I can't believe that Halsy graduates in 5 months!! We will no longer be in school - that is such a crazy thought since we have been in school our entire married life (7 years this month)!
He has worked so hard and has done very very well. He gets good grades and his teachers love him. He is currently in his last term of classes......then he moves to a preceptorship (internship). He found a doctor in Wilsonville that liked his style and agreed to take him on. Unfortunately it is an unpaid internship - but the learning is well worth it. We are both so excited to be almost there. Excited and also terrified. It is going to be a crazy ride. We are hoping the internship turns into a job offer. Wilsonville is close enough for me to live and we can still see both our families!
Our Family 2019
Halsy, Brooke, Cameron, Katey Jane, Landon, and Claire
Monday, July 16, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Pregnancy Update (34 Weeks)
Let me start with the positive.
Baby Boy is happy and healthy in my tummy. He is always moving and gets very excited every time I eat. I love feeling his movements and imagining what he'll look like. I am getting very excited to meet this little thing growing in my belly. I can't wait to see tiny diapers and boy blankets fill my house again. My body feels great, just tired. My feet have started to swell a little, but not badly and hopefully they won't get worse! He moves so much that even Cam and KJ have seen my belly move and felt his punches and kicks. It is very fun to see their happy faces when they notice my tummy move. I really am grateful for my doctors. They have been taking excellent care of me and little mister. They answer my millions of questions and do their best to keep my spirits lifted though this lovely ordeal.
Now onto the not so fun stuff:
My Gestational Diabetes was not improved with diet change and adding exercise (which means that this change is most likely hormonal and will go away as soon as little man arrives YAHOO!) They gave me glucose medication in pill form (glyburide) to try and get my numbers under control. Just for your information, here are the normal ranges of blood glucose levels for pregnant women:
Fasting (first thing in the morning): 70-95mg
After Meals (2 hours): 70-120mg
So far, my fasting numbers have never been in the normal range. My meal numbers were about 50/50. The glyburide helped my afternoon numbers, but not the morning. Also, they were not very compatible with my system because they would send me into hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It was very scary for me. I had never felt that way before. Very dizzy, sweaty, weak, super hot, and my mind was fuzzy. The first one hit me while I was shopping with the kids ALONE at Target. Luckily I recognized it and tested myself to discover I was at 55 (very low for me) and I was by the soda refrigerators. I grabbed a cherry coke and went to sit in the toy isle with the kids until I felt better. It took a few minutes, but it happened. I stopped shaking and stopped sweating. I called my doctor and she told me I did the right thing and that I needed to eat immediately. I wasn't prepared for lows in my blood sugar, so I headed to Subway next door. I felt better, but was really shaken by the whole thing. I had a few more experiences like this and the doctors decided that we needed to switch to real insulin (the kind you inject!). I was super nervous.
The first time I had to inject myself took about 10 minutes. I sat in the chair in the kitchen sweating and chickening out a million times. Finally I had Halsy do it for me so I could feel what it felt like. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be......still sucks, but not that bad. I was able to do it myself the next morning. Insulin definitely agrees with my body more. My after meal numbers are just perfect, but they are still tweaking the meds to fix my fasting numbers.
I feel like all I am doing these days is going to the doctor. I know it is good for me to go and be checked on, but it is frustrating to have to so closely monitored all the time. I should stop whining.......at least there is a solution to my problem and my baby is healthy and safe.
6 weeks and counting..........oh and one more piece of good news! I will probably get induced a week early if I am dilated so that baby comes out and can get himself off of my blood sugar levels! If that is the case, it is more like 5 weeks and counting......I can do this!
