Having gestational diabetes isn't the end of the world

I wanted to write about my experience with gestational diabetes in hopes that it may prove useful to anyone who is going through the same thing.

A few days after our trip to Chicago I was 29 weeks pregnant and my doctor had me take the glucose challenge test (GCT) to see if I had gestational diabetes. You have to drink this really sweet drink in less than 5 minutes and then they measure your blood sugar levels for a few hours afterwards. And as you can probably guess...I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was shocked and scared. I thought: this isn't fair! I don't have a history of diabetes in my family. I'm not overweight. I eat fairly healthy and I exercise. Why me?

The next few weeks following that appointment were challenging: carb counting at every meal and snack, recording everything you eat and when you eat it, taking your blood sugar multiple times a day and trying to stay within the target values. I promise that it gets easier and their are perks to having GD (being healthier) but it takes patience and a lot of self-control.

If anyone knows me well, they know that I have a huge sweet-tooth and little self-control when it comes to desserts. But when you know that your baby's health is dependent upon you making smart eating choices I think it makes it easier to say no to sweets. I won't say that I was perfect all the time but reminding myself why I was doing it really helped.

I found that exercise worked miracles in controlling my blood sugar levels. My dietitian said exercise was like a natural dose of insulin. I just walked for 30 minutes a day in the morning and I could always tell a difference in my blood sugar levels when I didn't exercise.

Here are some of the foods that I ate:

Breakfast:
   Eggs! I changed it up and cooked them all different ways and added spices and salsa too.
   English muffins (1/2 english muffin=1 carb serving) I like the high fiber or whole wheat ones
   Fruit
   Yogurt: There are tons of yogurt types and flavors. I liked greek yogurt because it has more protein
                and filled me up

Lunch:
   Salads
   Veggies with ranch or hummus
   Sandwiches
   Crackers
   Fruit

Snacks:
   Nuts
   String cheese with lunch meat, pepperoni or Ritz crackers
   Fruit
   Veggies
   Granola bars

Dinners:
   Fajitas
   Chicken and grilled vegetables
   Fritatta with sausage and bell peppers
   Pasta with vegetables and sauce
   Huevos Rancheros

Desserts:
   Sugar free jello
   graham crackers with peanut butter
   pudding cups
   yogurt with fruit
   sweet cereal with a little milk
   1/2 cup ice cream

Once you get the hang of carb counting you realize you can still eat almost any of the foods that you like! All you have to do is plan carefully and eat the right portion sizes.

Apartment, Sweet Apartment

Recently I have asked myself, "why do apartment leases in Kansas expire at the end of July?" Doesn't anyone know that the end of July can be terribly hot and humid? Well, if you can't guess our lease expired the end of July and I found myself going through our things (I don't know how we accumulated so much only being married a year), donating a lot, selling things on craigslist, and packing up the rest. I love purging our apartment of unnecessary things but I don't enjoy packing or moving that much. 

Our new apartment is really close to campus, so we can get to class in a matter of minutes. However, we moved into a 1 BR when we were used to a 2 BR. Therefore, the task of making 2 adults and a baby-on-the-way fit into 1 BR becomes the challenge I'm faced with. Luckily, Sam's parents are letting us store some of our "less used" items in their basement (they are so kind to us). 

Here are some pictures of our place before we moved in. 

Our kitchen has all new appliances and granite counter-tops and tile floor, which is really nice. 

Our living room is pretty big and long with a huge window (left picture), while our bedroom (right picture) is quite cozy and small. Overall, this little place has grown on me since I've started making it our own and hanging pictures up. 

Sam the handy-man

Sam and I discovered a great summer project: making furniture! We got the idea from Lowe's website (http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/organize-store-and-move/rolling-cube-tables/project). They are rolling cube tables that can be arranged to fit your needs and they double as storage.

So Sam and his brother-in-law got to busy creating plans, measuring, cutting, drilling, nailing and gluing. 

