My New Diet

I had my 1st appointment with my dietician today. They showed me how to check my bloodsugar. I was really nervous because I hate needles, but it really was super, super easy! I barely even felt anything stick me.

The hard part is going to be the diet. I have to write down everything I eat and what time I eat. I have to eat 6 times a day and I have to wait at least 2-2 1/2 hours in between each meal. For everything I eat, I have to measure it and count the carbs, fat, and protein for everything. Bottom line... it's going to take a LOT of planning! And it's really going to be hard when school starts and I have to track all these times for meals and checking bloodsugar at specific times. All that while still trying to manage my classroom schedule and actually teach! It will definately be an adjustment, but at least it should go away after Katie's born and that's onlly 10 weeks away. So I can do this for just 2-3 months.

Chelsea's Recovery

She's getting better! After only 2 days of anti-inflamatory medicine, she's starting to walk on her foot. So I really don't think she broke anything. She's still limping, but less and less every day.

Doggie Drama in the Knapp House

If you've known Andy and I for a while, then you know about all of Bailey's broken bones. About 3 years ago, he crushed the bones in his foot and had $2500 worth of surgery to have metal plates put into his foot. After his 3 month recovery, within the next 6 months of that he broke 2 more toes (that we were able to just bandage up and let heal) and ripped 2 toenails out.

So Sunday night when Chelsea just out of nowhere whimpered and stopped walking on her back leg, you can imagine how worried we were. First of all, now we've got a family and a baby to think about too so it's not as easy to just fork over thousands of dollars for a dog, but Chelsea is way too old to handle that kind of surgery anyway. In fact she's got a big mole on her head that the dr said last year we shouldn't remove because she's too old for surgery and it wouldn't be worth the risk.

So I took her in yesterday to the vet, pretty nervous about what he was going to tell me. Good news... no surgery. The vet said it could be a broken foot or it could just be swollen from torn ligaments or tendons. We opted not to get x-rays, but to try anti-inflamatory meds for a week and see what happens. He also said, although it feels broken, he felt like she was putting more weight on it than he would expect for a broken foot. After her 1st dose of meds, she started limping on it. That was an improvement because before that she wouldn't walk on it at all. She's not walking on it this morning either, but her medicine is just once every 24 hours. I feel like after she gets more, she'll do better.

The dr did find a huge lump though on her spleen. He said it's about baseball or softball size. We don't know for sure, but given her age his 1st guess is that it's cancer. He said because she's so old (she'll be 15 in October), even if it was his dog he wouldn't go through with surgery to try to remove it or treatments. She doesn't seem to be in any pain and we don't even know for sure that it's cancerous. He said to just keep an eye on her appetite. If she stops eating or loses weight very quickly then that's a big sign that it's cancer. But for now she's good. We know and have know for a while now that her time is coming to an end. But she could still be here with us for another year or 2... even if it is cancer. All we can do is enjoy her and love on her while she's here.

Good finds!

I went to a consignment sale today and found some really cute stuff. I was amazed at how organized they were! I got several pairs of socks/booties, a pair of newborn mittens, and a few infant hats. I also found this cute giraffe toy. I first saw the blocks and decided to buy them. They have different textures and some of them rattle and stuff. I thought you just stack and build with them or just play with the different textures and sounds. I saw the giraffe by it, but didn't know what it was for so I left that there. When I went to pay for it all, they showed me the giraffe and how it all goes together. The giraffe has a hole in the top and a door on the bottom that opens so Katie can put the blocks in the top and watch them fall through the bottom. It also comes with batteries that I haven't put in yet, but I think it makes sounds.

And my favorite thing I found was the Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal set of 3. I think they're adorable, but even better than that, they are incredibly soft! I wish you could feel them on here! I asked the seller about how much they were used and how to clean them and she said she bought them for party decorations. They sat on a table outside for a party and she's never done anything else with them. So they haven't even been played with or anything. And I got all 3 for just $9!

I've started washing all Katie's stuff to get it all ready for her. I've been washing sheets and boppy covers. And now I'm getting her newborn clothes, hats, and booties, and washrags ready to wash. Then I'm going to start on blankets! I guess I'm starting that "nesting" thing getting ready for her. Her room and things are going to be so clean for her! I've still got 2 1/2 months before she's even here and I go in her room about every other day and just look around to see what I can do in there! LOL I think I'm ready for her.

