Mrs. KPShubert - Post-Most-Everything-Jellybean

So it's been a while - but I wanted to update all those interested in what's going on with this whole roller coaster ride.

Last you heard I'd gone back soon after to do blood work so as to check my hormone levels - - specifically the hCG (pregnancy) hormone.  When the initial results came back they told me I was still higher on the scale from where they thought I should be and I had to go back at the 2 week mark from that first appointment. 


After that second (post) appointment the results were a bit more favourable - they said I should've been a 5 on the (whatever) scale and I was at a 4 - I was good.

I should have an appointment next Thursday -- oh but wait, they've cancelled rescheduled me until the day I go on vacation for Thanksgiving!  Sorry - but I can't afford that time off in a short week! :-(  I've called back and this type of appointment only gets done at a couple of times each day -- 8:30 a.m. (the Dr usually gets in at 9?!) and 1 p.m.  So I've had to schedule a 1 p.m. on Dec 8th!

:-(

Suffering succotash! 

So the 2-month post-partum appointment turns into a 3-month p-p appt!

Oh well, c'est la vie!

I know I'm where I'm supposed to be with regards to God - and He's still working on me...

Maybe I'll start a "real" blog!  What do you think?  Any ideas on what to write on?  Maybe cooking & food reviews for local haunts?  I don't even dare think my life is exciting enough to just make it with a "journal" type thing - - and not like I'd want to broadcast everything that happens which might interest any & every Jill, Jane & Jessie out there...

Anyhow - here's me saying g'bye until December at least.

Love y'all!

Mrs. KPShubert - Blood & Hormones

I went to my Ob last Thursday as scheduled because he wanted to follow up on my condition and make sure the miscarriage wasn't causing any other issues etc. They took blood to see where my pregnancy hormone was at and he told me to come back in two months time to do the blood work again - just to be sure the levels went down to zero.

So Monday I get a call from the clinic and the lady tells me (she was very gentle) that I need to come back in two weeks from the last appointment because my blood work came back and it's not as low as they believe it should be. So my next visit will be 9/30 at 4 pm.

I'm not sure if it's related but today I felt awful, I mean I've been feeling a lot better physically but today it was like I had leaned over a railing for some time in the lower abdomen area. I was uncomfortable like when you wear skates and can still feel them when you take them off... My lower abdomen had been skating for hours without me?!

Anyway, I thought you'd like to know that I'm still here - I'm not so depressed that I've done anything rash or silly. Though I am still wanting to cut my hair. ;-)

I should sleep soon, and I will keep you posted as always - love y'all & g'night!

Mrs. KPShubert - Yesterday... Er, I mean Wednesday... & Thursday

After my last post I didn't sleep much, got up with the rest of the house and then slept for another hour or so... Maybe a total of 5 hours. When I got out of bed the last time I showered because the dr's office wouldn't open for another 1/2 hour.

I did call after and again had to receive a call back - but the wait wasn't that long. They said to bring the baby in to the lab. I put ice packs into a small styrofoam cooler and placed my baby on top. The tears silently rolling down my face the entire time; I knew this was the last time I would see the little lifeless Jellybean.

Even knowing that this precious child is in the arms of our Father, it was sad to say goodbye in the physical.

I drove to the office and did okay until I had to tell the sweet lady in the lab what I was bringing her. She and another lady admin type hugged me and said that was all I needed to do. I left while tears ran down my face, I had no choice. I couldn't stop them and I couldn't stay in that place just then. I'm sure an entire waiting room of people saw me - I'm just glad I held in the sobbing and moaning until I got in the car.

I went and had lunch with Kurt and didn't want to be alone in the house so I went after one of my favorite diversions... Thrift store shopping. I thought that I could just retail therapy myself into submission. It didn't work - I didn't find a single thing and still wanted to scream and break things.

I knew I had to go grocery shopping so I did that and by the time I was done it was time to get Anjoli.

I picked her up and we went home to put away the groceries. I made taco salad for dinner and after eating I read aloud from the 3rd Twilight book. It was a quiet evening at home.

I think I was trying too hard, I was so tired that I don't remember falling asleep, just waking up Thursday morning. And I knew I would go to work when I did wake up, I'd feel awful and useless otherwise. So I did. And I didn't feel as awful or useless, but I did feel the loss more acutely because of the sweet friends (coworkers) there... But it was nice to have the comfort of my work family. I am blessed!

