Did anyone say nesting instinct???

WOW! Maybe it's the Holiday spirit that's taken over my body, or the fact that we've gotten a lot of new baby stuff or maybe it's just good 'ole mother nature kickin' in and tellin me, "Get ready for baby!" Whatever it is, I've been busy these past few days getting things organized and ready. We now have all of the essential baby furniture that we'll need for the first few months, I think. We've got the crib, changing table, glider and ottoman, bassinet/pack-n-play and baby carrier with 2 car-seat bases. Phew!

The thing that I'm most excited about today is that glider! We've been looking for one for a long time and keep going back to one that'd be nearly $800 after tax and such and we just couldn't bring ourselves to spend that. Well, I've gone to several furniture stores on my own and today Brendan and I went to another 4-5. The first 2 had nothing! After going to those Brendan suggested that maybe we just not even try HOM and I decided we should still stop in since it's at the same exit as the 2 baby stores we were gonna go re-check. Well, THANK goodness that we went there. We found an awesome deal on a black metal glider and ottoman combo. However, as we're sitting there enjoying the comfort of the chair the salesperson mentioned that they just ran an ad on that chair a few weeks ago and they are now on backorder until MARCH! Darn-it-all! Thankfully, I remembered that when we looked at Furniture Outlet USA a few months ago we saw either the same chair or one very similar. Well, we decided to go home and have some lunch and I'd go check out F.O. USA. Guess what they had in-stock AND cheaper??? You got it, the glider-ottoman combo! YEEHAW!!! SO, for $168.00 I got a glider and ottoman with teflon treatment for stains! NICE!

I also got the changing table and pack 'n play all put together and set-up, stocked with diapers, wipes and booty-cream.

On the baby-front: I had my bi-monthly check-up on Tuesday. Heartrate of Baby was 148 and s/he is now in the head-down position... getting closer and closer to being ready to be here. The gestational diabetes is going ok. Still no fun pricking the finger 4 times daily, but I'm doing a good job of keeping my glucose levels in a healthy range which is good for both Baby and me. Speaking of Baby... it's getting to his/her busy time, so I gotta go... it doesn't like me leanin' over at all and that's what I'm doing now. HA! :) Already a picky person. I tried to upload pics of the pack 'n play and changing table, but blogger isn't working right, so another time...
Love to all!!!
~j & baby m

Testing, testing 1-2-3-4

Well, this is what I use 4 times a day to test my blood glucose levels... it is with me at all times, though I wouldn't exactly call it my new best friend. So far things are going ok... when I eat too much carbs I can feel it and my test results prove it. It's all just taking time to learn what I can handle and cant. I'll be perfectly honest that I would not be upset if this child were to arrive a few weeks early.

Other than my testing there's really not a whole lot else to report. Sleep is something that I dream of... day-dream that is. I woke up the other night and realized that in the 4 hours it had been since I went to bed I hadn't moved. Obviously I was beyond exhausted, though it's almost rougher that way cause rolling over is the most painful thing I've ever experienced, especially when I've been perfectly still for so long.

Any questions just ask. I can't think of anything else to say, sorry. Love to all!!!
~jen & baby m
p.s. here's me at 32 1/2 weeks... I feel like house!!! (I guess I kind-of am for someone, huh?!)

Not what we hoped for...

Thursday I was informed that I have been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes :(

This coming Tuesday I will be meeting with a nutritionist/dietitian and a diabetes educator. I will learn the details of what I will be doing to manage my condition throughout the duration of my pregnancy. Based on what we've read on the Mayo Clinic website, I will for sure be monitoring/testing my blood sugar multiple times daily. Also, a study was completed in 2005 that determined that it is best to treat the condition with insulin, so even though this isn't something I was hoping that I'd have to do, I do want to do whatever is best for baby and I can handle daily injections if that is ensuring my child's health.

That's really all for now. I'll post more as I learn more... Please keep the prayers coming that this can now be managed easily and appropriately.
Love to all!!! Thanks for your support!
~jen & baby & brendan

Prayers Please!!!

