Agh! Well, I failed the one hour glucose, but not by much (148). Then, I passed all but one area of the three hour. The fasting. According to Dr. H., the most important one. So, then, to be sure, he wanted me to do an a1C, which measures the percent of sugar over a three month period. Dr. H's nurse called and I passed that one...."but barely." She said it was 3.59, I thought, which is actually still well within normal ranges. So I think I may have heard her wrong and she actually said 5.9, because that makes a lot more sense (4-6 is "normal" according to all my research). I could have sworn she said 3.59, though.
At any rate, they are not calling it gestational diabetes, because it really isn't, but because the level was on the high side, they want me to watch my carbs. Hello?!?! Do they not know these are the last eight weeks I can actually eat carbs?? For the rest of my life??? I guess not. Well, she didn't actually say cut out all carbs...she said be careful. No juice (don't do that anyway), pizza, pasta meals, etc. I have to measure my fruit from now on and make sure I only eat one actual serving. So I guess eating the entire bag of bing cherries is out? Yes, I was assured, it is. Only 1/2 cup. Hardly seems worth it! Chips and salsa...goodbye, my love. Mozzarella sticks...oh, how you will be missed!
Thankfully, I had a handy little diabetic cookbook sitting around that I was using a lot before I got pregnant and I am remembering I actually liked a lot of the meals and snacks from that. Alas, maybe I won't be that deprived. And, quite possibly, because I was doing such a good job watching what I ate prior to getting pregnant (after discovering I was pregnant, though, I ate pretty much what I wanted), maybe that's what pushed me over the edge this time?? Maybe?? Hopefully??
I'm thankful that it's not technically GD and I'm thankful that at least I know what I have to do. Now on to find some more good recipes....if anyone knows of any, let me know!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Place Your Vote!
We have already named Baby Girl, but I thought it would be fun to put up our top 5 names and have you all vote for your favorite! You can place your vote to the right in the side bar. Have fun! You'll find out on her birthday what her name is!!
Surgery
Nathanial, Ethan, and Noah got their tubes in Monday. It went surprisingly well. Noah, I knew, would be our Mr. Drama, and he was.
Nathanial went first. He did really well and came back quiet, with some whining as he woke up a little more. Dr. Bell did the hearing test to check his cochlear nerve response while he was asleep. He passed in his right ear, only failing one out of six areas. His left ear was a pass, also, but not a good pass. He failed three areas, passed three areas. She said she may still do the ABR test on him depending on what we see in two weeks. The good news is that with his right ear being strong, he is hearing at a speech-learning-level right now and that is all we ever wanted. So now he should start to hear better and learn. Yay! He isn't responding as well as I would have hoped yet, and is still very quiet, but I still think it's partly his personality and he's just going to take more time to get the hang of things.
Noah went second. He wasn't sure what was going on and was chewing his lip before he went back. He didn't understand why they all got dressed up in little gowns, with footies and hats, and why Nathanial disappeared, but he figured it couldn't be good. I heard him coming down the hall when he was done, howling away. He was not a happy baby. Dr. Bell came in to explain he had similar results to Nathanial, slightly better. He has a strong right ear, and a weak left ear. He passed four out of six areas in his left ear; passed five out of six in his right. So, again, he is hearing at a speech-learning-level and should start talking. He already has! He had several words before the tubes, but he quickly caught on to more. We went to pick up Tylenol afterwards (to be sure I had plenty!) and he was crying in the store. When I asked him if he was just plain mad, he said "mad, mad, mad" and kept on crying. He seems to do really well with "m" words for some reason. He says mom, more, me, mad, mine. Interesting. He also has responded really well to when we talk to him and has said "I do," "I see it," and "Look this." I think he's going to pick up fairly well.
Ethan went last. His hearing test was good in both ears, so that was a relief. He didn't cry at all afterwards, was just hungry and thirsty. He has been picking up more words, also, which is neat to see. He has said to me several times "Here go" when he's handing me something and is saying other things, also. I think he'll catch on to language reasonably quickly.