By the time 5 o'clock rolled around it had started to pour down, torrentially! I felt the weather matched my mood. After dinner we went to Starbucks to get more of Anjoli's homework done. When we left Anjoli was being "talked to" by Kurt about something, I don't know what because I wasn't paying attention.

I was so distraught emotionally that I had an outburst in the parking lot. My poor car. If it wasn't so old and abused already I might have left a mark that was noticeable. Kurt, I think, misinterpreted my feelings but he was so patient with me and held me until I could really explain that it was bothering me that I hadn't seen any real display of his feelings about our loss.

I know my husband was raised by a stoic but I've seen him display sadness, joy, grief and a host of other emotions. I hadn't seen anything but worry for me and that was driving me mad... He could get all worked up enough to discipline Anjoli - and I'm not saying she didn't need it - but he couldn't let me see what he felt about our present situation? Or maybe it was that I was worried that he didn't care enough or feel any loss at all. I needed to know.

You know, God really knew what he was doing when he put us together as man and wife. I can't even explain how amazing Kurt's answer was... Truly it was God speaking to me through my dear husband.

Thank you again, God, for the wonderful creature you've given for me to help, who helps me too!

I can't say that I'm totally off the roller-coaster of emotions but I now feel somewhat better about the ride, I can see the end in sight. I know this too shall pass and that unless God calls me home before then that I'll be okay - we'll be okay.

Need to sleep soon, again, g'night all. Love y'all!

Mrs. KPShubert - Loss

**This is not a blog that everyone will want to read, it may get rather graphic for some. I thought you should be warned.**

Tuesday, Sept 7 in the morning I went to pee and I found I was bleeding. It was more than spotting and bright red, so I called my OB's office. After a couple times of them calling me back they said come in for an ultrasound.

We (Kurt, Anjoli & I) went in and waited about 45 minutes to be called into the back. There the radiologist (?) lady started the u/s and didn't say much but soon she went to fetch the doctor on call. This was not my normal doctor but he looked like he had delivered a baby or a hundred thousand maybe. They spoke in what I would term clinic speak but I'm no slouch and because it sounded a lot like they were saying the baby was not alive I had to ask something like "so what you're saying is 'no longer viable'?" in trying to keep the emotions at a minimum I had to speak clinic too. I had to get the facts first.

They told me that in no uncertain terms my womb was empty... The lady typed in "empty sac" before printing out the picture of my uterus and attaching it to my file.

After that we were escorted to the doctor's private office and sat in front of his desk discussing how confused we were. I had not passed a baby - I know how it feels since I've miscarried 2 babies that were about 8 weeks. It's like a mini labor... pain and water breaking and then finally delivery - on a small scale. So this was a shockingly awful surprise for us.

This wizened doctor came in and told me he was sorry and recommended a d&c. I politely refused and he tried to tell me how dangerous the bleeding could get. I think I upset his little apple cart because most ladies probably just do what he suggests - but most ladies haven't known someone who has died from complications from said procedure either. I agreed to contact the office if it got to where I was filling multiple pads in an hour. I hadn't yet started cramping so I wasn't really worried yet.

We were sent home. We hadn't had breakfast so we ate. At this point I couldn't just be home, so we went with Geoff & Naomi to the mall as previously planned. By the end I was feeling very stressed emotionally and wanted to go home. Naomi was so sweet, she offered to take Anjoli with them downtown to ride the trolley and look for gifts "from Arkansas" for her friends back home so that we could rest.

We laid down as soon as we got home and I cried some more. I posted on FB at that point and then napped. I woke up a couple if times to calls from friends but didn't talk much, I slept and then woke to Geoff calling about dropping the girl back home.

Since we hadn't done laundry yet, it was Naomi's last night in America & we still needed dinner - we decided to have dinner with them and then do laundry.

On the way to the restaurant my OB called and told me that he was so sorry for our loss and that with how my blood sugar numbers were looking it wasn't my fault - that he didn't see anything that I could have done differently. It made me feel a bit better, because while I knew it in my head I didn't feel it in my heart until this kind and amazingly gentle man with a professional opinion I trust told me so. He really was an answer to prayer. He also said that a d&c wasn't always the answer and that he wanted to follow-up with me - so not to cancel my appointment for next week.

I wasn't miserable during dinner, just uncomfortable, so we were able to have a laugh or two. The food was excellent and very comforting - as Masala always does well.

