Meet Jellybean

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

Romans 8:28 

I have probably used this verse before.  Be assured, I will use it again.  This verse greatly encourages me and increases my faith.  I love God.  I try to live like I love God everyday, so I know that all the difficult things I face will work out for good. I may not always see it, but that’s why I need faith.  I cling to this verse and am better for it.

As you probably know, we are expecting a little girl.  She’s due to arrive the first week of November.  If you are paying entirely too much attention to my life, you will realize that she’s due the week after Noah turns two.  People keep telling me how perfect that is, and all I can say is “We didn’t plan it that way!”  We had talked about trying for another baby shortly after Noah’s first birthday, but that was because it took us 2 years to conceive Noah.  So we though that if it takes two years again, we’d better start around then.  When that time rolled around we knew we were not ready for another one yet.  With my health getting increasingly worse, and Derek having to be primary caregiver and primary bread winner we already wondered how we would make it through the day.  That didn’t stop me from wanting another one right away.  Then, even that feeling waned under the strain of life.

However, God knows infinitely more than we do.  Although I thought we had taken necessary steps (ish) to prevent a surprise, surprised we were.  I would go into more detail here (because I like to laugh at myself), but sometimes less is more.  Needless to say, it didn’t take two years to conceive our little girl.  It didn’t even take planning.

Although I have had a long list of baby names picked out since before we were married, now that we are here, we can’t seem to find a name we both love.  So, for now, we are calling our little girl Jellybean. 

So far this pregnancy has been entirely different from my first.  Morning sickness was about the same.  Cravings though – entirely different.  I had to start physical therapy for back pain with this pregnancy.  I learned though that it’s not uncommon for women to have this kind of back/hip pain and need physical therapy in their second pregnancy.  Also the same – gestational diabetes.  I was really hoping to escape that this time around.  I almost convinced myself that I would.  I lost weight between the two pregnancies, though it wasn’t much.  My weight gain this time has been dramatically different.  At last count it was less than 10 lbs so far (7, I think?).  That’s quite a change from the 30+ I gained with the first pregnancy.  I’m still not even to the weight I was when I found out I was pregnant the first time.  But apparently all that wasn’t enough to escape the gestational diabetes this time.  Last time it was especially bad.  I had to have 5 insulin shots a day.  Ouch.  Not to mention saying goodbye to things like cold cereal, ice cream and juice.  By God’s grace, the diabetes went away as soon as Noah was born, and he was as healthy as could be.

I have not been officially tested yet for gestational diabetes.  That happens soon.  However, I know what it feels like, and when I starting feeling it, I started testing my blood sugar at home (still have all the supplies!)  Sure enough, it’s high.  BUT not as high as last time.  It’s only a little bit high or just enough to make me feel bad.  So maybe this time it can be controlled with diet and pills instead of diet and insulin shots.  That’s what I’m hoping for anyway.  I’m good at taking pills.  Take ‘em everyday.  If it was an Olympic sport, I’d be all trained up and ready.  Bring on the pills!

So, with the gestational diabetes, I am going to have to give up PT.  I was probably going to have to anyway.  It’s just too hard for me to get out of the house 3 days a week.  Last time I only got to do a smattering of the exercises before I almost passed out and had to lay down the rest of the time.  That was embarrassing.  I will miss the low impact exercise though.  I would love to borrow a treadmill for the next few months.  We don’t have the money or space to have one permanently, but exercise makes a huge difference for the gestational diabetes.  So pray with me about that would you?  Borrowing a treadmill seems like the best solution to me, but God may have another plan.

Could I also ask you to pray for my husband’s job?  I have said it before and I’ll keep saying it – I have never seen someone work so hard for no money.  I am astounded.  If Derek’s work ethic was truly reflected in wealth, you wouldn’t recognize us!  Strange how the world works.  However, I know with all my heart that God is getting ready to do something big in our lives.  We don’t walk through the desert for nothing.  God will be glorified.  He faithfully pours out his blessing on our lives.  I see it everyday.  I know that He is working, and whatever He has planned for us over the next few months will be for our good and His glory.

Hmmm, my thoughts have wandered from my original intention with this post.  I wanted to talk about how wonderful Jellybean is.  In the last couple of weeks I have really been able to feel her move.  It was subtle at first, but now it’s quite pronounced.  I love that part of being pregnant.  I love never being alone.  When I am awake in the middle of night or when Derek and Noah go somewhere without me, I have little Jellybean to keep me company.  She rolls and kicks to tell me it’s time to eat.  Then, she rolls and kicks if she likes what I ate.  At least that seems to be the pattern.  She’s pretty active.

I can hardly wait to meet our little Jellybean face to face.  I really hope we have a name for her by then.  Although I would like to see the look on the nurse’s face if we say “yep, Jellybean, put that on the birth certificate.”  Ha! Ha! Ha!

God is good.  All the time.