We're back with another 2 week update!! We know you're all excited - just as we are to share with you what's been going on over the last 2 weeks!!! Weeks 21 and 22 have been so eventful for everyone in our ever-expanding family! Mom is going to share what's been going on....

On Tuesday, August 25th, we were officially 21 weeks along. We also had to go to our Gestational Diabetes Training class at Baptist Diabetes Center. Shelly, a diabetes nurse, and Marjean, a dietitian, taught the class and they were just wonderful! The class taught us about food you should eat, foods you may want to avoid, portion sizes, foods & drinks that can make your blood sugars spike, all about artificial sweetners, how to control your blood sugars, how to test, and all the info you could need to know about insulin. (Again with the needles!!! haha) But it's all for the little guy, so I'll do what we need to do to get him here, safe and healthy!!!

Shelly was so great! After an emotional breakdown after class (Preggo's have them from time to time!) she answered all my questions and calmed all the fears I was having about being newly diagnosed with diabetes. I was really scared that our little boy may have been harmed in some way, and she completely reassured me. (One of my main concerns was that over the last 2- 3 weeks, I had lost almost 10 lbs and I was worried about the weight loss during pregnancy; especially now that I have gestational diabetes.) Marjean even gave me a mealplan list to go by for meals and snacks. I was so sure that I was eating plenty, because I kept eating until I was more than full sometimes. But apparently, I wasn't eating enough, and they both got me back on plan. I had a follow up with Shelly a week later, after I keep a log of my food, blood sugars and ketones.

We had another appointment with Tiffanie, our diabetes nurse practitioner, to follow up on our blood sugar readings for the week. We also met with Dr. Wierum, our endocrinologist - Nurse Tiffanie works with him. Dr. Wierum was a little concerned with how high my readings were, and he wanted me to start exercising every evening after dinner to help control the blood sugar levels. If the levels are still elevated after a few days, we may need to go ahead and start taking some insulin.

Dr. Wierum and Tiffanie were so great in reassuring me that my diabetes diagnosis wasn't anything I had any control over. For over a week, I had been carrying alot of guilt that our gestational diabetes diagnosis was something that I might have been able to control before I found out I was pregnant. You know, every woman does it, "if only I had lost that extra 5, 10, 20 lbs", "if only I got pregnant at a younger age", "if only I had exercised more". But God had other plans for us, and we're so grateful - even for our gestational diabetes!!! Tiffanie comforted me by letting me know the diabetes was just one of the ways that my body was reacting to the pregnancy. Pregnancy is a normally insulin resistant state, and my body was just MORE insulin resistant than most. After about a week, I kept telling everyone "we thought this little guy was a miracle already, and so special! But now he's so special he has his own TEAM of doctors. He has an Obstetrician, a diabetes nurse, a dietitian, a diabetes nurse practitioner AND an endocrinologist!!!" =o)

So, in the midst of all the Dr's visits, and nurses visits, and classes, and follow ups, and diabetes stuff.... we're moving!!! God won't put more on you than you can handle!!! My mom (Ya-Ya) and Aunt Cindy came up to help us finish packing, and moving, and cleaning, and settling and all that fun stuff. No I know it's not fun, and it was killing me that I couldn't do one thing to help. Ok, so I cleaned the bathroom at the old apartment and did my best to stay out of the way at the new one, but I felt so helpless. Everyone worked so tirelessly, sweating and everything, and all I could do was say thank you!!! Even that seemed like it wasn't enough.... but again, I was so grateful!!

Ya-Ya and Aunt Cindy came to town on Friday August 28th and we all went out to dinner at Black Eyed Pea - YUM!! That place is awesome!! Good food and fellowship!! hahaha.. Then we all headed home for some rest because this weekend was gonna be a doozie!! We actually had 3 days to move, and we wanted to get going!! Saturday morning, the 29th, we started early and packed boxes and other things into Ya-Ya's van and started moving! By the end of the day, the only thing left to move were the things we used everyday, and the furniture!!

That same Saturday, Daddy played in his first World Tournament every with the church team SOS. The tournament was in Mt. Juliet and it was icky hot!! The guys played their hearts out against teams from Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky, and they never lost a game!! Team SOS won the tournament!!! Go Daddy!!! They will get World Championship rings and everything!!! I'm so proud!!! 2009 CHURCH WORLD CHAMPS!!!