I don't think I ever posted anything about her movement a few weeks ago, but Andy and I finally saw her move. That was so wierd! We just saw her move a few times one night a couple of weeks ago and not again until today. I saw her for just a few minutes earlier today. I know we'll see more of that as I get further along, but it's so much fun. Andy still hasn't been able to feel her move. She never moves in the exact same spot so wherever I put mine or Andy's hand on my stomach, she either stops moving completely or moves in another spot. Again, I'm sure there will just be more and more of that as I get further along. Fun stuff!

Gestational Diabetes Update

I failed my 1st glucose test and had to go in for the 3 hour glucose test on Monday. I went in today for a sono and follow up visit with my dr. The baby looks great. She was moving around like crazy! I even saw her opening her mouth some. I could see the movement more today than I have been able to with other sonograms. I guess because she's getting bigger. She's 3 lbs 3 oz right now which puts her in the 74th percentile. I got a couple of pretty good pictures. They couldn't put them on CD so I can't post any, but they printed some for me.


My dr said I did pass the 3 hour glucose test so technically I don't have gestational diabetes. Yea! But because my numbers were so high with the 1st hour of the test and I'm still in the 95th percentile for the amount of fluid I'm retaining, he's going to treat me as if I do have gestational diabetes. I have a 2 hour appointment next Wednesday to learn how to change my diet and how to check my bloodsugar. That's really not going to be fun since I hate needles. I'll only have to prick my finger, but that's going to be really hard for me to do the 1st few times I do it. I guess if I'm checking several times a day, I'll get used to it pretty quick.

Although I'm really not looking forward to having to check my bloodsugar so much, I'm glad he's sending me to the class. I could really use something like that to really teach me how to eat healthy. And it's even better that I don't actually have diabetes so it's not as serious as it could be. Hopefully this class will teach me some good changes that I can stick with so I don't end up with diabetes later in life.

Baby Nursery

Andy and I went out looking for a glider last weekend and instead found this great shelf for the nursery. We're going to get some canvas baskets for about helf of the cubbies. We're going to keep all the baby toys and stuffed animals for Katie on the bottom 2 shelves and we'll keep display stuff and things for us (diapers and wipes, etc) close at hand on some of the top shelves. After starting to get stuff we need for her we realized our new dresser and the closet were filling up very fast!

The pillow on the top shelf is from our wedding. Andy's mom made it with both of his grandmother's handkerchiefs. That's what we used for our ring bearer. I love the bear up there too. It's made from the same chenille fabrics as the bedding (and came with all the bedding.) Then I found the picture frame just by chance that's also made from the same chenille fabric as the bedding.

The stuffed animals there are from Andy's mom. A webkinz that's so, so soft and a cute little stuffed butterfly. I was having a hard time finding a mobile to match the bedding until Andy's mom gave us the butterfly. It matched the bedding perfectly. I told her that's what I wanted for a mobile but couldn't find anything like it. That's when she told me she found the butterfly at Pottery Barn Kids and they had mobiles with the same butterflies. Perfect! When I went to look for it they only had one left and it was the one they had used on display so they gave me 30% off! What a deal!

The nursery is really coming together now. Our next big step is deciding what color to paint. I love lavender but there's no lavender in the bedding. I think it would blend well with all the other colors, but I'm not sure yet. Still deciding.

Back Home

The dogs didn't do much all week. All they had to do is ride in the truck and relax in the camper all week. But you can see everyone was totally worn out when we got back. It was a great trip. I'm so glad we got to go. Next time it will be very different with a baby girl in the mix too.

Colorado Day 6 golf

Friday we hung out in Buena Vista... again. Andy played golf whild I drove the cart. That was actually the 1st time I've gone with Andy golfing and I had a lot of fun hanging out with my hubby! We met a couple who had been born and raised in Colorado and had lived in Buena Vista for a really long time. They said it's not uncommon at all to see deer, elk, moose, bear, etc on the golf course. He said one day they were in the clubhouse when a nervous golfer called in. There was a bear just hanging out on the fairway and he didn't know what to do about it. The people in the clubhouse just told him, "Well, don't run up to it or bother it." I guess he eventually walked off? I dont' know.

