Growing Paynes

Sorry. It's been a minute:)

Update: My glucose was normal, so the orange liquid is now a memory. And the remnants of the orange liquid came out of my cardigan, so uniform saved! Starting Dec. 21, I go to the doctor every 2 weeks instead of 4 weeks. We have our hospital tour this weekend, and my childbirth classes are scheduled for January. I have started the kick count routine, which Ella makes very easy. 10 movements in 10 minutes. Done and done. As of today, there are 11 weeks and 3 days left to go, and little girl is apparently the size of a small cabbage, weighing about 2.9 lbs and measuring at 17 inches long. I've had a couple of less than fabulous nights lately - a lot of tossing and turning (which itself is becoming more difficult) and crazy dreams. I've always had crazy dreams, and I remember every detail, so for me to categorize these as particularly crazy is saying something.

Now, on to my thought for the day. Someone asked me yesterday if I was looking forward to drinking alcoholic beverages again. My answer was simple: no. I've never liked the taste of anything alcoholic. Therefore, I simply don't drink. It's not a moral stance - I just don't like it. Simple as that. So I didn't have to give anything up, and I don't crave it now. This conversation meandered into, "Well, if it's not alcohol, then what did you have to give up?" Oh...many things, my friend....many things. Granted, I'm a bit of an obsessive person, so there are some things I possibly could have been more lenient with, but basically, if the book said, "Don't do it," then I didn't do it. A lot of things I could care less about, but there are a few I'm anxious to have back. So here is my list of things that I look forward to being able to do/have again:

1. Turkey sandwich. Turkey sandwich. Turkey sandwich. I'm going to tear Jimmy John's up. No lie. Not many people know that you can't have deli meats due to the risk of listeria, but it's true. Apparently, as long as it is heated to 165 degrees right before you eat it, you should be safe, but it was a chance I wasn't willing to take.

2. Sleeping on my stomach. I don't care if it is just for an hour or two at a time. It will be glorious.

3. Goody powder. Less than fabulous, I know. But I have always had terrible headaches, and pregnancy really just increased them. If I laugh or cough, I immediately have a throbbing pain in my head. Goody powders are strictly forbidden, as is pretty much everything else. I can take Tylenol, but they might as well be M&M's for all the good they do. The doctor gave me a prescription, but I've been hesitant to take it. I think I've taken two pills the entire time, and it was because I was pretty sure the bones were about to pop out of my head.

4. Cheese dip from Taqueria del Sol and bleu cheese chips from Buckhead Diner. Soft cheeses are another no-no. Again, if it's bubbling hot, then you should be safe, but it still has to be in moderation. I've had about 10 chips from the Taq and 10 chips from the Diner in the last 7 months. This is about a 6,450% reduction in intake. 

5. Diet Coke and Diet Dr. Pepper. I gave up all artificial sweeteners. This means no diet sodas, unsweet tea with Equal, chewing gum, etc. I read the labels on everything to check for artificial sweeteners by their many names, and if they are present, it goes back on the shelf. I've limited myself to one caffeinated beverage a day because it helps with my headaches. 200 mg daily is what you should limit yourself to, but I've been keeping it at about 50 mg.

6. Popping my back. Dear sweet baby Jesus. I've needed every bone in my back popped for about 5 months now, but I can't twist the way that is necessary, and Kyle certainly can't walk on my back. But as soon as Ella is here, I'm going to twist and crack in every way possible.

That's is. There are other things I gave up (hot dogs, steak, Mountain Dew), either because I had to or because I now have an aversion to them, but nothing that I miss. All in all, it hasn't been hard. I mean, it is for a pretty good reason:)