I finally finished his blankey!

I have been working on a baby blanket for Alex ever since we found out he was going to be a boy back in May. Granted, I couldn't work on it everyday, I wanted to make sure he had his special little blanket for when he comes home from the hospital ready! So the past month I have really been working hard on finishing it.

I am so proud of myself, it came out better than I ever expected! I have been crocheting since I was a little kid (my Grandma Ordonez taught me) and have made a hand full of blankets, but I have to say, this one is the best one I have made so far!!!

I was so excited on how good it came out that I went online and learned how to make socks, mittens and a hat for him as well!!! He now has a matching set!! How cute!!!!

I can't wait to wrap him up in it and carry him around!!!!

33 Weeks

Hello!!!! Wow what a week! It was filled with lots of good news and PAIN! haha Not only did we get the C-Section date we have been wanting since prior to his conception (10-10-10) but we got to see him in an ultra-sound too!!! He is doing GREAT! Growing normally, though a tad on the above average size but not "big" and definately not "small"! It was such an awesome treat to see our little man hanging out, I can't wait to hold him and cuddle him!

As for the pain, man I don't know what it is but ever since I hit around 8 months I have been getting these horrible cramps on my side! (Either side, but mostly my right) and when I say cramp I mean, buckle down, crying, can't move type PAIN! The pain ranks right up there with my top 3 pains of all time!! (#1 being - gall bladder attacks, #2 - labor, and this pain is #3) and I have been in my share of pain, I have had a total of 3 surgeries, pulled my hamstring a couple of times, and popped my knee out of joint! So ya its pretty bad. At first I didn't know what to do or what was going on, I almost had to go into the ER! It lasted hours and hours! I even had to call Adrian to come home from work! However, as soon as the baby shifted it magically disappeared which leads me to believe the doc when he said Alex is just sitting on a sensitive nerve. Ugh! Mia never did that, however, she did give me some massive pelvic pain which I still haven't really experienced too much this time around (THANK GOODNESS)! Well the pain episodes are sparatic and I never know when they will hit, I have had 3 more since that first day but now I know if I keep at it and try to get him to move by changing positions (as painful as it is) and don't allow him to sleep in that "bad spot" then he will shift faster and I will get some relief. It still takes about an hour-hour and a half before it happens though.

CRAVINGS: I actually got a craving that I could induldge in! YAY!!! Sounds gross though because I usually HATE the stuff, but I was craving boloney so bad!!!! Once I bought some I almost went through the whole package!! haha Veggies are still really good and I can't get enough of them! and chicken!

SICKNESS/TIREDNESS: What is sleep?!?! I don't know! I can't get comfy at night and my sleep is so interrupted and minimal. I can't seem to crawl into bed any earlier than 1am and I still get up at 6 its awful. So I am a walking zombie all the time which isn't fun. Alex goes NUTS all the time and shakes the bed and my belly constantly and even Adrian wakes up from him. This kid is so full on energy... man I have my work cut out for me!

NEW SYMPTOMS: The weight is still going down and I actually hit the low 180 for the first time EVER in YEARS! Even when I was not pregnant and working out I couldn't get down that low before... even when I was sick and not eating! Pretty crazy huh?! I am really curious to see how much I will weigh after the baby is here considering I am almost 5 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight AND the average pregnancy makes you gain about 15-20 pounds (if not more).

The stomach cramps I talked about earlier is another new thing and so are my braxton hicks. Now I have been having braxton hicks for awhile but not like its been. I literally have tons of them all the time, I think it has to do with the need for more water. As soon as I drink more water they calm down. However, the other day I started to get concerned when I lost count of them and they were happening almost ever 10-15 mins! Again, once I drank water they calmed down and rarely happened again.

We got our DATE!!!! WHOOHOO!!!!!!

I received the BEST email last night! After hounding my doctor for about a week, he finally responded with the answer I was praying for! We got Alex's delivery date moved to 10-10-10!!!! We got our 10-10-10 baby WHOOHOO!!!

Unfortunately, Dr. Dresbach won't be able to do the delivery himself since he will be "off" that day but he found another great doctor that agreed to do it. Her name is Dr. Lee. I am so excited!!!


Here is a copy of the awesome news:

To:

ANGELA M PIZANO

From:

MARK ALAN DRESBACH MD

Received:

08/26/2010 11:59 AM

Hi Angela,

i had to track down the physicians on call on 10/10/10. Dr. Jeannette Lee has agreed to do your surgery that day. i will see you for your preop appointment 2 weeks prior and will give the time of the surgery that day.

Electronically signed by:
MARK ALAN DRESBACH MD
8/26/2010
11:58 AM

Ultra-Sound #2!!!!

Today was the best day ever! I got to see our little guy again in an ultra-sound!!!!

