We Have a Date...and a few hiccups.

This morning I visited Dr. Kahen, who told me that Maya's head has moved lower and is in the "ready" position. My sugars are still high, despite the increased dosage of insulin, so the plan is to induce on Tuesday, October 23. I am to check into the Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center at 8:00 p.m. at which time they will begin the process of induction. From what I understand, labor will either begin naturally that night, or a dose of Oxytocin will get the ball rolling on Wednesday. This is really exciting for me because I now know when to expect her.
I also had a chance to visit a pediatrician that we are strongly considering; it's a husband-wife team named Drs. Irani. The office staff were so friendly and the waiting room was very child friendly. I am going to sign the papers this morning to ensure that they can visit Maya in the hospital after she is born.
That's it for now - we have a few bumps in the road - Lulu Belle is sick (she has some gastrointestinal obstruction) and Brad hurt his eye. Other than that, things are going pretty smoothly.

Maya is Showered with Love

On Saturday, October 13, my aunts Olivia and Virginia, Miss Roopali, cousins Hazel and Prianka, and Grandma Betty threw Maya a beautiful afternoon shower. Lots of aunts, cousins, and friends were there to celebrate Maya's coming. The decorations were fit for a little princess...pink and white balloons, shiny streamers, and pictures of storks signifying the arrival of a little bitty baby. Everyone brought their favorite appetizer which gave the guests a smorgasbord of tasty delights. The cake was my favorite part, white with a raspberry jam center. Grandma Betty made the cutest party favors of jelly-bean fill tulle bundles.
We played the usual baby shower games, measuring my tummy, guessing the number of safety pins in a jar, and then there was this mind boggling game where one made a sentence that had only three word, with three specific letters. Some people gave some sage baby advice, but there were others (who shall remain unnamed - Grammas Juliet and Betty) who took the game straight to the gutter! Laughs were had by all as we read our sentences out loud.
After cake, it was time to open the presents, and what a pile of presents there was. Maya got everything ranging from cutie-pie shoes, sunglasses, pretty dresses, to a car seat, bedding for her crib, baby swing, and lots of bath time supplies. Brad and I are so lucky to be showered by the generosity of friends and family.

More Frequent Check-Ups

I now see my doctors once a week, and am taking no stress tests (NSTs) twice a week. My insulin dosage has increased to 20 units, and Maya's movements are getting slower. This morning I went in to see Dr. Doany and got to see a pretty neat ultrasound. Maya was moving around and she had her umbilical cord wrapped around her finger. Periodically, she would put her finger in her mouth and play with it. Her features are pretty well defined, but the 4D pictures show her looking all squashed up. She is now weighing at 7lbs 6oz, still has long limbs, and yes, is still a girl! Dr. Doany says that Maya is a week ahead in her development, which is a good sign. All in all, we are still on track for delivery the week of October 24. Time's a tickin', and my patience is waning. Can't wait to meet this little girl.

First Visit to Labor and Delivery

Yesterday afternoon, while I was at work, I began to feel what felt like real contractions. It was difficult to get up and walk, my stomach felt really tight, and I had a pain that went from my back to the front of my stomach, to my knees and then all the way back. I also hadn't felt Maya move in about an hour, and per the No Stress Test instructions, I was to give my doctor a call. Dr. Kahen asked me to get to Tarzana Hospital and admit myself into Labor and Delivery for observation. Since the pain was somewhat bearable, I took it upon myself to drive down to the hospital (very silly...I now know that ) and on the way, let Brad know what was going on. Deep inside I felt that it was not Maya's time, but I was not comfortable with her not moving.
Nurse Terri was quite a ball of fun - she calmed down my nerves and suggested that we go ahead and monitor my contractions as well as Maya's heart beat. Maya's heart was strong, and with Brad glued to the monitor, he knew every time a contraction would come on. We got to practice our breathing, but my electronic-obsessed husband was most fascinated with the machines in the room. Our printout showed that I was having contractions about every three minutes, but they were of very low intensity. I could feel them, but from what I understand, the "real ones" will be "really felt". After monitoring Maya some more, we were discharged and on our way home.
After some sugarless chocolate chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin Robbins, I lay down and rested for the remainder of the evening. Maya is definitely making her readiness to be born, known.

My Letter to Maya

Dearest Maya:
It's your Mummy here. I am in my last stretch of awaiting your arrival and besides being a little scared, I am so, so, so, very excited to meet you. There are days that I sit at work daydreaming about all the wonderful times that you are I are going to have. Getting to know each other is going to be the most fun. Thanks to the privilege I had of carrying you these past months, I have had the chance to get to know a bit of your personality and from what I can tell, you are going to be a fiery little girl. Now, let's get a few things straight...you are number one in my life and I hope that I am able to prove that to you every day. Secondly, this is my first time being a mother, so cut me a little slack as we learn this mother-daughter thing together. Lastly, all I want from you is for you to feel loved, cared for, and most of all, secure. Once we get these things established, we can conquer all that life throws at us.
You are one lucky little girl because you were created out of love, and are being born into such a world of love. You've got all your grandparents here, and you even have a great grandmother who can't wait to meet you. An extended family of uncles, aunts, great uncles, great aunts, and cousins awaits you. Just know that from the moment you were made, you were loved!
Your room is almost ready, except for some finishing touches. I think you will really like it. It's a honeydew melon green with a whimsical design of Gossamer Wings. There is a sturdy white crib, a dresser that your daddy painted for you, a closet for your rapidly growing wardrobe, and pretty curtains. Grampa Sal painted a mural outside your window so that you would have an island view.
That's it for now. I feel you moving in there, letting me know that it's time to lay down and relax. There is so much more that I want to say to you, but this will have to do for now.
Good night my little one...sweet dreams...and I will see you soon.
Your Mum.

The Not-so-Dreaded Insulin Shot

After visiting Dr. Kahen on Wednesday, she informed me that it was time to take the dreaded insulin shot. I had been really diligent about following a strict diet for my gestational diabetes, but in nearing the finish line, my body has been undergoing stress and the sugar is not metabolizing as efficiently. A high sugar count could lead to Maya gaining unnecessary weight and getting stressed out herself. Brad and I went to the pharmacy yesterday afternoon where they showed him how to administer the insulin. I am terrified of needles, let alone long needles, and this half-inch needle looked like it was a mile long. Brad calmed my fears and gave me my shot in the arm as we were watching Deal or No Deal. I didn't even know that he was done. No cold sweats, no jitters, and I actually had a peaceful sleep last night. When I woke up this morning, my sugar was well within range.

Grampa Salcasso

Maya has a Grampa who has finally decided to show off his talent for painting. Let me set the scene for you - a drab yellow wall that is on the side of our garage. A wall that Maya will be seeing as she looks out one of her two bedroom windows (the other window faces our backyard). This drab wall has gone from being an eyesore to being a vision of islandmode. Grampa Salcasso started out painting the wall a calming blue depicting the ocean and the sky. He then separated the two with a horizon line and from there, the drab yellow wall was history. When he returned to finish his mural, Grampa Salcasso produced a huge coconut tree on an island boasting white, blue, and red flowers, a rocky barrier covered in vines, and a sandy beach. With some input from Proud Papa Brad, a coconut tree-filled island produced itself at the horizon line. Then came a sail boat, and to tell you the truth, I think that his creative juices have just begun flowing.
What a gift Grampa Salcasso has left for his little Maya - he has created the feeling of islandmode outside her window and has set the mood for her life. Proud Papa Brad and I are indebted to him and hope that he will get our hints and let his artwork wrap around our home!