28 Week Baby Update

So much to catch you up on!

Well, my blood pressure has normalized on its own, so we're still watching it, but so far out of the woods.

Unfortunately my gestational diabetes (GD) is currently "uncontrolled". I am doing my best to follow the eating plan given to me, but my numbers keep going up. My morning fasting blood sugar is the worst, at double or more the target.

And just for added fun, this week I started weekly visits to the High Risk Pregnancy Clinic, and at my visit was told that I need to consult with the Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist at the hospital where I will deliver.

Why so much attention? Well, it's a combination. First & foremost seems to be my "advanced reproductive age". They really like bringing up how old I am, LOL.
Then you add to that my giant baby. Peanut is currently on target to be 11 lbs at birth. Not bad considering my husband was nearly 12 lbs, and my dad was 10 lbs, so we're getting it on both sides. And I was informed that if I had carried Jena to term she would likely have been 10.5 lbs. But still. Big babies mean higher risks for mom, so... there's that.
And of course my uncontrolled GD on top of that. And then the hypertension, even though it's currently resolved, is yet one more reason to keep an eye on things.

So high risk clinic & specialists it is.

We are starting to enter panic mode, realizing how quickly this baby is coming. If I carry to term (which is unlikely), we have a mere 12 weeks left. The nursery isn't really even started. We still have to finish cleaning out the room, before we can begin putting it together. We just went thru all of Jena's old things that we had in storage over the weekend, and did manage to register last night. But it's all happening so fast.

Speaking of registering, my mother-in-law is throwing me a shower. I know there's all kinds of different views on second baby showers, but she wanted to do it. Honestly, I'm not expecting much of a turnout. My family doesn't "do" 2nd baby showers. So besides my mom & my sister, I'm not sure anyone else will show up. Which is fine. I understand the view, and it's okay.

But... I'm questioning the logic. Growing up obviously we never did them. The reasoning (as it was explained to me) is that the first time you shower the mom with things she'll need for baby. For the second child, she should already have what she needs, so to have another shower is akin to being greedy.

But here's the thing:
- after years in storage, some of our items from Jena just didn't survive. Pack-n-Play. Diaper bag. Baby bath. To name a few of the larger items
- there is also a bevy of smaller items that just need to be replaced, or are disposable

I'm gonna be honest, I was surprised at how much did end up on our registry. There's so much that we don't have, despite all the things we kept from when Jena was a baby (which was a lot, IMO).

So for me the logic doesn't hold. If you're gonna help the mom out the first time, why not the second time? It seems a little hypocritical to say you're okay with bringing presents for baby #1, but not for baby #2.

It's okay if you don't want to because you don't want to. But the logic for not doing 2nd showers as it was always explained to me just doesn't hold. Just my opinion.

Besides, when I was pregnant with Jena I knew I wanted a shower for any other kids we might have. Not because of the presents, but because I just can't imagine having all this celebration over one child, but not celebrating any subsequent children. How could I not celebrate Peanut's upcoming arrival? Because tradition says we don't? Sounds like a tradition that needs to go, in my opinion.

So to those invited, come. Bring a gift, don't bring a gift, I really don't care. But help me celebrate this child and everything she means to me and my family.

Well... that got a lot longer than I originally intended. I guess that's what happens when I don't get to write as often, huh?

Thanks for checking in!