Big Birthday Bash

Dear Munchkin,
Even though I wasn't feeling in tip-top shape this past weekend, we decided to forge ahead and drive up to Washington D.C. for my Gram's 90th Birthday Bash & Stirton Family Reunion. We are incredibly lucky to have such an amazing family and had an absolute ball. It felt so good to take my mind of the events from last week, although all the laughing did not help my sore stomach muscles at all. We arrived in Washington late Thursday evening to find the party had started before we got there. Your Daddy and I stayed with my cousin Amy & her husband Rob. Amy, Bryan, Rory, Ross, and I are considered "sibling cousins" because our moms (your grandma) are mirror image twins. We basically share the same DNA on one side. We have a definite bond that is uniquely ours and share a lot of the same personality characteristics. Every time I hang out with them, it makes me miss them more after we leave. On Friday, your Great-Grandma, Grandma, Uncle Ross, Aunt Amber, Amy, and I went up to Mount Vernon to tour George Washington's house. It was pretty darn hot, but we enjoyed ourselves. Later that evening was the family BBQ at my cousin Kristy's house. All 42 of us were there wearing our blue shirts proudly. It was incredible that every single one of us was able to be there, given that usually there is at least one or two people missing from family events. On Saturday evening, we took a dinner/sightseeing cruise of D.C. via the Odyssey Cruise Ship. They served a delicious dinner and had a lively band. Of course, we proceeded to take over the dance floor. Everyone else was outnumbered! On Sunday morning, we had brunch at the hotel and then it was time to say goodbye. The weekend went by so incredibly fast, but the memories will last me a lifetime. I am so proud of my Grandma and Grandpa for creating this wonderful family who care so deeply for one another and genuinely enjoy each others company. It is truly a heartwarming experience that I am so lucky to be part of. At some point during the weekend, every single person told me how excited they were that you will be joining our family. They cannot wait to welcome you and continue to expand our growing family.

Mom, Grandma, Great-Grandma

Grandma & Great Grandma

The Stirton Clan

Our "Little" Family
Birthday Cake
Boat Cruise

Uncle Ross, Rory, & Bryan

A Toast
Your Daddy & I
Grandma
Bryan & Some Great-Grands

All my love, Mom

Friendly Avenue Christian School

Dear Munchkin,
During our lunch break, your Daddy and I toured the Friendly Avenue Christian School. The tour had been scheduled before we hired Nanny Aimee, so we thought we should keep the appointment. No harm in checking the place out, just in case a back up plan is needed. The program had come highly recommended and we have known quite a few kids on the waiting list. This center is one that your Dad and I would feel very comfortable enrolling you in. The building was big, open, low teacher to child ratio, willing to work with cloth diapers, and very focused on faith. One thing that I liked was the fact that the infant rooms goes all the way to up to 14 months of age. Most of the other centers transition kids to a different room a lot younger than that. Meaning more teachers and less continuity of care givers. I also thought it was awesome that they don't allow swings in the infant room. The director was very specific about how the children were to be cared for with love and attention at all times. They feel like swings can be wonderful so you can get things done like laundry, answer the phone, etc. but their job is free from those distractions. We were generally impressed and have decided to put you on the waiting list. We probably will not be able to get into the center in the time frame needed. They have huge waiting list, plus a myriad of people who will be called before the waiting list even opens up. Your Daddy and I both agreed that Nanny Aimee is a better fit for our family!
Love,
Mom

Feeling Groovy

Dearest Munchkin-
Since I am sitting here feeling you kicking and moving around like crazy, I thought I would let you know that I am feeling so much better. All the contractions have stopped and I think my muscles have finally recovered from 4 days of being tightened up into giant knots. I anticipate smooth sailing from here on in. Keep kicking me baby, I love every minute of it!
Love,
Mom
PS- I won't even comment on the fact that a nurse called me this morning to let me know that I have a Strep B infection in the urine sample I left last Monday and wanted me to start antibiotics today. An entire week after I first let them know about the contractions. I am so over it.

