I've been meaning to update this... but I've just been so busy lately and tired. I don't really have too much to update on. Here goes!
I went to the doctor on Wednesday. My blood pressure keeps raising each time I go. My weight looks great though, my stomach is measuring perfectly, and the wee one was moving around quite a bit. His heart rate was anywhere from 136 to 150 while we were listening, but she said he sounded great.
I have to go do my glucose test sometime in the next couple of weeks. I am kind of nervous about that. I really don't want to "fail" it and have to go back for a three-hour test. I tried not eating sugar, except for only on certain days, but I've failed miserably. I just like sugar too much... plus it's really easy. Now, because my blood pressure keeps getting higher, I am trying to eat less sodium. I just don't want to end up on bedrest- but that's also really hard. It's hard to find time to make things and not use processed foods. So, for now, I am just trying to eat things with less sodium in them and not add salt to my foods- which I didn't really do too much of anyway.
I've also decided that I need to try to get outside more. I think some Vitamin D will do me some good, and it just feels good to be outside, especially on days like today. Today, Jeff and I made chocolate chip cookies together and then sat on the back porch and enjoyed them with milk. It was so nice and relaxing.
I probably should exercise also, but I am always just so tired and finding time to exercise stresses me out- I'm open for ideas... but first, let me tell you how my week goes:
Monday- I get up around 6 or 6:30 (depending on how I slept... I've not been sleeping well at all lately, tossing and turning throughout the night and waking up and not being able to get back to sleep- so usually in the mornings, I feel exhausted still). I shower, eat breakfast and head to work. I work until 4, then head to class. Class ends at 6:40, which means I get home around 7:10 or so.
Tuesday- pretty much the same schedule, except that this class ends anywhere between 6:30 and 7:10, whenever the professor likes to let us out. This means that on these nights, I usually don't get home until around 7:30 or later.
Wednesday- same work schedule, of course, but I don't have class on Wednesdays. Usually, I use Wednesday for other things, like I try to schedule most of my doctor appointments Wed. afternoon, go shopping, food storage stuff, etc. Lately, I've been working on administering some assessments to a darling girl when I get home. She's usually at my house from when I first get home until about 6:30.
Thursday- same work and class schedule. I usually get home around 6:30 or 6:45 (this teacher lets us out early, oh and we don't always have class either, which is a nice reprieve).
Friday- just work, no class.
Saturday- I usually spend the day doing homework for my online stats class, taking breaks every now and again. This Saturday, I actually spent far less time doing homework during the day (and worked on it until 11:00 at night- which is sometimes the case anyway even if I had worked on it all day).
Sunday- I go to church, spend time with my wonderful husband and relax.
So as you can see, I already have long days- somewhere in there, I have to include making dinner, finding time to do homework and definitely finding some down time. Each of my classes are big ones for my program- so they all require a lot of work and reading. I am doing okay in most of them, but I am definitely behind in my Research Methods class. I really need to get caught up this week- so that's my goal.
Along with all of this, this is an extremely busy time of year at work for me as well. So, I often find myself bringing work home or sometimes I will go into work a little early or stay a little late on Wednesdays or Fridays if I can manage.
Sometimes, I feel like I am up to my neck in things to do- so throwing in exercise or figuring out what to cook for dinner, is just too hard for me and I find it quite overwhelming. Jeff and I started this week preparing better dinners for each other. We made a list of dinner choices, which included trying out a new recipe this week- which was quite tasty. So, this past week, Jeff prepared dinner on Monday and Tuesday and I prepared dinner on Wednesday. Thursday, I was just too exhausted and was starting to come down with a cold or something, so he just ate leftovers. For the weekend, we figured we'd either eat leftovers or figure out dinner together. Hopefully, we can keep this up. It's nice to have a good meal sometimes, instead of just cereal, which is what I would eat a lot of times.
Anyway, so yesterday, I got to get out of the house and it was wonderful. I went to a Lia Sophia party that my sister-in-law was hosting. Then Jeff and I did some errands, headed home so I could work on a talk and do some homework and then we headed out again to go play mini-golf with some friends. It was a beautiful Saturday evening and I really think it did me some good. I really hadn't gotten out to do anything fun in so long, it seems, because I just don't have the time. We had a great time! It was just what I needed.
