Week 35

Yesterday was my 35/35...meaning I was 35 weeks pregnant with 35 days to go. I think I am in that "Oh crap" stage right now where it is coming so fast and I'm wondering if I'm really ready for all this. This past weekend we made a trip to Babies R Us to get "last minute" stuff but we all know that this won't be my last trip. It should be our last trip until the baby is born though so I do feel "prepared" in that sense. The last couple items on our to-do list is to install the blinds in the nursery (which should be arriving any day now), make a trip to our local police department to get the car seats inspected, get my hospital bag together and get the video monitor all hooked up and ready. After that, I will say that we are "ready".

I had an OB appt this past Friday and everything looks good. I'm still holding steady at 5lbs. gained since Nov. however my belly keeps growing so the baby is getting bigger. This doctor didn't seem concerned with my weight gain since I have GD. I've noticed that my pants/shorts are baggy in the legs and my bracelets are very loose on my wrists so I know I am losing weight in other places. Doctor also felt that the baby is head down and the chances of him turning now are very slim....yay for that! Heart rate was good (130's) and my blood pressure was excellent. Next appt will be my first internal exam and strep B test...woohoo!

I've been feeling totally worn out the past couple days. After spending a few hours at Babies R Us, Target and the grocery store yesterday, I felt like I was hit by a bus. I really couldn't believe how worn out I felt. I could barely walk when we were in the grocery store and numerous strangers kept saying, "Wow, it looks like you are going to pop!" or "You look like you are ready to go any minute!" I am now getting asked the million questions...How are you feeling, when are you due, is it a boy or girl, do you have names picked out, etc. Everywhere I go I get asked all these questions...I know people mean well but it sure is getting annoying. I feel like I should have a sheet all typed out with the answers that I can just hand to people...LOL!

We had a big family picnic this past Saturday and I was so upset that I couldn't eat a single thing they had there. I sat there and drank my bottle of water while everyone else ate hundreds of dishes prepared by my family members. Ok, the only thing I COULD eat was the veggie tray...oh boy! For some reason, my sugar level was HIGH before I left for the picnic (first ever high number) so I couldn't "cheat" a little and have some of the yummy foods. The dessert table had to have at least 25 different dishes on it and of course the bottled water was stationed at this table. I had to walk past the cherry cheesecake, peanut butter cupcakes, brownie tray, cookie tray (and more) to get my lovely bottle of Deerpark water...yum! Everyone felt terrible that I couldn't eat anything but I just didn't want to spike my sugar any more than it already was. Damn sugar! It did come down later during the day and my numbers have been good ever since...not sure what happened there but I guess my hormones didn't want to cooperate for a couple hours. Oh well...it was more important to keep Keaton healthy than to be selfish and indulge in a little treat.

This coming week is slow for me. I have a lia sophia meeting on Wed and I'm just looking forward to the 3 day weekend. No real big plans for the holiday so it should be nice and relaxing...YAY! On a side note, Erik has an interview for what can be an excellent job for him this Wed afternoon so if you can spare any good vibes his way...I would appreciate it. : )

Fetal Development
Your baby is getting plump. The fat deposits are now beginning to offer form and fullness to your baby's legs and arms. Your baby is taking up most of the room in your uterus, so there is a lot less room to move around. Also, your baby's lungs are now completely developed and producing what is called surfactant, a substance that helps in the exchange of oxygen in the lungs. Your baby is now approximately 18 inches long and weighs about five pounds. If you were to have your premature baby now, you'd be happy to know that there is a 99 percent chance of the baby surviving.

My Symptoms
- Extreme exhaustion
- Slight swelling in my left ankle/foot
- Lots of ligament pains
- Uncomfortable sleep
- Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions and cramping (all good signs according to my doctor...my body is getting prepared)

35 week belly pic!

Week 34

Last week was filled with excitement and this past week has been quiet! This is a good thing since I'm really getting worn out and tired. We spent most of last week just organizing the nursery...hanging curtains, doing laundry and putting all the clothes away, hanging pictures, putting all the bedding on the crib, and all other little things to get organized. We have one more shopping trip to Babies R Us to get some last minute things and the blinds should be arriving in a week or so...after that I can say we are pretty much ready for this baby, as ready as we are going to be. It's been so fun looking through all the gifts I got at my shower and playing with all the cute outfits. Erik and I really can't wait for Keaton to arrive so we can start this next chapter in our lives. We only have 6 more weeks to go.....

