Favorite Low Carb Snack (diabetes friendly)

One of my favorite 'diabetes' friendly snacks that comes out to 15 carbs. Vanilla Yogurt (I mix in nutmeg and cinnamon) , 5 whole wheat crackers, 7 cheese cubes, half cup of unsweetened Soy milk. (sometimes I substitute the crackers for 1/4 to 1/2 of a granny smith apple.)



I also eat this for breakfast sometimes
when I get tired of eggs and a piece of toast!

15-30 grams of carbs Snack/Meal options

I copied the following from this website as a reference for when I am at a loss of what to eat. I will eventually make my own list similar to this.

Pregnancy High-Risk Pregnancy Gestational Diabetes: Menu Ideas

The following menus contain 15-30 grams of carbohydrates:

Sandwich made with:Two slices of bread, equaling 30 grams of carbohydratesEgg, cheese, meat or tuna

Mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato

One-half sandwich, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

Eight ounces of milk, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

Two small six-inch size corn or flour tortillas, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

Cheese, meat, avocado, lettuce, tomato, low-fat sour cream, salsa

One hamburger or cheeseburger, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

Twelve saltine crackers, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

Cheese or sugar-free peanut butter

One English muffin, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

Cheese, eggs or peanut butter

One cup of cooked oatmeal, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

Butter, cinnamon or Equal

Three graham cracker squares, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

One cup of milk, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

One cup of aspartame sweetened yogurt, equaling approximately 15 grams of carbohydrates

One piece of toast. Butter or margarine, if desired

One cup of unsweetened yogurt, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

15 grapes or one cup of melon or one very small banana, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

Six cups of popcorn, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

One cup of sugar-free pudding, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

One small bag of pretzels or baked chips, read label for 30 grams of carbohydrates

One cup of plain yogurt or aspartame sweetened yogurt, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

Three tablespoons of Grapenuts cereal, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

14 Ritz Crackers, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates Broth

One-half of large bagel, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

Peanut butter or cheese

Two rice cakes, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

One cup of milk, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

One small piece of fruit, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

One cup of milk, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

One cup of soup, read label for 15 grams of carbohydrates

Six saltine crackers, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

Two-thirds cup of buttered noodles, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

Parmesan cheese

One small apple, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

Seven Ritz crackers, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

One string cheese

One whole pita bread, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

Feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, onions, lettuce

One-half cup of cooked grits, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

One piece of toast, equaling 15 grams of carbohydrates

One or two eggs

Muffin-pizzas made with one whole English muffin, equaling 30 grams of carbohydrates

Sugar-free pasta sauce Vegetables, cheese

Gestational Diabetes

Today my doctor called me and said that I have gestational diabetes. He has put me on a diabetic diet and an exercise regimen of walking at least 4 times a week for at least 20 minutes at a time.

I don't feel too overwhelmed because last summer, before I found out I was pregnant, I lost 27 pounds in 3 months by exercising, counting calories, and eating healthy. When I found out I was pregnant I decided not to be as strict with myself and stopped measuring out my food. I have a good idea of how many calories is in what since I was doing that daily.

So now I'm back to measuring my food, counting calories (my Dr. told me to eat 2,000 calories a day) and this time around counting carbs. Carbs are not evil for diabetics, but they do have to be monitored. I think I can have 15 carbs for snacks and about 50 carbs for each meal. From what I understand so far, a lot of it has to do with portion control. Not too much is off limits (well eating a piece of chocolate cake probably is!), it's just monitoring how much of whatever it is that I can eat at one time. Since I'm just starting off, it might take me a little while to get it right. I'll be taking my blood sugar to see what works for me and what doesn't since everyone is different.

I hope this is just a pregnant thing and not something that I will have for life. In the meantime I am going to look at this as a blessing and see it as a motivator to live the healthy life that I want to live anyway. God is in control and I am thanking Him through this. I'm so glad to have a supportive friend through this as well. She is so very encouraging and knows so much about diabetes having gone through/going through it herself. I'm going to the hospital tomorrow to pick up some info on gestational diabetes and hopefully it will be informative enough for me to know what I need to do since my Dr. wasn't much help. Also, I have another glucose test next Wednesday or Thursday to see how my body does just being on this diet and walking four times a week. If my blood sugar is still high I will have to start giving myself insulin shots everyday. I hope I can monitor it with my diet. We'll just see how this goes!