Friday was the 4th of July so we went to Salida to watch out 4th of July fireworks we go to every year. They set them off on the Salida mountain so they're up really high and everyone lines up along the river to watch the show. We saw about 4 or 5 fires start on the mountain where the debris from the fireworks had landed and caught fire. I was a little unimpressed with the fireworks show this year and I think maybe they cut it short because of the fires. Fires on the mountain during the fireworks show is not uncommon, but I don't remember seeing that many of them in past years.

Colorado Day 5 campfire

We loved the evenings. It got down at least in the lower 50s and I'm sure it got even cooler than that. The dogs got to hang out with us by our campfire and most nights we played games. We played 2 new ones... Apples to Apples and Phase 10. Both were a lot of fun and it's always nice to relax, sit around with family, and play games. Good times!

Colorado Day 5

Thursday night was a beautiful night. On our way in town we saw a rainbow. And the sun going down behind that cloud just looked like heaven.

I've been going to Salida with Andy and his family for 6 years now and I've never gotten a picture of the lightening tree. I thought it was the neatest thing when I first saw it. On the highway between Buena Vista and Salida is the tree that was split by lightening. And what I find so fascinating is that it didn't totally kill it, but there are other trees growing up through the middle of it. Isn't God amazing!

And we had a full kennel with us. Our best friends... Bailey and Chelsea (Bailey's the brown one, Chelsea's the black one), Daisy (the blue heeler), and Obie (Andy's mom's cockapoo) all hung out in the camper with us all week. Last year we were more adventurous and brought them fishing and 4 wheel driving a few times. But being preggers this year I was taking it easy and didn't want to have to battle with them fishing so they stayed at camp all week.

Colorado Day 5 snow

On Thursday we drove up Cottonwood Pass to see all the snow that was still up there. We had planned to go Wednesday, but after the big deer incident, I wasn't in the mood for it.

Apparently Andy doesn't follow directions well... "Caution, Unstable Snow"! Love you, Honey!

Colorado Day 5 fishing

Thursday we went back to Wright Lake for some more fishing. There were lots of fish swimming around right on the bank of the lake. The pictures doen't even show how many there really were. Too many to count for sure.

I finally got a picture of Andy catching a fish that day. We caught more than that. We just didn't take pictures this year when we caught them. It was a good fishing day. Nice and relaxing. There was a ton of cottonwood out there. I tried to get a picture of that but none of them came out any good. But when a big wind would blow, the cottonwood would blow so thick that it looked like it was snowing.

Behind us at the lake was a little bit of brush and when we left we saw 2 deer grazing right behind the brush. And this time we didn't hit them! HaHa

Colorado Day 4

Wednesday morning we got up early and drove back to Buena Vista. There was a lookout point on the way back where we got this picture of the mountain range. It was really cool to think we were about 45-60 miles away and we could see the mountains where we were spending all of our time from afar. My parents were in Silverthorne (just a little bit outside of Breckenridge) that day, about 2-2 1/2 hours away from us, yet they were looking at the same mountains we were seeing. I think one of the peaks in this picture was Mount Elbert.

When we got back to Buena Vista, we met the rest of Andy's family to go fishing at a new lake. If you look at the 2 horizontal strips of snow on the right in this picture, that's the area where we were. I think it was on the way up the peak just to the left of it. I think that's Mount Elbert. Not much luck at that lake. It was a pretty long day and I was in a "pregnant hormonal mood". We didn't stay long. My fishing line got caught on something and broke the 1st time I threw it out. By the time I got it all ready again, I think I cast out about 4 or 5 times before we left. Very quick fishing trip. We decided to head on out because we weren't haveing any luck and I was getting frustrated. And then the real drama began...

We were heading down the highway back toward Salida when I deer ran out in front of us. We always see plenty of deer on the side of the road, but usually they're just standing on the side of the road and not crossing. I pointed the deer out to Andy and started to get the camera ready. Andy slowed down and looked at the deer for a quick second. When he did, and 2nd deer ran out and this time we were too close to her when she ran out and Andy hit her with the truck. I knew we were OK so my 1st thought was... "how's the deer?" We just hit her back hip and it didnt' do much damage to the truck. I didn't even feel us hit her. I thought maybe I heard something but wasn't sure until Andy slowed down to stop... then I knew. The deer ran off so I think she was OK. Those things are pretty strong animals so I'm sure she was fine. But of coarse this really shook me up.

