The glucose test was totally fine. People really amped it up as way worse than I actually thought it was. As you all know, my OB is going by the new standards and gives everyone a 2 hr test instead of the 1 hr & 3 hr. So, I arrived early for my appointment (traffic was good, yay!) and they took me right away.
I had a fasting blood draw of 2 vials. Then, I got to choose between an orange drink or fruit punch. I chose orange. It ended up being a whole Solo cup (you know, the blue or reds ones) full of the stuff. I had to drink it in 5 minutes and they timed me right there while I did it. I actually kind of liked the stuff...it was like Fanta, but without the carbonation. After I drank it, they gave me a timer that was set for an hour and I went back for my prenatal appointment.
I peed in the cup (all was normal) and then met with my OB. She measured me and listened to Maddie's heartbeat. All was great. My blood pressure was great and I've actually somehow lost 3 lbs in the last 4 weeks. So, now I'm only up a total of 12 lbs. Doc is still happy with my gain and said it's completely normal for it to fluctuate. I asked some questions I had ready which were all answered. Then my OB thanked me for being the only "normal" patient she'd have all day...whatever that means.
I had my blood drawn (1 vial) at 1 hour post drink and 2 hours post drink. I'll find out my results in a couple days. I was 1 of 4 girls there getting the test done yesterday. One girl puked all over herself after taking the drink and will have to come back to redo the test. The two other girls both got dizzy and had to lay down in rooms for the 2 hours. I'm honestly surprised by this because I didn't feel the slightest bit different after the drink. Actually, it helped with the hunger pangs for about an hour.
In the end, it's over (YAY!) and I've got my fingers crossed that I passed.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The Bump
I thought I'd post a bump picture for my friends and family that aren't in the area...since they keep bugging the heck out of me.
Here's a picture from Monday, 25w5d (I'm 26 weeks today by the way, almost 3rd trimester)!
Here's a picture from Monday, 25w5d (I'm 26 weeks today by the way, almost 3rd trimester)!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
All Things Pumpkin
With fall and my favorite month coming up, I can have all of my yearly pumpkin cravings satisfied. My pumpkin candles are finally on sale again (yay!) and pumpkins are readily available at the grocery store. So, my goal is to make the following recipes before the end of November:
Pumpkin Cream Cheese
Autumn Pear & Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Pancakes
I already made (and modified) a relatively easy Pumpkin Muffie recipe and loved how they turned out. Ryan seems a bit turned off by the texture...not exactly a cookie, but not exactly a muffin. So, I think I might try making them again, but turning them into cupcakes and adding a bit of cream cheese frosting. There's also a pumpkin stew recipe that is intriguing to me, but I'm not sure yet if I want to spend hours upon hours making a stew that might end up being a little weird. We'll see.
Maybe this year I should just buy a couple dozen cans of pumpkin so I can make all these wonderful treats throughout the year!!!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese
Autumn Pear & Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Pumpkin Pancakes
I already made (and modified) a relatively easy Pumpkin Muffie recipe and loved how they turned out. Ryan seems a bit turned off by the texture...not exactly a cookie, but not exactly a muffin. So, I think I might try making them again, but turning them into cupcakes and adding a bit of cream cheese frosting. There's also a pumpkin stew recipe that is intriguing to me, but I'm not sure yet if I want to spend hours upon hours making a stew that might end up being a little weird. We'll see.
Maybe this year I should just buy a couple dozen cans of pumpkin so I can make all these wonderful treats throughout the year!!!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
BIG HUGE SAD FACES
I just found out that my favorite winery, Cellar 849, is no longer making their own wine.
This means I'll never taste that delicious Blackberry Cab ever again. This makes me extra upset that they sold out of my wine in early spring and I was never able to get any this year.
This means I'll never taste that delicious Blackberry Cab ever again. This makes me extra upset that they sold out of my wine in early spring and I was never able to get any this year.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
I think I made a waitress cry...
My sister and I went to Applebee's for lunch today. I ordered the chicken fingers & fries basket with ranch. Our waitress came over and set my food down and said "Oh! They forgot your ranch, I'll run back and get it."
She then proceeds to stop and talk to other tables. Just when I think she's going to the kitchen, she walks around the bar to the other side of the restaurant and goes to two other tables. She takes the order for the last table, walks to the computer and inputs their order. THEN, the stands around the bar talking to one of her co-workers. About 15 minutes after she dropped off my food she finally comes walking over with my ranch and the waters we ordered.
