Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Hi!

One of these days I'll get back into posting somewhat regularly.  I probably should be eating some breakfast...wait...make that lunch, but instead I'm on here ordering winter hats for Rose while she's sleeping.  There's been a few times where i emailed myself pictures from my phone to post on here, but then i realized there's just too many favorites and you probably have already seen them anyway (from some kind of social media).

We made a long trek home to Valdosta over Thanksgiving and it was so nice to be home.  Lots of friends and most of our family got to meet Rose for the first time!  The week went by too fast as usual.  I'm already wanting to go back.

Rose is stirring and it looks like it's eating time!  Here's just a few pictures from lately...




enjoying her quilt made by her Aunt Mary!


Chins!    


Not so sure about this sitting up thing

Monday, October 27, 2014

Rose's nursery

I know its been forever since I've posted anything, but usually when i have some down time I'm either taking a shower, eating, cleaning, or taking an afternoon walk (or nap). The other day when Rose was napping I snapped a few pictures.  Here's a little tour of her bedroom!


It's a pretty small room, but it's perfect for a baby. 


I made the mobile myself.  I kept wanting to add 1 or 2 more animals but I never got around to it.  I felt like it looked a little bare so i added the pom poms.



I also made the little woven tapestry.  Just like i did in elementary school with cardboard and yarn.
The framed print says "If i had a flower for every time i thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever.  -Lord Alfred Tennyson".  



The sweet dreams sign I made a few years ago with pipe cleaners and yarn.  
(There's never anything in her crib, this is just how i had it before she was born)


Rock Salt lamp and reading corner.


We originally had a small rocking chair in the corner, but had some dead space and found this love seat for a really good price.  Our first night home I ended up staying on it because I was too scared to leave her alone in the crib.  Needless to say i didn't get any sleep with getting up with every little sound and to check to make sure she was breathing.  


When my parents came to visit earlier in the summer we decided to take down one of the sliding doors and move the dresser in the closet to give more space.  We went out and picked up some fabric and lined the back of the wall.  


The other side of the closet hangs some of her clothes.  It also hides a bunch of clutter below ;)

Saturday, October 11, 2014

One month old

Four weeks ago today we had our baby girl!  
Rose Evangeline came 2 weeks early on September 13th at 7:08 pm, 
weighing 5 lbs 15 oz and 19 inches long.  



I have some more pictures to share, but i'll have to post at another time. 
We are just loving and enjoying our little Rose and are so thankful for a healthy beautiful baby! 


Thursday, September 4, 2014

37 week update






37 weeks. Full term. Almost there!

I think we are pretty much ready for this baby to be here!  We both feel like the past couple weeks have been dragging, and the next couple will probably feel the same.  Honestly, I like being pregnant for the most part and i think i will miss it.  I think I've had a fairly easy pregnancy though, compared to some people. Physically anyway...mentally is a different story (and maybe besides the gestational diabetes ;)).  Of course, I'm ready for her to be here!  

The hospital bag is packed and next week we are scheduling the induction for 39ish weeks.  I've had some people ask why I'm being induced early.  My doctor is doing it because of the GD and even though it doesn't seem I'm going to have a big baby, there's still a risk and complications can occur and I don't really want to get to that point.  I've also had some people ask how I'm going to deliver...epidural or natural.  I've decided to go in with an open mind and just see how things go.  If i need a C-section then so be it.  If i can't handle the pain, then I'm not afraid to ask for an epidural.  My main thing is i want her delivered safely and that's all that matters....i feel like at this point it's not about me, but about the baby and whatever needs to be done. That's all just my opinion and other people may disagree with that and that's fine.  I don't think the way you deliver makes you a good mom or a better woman than others that have to or choose a different way of delivering.  Again...just my opinion.  Whichever way she comes into this world, we can't wait!   I also can't wait till my first baby girl, Ziva, meets the new baby!  I told Jeremy that I've had two dreams (one at the beginning of the pregnancy and one last night) of delivering a baby and then it turns out being a dog....he said that's because Ziva is like my baby.  It's true.  

I made Jeremy go outside 3 different times to take these pictures of me.  Either the lighting was bad, picture was blurry, or i just looked dumb.  Or my legs looked red and blotchy?  Not professionals here, but I'm glad we have them to look back on!   They are mostly for my family since they don't get to see me, but thanks for taking a peek anyway.  Could be the last of the bump pictures! 

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Could be my last flower post for awhile...

This may be my last flower arrangement i do for a little while.   I may be able to squeeze one more in before the baby comes (in about 3 or 4 weeks!).  I remember last fall I did a few arrangements with lots of foliage from around my yard and some of those were my favorites (i say that all the time...i may even say that about this one), so I'm excited to try and do it again this year.   I kinda felt like this arrangement had a hint of fall in it...maybe it was the colors, but it definitely made me excited for fall.