Saturday night, after everyone got showers and cleaned up we headed to Chili's to celebrate - our moving so much in one day AND the WORLD CHAMPS victory!! It was awesome, and you could not wipe the smile of sheer elation off of Daddy's face! I couldn't stop hugging him because I know what a big deal winning that tournament was! Later on, when we were watching tv in bed, the little guy started moving around alot - I mean, ALOT! Daddy got to feel him kick for the first time & he was just amazed!!! He said that that feeling was way better than winning any tournament!! :o)

Sunday the 30th, we all got up and went to church, then went to have lunch at Cracker Barrell. LOVE THAT PLACE!!! Ya-Ya and Aunt Cindy headed back to the hotel to change, and we went to the house to get ready for the last part of the move. By 2:00pm we had over 12 men, all friends of ours from softball or church, at our place loading up furniture and getting things, well, moving. I was stunned at how great these guys were to give up their Sunday afternoons with their families to help us move a few things. Again, I just felt so blessed to have wonderful people in our lives. We were completely moved within 2 hours, and everyone chilled out at the new place with pizza, chips, cookies and cokes... ( I did good, only 2 pieces of pizza - thin crust. No cookies, no chips - don't wanna spike the blood sugar! hehe)

On Monday the 31st, Ya-Ya, Aunt Cindy and I tried to get a few things in order and get a little unpacked in the new place and get settled. They brought breakfast and coffee, which was great, because we still had no groceries. My blood sugars were still a little elevated over the last 4 days and Tiffanie wanted me to start the insulin she gave me on Thursday. I was kind of concerned about the needle for the insulin, but I remembered that Tiffanie said it was actually smaller and thinner than the needle used for testing my sugar. Well, I started to inject the insulin and got scared and looked away. Before I realized it, the needle was in and I didn't even feel it!!! I was totally stunned. I started with 8 units of 30/70 insulin in the morning before breakfast. The 30/70 insulin works like this - 30% is fast acting and works immediately to lower blood sugar levels with the meal, 70% is long lasting and lasts about 6-8 hours depending on how your body responds to the insulin.

We're 22 weeks today (Sept 1)!!!! yea!!! I checked in with Tiffanie on Tuesday, the 1st of September and she consulted with Dr. Wierum. They both agreed that while my blood sugar levels did drop some with the insulin, it wasn't enough. So Dr. Weirum had me increase the insulin to 12 units. No biggie. And the little guy seems to like it quite a bit, because he's become much more active and seems to be growing alot more... Mommy tummy is getting quite round nowadays! I'm having more and more trouble getting up off the couch, getting out of bed and rolling over in the bed too!! hahaha... I'm like a turtle - if I end up on my back, I'm out of luck!!! hahaha.

I had a follow up appointment with Shelly at the Baptist Diabetes Center on Tuesday also. She just wanted to check in with me, check my meal plans, blood sugars and ketones to make sure all was doing well since the class. I still hadn't put back on any weight that I had lost - still only gained 14lbs total with the pregnancy so far, but she said it's normal for newly diagnosed diabetes patients to do that. I should start to gain in a few weeks again. Plus, she said if I just needed to talk or had questions at any time before the little guy got here, just pick up the phone or come by - anytime. Shelly's a hugger like me, and it made me feel so good to see her again!!

September 4 was a pretty cool day in our house - Mommy & Daddy finally got a new TV!!!! (hear the angels sing and see the sunbeams from the sky as the heaven's open, hahaha)... we've planned, researched, waited and saved for this for what seems like forever!!! College football starts on Saturday (the 5th) and it just seemed like the perfect time for it!! Happy birthday Mommy - happy anniversary Mommy & Daddy - happy birthday Daddy.... all rolled up in one!! What a great year it's been so far!!

Sept 5th was the start of COLLEGE FOOTBALL in our house!! hehe... Florida played Charleston Southern and won (duh!) in a shellacking of 62-3!! GO GATORS!!! I love me some Timmy Tebow, David Nelson and Aaron Hernandez!! ;o)

BABY SHOWER TIME!!!!

I went to Oak Ridge on Saturday (the 5th) for a baby shower that my Precious Aunt Nancy and Sweet Aunt Janie had planned for us. They really did a wonderful job!! We played fun games, opened gifts, and ate great food - and the cupcakes were AWESOME!!! ( I promise, I only ate one!!)

My Aunt Betty came (Aunt Betty is married to my Uncle Ronnie, my dad's brother) and I hadn't seen her in years and years. It was so wonderful to see her again!! We received some sweet gifts (Aunt Edna embroidered a "lil duck" towel set) , sentimental gifts (Aunt Nancy & Aunt Betty both made sweet blankets & quilts), educational gifts (my cousin Deanna gave us his first book & my other cousin Kathy have him his first plush tool set!), and just plain fun stuff (bottles, wipes, spoons, rubber duckies)!! Oh and diapers!! Thank you Christy (my cousin) and Aunt Gail & Kate for the diapers!!! Love 'em!!

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....