So it's been a pretty long week here in the Burke home. It started out with my monthly check up at the doctor. This appointment was especially important because it was the Gestational Diabetes test...and I failed. That doesn't necessarily mean I have GD, but I had to go for further testing. *sigh* The further testing was the 'Fasting Glucose Tolerance" test. People have that test to check for hypoglycemia as well. Anyways, the 3 days leading up to the test I had to 'sugar load.' Now it sounds nice, eh. Well, let me tell you, it was NOT! Someone making you eat an entire pint of ice cream in one sitting, just as ONE of the FOUR snacks you have to eat per day, in addition to your 3 regular meals! It was disgusting. So I had to have 4 snacks a day and those snacks entailed 2 snickers bars, 2 Mr. Goodbars, 5 figs, 1/2 cup of raisins (which by the way has more sugar than 2 Mr. Goodbars). That is the 4 snacks you could have in one day. Then there were the 8-10 oreos, 10 chocolate chip cookies, PB&J, slice of pie...those were my choices. ACK! Now most of you are saying, "Oh, I thought all pregnant women would LOVE that kind of diet." Well, yes, in theory. But when someone is telling you that you HAVE to eat like that, it's no fun anymore! How terrible, I know :)

Okay, so after the 3 day sugar loading diet, at 8PM on the third day, you have to stop ALL FOOD/WATER INTAKE. Not even brushing teeth. Until after the appointment the next day. So, for me, that meant I went 18 hours without food/water. 18 whole hours. Oh, I did have to drink this disgustingly sugar filled drink-8 oz (in less than 5 minutes). Now, I am NOT a chugger. I would be the WORST competitive drinker in the world! (They have competitive eating, I'm sure somewhere there is competitive drinking) And then they drew my blood 4 times in 3 hours. 3 of those 4 times the blood was taken out of the same vein. By the 3rd stick, the vein started to pop out of my arm-kind of like the people that work out a lot and their veins stick out, that is what it looked like. So the final stick they used one of my other veins. But the needles used were NOT the same that my doctor's office uses. They were really thick needles. I can still see where each needle went into my arm. 4 visible holes. So that was a fun day! NOTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So much.

I won't find out until next week sometime if I have Gestational Diabetes or not. If I do have it, the only thing that really changes is the kind of food we eat. I'll be sent to a dietician to make out a meal/exercise plan to control it. My doctor has not had to put anyone on medication in 12 years to control GD! Such a relief in this day in age when people are given pills/antibiotics to fix x,y,z. So for that, I am thankful.

In Eli news he just gets funnier and funnier by the second! We were walking down the street (2 houses down) to our friend's house and Eli picks up every stick he can physically hold in between here and there. He hits the street with it, the fire hydrant, the fence...you name it he swings the stick at it! He is SUCH a boy! But we were coming home and he picked up a stick and walked it over to our neighbor (who we rarely speak to) and handed it to him, "here." And the sweet man took it, said thank you. And I informed him that he had a friend for life now! It's really sweet how children can break the uncomfortable silence between 2 adults. Just by a kind gesture as Eli sharing a stick with Mr. Earley! It kind of made me tear up...and then I snapped back to reality and realized that Eli was about to eat some kind of flower bud that falls out of neighbors tree! So the near tears subsided, quickly! Eli also looked at me and said, "love you." This morning we were all sitting in my bed (waking John up) before church and Eli was laying back on my pillow and sat at the foot of the bed and he looked at me and said it! I looked at John thinking I was hearing things and John grinned! I didn't freak out on the outside like I was freaking out on the inside! I don't want to freak him out of talking! It was a wonderful day!

For dinner we had our great friends, the Martz's, over. John made chicken friend steak (aka country fried steak) and gravy! I made mashed potatoes and corn on the cob...oh it was heavenly! Good food, good company (the Martz's ALWAYS having us at their house for dinner-so we thought we'd be hospitable)! It was a crazy week, but ended really well! Tomorrow is Labor day so no work! And I get to sleep late! John said he'd wake up with Eli :) YAHOOO!!!!!!!!! OH! Noah is great. He is growing, moving a TON! 14 weeks to go till his hopeful arrival (hoping I don't go late)!

Our weekend!

Eli said his first, audible words this weekend! And yes, I said "wordS" as in more than one! On Friday, he mimicked John after he hung up the phone and said, "BYE!" (in a pretty high pitched voice). I was not there, but John told me and then Eli said it for me too! Then he was eating dinner in his chair in the kitchen while I finished cooking mine and John's dinner and he pointed to this key and said, "That." I said, "Key. That is a key." He looked at me and said, "Key. Key. Key." And then clapped for himself!! Then we went to lunch and he was telling every waiter that passed us, "HI." AND last but certainly not least he said, "Cu" pointing to his CUP!