Hello to all. Well, I had my non-fasting glucose test this past Tuesday. Man, did baby like that sugar! Well, Friday morning I got a call on my cell from the doctor. As soon as I heard who it was I knew the news probably wasn't great. Well, it turns out that my body seemed to have a hard time and my glucose level (preferably below 129) was 168. SO, what that means is that I'm at risk for having developed gestational diabetes and I need to go in for a more comprehensive set of tests. This coming Tuesday I'll be taking part in a 3 hour glucose test which involves fasting for 12 hours prior to the test. Upon arrival at the clinic they will take an initial blood sample to see my beginning glucose level. I will then enjoy the scrumptious glucose (sugar) filled drink and over the following 3 hours my blood will be tested numerous times to see how my body responds to the high levels of glucose.

Needless to say, I was pretty emotional after I got the call just because no one wants to have to deal with any complications during pregnancy and I already dealt with 3-4 months of morning/all day sickness. Well, Brendan and I researched a bit and it turns out that up to 25% of women have high glucose readings on their initial test. Out of all pregnancies 3-5% develop gestational diabetes. So, I had about a 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 chance of testing high to begin with. It's not really an outrageously serious condition as it can be treated and managed with a diet high in fiber, complex carbs, and protein and very low in sugar. But seriously, of ALL times of the year to have to avoid sugary stuff?! CHRISTMAS!!! Grr!

So, please pray that the 2nd test turns out ok and I can still partake in the holiday goodies. Really, though, pray that no matter the results I am able to easily maintain a healthy pregnancy. Love to all and thank you!
~j

I'm an Aunt!!!

I am now the proud aunt of a a little girl, Aubrey Nicole. Yes, Brianne had her baby!!! She is 8 lbs 12 oz and 21 inches long! We are so excited! I just wanted to share it with all who read my blog. Sorry, no pics yet but I'm sure she's beautiful! Love to all!!!
~jen
P.S. Please pray that this baby in my belly gives my crotch a break for at least a day tomorrow... it's been kicking like crazy and I've been beyond uncomfortable all day.

10 weeks to go...

Well, I've made it to 30 weeks! YAY! The Braxton Hicks (practice) contractions has begun and at my check-up yesterday the midwife said that as long as they aren't painful, regulated (i.e. every 10 min) or accompanied by my water breaking all should be fine.

The Baby is also VERY active. Midwife suggested I count how many times baby moves within an hour and make sure I'm getting to 10 movements in that time. I responded by letting her know that it would only take me a matter of minutes to count 10 movements. She just laughed.

Baby has actually been pretty subdued tonight; I'm assuming because I've been so busy all evening cooking dinner, baking up another batch of Butterscotch-Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal cookies, cleaning up from all that and just doing stuff around the house. Now that I've eaten (including 2 sample cookies) and am "relaxing" s/he'll probably get moving like s/he did all day! I had Brendan feel my stomach last night as we laid in bed to see how crazy busy baby gets at bedtime and, needless to say, he was in awe. Now if I can just figure out how to get this kid to stop kicking/punching/elbowing me in my unmentionable area I'll be much happier. Don't get me wrong, I'm beyond excited that this kid is already becoming an athelete, I just wish that it wasn't so painful, at times, for me.

What else to share... to be honest I was a bit worried that I'd get scolded for the amount of weight I'd gained between my last appointment about 5 weeks ago and now, but the midwife was glad to see that I'm gaining weight and said that it's obviously, for the most part, all in my belly, so nothing be concerned about as long as I'm eating relatively healthfully.

Well, I think that's all for now... send questions my way if I missed anything you've been wondering about. As of today Bri has not had her baby yet, so whether Baby Moore will have a boy or girl cousin waiting for him/her is still unknown.
Thanks for reading...
~jen & baby m

Comparing

Well, I know I just posted yesterday, but I'm up for a late night/early morning snack and was looking back at pics and I'm just really starting to miss my old body! :( I love baby and how neat it is to see and feel him/her growing, but MAN! Lookin back at what I was, I hope it doesn't take too incredibly long to get back to that point. Here's where I've come... it took 25 weeks (was 4 weeks when I found out) to get to this, hopefully won't take anywhere near that long to get back. Love to all!!!
~j

29 weeks = stomach flu :(

Well, I slept pretty well last night, finally. I could tell this morning cause whenever I hit my snooze it seemed like my alarm was going off 30 seconds later instead of 15 min, but sure enough the 15 min had passed. I got up, had 2 packets of oatmeal for a nice warm and healthy breakfast, got dressed and ready and headed off to work.