Saturday, July 26, 2014

Dealing with gestational diabetes

Hi, my name is Hilary and i have gestational diabetes. 

Around 25 weeks i had to take the dreaded 1 hour glucose test.  Honestly, the drink wasn't that bad.  Mine was lemon lime and tasted like flat sprite. When they gave me the drink they said i had 5 minutes to get it down.  I took a sip and told the lady next to me it wasn't too bad.  She said when she did it years ago it was awful.  Just after that someone was calling my name to go back and get an ultrasound, so i chugged the rest in like 10 seconds.  Sugar rush! I felt a little sick for a few minutes, but for the rest of the hour i was fine. Towards the end i did start to get a little jittery.  While i waited to get my blood drawn i saw my doctor and she didn't think I'd have any trouble with passing.  I told her that everyone else said I'd be fine too, but for some reason i always thought that i would end up with it.  

After that appointment i was feeling really good!  I had to get an ultrasound to check if a cyst that had been found a few weeks prior was gone, which it was!!  Finally, i felt like i could relax and enjoy things.  Of course that only lasted until the next day when they called to tell me i failed my 1 hour test.  Pretty badly too.  So i scheduled the 3 hour test a couple days later.  I was pretty upset about not passing.  I was just feeling a little defeated and like i couldn't catch a break.  I know a lot of people fail the 1 hour and go on to pass the 3 hour, but I'm just not that optimistic.  

When i went in for the 3 hour i got to see the lady that had drawn my blood a million times last year, Poppy.  We're old pals now!  This time the drink was a little worse.  Double the sugar, and they just had the orange flavor.  I don't like orange flavored things.  The worst part of it all was the waiting.  When the test was finished i decided i wanted to go pick up some food...thinking it could be my last good/bad meal for awhile.  Well when i got on the interstate there was a couple of bad accidents, semi truck had blown up or something and then 2 other trucks ran into each other because of it.  I was stuck and they had closed the exit i wanted to get on.  My blood sugar was dropping fast from all that sugar and i was getting very shaky and sweaty.  I crammed some cashews i had in my purse down and then some mints.  I felt like i was about to pass out!  I called Jeremy and asked him to make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  

The next day i hadn't heard from anyone for awhile.  It was Friday around 4pm so i thought i should call them.  Well the nurse i talked to didn't think i had passed and needed to talk to the doctor.  She called me back and said that no, i did not pass.  She gave me my numbers and a couple were alright, but my doctor was "shocked, shocked, shocked!" and that i didn't fit the bill of someone who normally gets gestational diabetes. Over the weekend i felt sorry for myself and thought about food non stop.  I tried to look stuff up online and start the diet some what before i talked to the nutritionist.  I went in the next week and did a class (it ended up just being me in the class) and talked to a nutritionist about how many grams of carbs i could eat per meal and how to check my blood sugar.  I was feeling slightly overwhelmed with it all.  I've never been someone to really look at carbs or count calories.  

It seems like each time i told someone i was there for the gestational diabetes or that i had it i just got some look and a comment.  Yes.  Gestational diabetes is not usually something anyone has any control over, though.  It's either you get it or you don't.  It's a hormonal imbalance and my body just doesn't break down the sugars like it should.  The diet overall isn't too bad.  It's mostly just annoying pricking my finger 4 times a day and always having to think or plan out when and what I'm going to eat.  My fingertips have little black spots where they've been poked several times, they're sore too.  I have to check first thing in the morning for a fasting number.  Eat breakfast and test an hour later (30grams of carbs). Snack (30g).  Eat lunch and test an hour later (45g).  Snack (15g).  Eat dinner, test an hour later (45g).   Snack (30g).  If you check the labels on things you'll find that there are a lot of carbs in stuff.  Like tonight we had some whole grain rice... a serving (1 cup) is 47 carbs.  I didn't have nearly that much, but if you pair it with a protein and a vegetable you can usually get a good number.  Tonight we had steak, whole grain rice, and green beans.  I usually try and go for a walk after dinner...walking helps with your numbers...I just tested and my number was 108.  One hour after meals needs to be under 140, two hours after meals under 120.  Fasting number under 95.  I've only gone over once!  I'm hoping to continue to stay diet controlled and not go on any medication or insulin, but they said that 50% of people will end up needing help.  The further along you get in your pregnancy the more insulin your body needs and sometimes the diet isn't enough, even if you're doing everything right.  Unfortunately for me, it does mean that I'm more prone to getting it again with future pregnancies and possibly developing type 2 diabetes later in life if I'm not careful with my diet and physical activity.



