Apparently Weekly Update

So I guess I can only pull things together once a week lately to get you guys some updates! Things have been so busy with work and then with the holidays, time just flies! While I can't promise that updates will get more frequent, I will do my best. By the way I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and got to spend some quality time with family and friends :o)
On to the updates...I have good news and bad news. I will start with the bad news first so that we can end on a happy note. I am truly saddened to say that Basil passed away last week. He was three weeks old. While his surgery went well, there were some crucial things that needed to be kept stable for him to do well. And there was a somewhat long series of somewhat random events that led to that stability becoming compromised and he didn't make it. So please continue to keep Erin and Andrew in your prayers as they grieve and adjust to life without Basil.
On the happy note, Grandpa Mark came over and finished painting the nursery! It looks so fantastic. And Chris picked out a great curtain panel for the window that completely matches. Now we have to go pick up the furniture and get it in there. So this week I promise a new belly picture and a picture of the nursery. Sound good?
Have a wonderful week.
love cb and bp

Yikes!

Wow, it is Sunday again already?! I cannot believe how fast the past week went by. On the other hand, it was a really busy week. I found out I got to keep my job, which is great news. Chris and I also helped with Operation Christmas Child, which is a project of Samaritan's Purse and delivers shoeboxes full of toys and other items for kids in third world countries. Check it out: http://www.samaritanspurse.com/OCC.asp?MPGID=1
And...believe it or not...THE NURSERY GOT PAINTED THIS WEEKEND!!! I know. It's crazy. We have only had the paint since August!! It looks fantastic, though not quite finished yet. We painted the walls a light turquoise and we are going to paint a dark chocolate brown molding stripe at the top. Chris' dad is doing that on Thursday. So as soon as the stripe gets done, I will take some pictures and post them. We might even get the bathroom done on Thursday too. We just have an adorable wallpaper border to hang but Chris and I have never hung wallpaper so we may have Mark help with that too. So, lots of pics to come!!
BP has been moving all around tonight! Overall, I am starting to feel better. I had a couple really bad days a few days ago, but it seems to have passed. Hopefully I can continue to feel better - I guess we will just have to wait and see.
This week is going to be another doozie!! I will try to get y'all an update at some point...especially if we get the two rooms done.
Love you all and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

love c and bp

Basil Update #2 (and a BP Update too)

hey everyone...i hope you all enjoyed your weekend! just wanted to let you know that basil has had two good days in a row! apparently his eyes light up every time andrew and erin go to visit him. they actually have to be careful they don't get him too worked up! so the plan is to leave him at mott's until he fully recovers and gains his strength back. then he will get to go home until his second surgery early next year (i think). so thank you for your prayers. continue to pray that he gets stronger every day and that he can go home soon.

now for a bp update - i think bp is really trying to kick her way out!!! she has flipped around so now she no longer kicks my waistband...SHE KICKS STRAIGHT OUT!! it is remarkable how much my belly moves when she gets going. and i am sure it is only going to get more noticeable as i continue to get bigger! last night chris and i were laying on the couch and he could feel her kicking him! pretty crazy! she has been kicking a ton at night too. i think she is on an opposite schedule than i am. chris has been trying to help out by putting "the law" (his hand) on my belly but lately she just kicks it away. on the very bright side (and on a whole different note) chris and i got a crib and dresser this weekend. a baby store in novi was having a big sale so we haved a couple hundred dollars and it is just what i had pictured! here is the website: http://www.milliondollarbaby.com/MDB_collections_nu.htm click on annabelle. we got the 3 in 1 convertible crib and the 3 drawer changer in espresso. luckily the store will hold it in their warehouse until we get the nursery painted. that is our big goal for november...we'll see if we make it.

well, that's all for now! have a great week!
love c, c, and bp

Basil Update

For those of you who have been praying for my friends and their baby, here is the latest...
Basil had open heart surgery on Friday. Everything went as planned with no major surprises. Basil was stable going into last night but his stability is very touchy. Doctors are confident in his prognosis but things are still fragile. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. I will update you when I get a new update.
Have a great weekend.
c

False Alarm

Well, I have good news. My official glucose test came back normal!! So now I don't have to follow a diet or go have that super long test done. Yay!! My doctor said she would keep an eye on how my belly is measuring. If it continues to be off, she will schedule a follow up ultrasound, just to check in on bp and make sure everything is fine.
That's all for now. Have a great weekend!
love c and bp

What a Day!

Whew! What a day! I had my monthly checkup today, and had to take a glucose tolerance test to screen for gestational diabetes. The sugar drink wasn't as terrible as I anticipated, so that was a good start. Then, the doctor, who usually draws my blood, was running late so one of the MAs tried to do it. Tried is the key word in that sentence. After three separate sticks and feeling her move the needle all around my vein (I think I know what my grandpa goes through now with the nurses at his dialysis center!) AND drinking the sugar drink, I got really lightheaded. Luckily I didn't actually pass out, though I thought I was close. So the MA did a finger prick to do a preliminary glucose reading so the test wasn't a waste (you have to draw the blood an hour after drinking the sugar stuff). Well, I kinda failed the test. A normal level is below 135, and mine was 170. Yikes! So now I have to have a much more complicated version to find out if I am indeed diabetic now. I'll keep you updated on how that goes. Nothing is for certain yet; the doctor is going to wait until the official blood test gets to the lab to see what those results were. Then if the official count is that high, I'll have to do the more intense test. We'll see what happens I guess. But looking into it a little bit, sometimes when I get sick, the way I feel fits a hypoglycemic reaction. And my belly measured a couple centimeters big today. So I guess I wouldn't be surprised if I do have gestational diabetes. It just stinks that this pregnancy has been kind of tough. Definitely not a stroll through the park. But I have a lot of support and we'll get through it. Only a few more months to go if you can believe that!
On top of all of that, the wind is gusting at 45mph and it is raining. FYI - raincoats and umbrellas are no good when the rain comes at you sideways.
On a more serious note, I would like to extend a prayer request. My friends Andrew and Erin welcomed their newborn, Basil, on October 22. Long story short, this past Thursday he was admitted to Mott's Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor because his heart isn't working very well. He is scheduled to have open heart surgery at the end of the week. So can you please keep Andrew, Erin, Basil and the doctors in your prayers? I know they would really appreciate it.
On the lighter side, I am trying to upload a new picture of my belly but my photo program doesn't want to work for some reason. But I pinky promise to put the picture up as soon as I figure out how.

Until then, have a great day!
love clayr and bp (juanitas)