The Culprit

Dear Munchkin,
About the time I finished yesterday's letter to you, I decided I could take NO more of these stupid contractions and made an appointment with the doctor for that afternoon. I tried my hardest to believe that these were "normal false labor" contractions, but my body was telling me otherwise. Turns out that your Mama has a nasty Step B infection which was in turn causing the contractions. The doctor did another internal exam to be on the safe side and found that I was not dilated. He prescribed an antibiotic plus a medicine that makes the contractions stop. Thank. The. Lord. Once I have a few doses of the antibiotic under my belt, the contractions will stop on their own and I should only have to take the anti-contraction medicine short term. Unfortunately, it makes me a little lightheaded and headachy. But...my contractions have become fewer and far between, so it is totally worth it! I feel almost as good as new and I now have a four day weekend to rest. I am pretty sure that we are still going to Washington DC this weekend, since the contractions have almost ceased and I am on the road to feeling well again. I guess we will make that decision once your Daddy gets home from work. One positive thing that I have learned from this experience is that now I will know when the time comes for you to be born. There won't be any doubt!!!
Love,
Mom

Contractions Stink

Dear Munchkin,
My "false labor" contractions have yet to stop. I have been having them off and on now for the past four days. Let me just tell you what an annoyance they are. They are messing with my blood sugar (which I am working really hard to control) and interfering with my daily routine. I can't sit at work and I can't do anything but lay down at home. Even that still hurts like crazy. I just want them to stop. Go far far away and don't come back until it's time for you to be born! It is super frustrating because not only to they hurt but there isn't anything I can do about it. I called the doctor this morning because I am concerned about a few things. A.) They haven't gone away. B.) They are elevating my sugar. C.) We are supposed to be traveling the next two weekends. After work tomorrow, we head to Washington DC for the Stirton Family Reunion and next Thursday we fly to Chicago for my cousin's wedding. Is it OK to travel? Do I stay home? Do I continue to go to work? Could this be preterm labor? Will they put me on bed rest? Do I need to change my diet? Am eating enough? Will they put me on insulin because of this? Can I take any pain relievers? When will they just GO AWAY? I meet with the gestational diabetes counselor this morning and according her scale, I have lost 3 pounds since last week. She told me that it could be water weight due to the change in glucose. She also told me that the spike in my sugar levels are probably due to stress and the contractions. She recommend I see my doctor as soon as possible. Doctor Davis is out of the office today, so I talked to the nurse and made an appointment for tomorrow morning. Until then, I just have to grin and bear it. Mama is not having a good day.
Love,
Mom

Braxton Hicks & Monthly Checkup

Dear Munchkin,
This past weekend was quite eventful in the Beale household. On Saturday, I met up with a group of my college friends for lunch and outlet mall shopping @ Concord Mills. We had a great time laughing, catching up, and shopping. By the end of the afternoon, I was feeling a little crummy and chalked it up to doing too much in one afternoon. When I got home, I took a power nap and felt a whole lot better. On Sunday, your Daddy and I had a volunteer commitment @ church which involved walking the neighborhood distributing flyers for a food drive. After over an hour of walking in the heat, I was feeling pretty lousy. My stomach started cramping/tightening up and we headed straight home. The cramps continued intermittently during the next few hours, so eventually your Dad and I decided to call the after hours nurse for the doctor. The nurse confirmed that I was indeed having Braxton Hicks Contractions and I would need to monitor their frequency. More than 6 in hour would send us to the hospital for a check up and I was having them about every fifteen minutes or so. I knew that I was going to see Doctor Davis first thing the next morning, so I just prayed that they would slow down and tried to get some rest. I rested all afternoon and went to bed early, determined not to pay to visit to the hospital. This morning I had my monthly checkup. I weighted in @ +.2 pounds total weight gain (losing weight again with this diabetic diet...how weird!), had a blood pressure of 120/80 and heard your hear beat strong @ 150 beats per minute. I told the nurse about the cramping/tightening and Doctor Davis did an internal exam to make sure that I wasn't dilated. He also took a swab of some cells for a test that confirms that I will not have a baby within two weeks. Everything came back A-OK. He told me that now is about the time that these contractions start happening. I just need to monitor them and track their frequency. The only thing I can do is rest, walk, and stay hydrated. So I guess this is par for the course? He also checked my sugar log book and reassured me that I was doing a great job controlling it. We went over some more guidelines to follow and I will now start to see him every two weeks. Hopefully these "false" contractions will stop soon, so I can feel like my regular self again!
I love you,
Mom