Well, the good feelin was short lived. about 10 min before kids were supposed to arrive I suddenly began to feel REALLY hot and nauseaus. Despite the 20 degree temp outside I opened the window in my classroom and still couldn't cool off. I went and bought a bottle of cold water and still nothing better. On the way to go get the kids from the bus I barely made it to the bathroom and then again during the "Morning Meeting" I had to have my teacher aid/paraprofessional take over as I darted to the bathroom again. BLAH!

I called down to the office and they did their best to find me a sub (just going down the list and calling subs) and the nurse and then the school social worker came in to cover while I tried to quickly type up some notes and get everything "organized."

You'd think I would have felt this coming on but not even a hint that I'd be sick. I don't remember ever having the flu before, maybe once when I was 5 or 6, but otherwise I don't think so. NO FUN! The big belly doesn't make it easier, either!

Well, I mustered up a smile for the pic above... yet another pic take with the self-timer, so don't complain if it's not that great. Have a Fantastic Thanksgiving! Brendan returns Wednesday morning, so that's what I'm most thankful for!
Love to all!
~j & baby m

28 Weeks = 3rd Trimester

Well, I'm officially in the home stretch... the 3rd Trimester! YAY! Less than 3 months to go and I can't wait!

Many of you have been on me about posting a new photo on here. Well, as many of you know, Mr. Brendan (my baby's daddy) is currently over seas in Thailand for business, so there's no one here to take any quality pictures. Well, here's that I got by myself with my less than excellent camera. I've been having a lot of problems with my battery lasting and I don't know how, but it seems to be affecting the quality of the pictures as well... or it could just be that the pictures are at such a distance that the flash isn't doing it's job. Who knows?!

What else to share? Well, I went the first week or so after my last check up without gaining any weight and now I'm back up. Let me tell you, it's somehow tough to only gain 1 pound per week. I'm always hungry! I am doing a pretty darn good job of at least eating relatively healthy food when I am hungry, but HEY... I'm pregnant. One of the few times in my life that I'm allowed to give in to cravings, right? There were chocolate covered peanutbutter rice krispie bars in the lounge after school and I DID restrain myself! How good is that?

Other news is that I'm really starting to experience a good deal of back pain. No Fun! I need a good back rub, but those are hard to come by when all you've got around are 2 lazy cats. Even the fat one (Madison...14.5 pounds!) couldn't do anything by walking on it :) Then there's the problem of when Brendan does get home that I can't lay on my stomach which is the best way for me to totally relax. OH well!

Ok, all for today. Love to all!
~jen & baby m

Baby Shower Fun!

Well, today was the big day... Sarah called it Jen Day! Really, though, I think it was about the mysterious Baby Moore. We got so many fun things for baby! YAY! We played some neat games too including: Naming the TV show given a specific child character & Identify the type of chocolate candy that's been melted to resemble poopie in a "diaper." Now to the fun part... the gifts :) Here's what I've gotten pics of so far:
-A neat basket filled with some fun goodies-

-The Baby Bedding-

-Baby Blanket made w/love from Auntie Becca-
-THE G Galore "Travel System"-
-An Umbrella Stroller (Grandma Eastwood's #1 Recommended Travel Necesity)-

Other exciting presents include bottles, Baby Bjorn carrier, lots of cute onsies, a few bibs, books for baby, A super SWEET 80's Denise Austin Pregnancy Workout tape (YES, that's VHS not DVD...thanks BRF), and more :) Thanks to all who came... pics from the shower will be posted once I get them (Sarah B took lots) OH, and I can't forget the MN Northstar's Hockey t-shirt from Jen & Chris as well as Mtn. Bike Mick and his wife Bev :) Brendan is SO jealous!!!

Happy November!!! Maybe I'll be an Aunt myself soon, too... Brendan's sis Bri is due in 3 weeks, but sounds like she could go any time :)

~jen and baby m

What a belly!!!