I was a bit nervous about the whole exam (as always... I hate doctor visits). Grandpa Pizano came down to help babysit Mia so Adrian could go with me. It has been UNBEARABLY HOT lately... infact today reached 108 in Riverside (where we went for the ultra-sound) YIKES! So it was a tough day getting out there but we finally made it.

It didn't take long before they called us back and to my surprise the ultra-sound room was actually cool for once! I have been in that room so many times I have lost count and every time its boiling hot in there with no ventelation which always makes me sick. Infact after my first ultra-sound with Mia I almost threw up!! I was so happy to see the room was much nicer this time around.

The ultra-sound tech was EXTREMELY nice, which was a GREAT thing. I have been in there many times for both Mia and Alex and had pretty mean ladies. This lady was nice. She chatted with us and was not afraid to answer questions. They measured his tiny arms, legs and head and at the the end she even let me see him! (The screen is always turned away from me so I can't see what they are doing until the very end)

She showed us his face and OMG it looked so clear! I could see our little son there sleeping like an angel!!! I could see his nose, eyes, mouth, chin EVERYTHING! I was in AWE! This was the latest Ultra-sound I have ever received (The last Mia ultra sound was at 28 weeks, I am almost 33) It was amazing. I couldn't help but stare. She then showed us his spine and tummy and even double checked for us that he is indeed a boy and yep there is no doubt about it. He was even smashing his "boy" parts with his foot! haha

After the scan was done she gave us some great little pictures and we were off on our way. It was so great, I walked out of there on cloud nine!!! and so happy to have had the chance to see our little guy again.

Oh and I almost forgot to mention, EVERYTHING checked out great. He is not small (due to my weight loss) and he is not overly big! Infact he is alittle above average but nothing to be concerned about. I am almost 33 weeks and he measured the size of 34! Not bad, I hope he continues to grow at that pace.

Overall the visit was great!!!!! The count down begins... only alittle over a month left then I can see and hold my little guy! I can't wait!

THE PAIN!!!

I was so happy, I have been pain-free (other than the uncomfortable contractions here and there) for almost a week! I thought things would be getting better but guess I was wrong. Today has been HORRIBLE!

I woke up around 6am this morning to an horrible chest pain. No it wasn't like a heart related pain it was more like if I strained my chest muscles somehow, it was from one side to the other. It hurt so bad if I turned in bed, laid on either side and soon got so bad I had to get up.

Another thing concerned me. Alex stopped moving! Fear instantly set in as I tried to calm myself. He is pretty active and it doesn't take much more than a couple of tummy rubs to get him going, but this morning it took nearly 15mins to finally get him to wake up and squirm. During that time was in sheer panick and pain from my chest. NOT a fun morning....

Then in the early evening, after Adrian drove off to work (of course!), I started to get a slight cramp again. Only this time is was on my left side and more on the side of my stomach through my back. The pain was very uncomfortable but I was still functional. I managed to end Mia's night well. I fed her dinner and we watched TV. When it was time to put her to bed, I was still in pain but it wasn't that bad. It wasn't until I laid in her bed did it really set in and I mean the pain thresh hold was a 10! all the way!!! I held my stomach and moaned in pain on her bed. Neither side would help. Mia got concerned and tried to rub my leg... soon I just had to get up and leave. Unfortunately for Mia I didn't get to stick around and spend some last min. time with her. I was in too much pain. I slowly went down the stairs and sat on the couch crying in pain. Tear literally filled my eyes, this pain was so much worse than the WinCo pain I felt a week ago. Finally I managed to find my phone (thankfully it was in the couch) and called Adrian to give him heads up.

Our phone call was brief, I was still in alot of pain and the more Alex moved the more it hurt. There was times I had to stop talking because it got so bad. I told Adrian to give me an hour to see if it gets better, and if not he needs to come home, since I don't want to be alone and in this much pain.

Well its been about 30 mins since that call. I managed to put on my maternity belt and the pain seems to be tolerable as long as I don't move. Right now I am on the most comfortable chair in the house, which is our new computer chair (hence how I can type this right now) I can still feel the pain and if I take a deep breath it kicks off again. I know it must be nerve related since thats what the doc said about my last big stomach pain. This is horrible though.. hopefully it will get better and I don't have to make a trip to the ER.

32 Weeks

Happy Sunday!!!!! Its been one of those busy busy days, and I am finally able to sit down and write alittle something. Adrian took Mia down to San Diego to visit family while I stayed home and did some MUCH needed spring cleaning. It wasn't easy with the belly in the way thats for sure! I was constantly taking breaks and things didn't move along as well as I had hoped but I am happy with the results. I know that the further along I get the harder it will be for me to do certain things, I really don't want to see the house get out of control!!! haha

This week has been pretty decent. I am still feeling the frustrations of the diet. I keep losing weight, the lowest I hit was the low 181!!! That is just crazy!!!! I am officially 8 months this week and I am 3 pounds less than when I started!!!!! It is really starting to concern me now, I don't want to harm the baby and I don't want him to be too small, but there is nothing I can do. I am so restricted in my diet I have no choice, I just hope he is getting all that he needs.