She sets the ranch down and asks, "So, how is your food tasting?" I looked right at her and said, "Well, I wouldn't know since I haven't eaten anything because you decided to wait on every other customer in this establishment and have social time before getting me my ranch dressing." She just looked at me and ran off. She didn't come back for nearly a half hour to give us our bill.
I'm sorry, I probably could have said what I said in a nicer tone...but at the same time as a waitress you shouldn't take 15 minutes to bring over something that was forgotten in my order and have social time with her co-workers in the process. Plus, it's necessary to have the dipping sauce for chicken fingers...everyone knows that!!!
Moral of the story: Don't make a pregnant woman wait 15 minutes to eat with her food staring her in the face!
She then proceeds to stop and talk to other tables. Just when I think she's going to the kitchen, she walks around the bar to the other side of the restaurant and goes to two other tables. She takes the order for the last table, walks to the computer and inputs their order. THEN, the stands around the bar talking to one of her co-workers. About 15 minutes after she dropped off my food she finally comes walking over with my ranch and the waters we ordered.
She sets the ranch down and asks, "So, how is your food tasting?" I looked right at her and said, "Well, I wouldn't know since I haven't eaten anything because you decided to wait on every other customer in this establishment and have social time before getting me my ranch dressing." She just looked at me and ran off. She didn't come back for nearly a half hour to give us our bill.
I'm sorry, I probably could have said what I said in a nicer tone...but at the same time as a waitress you shouldn't take 15 minutes to bring over something that was forgotten in my order and have social time with her co-workers in the process. Plus, it's necessary to have the dipping sauce for chicken fingers...everyone knows that!!!
Moral of the story: Don't make a pregnant woman wait 15 minutes to eat with her food staring her in the face!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Cable Wars
I don't think it's any secret that I hate Comcast. Like, hate hate. I despise that company. I would forego ever watching television again if my only option was to pay Comcast for their service.
This relationship with Comcast developed over a number of years. It began with atrocious billing errors, such as $75 for a tech visit. I never even called for a tech, nor did I ever have one come out to my house. That took multiple days and twice as many hours to clear up. My favorite had to be the random $20 charge on my bill that even customer service couldn't tell me what it was for. Honest to God, when I called the lady was stumped because there was absolutely no code for it. Just a miscellaneious $20. I can't tell you how many times they double charged me for a movie I rented. I also cannot tell you how many times I couldn't watch said movie after I ordered it because their service blew. I could rant for hours about Comcast, but I'll save you.
When we moved to our new house I was quite disheartened to see that my options for cable were Comcast...or a dish. I begrudgingly signed up for the Comcast since I didn't want to mount a dish on my roof and crossed my fingers that they were somehow different.
Nope. Same issues. Every month. I can't tell you how OLD it got calling Comcast on the phone to dispute charges I never made and billing errors. My favorite was when they would tell me, "Well, you still have to pay the full bill. We'll just give you a credit on your next one." Um, no. Try again. When we learned that U-verse had arrived in our neighborhood I about threw a party! I switched as soon as I was able to. The best part...Comcast tried to bill me for 4 months of cable AFTER I had canceled it AND sent their boxes back.
So, we've had U-verse for a year. Are there things that were better at Comcast? As much as I hate to admit it...yes. Comcast has a significantly better On-Demand and their menu is much more user friendly. Have I had irritations with U-verse? Absolutely. We had some initial billing problems that made me want to give up on cable all together, but it's been pretty smooth sailing for a while now. ::knocks on wood::
So, today, a Comcast guy showed up at my door wanting to get me to switch. I told him in no uncertain terms that I was never, ever going back to Comcast. He tried to give me some BS about how they must really want me back badly b/c I qualified for some awesome deal that no one in my neighborhood qualified for and I'd be saving $1,000 (which by the way would mean they were going to give me cable, internet & phone for roughly $30 per month...riiiiiiight). I chuckled a little and told him all the problems I'd had. I don't think he believed me. I then told him what I had with U-verse and how much I was paying. He tried arguing with me about I couldn't possibly be getting a deal like that. After trying to sell me for about 10 minutes, I again told him that I never have any intention of going back with Comcast because it's not worth the hassle. He finally gave up and left.
Sorry Comcast, but in the cable wars U-verse is the knock-out champ!