Well, my students are now including my belly in their pictures they draw of me. I wish I scanned in one from today. The kids were "decorating" pumpkins (coloring a picture and adding the face if desired) and one student decided that I was standing under the pumpkin. All he drew was a head with a sad face (not sure why) and then a big circle that he said was my "bump" and then pointed to my stomach. It was beyond cute! A 2nd grader asked me yesterday if I am "pregnant", if it's my "first child" and if I knew whether it was a boy or girl. Her genuine interest and intrigue told me she must be from a large family... her teacher confirmed that she is one of several kids :)

Well, the diaper bag arrived and I LOVE IT! The ironic thing is that I commented to Brendan the other day that I saw a Coach bag at Marshalls that I liked and would make a good diaper bag (though now that I think back, it was a bit small... maybe a good bag for a quick trip to a friends place or lunch) but the bag was still about $150 which, for me, is too much for something you put diapers (and sometimes poopy diapers) in. When I showed Brendan the one I ordered tonight he "confessed" that he was going to go buy the Coach bag to surprise me, but didn't know if I had ordered the one I found online. Instead of asking me, he checked my blog so as to not seem suspicious. :) I told him it was the thought that counts and that truly I don't need a Coach bag to be used for a diaper bag. He said it was something I could use for more than a diaper bag, but still, I insisted that the brown one I ordered is just fine and I really do LOVE it :) What a great husband!!!

Well, nothing new on the baby front except s/he is growing. My belly was really sore this afternoon at school; I could feel it stretching. That's not very fun, but I do love feeling baby movin around. So neat! Speaking of... there s/he goes :)
~jen & baby

Another Purchase :)

Well, I've been feeling a bit down since we haven't bought much for baby or nursery in a long time so I went to Babies 'R Us yesterday to buy the diaper bag I found online and love and get the stroller/travel system. Well, no luck on the diaper bag. It looks like it's only available online. Then, when I went over to the travel system/stroller area I noticed there's another stroller now that's even cuter than the one that I registered for. Well, darn it all if it wasn't out of stock as well! BOO HOO! So, I came home, empty handed, and decided to order the diaper bag online and see if the stroller was there too, since I might get free shipping if I did it that way. Well, the diaper bag is on order (YAY!) but the stroller isn't even listed on the website even though it's a "Babies 'R Us exclusive." So, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled and check back in a few days.

Last night was the awards ceremony for Brendan's MNSCS (Minnesota State Championship Series), which he WON!!! Well, what do you think the overall winner of the MN Mountain bike series would win? You guessed it... an amazing, grey, cotton T-Shirt! WOW! If that's not motivation to do it again I don't know what is. But hey, I'm beyond proud of my man with skills (cause everyone knows that girls only want boyfriends [or husbands] with great skills). Way to go sweetie! (see Brendan's blog for more details: www.brendansbikeblog.blogspot.com)

Another exciting find occurred today. I went to Marshalls 'cause I love the place AND I can no longer zip up my fleece jacket which I live in. Well, I found a great deal on a fleece jacket that retails for $75 and I got it on sale for $12! But the more exciting find was a onsie with the MN Wild (hockey) mascot (or whatever it is) on it! Very cute and only $5.99 (originally $24 at Sears). Brendan was very happy that I finally found something for baby that is MN Wild. :)

Well, all for now. Vikings are on. Let's just hope they perform like the Packers did! :)
~jen & baby

Squirmy!

Well, I'm now 24 1/2 weeks along and things are going well. Had my monthly check up this morning and all is measuring and sounding and weighing up good. I'm gaining about 1 pound a week, so that's right on track, baby's heartrate is down to about 140 now, so that's good and my uterus is measuing normally (she didn't tell me the measurment, but said it's good). SO, that's all good news.

As with every other appointment, as soon as the midwife puts the heartrate moniter/doppler on my tummy to find baby's heartbeat the kid starts squirming around and kicking like crazy! I'm assuming it's just cause we've got a kid who is a lot like it's dad in there and is very stubborn and doesn't like going to the doctor. OH, an they gave me a flu shot! :( That was painful... ok, not really and I better not complain cause squeezing this thing outta me isn't gonna feel good, I already know that!

