28 Weeks: Gestational Diabetes

This week marks 28 weeks of pregnancy, which also happens to be the week that I went to the doctor's office and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Kind of a bummer, although not too much of a surprise after 2 failed glucose tests and a mother who had gestational diabetes during a pregnancy (uh hello, Kenna was born a whopping 10 lbs 6 oz!). Apparently my healthy eating habits and active lifestyle were not enough to get me out of it!

I'll admit, I kind of freaked out for a second and cried on the way home- apparently these hormones of mine are all out of whack and making me completely irrational. Gestational diabetes is definitely something to take seriously, but is a completely manageable condition. Many of the complications associated with gestational diabetes can be avoided by diligent control of blood sugars. This Thursday I will go to Utah Valley's Diabetes Clinic and meet with a dietician & a nurse for approximately 2 hours to make a game plan on how we're going to manage the remainder of my pregnancy. This will probably mean strict management of blood sugars, cutting out any extra sugars, and continuing to maintain an active lifestyle.

Other updates at 28 weeks:

• Currently measuring at 31 weeks... apparently he's getting plenty of glucose in there.
• Still exercising 6 days a week and loving the way that it makes me feel semi-normal in this totally abnormal body.
• Gestational diabetes- updates on that after my diabetes consult on Thursday.
• I officially have 2 pairs of maternity pants- a pair of jeans and a recently purchased pair of charcoal cords. I love them. The jeans actually make me feel kind of cute when I wear them. How's that for awesome!?
• Have started wearing compression socks to work and yes, they sometimes make me feel like an old lady. However, being on my feet for 12 hours tends to make my feet feel a little bit swollen.
• I think we've finally decided to bite the bullet and get a Chicco carseat and a BOB stroller. It's not for sure yet, but I'm leaning more and more towards it the more that I research and shop for strollers.
• Chad is in love with this little man of ours. He's even decided that it's about time we buy a new car and used the argument, "It's for the baby". He knows I'm a sucker for anything baby-related.
• I have now bought 5 packages of diapers in assorted brands through my couponing endeavors. It just makes everything feel so real to walk into our extra room and see actual packages of diapers in a neat little stack!
• We are both obsessed with this little boy of ours, it's kind of crazy how even though he won't be here til February, he consumes so much of our time and thoughts. All of our future plans and decisions have him completely at the center.

In other news, we had an awesome Sunday night, just spent the entire evening together. We made some yummy dinner of grilled chicken, homemade bread, and a big salad with Galeo's miso dressing (my absolute favorite!). Chad even busted out his Bobby Flay "Grill It" cookbook and made the most delicious chicken on the BBQ. Dinner was followed by a cuddle sesh on the couch to watch Happy Feet with a roaring fire and then a Christmas extravaganza. We pulled out our Christmas decorations, whipped up some hot chocolate, and listened to Christmas music while we put them up. I love the holiday season.

Thanksgiving in Provo

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays: what's not to like about getting together in big groups of friends and family, cooking delicious food, spending the day just relaxing and enjoying each other's company, and eating until you fall over. What's not to like? This year our Thanksgiving feast was a Bennett-Myer fusion- Chad's mom, sister, & niece joined us at Grandpa Myer's house for quite the shindig.

My Grandpa Peter is one of my favorite people in the whole world. He loves everyone and is more quirky than anyone I know. Who else insists (before carving the turkey) on gathering assorted family members and recreating a Norman Rockwell classic in your very own living room? That would be Grandpa Peter.

Chad's practicing to be a daddy... he tried to get Kenzie to eat her food, but she wasn't having it.

Studying the Black Friday ads after dinner. We all look so serious!

I'm so very grateful for all of our family and friends and getting to spend a whole day with people that I love. Now if we could just get this little man here soon, he could join in on all the fun! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Stroller Options

Last night we had a very romantic date night that consisted of stroller shopping and then dinner at in-n-out. Things are starting to get a little baby crazy around here... we just may be a little bit obsessed with this little man of ours.

Right now I think we've got our stroller decision narrowed down to 3 options. They all vary in price & features, we're just trying to decide what fits us best right now. Clearly I have already selected the color that I want, it's black and grey no matter which one we pick...

