27 Weeks

Is it possible that we're down to less than three months? The more I think about my desire to deliver early, the more I start to question my sani
ty. I really really enjoy this exclusive time with my 2 year old. I'm also booked up with work until the baby's due. Truth be told, there's a better chance of me wrapping everything up properly if this baby waits until his/her due date. Yes, that means one birthday on top of the other (my hubby is the 24th), but in the long run, it may be better to have a little more time on this end rather than on the other. Alas, the child will come when the child wants, and I'm perfectly okay with that.

Sad news. I just found out my doula is taking some time off. My hubby and I have been back and forth trying to decide if we wanted to use a doula this time. Last time, she was a LIFESAVER! Let's just say she went above and beyond (by about 12 extra hours) her call of duty. We would NOT have made it drug free for as long as we did without her. She made all the difference in the world. So why the doubt this time? Well, I'm believing this birth is going to go A LOT faster than the first (the first I clocked a solid 45 hours of awake and active labor--not to mention I'd been awake the 15 hours before the contractions began). I'd love to have a, well, 30 minute push time and pop--here's your baby! I know the reality is slim, but I will hope!

Secondly, my hubby proved to be stellar during the labor. My doula commented that she wished she could take him to all her births--his ability to stay in the moment with me and be attentive to my needs was a cut above. (I'm so proud!) Anyway, since I have an incredible hubby and will have a shorter birth, we questioned if investing the money in a doula is a priority. But, when it all comes down to it, we decided that no matter how quick the birth goes, she'll be worth every penny. Not to mention, I believe that her presence at the birth made my hubby a better person. We probably would've been lost without her.

All that to say, she (for very commendable reasons) is taking time off. Sigh. I'm not sure where we'll go from here. To be honest, I'm telling you, dear readers, before I have even had time to mention it to my hubby. I'll keep you posted on his reaction.

I had my last second-trimester checkup this week, and you all know what that means (well, if you've been prego) GLUCOSE SCREENING! Mmmm, mmm, tasty orange liquid tingling on its way down my throat. An hour of anticipating yet another NEEDLE! And then having my blood drawn. I psyched myself up for more drama than it proved to actually be, but still. Not my favorite checkup.

And then this zinger--I didn't pass! Horror of horrors. I feel like any advice I've given on this blog immediately lost all credibility. How could I boast a healthier-than-average lifestyle and then turn around and fail the glucose test? I passed last time, so this was really out of left field for me. Since then, I've learned a few interesting things:

1. If you don't pass the first time, they make you take another test to double check the results. This next test is over three hours long and requires you have your blood drawn four separate times in those three hours. Oh, and did I mention you can't eat before or during this whole process? I'm a woos when it comes to needles, but if my hubby is with me, I can make it through without passing out. But I can't justify making him take half a day off of work just to hold my hand while they stick me over and over with needles. I'll take the test sometime in the next few days . . . and I'm going to try and brave it alone. I'll keep you posted on how it all goes.

2. If you don't pass the second time, hello diet! There are all sorts of food restrictions that I would normally be excited about--forced healthy eating is a good thing, right? But since I'm prego, a lot of my food choices have been determined more by hormones and less by healthy choices. Doing a 180 in the midst of my pregnancy is not really something I'm looking forward to.

3. From the little I've read online, I don't really fall into any of the categories of people who get gestational diabetes. The only things I can relate to on the lists of symptoms or people who get it are 1. I've been more hungry this pregnancy--but not insatiable, and really not that much more than my first. 2. I'm over 30 this time. 3. I haven't been exercising regularly--but I figure chasing a two year old around and maintaining a business and semi-clean home somehow cancelled out that exercising category. I don't sit around and watch TV. I'm constantly active (except when I'm writing/editing). That's gotta count for something.

4. As I mentioned in an early post--your imagination goes wild during pregnancy, and overall it's best to stay away from books like What to Expect When You're Expecting because they primarily fill you with fear. Talk about a mental battle when you read the possible side effects of gestational diabetes. Hello! These are the moments when I'm glad I keep my faith built up even when I'm in a trial. I can't imagine dealing with this and having been slacking on building my faith.

For the record, I plan to come back to you next week and tell of a successful series of pricks that didn't cause me to pass out, and a report that the first test was wrong--I'm free and clear. Until then.

p.s. For those of you interested in a potty training update, it's still going. I now have no doubt that this process would have gone a lot faster if I had waited until my daughter was older. BUT, we've made so much progress now, I don't see the point of throwing in the towel. On the victories end, we're doing really well when we're out and about. Yesterday we went to the pool, and she told me twice she had to go! On the other hand, we're having a lot of trouble making going to the potty a priority when we're home. I've changed more poopy pants than I'd care to admit.

So . . . I know she understands the concept. I know she can alert me before she has to go. I know she can hold it until we get to a bathroom. I just don't understand why she chooses not to tell me sometimes. That's where the age factor comes into play. I think if she was a bit older, that would tie up the last missing link and we'd have this mastered by now. Until then, I just have to wait until she decides to tell me every time. I also think it'll help a lot when she sees her friends potty training. Since we started early, we're all alone when it comes to hanging out with friends that also have to use the big-girl potty. I really believe it'll help her to see other kids doing the same as she. Time will tell.

**Thought I'd include some real pictures of me and my family this time =)**