Gestational Diabetes Glucose Test Day

This morning I went into the birth center to take three blood draws, after 13 hours of fasting (didn't eat since dinner the night before), and drinking a sickeningly sweet red glucose drink. Jocelyn stayed home from school today since she woke up with an upset stomach (no fever, but couldn't take her to school), and so she came with me. We brought some books and she was great waiting there with me for 2+ hours. There was a sweet little baby that was there in the waiting room with us for a while and Joss had a lot of fun getting to know him and his mama for a while before they went back for their appointment. Also Amber from my centering group was there for her glucose test too, so we were able to chat and pass the time together without counting the minutes and seconds to when we could finally eat again. This test was my least favorite part last time around, and the same goes for this time around. But I did it! And afterwards I took Joss with me to eat at Taco Deli (an early lunch, late breakfast -second breakfast for her) for tacos.

We now wait 2-3 days to hear back if I passed or not. Last time it was a close call, I did the one hour, then had to go back and do the 3 hour, and it was horrible doing it twice and all the fasting. The fasting part is the worst, especially as a vegan pregnant mama, I eat at least every hour. This morning with an empty stomach I was feeling queasy again, after finally getting over the morning sickness part... and then drinking the sugar drink felt even more nauseated, but ugh, I got through it. I really hope that I pass. If I don't, I will take it as it comes and do what I can to stay healthy, and keep baby safe, and ensure that I can continue to birth at the birth center. Fingers crossed.... I should find out by end of the week.

27/28 weeks and counting...

27 weeks now (28 depending on which due date I go with), and Jackson is getting more and more active and now has a set routine that I'm familiar with. He likes to be awake and especially lively in the mornings after I drop Joss at school and sit and drink my tea and color or work on my quilt, around lunch time (which reminds me to make myself something to eat), after dinner, and when I lay down in bed to go to sleep, and for the last couple weeks 3-3:30am every night - so much that he wakes me up and I can't get back to sleep until 4 or 4:30 because I love feeling so close with him and picturing his sweet little being so innocent and loved rolling around in my belly.

There is so much madness going on in the world right now, its a pretty intense time to be pregnant, but I am focusing as much of my energy as possible inward to grow all the love and health inside me as I can muster. I really hope that my children's futures are brighter than things seem to be right now. Filling up my body and home with love and light, and giving as much kindness to everyone I interact with, every damn day. My heart aches for this country, and I can only continue to hope and love and stand strong for what I believe in, and the future that I believe in for my kids. All I can say is its been a hellova time to not be drinking... From surviving the non-stop visits with in-laws and family during fourth of July for three weeks I was in California (with constant chronic nausea), through the debates (continued nausea), and election results (actually throwing up), and now all of the holidays... On the bright side we are saving a lot of money without all that extra booze... right? And I'm bringing my A game to all the holiday cheer this year, my home is full of peace and joy and that's all I can do to stay sane right now.

For Thanksgiving, we honor a day of Mourning for the Native American lives lost with a moment of silence, and continue our vegan tradition to not put any suffering on our table. This year with me not working, and Joss being in school I am getting as much done as I can before Thursday, which even though I'm really slowing down in my third trimester, I am able to get it all together on my own like I always do. Yesterday I did the majority of the shopping (and had to go to two different whole foods because the first one - the bigger one- was OUT of tofurkey! Which is awesome, yay all the meat-free folks!). I made my chocolate mousse, and cranberry sauce, which are chilling in our fridge until Thursday. I'm also going to be making the tofurkey I picked up, and vegan enchiladas (mushroom, spinach and fake chicken ones for Jason, and 2 bean, veggie, and vegan cheese ones for me - the sauce is too spicy for joss but she'll have plenty else to eat), corn bread, vegan stuffing, mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, macaroons, and organic green salad with my homemade vinaigrette. When I was at whole foods they were also selling pre-made 1/2 pumpkin pies, so I picked up a vegan one, and some vegan coconut whipped cream, and some of Jason's favorite oatmeal stout beer. Its going to be a feast! I'll make a few things before, and cook the tofurkey and mashed potatoes on the day of, and the rest I'll prepare today or tomorrow with Joss when she's home from school.

Our neighbors Rima and Ajit, are currently having their kitchen remodeled this week while she is off work (she's a Montessori teacher and they are closed this week), so I am going to invite them over to have Thanksgiving with us if they don't have any plans. I know her daughter also lives in town, but either way I want to be sure they are welcome here if want to join us. Or if they need to use our oven, I'll offer it to them, they are both vegetarian - Ajit is vegan, so I'm sure they will love our food either way and not bring any dead animals to cook if they need our oven.

Jackson is kicking! It makes me so happy to feel his movements, and imagine how sweet those first moments together will be. Truly magical. I've had more and more Braxton Hicks, more than I remembered having with Joss, but maybe I'm just much more aware of how it all feels this time around and more hyper sensitive. My next check up is first week of December with my centering group. I'm looking forward to it. Jason will be there again with us since we will continue to discuss labor. Well, time now to enjoy the company of my animals in my quiet house, finish my green smoothie and work on my quilting project while I watch Gilmore Girls again in preparation of the 4-part special coming to Netflix this Friday! Missing my mom, wish she was here to watch with me. Looking forward to having her here with us soon starting in February.

