We're back from a loooooong hiatus to update everyone on the little miracle!!

So much has happened over the last few weeks and we've just be bombarded with so much to do, and so very little time to do it in!! We're going to update everyone on how things have been going during Weeks 19 and 20!!

It was another BIG week (or two) in the life of Lil Duck....

We went for our dr visit for our most recent glimpse at how big our little one is getting... The ultrasound tech's name was Jane Herndon and she's been doing this for about 20 years, so let's just say, she's good!!! Mom was a little nervous and Dad was doing his best to try and keep her calm. When Mom finally got on the table and the gel stuff was on her tummy she realized "OMG!! This is really happening!!".... Ms. Jan got a really good picture of the little one's profile and then she asked the question we had been waiting so long to hear..... "Do you want to know the sex?".... we couldn't say YES fast enough.... then she said the sweetest words while we watched our little miracle moving around and waving... "IT'S A BOY"..... Daddy was already in tears as soon as he saw him moving; Mommy wasn't far behind when she heard that she was having a baby boy!!! We are SO blessed!!!

We met with Dr. Lipsitz again after the ultrasound and she could see how excited we were. We are really starting to like Dr. Lipsitz. She loosens up more and more every time we see her... Mom also had to have her yucky glucose tolerance test that day too... If you've never tried it, the glucose drink tastes like flat Orange Crush - not bad, but not great. A few days later we got a phone call that I had failed the glucose test. And with Mom being "Type A", you have no idea how difficult that was for her!! hahaha... So we scheduled another test, but this one was the biggie 3 hour glucose tolerance test, and it would be in two days. =o)

On August 13, Mom and Dad had another milestone anniversary. We've been married for 15 years now and time has just flown by - we must've been having fun all this time!! We decided that we were going to get a new TV for our anniversary gift to each other. You know, the gift that keeps on giving!! hahaha....Daddy's still the sweetheart Mommy fell in love with all those years ago! What a great time in our lives together!

Mommy finally went to have her 3 hour glucose test, and she was NOT looking forward to this one. The blood stealers take your blood and get a fasting result, then they make you drink the yucky orange stuff AGAIN!! (But this time it's twice as sweet!! YUK!!) Then they take your blood again, once an hour for 3 hours.... NOT FUN!! Mommy was starving by the time the testing was over. The nurses in our dr's office are so wonderful too. They kept saying "it's almost over" and "just be thinking about what you want for lunch".... You can tell they've done this before! Needless to say, we went to Applebee's for lunch and Mommy had to chow down! :o)

Daddy was looking forward playing some ball with the guys again, so on August 15th the church team SOS played in the NSA Church state tourney. The weather was really nice & we had so much fun at the ballfield, hanging out with our friends and their kiddos!!! It was a fairly big tournament and the guys played their hears out!! They ended the day by winning the whole tournament!!! GO Daddy!!! 2009 NSA Church State Champs baby!!!!

On Monday August 17th, Mom got a call from Dr. Lipsitz office and they had some news about the 3 hour glucose test. Mom had failed - AGAIN!! Mom's blood sugar levels were really more elevated than what Dr. Lipsitz felt comfortable with, so she referred her to a Diabetes specialist, a Nurse Practitioner named Tiffanie Wright. Tiffanie is in the same medical office building as Dr. Lipsitz and we had an appointment to meet with her on Thursday the 20th. Of course Mom was scared, she's not good with needles, but whatever she has to do for her "little man", she's gonna do it.... Looks like we've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

We met with Tiffanie on Thursday morning and there was so much information to absorb. Testing blood sugar levels, watching what you eat, maintaining a steady diet throughout the day, exercising to help with blood sugar levels, but all Mom kept thinking about was that needle! Well, Tiffanie showed Mom how to use the blood sugar monitor and it was a BREEZE!! So easy to use, and so not the scary thing she thought it would be! Mom has to test her blood sugar 4 times a day, controlling what she eats, exercise and follow up with Tiffanie in a week so she can check the blood sugar results. What a blessing that we were able to diagnose the diabetes early in the pregnancy so that we can get it under control. Mom also had to schedule a training session at the Baptist Diabetes Center, but that will be later on.

On Friday the 21st, it was the most amazing thing ever!!! Just 3 days shy of 21 weeks and MOMMY FELT THE LITTLE GUY MOVE!!! It was almost like he was waiting for us to know him a little better before he started to wiggle. It was like big, thick, bubbles in chocolate milk in your tummy... SO AMAZING!!! I marvel at how God has been so good to us!!

Our little boy is getting so big, we can't believe how quickly time passes.... At week 19, he (WOW! We can actually say HE now!!!) weighs about 8 1/2 ounces (big boy) and is about 6 inches long, from head to bottom he's about the size of an heirloom tomato. His arms and legs are finally in proportion to the rest of his little body. His kidneys are working and hair on his scalp is starting to grow. Here's a little peek of what our little BOY looks like at 19 weeks....