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!

Someone's first bloody nose

No, it wasn't me for taking 2 months to post again. But it was about that long ago that Karis was obeying daddy by playing with one of her toys when she lost her balance and her face hit the toy. =(

It makes me sad to watch this. I'm not sure why I'm posting now that I think about it. More posts to come....

The Second Time Around

I haven’t really reflected much about this second pregnancy. With little Karis and life in general, it’s been tough to do so. I can’t say I love being pregnant, but I am thankful that I’ve had relatively easy pregnancies with no complications. I am grateful for that, and I am still amazed that there is a little person growing inside of me. What a miracle!

The 1st trimester was definitely more challenging since I couldn’t take naps and rest when I wanted to or needed to. The 2nd trimester was fairly easy and quick -- no time to sit around and just daydream about having a baby! The third trimester has been a lot tougher. My body has been super tired with the extra weight while caring for Karis. My 22 lb baby has been the exception of the “no heavy lifting” rule. I’ve been having back pains which have made doing daily things pretty tough. I've been trying to be good about not doing too much around the house and asking Derek for help as much as possible. He's been great about bringing down the laundry, vacuuming, and carrying Karis up/down the stairs for me.

Since the holidays, things have been pretty quiet. I’m trying to enjoy the “calm before the storm” and not do too much. I have the tendency to make myself busy, but I’m trying hard to resist that. Plenty of sleep and individual attention to Karis have been my main focus lately.

I am 30-weeks along, and with only 10 short weeks to go, I am excited and nervous at the same time. Life will definitely be different!

I'm excited to meet this little baby. She is so active and has some pretty powerful kicks and jabs. I wonder how she’ll differ in looks, personality and temperament from Karis. I also can’t wait to see how Karis responds and treats her little sister. I think she’s going to be great!

Whenever Derek tells Karis to "kiss baby sister," she kisses my belly. She does it EVERY single time. It's really sweet. But... I'm wondering if she thinks a belly is called a "baby sister." =)

My Separation Anxiety, Not Hers

(by Lena) Like most first time parents, I try to do things by the book as much as possible. Karis is at the age where separation anxiety sets in. I have learned that there are certain things we as parents can do to try to ease the anxiety. While Karis doesn't really exhibit much, if any, separation anxiety, I still try to do what I can to follow certain steps so that she knows when I'm leaving and that I will be back to get her.

When saying good-bye to your child, whether leaving them at home with a sitter or dropping them off in nursery, I learned that you're supposed to give them a little time to get comfortable, kiss and hug them, tell them you're going to be right back (keeping it light), and then leaving and not coming back to comfort them.

Well, last Sunday, I dropped Karis off at the church nursery. I took her out of her stroller and before I even had time to stand up straight, she had dashed into the room and the door shut behind her. "Bye Karis..." I said (to myself) as she was long gone... I kinda wanted a hug and kiss good-bye. I signed her in and filled out the name tag for her, thinking I could go in the room and put it on her. The nursery volunteer stood at the door and said, "I'll take that for you. Enjoy the service!" and he took the name tag and went inside... again, the door shut.

It was funny and sad at the same time... I know Karis enjoys her time there and evidently didn't care much for a proper good-bye but I sure could have used one! I wonder is there is anything in the "book" about parent separation anxiety. =)

p.s. The smile, kiss and mad dash to me when I walked in the room to pick her up was enough to make up for the lack of proper good-bye.

A New Kind of Play

(by Lena) It's been so much fun watching Karis learn new things. We're constantly amazed at the things she does and understands. She's becoming a little girl!

Her play time has definitely been different lately. She will sit and try to figure things out. For example, she'll put pegs in holes (all eight of them) and then pull them out. It's fun to watch her stay focused and be patient. We're used to seeing her pick up toys, stick them in her mouth, maybe shake it, and then move on to the next thing.

On Christmas day, Karis received a picture book of everyday things. Yesterday morning, she pointed to objects when I asked her where they are. I asked her, "Where is the kitty?" and she pointed to the cat on the page with about five different things. She also identified the banana, pear, baby, ball, and of course, the dog. I pointed a few times to the swan and taught her what it was. She had never seen a picture of one before. Later that day, I brought the book to Karis so that Derek could see her point to the pictures. She pointed to the same objects, and surprisingly she remembered which one was the swan!

When she plays with her friends, she is definitely more aware of them and tries to interact with them (as opposed to parallel play). The other day, a friend of mine came over. Karis put a toy on her lap and pushed the button to show her what it could do. I expected Karis to watch the toy, but instead, she was watching my friend's face to see her reaction. She was so happy to see that my friend was amazed at her toy.

It's also been nice that she understands more of the things I'm saying to her. She understands when I tell her we're going "outside," or when it's time for a "bath." She'll come when I ask her -- except when I have a diaper in hand -- but she'll get me a diaper if I ask.