It was a good experience. I wish I could have done more to prepare them, so they would understand, but you really can't. Poor Noah was just terrified before and was not a happy baby at all until today. Yesterday, he was just as owly as the day before. The difference was Nathanial and Ethan were both owly right along with him yesterday so he didn't seem as bad. Today everyone seems to be getting back to themselves. They are no longer having the balance issues they had Monday and yesterday, which is good to see. And they are finally taking a decent-length nap (gives me time to catch up here!). They hate, hate, hate the drops that go in their ears. Aidan was reassuringly telling them "It's OK, it's just cold...it doesn't hurt...don't cry, you're OK" while I was giving them the drops. I am glad I have someone who can tell me it doesn't hurt and it's just cold...because the way they are acting you would have thought it is a form of torture!
Nathanial went first. He did really well and came back quiet, with some whining as he woke up a little more. Dr. Bell did the hearing test to check his cochlear nerve response while he was asleep. He passed in his right ear, only failing one out of six areas. His left ear was a pass, also, but not a good pass. He failed three areas, passed three areas. She said she may still do the ABR test on him depending on what we see in two weeks. The good news is that with his right ear being strong, he is hearing at a speech-learning-level right now and that is all we ever wanted. So now he should start to hear better and learn. Yay! He isn't responding as well as I would have hoped yet, and is still very quiet, but I still think it's partly his personality and he's just going to take more time to get the hang of things.
Noah went second. He wasn't sure what was going on and was chewing his lip before he went back. He didn't understand why they all got dressed up in little gowns, with footies and hats, and why Nathanial disappeared, but he figured it couldn't be good. I heard him coming down the hall when he was done, howling away. He was not a happy baby. Dr. Bell came in to explain he had similar results to Nathanial, slightly better. He has a strong right ear, and a weak left ear. He passed four out of six areas in his left ear; passed five out of six in his right. So, again, he is hearing at a speech-learning-level and should start talking. He already has! He had several words before the tubes, but he quickly caught on to more. We went to pick up Tylenol afterwards (to be sure I had plenty!) and he was crying in the store. When I asked him if he was just plain mad, he said "mad, mad, mad" and kept on crying. He seems to do really well with "m" words for some reason. He says mom, more, me, mad, mine. Interesting. He also has responded really well to when we talk to him and has said "I do," "I see it," and "Look this." I think he's going to pick up fairly well.
Ethan went last. His hearing test was good in both ears, so that was a relief. He didn't cry at all afterwards, was just hungry and thirsty. He has been picking up more words, also, which is neat to see. He has said to me several times "Here go" when he's handing me something and is saying other things, also. I think he'll catch on to language reasonably quickly.
It was a good experience. I wish I could have done more to prepare them, so they would understand, but you really can't. Poor Noah was just terrified before and was not a happy baby at all until today. Yesterday, he was just as owly as the day before. The difference was Nathanial and Ethan were both owly right along with him yesterday so he didn't seem as bad. Today everyone seems to be getting back to themselves. They are no longer having the balance issues they had Monday and yesterday, which is good to see. And they are finally taking a decent-length nap (gives me time to catch up here!). They hate, hate, hate the drops that go in their ears. Aidan was reassuringly telling them "It's OK, it's just cold...it doesn't hurt...don't cry, you're OK" while I was giving them the drops. I am glad I have someone who can tell me it doesn't hurt and it's just cold...because the way they are acting you would have thought it is a form of torture!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Sick, Sick, Sick
Aidan started the week with whatever this illness is and now the triplets and I have it. It is very icky and we feel just crappy. I even called Steve home early today and I know he has auditors there Monday morning, but I just have no choice.
I called Dr. Bell to see if I should reschedule the babies' tubes, but she said to wait it out. If they do not have poopies, fevers, and aren't throwing up on Monday, then they can still get the tubes. So now we wait, see, and pray.