I did see my baby doctor this week and though his heart rate sounded GREAT, he was concerned about my weight loss and the size of my uterus (he said it is about a week behind!) so he ordered an early ultra-sound. The ultra-sound is scheduled for Thurs. so we will see his progress and make sure hes growing properly. I am a bit nervous about that, I just pray he is happy and healthy and strong... just like his sister was.

CRAVINGS:
I know I said I would eliminate this section but I have to write, I still love all things nectarines!!! Though I am only limited to eating half of one a day, I cherish that moment. I have also found some sugar-free sparkling water that is peach/mango and O-M-G! Its sooooooo good! I am so happy that I found a drink that I can drink that I can enjoy whenever I want.

Zuchinni's are still totally awesome and I can never get enough of those!! YUM! YUM!

TIREDNESS/SICKNESS:

Yep, its starting to get harder and harder to get comfy at night and go/stay asleep. So I am more tired during the day. I am back to a nap a day or I can't really function. As for sickness, I feel pretty good, I still get dizzy, woozy and light headed but nothing to horrible.

NEW SYMPTOMS:

STOMACH CRAMPS!!! OMG! thankfully one hasn't hit in a few days, but when they do I am literally couch or bed ridden. The pain is so bad I can't walk and even got stuck at the grocery store once. The doc says it could be due to a nerve that the baby is hitting or sitting on, but since I am not contracting or bleedings I shouldn't be to concerned about it. It is pretty bad though. I haven't really had bad ligament pain yet, this is just around the time it kicked in HARD with Mia, so far so good, but I don't want to jinx myself.

And it finally happened, I got my first stretch mark of this pregnancy. I was really hoping I would escape it, since Mia did a DOOZIE on my body but ah well. Its still small but its there, I just hope it doesn't grow. Just means I need to lather on more lotion!!!

I am getting small contractions now, I know they are contractions because my heart rate spikes right before my stomach gets hard and I get really uncomfortable. They are EXTREMELY mild so I am not concerned. I know what a hardcore contraction feels like and labor and it is not that bad. It is worse than a braxton-hicks but still mild.

Doctor Check Up

Well today was a big day for us, we had another baby doctor check up, only this was no ordinary one. Ever since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes my risk factor went up. Therefore, I have more appointments with different doctors. I was not scheduled to see my "Baby Doc" (Not my OB, but the doc who is to deliver my baby) till mid Sept., however, due to some recent concerns regarding my heart, diabetes, weight loss, and other things they decided to move the appointment to now.

Unfortunately, the appointment could only be schedule at 9:40am which means Adrian and Mia could not go with me... again. I was a bit sad but what can you do. So I got up bright and early and headed out the door to my appointment.

To my surprise the whole place was PACKED with people but they took me back instantly which was a nice change. They took my weight (I am still losing), blood pressure (still low 102/67) and heart rate (still high 105 resting). They had me do the routine urine check then set me up in a room.

It wasn't long before Dr. Dresbach came in to see. I really like this doctor, this was the third time meeting with him and I have always liked him. He really seems to listen to you and provides alot of comfort. He asked me how my blood sugar has been going and I told him I have it under control. He liked the sounds of my readings and he says to keep up the good work. We then discussed my horrible stomach cramps, and he told me it sounds like it might be nerve related and the baby might be aggravating it. Nothing to really be too concerned about. I told him about my racing heart rate and arrythmias (which have been getting much better) he then referred me to my PCP to do a 24hr cardio check on it. He seemed a little bit concerned about it but rather have me get the test done by my PCP since they have more expertise in that area. Then we talked about my weight loss. He was not to happy about that and seemed pretty concerned about it. He ordered another Ultra-Sound to be done to check the size of the baby. He said that I would have had one done towards the end anyways due to the diabetes but because of my lack of weight gain and weight loss he has ordered it earlier to make sure the baby is growing. He then checked the size of my stomach and said it looks like I am a week behind, which also concerned him. He later checked the heart beat and its strong as ever 140!

After chatting a bit our visit was over. He again said that he will be ordering that Ultra-Sound for me and that I should follow up with my PCP about the heart thing. As we were walking out I remembered I wanted to know if I have my c-section scheduled yet. So he took me back to his office and sure enough it was!!!

I was crossing my fingers and hoping with every ounce of fiber in my body that it would land on 10-10-10 however, to my disappointment it was scheduled for 10-11-10! OH NO!!! I was saddened, I had told him how much I want'ed 10-10-10 and why. He felt sorry for me and said if I rather change doctor's I might be able to get 10-10-10. I thought about it a bit then decided against it since I really do like him and would like him to deliver my baby.