After the appointment I cleaned the house a bit and then met my great friend Sarah B. for lunch. MMMM, Subway! It was good, let me tell you! When you're pregnant and hungry, food is just simply amazing! :) She took the pic posted today, so 3 cheers for that one! My head is acutally in it (as with the ones where it's just belly... those are ones that I tried to take myself or Brendan, a.k.a. mr. photography , took).

I can't believe I'm already hungry again! Well, I think I've got one more Jello Jiggler left in the fridge (my latest craving) so it's callin my name and I'm gonna call this the end to this post.
~jen & baby

An Icky Morning

23 Weeks:

Well, had my 2nd official scare this morning. Was sitting at my computer at work and suddenly felt extremely hot but still cold, dizzy, nauseaus, etc. Did end up getting sick and then stopped by the nurses office at school and she looked at me and knew right away something was wrong. She said I looked like a ghost, white as a sheet. A full fledged nurse, she took my temp. blood pressure and immediately had me lie down on my left side :) Blood pressure was a bit low, but after talking to the doctors office later on found out it was normal for me now that I'm in my 2nd trimester, so they weren't worried since there was no fever and I didn't pass out.

After I drank a bit of water and laid down for a bit and felt better, though my principal continued to ask if I wanted a sub, so I took what I thought was a bit of a hint and they called a sub. Thankfully I have an awesome coworker, Chrissy, who got my kids for me from the bus and took them to her room for the morning routine (calendar, sharing, etc.) until the sub arrived and I quickly wrote up sub plans. The sub arrived, I went through the plans and then felt good enough to drive myself home.

I got home around 10am and shortly thereafter my parents arrived to keep watch over me for the day since Brendan was up north of the cities for work. Needless to say, I'm feeling better and I now have a very clean house thanks to Mom :)

For all who have been complaining that I have not updated this in a while (even though it's only been 3 or 4 days) here's the latest picture. :)

23 Weeks down...17 to go

Well. We just returned from a beautiful weekend at Devil's Lake State Park. While the guys were mtn biking (big surprise) a group of us went for a hike on the West Bluff trail. Then, today it was back out to the East Bluff (I think). Needless to say I'm beyond sore and my feet are enjoying doing nothing right now. :)

Pregnancy wise, the heart burn/sour stomach has now set in . No fun, but thankfully easily taken care of with some Tums, which also just provide some extra calcium. Also, the need to use the bathroom several times a night has ended for the time being. I'm sure as baby starts to get bigger the urge will return, but I'll enjoy the break while it lasts. :)

Itchy!!!

Well, it's getting itchy and lemme tell ya, by the end of the day, there's really not much of a belly button left! Thankfully there's those inbetween house where I get to sleep and belly shrinks a little bit (you know, due to digetstion and gravity and who knows why else). Oh, and you may have heard of the incredible shrinking man or woman or whatever... well how about the incredibe, expanding BOOBS! the darn things just won't stop growing. Seriously! They were big enough long before this whole pregnancy thing. I guess to that one I say, "thanks mom!"

Well, not a whole lot else to say. Baby is pretty quiet today, but I think it's cause I was busy yesterday (went hiking with my friend Jen, no not myself, another Jen) and then I'm all "drugged" up on allergy medicine (which doc says is safe) but I think it puts Baby to sleep :) Once I ate a little after work s/he started movin' a bit, so I'm not too worried.

Here's the latest pics... just about 21 weeks along! (amazing how quickly it flies once I stopped puking every 5 minutes)

Baby Bump at 19 1/2 Weeks

Well, I've heard complaints about there not being a pic of the belly for a while, so here it is. 19 1/2 weeks along and growing daily, I think! Feeling lots of stretching tonight, but that could be the 2 cookies, 2 handfuls of Doritos, 2 glasses of milk and a few bites of tuna noodle cassarole (gotta have something healthy, right?) that I had for dinner over the course of the last 2 hours :) We're off to Cable, WI (near Hayward) this weekend for the "big" race: Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival. Check for updates about that on Brendan's blog. Happy Weekend!
~ Jen & Baby M
P.S. Here's a pic from the ultrasound that Brendan doctored up... sure made me laugh cause the thought of me having a child that's a biker is just that funny! (just kidding!) :)

Ultrasound!

