Friday, September 21, 2012

Normal Results, Names and more

Thank you for your prayers for me as I waited for the results of my glucose test.  The results, thank the Lord, were normal!  You know, at my birth class, the two other couples were talking about how they were either told to fast prior to the ONE hour test or at least to avoid fruit and maybe have something like an egg for breakfast prior to the test.  I did none of that.  In fact, I was kind of caught off guard when I was handed the sugary drink for the first time, but figured it'd all be fine.  Before my appointment, I had fruit and other random snacks, like chips and salsa, almonds, water...I think I just forgot or didn't think it'd be a big deal if I ate.  But now I'm wondering if that's what caused me to fail the first test.  Oh well, it's over now, I passed the three hour long test and am feeling so much relief.  I mean, my diet has been pretty restrictive already, and to think I would have to alter it even more, ugh.  Don't get me wrong, I totally would have done it, but it's just a relief to know that the way I've been eating hasn't been adversely effecting the little one.

Speaking of "the little one", names have been on our brain for a while now and I have been the one tossing and turning them in my head.  My husband is pretty set on one name, and it is super popular right now.  It starts with an EM and end with a MA.  hehe, it's Emma.  I like the name but am worried will it be too popular?  I do like it a lot still, but find myself having reservations at times.  Her name would be Emma Marie if we chose that.  I also like, Lucia, Maria, Miriam, Genevieve, Josephine (only for middle name, like Maria or Miriam Josephine), Mary Rose, Therese or Theresa...so many beautiful girl names and this is what makes it so difficult!  If you have any ideas, likes, suggestions, please feel free to comment.

Oh, and an update on my anxiety medicine.  I'm officially off it and have been feeling good!  Praise the Lord!!  I have my moments, but life is so different now than it was when I started taking it, so the stability I have now has made a world of difference.  Please say a prayer I don't need to go back on after I deliver.  I know some people think it's not that bad while breastfeeding, but I'd really prefer not to be taking anything because I feel strongly that it does enter the bloodstream, breast milk and so on and so forth...

Well, that's all for now.  I hope you're all doing well.  I am praying God's peace and love comfort you today, especially those who are in most need of my prayers in this blogging community.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Update

We have been so busy over here!  I've been making time to read everyone's blogs, but posting my own has taken the back seat for over a month now.

I am officially in my third trimester!  I'm still feeling good and cannot complain.  God has blessed us so much and we are so incredibly thankful.  Our sweet one has been growing along just fine, with my belly measuring 28 cm at my last appointment.  Her heart beat is "perfect" according to our midwife.  Thanks be to God!

We switched practices to a midwife and I have been feeling so much more at peace about everything.  We are taking birth classes and hope to have a natural birth, at a hospital, and wanted the assistance of a midwife over my previous OB doctor.  Birth classes are going well, and my appointments with the midwife have been great so far.

Today, though, I had to do the three hour glucose test because my numbers were a little high on the first test.  I fasted from midnight on, and went in to get my blood taken early this morning.  Then came that sickly sweet drink.  They taste just like those freeze pops in liquid form, way too much sugar!  My little one was moving around and around after that drink and I couldn't wait for it to phase out of my system.  She must have gotten quite the little sugar high!  I wasn't too happy that I needed to do that test again.  But whatever it takes to make sure baby and I are healthy is top priority.  I hope and pray I pass the three hour test.  Please say a quick prayer for this intention!

My baby shower was last weekend.  It was great seeing so many of my family members and dear friends, there was great food, a fun game and lots of laughs.  Oh, and so many presents.  And pink!  It was like there had been a pink explosion after all the gifts were opened.  We are so blessed with so many loving people in our lives, and my baby shower reminded me of that fact.

I've been successfully weaning off my anti-anxiety medicine.  I'm now down to the smallest, wee-little bit and plan soon to go every other day and then to stop completely.  It's scary thinking about it sometimes, but I've been doing so well these past few months, I just know I can do this.  It helps knowing that the current dose I'm on now is so small that it's probably not even doing anything (in terms of helping any anxiety I may be having) that when I finally stop completely I may not feel any different at all.

I do catch myself thinking a bit longer on something that I would usually be able to dismiss really quickly, and I'm pretty sure that could be my worry side kicking in again.  For example, someone at the party commented that they just want baby girl to get here (implied in this is that this person is worried about the last weeks ahead and the delivery-will something go wrong?) I caught that implied worry tone right away and noticed, it had never occurred to me that something could go wrong with baby girl from here on out.  I mean, I'm almost 29 weeks!  But then I thought, gosh, that's a little overly confident, and maybe I'm taking for granted that things have been going well so far?  These and similar thoughts kept coming and I was soon worried that something horrible would happen to baby girl.  As I was washing all the baby clothes we had just received from my shower, I was praying, please let me meet my baby girl and please give her a healthy, happy and long life!  Wow, that worried thought just slipped it's way into my brain and now I'm consciously trying to combat it.  Jesus, I trust in you!  It helps talking about my anxious thought to my husband, and we can easily recognize it for what it is, anxiety, and then I try to move forward with trust and hope.  Being grateful has been a huge help in fighting anxiety.  I have SO much to be grateful for.  This little one kicking inside of me right now is just one of the many blessings I have in my life to be forever grateful for.  She's one of the biggest blessings in my life, and the only response to her life is my gratitude.  There's just no room for worry or anxiety anymore, because gratitude has taken up all the room in my heart!!  Thank you so much, dear Jesus.

Please continue to pray for my husband and I and our little sweet bear.  I am so thankful for this wonderful community of prayerful women.  Please know you are all in my thoughts and prayers.  God bless!!