After I left his office the nurses schedule me for my final few appointments then sent me on my way. All I could think about was the date... UGH! so close! Once I got home I was greeted by an excited Mia "Mama! Mama! Mama!!!" and tired husband. I sat down and told Adrian all about the appointment then about the c-section date. He was bummed too and after talking with him a bit he convinced me to check to see if I can switch docs just so I can keep the date. I quickly ran to the computer and emailed my doc and explained I really wanted the 10-10-10 date and am willing to make the switch. I still haven't heard from him and I am not even sure if it is possible. It would be really REALLY REEEEEALY cool if they can make the change but I am not holding my breath. Besides, having two kids with the 11th as their birthdays isn't so bad.

Well the visit went really well, considering. I just hope the baby is ok and is growing fine. I know I have been so worried about having an oversized baby its weird to actually be scared for an under sized one now!!! UGH! pregnancy is so stress inducing! haha

Kasier Check-Up Info

General information

What:

Ob Office Visit with MARK ALAN DRESBACH MD

When:

Thursday August 19, 2010 9:40 AM

Where:

• OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY (WILDOMAR MEDICAL OFFICES U)

Diagnosis:

GESTATIONAL DM (DIABETES MELLITUS)

Phone:

866-984-7483

Vitals

Blood Pressure:

102/67

Pulse:

105

Height:

5' 6" (1.676 m)

Weight:

186 lb (84.369 kg)

I love this quote... so true!

I have carried a child within my body. I have comforted a baby upon my chest. My body is not magazine perfect, but when I look in the mirror I see a mother, and there is no greater honor or blessing.

Darn it!!!! and I thought I could escape it

Well it finally happened.... and pretty late in the pregnancy I might add, but I found my first stretch mark... YUCK!!! I was really hoping to avoid this horribleness this time around since Mia stretched me out so much but ah well.....

I feel fortunate that it showed up now and instead of a few months back. With Mia they showed up about mid-way and by the time I delivered my lower half (below my bellow button) was covered in those horrible dark purple lines. They were pretty bad and massive despite all the "preventive creams" I used. Well the good news is, after having Mia I really took care of them by putting on some special cream religiously until they faded. Now you can't really even see them unless you look up really close or feel my skin.

Well now Alex is putting his mark on my body too. So far I have only found 1 and its really REALLY low, infact its right next to my C-Section scar. So I don't mind them being that low, I just hope it stays that way.

Well I am off to slab on more lotion!

UGH!!! Kaiser!! GRRRR!!!!!

Well we all know I am not to fond of our insurance, Kaiser. However, I have been with them since 2004 and most of my records are with them. Granted there are some good points in having Kaiser... I do like the doctor's they have and service during emergencies, but I do not like their loops you have to jump just to get ahold of anyone!!!! ARGH!

Like I mentioned earlier, I have been experiencing some severe stomach cramps. Mostly on my right side and it goes all the way to my back. Well this morning they came back ... again! And again I was couch ridden. I was watching TV then the thoughts of appendicitis popped in my head! "Isn't that on your right side!??!!" So when I felt well enough to jump on the computer to do some research I did. Turns out appendicitis is pretty common during the later part of pregnancies, however, it did mention that the pain doesn't go away. Mine does... eventually. So I did the next best thing, I gave my Sis-in-law a call (she has 4 kids and is a pregnancy pro!) I asked her advice and what she thought. She couldn't figure it out either but recommended I call my doctor. She thought it could be signs of a bladder or kidney infection, especially since the pain travels to my back. I agreed about calling my doctor and when I got off the phone I reached for his number.

Of course Kaiser does not let you call your doctor directly or even his office!!! They make you call a generic number, and after going through a ton of menu options you are finally put through to a live (non-medical) person. Then you have to tell them why you are calling. In the case of myself, I wanted to leave a message with my doctor's office, so I have to leave a message with THEM, and they would relay it to the office. UGH! What a headache not to mention a violation of ones privacy. Anyways, when I told her about my stomach pains she right away asked if I was more than 5 months. I told her next week I start my 8th month. Thats when she stopped me and told me she could not take my call and that I needed to be transferred to labor and delivery!!! Greeeat! So she transferred me to labor and delivery (another middle man)

The nurse on the phone was very nice, however, I didn't like her diagnosis one bit. Though she reassured me that it was not appendicitis since the pains does go away, she also shot down the bladder/kidney infection as well since I was asymptomatic. UGH! Instead she said it sounded like "round ligament pain". I know EXACTLY what round ligament pain is since I was diagnosed with the most severe case, "PSD" (Symphisis Pubis Dysfunction) when I was pregnancy with Mia. I knew this pain was different. So the nurse went on and on telling me all about the round ligament pain and I was getting irritated. Soon I just cut her off and explained that I had that problem with my daughter and I am all to familiar with it. I told her the pain was much higher than it was with Mia and shot through my back. She still insisted it was round ligament pain and did not refer me to the ER or my own doc. Instead she told me to call back if I start to bleed, contract, or the pain gets worse. WONDERFUL!!! UGH! Ah well, I thanked her and hung up.

