Update on Miss Leah

Yep, we have a name! Our baby girl's name is Leah Grace, and she is due to arrive, Lord willing, in ten weeks or less. We have a bit of an update on how this pregnancy is going. This has definitely been the hardest pregnancy of the three kids. As you know, I had horrible morning (or all-day) sickness during the first trimester. Second trimester was pretty kind, which was a huge blessing since it happened over the holiday season. Now that the third trimester has arrived, we recently found out that I have gestational diabetes. For those who don't know what this is, it basically means that my body can't keep up with the sugar levels, and so the extra sugar just sits in my blood and is converted to fat instead of being broken down into energy. If not dealt with, it can lead to a large baby. As most of you know, I'm prone to large babies, so managing the diabetes is pretty important. There are also some other risks, but they dramatically go down when the mom manages the diabetes in a healthy way. So, what now? For the remainder of the pregnancy, I will be on a strict diet of low carbs and sugars, and high protein and fiber. As a woman who loves, and I mean LOVES, her carbs, this is definitely a shift. I will have to do finger pricks four times a day and record the blood glucose levels for my nutritionist and doctor. I will have to report my numbers daily for 21 days, and if I have proven to manage it through diet, I won't have to go on medication. I will also have extra ultrasounds to track the baby's growth and size up to the due date. Once I deliver, the glucose levels of Leah and I will be checked for the first few days, but then we should be fine, and it should no longer be an issue. It's all a bit of a bummer, but I am already seeing some good things come out of it. Before being diagnosed, I was having some episodes of being lightheaded, weak, flushed, and nauseous. After starting this diet, I have already felt much better, and have more energy. Another plus is that we are eating pretty healthy as a family, and have already found some new recipes to incorporate into our menu planning later on. Finally, if this will help in having a slightly smaller baby, that is something to celebrate as well. On the bright side, it's only ten weeks. And, don't get me wrong...after the delivery, I will be requesting pizza and ice cream cake : ) Your prayers are appreciated as we head into the final leg of this pregnancy. We look forward to introducing you to Miss Leah Grace!

M's Birthday

Our little girl turned two-years-old a couple of weeks ago. It's amazing how once kids reach this milestone, they magically turn into little girls/boys, and are no longer your babies. Makayla seems so grown up, and I'm sure it's even more evident with an older brother around teaching her new things (good and bad) every day. She is a bit of a diva, yet she can hold her own with Joshua. She likes playing with Brother's trucks, but is also quick to carry around her purse and give kisses to her baby doll. When Brother isn't around, she is very good at independent play, and definitely welcomes the momentary quiet. She is compassionate and empathetic, as she'll put herself into timeout when Brother gets put into timeout. Most of all, she lives up to her middle name as she is pure "joy" to be around. She truly lights up our world. 

Holidays in the Bay

We're back from spending a week with Andrew's parents in San Jose. We flew in Christmas Eve morning, and promptly grabbed our first bite of In 'N Out. We ate Swedish food that night, opened gifts, and enjoyed a mix of yummy cookies. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of our Christmas Eve night because much of it was spent controlling the chaos. Makayla wanted to open everybody's presents but her own, and Joshua found it more fun to run around the house screaming and throwing the wrapping paper everywhere.

Joshua's new train set...he's in love!

On Christmas, we went through our stockings in the morning, and enjoyed a nice brunch. We took a walk to Starbucks, watched a little Planes (one of Joshua's gifts), and then enjoyed another wonderful meal and more dessert. Again, I have no pictures...oops...

The day after Christmas, Andrew and I left for a night in San Francisco. It kind of served as a little anniversary getaway, as well as one last hurrah before baby comes in April. We ate, shopped, walked, ate some more, walked some more, ate a lot more, and it was WONDERFUL! We caught a movie on the drive home, and then met Andrew's parents for a nice dinner to celebrate their anniversary. Joshua and Grandpa rode the train to dinner, which was a trip highlight for him. Overall, those 24 hours were most definitely the highlight of my vacation!

Clam Chowder in a bread bowl...mmmmm!!!

Union Square

Niners logo made out of footballs at the Nike store

Beyond those fun things, we visited Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose:

Joshua and Makayla decorated cookies with Gigi and Grandpa:

And we visited the Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont:

NM Christmas

Before heading off to San Jose, we celebrated Christmas with my family. We ate a traditional New Mexican Christmas dinner (tamales and posole), opened gifts, and finished off the night with a birthday cake for Jesus that the kids helped me make. 

Joshua doing his best "Ho-ho-ho!"

They love the play food

Every birthday celebration needs cake, so we made a cake for Jesus! The kids decorated with sprinkles and M&Ms.

Work Party

My friend, Ashley, and I threw ourselves a "work party." We figured we needed to spoil ourselves a little since our hubbys were being spoiled by their companies. We weren't totally off-the-clock, but we had a good time doing something fun, eating well, and entertaining our favorite "employees." Pizza, cookies, and presents...I'd say our party was a success!!!

Building with Daddy

Andrew and I took the kids to another Lowe's Build and Grow activity. The kids built a candy locomotive, complete with scratch and sniff stickers. We all had a great time! 

Poor Baby Tres

I have been absolutely terrible about updates concerning Baby Tres. I haven't taken a single pregnant picture yet, and the only thing I have said about baby is that he or she is coming around April 9th, 2014.

But...here's an update worth noting...

I had my ultrasound on Monday. We were going back and forth on whether or not to keep the sex a secret until delivery day, but in the end, we decided to find out. Even if we had wanted to keep it a secret, Baby had other plans as that part of the anatomy was the very first thing we saw...bottom's up : )

So...if the pictures are accurate...we will be welcoming another little girl to the family! We're still trying to narrow down a first name, but we do know that her middle name will be "Grace". We also know her name won't start with an "E," as we will spare her from having her initials spell out E-G-G!

The doctor was pleased with all of the other ultrasound pictures, and said she looks great! She weighed in at around 15oz, and the measurements said she was around 21 weeks and 1 day. Based on my due date, I am at 21 weeks and 5 days, but it's well within the margin of error. As my doctor said, "She's a bit smaller now, but let's see where she ends up." He knows my big-baby history all too well (ha)!

For baby's sake, I will try and get a baby bump picture up soon ;0)

Here are a few pics from the ultrasound...