The GD diet is still going very well...no high numbers and I've been able to "cheat" occasionally without it doing anything to my sugar levels. Woohoo! I can't believe I've been on this diet for 6 weeks now! It's going fast and I've been losing weight (in other places...baby is growing fine). So far since I got pregnant way back in November...I've only gained 5 lbs!!! I have a feeling that I will be less than my starting weight once this baby is born, which is awesome!! I wanted to lose about 10-15 lbs before I got pregnant anyway. I'll be anxious to see what happens.

This coming week I have my last lia sophia show until the Fall. I'm totally exhausted after doing a show and there is no way I could do anymore until this baby is out. I will still do book shows while I am off but no home shows. If you want to help me out so I can remain "active", please let me know!!!! I have FREE gifts to those who help me out not to mention the awesome hostess benefits the company already gives you. It would really help me out so please contact me if interested. Book shows are super easy!

Fetal Development
Your baby can - and does - respond just as a newborn would by opening his eyes while awake and closing them while sleeping. Your baby can also grasp firmly and his little fingernails may need to be trimmed shortly after birth. This month also offers more time for your baby to build antibodies and for his skin to continue to thicken. Your baby is approximately 18 inches long and weighs about 4.5 pounds. It's wonderful to know that if your baby was born now, it has a 95 percent chance of full and normal survival with medical intervention.

My Symptoms
- Lots of aches and pains
- Uncomfortable sleep
- Round ligament pain
- Exhaustion
- Shortness of breath
- Grouchiness (I feel so bad for Erik right now)

34 week belly pic!

Baby Shower

In one word...WOW! I was completely overwhelmed by my baby shower this past weekend. I knew my AWESOME friends would put on a wonderful show but they truly outdid themselves! Their comment to me was..."I think we spent more time on your shower than we did on our own weddings". That comment was probably true because it was absolutely fabulous!!! The details were amazing and you could tell that they spent countless hours preparing. I had a hard time not being involved with the planning because as most people know...I am a big time planner/organizer when it comes to parties, weddings, etc. I honestly couldn't of done better....they did WAY better than I would have. The food, the decorations, the touching slide show documenting my pregnancy, the chair covers, everything! It was amazing and I really can't thank my AWESOME AWESOME friends enough for this. They are the bestest friends any girl could have and I am SOOOOOO thankful to have them in my life. I love you guys!!! Here are some pictures from the special day! : )

Here are my 3 bestest friends EVER! The hostesses (from left to right..Jen, Adrian, Angela)

The room all set to go! Isn't it gorgeous?!?!

This is me walking in to the shower. Some people were saying "surprise" but I knew about my shower, I just didn't know any details.

The tables with the cute (and very modern) centerpieces

Close up of centerpieces

Another close up of centerpieces

The "It's a Boy" garland hanging over the buffet table

The buffet all set up! Food was outstanding...highly recommend Premier Catering in Camp Hill

The beverage station and a pic of Erik and I.

The place settings. They came complete with a menu card and favor

My awesome and delicious cake (from Dingledeins in New Cumberland). People are still talking about how good it was. Yum! Isn't it cool?!

Top of the cake!

Napkins at the cake table.

One of the guest tables

Pic taken during the slide show! It was so touching and I couldn't help but cry.

Guests mingling

Me and my awesome mother-in-law


Me and my awesome mom!

This gift sure got my guests laughing. Too funny!

Gotta have the John Deere tractor! My father-in-law grew up on a farm and now owns his own ranch in Oklahoma. Erik was so excited to see that we got this!

Thank you so much to my awesome friends for such an awesome shower! I will NEVER forget it and I love you all so much! I also want to thank my mother and mother-in-law because I know they were helping with this special event as well. And last but not least I want to thank all my guests for spending the day with me and all the wonderful and generous gifts for my baby Keaton! He will certainly be well dressed and very clean with all the bath supplies. Thank you!!!!

Week 33

Another week done another week closer to the big moment! This past week has been fantastic! I had a wonderful pampering experience at Hershey Spa (post below), an AWESOME baby shower (post above), and shopping with my mother-in-law to get all other necessary baby items. I'm so blessed to have wonderful friends and family in my life. I'm so overwhelmed by the amount of love I was given from everyone. I can't thank everyone enough for being so great and for loving me so much.