So now I guess I will just wait till Thurs. when I see my baby doc anyways. I have a feeling they might just ride it off as round ligament pain... maybe it is.. I dunno. All I know is that its definitely different than the pain I had with Mia with severity, location and how long it lasts.

I have been wearing my maternity belt more and that seems to help the onset of the pain, however, once I have it, it no longer helps. I don't like my belt mainly because its uncomfortable but also Alex stops moving so much and that kind of worries me.

I went back and checked when the round ligament pain really kicked in hard-core with Mia and turns out it was right around this time, alittle after hitting 8 months. So who knows, maybe they are right... but I still hate Kaiser in the fact you have to jump through hoops and you still get blocked from your main goal. I wouldn't get so angry if it was my doc or one of his nurses who know my history personally, diagnose round ligament pain over the phone... I don't like the fact I had to listen to a nurse who does not even have my chart to diagnose me!!! UGH!!

Well all I can hope now is that the pain doesn't get any worse and I can still remain functional for Mia's sake.

Worst Cramp EVER!

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I have been experiencing alot of really bad cramps on the side of my stomach that go straight to my lower back. This usually occurs in the morning and can last anywhere from 15mins to 2-3 hours! They get so bad that I have to sit down or lay down since walking and standing make the pain 1000000x worse!

Well today I got the KING of all cramps that scared me really bad. It totally blind sided me and came out of no where. Adrian, Mia and I were running some errunds around town. The last place we had to go was to the grocery store down the street from our house. It was been an extremely HOT day today and when my car reached 104 I decided that I would go inside the store and wait for Adrian and Mia to join me. (It takes some time to get her out of her car seat and get her set up). So I got off the car and walked into the store and grabbed a basket. The walk really wasn't that far and I wasn't walking fast either.

I waited for Adrian and Mia to catch up and eventually they did. We put Mia in the cart and started down the isles. I didn't even make it half way down the very first isle before I started to feel a slight pain/cramp on my right side of my stomach. Uh-Oh! I thought to myself. I thought if I kept walking and ignore it might just go away... WRONG!!!! By the time we hit the end of the isle I was in TONS of pain! I told Adrian and told him I might not make it. I tried leaning on the cart and pushing it and that didn't work the pain grew worse and worse. I made it down one last isle before I ended up stopping in my tracks, hunched over and in PAIN! From a scale of 1-10 (10 being the WORST pain EVER .. it was an 8!) I told Adrian I couldn't go any further and told him I was going to sit down on the benches in front of the store in hopes it will alieve my pain. He agreed and I walked away.

I barely made it to the bench... the pain was unbareable. I started to get scared, what if this triggers labor!!! It was that bad. I sat there in pain for another 10-15mins and soon Adrian was in line to buy our food. My pain never got better and I knew I needed to get into the car or we would be stuck at the store! So I slowly walked to the cart and asked for the car keys. Each step made my pain grow even worse. My heart started to race, I felt dizzy and sick to my stomach since the pain was so bad. I barely made it back to the car and sat in it and waited for Adrian and Mia. They soon showed up and we drove home.

The pain never got any better and infact even got worse on the short ride home in the car. I slowly got off the car, barely able to breathe and staggered into our guestroom and I laid down on my left side. The pain just pieced my body, my back was hurting so bad and so was my stomach. I laid still and hoped it would get better.

About 30 mins later it FINALLY started to get better. Especially when Alex shifted. I slowly sat up, put on my maternity belt and slowly walked to the restroom to use it. After the restroom I walked to the livingroom where Adrian and Mia were and again the pain started to creep back and fast!!

I quickly sat on the couch with Mia and that helped a bit. Another 15 mins past and it finally started to get better. I grew hungry and knew I had to eat so when I felt good enough I got up and made myself alittle dinner. The pain was still there but very mild and soon was almost gone. I am not sure what happened.

I am still a bit sore and still feel the reminse of the pain but NOTHING like it was. I gave the green light to Adrian to go to work. I think I will be ok. The good thing is, its showing signs of getting better, I am not contracting, and not bleeding.

Ugh! These cramps!!! I don't know whats up with them. I never experienced this with Mia! Good thing I have a doc appt later this week maybe they will have some insight. Till then I am hoping I will be fine the rest of the night.

31 weeks!

Good Morning! Ugh! I am so tired... what a busy busy weekend. We did a turn around trip to Oxnard on Sat. and although we rested on Sunday I am still pooped! Alex has been doing great, moving and squirming around so much. His Auntie Lauren got to feel him as well as his younger cousins, Sarah and April! Everyone who saw my belly remarked on how much I have popped out and yes I even got comments on my inside out belly button!!! EWW! That is one feature I don't care to much for, I didn't get it with Mia but I sure got it with this little guy.