I immediately started crying. With the high altitude, I had trouble crying and was almost hyperventillating. Andy was so good calming me down and getting me to breathe deep and slow until I was better. But at that point I was just ready for a hormonal meltdown. Andy and I stopped in Buena Vista at our favorite burger shop, K's, for chocolate milkshakes and went back to camp. I really wanted to be left alone for a while so he went fishing at a nearby pond for about 20-30 minutes. It was a very draining event!

In all the years we've been to Colorado (and especially Andy) we've never seen or known anyone who's actuallly hit a deer. We have seen wrecks though after a deer's been hit and they can do a LOT of damage. You can see in the 2 top pictures of Andy's truck that we were very lucky that we weren't hurt and that the damage was so minimal.

Colorado Day 3

On Tuesday, we went fishing at a new lake (Wright Lake). The 5th picture is Andy's mom and sister, Becky. The bottom one is Andy's dad. This was my favorite lake we went to this year. It was up in the mountains on a back road. The scenery was beautiful. We saw a deer on our way out there. He was just hanging out in someone's front yard. What a dream to have a house in the mountains where you've got the beautiful scenery and deer wandering around your yard!

We caught a few fish here. I like Mickie's new way of fishing. We use a fly so every time I caught a fish, it just lipped it so I was able to just catch and release all week. Andy and I didn't keep any. And that's a good thing because I'm not a big trout eater.

We left early from fishing and drove up to Colorado Springs to see some old friends, Mindy and Matthew. Andy grew up with Mindy and I went to church with Mindy and Matthew when I first moved to Dallas. That's where Andy and I met. They made a really good dinner for us and let us stay overnight so we didn't have to drive 2 1/2 hours back at night. We had a really good time visiting with them and playing with their black lab, Max. (Check out her blog... It's listed on the right as "Taking It All In").

Colorado Day 2 Fishing

After getting the popup all set, we were able to go fishing at a nearby lake (Foose) for a little bit. Andy's mom went to "The Fly Guy" the week before we got there and found a new way to fish for trout. We didn't have any luck on Monday, but we didn't fish very long anyway.

My parent were in Denver the same week we were in Salida. They were looking for a house or condo in Colorado. On Monday after fishing, they called and were in downtown Salida. Andy and I had just gotten to Salida for dinner so we got to meet my parents there and visit for a while. It was such a great surprise to see them.

Colorado Day 1 and 2

After our 2 day, 13 hour drive with all 3 dogs, we finally made it. On the way out there we pass by a buffalo ranch. This year we were able to see tons of them. (Sometimes they're way off away from the road and we don't see any at all.) You definately won't see these in Texas!

There was still a lot of snow at the top of the mountains this year. The snow for the year melted much later than usual. The last snow in Salida was June 1! That made the whitewater rafting really good for this time of year too.

We got in on Sunday late afternoon and our popup wasn't ready to rent yet. So we stayed in his parents' camper Sunday night and spent half of Monday getting the popup, setting it all up, and unpacking in there.

Pregnancy Paranoia

I had a complete pregnancy hormone moment today. I've been feeling Katie move a whole lot and really regularly for almost a month now. Just in the past 2 weeks I've been starting to get sore when I walk and for about 3 days last week I barely felt her move at all. The movement I've felt was so faint I would question whether or not it was even her. And I would never feel anything more twice in a row. So after trying not to overreact and worry for a couple of days, I finally decided Thursday night to call the dr Friday. I failed my 1st glucose test last week so I'm already going in on Monday for the 3 hour test, but I didn't want to go all weekend long worrying.

They told me to come on in to listen to the heartbeat before the weekend for peace of mind and it ended up being way more of a big deal than I expected. Katie is fine. We heard her heartbeat and could hear her moving all over the place, I just couldn't feel her. So they brought in another machine that they strapped onto my belly. It tracked her movements and had a little clicker for me to click every time I felt her. I onle felt her once but again she was moving all over the place.