I'm really starting to notice that I am slowing down. I can't walk as fast as I could and I get out of breath very easily. Doing yard work and bending down is getting pretty tough so I'm thankful for my mother-in-law this past week! She took the entire day while I was at work last Thursday and cleaned my entire house from top to bottom! She even had flowers and candles lit with a note saying "Welcome Home Lesli" sitting in my kitchen when I walked in. I couldn't believe it! She also spent a lot of time outside weeding and making my garden look beautiful. She is the best and I'm so thankful to have my inlaws in my life. : )

I had an OB appt last week and all looked good. I lost another pound so I'm back down to 6lbs. gained total since I got pregnant. He wasn't TOO happy with that so he told me since my GD numbers have been fantastic that I can eat a little more so I can gain some weight back. So with that said...I tried eating more ice cream and cookies and guess what.....my numbers are still LOW! Now, I am not eating this huge bowl of ice cream loaded with toppings but since it isn't doing much to my numbers, I'm going to eat more of it to help with this weight gain. LOVE IT! It was nice to hear that so I could eat some cake at my baby shower! Other than that the heartbeat was good and I measured right on track. : )

Fetal Development
By now, you have all the amniotic fluid you are going to have and the amount will remain consistent until delivery. Your baby's brain continues to grow, and increase the size of his head. Your baby continues to develop fat deposits under the skin, changing the color of his skin from red to pink. If you're having a boy his testicles have moved from their location near the kidneys through the groin to the scrotum. If you are having a girl, her chlorus is relatively prominent. Your baby is approximately 17.5 inches long and weighs a little over four pounds now.

My Symptoms
- Fatigue
- Round ligament pain
- Tired feet (can't stand too long anymore)

33 week belly pic!

Exciting Friday

Friday was a wonderful day filled with pampering and Hershey Bears hockey! What a great combination! My Friday morning started out by sleeping in a bit and waking up to a great breakfast made just for me. My mother-in-law wanted this to be a special day for me so she took care of me. We headed out to the Hershey Spa around 11:00am to get checked in and relax around the pool and various other relaxation rooms. Our treatments started at 1:30pm and what a heavenly prenatal massage I had!!! I HIGHLY recommend any pregnant woman to have one of these and particularly in the 3rd trimester when you just start feeling worn out. It was fantastic and I can't wait to go back. After the massage we spent some time lounging around in our robes enjoying the beautiful scenery. Even though we weren't ready to leave, we headed out to Devon's Seafood Restaurant in Hershey for our 4:00pm reservation. AWESOME restaurant and the food was absolutely FABULOUS...highly recommend trying it out. I had Maryland crab cakes and they were to die for....mmmmmm! After dinner we headed home to get our seats for the big Hershey Bears game on tv.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Hershey Bears for winning the Calder Cup for the 10th time. Too bad it wasn't on home ice but it was still an awesome win and well deserved. YAY!!!!!!!!! B-E-A-R-S...Bears, Bears, Bears WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Pics of the Bears Rally at Giant Center Saturday night!

9 Years Ago...

June 11, 2000...this is the day that Erik and I started dating! I remember it like it was yesterday. There is a little history between Erik and I and I would love to share it with you. Bare with me...this will probably be all over the place. I hope you can follow it.

Back in the Teen Years

Erik and I went to high school together and both graduated in 1999. Erik was rather intelligent so I did not have one class with him all 4 years...he was in all the advanced classes. We did have home room together since our last names both started with M. He sat 2 seats in front of me for 4 years and we barely said a word to each other. For some reason I started to say "Hi" to him every morning when I passed his desk Junior year. He was always the sweetest guy and I enjoyed the big smile and "Hi Lesli" back from him every day. I was more of a social butterfly in high school and being "popular" was important to me at the time. Erik was considered a "nerd" to me...LOL, that sounds bad but in reality, that's high school. I had a steady boyfriend that I was with all through high school but one time my junior year, we broke up. I decided that it was time to date someone that was good for me rather than just someone popular just so I could be "cool". I thought of Erik right away and asked my friends to say something to him to see if he wanted to go on a date. Erik agreed right away and he said he was in shock that someone like me would be interested in him. We went on our date...to a Hershey Bears game...no surprise there huh? He was very sweet...almost TOO sweet for me at the time. He immediately expressed how much he loved me and how he always had a crush on me throughout high school. I guess he was just so excited to be on a date with me that he just spilled out all his feelings to me on the first date. Well, I just broke up with my boyfriend of a couple years and all this was way too much for me to handle for only being 17. I ended communication with Erik and in a few short weeks I was back together with my ex-boyfriend. Erik and I never talked after that and we both graduated and went our separate ways.