Mom called during dinner and I had to relive a lot on the phone as she hadn't checked FB but one of my aunts had sent condolences thru her - I had some explaining to do. (Sorry Mom, I should have called you. And thanks Aunt Mary, you are a very special lady to me!)

After dinner, laundry was boring but getting painful. I was really cramping, very usual painful cramps like I get during my monthly menstruation. I was bearing it because I knew we'd be home before long and I had Excedrin that would help.

Left the laundromat at just after 11 and I was driving. I didn't get 90 seconds into the journey when I was hit with what I can only describe as a contraction. I say this because after the first one I started counting how long they lasted and how long in between; they were from 15 to 35 seconds long and had from 60 to 120 count in between. I experienced these contractions for the entire drive home and when I got out of the car, that was about 11:20, and was halfway to the door I felt a gush.

My water broke. I told Kurt as much and went straight to the bathroom. I had some more fluid passing and started to feel the birth happening.

**If you've made it this far I'm thinking you can handle what's coming next but I don't want to shock anyone so this is the part I warned about in the beginning - seriously - turn back now if you could barely stand what came before!**

You've been duly warned.

I put my hand down in the area of interest and found what I assumed was the baby coming out so I called for my dear husband, who is such a blessing, for help. I couldn't do what I wanted one-handed & what I wanted was to get some tissue to put the baby on so I could see it and say goodbye. He helped with the tissue and I brought the baby up but it had lots of other tissue around it. I couldn't really tell what was what - though the flesh colored part I was sure was Jellybean.

I had Kurt bring a ziplock so that I could save it until after I call the doctor in the morning because I've heard that they may want to see if they might be able to find out what/when/where things happened to cause this outcome. We'll see and I'll keep you informed.

I hope that the account I've given doesn't put anyone off having children, they really are a precious gift - no matter how long (or short) a period of time we have them. I am firmly of a mind that God is in control and that His will is what's best for me (and Kurt and Anjoli and the rest of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose - see Romans 8:28) I'm blessed and thankful that I was able to spend the two months I was aware of Jellybean loving that baby and being a new mommy again.

Someone asked me tonight if it was like a loss of hope and as I've struggled with depression in my life I know that feeling and I don't feel that this is a loss of hope. This is the loss if a wonderfully made child whom I loved as much as I love Anjoli... but God has my hope in hand and I love Him all the more for it and His amazing favor. Yes, favor - because where He wants me to be is where I want to be. He is giving me the desires of my heart, though I may not yet know what they are and He is comforting me and healing me.

I'm not saying I'm done grieving or healing but I know that both are coming - as long as He is willing to give me that next breath I'll be here loving Him and living for Him.

God bless you all, goodnight.

Mrs. KPShubert - Some time passed us by...

It's been 2 weeks since my last appointment and so today I contacted the nurse with my numbers. I've found that my fasting sugar (first in the morning) was trending up - even with the crackers & peanut butter the Dr. suggested. So I think I'm going to have to keep taking another 2 unit notch up on the evening shot - which I did last night and woke to a perfect 95 this morning! Yay!

Other than that I've had a few times where I've been finding light pink to light red spotting over the last 48 hours. I'm not worried - even with my history. Some spotting is normal - unless it's accompanied by cramping or is heavy like a normal cycle it's probably fine.

I've had 2 confirmed miscarriages so naturally people think "you should tell someone about this" like the doctor. But the reality of the situation is that if this baby is God's will then I don't need to worry and if God wills this baby back to Him then I don't have to worry about that either. I'm not saying that I wouldn't seek help if I thought something were wrong -- I'm saying that at this stage there isn't much the doctor can do if I do start to miscarry. Mostly miscarriages take place after the baby has died.

I'm sorry if I've upset or frustrated anyone with the above statement. However, I do feel called to let you know what's going on. Right now - nothing going on... well, I do have a headache and I am tired. I am thinking (hoping) I should be getting some of this energy back after the next couple of weeks because I'll be in my second trimester by then. Woohoo!

I love you all - but I should get out of here now... bye.

Mrs. KPShubert - Calendar

Just in case y'all wanted to keep up with what week we're in with this baby and when my OB appointments are (were too) I've set up this Keep and Share calendar with all that... Well, I've only added the even weeks up to week 20 so far.   http://www.keepandshare.com/calendar/show_month.php?i=804960&lang=   It's totally public to view so no worries on that front.   Better get back to work, love y'all!