This relationship with Comcast developed over a number of years. It began with atrocious billing errors, such as $75 for a tech visit. I never even called for a tech, nor did I ever have one come out to my house. That took multiple days and twice as many hours to clear up. My favorite had to be the random $20 charge on my bill that even customer service couldn't tell me what it was for. Honest to God, when I called the lady was stumped because there was absolutely no code for it. Just a miscellaneious $20. I can't tell you how many times they double charged me for a movie I rented. I also cannot tell you how many times I couldn't watch said movie after I ordered it because their service blew. I could rant for hours about Comcast, but I'll save you.
When we moved to our new house I was quite disheartened to see that my options for cable were Comcast...or a dish. I begrudgingly signed up for the Comcast since I didn't want to mount a dish on my roof and crossed my fingers that they were somehow different.
Nope. Same issues. Every month. I can't tell you how OLD it got calling Comcast on the phone to dispute charges I never made and billing errors. My favorite was when they would tell me, "Well, you still have to pay the full bill. We'll just give you a credit on your next one." Um, no. Try again. When we learned that U-verse had arrived in our neighborhood I about threw a party! I switched as soon as I was able to. The best part...Comcast tried to bill me for 4 months of cable AFTER I had canceled it AND sent their boxes back.
So, we've had U-verse for a year. Are there things that were better at Comcast? As much as I hate to admit it...yes. Comcast has a significantly better On-Demand and their menu is much more user friendly. Have I had irritations with U-verse? Absolutely. We had some initial billing problems that made me want to give up on cable all together, but it's been pretty smooth sailing for a while now. ::knocks on wood::
So, today, a Comcast guy showed up at my door wanting to get me to switch. I told him in no uncertain terms that I was never, ever going back to Comcast. He tried to give me some BS about how they must really want me back badly b/c I qualified for some awesome deal that no one in my neighborhood qualified for and I'd be saving $1,000 (which by the way would mean they were going to give me cable, internet & phone for roughly $30 per month...riiiiiiight). I chuckled a little and told him all the problems I'd had. I don't think he believed me. I then told him what I had with U-verse and how much I was paying. He tried arguing with me about I couldn't possibly be getting a deal like that. After trying to sell me for about 10 minutes, I again told him that I never have any intention of going back with Comcast because it's not worth the hassle. He finally gave up and left.
Sorry Comcast, but in the cable wars U-verse is the knock-out champ!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Jenny's Baby Shower
Friday after work, Ryan and I set out to Chicago for J's Baby Shower. We arrived in town around 9:40 and stopped by to say hi to J & Louis. For the record, J looks great. Obviously, since she is due in 5 weeks, her bump is ginormous, but if you didn't look at that you'd never know she was pregnant. After visiting until around 11ish, Ryan and I left to go check into the hotel and get some sleep.
Saturday we were up and at J's house at 10 a.m. The boys all went bowling and J, Amy and I drove to the shower at the Lucky Monk in South Barrington. The theme: Nautical. Here are some shots of the decor:
This is a shot of one of the centerpieces. They framed some of the 3D shots of Baby Malic and framed them. The frames are being repurposed for his nursery now!
I loved the cake set up! The boat and the net tie it all together. Also, the cake was delish! As were Linda's cookies...although they're always delish!
Here's a close up of the cake (with one of Linda's cookies)
The menu! The pretzel appetizer was fantastic. I loved the tomato and cheese dipping sauces. I ordered the burger and absolutely could not finish the whole thing because it was SO big!
Here's a shot of the IWU ladies. Man I miss them. Sometimes I'm jealous that they all get to hang out together on a regular basis because they don't live two states away from each other ;)
In case you couldn't tell from the above picture, three of us are pregnant together. I'm 23 weeks (due 1/4), J is 34 weeks (due 10/18), and Katie is also 23 weeks (due 1/5). I love this picture! It'll be fun to show the kids when they're older that their mommas were friends and sporting bellies together!
We ate lunch first and then it was time to open presents! Baby Malic got a lot of great stuff, including some awesome clothing. J's grandpa got him the most awesome pilot outfit EVER! I can't wait to see a picture of him wearing that! While opening presents we ate the cake...yum! Katie and I even got a present from Barb for our little ones.
This is what Miss Madeleine Marie got:
How cute is that? There's even a butterfly on the butt of the onsie! She's going to be one stylin' little girl!