I called Dr. Bell to see if I should reschedule the babies' tubes, but she said to wait it out. If they do not have poopies, fevers, and aren't throwing up on Monday, then they can still get the tubes. So now we wait, see, and pray.
Friday, July 11, 2008
You did WHAT?!?!?!
We went to get Austin from camp today and everyone was very excited for him to come home. They had a little program and it was really neat. They sang some songs, and then we were ready to go. Austin got his stuff together and then we had to pick up his medicine and picture CD from the camp office before we could leave. Since the office was on the way to the car, with a line, I told Austin to go put his duffel bag, backpack, and sleeping bag in the van while I waited in line. OK, I know....trusting Austin with the keys was my first mistake. It's the last time I'll do it, too.
He comes back to me, not really looking at me and I notice his hands are completely empty...nothing in them. So I thought (prayed) Aidan had the keys. When I asked him where they were, he said he had locked them in the van. I thought for sure he was joking. He couldn't possibly be serious...could he?!? It was 98 degrees outside, with no breeze whatsoever, and we had a sick Aidan, and an icky feeling mom. I told him very funny...give me the keys. He couldn't. Nope, not so much. He really did lock them in the van! He hit the lock, then put them on the seat, then proceeded to shut the door. What?!?!?! We're in the middle of nowhere, and I could not have had the good fortune of bringing the truck with the keyless entry...nope, I had old Bessy.
So, he said that Dave (camp director) would maybe be able to pick it. Oh, fantastic...go to church camp for a week and that's the first thing that comes to mind??? Well, apparently, it was Dave's first thought, also. He called Chris and asked him to try it. Apparently, our van is "too new" (hahahahahaha) to pick the lock, it turns out. [It's a 2000.] So, we quickly decided to call the only locksmith in town before his hours were up and I was charged after-hours fees.
The little dude (Nick) showed up about 45 minutes later and in three seconds, he had the van open. He really wasn't expensive either. I was so relieved. I knew Steve wouldn't be able to come get us. We can't find the second set of keys and he was over 3 hours away from us. I didn't want to pay someone from Cedar Rapids to come up there to unlock it. Really we were very blessed a town that size had a locksmith and he was able to get right in.
All in all, Austin had a fantastic experience at camp. They did rock climbing, caving, archery, swimming, had a dance, and other fun things. The best part for me (and what impacted him the most, I could tell) was the night the counselors told their testimonies. Austin was retelling me a few of them and actually had tears in his eyes as he said them. It was awesome to see and I was so happy they did that, also.
He comes back to me, not really looking at me and I notice his hands are completely empty...nothing in them. So I thought (prayed) Aidan had the keys. When I asked him where they were, he said he had locked them in the van. I thought for sure he was joking. He couldn't possibly be serious...could he?!? It was 98 degrees outside, with no breeze whatsoever, and we had a sick Aidan, and an icky feeling mom. I told him very funny...give me the keys. He couldn't. Nope, not so much. He really did lock them in the van! He hit the lock, then put them on the seat, then proceeded to shut the door. What?!?!?! We're in the middle of nowhere, and I could not have had the good fortune of bringing the truck with the keyless entry...nope, I had old Bessy.
So, he said that Dave (camp director) would maybe be able to pick it. Oh, fantastic...go to church camp for a week and that's the first thing that comes to mind??? Well, apparently, it was Dave's first thought, also. He called Chris and asked him to try it. Apparently, our van is "too new" (hahahahahaha) to pick the lock, it turns out. [It's a 2000.] So, we quickly decided to call the only locksmith in town before his hours were up and I was charged after-hours fees.
The little dude (Nick) showed up about 45 minutes later and in three seconds, he had the van open. He really wasn't expensive either. I was so relieved. I knew Steve wouldn't be able to come get us. We can't find the second set of keys and he was over 3 hours away from us. I didn't want to pay someone from Cedar Rapids to come up there to unlock it. Really we were very blessed a town that size had a locksmith and he was able to get right in.