Mrs. KPShubert – Diabetes & You... no, wait that's & Me

It has come to my attention that at least one of my friends was rather freaked out when I divulged that I was pregnant and have diabetes – I think partially because it was thought that I had gestational diabetes.

I do not have gestational diabetes – I have type 2 that was already under control before I conceived. This is not to say that having diabetes is something to sneeze at or that I wouldn't encourage research if you are so inclined – but it's not something that is either so rare or dangerous that it never happens or is never successful.

As it stands I am (technically) a high risk pregnancy. Not only because of the diabetes but I am overweight and I have had multiple miscarriages before this baby. In the beginning when I went to see my OB for this pregnancy he informed me that I'd probably be seeing him once a week for the first couple of months.

After that first visit I went back a week later, he told me to come back in 2 weeks. I went to that appointment yesterday and because my diabetes is so well managed at this point he said to come back in a month. I'm not worried.

I have to call him in a couple of weeks to report in to his nurse (Barbara) but other than that I'm doing very well. :-) I know the risks and I'm not willing to put myself in the position of having a 15 lb watermelon instead of a sweet baby <8 lb!!!

Earlier I said I'm technically a high risk pregnancy – yes I'm in the category but because I'm being so closely watched it's less likely to be an issue than if this was a problem that crept up on me and we were trying to play catch up later.

Okay, if you have any questions, concerns or comments please feel free to leave them here or e-mail me lrshubert@yahoo.com or you can post/message to my Facebook!

Oh – and I'm sad because I found out that the smell of cucumber makes me gag something fierce… *sigh*

I better get back to it… Love y'all!

Mrs. KPShubert - Maternity Clothes

If you see my FB posts you might know I bought a couple of outfits of maternity clothes from a resale event recently. They're really nice (for work) clothes and are super comfortable!

I have a couple of pairs of pants for work that have been rather large on me for some time now, so I'm missing one day's worth. Currently, as in until I get one more pair of pants and today specifically, I'm using a pair of pants that make me realize just how comfortable those new clothes are! I haven't had the chance to change out of work clothes today and I'm really regretting not making the time. :-( I'm not hurting myself or the baby I'm just uncomfortable... *sigh*

I'm glad that I haven't totally rid myself of a few favorite pieces that have gotten loose in the last few years - I'll have a decent wardrobe without buying too much more! Hmmm, now that I think about it I have to wonder if I have a coat that will fit me in January?!

I better let y'all off this ride for now, please keep all appendages inside the ride until the vehicle comes to a complete stop. Love y'all!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch.

Mrs. KPShubert - What's in a name?

Last Thursday (I think it was Thursday) I went to the library nearest Anjoli's school before I picked her up. I didn't stop to get anything specific but I thought I'd check out the books on pregnancy - surprisingly I found one on "plus-sized" ladies and pregnancy.

After perusing the section I thought about other baby things, but since I'm not a first-timer I thought most of the titles weren't for me. I stopped at baby names and I picked up 2 books there too! :)

I really like the Baby Names For Dummies book - even though it's formatted in a strange style (for me at least, never having read a "For Dummies" book before) - it really has a lot of useful information and the index of names in the back is easy enough to navigate.

I'm not sure how Mr. will react to me publicizing my lists but I'm curious about your opinions - dear as you are to me. So here goes!

Boys:

      Seth
       David
       Samuel
       Benjamin
       Javier
       Rafael

Girls:

       Esther
       Michelle
       Maggie (or maybe Marguerite and Maggie for short)
       Noel
       Leah
       Belinda

I plan on giving this child a first and middle name so I’m thinking of including a family name like Guadalupe (or Lupe for a girl) somewhere in there – I know technically Rafael is a family name too – or maybe I’ll just use a couple of names from the lists above. Seth Javier Esther Michelle? :-)

Anyway, these are my lists so far. You’re welcome to comment or e-mail me if you’d like to let me know what you think!

Better get back to it, love y’all!

Mrs. KPShubert - Just a quick note...

It's just been one of THOSE Mondays... If it could go wrong it seems to have done so already. I'm really rather surprised that the e-mail I'm currently composing isn't smoking around the edges.

I have to say - I'm about to bust out crying for "no reason" and have been this way for the last 3 or 4 hours - though we both know it's "no reason" ...the reason - progesterone!

