32 Weeks ~ Channeling my Inner Buddy the Elf

I hate having my finger pricked to draw blood.  In fact, most times I would choose having blood drawn from my arm over someone pricking my finger.

My experience kind of goes a little something like this...



...minus the excitement and eating of cotton balls, of course.

So no one was surprised more than me when I asked Ned to go out and pick up all the essentials for me to prick my finger and monitor my blood sugar.  When you're pregnant and hungry, you'll do just about anything.  I've been monitoring occasionally since Sunday, and my numbers have been way lower than what they need to be for gestational diabetes, even when cheating on adjusting my diet.

I know the serious affects that gestational diabetes can have, so I don't want anyone to think I'm taking this lightly.  But, I also know that the hour test I failed is not supposed to be used as a diagnosis.  I know that my numbers were too low in the doctor's office and hospital.  And I know that I'm not gaining weight.  The baby is growing, but that means it's taking from my body, and I can't really afford to have that happen.  I'm not going to fall into a whole chocolate pie (although that sounds fantastic) or completely stop watching what I eat.  But, I can't tell you what it has done to my mental state to know that my numbers were still low after a serving of mac and cheese from Cracker Barrel or that after a Dairy Queen burger with some fries/onion rings last night and Pepsi, I was still 20 points below.  It's crazy what you have to watch when you're watching carbs, so it's nice to know I can "splurge" on a bowl of Cheerios or not have to measure out my fruit portions so carefully.

Now onto the 32 week facts.

Size of Baby: Baby Center says 3.75 pounds and about 16.7 inches long.

Total Weight Gain: I'm not sure that I showed any gain since 28 weeks.  I had gained about a pound from Friday to yesterday, though, but before that I had lost a pound or two.  Total weight gain so far is 16-17 pounds.  I don't think I'll get to 30 pounds like I did with Avery.

Maternity Clothes: Yes, and mostly lounging clothes these days.  Bedrest at least helps save money on maternity clothes.

Movement: All the time, and he's so strong.  The nurses are always so surprised at how forcefully he can push back on the monitors as they are trying to hook me up.

Gender: It's a boy! His name is Samuel Vincent, and we'll call him Sam.

Sleep: I haven't slept the best the last few nights.  It seems like all I do is turn from one side to the other.  This morning, the cat and dog had an altercation at 4 a.m., and I never went back to sleep.  I finally got out of the bed at 6:15.  I'm trying not to nap so that I can sleep at night, but I'm still staying up until 11 p.m. and sometimes can't get to sleep.  Avery gets in the bed with me each morning for a few minutes before she leaves, but sometimes I stay in bed until Ned comes back home at 8 or 8:30.  For one, I'm usually tired from not sleeping, but also if I get up I'm hungry and don't want to wait for Ned to fix my breakfast.

What I Miss: I'm not minding staying in the house too much, but I do miss being able to come and go as I please.  I miss being able to hop up and get something that I need at home.  I also miss being able to pick Avery up, though that was getting harder, and I miss putting her to bed every night.  I'm thankful that I'm home, so I try not to think too much about what I'm missing.

Cravings: I've been craving anything good that I haven't been eating.

Symptoms: Bedrest at least seems to be keeping the pregnancy symptoms at bay.  Obviously I'm kind of tired and not as strong from laying around, but everything else is good.  I had this crazy pain near my belly button while I was pregnant with Avery, and it would get so painful if I would stand too long.  I was sure it was just the way she was laying, so I was very upset when it returned after Christmas vacation with this pregnancy.  Luckily, doing very little standing kind of takes care of that problem.

Best Moment This Week: Being at home, eating some good food including birthday cake, and good reports from the doctor.

What I'm Looking Forward To: I'm looking forward to continued good reports.  I don't have to go to the doctor twice this week, so I won't see anyone until I see the specialist in Norfolk next week for an ultrasound.  Each time I go to the doctor, I wonder if things will have changed and I'll end up back in the hospital or having to have Sam.  This may sound silly, but each time I'm able to walk back out, it feels like I have a new lease on life.  I'm so thankful for each day and week that I get by, and I'm especially thankful to be passing these weeks at home instead of in the hospital.  I'm also looking forward to the packages that continue to roll in for Sam!