Centering Group, Session 4, February 2017 Babies

I have so many emotions running through me in regards to the election results, that I need to focus on positives right now. It's a hellova time to not be drinking, but yoga, crystal healing, and essential oils have been vital. And lots of baby kicks in my tummy, and cuddles with my big 3 year old, and puppy dog company and my cats snuggling up on my lap. We had rain finally come to Austin, my house is decorated with twinkly christmas lights on our tree, garlands, and my childhood ornaments up on the tree fill me and our house with warm, loving nostalgia. Its a hard time, its a scary time, but there is always something to be grateful for. Always something to hold dear and close and see the good.

Earlier this week, we had our 4th Session of Centering, we have quite a big group of moms this time around, which is such a wonderful contrast to last time I did centering and there were only 5 of us. I'm glad that I'm doing it again, and I'm glad that its a new experience for me with a bigger group. We all noticed how fun its been to meet once a month, and see how much all of our bellies have grown, and Annie suggested we take belly pics together each time we meet to see the changes, as we are all going through our pregnancies together. We all loved this idea, so here we are!

There was one mom that wasn't here with us to join the picture, so I think that makes 12 of us total (which is the max capacity for centering groups). I already am feeling like I'm starting to build some strong relationships with some of these mamas. 2 of the 5 moms from my first centering I am still in touch with from Jocelyn's birth centering group, and to have these friendships starting for baby Jackson's group fills me with a lot of love and joy. We're here to support each other! And my goodness seeing all of our babies together after we all give birth and can tell each other our birth stories, it so powerful and beautiful. Grateful for my birth center community! <3 <3

25 weeks

So hard to believe I've already heading into my third trimester. This pregnancy, I can't say enough times, is going by so much faster! This weekend I decided that we would start putting together christmas. With all the stress and election madness, I needed some magic and warmth, and cozy lovely energy. So we did it! We put up our new tree. We bought a new one this year to better fill our house (our old fake tree we had for about 7 years was a small table-top one that I sold at our yard sale last spring). Jocelyn and I had a lot of fun opening all of the boxes that my mom sent back with us to Texas of ornaments from my childhood. Unwrapping each one from the tissue paper was so much fun for Jocelyn, and brought us a lot of fun magical moments. Yes its still beginning of November, but considering how fast time keeps flying by, and how much energy I still have I figured better now, than trying to do it all when I'm much more pregnant.

Today I put up pre-lit garlands, and lit up our live-tree that lives in our house full-time. I also think that this year I will buy some tree scraps to hang around our windows to add the yummy christmas smell (and easier to carry/put up / dispose of than an actual huge live tree). I'm waiting until December to put up our stockings but the lights in our house make it feel so happy. I love it.

Today Jocelyn also starts her transition to the Cardinals classroom (3-6 year olds). We've been talking about it since I had the teacher's conference last week and was able to observe the work in the classroom. This morning when she came in and woke me up (I was already awake but laying in bed), she said, "Mama, I'm not big yet, I don't want to be a Cardinal. I'm not that big yet. I don't want to go." I invited her up on my bed and held her for a while. This transition is a big step, and I told her that it would be a slow transition, today just a visit for an hour or so, and she can just pop in to say hi to the friends in there she already knows (like Allie, Ivy, and Able). Its so hard growing up, and I know that there are so many changes happening, and with Jackson arriving in just a few months, there's a lot for Jocelyn to process, take in, and experience. Today at drop off, she seemed to be a bit more excited to check it out in her new big-kids classroom, and I reassured her that we can talk about it all when I pick her up this afternoon after nap. I'm so proud of her.

Jackson, is kicking more and more, and really moving around a lot. Jason and Jocelyn have now both been able to really feel him, as he's now much bigger and has bigger movements. I've also been re-inspired to try and get some more work done on Jocelyn's quilt today. Maybe I will end up making two quilts one for Joss and one for Jax. Depends on how much fabric I have.

This weekend Jackson also received a package from our dear friends in California the Moreland/Hinkle family! Gwyn's sweet little boy Henry was so nice to meet when we were visiting Mendocino this past July, and Jocelyn talked about meeting their horse Sunny for months afterwards. Gwyneth sent us all of the warm-weather clothes that Henry didn't get much of a chance to wear in foggy Mendoland, plus an honest company diaper cake! The cute ones with little anchors on them. So so thoughtful and sweet! What a beautiful, wonderful surprise.

Also, in getting all of our Xmas stuff out and up in the house, I got out all of the cloth diapers that I had stored in our guest room closest, and am going to start to get some kind of organization started for Jax's diaper table (currently being used in Jocelyn's room for her clothes - so we need to get her a new chest of drawers). I feel like I was much more organized and prepared before Joss arrived, but in all honesty, I really only needed diapers and a breast-feeding pillow - both of which we already have. Plus all of the wonderful baby clothes that we've already received from our friends.

Hoping to have a celebratory tomorrow after election results, holding out hope for Hillary... ready to stop stressing about it all. In the meantime, I quilt!