Then they brought in the portable sono machine. He wanted to make sure I was comfortable and not worrying all weekend long so he thought letting me see her move would help. While looking on the sonogram, the dr noticed I'm retaining way too much fluid. In fact I'm in the 95th percentile for the amount of fluid I'm retaining! I was floored! I guess that explains why everyone I see thinks I'm due any day when I'm only 6 1/2 months along.

So now I know Katie's fine and I'm starting to feel her again a little bit, but I'm almost certain I have gestational diabetes. I've eaten as many fruits and vegetables as I can all weekend. Other than that I've had chicken, string cheese, and water. I've finally gotten up and I've walked for the last 3 days in a last ditch effort to try to undo as much as I can of the high glucose. As much fluid as I'm retaining and with my 1st test being pretty hight (not just a little high), I don't think there's anything I can do at this point to pass the test tomorrow, but I'm still hoping.

He said if I fail the test tomorrow I have to go to a 5 hour class to learn all about the new diet. I would have a dietitian to help me. And I would have to check my bloodsugar 4 times a day! That would really stink! But it's been a huge eye-opener for me. And at least now I've got some true motivation to change my eating and excercising habits.

Baby Age pillow and Pregnancy Comforts

I finally got my pillow! I was going to cancel my order on Monday and go ahead and spend twice the price at Babies R Us for a similar one. Before cancelling, I decided to check my email one last time on the slight chance that they had actually shipped it out and sent me a tracking number... And they had! I got it yesterday and loved it last night. So comfy! I'm glad it came in before I went out and spent way too much on another one.

Another one of my favorite pregnancy comforts (for those of you who are pregnant or planning to be soon) is a maternity belt! My hips started aching pretty bad at night earlier this summer and my dr suggested a maternity belt to relieve the weight and pressure that was causing the aches at night. I've worn it every day since he told me about it. It took a few days to get used to it, but now it feels really wierd to not wear it. My back was also starting to hurt and the belt almost elliminates that completely. If I go just 30 minutes without the belt, I can totally feel a difference in my back aching.

For about the past week I've started aching when I walk... especially right after I've been sitting. Tuesday was especially bad. There were several times I was almost in tears because it was so painful to walk. Late that afternoon I realized I had forgotten to put on my maternity belt. I wore it the next day and felt great! I am a huge believer now in the power of a maternity belt. I can't image going all the way through my pregnancy without one. I would be absolutely miserable without one! I highly recommend one to anyone who's pregnant. And they're cheap... $15!

I failed my glucose test last Friday so now I have to go in on Monday for the 3 hour test. They haven't said "gestational diabetes" to me yet, but I'm pretty sure I have it. I've gained way too much weight. I'm swelling too. Everyone thinks I'm about 8 months pregnant and I'm only 6. So I've spent the last 2 days going through cookbooks looking for low-carb and low-sodium foods. When you AND your husband are pretty picky eaters, it's really hard to find healthy foods that you will both like (or at least tolerate). But I'll tell you, getting this big and having the high glucose really motivates me to eat right and lose weight. Unfortunately I can't lose anything right now. Hopefully I can eat good enough to fix the glucose problem and at least not gain any more weight than I have to. So I guess no more "comfort foods" for me through the rest of this either. At least I have my comfy maternity belt and body pillow! LOL

Vacation finally ...

Well, this is my first post, so we'll see how it goes.

We haven't written much about our vacation because we've been pretty busy since we've been back. Amy and I (and our 3 dogs, that's right 3) went camping in Colorado a couple of weeks ago during the 4th of July week with my parents and my sister Becky (guys she's single ... LOL). We really enjoy camping with my parents and my sister. We don't get to see them much, so it's always fun to spend time with them, but we probably enjoy the camping the most. We stay in the Salida/Buena Vista area which if you haven't been you need to go. I've been all over different parts of Colorado, and in my opinion this area is the best. And not many people know about it ... hmm ... maybe I shouldn't say anything???

It's so beautiful in Colorado and nice and cool too. It's in the upper 90s here in Dallas and I think the warmest it got in Colorado was about 83 and that was the last day, most of the time it was in the 70s. It also rained nearly every day. Oh man, that was nice. The rain would cool everything off at night, in fact, a couple of nights we needed a heater. I love the rain in Colorado. It's so nice and peaceful. And you add the fresh air in there, and you just can't beat it.

