GTT

I passed the Glucose Tolerance Test! Yippee!

28 weeks

I want to take a quick second to give a quick shout out to my DH, David. I might be the one growing the human being, but he deserves his props because I could not do this without him. He is such a huge support for me, especially over the past few weeks, when I was sick. Add to that, the fact that he is studying really hard for a HUGE test that he will take in April over 3 days. I have the utmost confidence that he will crush it because that is what he does:o) For now, he is doing a great job of supporting me, spending time with his daughter, working full time and studying for this obnoxiously huge (in breadth) test. I love you, Honey!

How am I feeling physically? Zantec continues to be good to me:o) The weird tongue thing I had with my daughter seems to be virtually gone (for now)! That cold I had hung in and I think I am really almost over it now. It was a rough one and over 3 weeks later, I am glad that it seems to be almost gone, finally. Hopefully, I will regain my strength and energy quickly, especially with the gorgeous weather and a baby girl who loves to get outside:o) Some may find the next bit TMI, so skip to the next section now, if you want. I developed hemorrhoids after giving birth to my daughter. I know they are never "gone", but they had left me alone. They have been back for a month or 2 now and seem to be getting ever so slightly bigger as time goes on. Luckily, they don't hurt and only itch, occasionally, but they are just gross and I am worried that they will get more obnoxious (bigger, painful, more itchy) as time and weight progress and I give birth to another baby, but I guess I will deal with that as it happens.   

Doctor's Appointment: I had my 28 week appointment today. Everything still looks great! My BP, urine dip and weight gain are all perfect. GB's heart rate was 158, which is a bit high for him, but he was hyped up on sugar from the GTT drink;o) We should get the results from the GTT tomorrow or Wednesday. The lab was a zoo today! I waited 40 minutes just to check in and drink the stuff and I was 10 minutes late for my OB appt:o( Luckily, after that, I was a timed draw, so they had to take me when it was time, but the room had gotten even fuller while I was upstairs at my appointment. I need to remember to avoid the lab on Mondays, other days are not nearly as bad. DD did a great job:oD By the time we left, it had been almost 2 hours and she hung in there. We also scheduled all of the rest of my appointments! That means we are getting close to D-day! My next appointment will be March 27th and will be the last same ol', same ol' appointment! Cervical checks and other fun stuff after that.

Weight Gain:  7.5 pounds total!

Sleep: I am a tummy/side sleeper. Sleeping is becoming more difficult and was even harder when I was sick. I usually read in bed before sleeping and I can't lie on my back that long anymore. I have to lie and sleep on my side, so my hip gets sore from lying on it so long with the extra weight, so I have figured out how to prop the pillow under my knee/leg and rotate forward just enough and switching sides is a chore. I am working it out, but it is definitely decreasing the quality of my sleep. The waking up to empty my bladder at night is here to stay, but luckily it is 0-2 times per night and not too disruptive yet. I have started having a little trouble falling back to sleep after getting up because it is hard to get comfortable again. Overall, not too bad.

Mood: This has been a rough 2 weeks. Several days ago, I was almost in tears because I was sooooooooo tired of being sick and saw no end in sight, add hormones and bad combo. Then, Friday, my Grandpa passed away after a loooooooooong battle with dementia and declining health. It was time and I am so thankful that he is no longer suffering, but it is hard to think about all that he endured in the last, almost 10 years, of his life (again, add hormones, and tears are guaranteed). I choose to think about all of his accomplishments and contributions to his family and community:o)

Movement: Mr. GB has changed his hang out zone. I am feeling a lot more and a lot stronger movements and most of them are above my belly button, though I feel him in various places at different times. It is fun to watch my belly moving and I am determined to get video of it soon for his daddies.

Exciting Moment(s): Our birth plan is complete and things are starting to fall into place and get ready for GB's grand entrance.

Milestones Achieved: Mr. GB weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through my womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world. (Source: thebump.com)

Next Milestones/What I am looking forward to: The last little hurtle is passing the GTT, which I am pretty confident we will. Hopefully, the Pre-birth Order will be finalized soon. Then, we can sit back and relax until GB decides it is time to meet his daddies:o)

28 weeks

26 weeks

Officially in the third trimester:o) Yippee!!

How am I feeling physically? Zantec continues to be good to me:o) The weird tongue thing I had with my daughter seems to be staying about the same. It gets worse for a day or two, then a little better for a few days. I have had a cold for the last week. The first 3+ days was just a scratchy throat and cough, which was no biggie. Just when I thought it might be on its way out, Friday night, the congestion, sneezing, sinus pressure started. It almost seemed like maybe a new virus right on the back of the other, but who knows. Last night, I finally got an OK night's sleep and I definitely feel better today than I did this weekend, so, hopefully, I am on the downward side of this and on a path back to healthy. Being sick sucks in general, but add to it pregnancy, motherhood and a husband who is trying to study for a HUGE test, and it is especially no bueno. If this is the end of it, we survived!

Doctor's Appointment: My next appointment will be February 25th and will include the dreaded (which I say because a lot of ladies dread it) Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT), which I really don't mind. The drink isn't my favorite, but it isn't too bad. The worst part is having to sit there for an hour and wait to have blood drawn. Lucky for me, I can go to the lab first, drink the stuff, then go upstairs for my OB appointment, then go back down and have my blood drawn. This should get rid of or significantly decrease, my sit and wait time:o)

Weight Gain:  7 pounds total!

Sleep: I am a tummy/side sleeper. So far, I can still sleep in my comfy position- on my tummy with one leg bent, so slightly off to the side, but I can tell that the comfiness end is near. The waking up to empty my bladder at night is here to stay, but luckily it is 0-2 times per night and not too disruptive yet. I have started having a little trouble falling back to sleep after getting up because it is hard to get comfortable again. Overall, not too bad.

Mood: This past week has been rough physically, but I think I held it together pretty well, though I know I was a little grouchy. Things are moving along well. I can't wait to see R & T holding their little Gummy Bear. I really wish that R & T lived closer, so they could be a little more involved in the pregnancy, but I totally understand the cost and logistics involved in flying halfway around the world, when you have a baby on the way. We had a Skype date about a week ago. It is always nice to talk to the guys face to face. We have our third trimester video conference call this Friday with GG.

Movement: Mr. GB definitely likes to play down low, which can be a problem, if I am sitting in the car or trying to sit forward to eat. It seems like he is trying to tell me, "Quit cramping my space!" ;o) I have been feeling and even seeing him move a lot more frequently and with more power, which is fun. He still likes it down low, but I have been feeling more higher up, above my belly button:o)

Exciting Moment(s): 2 trimesters down, 1 to go:o) More movements in more places.

Milestones Achieved: The network of nerves in GB's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both my voice and the voices of those near me. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. His testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take two to three days. (Source: thebump.com)

Next Milestones/What I am looking forward to: The last little hurtle is passing the GTT, which I am pretty confident we will. Then, we can sit back and relax until GB decides it is time to meet his daddies:o)

26 weeks

As promised, some pics from a special photo shoot by Holli Horton when my sister and her family were visiting a couple of weeks ago.

All 9 of us

The grand parents with the grandkids.

Haley flying- probably my favorite:o)

My sister's family- Troy kissing his baby sister <3