Journeys

I am on a journey. In fact, we're 8+ months into this adventure as of this post. You see, I am pregnant with our first child. All in all, I have to say that I have loved being pregnant. There are certain aspects I could have done without: puking my guts out periodically, micro-bladder bursts when I laugh/cough/sneeze, and the required modern Spanish Inquisition. For those of you guys and women who've never been pregnant, I'm talking about the Glucose Tolerance test they give you around the 7 month mark. My situation is going to be a bit different from most of you gals out there, so take heart in the fact that what I'm about to say is NOT going to apply to most women. You see, my family has a history with Diabetes already. That makes me a much higher risk for Gestational Diabetes and Diabetes in general than the normal population. I've struggled with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) for years. So when my Obstetrician, who incidentally is a GREAT and fabulous doctor, mentioned that we needed this test I groaned internally.

"I'm going to fail that test," I said immediately. We discussed it at some length and she, given my history, agreed that it was very likely. We set everything up so that we were in the best possible scenario prior to taking the test: no ingestion of anything but water for the 2 hours prior to the test, high protein containing meal was the last thing I did eat, and still I failed – that means my sugar was too high 1 hour after ingesting the Glucola crap they make you drink. For those of you who've never had the pleasure, the version I got tasted like Sprite or 7-Up with 4 times the normal amount of sugar you'd get in the regular drink. I understand there are cola and a lovely orange as well. Failing the first test meant that I got to go in for the full 3 hour Glucose Tolerance test they give suspected Diabetics. That one you have to fast for hours and they give you the drink and test you every hour. I won't go into the gory details, but the results were the same. All I can say is that I'm thankful I live in a time where we understand Diabetes. Not only do we understand it, but we have methods of controlling it as well. Baby is doing well and I have my sugars under control. The one dichotomy that I haven't yet been able to reconcile: how to control the sugars and gain weight at the same time. I go one of 2 ways: either the sugars are high and I'm gaining or they're controlled and I'm holding steady. Now given the effects Gestational Diabetes can have on the baby, I'll go for holding steady and let the baby take nutrients from me. Though, I am trying to eat. I eat 7 times a day now. This week I've lost a pound . . . great.

Enough about the downside of being pregnant, let's talk about the good stuff. I love feeling my little one move. My hubby and I have quite the little wiggle worm. We'll have to work on the circadian rhythms after birth as the prime time for the aerobic workout is NOT going to continue to be 3-4:30 AM. Naptime is right on schedule in the length of the afternoon though and most days I wish I could join in as well. Music is a big hit; Rachmaninov to the soundtrack from Shrek will spark a move into "listening" position. Every night at bedtime we have a story time. Currently we're working our way through Grimm's Fairy Tales. If you've never read the originals, I'll tell you, they are pretty sick and twisted. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I figure they are a great conversation starter as the journey continues with growing up. To quote Marcel Proust:

We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.

Cheers.