Afterwards, we headed home, both exhausted, but I still had homework to finish and a talk to write. I worked on my homework first because it is always due by midnight on Sunday night and I really try hard not to do homework on Sundays. When I went to take the quiz though, I realized that my homework wasn't due until next week because of Spring break. That was a nice surprise. So, I didn't complete the quiz... instead I started working on my talk. I went to sleep at about 1:30 and got up at 5, when Jeff came to check on me to make sure I could get my talk done. It wasn't much sleep, but afterwards, I was able to get a better grip on what I should write about and I think the final product turned out okay.
Anyway, so for what started out as not much to update on- this has ended up being kind of a long post. Just to remind you of the suggestions I'm looking for- easy meals that are low in sodium? ways to incorporate exercise into my already busy and tiring day? Sleep tricks? Any ideas are welcomed. Really.
And now for some pictures.
Natalie and Me after we were finished golfing.
Jeff's ball looks like it's going to go in, it was so close, but he missed. Jeff won the game, by the way.
Apparently, I really have no shame. I don't know why I keep posting these bad pictures of me. There's Natalie's husband in the background.
Okay, let's be serious. My wonderful husband and me.
Here's a shot of my 6 month pregnant belly! :) I am 24 weeks and 5 days in this picture. I only have 15 more weeks to go (on Monday, I will be 25 weeks pregnant.) I can hardly believe it.
At home, getting ready to work on homework and exhausted... Jeff decided to take a picture. (Again, I have no shame)
You're looking GREAT! Suggestions-
ReplyDeleteMake a meal plan for the week before you go to the grocery store. Buy all the ingredients you need for each meal during the week. This takes the thought out of figuring out what to cook each night.
We have lots of easy recipes that are really yummy, but I have no idea what you like. Most of our recipes come from Real Simple Magazine. They have a website. Check it out!
As far as working out, just park farther away from where you need to go, take the stairs instead of an elevator. Look for ways that you can burn some extra calories in the schedule you already have, trying to add more would be too overwhelming and besides you're pregnant and exhausted.
Good luck withe the glucose test and blood pressure thing. Getting some more exercise in might help the blood pressure.
I don't miss being that busy, that's for sure!
From one busy pregnant lady to another (who used to be pregnant) - the tiredness doesn't go away, it only gets worse. My suggestion is to just talk to your husband and get him on board with you in regards to pitching in with dinner, chores, etc. My husband was super understanding and even though we got tired of fast food, sometimes it was that or nothing. Especially when you have food cravings, sometimes it is pointless to plan something in advance just to get home and have it make you physically ill. So save yourself some time and angst and just don't fret over it right now. If there are certain things that really appeal to you, buy a bunch of it and take it for lunches or make it for easy dinners. It is always better to do that than go without.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the sleeping, do you have a body pillow? I didn't get one until I was about 20 or so weeks, but once I did it drastically changed my sleeping! I fully endorse the Snoggle that is shaped like a really big C that you can put around your neck and then between your legs, eliminating the need for any other pillows. So awesome! Definitely worth the $60 it costs.
I hope that things continue to do well for you. Working and being pregnant is hard enough, going to school on top of it is enough to make anyone exhausted.
Oh Jeff is on board... we really are a joint team- we both do cleaning and cooking. He helps out quite a lot and will offer to help me with my homework also. We are starting to help each other by cooking better meals. I found some great quick meals online and we've tried out a few yummy recipes. Tonight, we had chicken fajitas. They were quick and easy and oh so yummy. :) And, I used a salt-free seasoning which seasoned the chicken nicely.
ReplyDeleteAnd it did help to have the recipes printed out and all of the ingredients ready- so all I had to do was prepare the meal and not have to worry about whether or not I had everything!
Anyway, thanks for your comments guys! Great suggestions! :)
I would look into the GI diet. I have diabetes in my direct family line and I always worry about my blood sugar, especially since I love sugar, like you do. It's not a diet, but a way to control surges in blood sugar. My father is basically diabetic, and my aunt, who has dealt with my Grandmother's diabetes for many years, wrote up easy to follow guidelines that you might find helpful. I will forward on the emails if you are interested.
ReplyDelete