glucose tolerance test

i got the call from dr. d's office yesterday while i was at sam's. i passed!! 3 1/2 hours at the dr's office paid off! praise God for no gestational diabetes and a healthy baby girl!

happy 28 weeks bella joy!

glucose screening

i'm 27 weeks today! yesterday i had my glucose screening (a pre-test to check for gestational diabetes). dr. d's office just called and let me know that mine came back a little high. so now monday i will return to dr. d's office for a glucose tolerance test. this test lasts 3 hours. when i arrive at 830 (after fasting since midnight) they will take my blood once. then i drink a magic potion. then i wait an hour and have my blood taken again. then i wait another hour and have it taken again. and then i wait yet one more hour to have it taken again! please pray that this crazy long test provides us with happy non-gestational diabetes results.

after dr. d's nurse called, i read a little about the test and the "disease" and when it said something about y0ur body not producing enough insulin (which i guess i should have known!) i thought...i wonder if there is a corelation....gestational diabetes and pcos?! i haven't found a definite answer, so if you know, i'd love for you to share your wisdom! and if you failed your glucose screening and had to go onto the glucose tolerance test, i'd love to know that too!

80 jalapenos

on my lunch break i took a stroll on over to walmart in search of jalapenos. i purchased 80 and for a great cause.

you see the gilliland family loves to eat and my daddy is always finding (or making up) new recipes to try out on us.

several years ago he busted out a recipe for stuffed jalapenos and our family will never be the same.

usually you need about 20 jalapenos for a batch. start by cutting them in half (long-ways) and removing the seeds. i recommend that you wear gloves for this task or wash your hands ridiculously well afterward. if you do not you may have some serious burning taking place when you touch parts of your body (ie. your eye, nose, etc.)

only 3 more ingredients:

• 1 lb of sausage
• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese
• 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

brown the sausage and drain the grease. combine the hot, cooked sausage with the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. fill the seedless jalapeno halves with the yummy goodness. bake at 400 for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown on top. ENJOY!

bella and i are very excited that my daddy (her poppy) will be using these 80 jalapenos to create this magical food for us in just a few days!

miracle baby girl

in this post i promised to tell the story of why our sweet baby bella joy is such a miracle...

you see, when i was about 14 years old doctors began telling me that i would not have children. (yeah, i don't recommend telling 14 year old girls this regardless of how accurate your information is). i always knew i wanted to be a momma to lots of babies so when folks began telling me so early that it was not going to happen for me i developed a heart for africa and the sweet orphans that live there and knew that someday i would adopt.

when i was a freshman (i think) at western (i know i was in duc when my dad called to tell me what the doctors had called to tell him) i was officially diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome* and doctors began telling me that if i was able to have children it likely would not happen without the help of fertility treatments. at this point in my life, my walk with the Lord had been established and i knew that even if i could have my own children that i still wanted to adopt.

*polycystic ovary syndrome (pcos) is an endocrine disorder that affects approximately 5% of all women. it occurs amongst all races and nationalities, is the most common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age (12-45years old), and is a leading cause of infertility. the principle features are obesity, anovulation (resulting in irregular menstration) acne, and excessive amounts or effects of androgenic(masculinizing) hormones. the symptoms and severity of the syndrome vary greatly among women. while the causes are unknown, insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity are all strongly correlated with pcos....or at least thats what wikipedia says :)

so when adam and i began seriously dating and talking marriage i had to tell him about my disease. it was not an easy conversation (especially because he was preparing to leave for cleveland and i was in tampa). i told him that i knew he wanted to have his own children but that if he were to marry me that it may not happen. i told him how (if possible) i wanted to have 4 children, 2 adopted and 2 biological. he told me that he didn't care if we could never have our "own" children and that it didn't change the way he felt about me.

fast forward to july 16, 2009. adam and i had been married for 8 months and 8 days when dr. hewitt called me at the medical center to inform me that we were indeed expecting and even he was surprised that this girl with pcos who wasn't trying to conceive a child had done just that!

we obviously were not planning to have a child 8 months (+9ish months) into marriage, but God had different plans for our sweet family. we are so so so thankful that He has blessed us with our sweet miracle baby girl.

25 week update!

how far along: 25 WEEKS!!!!
total weight gain/loss: still not telling, but hello, you can see my huge belly!
maternity clothes: yes, however i did by a non-maternity sweater/pullover thingy the other day cause it was so cute that i wanted to still be able to wear it when bella arrives.
stretch marks: sadly yes. i'm using the magic stretch mark lotion...but it doesn't seem to be working.
sleep: somehow, i think i'm sleeping a little better lately. i don't know if it is because i'm used to sleeping with a watermelon by my side, or if i'm really just that tired.
best moment this week: getting furniture in bella's room and watching her move through my shirt. adam and i just crack up at this!
movement: yes, we can feel her and see her moving and we love it!
food cravings: same ol' stuff really. i realized that for the most part, if someone else cooks it, i'll eat it.
gender: GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
name: isabella joy elizabeth jochim
labor signs: still nope.
belly button in or out? in...but i have a feeling that it won't be for much longer...it is disappearing as the days progress.
what i miss: people not saying inappropriate (often rude) things to me about how huge i am. oh, and i miss not crying at the drop of a hat!
weekly wisdom: i have baby brain...no wisdom here.
milestones: we are 2 weeks from being in the 3rd and final trimester...which totally blows my mind! she will be here before we know it!

bella's room gets furniture!

this weekend my awesome momma and daddy delivered the furniture that they purchased for their 2nd granddaughters room! daddy and adam put it together while momma and i shopped. we are very very pleased with the finished product and now we just need stuff to hang on the walls!

cutie changing table/dresser and my dorky face!
her happy little crib! the stripies in the crib that are like rainbow colored are the bumper and crib skirt that adam's momma made for bella! she is one loved little girl already!

25 week update coming wednesday!! seriously, can i already be 2 weeks from my 3rd and final trimester!?!?!?!?!

two sweet little ones

today is a big day for two little ones that i know and love dearly. please be praying for them.

caroline is having a palate lengthening surgery today in north carolina. adam and i are staying with her 3 older siblings while her mommy and daddy are with her at levine childrens hospital. you can read more about caroline on her caringbridge site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/carwile

spencer is having a palate reconstruction surgery today and vanderbilt. he will be a year old at the end of this month! you can find out more about him on his momma's blog at www.borderspatrol.blogspot.com

please be praying for these sweet children and their families today. praise God that he is the Great Physician!