November! 24 weeks

November means I'm moving into my third trimester. THIRD! This pregnancy is going by so so much faster, and I feel so much farther behind than I was the first time around, though I now know that really all that I need after baby is born are clean cloth diapers, a thermometer, and a cozy place to lay around and nurse, along with a freezer full of easy-to heat high calorie foods. There is no hunger like the hunger of a postpartum nursing mom!

The Tuesday night yoga classes at the birth center recently have moved to the new further north location, which means it will take me 25 minutes to drive there, each way. The drive is twice as long as the Duval location where my other classes are, and still doable, but with bedtime for Joss I haven't been able to go the last two weeks. This means yoga is only on Thursdays and Saturdays now. Jason is very supportive though, and even though I know it puts Joss to bed later if I go, he's told me to do whatever I need to do. Thank you Jason! Maybe next week I'll go, I miss having yoga 3x a week. The other option is to do yoga at home with videos on my computer... just not the same as the yoga community and class though.

Halloween! It was a lot of fun. Joss dressed up as Twilight Sparkle, and all three of us went around the block a few times going trick or treating all together. We left a bowl of small toys out for the kids with a sign to take one. I eventually started to get tired so I headed back home to hand out the rest of our toys and vegan candy while Joss and papa J hit up the rest of the houses. I had thought I would paint my belly like a big pumpkin, but when it came down to it, I work my mama and baby skeleton shirt instead. Joss got lots of toys and non-candy treats, and a ton of candy. Half was vegan and I'll let her keep, and the other half we'll donate to one of the Austin Buy-Back programs and I'll buy a new little toy or game (via Switch Witch). The rest of the vegan candy I'm letting her pick out one piece when she comes home from school, and two pieces after dinner. So far working out well.

Tomorrow I have a haircut appointment! Wa hoo! My annual hair pampering haha. Excited to clean up the ends, I think I'm going to leave the length, and skipping on the hair dye. Jocelyn's hair was pretty tangly this morning before school, but I was able to help her brush it all out. She has SO MUCH hair, I asked her if she would like to cut it short so we wouldn't have to brush through all of the tangles, and she said, "But I have all of my curls in here. I love all of my curls. I don't want to cut them off." So we brushed though all those snags, I love her hair too, but there is quite a lot of it! I wonder what kind of hair Jackson will have, born straight and black like Joss? Turn curly and blond like Joss? I can't wait to meet and see him!

I've been having some few and far between Braxton Hicks. All totally normal at this point in pregnancy. Feeling really good, and looking forward to next week's centering meeting back at the birth center with all the February mamas.

This morning I went into Jocelyn's school to observe the Cardinals classroom (3-6 year olds), the next class up from her Warbler's group that she will start transitioning to starting on Monday. I'm so proud of her and I love our school. Walking into a Montessori classroom, with a bunch of 3-6 year olds is so impressively quiet, and calm. I loved watching all of them work at all of their different work stations. It has been a challenge at times to keep Joss is school while I've gone back to being a stay at home mom, but the best decision we have made for her and her education and socialization. Moving up also means that her tuition will also decrease a little bit, which will help us out too. She loves it, and it really shows in her progress, behaviors, and abilities to focus and practice her manners. I was able to talk with the head teacher as well to answer my questions. Its a wonderful community and I feel so confident to have her there during the day. The school fall festival was also last week, and Joss had a lot of fun running around with her friends, while I enjoyed socializing with the parents on the playground, and we all enjoyed eating a bunch of delicious food from the potluck (a lot of which was vegan, yum!)

Yesterday I ordered our family's holiday cards, our last ones as a family of three before Jackson joins us next year. November also means that I start brining out all of the holiday decorations, we bought a new bigger fake pre-lit tree this year, that I'm so excited to decorate with all of the ornaments my mom sent home with us this last trip to California.... a great deal of all of the special ones that were up on my tree as a kid. I love this time of year! We also started to watch Nightmare Before Christmas last night with Joss, but once Oogie Boogie was introduced she asked to turn it off... it was a little bit too scary. But she loved the first half and even though it was the first time seeing it, she was signing along with all of the music.

I have also now confirmed that our dog/house sitter (who also baby sits) can be available for us to call if/when baby arrives early before my mom comes to Austin beginning of February. So Joss can stay home and Mary can stay with her while Jason and I go to the birth center. Its pretty unlikely that I will deliver Jackson early, but as it goes with babies, you never know what their plans might be! Glad to have the backup, and also we asked our neighbor Rima who also said that she could help us if we need to. Feeling like our bases are covered. Worse case would be that we would take Joss with us to the birth center, but hoping to avoid that - for my sake to labor without distractions in privacy, and for Jason to be able to be there for me and give me his full attention.

Jackson is kicking up a storm, and I think that I'm ready to make myself a snack and cuddle up with some netflix before taking an afternoon nap. Having Halloween on a Monday night sure makes the rest of the week sleepy. And we finally got some rain last night! Off and on today, and should rain some more tomorrow. Such snuggly weather... still in the 80s today, but should drop down into the 70s by the weekend and hopefully stay that way and cooler for a while...