Oh, how one tiny hormone can make such a large impact on things - from a beautiful baby in the making to a crazy nauseated balloon of a woman! It slices, it dices, it even juliennes fries!

Anyway, I better get out of here - it's that time - love y'all!

Mrs. KPShubert - Kidneys are cool beans!

Yesterday I was minding my business and all of a sudden heard the voicemail tone from my phone. This was odd because I usually have my phone on vibrate at work - oops! I immediately silenced the phone and checked my message.

It was the lab tech lady from my OB's office - Gayle. I like Gayle, she's a little southern (belle) lady - heavy on the drawl. So I had to listen to the message 3 times before I really understood what she said.

And what she said was that my OB had the results for my 24 hour pee test and that the results were normal. :)

I was so thrilled - I could pee easier knowing (excuse the body humor & slight pun)!

Just wanted to share something not about puking & good news! Talk soon, love y'all!

Mrs. KPShubert - It's not easy being green!

According to my calendar (from the first day of my last cycle) I'm 9 wks & 3 days into this 9 months and if that's correct Jellybean is now the size of a prune - about 1 1/2 inches long.

Y'all know I'm not a slight girl - but I didn't think I'd be getting uncomfortable in my clothes this early. I'm like - really? Really???

I know it's uncomfortable to sit for long periods of time - like I'm used to - sitting straight up as the baby is now at the bottom of my tummy area and likes to remind me that I'm pregnant. :)

So I'm trying to sit back in my chair and have brought my keyboard - it's on a moving arm from under the desk - to more in front of me. I think this might work.

Yesterday and today I experimented with cereal and milk - and yesterday it didn't make me want to puke but the cereal was one of Anjoli's Kashi (with bananas) and it made my blood glucose over 120 (not much but enough that I thought twice about eating it again). So today I brought one of the Bear Naked types (with berries) to work and it was interesting - and did make me want to puke. I did finish the bowl but it was close. The berries were the "problem" - I'm an okay fan of berries normally but apparently I'm not a fan of freeze dried ones at all!

I had to check the ingredients to make sure (afterwards) that there weren't any strange sugars or chemicals in the berries - nope. Bear Naked is one of those we-don't-use-fake-stuff companies and that's one reason I like them... too bad. My bg after that experiment was 148 - awful compared to what I was hoping and where I should be. I may have to go back to chocolate cheerios or mini-frosted-wheats if I'm going to do cereal. Not that I wouldn't be okay with them - I love those - but I'm afraid that now I won't love them so much as want to hurl them. That's not to mention how my bg will be affected by them now. :(

If you can't tell I'm trying to get to a place where I can eat the same few things each day and get reliable numbers for my bg and not want to throw up - as the title of this blog suggests... It's not easy being green!

I bought some lean pockets (whole grain crust), a couple of cans of black olives and some broccoli/cheese single serve frozen cups. I'm hoping these will be good for my tummy and sugars. I feel like I'm doing a puzzle... if I stick this piece here and then turn the other piece around - did I make a picture of a puppy or a jumbled mass of puke?

We'll know soon enough! :-D I'd better get back to it - love y'all!

Mrs. KPShubert - Eating... (AKA Nauseating Times, aka As the Stomach Turns)

Lunch is usually an uneventful meal for me when I'm at work. I have a stash of chunk chicken (in cans) and canned green beans currently. These staples change but not very much and I used to do the tuna pouches but not anymore. Lately I've had chicken salad (the can – rinsed the chicken first – with some olive oil mayo) on a piece of 100% whole wheat bread. It's a little monotonous after the first 3 days. So I brought in the last two, of the package we had at home, of Oscar Mayer No Nitrates, No Byproducts All Beef Hot Dogs to work today thinking "oooooh change!"

And then I had to bum a piece of bread off another diabetic friend of mine at work (Thanks Linda!) because I used my last piece and ¼ (the butt was cut wrong) for breakfast.

I'm thinking this is going to be delish! I cut the two dogs down the middle lengthwise and put the little package of cheese cubey things evenly on both and nuked them for 40 seconds – just until the cheese started to melt! ☺ Yum!

I made sure there was mustard, from the last hotdog cookout our company had (last Friday) in the fridge and slathered on my usual amount – double Yum!

By this point I'm pretty hungry – it's time to chow! I scarfed down the first hotdog with my one piece of bread and immediately wanted to throw up afterwards. Okay – this is not unusual for a first-trimester-pregnant lady. But I mean I had to get up slowly and walk to the bathroom and stand outside because I knew if I smelled the inside I'd for sure lose it!