All in all, Austin had a fantastic experience at camp. They did rock climbing, caving, archery, swimming, had a dance, and other fun things. The best part for me (and what impacted him the most, I could tell) was the night the counselors told their testimonies. Austin was retelling me a few of them and actually had tears in his eyes as he said them. It was awesome to see and I was so happy they did that, also.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
OB Appointment
I went in today for my one hour glucose and my regular OB check. Three weeks ago, my blood pressure was awful, so he made me come back early this month. Today, it was awesome. It was 124/72, with a trace of protein and some swelling. So although the bp is down, I still am exhibiting signs of preeclampsia. But not awful enough to warrant another early visit. Yay!
I lost the one pound I had gained, so that isn't so good. The baby is doing great. Her heartbeat was great, measuring on time, and is happy as a lark in there. She still is pretty lazy, but that's alright. She rolls more than kicks and get a ton of hiccups. Still no delivery date set, which is fine by me! It seems unreal to me that in a little over two months we will have another baby in the house. I just still can't seem to wrap my brain around it, but I am so excited. We finally have her car seat bought and ordered the swing...now we just have to finish cleaning out her room and painting it, putting together the crib, and all the little stuff. Shawna (my sister) and her kids are coming out to help me get everything together and spend time with us and I am so excited for her visit!
I did the one hour glucose and they messed that up. She called me back, drew my blood and said I could be on my merry way. I'm glad I've had the test a few times to know enough that I wasn't finished. When I asked her about the drink, she was all surprised and didn't realize that's what I was there for. So she got me the nasty beverage, I drank it down, then went back and got drawn again. I did flunk the flipping thing again....by a mere 8 points (148)! Apparently, I flunked it by 13 (153) with the triplets and still passed the three hour, so that's what I'm hoping for now. I do that next week. Fun, fun. Lots and lots of reading time, I guess.
I lost the one pound I had gained, so that isn't so good. The baby is doing great. Her heartbeat was great, measuring on time, and is happy as a lark in there. She still is pretty lazy, but that's alright. She rolls more than kicks and get a ton of hiccups. Still no delivery date set, which is fine by me! It seems unreal to me that in a little over two months we will have another baby in the house. I just still can't seem to wrap my brain around it, but I am so excited. We finally have her car seat bought and ordered the swing...now we just have to finish cleaning out her room and painting it, putting together the crib, and all the little stuff. Shawna (my sister) and her kids are coming out to help me get everything together and spend time with us and I am so excited for her visit!
I did the one hour glucose and they messed that up. She called me back, drew my blood and said I could be on my merry way. I'm glad I've had the test a few times to know enough that I wasn't finished. When I asked her about the drink, she was all surprised and didn't realize that's what I was there for. So she got me the nasty beverage, I drank it down, then went back and got drawn again. I did flunk the flipping thing again....by a mere 8 points (148)! Apparently, I flunked it by 13 (153) with the triplets and still passed the three hour, so that's what I'm hoping for now. I do that next week. Fun, fun. Lots and lots of reading time, I guess.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Physicals for the Big Day
Today I took, all by myself, four of the boys to the doctor. I was very proud of myself for managing it! Nathanial, Ethan, and Noah had their physicals for Monday's tube surgery.
Everyone was great. I thought Noah was starting to look more slender and Ethan more hefty and I was correct. Nathanial weighed in at 21.6 lbs, Noah was 21.8 lbs, and Ethan a whopping 22.4 lbs. He is a very slow eater and he will sit long after everyone else is finished until he is really done, whereas Nathanial hates taking time to eat at all and as soon as Nathanial is finished, so is Noah. I think that's helping him pack on and maintain his weight. All three are so busy, busy, busy it's really no wonder they don't gain very fast.
Aidan was very good and made the visit much easier for me by remaining good.
Aidan has been sick for the last few days. I don't know what is going on with him. He started throwing up Sunday night and Monday, then did OK yesterday for the most part. Today he has had terrible, extremely loose stools. He's sleeping a lot more than usual and isn't really eating, either. Whatever it is, I hope it gets out of his system fast. He isn't really running a fever with it, either. Poor little guy.