1. Chicco Cortina Keyfit Travel System
2. The BOB, it has an attachment for a carseat.
3. The Baby Trend Expedition Travel System

Why do there have to be so many choices?!

99

Today we are officially into the double digits in our countdown to the little man's arrival! 99 days from today and he'll be here (hopefully he decides to come early and it's even sooner than that!)

Here's a glimpse of the 26-week belly. It's getting huge! Today I wore my new pair of maternity jeans for the first time and I'm officially in love. Turns out there's a reason pregnant women like to wear them... plus these are actually really cute! P.S. who knew how hard it was to take a picture of your full body side profile...

While Chad was in Tennessee for his interview, I had a little extra time on my hands and made up a pair of flannel baby blankets out of these cute prints I found at JoAnn's. I love easy projects, especially knowing that we'll be using them to wrap up this baby boy of ours.

99 days to go...

A November Wedding

Last Saturday our very good friends Joel Simmons and Angie Clark got married in the Salt Lake City temple! We could not be more happy for this adorable couple!
The night before the wedding, the Clarks threw a party at their house for all of the family & friends who came from out of town. I loved hanging out with these lovely ladies!

...this is Barbara proving that she can make her belly look just as pregnant as mine.

Saturday started out cold and snowy and ended just cold. There was snow everywhere! Even though it was freezing, when you have family and good friends to keep you company, it doesn't matter too much.

...and finally the new Simmons family joined us!

On Sunday morning, we drove up to Salt Lake and met my parents to see Music and the Spoken Word in the tabernacle.

I loved spending the weekend with all of my favorite people and wish Angie & Joel every happiness in this adventure called marriage!

25 weeks

25 week update:

• 25 weeks into this pregnancy and I officially feel like an elephant. I know I'm not that big yet, but it's been hard to get used to this whole 'gaining weight for a purpose' thing. From here on out, I'm only going to get bigger!
• My hands and feet are starting to get that lovely pregnancy swell sometimes- mostly my feet while I'm working and on my feet for 12 hours. My hands just at random times, but I've been taking a break from my wedding ring because sometimes I'll look down and its so tight on my finger I can't get it off.
  
• I switch back and forth between periods of extreme happiness & excitement and then episodes of inexplicable crying. Apparently hormones are a little out of control.
  
• We've got about 5 names that we like, but haven't really officially decided on one quite yet. I think we need to actually meet him before we actually settle on this little man's name.
• My only real complaints have been pelvic muscle soreness, to the point that sometimes getting off the couch can seem like climbing Mt. Everest. Good thing I've got Chad around who's always willing to pull me up when I can't get up.
• This little boy is quite active and I can usually feel him moving around a couple of times during the day. He loves to move around at night, I don't know if the 'working at night' thing has an effect on that, but he keeps me company when I'm working. It gives me so much peace of mind when I can feel a little kick here or there to know that he's active and still a reality. There have been a couple of times when he's particularly active that Chad has been able to feel him moving from the outside. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks, those times will become a lot more commonplace.
• Nesting is in full force- I've got so many ideas for a variety of baby items including blankets, quilts, car seat covers, and little boy clothes. Updates on projects later.
  
• I'm in the research phase of stroller & car seat shopping and it can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many choices and variations! If anyone has any recommendations from their own experience, let me know! I'm up for suggestions.
• Only 15 more weeks to go!

Halloween

So this year's Halloween was a little on the boring side in the Bennett household. Both Chad and I had to be adults and work Halloween night, so no real point in making/compiling costumes. My floor at the hospital had a dress up theme for Halloween of 'cartoons' so I decided to throw together a last minute costume to get in the Halloween spirit. I'm the Great Pumpkin! Baby boy's first Halloween costume and he was the main attraction, of course...
It's crazy to think that next Halloween we will no longer be just the two of us, but a family of 3! Plus, I strongly believe that Halloween is only fun with kids. It's so much fun to see how much fun they have and how much they enjoy the holiday. I'm already thinking through all of the fun Halloween costumes for a 6 month old. I don't know what it is, but everything is cuter when it is baby-sized. Here are a couple of costumes I have in mind for next year thanks to pinterest...
So many possibilities! Can't wait til Halloween next year...