Gestational diabetes a lot of times means big babies.  At 27 weeks i had my first growth scan.  They measure the head, abdomen and femur to give an estimated weight.  The head and femur were right on track, but the belly was measuring 2 weeks behind.  They said it could be that I'm just going to have a small baby.  They rain a couple tests and checked the blood flow through the cord and fluid.  Apparently there was something going on with the placenta.  Not producing enough nutrients or something.  They kept saying that the baby is fine right now, but if she fell further behind that i would have to deliver.  They were throwing a bunch of information at me and it was hard to take it all in at once and remember it all.  (Of course they end up wanting to check my blood pressure after telling me all this and it was a little high...oh great...sign of preeclampsia...i had to do a 24 hour urine collection to test for it but it all came back clear!  I'll probably have to do another one in a few weeks)  They told me they would keep a close eye on me with weekly ultrasounds and NST (non stress test).  Fast forward to a few weeks later, yesterday, i get my second growth scan hoping to get a better idea of how things are.  I go in thinking i could end up having to deliver really soon or i could make it to full term.  They do all their measurements and tests and while she's still a little on the small side, she's grown!  I think her abdomen was only a week behind, but they weren't concerned and they said everything looks great!  She was estimated at weighing 3 lbs 7 oz.  I'll still go in for weekly ultrasounds/tests and NST and in 3 weeks I'll have another growth scan.  So it seems overall things are better and I'm hoping to make it to full term with no other complications!


This might be how i feel sometimes...a lot of times. 

I wrote this last week, but never finished it up and posted it.  I just wanted to add that last night I had a full on pity party.  Jeremy was having some pizza and i was sad that i couldn't have any.  I wasn't mad that he was eating it front of me...just that i couldn't eat it too.  I pouted for awhile and looked through the fridge and pantry several times.  Nothing was sounding good or i was tired of eating it.  I cried a little, but found something to eat...which ended up giving me my second high number.  I pouted more.  Getting high numbers or fear of getting one is stressful.  I told Jeremy that I want a burger and fries and coke or something like that right after i deliver!  

P.S. My parents are coming in to town tonight for a visit since i couldn't make it to Valdosta. 

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

summer flowers






This is probably one of the biggest arrangements I've ever done.  I have been looking for big wide cheap vessels for awhile.  Usually they weren't what i wanted or were too expensive for my liking.  I found this silver bowl at a thrift store for maybe $5!  I haven't been able to play with as many flowers as I'd like to this year, but i hope that i can keep it up.  I love creating something different each time and while "the hunt" for flowers can sometimes be frustrating, it's always pretty cool to see what the outcome is with whats around you.  Although, i will say that i would also love to work with several varieties of flowers and be able to pick what i wanted rather than just see if i get lucky with finding something.  I've wanted and considered getting a wholesale license for awhile now.  Possibly trying to starting a business.  It's not really the right time now, with having a baby in a couple months.  Maybe next year?  It seems like a lot of people get started small with doing things for family/friends and word of mouth and i just don't know that many people in St. Louis.  Anyway, maybe that will be one of next years New Years resolutions...getting a wholesale license!  

In this arrangement, i bought the peonies and the mock orange (white flowers),  swiped a few queen annes lace and sweet pea from the side of the road, and the rest is from my yard; roses, foxglove, japanese spirea, and pokeweed.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

30 weeks








Well, I've made it to 30 weeks!  For some reason I always think I'm at least 2 weeks ahead of what I really am, so when I tell myself how far I am, I feel like I have forever still!  I don't feel like I'm "in the home stretch" or like its flying by by any means.  Still 10 weeks to go (actually probably more like 9 weeks because i have gestational diabetes, and well it could be even less than that because of a few other things...I'll get into that maybe tomorrow).  I'm feeling pretty good still for the most part.  I posted the last picture so you can see my belly button is out...it's been out for awhile now.  I've gotten to get a few ultrasounds lately and they let me see her in 3D a couple times.  That was kinda cool!  Apparently she has a lot of hair already...lets hope it's on her head and she doesn't come out looking like a monkey!  We've got a name picked out (still not completely decided on the middle name...we're kinda poking around), but we plan on keeping it a secret for the most part.  I need to finish up the baby room.  Someone gave us a ton of baby stuff last weekend.  I just put it in the room and now it looks so cluttered and i feel a little overwhelmed with it all just sitting in there.  Maybe this weekend i can get it a little more organized.  

In other news, Jeremy had a bike accident the other day and has been home from work the past couple days.  He texted me to come pick him up because he had a bad fall.  He's fallen before and usually can ride the rest, so i knew he had to have been in some pain for me to come get him.  When i got there his face and lips looked white and i was afraid he had punctured something.  He had the breath knocked out of him so he could hardly talk still and he said it hurt to talk anyway. He thought he might have had a broken rib so after we got home we decided maybe he should get checked out.  We went to Urgent Care and he got some X-rays.  Nothing was broken, just badly bruised and scraped up.  Thankfully he was wearing his helmet! You should see us both trying to get out of the car or off the couch...we both struggle and grunt really loud.  