Baby Boy is happy and healthy in my tummy. He is always moving and gets very excited every time I eat. I love feeling his movements and imagining what he'll look like. I am getting very excited to meet this little thing growing in my belly. I can't wait to see tiny diapers and boy blankets fill my house again. My body feels great, just tired. My feet have started to swell a little, but not badly and hopefully they won't get worse! He moves so much that even Cam and KJ have seen my belly move and felt his punches and kicks. It is very fun to see their happy faces when they notice my tummy move. I really am grateful for my doctors. They have been taking excellent care of me and little mister. They answer my millions of questions and do their best to keep my spirits lifted though this lovely ordeal.
Now onto the not so fun stuff:
My Gestational Diabetes was not improved with diet change and adding exercise (which means that this change is most likely hormonal and will go away as soon as little man arrives YAHOO!) They gave me glucose medication in pill form (glyburide) to try and get my numbers under control. Just for your information, here are the normal ranges of blood glucose levels for pregnant women:
Fasting (first thing in the morning): 70-95mg
After Meals (2 hours): 70-120mg
So far, my fasting numbers have never been in the normal range. My meal numbers were about 50/50. The glyburide helped my afternoon numbers, but not the morning. Also, they were not very compatible with my system because they would send me into hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). It was very scary for me. I had never felt that way before. Very dizzy, sweaty, weak, super hot, and my mind was fuzzy. The first one hit me while I was shopping with the kids ALONE at Target. Luckily I recognized it and tested myself to discover I was at 55 (very low for me) and I was by the soda refrigerators. I grabbed a cherry coke and went to sit in the toy isle with the kids until I felt better. It took a few minutes, but it happened. I stopped shaking and stopped sweating. I called my doctor and she told me I did the right thing and that I needed to eat immediately. I wasn't prepared for lows in my blood sugar, so I headed to Subway next door. I felt better, but was really shaken by the whole thing. I had a few more experiences like this and the doctors decided that we needed to switch to real insulin (the kind you inject!). I was super nervous.
The first time I had to inject myself took about 10 minutes. I sat in the chair in the kitchen sweating and chickening out a million times. Finally I had Halsy do it for me so I could feel what it felt like. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be......still sucks, but not that bad. I was able to do it myself the next morning. Insulin definitely agrees with my body more. My after meal numbers are just perfect, but they are still tweaking the meds to fix my fasting numbers.
I feel like all I am doing these days is going to the doctor. I know it is good for me to go and be checked on, but it is frustrating to have to so closely monitored all the time. I should stop whining.......at least there is a solution to my problem and my baby is healthy and safe.
6 weeks and counting..........oh and one more piece of good news! I will probably get induced a week early if I am dilated so that baby comes out and can get himself off of my blood sugar levels! If that is the case, it is more like 5 weeks and counting......I can do this!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Bye Bye Binky
Katey Jane has given up the binky! We are doing it in stages because she really really really LOVES her binkies. We only have it at nap time and at Bedtime. She has been so wonderful with all of it. She only puts up a fuss sometimes. It is fun to hear her little words without a binky filter. We love seeing her teeth and watching her cheeks move as she talks, smiles, laughs, and even cries. We are planning to remove it completely someday, but for now we are celebrating the small victories!
Big Shoes - Little Girl
Katey Jane loves Shoes.
This could be the entire post, but I feel the need to describe her antics lately. She loves shoes so much she wears them while she sleeps. She wears her shoes, brother's shoes, My shoes, GG's shoes, Katelyn's shoes, or anyone's that are left on the floor. She loves them and I love to hear the noise of clip clopping on the upstairs floor because she found a pair of high heel shoes that caught her fancy. I will post a picture soon.
This could be the entire post, but I feel the need to describe her antics lately. She loves shoes so much she wears them while she sleeps. She wears her shoes, brother's shoes, My shoes, GG's shoes, Katelyn's shoes, or anyone's that are left on the floor. She loves them and I love to hear the noise of clip clopping on the upstairs floor because she found a pair of high heel shoes that caught her fancy. I will post a picture soon.