Amy and I rented a little pop-up trailer this year which was kind of fun. We normally stay in a tent, but since Amy was almost 6 months pregnant at the time, we decided against that this year...probably for the best. My dad said we could have stayed in a tent ... sure ... easy for him to say!

We had a busy week this year though. We spent alot of time fishing. It's so relaxing just to set on the edge of a Colorado pond or stream with the mountains in the background and just fish for a couple of hours.

On Monday, Amy's parents showed up in Salida which was a surprise and a treat since they live in Louisiana. They were there for the week staying in Denver. They were looking for a condo or cabin to buy and decided to come down and look around there for a day or so. Amy and I went around all week to help them find a place. They finally settled on a place in Silverthorne, CO which is about 20 minutes or so from Breckenridge. Amy and I can't wait to get up there and see because we just didn't have time to go by and look at it this year, but we will as soon as we can.

On Tuesday, Amy and I drove over to Colorado Springs area to visit one of my best friends growing up, Mindy. We had so much fun spending time with her and her husband (Matthew). We don't get to see them much. Mindy made this great dinner...it was really good! I also had a chance to play with their black lab, Max. Great dog! He loves to play fetch which I so enjoy. We just hung around and ate dinner and talked. It got late and we had a 2 1/2 hour drive to make, so Mindy and Matthew were very gracious and let us stay in one of there spare rooms for the night. Their house by the way is awesome. Amy and I loved it. It was sad to leave, but hopefully we'll get to see them again soon.

We got back on Wednesday, and that's when things really got interesting. That night before sun down, we were driving home from fishing at a new pond we were trying out. As we're headed back to camp and a deer comes out of the woods, so I slow down and watch it cross the road. If you know anything about deer, it's that they travel in groups of two to four. Now, I know this, but I watched the deer cross the road for just a few seconds and turned my attention back to the road, and their she was. Another deer was right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, but the deer wasn't moving fast enough and I clipped her. I felt really bad about this. I pulled over. Amy's crying at this point. We were both okay and the truck only had minor damages, so we were lucky. I will also point out that the deer did get up and walk away...not very well, but she was walking, so hopefully she will be okay. I've been around deer my whole life. Seen them many times including in CO. But I have never witnessed someone or myself hit a deer, so this was a first for me. You feel bad. I know next time I will be watching the entire time. I just feel blessed because this could have been very bad for everyone and every thing.

Well, that was about all the good and dramatic parts. I river rafted on Thursday (and the water was at some of the highest points they'd seen in 20 years for this time of the year). I golfed on Friday, and that was fun because Amy was able to come with me and drive the cart, and it's always fun to spend time with her. We all went to town to watch fireworks that night too. Then Saturday we started back home.

I know this was long, but I decided to do it all in one post instead of a bunch of different ones. We have pictures, but Amy has all of that maybe she'll put some on here.

TTYL,
Andy

He's not alone in this world!

Baby Beck definatley won't be lonely. He's got plenty of siblings to help take care of him and to keep him company. Here are pictures of his sister, Katilyn and brothers, Trey and Brayden.

Welcome to our World!

My sister, Allison had her 5th baby yesterday. Joshua Beck was induced 1 week early weighing 7 lbs 14 oz and measuring 20 1/2 inches long. I think that's pretty average but he looks so tiny! He's adorable! Mom and baby are doing well. We're so excited for Baby Katie to get here and meet her new cousin. It's so surreal to think Andy and I will have one of these in less than 3 months!

I thought being pregnant would make it easier to hold a baby. You know since I already have a build in pillow to rest him and my arm on. Well, I found out it doesn't work that way. My Katie belly just made it harder to hold him becaue I couldn't hold him very close. LOL

Andy's gifts for Katie

My mom and Andy's mom got some special outfits for Katie especially with Andy in mind. The top one camo outfit is from my mom. It has a white hat with a little black bow on it (matches black bows on the front of the otufit), and some camo booties. And the bottom one is a John Deere set with a onsie, hat, overalls, and jacket. For those of you who don't know Andy well, he loves John Deere. He spent lots of time on John Deeres with his grandfather when he was little.

Andy absolutely loved these outfits! I'm sure Katie will wear them often. :)