Insomnia, Pain, and Joy oh my

Well here we are finally in the third trimester and I am only 16 days away from taking maternity leave, but who's counting?! Things at work are getting harder and let's be honest, things at home are too. I have only gained 10 lbs with Max but it seems like 30 billion with how difficult it now is to get off the couch, bend over, and get on any of my clothes. Everything is still very healthy and we go for our next two appointments on December 10th (OB) and December 12 (Maternal Fetal Specialists). We are excited for yet another ultrasound and our next opportunity to see our Boy! :)

Things are rapidly changing in my body and I am having the worst time with bed time and ligament pain is sure happening so as far as I know, Maxwell is growing as he should be. My stomach is rounding out like a basketball and I can see why it would have been ideal to be at a healthy weight BEFORE getting pregnant. I have much motivation to get off more weight after Max is born for sure.

Another exciting up and coming is the baby shower. My friend Carrie is planning it and we are going to have it in January. I am very excited to see all of our friends/family that are local and have an opportunity to celebrate our boy with the ones who love him. Also, we are in the process of picking out Max's crib which is always surreal and getting his room prepared for his arrival. I feel a hundred miles behind on this but having two jobs for the entire pregnancy has been a bit difficult as far as free time and energy is concerned.

The "nesting" has begun in our home as I have deep cleaned my master bathroom and am about 90% completed on deep cleaning our bedroom. I am finding the need to get rid of things that take up space that we don't use, clean every dust particle I see up, and organize, organize, organize! I wish I had the energy and ability to do what I would like to do.

I can't believe in just a few short months I will be the mommy of a little boy and not be working! I have been working two or more jobs for the last 10 years and it will be interesting to have one full time job that encompasses more time and energy than 5 regular jobs. I have never ever looked down my nose at what moms do and I am sure I will only gain more respect. I pray that you are all doing well and ask that you continue in your prayers for Max and I as we journey through the last trimester of pregnancy and gear up for labor. I can't wait to introduce our boy to all of you!

Erica & Anthony

Yes, we know...you're a boy!

Yesterday we had our 23 week ultrasound at our specialist's office and as always, it was fun and exciting to see our little Max moving around and finding new ways to aggravate the ultrasound technician. When we were there last time, they were doing the anatomy ultrasound and Max did not want to show a few parts of his heart and one portion of his spine. We were trying to get those photos yesterday and it turns out Max is shy about his heart but he has no problem letting us know OVER and OVER that he is indeed, a boy!

We were able to finish the ultrasound except for one photo of the blood going into his body from his heart. We are hoping he will cooperate in a month when we have another one. He is weighing in at 1 lb, 8 oz and the doctor feels that is exactly where he needs to be. We are so grateful for that since babies of diabetics tend to get too big too fast. So far, my blood sugars are staying in good control and Max is not in any danger.

Some things that were concerning over the last week of appointments were that my blood pressure was steadily going up. I do not struggle with high blood pressure at all but it seems that the last trimester, it is going to raise a bit. Although both of my fantastic doctors assured me that this is completely normal and I am not at any dangerous level, please keep Max and I in your prayers for the duration of the pregnancy so that we can stay as healthy as possible.

News on the delivery front: Upon talking to my doctors, it seems that the delivery could go a couple of ways in terms of location. At first, it was stated pretty clearly that I would be giving birth in Louisville. However, the new idea is that Max could be born closer to home if a couple of things go as planned. Babies of diabetic mothers tend to have under-developed lungs when coming early (by early I mean before 38 weeks). At about 38 weeks, they are more developed and can usually prevent having to be given oxygen and needing any special help. So, that being said...if Max waits a bit and comes around 38-40 weeks or beyond, we will most likely be able to have him closer to home. If he feels he needs to come a bit sooner, we will probably need to deliver in Louisville in order to have a NICU that meets those needs and the specialists that are trained more thoroughly to deal with those issues.

I am at peace either way. I know that my little guy will come when he is supposed to come and God has his hand on both of us during this stressful but exciting time. As I go into the third trimester on Monday, I am starting to get excited about new things like enjoying my baby shower, getting the nursery entirely ready for Max, and enjoying the last few months of Anthony and I being....just Anthony and I! Please continue to pray for us and help us praise God for our miracle. We appreciate all that you guys have done over the months to encourage us, pray for us, and remind us that we are going to be great parents. That never gets old to hear!

Thank you

Erica & Anthony