As for the name we are pretty set on Alex, however, still have problems with his formal name. I still like Victor Alejandro but Adrian is still insistent on Alejandro being his first name. I dunno... I am just not a huge fan of the name but I love Alex. Both my brother and sis in law tried to convince me to make Alejandro his first name due to the ackwardness of using a middle name but I dunno. I explained Adrian is now Adrian's first name but ah well. Only time will tell I still have a few more weeks to figure it out.

I am getting more and more excited! Especially now since the two baby showers are under way in planning and I know his big debut is just around the corner now. I am in the 30s weeks and that brings alot more realization to me. Yes, I am still a bit nervous about juggling two kids but I am getting more eager to find out what he looks like, how he is, to hold him, to breast feed again (yes I LOVED to breastfeed since its such an amazing bonding experience) and just all the fun stuff that goes along with having a baby newborn again. However, I know its going to be trying and TONS of work and yes that does get me a bit nervous too! Also, not to mention I am excited to be off this DANG DIET!!!! hahaha

CRAVINGS:

Ok I wouldn't really call it a true craving since I don't have much to choose from food wise, but I love this little rice puddle they sell at the grocery store. The carbs are decent if I only eat half a cup at a time but OMG it is soooooo gooooood! I can't get enough of it, I love it! Granted I am a rice pudding fan but OMG this stuff is good! I realize I can now also eat chocolate again! YAY! Just stinks that it can't be candy. The only chocolate my diet allows is the sugar free pudding snack but OMG its good. I have been going through those like crazy!

TIREDNESS/SICKNESS:

Yep the tiredness has returned. I am a constant walking zombie and though I want to go out and do things, I just don't have the energy. I can no longer go through the entire day without a nap, so I am back to taking naps when Mia goes down for a nap. I get winded so much and after doing something for awhile I need to sit back down or my belly starts to hurt. As for sickness, I still get up queasy in the morning but nothing bad, I think its more due to being so darn hungry! Smells still make me queasy but no longer make me throw up THANK GOODNESS! That phase was HORRIBLE!

NEW SYMPTOMS:

I have been getting stomach cramps alot in the morning, especially after I eat. I mean they are REALLY bad where I have to sit down for at least an hour. They usually occur on the side of the belly (either side) and just hurts until Alex finally moves out of the way. Not fun!

The belly is getting bigger yet the weight is still going down. I am in the low 183s now which I still think is pretty crazy since I start my 8th month next week! I do see my baby doc (the one who will deliver him) later this week, we will see his opinion on the whole thing. Everyone has commented on how good I look (Especially considering I am pregnant and so far along) they say I have really slimmed down in my face, arms and legs and sides. Pretty crazy I think! Well I only have about 7 more weeks to go, we will see how much weight I gain.

He is constantly on the move and ever since he was tiny and even around the time he was conceived I noticed he LOVES to hang out on my right side. He is constantly leaning on that side and pushing is tiny body against it. I often times can feel his head or back while the other side of my tummy is all soft and quishy haha

I still get out of breath alot and dizzy, not really sure what is causing that. I do have my blood sugar under control but the anemia still hasn't been addressed by the doctors yet. Maybe its just due to being so far along.

Braxton hicks are baaaaack! I have been getting more and more of these during the day, and tiny little contractions. I know they are contractions due to my elevated heart rate but they are extremely mild, I just know my body is getting ready for the big event. The braxton hicks though don't really hurt but they sure are uncomfortable!

Week 30!

OMG!!!! Ok not its starting to feel like time is starting to go faster and faster! I am 30 weeks now which means in 9 weeks I will have having my bouncing baby boy! That doesn't seem like much time! The two baby showers we are having have finally set the dates (Sept. 11th (Oxnard), and Sept 26th (San Diego)) Its starting to feel more real. We went to Babies R Us today to register and surrounding myself with tons of baby BOY things was definately a pretty cool experience. I am started to get excited, still pretty nervous about how in the heck I am going to balance everything and the new life change, but Adrian keeps reassuring me that things will be ok and we are now "experienced" parents and that knowledge is on our side. All I know is that Mia was NOT an easy newborn, even her Grandparents admitted that she was alittle bit "tough" but we got through it. Adrian keeps telling me every baby is different and we will most likely not go through the same thing with Alex (yes I think Alex is his official name). Only time will tell but it is alittle scary, on the other hand it is pretty exciting to have a baby new born again and a son! I can't wait.

The rest of the week has been Meh. Emotions have been running high with me and I am not sure if its all due to the hormones. A big part of it is, but another part is just frustration. This diet still urks me because I could be doing good for 5-6 readings then some how screw up and I spike... ugh! Not fun.