The following article is from this website: http://smartmomma.com/pregnancy/weekly_fetal_dev_27.htm

*I did change the "him" to "her" and the "he" to "she" throughout the article.*

"Fetal Development: 27 Weeks
27 Weeks - Pregnancy
Baby
Your baby has gotten used to your voice by now, and probably even your partner’s. She will be drawn to you after birth naturally when she hears you talk to her. Besides hearing your voice, the sound of your blood circulating, your heartbeat, and other sounds are loud and clear to her. She may be soothed by “white noise” in the background after she is born, such as a fan, humidifier, vacuum cleaner, or clothes dryer. If she is fussy, you may want to try some white noise to remind her of the security of your womb.
Your baby has hit yet another growth spurt, as she adds over ½ an inch to her height this week alone. She is now 14 ½ inches long and weighs almost 2 pounds! The neurons in her brain are making new connections every day, and her brain will be like a sponge in the next few years, absorbing more and more information. The more you expose your baby to, the more her brain will grow and thirst for more. Start thinking about getting her a neat mobile and an activity mat or baby gym. Exposure to different shapes, colors, and textures during the first few months of infant hood will really sharpen her senses.
Mom
At the end of your six month, you have probably gained about 15 to 20 pounds. You probably even feel heavy when you walk. It’s a long way from the sexy thing you were six months ago, right? Many women in their third trimester feel some depression, as they feel lost as a person. While you are excited about your baby, you feel like you’ve been pregnant forever. You may feel that when people look at you or talk to you, they pretty much focus on your pregnancy and not on you. Some of us feel defined by the pregnancy, and it can be an anxious time. Just know that this is a common feeling and you WILL feel like a normal person again. Want to feel sexy again? Take a warm bubble bath and put on some silk. Listen to Norah Jones and have a picnic with your partner on the living room floor. Have him rub your back and massage your feet. If this doesn’t get you in the mood, hey, at least you got a massage out of it, right? "





Hahah! I love Norah Jones, picnics on the floor with my hubby, and massages!!! How did they know?!

I crossed out the middle of that last paragraph because that's not how I am feeling at all. I don't feel lost or depressed, I don't feel like I'll be pregnant forever, and I don't feel like people only focus on my pregnancy...and if they do, I don't mind!!

I am so excited about these last three months. For Erik, I never experienced my last two months of pregnancy because he came that early. I know that I will go full term this time and I believe that with all of my heart. Some people may think that I was somehow lucky to not have to "endure" the last months of pregnancy, but I have never thought of it that way. The pain that Chris and I went through was excruciating and far surpasses being physically uncomfortable. We weren't sure of how Erik would do in the intensive care unit and how he would develop later on. It was unbearable to see other babies around us pass away, some of which were born around the same gestational age. God has had his hand on Erik as we have seen him grow and mature as though he was never born early. He is so eager to learn new things and his quick mind amazes me. I teach him something one time and weeks later he remembers it without fault. I thought that maybe he would end up with hearing and speech problems like a lot of preemies end up having but that has gone out of the window. I have been told by several people on different occasions that he is articulate for his age...and of course, I think that as well! I know I am biased as a mother and every mom thinks their child has brains, but I just can't help doting on him! I am sooo very proud to be his mom!

Today I saw Andy...I mean Dr. Hill...haha (see http://intheyellowskies.blogspot.com/2009/02/im-25-weeks-pregnant-today-some.html for what that means!) and I took a glucose test. Those drinks are sooo nasty. I find out tomorrow how my blood sugar levels are. I've been using a friends blood sugar meter and the numbers are all over the place. (Like one day I just ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast and it was 182...then today I had Chinese food and it was 107!!) Some days are perfect and other days they are high. I told my doctor about my numbers (I take my blood first thing in the morning and then an hour after I eat) and he didn't seem too concerned. He said to watch my sugar intake and keep my calories at 2,000. This shouldn't be a problem because most days I am about 200 to 300 below that intake and I don't have much of a sweet tooth anyway. (Except I do admit that I am addicted to chocolate pretzels...but have only bought one small bag this entire pregnancy..go me!) I have gained 8 pounds so far and am hoping not to pack on much more. Since I'm already on the "more to love" side, I should probably only gain about 15-20 pounds. My doctor hasn't said anything about that but from what I've read it seems recommended. Chris and I are going on a hike this weekend and I'm pretty sure we'll be walking for about 4 hours. Wish us luck!

March Madness!!

It's the month of March! This month is going to be jammed packed with so many fun events.

For starters, this Saturday Chris and I plan on going to see a production at UL called "5 Women Wearing the Same Dress." It is a comedy about 5 bridesmaids, taking place in Knoxville, Tn. He has to attend 2 plays this semester for school so we are going to turn them into date nights instead of homework!

Then on Sunday we are going with my sisters to New Orleans to go to the Audubon Zoo. I haven't been there since I was in middle school. I can't wait! Erik is going to have so much fun.

Then for the following Sunday (15th) Chris and I are going to go hiking with the Hub City Hiking Club. They are a group of hikers whose goal is to assist in organizing small outdoor excursions in and around South Louisiana. The current goal of the club is have members participate in at least one outdoor excursion per month. Members are encouraged to help plan these mini-adventures, which could include not only day hikes but also overnight backpacking, biking, and canoeing. A friend from highschool is a member of the club and invited me to go along. This month they (we) are hiking a segment of the Wild Azalea Trail outside of Woodworth, La. This is a link to the brochure:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/kisatchie/images/Brochures/OHV_Meeting_Brochures/Calcasieu_RD/Wild_Azalea_Brochure.pdf


Then the week after that I will be going for another 3D ultrasound at Sneak Peak. I am going on Monday March 23rd at 10 a.m. I will be 28 1/2 weeks pregnant, which I've heard is a really good time to go. We went when I was 19 weeks and it was still too early to really see Ivy's facial features yet. I'm so excited to see her again!!