I stayed that way for a couple of minutes and a few people looked at me funny but I don't care. I managed to keep my "perfect" record of not tossing my food! ☺ Yay!

It was a close thing.

Okay, break time is over – I still haven't tried to eat the second dog, we'll see.

Talk to y'all soon, love ya!

Mrs. KPShubert - Blessings

Not sure if anyone besides Mr. & Mrs. are actually reading this little blog of (ours) but it’s fun nonetheless!

I just wanted to give a shout of praise to God for all the wonderful blessings He gives us, no matter how much money we do/don’t have we have so much more than all that. God has given me the most wonderful husband—ever! Never did I dream that I’d be married to such an amazing person!

God truly knows what we need and when—I know that I’m way emotional with all these hormones but I truly didn’t know it was so overwhelming when you actually look around and realize that it doesn’t matter if the world falls around your feet, God is good. Always.

Even as I type this Mr. is editing my last blog entry! *sigh* Truly amazing!

Through all this morning sickness he’s been so sweet and understanding—and no I don’t think it’s because of the "suffering" I’ll do to have the baby, although that may play a small part—just that his actions speak of love more than guilt. :-P

So, THANK YOU GOD! You’re a wonderful provider and healer for my soul—thank You for giving me such perfect blessings all the time!

****************

I better get back to it—oh and this is my first e-mailed post—we’ll see how this turns out!

Love y’all!

Mrs. KPShubert - Um... Testing 1, 2, 24

So I wrote this last Sunday, was having router and blogspot, blogpress issues then I forgot about it... Until I remembered and then forgot again, hello absentminded and exhausted pregnant lady here! Well, there you have my excuses, what's yours?

And without further ado:

I think I mentioned my OB wanting to have me do testing on my kidney function, the purpose of which would be really to check for damage likely caused by unchecked diabetes—from before I was taking care of myself properly. Now, raise your hand if you know what this test requires.

I see no hands—Kurt's doesn't count—so I'll fill you in on this one. They called it the 24 hr pee test. I have to collect 24 hours worth of my urine. It's rather uncomfortable and not a bit awkward. I figured I didn't want to be doing this at work—don't drink he lemonade!—so I set myself for this weekend. I didn't think about being out in public until the last minute. That's when I figured I'd have to take some sort of collection device along. The lab gave me this large Tang orange coloured bottle to pour the specimens in and keep refrigerated, thank God for our extra fridge! The out in public collector was a thermos type cup that I didn't even know we had, from Kansas so I'm thinking it was something he KC Shubert's gave KP one of those trips where he's needed water or whatever for the return trip. And I taped the little holes in the lid shut—no need to tempt whoever is holding it with liquid inside and I'm not sure I could stand the smell anyhow!

I'd like to think I would've been fine with this method in a public place—that is why we toted it along to the laundry mat and it stayed in the car for the trip to Target, Starbucks and Kroger. I, however, never had to use it! I think my bladder was on my side this time... Too creepy for comfort and I made it home in time every time!

LOL! Sounds almost like our company motto (old one) "on time every time"—nice.

I go back to turn it in and see about any insulin adjustments on Thursday but tomorrow... Er really close to today as it's 11:57 pm is the first day of school for Anjoli! She's a sixth grader now and her "new" school is not so new anymore so she'll be one of the old-timers setting a good example for the new crop of 5th graders who probably aren't used to the strict rules and long hours they'll be seeing at LRPA! Woohoo, go Gladiators! Not that I approve of violence or was given choice in the naming of the school mascot...*sigh*

I better get to bed, g'night & love y'all!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch.

Mr. KPShubert - A Matter of Taste

I guess it was inevitable. Certainly anybody who knows much of anything about pregnancy and pregnant women would have expected it.

Lisa was talking today about how she normally doesn't care for peanut butter—a fact I can definitely attest to—but has started to use it (on toast) as a substitute to the cereal she much prefers as a breakfast food.

Now at about this point, you're going, "So?" That is, unless you read her FaceBook® post this morning about how adding chunks of cheddar cheese to the mix makes it so much better.

As I say, I guess it was inevitable that the "odd tastes" would kick in sooner or later.

How do I feel about her eating "odd food combinations?" It's fine by me! Heck, if it helps her to keep food down and/or provides nutrients she and the baby need, more power to her! And I might even be persuaded to try a thing or two.