After the shower, the boys came by to help load the cars and then we headed back to J & L's house to unload. Afterward, Ryan, James, J, L & myself all went over to the Unti's to visit. Ryan and I had a great time hanging out with J's family (her mom, dad, brother, grandma & aunt). I miss them something fierce and hate that I only get to see them once a year or so. Dan tried to convince me to name the baby Bella....a combination of his two favorite beers: Stella & Bell's. That cracked me up. Ryan said if anything it would be Miller Lite or Oktoberfest. After spending a great afternoon with J's family, the 4 of us went to Nick's Pizza for dinner. Then we all hung out watching the UofM/Notre Dame game.
Unfortunately, the weekend just went by too quickly. There were a lot of other IWU friends I would have liked to have seen while I was in town and of course spend even more time with those I did get to see. But, alas, suddenly it was 8:00 a.m. on Sunday and Ryan and I had to hit the road.
We got home just in time for our family tradition:
Rotary Chicken Dinner!!!!!! Which is actually chicken lunch because they sell out way before dinner. It was yummy as usual. This dinner has been a family tradition for a looooong time. We used to pick up the dinner and bring them over to my grandparents house to enjoy with them, and my grandma has been gone for over 10 years now. But, I love that the chicken dinner tradition has continued...it means a lot to me and I think of grandma every year we continue to do it.
Also: The Tigers and Lions both won today! YAY!
Saturday we were up and at J's house at 10 a.m. The boys all went bowling and J, Amy and I drove to the shower at the Lucky Monk in South Barrington. The theme: Nautical. Here are some shots of the decor:
We ate lunch first and then it was time to open presents! Baby Malic got a lot of great stuff, including some awesome clothing. J's grandpa got him the most awesome pilot outfit EVER! I can't wait to see a picture of him wearing that! While opening presents we ate the cake...yum! Katie and I even got a present from Barb for our little ones.
This is what Miss Madeleine Marie got:
After the shower, the boys came by to help load the cars and then we headed back to J & L's house to unload. Afterward, Ryan, James, J, L & myself all went over to the Unti's to visit. Ryan and I had a great time hanging out with J's family (her mom, dad, brother, grandma & aunt). I miss them something fierce and hate that I only get to see them once a year or so. Dan tried to convince me to name the baby Bella....a combination of his two favorite beers: Stella & Bell's. That cracked me up. Ryan said if anything it would be Miller Lite or Oktoberfest. After spending a great afternoon with J's family, the 4 of us went to Nick's Pizza for dinner. Then we all hung out watching the UofM/Notre Dame game.
Unfortunately, the weekend just went by too quickly. There were a lot of other IWU friends I would have liked to have seen while I was in town and of course spend even more time with those I did get to see. But, alas, suddenly it was 8:00 a.m. on Sunday and Ryan and I had to hit the road.
We got home just in time for our family tradition:
Also: The Tigers and Lions both won today! YAY!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
First Day of 3rd Grade
Can you believe that Trina is already in 3rd grade? I know I can't. Her mom posted a pic of her first day back to school and I just couldn't resist:
She's wearing one of her favorite back-to-school outfits that we bought her while she was here. How cute is she? She's even wearing little mini heels!! I had a feeling this would be the outfit that she'd want to wear on the first day, but I'd been wondering for the last few days what she'd end up picking.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Jeremy's Wedding
Yesterday, Ryan and I attended Jeremy's wedding. I was pretty excited when I got the invite to see that they were having it at the Dearborn Inn because that place is beautiful. The architecture is amazing.
The wedding started at 5 o'clock, and this is what my car said while driving there:
That's right folks, 100 degrees. We didn't know whether the ceremony was inside or out, but I was sure hoping for the former. Turns out, it was outside...yay for cankles :) Despite the temperature, it was a gorgeous day so I'm sure all of their pictures are amazing. They had cold water for everyone and their programs were also fans which I thank them very much for!
Here's Jer & Betty (his mom) walking down the aisle. Betty, by the way, looked stunning!
Waiting anxiously for the bride!
Here's Jer's nephew, Ben. The ring bearers hand on baseball mitts with the rings tied to them...too cute!
The bride and her dad:
Just Married!!!
Here's a good shot of the bride and groom. I loved how her hair was done!
Cocktail hour was inside, thank goodness! The food was delish...crab cakes, lobster potpies, shrimp rolls & bruschetta. We went up to the bar and I ordered a Coke and the bartender said, "I'm going to need your ID." I just looked at her like, what? And she said, I'm sorry but we're carding everyone. Um, ok.
