Family in Feast and Feria

I haven't written any posts in a long time. I'm not apologizing, just stating a fact. I put the blog on password protection for a while, as I was contemplating deleting the blog altogether. I am busy with other things, and I can't keep up with the blogging community. I write for my family and myself, and don't expect to have other readers. And lately, I'm not up to writing about anything!

The baby is due in a few weeks, around Christmastime, if all goes as planned. I have lots to do in preparation, and of course will be busy post-partum, too. I'm really looking foward to seeing the little guy. I'm on bedrest right now and will just have to learn patience and trust in God.

I just want to thank you for all the good wishes and prayers for this pregnancy. I really appreciate it.

God bless you!

The pregnancy is at 16 weeks tomorrow, and a check-up on Wednesday. Many of our family conversations discuss future names for this child. Since we don't know the gender yet, both types of names are being tossed around.

Ds totally enjoys thinking about the names. He has made some silly jokes, suggesting the use of his name again. We discussed how we are choosing saints' names for the child, and he's really taken this to heart. Many of his names are quite nice and reasonable. He has good taste. ;-)

But yesterday he proposed a name: "I know! If it's a girl, how about Scholastica?"

Hmmm....while I love the saint, I don't think that's a winning combo "Scholastica Miller".

I COULD put much of the blame on Cay and her Catholic Mosaic. After all, The Holy Twins is the recommended title for the feast of St. Benedict.

But that wouldn't be completely true. After all, I love Tomie dePaola, owned that book already, and read it to my son even at a wee age. Cay just affirms what I love about those beautiful books and gives me ample excuse to bring them to the forefront.

It just tickles me to hear a 3 year old suggesting names like Benedict and Scholastica. He's absorbing something from our reading!

Thank you for the kind words and prayers for yesterday's glucose test. No dramatic events during the test, thank God. I was able to do some reading and knitting while I waited all that time.

I did almost pass out before getting my food after the 3 hours. Silly me, I thought I could stand and function normally. When the room started roaring and things going black, I got the message. My mother was my designated driver (and babysitter), as she knew I wouldn't be able to function. She's such a blessing.

And as predicted, the rest of the day was quite shot.

I won't know the results right away, but I did test my glucose levels on my own personal monitor, and I know I failed the test. I failed BIG TIME. The last hour was the only number that was borderline. I used this site for a gauge.

So back to the endocrinologist I go.

The pregnancy is progressing at 15 weeks.

If you read this anytime soon, please say a quick prayer for me. Tomorrow morning I take the 3 hour glucose test. I dread it...my whole day will be shot because I know I am going to feel ROTTEN!

But it needs to be done. I developed gestational diabetes very early in the last pregnancy. 12 weeks I had a diagnosis, and by 20 weeks I was on insulin. Even being very strict in my diet it wasn't helping the sugars.

So, my OB doctor said to me last visit that my Hemoglobin A1C was very good, but my fasting numbers are already high, and face it, I have 100% chance of gestational diabetes for this pregnancy.

So here we go again...I dread it. I dislike the multiple finger prickings during the day, the forcing down of food, and then the insulin shots.... It's the sacrifice I will make for my baby, but oh I really dread it.

I recently discovered that St. Josemaria Escriva is one of the patrons of diabetes. He had it during his lifetime, but then was completely cured.

St. Josemaria, pray for us!

It's been quite a week for us.

Ds has developed croup--the first time ever in his life. Strange that it would in the summer, and at his age! We've been doing nebulizer treatments since Tuesday. I can tell he's improving -- his fever is almost gone, and instead of being lethargic he's just cranky, grumpy, and obstinate. I have to keep his activity levels down, or he goes into a coughing spell and requires bathroom steam treatment.

And now I'm developing a bit of a chest cold, so I'm having a hard time dealing with his mood swings...which I know stem from the medicines. Sigh.

Yesterday was our 12 week appointment. I can scarcely believe the baby is 12 1/2 weeks! The sonogram we had the previous week showed everything to be right on target. During yesterday's visit he doctor struggled to find the heartbeat, but eventually did, so we had happy faces.

Although the due date is January 6 (Epiphany and Daddy's birthday), we know from my the location of my previous c-section that I am at high risk for uterine rupture, so the baby will probably be born around 36 or 37 weeks, another c-section.

AND the writing is on the wall for a long haul with gestational diabetes (GD). I've been taking initial fasting numbers at home and they are already high. The first trimester is usually marked with hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, and when the placenta takes over, the tendency for higher glucose numbers kicks in. So I have a 3 hour glucose test to take in the next week, and then back to the endocrinologist for regular visits all through this pregnancy.

While I knew this was a possibility, because I had this with my son's pregnancy, I was hoping it wouldn't happen this time. It was really, really hard. I am very sensitive to blood sugar changes, and I just felt plain awful. It was diagnosed at 12 weeks, and I was on insulin by 20 weeks. My numbers were brittle, and it was hard to keep things under control, even with a high protein, complex carb diet. It is so hard to constantly be thinking of food--(force)eating every few hours, having to choose very specific foods, pricking the finger about 4-6 times a day. Truly one feels so saddled by Brother Ass (my body).

So I'm facing the day with very mixed emotions. God has given us another miracle pregnancy. Truly every day is a marvel. But I do dread taking up this cross of GD. I am praying for the grace to have the strength to deal with this one day at a time. I know it's a small cross in the scheme of things, and I pray that my sufferings will benefit this child--both in body and in soul.