I am SO proud of him! He is not even 14 months old yet! I have this strange sense of pride that my boy can says words already! I am SO PROUD OF HIM! As we watch the Olympics and I see Michael Phelps mom in the audience sobbing as her son wins a race I swell up with tears because I feel like I get it. Because I too have a son, well I now have 2 sons! I don't know if that makes any sense at all! But, I feel like I am kindred spirits with Mom's of boys.

In accomplishing news...I painted our front window yesterday, THEN painted the inside trim, THEN began painting the trim/baseboards in the living room (didn't finish cause my pregnant back was killing me) and started painting the mantel! I just have a fire lit under my rear end to 'get things finished' before Noah gets here. And it could also be coined as, NESTING!

We also had an enjoyable evening with our great friends the Martz's on Friday night! Eli and Harley (2 1/2) played in a bucket of water on the back deck for at least an hour! I never knew that such a small amount of water could make two children so happy!

A picture of Eli from Friday night :)


Hope you had a great weekend too :) Oh...Noah is great! Moving like crazy and growing like crazy too :)

23 weeks

I like to say, 6 months! It gives me comfort knowing that I only have 4 months left! YIKES!






We are in full swing of painting, organizing, 'to-do' lists coming out of my ears! But, I like those because I can look at it, know what needs to be done and cross them off as I finish the task! It makes me feel like I am being productive (outside raising/chasing Eli)! I did the same thing when I was pregnant with Eli, I made a list and nearly completed it before he was born! So, I am aiming on completing this one! Fun things like, organizing closets, shelves, hanging curtains, touching up paint in the boys room, painting our bedroom that has been neglected COMPLETELY since we moved in. It's kind of sad, really! I just want a painted bedroom with curtains hiding our nasty mini-blinds! Anyways, I must go! It's "suicide hour" in my home right now. (Suicide hour is the hour before Eli goes to bed...he is FUSSY, CLINGY and all around CRAZY!!!!!!!)

Eli is officially 'paci' free! HALLELUJAH! I took it away about 10 days ago. I was down to just ONE pacifier that he would use in our whole house. It was DISGUSTING too. I think we'd had it for about 6 months and it was gnarly! So I put him to bed one Sunday night without it and he cried, like he usually does, but stopped. AND slept through the ENTIRE NIGHT! He had just started waking up in the middle of night because he would wake up and realize he had lost it somewhere. So he would feel around his crib, fussing until he found it. And since I took the paci away he has been sleeping straight through the night! My older brother, Les, inspired me. He told me when they took Carter's away (my niece) that she cried for 3 days and then was done. I DID NOT want to get to the point where Eli could ask for it, he would point to it if he wanted it, but he had yet to start saying 'paci' or some derivative of it. So my goal was to get rid of it before he could ask for it! I did it! YAHOO! Now we just have to work on the bottle. He REFUSES to drink milk out of anything other than a bottle. He throws the cup and says, "Uck." And throws his tongue out of his mouth in disgust! It's kind of funny! So, that's my next challenge. I'd like for him to be bottle free by his 15 month doctor's appointment, which gives me about 2 months to start taking it away :) I'll let you all know how it goes!

The real reason I am writing tonight is because Eli woke up due to the dog barking at something outside and I usually just let him cry. But he was going crazy in there. His 'scared' cry was ensuing so I went in there, changed his diaper, and sat in the glider and just was holding him. Well he just started making silly noises and I started laughing, silently, but I can't stop my belly from moving when I giggle! So, Eli looked up at me and he started to laugh at me, mind you it is pitch black in his room, so all he could see of me was my profile, and that was if he was acclimated to the dark room! So, he started laughing at me, and I started laughing at him and we just sat in there and giggled so hard that we both had tears coming down our cheeks! He gets like his Mommy does when she is tired! Goofy! I get delerious when I am tired, everything is funny and nothing can keep me from laughing. I even crack myself up more when I over tired. And I guess Eli is the same way! I have NEVER seen him like that in his 13 months of living! It made my heart smile. SO MUCH! I just keep thanking God for such a happy little boy! Seriously, he is SUCH a joy to be around! He waves at everyone, says 'Hey' to people as they pass us in the grocery store. Sticks his hand out to give them 'high fives' and things like that! Oh I just love him! And to think, I have one more, just like Eli coming in December! God must REALLY think John and I are capable, huh?!?! HA!