Mark Your Calendar!

This chubby little face will make his way into the world on Monday, May 14th.  I will be induced a week early to make sure he's not too big.  

Based on his current measurements (head, chest and leg), he will probably be around 8 1/2 pounds at full term.  The doctor estimated that he was 7 lbs 4 oz last week at 36 weeks.  Makena was 7 lbs 2 oz at birth!  Karis was 8 lb 4 oz, so this little guy may be our biggest yet.  

I feel like he's been growing a lot the last couple of weeks.  I can definitely feel the added weight in my belly.  People keep asking me if I'm ready for three kids.  I don't know about that, but I sure am ready to not be pregnant!

Clearly The Third Child

I've been so bad about posting about our third baby.  I haven't even put down how we found out the gender.  I guess it's just a sign of what's to come and how this little child's life will be a bit different than the two girls'.

It's a boy!

I had an appointment when the baby was 17 weeks along (I'm now 27 weeks!  Yes, that's how long it's been).  At that appointment, I met with the Dr. for the first time (and not one of the nurse practitioners).  I was told that the Dr. typically does a sonogram if there is a machine in the room. Anxious to discover the gender of the baby, I was hoping he would be able to see if we were having a boy or girl.  You typically find out at 20-weeks but the gender can be determined as early as 17-weeks.

At the doctor's office, I was escorted to a room with a sonogram machine.  Yes!  I was very hopeful.  The first thing the doctor did was listen for the heartbeat.  He said it sounded good.  And then he said, "Sounds like a boy."  I immediately responded, "Don't just say be saying that, especially if it's not definite."  I didn't want him to give me false hope.  

He decided to take a look at the baby and got on the sonogram machine.  He started at the head and worked his way down (see photos from bottom up).  He then saw what looked like signs of a boy (3rd picture from the top).  He looked around to make sure he wasn't mistaking it for the umbilical cord.  He couldn't see a good full view, but he said he was pretty sure it was a boy -- 98% sure.  At the last minute, he got a good view and said it's definitely a boy (1st picture).  He labeled the picture and then congratulated me for my "early Christmas gift" as I tried to hold back my tears of joy.

In my heart, I knew we were having a boy.  In the weeks prior, I felt like God was growing my heart to really want what he had for us.  He placed some things on my heart during a church service.  Through a random conversation I had with someone who drew my blood at a lab, my desires continued to grow.  He even used a t.v. show to show what a relationship with a son might be like.  But even with all that, I can't say I was 100% sure.

I was sad that Derek wasn't there when the doctor told me.  When I got home I walked him through the sonogram and explained each photo.  When he got to the last one and read the labels he said, "Does that say what I think it says?"  "Yep," I said.  He was quiet.  Karis called him from upstairs. He got up, muttered something about having to get new baby clothes, and then walked away.  Huh?  That's his reaction??  I talked to him later and he explained he was just in shock because he was convinced we were having another girl.  We are now both excited to have a little boy and can't wait to meet him!  Now if we can only decide on a name...

Baby #3 at 12 Weeks

I wanted to go back and note a few things about this pregnancy (otherwise I'll never remember).  During the first trimester, my morning sickness wasn't "bad" but it was worse than the other two pregnancies.  With Karis, I was nauseous.  With Makena, I had stomach aches more than I felt nauseous.  With this pregnancy, I had both!  I was always hungry and craved spicy, strong-flavored foods like Indian, Greek and Korean.  I of course wanted noodles too... something I crave with every pregnancy.  

I was extremely tired until about week 15 or 16.  I took a nap with the girls every day, for up to two hours (and still felt tired!).  

The time surprisingly has been going slow.  I see the doctor for check-ups once every four weeks and the time in between seems so long.  

Here are a couple of shots of the baby at my 12 week appointment.

Gestational Diabetes Update

Since I’ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I’ve been experiencing a lot more stress (I know, it's bad for the baby). My sugar levels were still occasionally high and not completely under control. It’s been frustrating because there have been days when I think I ate a proper meal and yet my sugar level was too high. Or, I ate the same thing for lunch two days in a row and one day my sugar level was fine but the next day it was too high. I’m tired of eating the same things day after day, and I’m tired of eating things I don’t want and not eating the things that I do. Most days I’m experiencing hunger throughout the day.