Sam really loved using the nail gun. It made the process go so much quicker. 

Now we are in the process of priming and painting. Doing this project has been a lot of time-consuming work but we (mainly Sam) have learned tons. However, now we are short on time as the summer is over (classes started on the 26th) but we are still determined to finish them up. Stay tuned for pictures of the finished product!

The Windy City

Sam and I took a trip to Chicago to celebrate our 1 year anniversary and we had such a great time! We stayed with some friends, ate delicious food and explored the city. We decided to drive there so we packed up our car, got some books on tape and were on our way. I love road trips and being able to just spend one-on-one time with Sam. Chicago is big and traffic is crazy, so we walked almost everywhere. 

Chicago is a beautiful city with lots of parks, museums, architecture and things to do. I think it would be a great place to take our kids in the future. It was hard to pick only a few things to do while we were there because there were so many interesting places. 

We went to the Shedd Aquarium and were able to stick our hands in a pool of swimming stingrays and touch them. I was nervous at first but they seemed really gentle (and their barbs were removed).

This was the highlight at the aquarium for sure!

We met Sue the T-Rex (the largest and most well preserved T-Rex ever found) in the Field Museum. 

We went to the Museum of Science and Industry and saw a lot of things. From Tesla coils and experiencing 80 mph winds to how cows are milked and seeing the German submarine (U-505) captured by the US during WWII. 

My first deep-dish pizza. All I can say is WOW!

We saw lots of great architecture too!

Then we went to the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower and stood out on the SkyDeck. It was so high! My heart was beating so fast when we stood on the glass and looked all the way down!

At the Art Institute of Chicago we saw American Gothic, works by VanGough, and Monet, just to name a few. 

Here I am in front of the Bean with my best friend in the whole world!

And what could be better than stopping for a treat here? Yum!

We saved the best for last by stopping in Nauvoo, Illinois on the way home. 

The temple is so beautiful. 

Then we walked along Parley Street on The Trail of Hope at dusk. 

It leads to the banks of the Mississippi River, which the Saints had to cross when they had to leave.

It must have been daunting for them to leave everything behind and begin their journey with only a few belongings. Yet they had such great faith and hope and that Heavenly Father had even greater blessings in store for them in the future. It made me think of how we all have a wide Mississippi River in front of us at some point, but we can cross it with Heavenly Father's help. 

The future is as bright as your faith. 

We are having a...........!

Sam and I are so excited to be parents. It's hard to imagine that in a few months we will be holding the first addition to our family. 

20 weeks has come and gone.... and we are having a little boy!  

Here come matchbox cars and bow-ties!

Here I am at 20 weeks with a little bump. I feel huge but everyone keeps telling me you don't even look pregnant. I've still got 20 more weeks of growing to do so I'm perfectly content with being on the small side right now. 

A pregnancy moment from this week (#24) was making homemade pesto fetuchinni but forgetting to turn on the dishwasher earlier that day to have clean bowls. We ended up eating a delicious meal out of Tupperware containers. Very high class, I know. 

Something in the air

Sam and I have been dog sitting for a family we know who lives in the country. The dogs' names are Fancy, Hanna and Jack. Their house is positioned in a quiet and secluded area that is so relaxing and beautiful. For the past few days there has been something in the air, apart from allergens which we are suffering from.  There have been thunderstorms, a tornado watch and a tornado warning for our area which has been a little scary.  The power went out for a while and we had to go on a scavenger hunt in the dark to find flash lights and candles. That was an adventure! Luckily it came back on pretty soon and we were able to get some sleep. 

Here is Jack on the back porch relaxing after the storm. 

This last weekend we went to K-State's graduation ceremony to cheer for our friend Ben who just graduated with a degree in bakery science. That will be Sam next year!

A picture a day makes the memories stay

I think I'm going to start taking a picture or two each day just to capture and remember the good things and the little moments that accumulate as the years go by. 

 Warm weather and fun, pink sunglasses picking Sam up from work at the biology lab on campus