Peanut butter and cheddar doesn't sound all that enticing to me. Then again, I would never have thought of George Washington's peanut soup (I'm sure it existed before he loved it as a foodstuff, but he apparently did love it as a foodstuff) would be a good thing to eat either.

And honestly, they do make peanut butter cheddar crackers which—were it not for the partially hydrogenated oils—I would very much enjoy eating (having had them in past). So maybe this combination is not as odd as it first seems.

Mr. KPShubert - Cautious Optimism

So, to this point, everything seems to be going along swimmingly. And that is truly a blessing of God as far as I'm concerned.

I have a great deal of peace about where we are by this point. This is not our "first attempt" at having kids together—don't get me wrong, I love my kids (even if I consider myself having been foolish for having brought them into the world while married to a woman I can see now I didn't love), and I love Lisa's daughter equally (and consider her as much mine as Lisa's). Well, to be fair, I can't say we were exactly trying before, so much as we were not not trying—if that makes sense.

I think more important than my piece at this point though, is Lisa's. Though she's had to go through some changes and more than a bit of discomfort (with more to come, you can be sure), I think I can honestly say she's "settling in" to the "mommy-to-be" life pretty well.

She has been trying to take care of herself anyway, so what she is having to do now is just somewhat an "extension" of what she was already doing. Granted, certain of the things she has to do as a result of being pregnant she would not have to do normally, but the point is, she was already "doing what was needed" to take care of herself to a large degree.

I have had several folks ask me whether I want a boy or a girl. Well, to begin with, I already have a boy and two girls. That makes it so I'm less concerned about the baby's sex than I might be if that were not the case. Truthfully though, I never really was worried about what sex my child was going to be with any of my children. Each of them has been a gift and a blessing from God! That being said, I'm not going to worry any more now than I did then about that. Let it be God's "surprise and blessing" what He decides we will be getting.

And just for the the record, the "so long as its healthy" thing? No, it's our baby—healthy or not—and I will again assume that God's plan is best. Don't get me wrong, I would love a healthy baby, but I would love an unhealthy one too (if that makes sense).

Okay! Enough babbling for now.

Mrs. KPShubert - Diet etc...

I don't want y'all to think I'm too crazy - this post didn't want to publish earlier. I found it lurking in my iPod blogging app - and it still was going nowhere. Now we'll see where this leads! G'night!

Having diabetes before being pregnant is not something most people think of when they think of diabetes during pregnancy.  Mostly it's a control way into the 9 month trek and most women ge over it afterwards.  Me on the other hand - I was just really getting used to taking a couple of pills every day and had a decent BG (blood glucose - sugar levels in the blood) my A1C was below 7% which is where the dietician said it should be... I was a very good (compared to some) newly reformed diabetic.  I say reformed because it's really a whole different life than before I knew I was one in the first place.

Now, I'm a junkie... Okay, maybe not a junkie, but I am shooting myself in the leg or other appropriate place(s) twice a day.  It's not pain - I barely feel the stick - the needles are so small - that bothers me.  I think I've more of a mental block, a psychological problem that I will have to deal with day by day, stick by stick.  It's obviously not preventing me from doing the injections, and don't worry about te low low I hit yesterday.  I'm new to the medicine so I really was being too careful in my diet, I think it will be fine shortly.  Not to mention that I'll be seeing my OB within a week - so he can monitor and adjust dosages!

Just some getting used to, the old elbow grease won't help me now - it's patience and persistence for me! :)

Anyway I should go take that shot so we can eat dinner soon!

Love to you & yours!

Mr. KPShubert - Pregnancy, Diet and Insulin

Okay, so it turns out (as I said in my previous blog), that many diabetes medicines do not mix with pregnancy since ingestion and digestion of the aforementioned medications apparently causes them to "run through" the fetus.

As I said before, the result is that, when Mrs. KPShubert visited her doctor, he told her she would have to discontinue her current medication and begin to do insulin shots.

This--as I have also mentioned--was a matter of some trepidation for our brave young pregnant lady! I mean! Who in the heck wants to give him or—as is the case here—her self shots?!?

Well it turns out this is just the beginning of the saga.

I told the missus when she first began doing the shots not to assume that the immediate results should be the ones she should anticipate in the long run. Her pretty much immediate and totally understandable response was, "Well DUH Sherlock!" Okay, maybe she didn't phrase it exactly like that—my wife can be a lovely and graceful lady (and I believe I recall her having been so in this case).