I still have appointments twice a week to monitor the baby’s heart rate and check the level of amniotic fluid. The baby’s heart rate has always been really good. Each nurse always comments that my baby is either, “crazy,” “very active,” or the nicer way one put it was, “she’s very happy.” At one appointment, it took 15 minutes to get her pinned down so that we could capture her heart rate. She wouldn’t stop moving.

At my last few appointments, I was getting some kind of non-favorable news. The level of amniotic fluid was nearing too high at one appointment and that was a cause for concern. It wasn’t technically “high” but to my dismay I was told what could happen if it did get to that level (fortunately, it was fine the following week). At another appointment, I was told that one of the doctors wanted to increase my medication to get my blood sugar levels under control. I’m not a fan of medication, especially while pregnant, and it discouraged me because I had failed to get my blood sugar levels under control.

But at last Friday's appointment I heard nothing but good news. Finally! The doctor was pleased with my sugar level numbers. I’ve had a few that were slightly high last week (but not much above the desired level), but the majority of the numbers were good. She did another ultrasound of the baby. She said that the baby looks good physically. The amniotic fluid level has decreased which is good -- typical as the due date approaches and a sign that the diabetes is under control.

The best news is that the baby is about 6 lbs 1 oz which is right where she should be. Babies typically gain a half of a pound per week, so with two weeks to go (and assuming my blood sugar levels remain under control), the doctor estimates that the baby will be between 7-8 lbs. This baby may actually be smaller than Karis (born at 8 lbs 2 oz)! I have been concerned about the possibility of having a C-section, but I should be able to deliver this baby with no problem.

With my last pregnancy, I mustered enough faith to know that God was in control and I trusted Him for the health and development of the baby. After all, there was only so much that I could do. But now with gestational diabetes, I have felt more ownership of the welfare of the baby. What I’m eating and the amount (or lack of) exercise that I do are having direct effects on her. Ultimately, I know that God is in control, but I can’t help but to feel a burden of responsibility. I’m trying to let it go and I'd like to think that I’ve been getting better with it. Since my last appointment, I've been resting easier and just trying to enjoy the last two weeks.

Here is a photo of the baby at 36 weeks. It’s a shot of her face with her hand in front of it.

Prayer Request

Last week I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes (GD). I wasn't too surprised, since it runs in our family, but I was bummed to hear the news. I've read that the cause of GD is uncertain, but they think that the increase in hormones causes the insulin to be ineffective in breaking down the sugars in the body. As a result, I have to go on a strict diet (eat certain combinations of foods at certain times) and exercise daily.

I tried it for a week and my numbers were still pretty high but they were getting better towards the latter part of the week. I wasn't too worried because I was told that it takes about 1-2 weeks to get used to the diet and to figure out what works for you. In addition, the doctors and nurses I had spoken to up to that point did not make it seem like GD resulted in anything too dangerous or risky for myself or the baby.

However, I met with a specialist last Friday and that was the first time I was informed about the severity of the condition. It definitely made me worry because there are a lot of complications if I can't get my blood sugar levels under control -- the most severe being stillbirth. I was diagnosed with GD pretty late so I don't have a lot of time to "figure things out." The doctor put me on medication which I started last night. Today I took a long walk and tried to keep moving most of the day. Most of my numbers were good.

Please pray that my blood sugar levels will be under control and that the baby will stay healthy and not grow too big. Please also pray for me that I would have peace and not stress about this. This has been all-consuming for me as I spend a large part of the day thinking about what I am allowed to eat, and then trying to figure out what in my fridge fits those criteria. I'm constantly watching the clock because I have to test my blood an hour after each meal and also eat every 2 1/2 - 3 hours. The stress has made me even more tired and yet I need to go on at least one walk per day. I now have to go to the hospital two times every week so that they can monitor the baby's heart rate. This is in addition to my regular visits with my ob/gyn.

The doctor does not want me to go full-term in case the baby gets too big and to prevent stillbirth. I will be induced 7-10 days before my due date (March 26).

Here is a picture from the ultrasound last Friday. This is Baby#2 at 32 weeks. The doctor took more measurements and said that she's looking great!

Baby #2 Update

We had another doctor visit this week. We had a detailed ultrasound where the doctor was able to measure organs, check out the plancenta, blood flow, heart rate, etc. Everything is looking good for this little one. The doctor was also able to get a good view to determine the gender of the baby. She confirmed that it is a girl. Yay for sisters!