Nanny Aimee

Dear Munchkin,
In the midst of all of my new found health related worries, I neglected to mention that we have hired a nanny to care for you once I return to work! While this isn't the perfect outcome for our family, we really feel like we have made a good decision that works very well for us. We meet Aimee earlier this month for an interview. She really impressed us with her experience and personality. Aimee graduated from Appalachian State University (Go Mountaineers!) with a degree in Child & Family Development. In Boone, she worked at the Lucy Brock Center, which has quite a great reputation for it's innovative programming. From there, she moved to Asheville where she was a lead teacher for a church daycare program & began Graduate School @ Western Carolina University. Some circumstances in her family life changed, which led her to return home to the triad area. What a blessing for us! Currently, Aimee is babysitting for a couple families and working a part time job. She will continue this until she starts with us full time. Then she will come to our home to take care of you during the work week. Your Dad and I have really wrestled with this decision and have thought of every angle that would allow me to stay at home with you. We just can't quite work it out right now and that is not to say that our circumstances aren't going to change down the road. Believe me when I say that this wonderful childcare opportunity is only less heartbreaking for me. But I also believe in my heart that Aimee will care for you in a loving, responsible, and interactive manner. You can tell how much she really enjoys helping families and watching children grow. It is our hope that we have chosen the best possible person to help us care for you and that she becomes an intricate part of our growing family.
Love,
Mom

Diabetes School

Dearest Baby,

Yesterday afternoon your Dad and I attended a two hour class on how to manage my gestational diabetes. First of all, I want to tell you how proud I am of your Daddy for going with me to class and taking this problem seriously. This disease effects our whole family. The changes we are making will stay with us for a lifetime and it would be extremely hard to do without his help. He was the only Dad in the room and it just proves how much he cares about us! The first hour of class was devoted to learning about our eating habits and what my body is currently doing with the food I eat. Our teacher, Miss Maggie May, gave us guidelines on what to types of food eat, what portions, what foods to eliminate, and which foods produce sugar. She explained how gestational diabetes works and how diet/exercise will help eliminate the problem. It was very interesting and she was really informative. I wanted to know specifics on how much to eat, what to eat, and when. Now, I know how to control my sugar levels without medication. The second part of the class was devoted to teaching us how to monitor sugar levels. It is a really simple process which involves a finger prick 4 times a day and a glucose meter.

_

Every morning, I will take a reading before breakfast. This number is considered the fasting rate and should be between 60-90. This morning I clocked in at 85. That's within normal range. Then 2 hours after every meal, I will take another reading. It should never be above 120. During our class demonstration I measured 89, after dinner last night was 165 (Yikes) and after breakfast came in at 119. Not so bad for my first day, but I learned that having a Jimmy John's sandwich for dinner is probably not in the cards for a while. Bread has a huge effect on blood sugar. So for the next few months, I will carry my little meter and notebook with me. I have begun charting the times/levels for myself and will report back to my doctor regularly. I will also follow up with Miss May next week to let her know how things are going. I know this will be challenging, but I really feel much better about the whole process and being able to monitor it. We have a plan in place and I am in control of what happens to us. I know that it doesn't seem like it now, but I think this diagnosis is a blessing in disguise. It has really forced us to examine our eating and exercise habits. We have needed to make some changes in our lifestyle and this might be just the gentle push (or rather forceful) that we needed to do so. Hopefully all of us will be on the healthy road of life for a long time! Love, Mom

Armoire

Dear Munchkin,
Earlier last week, we received a surprise gift from your Grandma Wilkin. It was an beautiful armoire for your nursery! On Saturday afternoon, your Daddy assembled it for you. It was such a blessing for us to be distracted by doing something fun for you this weekend. I know you will love it as much as we do. It blends in perfectly with your existing furniture and has tons of storage space for all your cute stuff. It took your Dad a couple hours to put it all together and it turned out just great. I really hope you inherit some of your Daddy's mechanical skills. He never had to ask for help once. As you can see below, my job was to document the whole process. Thanks again Grandma Wilkin!