But a fun thing we also did this week was take tummy pics! THAT was alot of fun and they actually didn't come out half bad. I am so proud of my baby bump, and yes I think I will even miss it a bit.

CRAVINGS:

Ugh... I really think I am going to stop writing in this section since I am on that strict diet and can't indulge in anything.

SICKNESS/TIREDNESS:

The tiredness is back in full force. I know a part of it is due to the lack of sleep but still out of no where it will hit me like a train. I get so drained I have to take a nap even if its a short 10 mincat nap. Sometimes I will get so light headed and dizzy I have to wake up Adrian early just so he can care for Mia. Not sure if its a diabetes thing or pregnancy thing or anemia thing. I do have an appointment with my OB tomorrow maybe she can enlighten me a bit on whats going on with me.

NEW SYMPTOMS:
For two mornings in a room I have gotten this horrible cramp on my side. The first morning it was on my right side, this morning it was on my left. It is all baby, because once he moves out of the way it feels better. Unfortunately, he doesn't always move and the pain will be there for literally hours!!!! The pain is so bad I can't walk, its not really like the ligament pain I had with Mia its more of a cramp on the side. It hurts.

I am still waiting for the ligament pain to set in. It set in around the early 8th month with Mia. I am almost there now. I can feel it sometimes but its not as bad as it was with Mia. Hopefully it will stay that way because that was some serious pain!

My weight is still going down. Thats pretty crazy to say since I am almost 8 months. Today I officially hit 1 pound UNDER my pre-pregnancy weight. My docs are pretty concerned and don't want me to lose any more but its not like I am doing it on purpose! Its this dang diet! and every time I try to up the calories/carbs like they told me to my blood sugar spikes! Ugh, its a no win situation. I am sure I will make up the weight once I near the end when the baby gains a pound a week!!! I remember when Mia did that, it scared me because I didn't know when/where it would stop! haha

Hes on the move! Always rolling around the stretching. They told me I need to start doing my "kick counts" but he is so active there really isn't any need. I will know if he is too quiet, thats for sure! He does go nuts sometimes and even Adrian has been woken up at night from the bed thumping, I think thats too funny especially since I sleep right through it most of the time. Guess I am getting used to it! haha

We are Registered at Babies R Us!

Today was the day we finally made it out to Babies R Us to finish registering for the baby. Granted we still have TONS of Mia hand-me-downs we still needed some essentials, like blue baby wash clothes (we pretty much only have pink and I am NOT washing my boy with pink! haha) bottle liners, blue sheets and boy clothes and such. It was really fun, though Mia didn't let Dada help me since she wanted to run around the store.

I did find one thing that was pretty amusing... and no I am not talking about the "pee-pee shield" haha, but I kept wanting to scan baby girl things by habit! I am so not used to shopping for boys, especially since Mia is a girl and I have 6 nieces and no nephews. So it was a fun experience. I hope I get at least some of the stuff I put on the registry. Blue Blue Blue! Everywhere Blue! This is gunna be fun!

Tummy Pics!

The one thing I regret not doing during Mia's pregnancy was taking more tummy pics. Infact there are less than a handful of preggy pics of me and only 1 belly showing which was taken when I was about 4-5 months pregnant.

With this pregnancy I really wanted to make up for lost time, yet I never seem to find the right time to do it. I am now 7.5 months along and I only have a handful... and nothing recent with my tummy as big as it is.

So today we decided to go down to Temecula Duck pond and take some tummy pics. Adrian was armed with my camera and I dressed in my only blue maternity shirt and we took some pics. Of course it wasn't easy with Mia running around and trying to jump into the pond every 2 secs but we did manage to take some pics. I am happy. I am not a Mama who shows off bare belly (though I wish I could) mainly because I have TONS of surgical scars that didn't heal right from my gall bladder removal not to mention a C-Section scar, so though I have to cover up I still think they came out nice. I am happy with them =)

Diabetes Appointment

Well today I had to make another trip out to Riverside to meet with my gestational diabetes consultant, dietitian, and social services worker. Unfortunately for Adrian the appointment could only be held at 11am so that means hes on practically zero sleep and has to watch Mia since she can't go with me. I just got home and both are asleep in her room...awwww....

Anyway I have been slowly getting the hang of my new diet plan. My sugar levels are pretty good and only spike when I experiment a bit to much. I met with my gestational diabetes consultant/nurse first. This is the person that will be calling me weekly and I will have to give her my weekly blood sugar results. I talked to her previously on the phone and she seemed pretty nice. It was a nice relief that she was just as nice in person too. We went over a few things and she thought my levels looked great. The only concern she had was my weight. I am losing weight, which seems really odd for a 7.5 month pregnant woman to say. Infact I have lost 3 pounds since last week! I am officially under my pre-pregnancy weight, isn't that crazy!??!