The reception was beautiful. It was in the 3rd floor ballroom, which I believe is the original ballroom for the Inn. Here's a shot of the centerpieces that I absolutely adored:
And a couple shots of the room in general. It's truly a magnificent room:
Ryan and I sat at table 2 "Comerica Park." Also, the favors were bags of Tiger's peanuts...totally Jer. Dinner was great and desert was even better. Here's a shot of Ryan and I with our matching baby bumps (pardon my swelling):
I had to include a shot of the centerpieces when the lights went down. I just thought they were so neat!
Apparently, I left my camera unattended at the table and got a few shots of our tablemates. Here are Brian and Jen:
And here's Chris:
We had a great time and I wish Jer and Ashley nothing but the best in the future!
The wedding started at 5 o'clock, and this is what my car said while driving there:
Here's Jer & Betty (his mom) walking down the aisle. Betty, by the way, looked stunning!
The reception was beautiful. It was in the 3rd floor ballroom, which I believe is the original ballroom for the Inn. Here's a shot of the centerpieces that I absolutely adored:
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Baby Update
22 weeks here! Getting close to the 3rd trimester -- I can't believe it. Baby is definitely moving around, but she seems like a generally chill baby. I feel her moving around a lot in the morning and after meals. Other than that, she is pretty calm most of the time. Ryan got to feel her for the first time on Monday night! We'd tried SO many times and she'd stop moving every. single. time. he put his hand on my stomach. But she gave some nice big kicks on Monday night and he got to feel them all. He smile on his face was priceless. His reaction made me laugh "She's moving!!!! EWWWWWWWW!!!!!!"
I had a prenatal appointment today and everything is looking great. All of the results from the anatomy scan are normal. Organs all look great. Measurements were all right on track. She weight a whopping 8 ounces at that time! My OB used the tape measure to measure my belly for the first time today, and I'm measuring at 22 weeks, which is exactly on track. I've gained 15 lbs so far which my OB was happy with. He tried to listed to her heartbeat with the doppler but she was kicking and punching too much so that's all he could hear. He chuckled a bit and told me it sounds like I'm going to have a spitfire on my hands, lol.
My glucose test is scheduled for the 29th. My OB informed me that they do a new type of test now. Instead of doing the 1 hr test and then the 3 hr test if you fail, they do a 2 hr test and that's it. So, I get to spend at least 2.5 hours at my OB's office on the 29th...yipeeee! <---sarcasm. For those of you who don't know what the glucose test is, it's to check for Gestational Diabetes. Basically, I have to fast all night (no food or water), then I go in for my appointment. They draw my blood fasting. Then I drink a sugar drink and they draw my blood 1 hour after and 2 hours after the drink.
In other news...I'm excited it's September. This weekend we have a wedding to go to AND it's a LONG weekend. Next weekend we have J's baby shower! And then the end of the month is the RenFest with Jill & Aaron! YAY!!! Lots of great things to look forward to!
I had a prenatal appointment today and everything is looking great. All of the results from the anatomy scan are normal. Organs all look great. Measurements were all right on track. She weight a whopping 8 ounces at that time! My OB used the tape measure to measure my belly for the first time today, and I'm measuring at 22 weeks, which is exactly on track. I've gained 15 lbs so far which my OB was happy with. He tried to listed to her heartbeat with the doppler but she was kicking and punching too much so that's all he could hear. He chuckled a bit and told me it sounds like I'm going to have a spitfire on my hands, lol.
My glucose test is scheduled for the 29th. My OB informed me that they do a new type of test now. Instead of doing the 1 hr test and then the 3 hr test if you fail, they do a 2 hr test and that's it. So, I get to spend at least 2.5 hours at my OB's office on the 29th...yipeeee! <---sarcasm. For those of you who don't know what the glucose test is, it's to check for Gestational Diabetes. Basically, I have to fast all night (no food or water), then I go in for my appointment. They draw my blood fasting. Then I drink a sugar drink and they draw my blood 1 hour after and 2 hours after the drink.
In other news...I'm excited it's September. This weekend we have a wedding to go to AND it's a LONG weekend. Next weekend we have J's baby shower! And then the end of the month is the RenFest with Jill & Aaron! YAY!!! Lots of great things to look forward to!
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