Everyone was great. I thought Noah was starting to look more slender and Ethan more hefty and I was correct. Nathanial weighed in at 21.6 lbs, Noah was 21.8 lbs, and Ethan a whopping 22.4 lbs. He is a very slow eater and he will sit long after everyone else is finished until he is really done, whereas Nathanial hates taking time to eat at all and as soon as Nathanial is finished, so is Noah. I think that's helping him pack on and maintain his weight. All three are so busy, busy, busy it's really no wonder they don't gain very fast.
Aidan was very good and made the visit much easier for me by remaining good.
Aidan has been sick for the last few days. I don't know what is going on with him. He started throwing up Sunday night and Monday, then did OK yesterday for the most part. Today he has had terrible, extremely loose stools. He's sleeping a lot more than usual and isn't really eating, either. Whatever it is, I hope it gets out of his system fast. He isn't really running a fever with it, either. Poor little guy.
Monday, July 7, 2008
We're Back!!!
We went to Shawna's last week and had a lot of fun....and a little fighting (the kids, not us). We spent a lot of time hanging out and went to the river museum and the pool in Dubuque.
The museum had an exibit on all things venomous, so Austin loved that. I got a ton of great pictures that I will add to the dropshots page (www.dropshots.com/5boysmom).
We got home and unpacked everyone, then re-packed Austin for camp. He left Sunday afternoon and we go back to get him Friday afternoon. I hope he's having fun!
Our drive home was an interesting one, but I will leave that for a whole other post.
Our week has been pretty relaxing, with just me and the "little boys". If I can stop napping, maybe I can start keeping up with the blog again. I am just absolutely exhausted lately! I go back in tomorrow for a check and the glucose test...yuck.
The museum had an exibit on all things venomous, so Austin loved that. I got a ton of great pictures that I will add to the dropshots page (www.dropshots.com/5boysmom).
We got home and unpacked everyone, then re-packed Austin for camp. He left Sunday afternoon and we go back to get him Friday afternoon. I hope he's having fun!
Our drive home was an interesting one, but I will leave that for a whole other post.
Our week has been pretty relaxing, with just me and the "little boys". If I can stop napping, maybe I can start keeping up with the blog again. I am just absolutely exhausted lately! I go back in tomorrow for a check and the glucose test...yuck.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Ethan and His Lovey
Each of the babies has a favorite lovey that they received as presents when they were still itty-bitty. Nathanial had a cow, which is now MIA, so has been replaced with a stuffed elephant. Ethan has a puppy and Noah has a giraffe. They LOVE their loveys and we do not go anywhere without them! Since they are all very similar, they will occasionally switch with each other, but usually only if one of them is in crisis and the other two are OK. Otherwise, tough noogies, it's mine.
Ethan decides he better hold it closer or they might just get it:
Uh-oh...Noah has been successful and is very close to la-la land now:
Ethan is ticked, Nathanial is ticked, and Noah is happy as a lark:
All three (notice lovey is back with Ethan) finally fall asleep....about 15 minutes before Aunt Sue's house!):
We were driving to Steve's sister's (Sue) for Grandpa Kenny's birthday from Shawna's. All the boys were tired and everyone originally had their own lovey. Nathanial and Noah dropped their loveys and then realized it seconds before they decided to take a nap. Austin was also sound asleep, so I couldn't have him reach over and hand Noah and Nathanial theirs. This is what ensued.
Ethan holding loosely to his lovey, while Noah makes a grab for it and Nathanial just screams:
Ethan decides he better hold it closer or they might just get it:
Uh-oh...Noah has been successful and is very close to la-la land now:
Ethan is ticked, Nathanial is ticked, and Noah is happy as a lark:All three (notice lovey is back with Ethan) finally fall asleep....about 15 minutes before Aunt Sue's house!):
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