After I met with Judy, I met with a new dietitian. She went over my meal plan, my charts/levels and what I have eaten over the past week. She advised me that I should NOT be losing any more weight and to up my carbs and calories. She said that starches are still VERY necessary in my diet plan and should not be avoided. (I have to admit I was cutting back on them). The good news is she gave me the ok to start taking my Super Hero Gummy vitamins again! WHOOHOO! She tweeked my meal plan a bit but nothing to drastic. She just kept emphasizing how I should not lose any more weight from this point on.

Finally I was supposed to meet with a social worker. It isn't as bad as it sounds, it was more of a mental health evaluation to make sure this new diabetes diagnosis isn't sparking depression and such. Unfortunately, when it was my turn to meet with her she had to run off since she was on-call and had three other emergencies to attend to. So she should be calling me back and going over my questionnaire.

After that I was sent on my way. So what do I think about all of this??? To be honest I really wasn't expecting to lose more weight, granted I am not upset about (more thrilled) but I know it isn't right. I will up my carbs and calorie intake I just hope I don't balloon up. My consultant said since I only have 10 weeks left she highly doubts I will even come close to 200 lbs (my biggest concern since even before I got pregnant with this little guy) even if I were to gain 1-2 point a week! That brings me some relief. I know I am towards the end and this is the time the baby himself really start packing on the weight. I wonder how that will go, I will just be happy to have a happy healthy baby boy and stay under 200! haha

Kasier Check-Up Info

General information

What:

Allied Health/nurse Visit with JUDY L ALLEN RN

When:

Thursday August 05, 2010 11:00 AM

Where:

• OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY (RIVERSIDE MEDICAL CENTER U-RIVU)

Phone:

866-984-7483

Vitals

Weight:

184 lb (83.462 kg)

29 weeks

Happy Sunday!!! I am 29 weeks today and man this has definately been one of the toughest weeks so far (not counting the numerous weeks of sickness in the beginning). I got my meal plan and nutrition guide, and blood monitor this week. I have learned how to pretty much manage my blood sugar now, but it wasn't without its trials and errors. I was so frustrated most of the week because I couldn't seem to get my blood sugar under control no matter what I did and no matter how close I thought I followed the meal plan. It wasn't until Adrian sat down with me and gave me some words of wisdom and some diet tweeks did I finally, FINALLY get things under control. This is my second full day of having normal blood sugar ALL day and we went to a birthday party yesterday and went out to eat at Pat and Oscar today so thats saying a TON! Ya, the diet royally sucks but at least I am finally getting the hang of it. I don't feel so bad, and the only time I get alittle bit frustrated is when I crave or see people eating the foods I can't have. I can't even have a crumb of them because my blood sugar is so darn sensitive. Ah well at least I am getting healthier and I know my baby boy is benefiting from all of this as well.

CRAVINGS:
This section is no longer fun for me. I can't give in to any cravings and thinking of any ones that I do have, I can't have. UGH! So I take it one day at a time and try not to focus on food as much as I can. There hasn't been anything on my meal plan that has me running back for more.

SICKNESS/TIREDNESS:
I have brought this section back. The pregnancy sickness is practically non-existent, though I still get queasy from bad smells in the morning. Especially Mia's poopie diapers. I still wake up a tad bit queasy but I think its more because I am more hungry than I normally am due to the diet and my eating regimen. Tiredness is still there but has gotten a WHOLE lot better since I changed my eating habits. I really think my blood sugar is the cause of many of the fatigue symptoms I have been feeling lately .... I never thought it was that!

NEW SYMPTOMS:

Well feeling better now that I have my blood sugar under control has help SO MUCH! My energy levels no longer crash for no reason, my heart rate has been getting better, same with the arrythmias (though I still have both.. but its mostly due to the pregnancy) My swelling has been SO MUCH better, so over all I have been feeling a bit better. I still get winded but nothing like I used to.

The little guy, however, has becoming SO ACTIVE! OMG! He is making up for lost time or something. When he gets going he really gets going and it takes such a long time for him to calm down and go back to sleep! I would have to say hes right up there with Mia's pregnancy and even then may even surpass her! He doesn't do a whole lot of jabs or kicking but more stretching and pushing. One night he was going so hard at it I had Adrian put his hand on my belly and he was even shocked on how hard this guy pushes against my tummy walls. My stomach will literally have a tiny buldge coming out when he pushes against it. That night he was hitting the bed so much that it woke Adrian up, when he put his hand on my belly he got pushed alot too!! haha Yep, I think I have a strong boy on my hands!

I am also coming to terms with the name Alex more and more. I even sign birthday cards for Alex as Alex. I have also been telling people that name as well. I really think we are going to go with Victor Alejandro Cardoso or Alejandro Victor Cardoso... either way Baby Alex is still my favorite!