Mommy, you stink
Cameron was watching the season finale of " Once upon a Time" with me while KJ was sleeping. We got to cuddle and it was so lovely to be just me and him for a little while. We were watching a part about a dragon and I was telling him all about it - right in the middle of one of my sentences he interrupts with a sheepish grin " Mommy, you stink". I started laughing and replied with "Your breath smells pretty bad too buddy, we need to go shower and brush our teeth, huh" He laughed with me and when KJ got up - we headed off to "clean ourselves up" as my Dad says.
As an explanation - I want you to know that I had just finished cleaning our house and folding all the laundry, so I probably did smell. Also - Cameron had just woken from a little cat nap and had major stank breath. I laughed through it all because of the honesty of a 4 year old :)
As an explanation - I want you to know that I had just finished cleaning our house and folding all the laundry, so I probably did smell. Also - Cameron had just woken from a little cat nap and had major stank breath. I laughed through it all because of the honesty of a 4 year old :)
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Pregnancy Update 27-30 Weeks (its a long one)
When I found out I was pregnant I learned that my previous OB moved
to another type of medicine so I had to find someone else. My first
choice was the Newberg Hospital, but since I was a VBAC they said no. I
had to go to Tuality or St. Vincents. I wanted Tuality because it was
much closer. On the phone I got and called many doctors. Finally when I
called Dr. Andrews they informed me that they accepted my insurance. I
was so excited. I have been going there the entire pregnancy until week
27. I went in for my regular appointment and the insurance lady pulled
me into another room and told me that they found out a month previous
that they actually don't take my insurance, and she was sorry she hadn't
told me until just now. I began to cry. I was worried they were going
to charge me $$$ for everything they had done up until that point. I was
sad that I wouldn't get to see Dr. Andrews anymore. I was just stressed
in general. They were so nice to me. Dr. Andrews saw me anyway that day
and they said they wouldn't charge me anything for all the time I had
been going there. The relief was huge!! I cried most of the way home.
Here I was 6 months pregnant and on the hunt for a new doctor. I had to
go to St. Vincents because of my insurance and after asking for
referrals from some friends of mine, I found a really good one! I like
him a lot.
Previous to the story above I was really struggling, emotionally, for a few weeks I was not myself. I was tired ALL THE TIME, I was really mean and snappy, I was over eating (gained 6 lbs in one week!), I felt overwhelmed all the time and very out of my own control, I yelled at everyone and stopped smiling. It felt like it did when I had postpartum depression. I asked Dr. Andrews about it and he gave me some medication. WOW did it work. I am a new woman. My emotions are back in my control and I sleep better, etc. I am a much better mommy and have my patience back. I was so grateful for his understanding and am grateful this medication is working so well for me.
After seeing Dr. Hoffman (my new OB), he went over all my records and he saw that my blood tests did not come back normal from my 3 hour glucose test. Which meant that I had Gestational Diabetes. I was really upset. I had no idea what that even meant or entailed, but knew I wanted to make sure I took the best care of myself possible. They got me an appointment with a diabetes specialist and they gave me the run down on my new diet and blood sugar regulation. I now get to eat every 3-4 hours and limit my carbs/sugar. I track everything I eat and prick my finger and check my blood sugar levels 4 times daily. It has pretty much taken over my life. It is all I think about. When do I eat next? How much do I eat? ......speaking of....I must break for a finger prick..........ok I'm back (my number was normal YAY!) When do I test myself? Etc, etc, etc. It is a major ordeal. I have been doing it now for a week and I haven't had low enough numbers. So now I get to go see a Perinatal specialist to get an ultrasound and be evaluated for insulin injections. I was also trained on how to do that at my appointment today, just in case. It was so weird to fill a needle and then stick yourself. Luckily it hardly hurts a wink, but I sorta feel like a junkie. This is all so crazy, but the lady assured me that in 95% of women, gestational diabetes leaves as soon as they baby comes out! Believe me I will be chowing down on some major grub in the hospital. Bring it all on!! Fries, Rice, Pizza, Milk, Fruit, Hawaiian Food, Chinese Food, Italian Food, a big juicy BURGER! Oh my mouth is watering!