Seeing her leave the baby stage and become a toddler could be a sad thing, but with another baby on the way, it's a welcomed thing for me. The more she can understand and do by herself, the easier it will be to have two under the age of 16 months!

Oh, and one fun thing she does -- when she sees a football game on TV, she'll raise both hands and we'll say "touchdown!" She'll keep doing that every time she looks back at the TV.

The Petting Zoo

We took Karis to her first visit to the zoo. It was a petting zoo located in San Juan Capistrano.

Daddy had to show Karis what to do.

He then helped her so she could try to do it by herself.

Eventually she started to get the hang of it.

Pretty soon she was doing it all by herself.

Here is a short video of Karis feeding a mule.

At the zoo, she also saw a cow, turtle, geese, birds, goats, and llamas. She went on her first pony ride which she enjoyed and was so sad when she had to get off.

Happy Birthday, Jesus! We made you a cake!

One thing I (Lena) would like to do with Karis every Christmas Eve is to bake a birthday cake for Jesus. What would be better than doing one of my favorite things (baking), with my daughter, as a way to help remember why we celebrate Christmas?

This year, given that Karis is only one years old, we made a very simple cake. We made boxed vanilla cake which she helped me mix. I then made a cream cheese frosting and she helped me put it on top of the cake (for about four seconds and then I took over).

We took the cake to my sister's house for Christmas dinner and enjoyed the cake with everyone. I'm excited to have Karis help me a little more each year and to do something different with each one.

Here are a couple photos of Karis mixing the cake batter. It was a messy job, but someone had to do it.

She couldn't figure out how to use the whisk, so she just put her hands in the bowl.

"mmm, I know this handful of raw eggs, oil and flour is going to be delicious!"

The proud bakers:

Karis dipped her fingers in the cake to "test" it to make sure it was okay for everyone to eat.

Enjoying the fruits of our labor:

A Day At The Mall To Meet Santa

Today Karis and I went to the mall (Fashion Island). I wanted to relax and enjoy the day since I'm finally done baking, shopping and writing Christmas cards. I also wanted to get a photo of Karis and Santa.

We waited in the long line to meet Santa which surprisingly only took about a half hour.

Karis enjoyed meeting some people in line and checking out the mall.

She took a quick little ride on a wooden pony just before meeting Santa. She was being a little over-dramatic, if you ask me.

While in line, one lady asked me, "So are there going to be smiles or tears?" I assured her that it would be all smiles with Karis. She's never met anyone she doesn't like and is quite the social butterfly. I think that's why I like these photos so much. She took one look at Santa and wanted nothing to do with him.

That's okay... I don't really like Santa either. I'd be okay if this was Karis' first and last photo session with him.

We walked around a little, took photos, and met a lady with her dog. Karis was so excited to see a mini Greyhound in a Santa jacket. The lady had to stop b/c she didn't know why my baby was smiling and so happy.

We watched the carousel and then stopped at the water fountain. The mall is surprisingly a great place to be when you don't have a shopping list. It was quite peaceful and fun!

Decorating The Christmas Tree With My Little Helper

We finally got a Christmas tree up! I know, it's two days before Christmas... we've been a little busy and the tree hasn't been a high priority (it probably will when the kids are older). We just wanted a tree to sit by when we open up gifts on Christmas morning.

I pulled out the decorations and started to put them on the tree. Karis was quite interested in what I was doing. She watched me as I went to the couch, picked up an ornament and then walked over to the tree to hang it up. She wanted to help me so I picked her up as I continued to hang the ornaments. I was surprised she didn't grab the ornaments out of my hand and shove them in her mouth. She just enjoyed being held and watching what I was doing. When I put her down, she quickly got to work on putting up her own "ornaments" on the tree.

Karis' 12 Month Check-Up

Karis had her 12 month check-up earlier today. Derek doesn't usually go with us to her check-ups, but he wanted to come with us today. I'm so glad he did! Karis was full of energy. She wouldn't stop moving and kept trying to escape the exam room. She wanted to see what everyone in the office was doing, and also try to find the baby that was crying (she was very concerned). She received two big vaccinations and a finger prick, which did not make her happy. This seemed like the most painful set of vaccinations so far. It was nice to have an extra set of hands (and comforting arms), not to mention help carrying her up and down the stairs to the doctor's office.

To our surprise, Karis is now in the 80th percentile for height. I knew she hit a growth spurt by her eating habits and the fact that we pretty much skipped the 9-12 months clothes in her closet. She has hovered around the 50th percentile up until now. We're curious as to who she gets her height from! She is in the 70th percentile for weight and head circumference. Everything else checked out great!

We grabbed lunch afterwards and then I took Karis home for what should be a good long nap this afternoon (I'm hoping!).