Thursday, June 12, 2014

25 weeks



I've hit 25 weeks today!  I turned 25 years old the other day...the night before my birthday i told Jeremy that it was my last day as 24 and being 24 weeks. 
I've officially made it to viability.  So if i were to go into labor the baby would have a 50-80% chance of survival.  It's definitely not ideal, but it does make me feel a little bit better knowing that she's got a chance if anything did happen.  When i was 21 weeks i started getting some bad braxton hicks contractions.  I called up the nurse to see how many was too many.  She said 5 or more to call her back.  So i sat on the couch, drinking my water and counted.  There was about 4 an hour for a couple hours.  I started to get a little panicky.  I know braxton hicks are normal, but this felt too soon...and definitely too soon to go into labor.  They got better through out the rest of the day.  Down to about 1-2 an hour and then less.  I still get them through out the day, but not as many and i try not to worry as much.  (easier said than done for me...I'm a worrier).  Other than the braxton hicks, some occasional back pain, and the pesky acid reflux I've been feeling pretty good.  My belly button is starting to poke out.  Not quite "popped" but if i wear a tight shirt you can see it sticking out.  

We were suppose to go to Colorado this week, but decided maybe we should stay home for a couple different reasons.  I do think it would have been kind of boring/miserable with a 13 hour drive (x2), trying to hike, drink lots of water, bathroom breaks, and not worrying about everything.  It's doable but i think im glad we stayed home.  Maybe next summer we can do a fun trip somewhere...with the little babe! 

I always feel kinda silly posing for pictures that aren't group shots with other people.  I can't come up with fun poses and i usually end up making some stupid face.  Jeremy will take a bunch of pictures and wont tell you when he's snapping so you click through them later and most of them turn out like this...


Or i'll try to come up with a new pose...


I guess it's all just for fun anyway....something to look back on later!  

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

A Spring Arrangement

Back in April while the trees were still blooming i cut a few branches to add to this arrangement.  The hellebore's are also from my backyard.  I only bought the tulips and ranunculus.  

I remember it was actually quite chilly on this day and when i was driving in to dance there were snow flurries.  This was probably mid April and I wasn't happy with the cold.  It was a long winter, but these flowers were pretty and springy! 






Monday, June 2, 2014

Ditty of the Day

Yesterday we went for a long walk.  When i left the house i thought about changing my shoes, but i knew i had worn those sandals walking for hours before and thought I'd be fine (wore them all day just about everyday in Thailand). Well i don't know if it's because i haven't walked that far in 6 months, gained weight, or my feet were just sweaty and swollen, but when i got home i had 2 big blisters on the bottoms of each of my feet. When we were half way done i knew they were hurting and when i stopped they would burn and hurt worse.  I struggled to make it back to the car, adding an extra waddle to my already pregnant waddle.  I didn't notice the blisters till a little while later.  One big one on the ball of my foot and another about an inch long on the outer side of my foot...on both feets!!  The rest of the evening i hobbled around.  I got up a couple times in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and couldn't go back to sleep and then "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"  kept running through my mind.  Not sure why, but i kept humming it. The blisters are still there and I'm still hobbling around on my heels.  I will definitely have to wear better shoes next time!


I'm pretty sure I've posted other Paul Simon (or Simon and Garfunkel) songs on here before, but they are one of my favorite artists!

Friday, May 30, 2014

a few pictures from this past week



I started working on a baby mobile! Here's the mess on the couch... stethoscope to try and listen to the baby's heartbeat or moving around (couldn't pick anything up).  I ran out of green thread for the pine tree below and i'll probably make a couple more animals.  I'm pretty excited about it!



Rose bush in bloom!...


...so are some of the foxgloves!


Last Saturday we went to Shakespeare in the Park and saw Henry V.  We picked up some Five Guys burgers and only stayed for the first half (it's free!).  Our butts were getting a little sore and it was getting a little chilly. 


Bassinet from my mom.  She used on her three kids and i used to play with it when i was younger. 


Memorial Day.  We went to Jefferson Barracks to have a picnic.  As soon as we got out of the car it started to rain.  We found a covered table and hid under there while it thunder stormed for about 20 minutes.  The sun came out and we walked around the Cemetery.  
I mentioned my Granny in my last post, she was stationed here at Jefferson Barracks during WW2.



And i'm not sure what this crazy dog is doing! 

I can't believe it's Friday already! (and i really can't believe it's almost June!)  I hope everyone has a fun weekend! 







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