Cup last month too). David traditionally means "beloved" in Hebrew. It would be a nod to King David, a man with faults, but still a man after God's own heart, as well as after a dear friend of ours- we cherish his friendship like he is a brother, and look up to his walk with the Lord.
• Jordi Iker: Again, Jordi for the above reasons, and Iker (pronounced "eeek-air" in Spanish)... well, because Jose has always loved the name, and because Iker Casillas is Spain's one-of-a-kind keeper.
• Luka Cristiano- Luka means "bringer of light," and Cristiano means "bearer of Christ". Enough said- we want our child to emulate both of those things
• Noah Declan- Noah means "peaceful; restful one," (who WOULDN'T want that in a child?!) and Declan is an Irish name meaning "man of prayer." Again, pretty self-explanatory.

We have a girl name picked out just as a back up: Nora Celeste Molinuevo. My dad made fun of Celeste because it rhymes with incest and molest, but Mom and Dad had the chance to name us weird names, and now we have ours. I mean, the only other Janece's I have ever met are black. I give the other Janece's props, because they are the only people who ever say my name right on the first time without me pronouncing it.


Plus Sized, Nursing, and Pregnant:  I have never been one to wear dresses. Or shave my legs very often because of the above reason. But because it's SO darn hot (like over 90 every day), and I have only 2 pairs of shorts that I can wear, I am wearing dresses more. The shorts are too hideous to really wear anywhere other than the grocery store, so when I put on the dresses, Jose is always telling me how cute I look with the belly, and that he feels bad that he's not dressed up. I don't want to be dressed up, and I don't feel like I look cute- I feel like an overheating walrus- but it's so nice to hear from him. As for nursing, Levi is pretty much weaning him self. He nurses anywhere from 0-3 times a day, and not always for nap or bed time. For the most part, he lets me know when he needs it, and it's not ever for more than a few minutes (sometimes 30 seconds or less) and he is done. I think at this point it's more for security and checking in with me than anything. He just wants reassured that if he wants to he can, and that mommy is not going to leave him. I have a feeling that when the new baby brings him the gift of milk again, he will pick right back up. But again, I am letting him go at his own pace, and not pushing him to wean or to nurse more frequently. One day at a time, friends.

The OGTT Kiss of Death

The OGTT.
It elicits so much fear in me.
And most of you probably have never heard of it, had to take it, or care what it is.

The Oral Glucose Tolerance Test, or OGTT, is a hellish one hour test that almost all pregnant women are put through between 24-28 weeks to screen for gestational diabetes. The basics are as follows: go the the lab, drink one of the bottles shown, wait exactly one hour, and have your blood drawn.

It truly is, for me, one of the most nerve wracking, stress inducing, worst parts about pregnancy. There are only three things I loathe about being pregnant, and they are, in order: vomiting repeatedly, having stitches after delivery, and the OGTT.

See, I am already predisposed to diabetes. It runs in my family- 3 of 4 grandparents have it. My mother could end up having it. I am overweight. It is something that I have always been afraid of. Type II Diabetes, to me, is a great disease to have if you have to pick one, because you can control it. But it's also a stupid one to have, because for the most part, it's completely preventable with they way you treat your body. My last pregnancy, my OGTT was within normal range by 5 points. It needs to be less than 130 to be okay, or they make you take a challenge test and drink twice as much,

This time around, I was prepared to do my own reading. Tuesday morning, armed with my own pocket glucometer (blood sugar checker), I tested my fasting glucose. 79. Not to shabby, The lemon lime drink can't touch me.

I go to Quest, lab sheet in hand, at 8:30. No breakfast, no water, the way-too-chipper gal hands me a 50 gram glucose drink, and I have to stand there in front of her and chug it. It is like drinking a flat Sprite, but WAY sweeter. A Sprite, I found out, has 38 grams of sugar. This is like drinking 1.3 Sprites in 10 seconds, but making it flat and warm. And for someone who doesn't buy soda, and drinks her tea in the south UNSWEET, it is enough to make me start getting nauseated before I even get back to the waiting room. "See you at 9:35!" she says. I don't even turn around.

I pace for a while, start reading my book, and decide to head to the car and read. At the half hour marker, I can't take it any more and whip out my glucometer to see how high I am. I can FEEL that it's high- nauseated, hands shaking from the sugar high (or nerves??), and I psych my self out to poke my finger. 166.

I AM DOOMED. Here I go. I am a raging diabetic. I knew it. Now I am having to give my self insulin every day. And have a grotesquely huge, 11 pound baby. And probably have a C Section. And my life is over as I know it. (This is where being a nurse and knowing the complications make me crazy)

I sit in the car for the next 30 minutes, and hover between crying, praying, trying to read, singing to the radio. I know things could be worse, it's not like I am waiting for a cancer biopsy, but to me, this is a big deal. I walk back in at 9:35 promptly. This little blonde brings me back to draw my blood, and I know she is new there. As in, totally inexperienced, and is in NO WAY hitting my troublesome veins. After digging around in my arm with a needle, she goes to find someone else more experienced to do the same. This lady gets me on the first try, I fake a smile, and waddle back to the car, mid-Braxton-Hick from all the stress. Levi is wiggling around in my belly, turbo charged from the sugar rush, and it's making me want to ralph.

I whip out my glucometer, and see the reading for my 1 hour marker: 122. Somewhat relieved, I am counting down the days to this Tuesday's appointment for my results.

Please, God, let it be less than 130!