Hello all! Well, this morning was our first scheduled ultrasound and it went OK (keep reading). Baby looks fantastic, so that's GREAT, mom was the one having a bit of trouble. They have you lay flat on your back, which causes an artery that runs down your back to be compressed by baby's and other baby stuff's weight thus limiting oxygen flow to both of us... I think mostly me in this case. To make a long story short, I got sick :(
Extremely embarassing for me, despite the fact that the technician said it's really quite common. She said that when she was in for her u/s with her first she passed out from the limited oxygen. Ok, enough about me. Baby looks great! 10 fingers and 10 toes, 2 arms, 2 legs, 2 eyes, 2 kidneys, 1 stomach, 1 bladder, 1 heart with 4 ventricles... we got to see more than we'll hopefully ever see of our baby's insides ever again (Lord willing!) Here are pics... most are labeled within the scan. One is of the profile, but it's not very good because we have a very stubborn child on our hands that wouldn't turn over, but rather liked getting it's pic taken facing forward. OH, the other cute thing was s/he had the hiccups! HA! The poor thing only had a few seconds between each one, too! Well, all for now. Gotta work!
~ J & baby M

Bump, bump, bump!

Well, it's official, Baby Moore is an active little person! I felt the first kick yesterday that you could feel externally (if that makes sense). Was just sitting with my hand on my stomach and BOOM... ok, so really it was a tap, a strong tap (speaking of, he/she is saying "hi" right now). It was SO COOL! I immediately grabbed Brendan's hand and he claims he felt one too as did our friend Jen Meyer. Since then Baby has been quite active. Baby prefers my right side, although when I woke up this morning s/he was just about dead center... now back to my right side. MAN it feels strange! It's like there's a little ball rolling around right under your skin or something, that's the only way I can think of to describe it.

Nothing else to report, baby-wise, if there is anything the kicks have totally overshadowed it in my brain. The only thing I can think of is that I'm up another pound, which is good.

Brendan had a SUPERB racing weekend up at Maplelag Resort in northern MN. We had a great time and hope to go visit the resort again. Check out his blog for a race recap and race pics. Happy Labor Day!
~Jen and our future cyclist (according to Brendan and all his friends) otherwise known as Baby M :)

Rumble Rumble

Did you know that when listening to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler you can hear the baby kicking? You can, and did you know what that sounds like? Thunder! So neat! I got to experience this on Friday at my most recent doctor appointment, though only long enough for the midwife to calculate Baby M's heartrate... so maybe 15 or 20 seconds. I was definitely hoping that I could savor the moment a little bit longer, but oh well. SO, the heartrate has dropped down to 150 from the 180 it was about 6 weeks ago, which is completely normal. It was so neat to hear, it always is!

It's still so hard for me to truly comprehend that there is a little person growing in me! I mean think about it, I can't see it, I can't really feel him/her too much yet (just a few flutters a few times a day with a random good, strong KICK maybe two times so far) and the last time I did "see" this little guy/girl, he/she was the size of a raisin with little to distinguish other than the flashing of the heart beating. It's just so amazing to even conceive (mentally, that is... and physically, too.)

Not a whole lot to complain about at this point (THANK GOD!!!) other than my allergies, which would be here regardless. They are definitely less intense than when I wasn't prego, but very much here, too. Starting to feel pregnant, belly is showing and firming up as baby continues to rise up into my abdomin and less so in my pelvis... thus less bathroom trips (YAY!). Not only am I not supposed to lay flat on my back anymore (because when I do it can compress an artery runny down my back which feeds not only my lower body but also Baby) but when I DO lay on my back, it's quite uncomfortable. A very odd feeling for sure!

Well, all for now. Thanks for reading... my ultrasound has been scheduled for Monday, Sept. 11, so I'll be sure to scan in those images and post those so that the world can get a glimpse at our little ray of sunshine. :)
~jen & baby m