Heavy Box: Sorting Tools & Pieces:

Door Assembly:
Drawer Assembly:
Half Way Done:
Finished Product:


Love, Mom

Test Results *Updated*

7/14 9:00 AM
Dear Munchkin,
I just got a call from the nutritionist at the hospital. My gestational diabetes class meets tomorrow @ 2:15 PM for two hours. In class, I will find out what the treatment program is all about and how to follow it. Right now I sit tight and anxiously wait out the next 24 hours.
Love, Mom

Dearest Munchkin,
Sometimes life throws you a curve ball. This morning I tested positive for Gestational Diabetes. I took the one hour glucose test to measure how well my body is breaking down sugar and scored a 190. In layman's terms, this means that if I had a scored over 140 but less than 180, I would need to repeat the test using a 3 hour fasting version. Scoring a 190 puts me directly in the path of Gestational Diabetes. This diagnosis was fairly unexpected and has definitely thrown me for a loop. I have felt very blessed that so far this pregnancy has been smooth sailing and we have managed to avoid complications. Now I am wrought with worry. On the bright side, this is something that I can control with diet, exercise, glucose testing, and doctor supervision. The majority of women have this test done when they are about 28 weeks along, so I also have the advantage of catching it early. Currently, I don't have a lot of information about my future course of action and it's very frustrating. You will learn that the mind can be a very powerful tool and will sometimes tend to take you to the worst case scenario. My doctor isn't in the office today and the nurse has told me that a dietitian from Moses Cone Hospital will be getting in touch with me with the details on setting up a treatment program. I know that this will involve going to nutritional classes and monitoring my sugar levels via a glucose meter. I believe (read hope) that insulin and shots are a last resort. I have already been reassured by the nurse and trusted family members that this is a very treatable problem. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that none of this effects your health. I know that once I am able to talk to my doctor or a specialist, I will feel more confident about the outcome. In this moment, all I can do is cry and pray that my body hasn't done you any harm.
I love you very much,
Mom

24 Weeks

Dear Baby,
Today I am 24 weeks pregnant. Holy cow, where did the time go? The pictures of my belly posted below might scare you a little bit because they definitely scared me! I didn't get a chance to write you a letter at 20 weeks because my due date moved and my internal calendar got all fouled up. I figured I would just wait until the next month to get back on track. When I compared my 16 week picture to the one taken last night, I was shocked at the difference in belly size. You and I have grown a lot. I will be anxious to find out my weight tomorrow at the doctor. Aside from the obvious changes you can see, this past month was filled with lots Baby Beale activities. You are moving around quite frequently now. I actually felt a kick on the outside last week. Your Daddy hasn't felt it yet, but we are hopeful that he will feel it soon. Speaking of your Daddy, he's so funny when he asks questions about you and what you are doing. He wants me to describe in detail what's happening and how it feels. You and I have such a bond and it must be hard for him to "feel" things second hand. Aside from your activity, we also painted your nursery, started your cloth diaper collection, had two sonograms, meet your doctor, completed your registry, decided on your name, and *hopefully* settled your child care provider. I don't want to go into detail until everything falls into place, but your Daddy and I are happy about the decision we have made regarding your care. With the Lord's help and a little research, we hope our prayers have been answered! This month's belly pictures:

Love, Mom

Nursery Progress

Dear Munchkin,

This weekend we finally got your room cleaned up! Even though it's not completely done, I really feel like it's coming together nicely. I can't wait until the end of the month to see what it will look like with all the bedding that Grandma Lumsden picked out. It won't be long until September when she will put everything together for us. Here's a peek:

Love, Mom

Diapers Galore

Dear Baby-
I know, I know, I have to stop! But I couldn't resist buying just a few more diapers to jump start your collection. I will tell you that I was very thrifty and bought 4 AIO (All-In-Ones) for just 30 dollars! They had never been used, just washed once, so it was a perfect deal. The AIO's are really great for daycare, babysitters, or people who aren't used to cloth diapers. You just take them off and go, no stuffing or using a fitted insert plus diaper cover. I figured they might come in handy for your stash. I also purchased 2 diapers covers (on sale) since I have some inserts that will need covering. Again, I don't want to buy too many of a certain kind or size since I am not sure what you will end up needing. I *think* this might satisfy my diaper urges for now. I am amazed at how fun this has been for me! I have also brought your Grandma Lumsden up to speed on the diapers, so I am sure you can count on a getting a few cutes ones from her.
This weekend is the 4th of July and we will meet Nanny Aimee on Saturday for an interview. So we will be pretty busy, but hopefully will find time to relax!
I love you,
Mom