Fast forward to freshman year in college. Erik was attending school up in Elmira, NY while I was working full time at home soon getting ready to start school at Central Penn College. AIM was so popular back then and I spent many hours talking to old friends. I somehow got Erik's AIM screenname from a friend of mine and one day when I saw that he was online...I just posted a quick "Hello Erik..how are you? Do you remember me?" He immediately responded saying "Of course I remember you!" We chatted for awhile and both talked about the relationships we were in with other people (I was still with the same guy from high school). My boyfriend and I were really hanging on by a string. So many years of being treated like CRAP...I finally had enough and ended that relationship for GOOD a few days later.

Summer 2000

Erik got home from college that summer and just about immediately called me to say hello. I was shocked to hear his voice but happy that he called. We talked for awhile and agreed to get together to go to the movies and do a little shopping. We had an AWESOME time together and sparks were flying everywhere. We couldn't stop smiling and laughing with each other. When the night came to a close...I expressed how much fun I had and how I think I made a mistake in breaking things off in high school. I flat out told him that I wanted him back and asked if he wanted to give it another try? He still had a girlfriend though but I was told it was "on the rocks". He said to give him a couple days to think about some things and that he would be in touch.

2 Days Later (June 11, 2000)

I was hanging out at his house for awhile and his girlfriend called on the phone while I was there. They got in a big fight and ended things that very moment. I remember trying to hold back a smile when he told me that they broke up. I was so happy to hear it...LOL! I was getting ready to leave and I started walking down the sidewalk to my car when I hear this, "Lesli, hang on a minute" I turned my head to see Erik running towards me and next thing I knew he was spinning me around and bringing me close to him...giving me the biggest and best kiss ever! It was just like the movies!!! He followed the kiss by saying "I think you know my answer!" AWWWW...it was the most romantic moments in my life.

The rest is history. We were inseparable that summer....with each other every second. We continued a long distance relationship for 4 years while he finished under grad school and graduate school. Finally on Sept. 10th, 2004...Erik proposed.

I love you Erik and I love our life together!!! : ) Thank you for the wonderful past 9 years! I'm so glad I started to say "Hi" to you back in home room...

Week 32

Lots of exciting things going on this coming week....I'm so excited! My mother-in-law arrives today from Oklahoma to stay with Erik and I for 8 days. I'm excited to see her since it has been 6 months. She plans to visit with some of her friends and spend time with Erik and I getting ready for the baby. She has plans on taking us out shopping for some things we need. The MAIN reason she is coming is because my baby shower is this Saturday!!!! I can't wait!!! My awesome friends and I mean AWESOME friends are hosting it and I know they all outdid themselves and I will be so emotional with all the hard work and details they put into it.

I also have an OB appt on Wednesday morning to check on my little guy. He is moving around like crazy lately and kicking me in the ribs constantly. I am experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions daily, some of which are kinda painful. This must mean that I am getting closer to my due date! A little less than 2 months now....WOW!

This Friday my mother-in-law and I along with a friend of hers are going to Hotel Hershey to have a girls day at the spa. I'm having a prenatal massage done and I can't wait! This is my first time ever going to the Hershey Spa and I hear nothing but awesome things about it.

Something non baby related going on this week is the Hershey Bears game tomorrow night!!! This is the last game played at the Giant Center this season (BOO!) but if we win tomorrow, we will be CALDER CUP CHAMPIONS!!!!! It will be a crazy game tomorrow and the place will be PACKED and very loud! LET'S GO BEARS!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOO!

Fetal Development

Your baby sleeps approximately 90 to 95 percent of the day now. His skin has become thicker and he continues to become more of a pinkish color. Your baby's movements will peak this week. From now on they will change in quantity and quality. Most of the wrinkles are disappearing from your baby's face, and there may be a lot of hair on his head. The weight gain has been fairly incredible recently. Your baby is now almost 4 pounds and is 17 inches long.

My Symptoms

- Shortness of breath (I really slowed down this past week)

- Round ligament pain

- Fatigue

32 week belly pic!