Being a conscientious lady, she also started looking at ways she needed to modify her diet to keep her blood sugar in the range the doc told her was appropriate (between 95 after "fasting" and something like 120 two hours after meals).

Well, it turns out the insulin changed things pretty drastically! At one point during the day, our lovely pregnant lady found her blood sugar was at something like 60!!! She was shaking, sweating and generally not feeling well—as one might well imagine considering the circumstances.

I am remiss, in that I cannot tell you which of her friends at work helped her to get back to reasonable levels. Needless to say, I am very thankful to that individual for doing so!

So, it turns out the insulin/diet (and I mean eating habits here, not diet in the generally misused sense) adventure is just beginning.

All I can say is, "Hang in there ma!" And of course, "I love you!"

Okay, a quick plug and I will post this:

I have started a new and totally unrelated blog to this one, here on blogspot. You can find it at http://mansnature.blogspot.com. For ongoing news on Mrs. KPShubert's pregnancy, make sure you keep yourself "tuned in to" this blog (the one you're looking at now). The "new blog" will—funnily enough—be about man's nature.

Okay! Back to your regularly scheduled program!

Mrs. KPShubert - Jellybean Shubert

So, if you are a friend of mine on Facebook then you've already seen this little Shubert and if not here you are: 

Jellybean Shubert

As Kurt says I was not feeling well for a couple of weeks and he finally said "wake up and smell the baby" - maybe not in so many words. :-)

I think the majority of the nausea is passing - slowly - as I've been able to eat "smelly" foods like tuna recently so we'll see.  My major goal will be to re-integrate dairy into my diet - right now it's just cheese mixed with things like eggs or veggies.  I want my cereal back.

We are (by my calendar) officially going into week 8 starting Saturday 7/31/2010 but the doctor's office says by their measurements (Jellybean's measurement, that is) we are going into week 7 tomorrow, Friday.  I have to say - I was right about Anjoli's due date... I'm just saying!  We'll see.

I love you all, and no it's not just the hormones talking!

Mr KPShubert - It's official!

Okay, so firstly I should say that Kroger's pregnancy tests are somewhat on the unsatisfactory side for my liking. Mrs. KPShubert did one test and had a hard time figuring out whether it said yea or nay.

At my urging, she did the other test and concluded it was a "yea" (or a YAY! depending on your point of view). Frankly, she didn't take the initial test until I pretty much told her it was probably something she ought to do. She thought initially that she was just not feeling well and did not assume the reason to be being "in the family way." I think she was also more than a little apprehensive about possibly being pregnant since she has had issues before (I'll leave it to her to tell you what they were if she decides to do so but won't blame her if she doesn't).

The second test was not so much better than the first (same results and where technically they were "conclusive" in reality it was really hard to say). We both assumed  the tests were positve and Mrs. KPShubert scheduled an appointment with her doctor.

The doctor ran her through the normal routine. We should have known it would be almost three hours in his office rather than the hour we were expecting (we took "lunch" thinking that would be enough time to cover the appointment—of course, it wasn't).

The doc switched Mrs. KPShubert from her standard diabetes medication to insulin shots for the duration. Apparently, the stuff she was taking "runs through" the baby as a result of being digested. Mrs. KPShubert was more than a little apprehensive about the shots but seems to be adjusting nicely to having to stick herself with yet one more "needle." Being fair, the thing she has to stick herself with most of the time is more a pin than a needle (the little lancet she uses to check her blood sugar), so there's some adjustment to doing an actual shot.

On top of this, the best place to do the shots turns out to be in "large muscle tissue." As a result, she is currently favouring the thigh area for doing it.

Part of the doctor's appointment was the obligatory "visual ultrasound" (these days, I don't know that they even use the hand, "audio only" ultrasounds all that much, but still...). Hence Mrs. KPShubert's name for the blog (though technically, it may've come from the iPod app that we're using to track "normal progress"). We got to see "our little jellybean" and hear his or her beating heart. It's always amazing--that little heart beating a mile a minute!

Here's my "plug" against abortion. If you have not "seen" the foetus you are about to "remove" through ultrasound and heard the little heartbeat, you probably don't realize that actually is a little baby in there—but it is! End of plug.

Okay, enough on this for now. I'm sure Mrs. KPShubert will have her bit to say so be sure to "tune in" for that.