Costume Building

Every year I intend to get a good head start on the costume making. And every year I actually get that head start, mainly because I consider the planning and ideas stages as part of the job. This year is no exception with the exception that the Peanut got a little mind changey and then I got a little, "lets look at where we are going with this and make it easier on me if at all possible" and the costume that at the beginning of September was going to be a Monarch butterfly turned into a T-Rex costume which turned into my brilliant idea of a pterodactyl.

This weekend as well as carving the first of our two jack-o-lanterns; I got started on the handmade portion of the Peanut's costume; a paper mache pterodactyl hat. Normally I would have photographed the whole process and written up a kick ass tutorial to post over at Totally Tutorials but I'm finding I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with personal life drama, keeping up the momentum of the ornament collaboration with the husband and the whole keeping healthy while being pregnant situation.

Over the last two weeks I've noticed my blood sugars steadily climbing. While they are still mostly within range, all signs are pointing towards the GD setting in. Thankfully being on the GD program since the first trimester seems to be paying off as my weight gain has been slow and steady; the Bean continues to be within the size guidelines that the oncologist is aiming for and I've not once, even once dipped into the Halloween candy that we picked up at the beginning of the month.

So anyway, back to what I was taking about; our Halloween preparations. I got started on the pterodactyl hat and today we'll be painting the hat and hopefully attaching a headband to the inside to help keep it on the Peanut's head. Also on the to do list is attaching the wings I picked up on our Staycabamoon two weeks ago and my half-assed costume; the salmony orange t-shirt in my closet will have a pumpkin face attached to it right around the belly area so that the Bean will be costumed this year too.

I feel like Sleeping Beauty except I don't fall asleep for 100 years every time I eat

I went to my first Dietitian appointment for the Bean yesterday; and in exchange for not having to take the yucky glucose test at 28 weeks; I was able to skip it all together and start monitoring my blood sugar a whole 14 weeks earlier than with the Peanut. So, now I have a spankin' new testing monitor with a small tube of testing strips, lancets and of course a chart that requires me to poke my finger before and after each meal so that I can keep the blood sugar under recommended levels. I have Gestational Diabetes (GD).

Gestational Diabetes is diagnosed in about 3- 5% of pregnancies; and if you have previously had gestational diabetes, are obese, have a family history of diabetes, have a history of giving birth to large babies or unexplained miscarriage, or are over the age of 35 while pregnant there is a higher risk of getting it. I, of course fit within two of the high risk categories which, according to my Doctors just slots me into having it without having to do the pesky tests.

The good news is that the Bean (or any baby whose Momma has had GD) will not be born with diabetes but there are risks for a baby if the conditioned is not controlled. These range from premature birth, becoming to large for a vaginal delivery, developing jaundice, developing diabetes later in life or in very rare cases, developing a chemical imbalance while in the womb that can result in a miscarriage. All very good reasons to put in the effort and keep the blood glucose levels under control.

For Momma, going untreated raises the chances of developing infections, pre-eclampsia, developing abnormal amniotic fluid levels as well as increasing the chance that your labor will be prolonged or that the baby will have to be delivered via C-section.

So this is a fond farewell to all the crap that I've been craving since the Bean came along and tossed in some handy food aversions and in exchange for strange eating. Good- bye cheesy puffs. So long dill pickle potato ships and ice cream sandwiches (such a tasty combo and one I would never ever eat outside of carrying the Bean).

Please wait for me cheese cake, I promise I'll make it up to you somehow, I'll try to sneak you in at least once (before I go on a monster hike and swim a few laps at the local pool perhaps). At least my gargantuan adoration of a nice tasty sandwich piled high with veggies and cheese can be fit into the plan with only the alteration of whole grain high fiber bread in place of the chewy Ciabatta that I have been lusting after for weeks now.

And now I promise to post a nice entry pull of lovely photographs and very few medical details surrounding the Bean soon, just to make up for all this wordiness.