Oh an just to make my day even lovelier - on my way home from the appointment that I found out I had Gestational Diabetes......I got a ticket for being on my phone. I was telling Halsy about all the stuff I now had to do. It was just not my day.
Other than all of the above: Baby is happy and healthy. I feel great, my body is holding up very well! I have to run to the bathroom all the time with emergency #1, but I can handle that. I pee my pants quite often now.....it must be getting worse with each baby, any sneeze, cough, laugh, or squat and it's over. That is probably TMI, but I figure I will forget if it doesn't get written down :) I have no cravings (not that they would be allowed anyway) and it is fun to see my belly move as he does. Can't wait to meet our little man!
Previous to the story above I was really struggling, emotionally, for a few weeks I was not myself. I was tired ALL THE TIME, I was really mean and snappy, I was over eating (gained 6 lbs in one week!), I felt overwhelmed all the time and very out of my own control, I yelled at everyone and stopped smiling. It felt like it did when I had postpartum depression. I asked Dr. Andrews about it and he gave me some medication. WOW did it work. I am a new woman. My emotions are back in my control and I sleep better, etc. I am a much better mommy and have my patience back. I was so grateful for his understanding and am grateful this medication is working so well for me.
After seeing Dr. Hoffman (my new OB), he went over all my records and he saw that my blood tests did not come back normal from my 3 hour glucose test. Which meant that I had Gestational Diabetes. I was really upset. I had no idea what that even meant or entailed, but knew I wanted to make sure I took the best care of myself possible. They got me an appointment with a diabetes specialist and they gave me the run down on my new diet and blood sugar regulation. I now get to eat every 3-4 hours and limit my carbs/sugar. I track everything I eat and prick my finger and check my blood sugar levels 4 times daily. It has pretty much taken over my life. It is all I think about. When do I eat next? How much do I eat? ......speaking of....I must break for a finger prick..........ok I'm back (my number was normal YAY!) When do I test myself? Etc, etc, etc. It is a major ordeal. I have been doing it now for a week and I haven't had low enough numbers. So now I get to go see a Perinatal specialist to get an ultrasound and be evaluated for insulin injections. I was also trained on how to do that at my appointment today, just in case. It was so weird to fill a needle and then stick yourself. Luckily it hardly hurts a wink, but I sorta feel like a junkie. This is all so crazy, but the lady assured me that in 95% of women, gestational diabetes leaves as soon as they baby comes out! Believe me I will be chowing down on some major grub in the hospital. Bring it all on!! Fries, Rice, Pizza, Milk, Fruit, Hawaiian Food, Chinese Food, Italian Food, a big juicy BURGER! Oh my mouth is watering!
Oh an just to make my day even lovelier - on my way home from the appointment that I found out I had Gestational Diabetes......I got a ticket for being on my phone. I was telling Halsy about all the stuff I now had to do. It was just not my day.
Other than all of the above: Baby is happy and healthy. I feel great, my body is holding up very well! I have to run to the bathroom all the time with emergency #1, but I can handle that. I pee my pants quite often now.....it must be getting worse with each baby, any sneeze, cough, laugh, or squat and it's over. That is probably TMI, but I figure I will forget if it doesn't get written down :) I have no cravings (not that they would be allowed anyway) and it is fun to see my belly move as he does. Can't wait to meet our little man!
Friday, June 1, 2012
The Graduate
Cameron completed his first year of Preschool! I can't believe a school year has passed and he is 4. Time sure flies. We participated in a co-op preschool with some other kids his age in our ward. It was a lot of work, but I really liked it in the end. We are going to do it again in the fall. It will be crazier that's for sure - with new baby boy and all - but we'll make it through!
I am so proud of Cameron. I love watching him think and hearing the places his brain takes him. Way to go little man!
I am so proud of Cameron. I love watching him think and hearing the places his brain takes him. Way to go little man!
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