One Year Ago...

I remember that day...June 5th, 2008. I had gotten the news about a week earlier that my baby's heart stopped beating at 7 weeks pregnant. The shock and painful emotions were all too much to handle. I was scheduled for a D&C (procedure to have the fetus removed) on June 6th, 2008 but my body had a different plan. June 5th I started to miscarry naturally on its own. Emotions were all over the place that day. I was sad to be losing my baby for real, I was scared because I wasn't sure what to expect physically with having a miscarriage, and just the feeling of being out of control with everything. I remember sitting at work when it all started and the rush of tears that flowed down my face as I told my mom (I work with my parents) what was happening. Later that night, I ended up in the ER because the pain was getting out of control. It was the worst experience in my life and I hope to never have to go through it again....I hope NO ONE has to go through that.

We will never forget the baby that we lost one year ago today and I know he/she is in a better place. I have a special place in my garden just for him/her. We will never forget....

The New Mommy Do

Before

Yuck...I hate this look and it was so boring. No style and just made me feel ugly. I let my hair grow out for 6 months hoping to get a different look...I just couldn't stand it anymore.

After

YAY...I'm so glad to be back to my short cut. Way more style to it and I feel prettier when I look in the mirror. It does look better in person...for some reason I couldn't get a great pic. I took about 50 pics trying to get a good shot.

Week 31

One week down on the GD diet...9 more to go! I've been doing so well with the GD diet so far...no high numbers yet and let's hope it stays that way. I even went to Hersheypark this past weekend and had a not so healthy lunch (hard to find something diabetic friendly there) and my number stayed low...I was surprised! It really isn't all that bad, it's just having to be on a strict schedule is the worst. I'm constantly looking at the clock to make sure I don't miss meal time, snack time or testing time. It gets a little difficult to make plans at times since I have to make sure I have time to test or bring along a snack if I am out longer than 3 hours. Other than that, it isn't too bad. I'm definitely getting my exercise too. I walk every day after breakfast and after dinner.

This past week we had our last child birth class! :( We will definitely miss these and all the wonderful people we met. We exchanged emails so we could stay in touch and email pics of our little ones as they arrive. Who knows...maybe some of us will be delivering at the same time.

We also had an OB appt and the midwife was very pleased with my GD numbers. I've only been doing it a week at that point and she loved that I didn't have any high numbers. She also said that they like to see it under 140 one hour after a meal instead of 120. Phew...that is nice to have that extra wiggle room. It sometimes gets hard to get it under that 120 mark...however most of my numbers don't even get over 100 after a meal.

Erik and I went to Hersheypark this past weekend since we had free tickets (from the Hershey Bears). I knew that I wouldn't be able to ride anything but it was a gorgeous day to just walk around and watch people. We did go visit Zoo America for awhile, play some arcade games, had some lunch and watched the sea lion show. It was a nice day but I didn't last too long (about 4 hours) since all that walking was getting difficult. It was fun nonetheless. : )

This coming week I have my big salon appt! I'm getting my hair cut (can't take the longer hair...it's getting chopped), getting my nails done and having a pedicure. I can't WAIT! I will look all pretty for my baby shower next week. I'm sorry to those that liked my hair growing out but it is driving me insane and I totally miss that wash and go hair style. I'm sick of using the blow dryer and sick of having NO style to my hair plus it will be so much more convenient for when Keaton arrives. After talking to several friends and family....about 90% of you liked my hair better short. Thanks...I needed that reassurance that I'm making a good decision to cut it. I agree that I got hundreds of compliments on my hair when it was short...now I get nothing. I'll be sure to post pics next week. Below is a recent pic (taken on Memorial Day) of my longer hair. Yuck...I can't stand it.

Fetal Development
From now until the end of your pregnancy, your baby will gain weight faster than he'll increase in length. By now the baby's lungs and digestive tract are nearly mature. Your baby's irises can now dilate and contract in response to light. Due to the deposits of white fat underneath the skin your baby's skin is no longer red, but is now the wonderful newborn pink color. His fingernails may reach the end of the hands, too. Your baby is now a little over 3 pounds and is 16 inches long.

You may worry that, if you are breathless from walking or sometimes even just sitting that your baby is in danger. This is not true. Your baby is getting plenty of oxygen from your placenta.

My Symptoms
- Round ligament pains
- Shortness of breath

31 week belly pic!