The weekend after that- Saturday the 28th we plan on going to Baton Rouge to see "Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Green Thumb" and then on Sunday our nephew is turning 5 and he's having a party to celebrate!

Then on the following

Saturday -on April 4th

-I am having a baby shower!

Woohoo!

I think it's setting in that our family is about to grow and we are about to have an infant in a few short months. I know Ivy won't be a baby forever and we are still going to get to do fun things, but it's nice for now to enjoy it being just the 3 of us. I can't wait until she joins us though!

25 weeks pregnant

I'm 25 weeks pregnant today :) Some websites say that this is the beginning of my 3rd trimester but most of them say I won't be there until 28 weeks. Why is this even debatable? It's so confusing that not only do they add 2 weeks to pregnancy, but also that no one seems to know when the third trimester starts. Oh well!






I saw my doctor today. Sort of.






I got to the doctor's office, signed in, and was then called to the back and the secretary says to me, "Well, you may or may not know this, but Dr. Broussard retired this week." I don't know if it was pregnancy hormones or if I was genuinely this upset, but I broke into tears. The secretary starts to cry too (like balling crying like me with big tears rolling down her face) and says that it was really sudden for all of them too and not to worry- they will take care of me and find a new doctor for me. She also said that he didn't call anybody, but that he put an article in the newspaper.

She walked with me- arm in arm- to where my new Dr. office will be showed me the waiting room and handed me some tissues. I was a wreck. I could NOT stop crying! I was trying to get it together because I didn't want this doctor to think that I was dissapointed that he was going to be my doctor. My new nurse called me in and took one look at me and said, "You sunburned or something?" I am sunburned but my face was even more red and puffy from the crying. I told her that I was just a little caught of guard with Dr. Broussard retiring and that I was emotional. She tells me, "Well at least he didn't die!" I just looked at her and shook my head...realllllly slowly...What?! And then she tells me that when she was pregnant, her doctor went on vacation- I think to a hunting trip- and was accidently shot. :( In her odd attempt at making me feel better, it at least got my mind off it and helped me to calm down a bit. (I'm serious--I was sobbing!) I am not emotional about this anymore but I am dissapointed. I really really liked my doctor, my nurse, and -this is going to sound really picky but -I liked his office better! He had a big beautiful fish tank with exotic fish and the room was decorated all colorful and had whimsical mermaids hanging from the ceiling...He was such a FUN guy!!!!! AHHH! I'm getting over it.

So my new doctor is Dr. Hill. http://www.acadianawomen.com/Dochill.htm He reminds me of Andy from "The Office". He sounds like him and kind of makes the same gestures! Too funny. He's a lot younger than Dr. B and was really talkative. I don't know what else I would expect, but I liked that he just jumped right in as my doctor. He expressed a lot of concern about Erik being born premature (by 8 weeks) and so from now on I will be seeing him every two weeks. It seems like a lot since I have 15 more weeks to go, but it does make me feel like I am being taken care of. This was also fun to read about: (from the link that I posted up there) " Interests include music (singer/songwriter, violin, guitar, harmonica), hunting, fishing, weightlifting/fitness, gardening." He seems like a really well rounded and interesting guy!

After all of that craziness, my mom and I went to Target and I started up a baby registry. I'm having a small shower in about a month and Wendy and Katy told me that I needed to get my registry set up and my addresses to them by Monday. I'm really excited because it will be fun having another shower, especially because this baby is a different gender than my first. This one is going to be much smaller since it is my 2nd go-round and so I told myself that I would limit myself to 15 items. And then I got carried away!!! Going around with that little pricing gun was almost as fun as shopping! Plus, Target has this great perk--whatever is left on my registry will be discounted after the due date. I think it's something like 10-20%. I hope no one thinks I'm greedy!

Then we went to Cafe Roma for lunch (mmm) and after we saw the comedy "Medea Goes to Jail". Maybe it was more pregnancy hormones surging through me, but I cried more than I laughed. It was a good movie with a ton of good messages throughout. My mom loved it and was cracking up! She really needed a pick-me-up. There is a lot going on in my family right now and I think some good belly laughs were just what she needed. The last movie that she saw in theaters was "Toy Story"! She took me and my sisters who were only toddlers back then and now they are in highschool!


Well, little miss Ivy is about the size of an eggplant. I took some pictures of my pregnant belly and will post them later. I look like I have about 5 eggplants in there! Hahha!

Gardening: I love Mulch!

20 bags of mulch and a few new plants to brighten up the back garden bed.

Before: Overgrown with weeds and in need of some new plants and mulch.

After: Looking fresh! Hibiscus coming back from the winter in the back left and right corners. White Irises under the window. Ginger in the middle, Sweet olive in the front, and a very tiny mexican sage in the middle toward the right side.