And then there were three...

When Makayla was born, Joshua was only 16 months old, so he was pretty unaware of what Makayla's arrival meant for him. This time around, the kids are a little older, so it has been interesting to see their reaction to Leah coming home. Joshua is in love with his little sister, and is so gentle with her. He likes to hold her, and give her kisses on the forehead. He is also my little "go-fer", so I call upon him when I need something for Leah. And then there's Makayla... She is a little indifferent towards Leah at this point. It is taking her a little bit of time to work through the fact that she is no longer the only girl, and no longer the youngest in the family. Middle child syndrome has begun. Here are some pictures of Leah's homecoming with Brother and Sissy:

She's here!!!

Little Leah Grace is here!!! She was born on Monday, April 7th, at 2:17pm. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces (yay for being under 9 pounds!), and measured 19 inches long. She is perfect in every way, and has stolen our hearts.

I kind of feel guilty in saying this, but the labor and delivery were pretty easy this go around...all praise to God! I went in on Sunday night to get "prepped" for induction. Basically, this means my body was not quite ready to go into labor with the help of Pitocin, so I needed an extra little something to get going. When we first arrived, we found out Leah was already playing tricks, and instead of being head down, she was sideways. We couldn't do anything until she was head down, so I was put into a very uncomfortable position with this huge peanut exercise ball,

 in an effort to have gravity move her head down. Thankfully, it worked, and I didn't have to try another position change! After she moved to a head down position, I was given a drug called Misoprostol, which would start uterine contractions and prep me for receiving Pitocin. It's safe to say my body responded well to the drug because it jump-started labor to the point where I didn't even need the Pitocin. Within four hours of receiving the medicine, the contractions were 2-4 minutes apart, and I was ready for the epidural. The anesthesiologist squeezed me in right before a surgery, and the rest of the labor and delivery was sweet serenity! I labored for another seven hours, pushed for maybe 15 minutes, and out came Leah surfing through all of that extra amniotic fluid I had. And there she was, beautiful and perfect!

The End is in Sight!

I feel like the end is in sight! We have 11 more days until my induction date, but are still hoping for a miracle that she would come on her own before then. I finally took a picture a couple of weeks ago for those of you out-of-towners. At least Leah will have one preggo picture on down the road.

4 Weeks to Go!

We had another ultrasound and appointment yesterday for Miss Leah. She continues to measure about two weeks ahead, and ultrasound measurements have her at just under 7.5 pounds. I was 7 lbs, 3 oz when I was born, so it's crazy to think that she has already surpassed that with 4 weeks to go! Once again, they are projecting another 9 pounder. I wish I could say we (Andrew, my doc, and I) were all shocked by the news, but it's what we've come to expect with our babies. The amount of amniotic fluid rose a little bit since the last ultrasound, but still nothing to worry about at this point. The extra fluid does make for a very active baby as it creates an easier environment to maneuver rolls and somersaults. She moves a lot, and was going crazy during the appointment, so I have a feeling she's going to be a little firecracker. She performed well on her movement, breathing, and heartbeat tests, so everything else looks good. She was being shy, so unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of her face. As long as I can keep my sugars in check, I won't have anymore ultrasounds, and I'll only have to do the normal weekly appointments. We have an induction date set for April 7th, so that will be the big day unless she decides to come early. I'm not holding my breath as it seems all of our kids are very content staying in Mama's belly and hanging out. So, that's it...now we wait...

Leah - 32 Weeks

Yesterday, I had an ultrasound and doctor's appointment. I'm currently at 32-weeks, so just a couple months left. Everything looked good on the ultrasound. Leah is measuring almost two weeks ahead at this point, so it looks like we're bound to have another big baby. The ultrasound also showed a little bit of excess amniotic fluid. The normal range is 5-25, and mine was 27, so nothing too crazy. I guess gestational diabetes can cause higher levels of fluid, so it's not a big surprise, and the doctor isn't very concerned about it. Needless to say, I'm feeling quite big with a bigger baby and excess fluid!

As for the gestational diabetes, things are going great so far (praise God!). I'm into week two of the three-week program, and my numbers have been great. Even though I can't have the milkshake I've been craving, I'm finding that I can have some guilty pleasures in moderation every now and then like pizza and pancakes. While it does take some planning, it hasn't been terrible, and we've had some pretty tasty, and healthy, meals. That being said, I will probably never look at a carb in the same way after this! My doc said that if my numbers continue to look good, I won't have to go on meds, and I will be able to cut down testing from four times a day to twice a day after the program is up. I wouldn't need to have any additional appointments, and we wouldn't have to approach labor and delivery any differently. So...keep praying that my hormones don't get wacky, and that I can control my numbers through diet.

I think that pretty much sums up my appointments yesterday. Below are some pictures from the ultrasound. It's amazing how much more you can see since the last ultrasound 10 weeks ago. 

There's that nose that runs in the family!

Giving a wave

Just kickin' it!

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.