new year, new perspective.

7 weeks and counting till "due day!" the anticipation is building and i'm pretty sure nesting has already begun. the carseat, the breast pump, receiving blankets and clothes are all ready for action. this little baby boy is already about 5 pounds so who knows how big he will be upon delivery. i've gained about 22 pounds and feel pretty good about it. yes, less would be better for me, but i'm doing well. i feel pretty confident with keeping my weight right about where i am as my midwife has been having me check my blood sugar 4 times a day. my 3 hour glucose screen came back a teeny bit elevated on the fasting value, ( 4 points ) so everyday i have had the ability to see first hand what happens when i eat certain foods. my numbers have been great and they have no real reason for concern. the education i have received has been very eye opening, and is something i'm excited to take with me after this experience is over. although i was irritated at first with having to take these tests everyday, i now know how important, or better, how devastating sugar can be to our systems. yesterday, we drove into Portland for a family outing and stopped by an Italian market we had been meaning to visit. there, we purchased a slew of bad foods. we bought a Panettone loaf, 6 old fashioned donuts, one grapefruit San Pellegrino, and one blood orange San Pellegrino. this was one of the first days since checking blood sugar that i inhaled a ridiculous amount of sugar. i ate probably a 1/4 of the bread, 2 donuts, and consumed 12 ounces of sparkling flavored soda. i took my blood sugar right after, just to see what i had done to myself and our baby. 160. not good, but i knew it wasn't going to be...about 2 hours later, i checked it again...134. just to give you an idea, my number shouldn't rise above 120, 2 hours after eating. i immediately thought of all the times i had done something similar to myself. pigging out. truth be, i was in a horrible mood the rest of the day and night. i didn't logically apply the havoc the sugar took on my system until this morning, when i tested my fasting blood sugar first thing. 116. my fasting blood sugar should never rise above 95. it usually sits between 83-93. it was then that i took a step back mentally, and realized what that intense burst of sugar did to me, even 15 hours later. disgusting. lesson learned.

32 weeks pregnant

i've been more active this pregnancy...dance videos, dancing with Duncan and i have recently taken up yoga. i'm sure to make yoga apart of my life after pregnancy. i remember as a child that stretching was one of my favorite parts of activity. my husband is also excited to start yoga- he apparently use to use yoga before i met him. i am using this time to figure out the things i wish to implement in life after pregnancy. my hope is to really thrive in 2014. i started this weight loss journey/blog and haven't been very happy with my drive or lack of success. my goals for this year are definitely to be more active. my hurdle/excuse has been that i am now a mother and lack the ability to be more active. NONSENSE! it is my commitment to myself and my family this year to not only teach myself how to be active with kids but to teach my kids how to be active. 



Duncan has been spending more time out around other children, which is another goal of mine- socialization for myself and Duncan. i have had fun taking him to the mall, even if it is an hour and a half away, to mix and mingle with other kids. ( who knew malls were such an exciting place for kids?) the fact that my son literally hugs each and every child shows me he really needs this interaction. it's then that the 4-5 year olds look to their mothers like why is this kid hugging me? parents are usually very sweet and explain he's much younger and to go along with it. it simply melts my heart. this boy of mine is such a lover...and i'm excited to give him a brother of his own.

what are your goals for 2014?

although the end of 2013 was rather rough on the Bigney clan, i'd like to share a highlight of the season-

my absolute favorite part of the day is when the love is flowing in our home. the past few weeks have been bitter sweet, but i've been able to witness a new love form and grow. my husband has been spending a lot more time around the home. ( he was laid off a week before Christmas) i have had the pure delight of watching my son and husband grow closer, share more laughs and kisses, and literally watch a new relationship all together come into existence.( whose mom?) Duncan has always loved his daddy, but the amount of time and energy that is usually expended outside our home has blessed the walls and hearts of both my son and myself. it is also in this time where i have witnessed steady growth for Duncan in maturity and in conscientiousness. many of the ideas and practices put in place for his development have been fully accepted simply by teachings from someone new, his dad. 

i've also delighted in the numerous 3 am meetings in the dining room- just Sam and i- talking, laughing, regrouping, connecting, playing games. my son hasn't been the only one enjoying all this new free time.

 i will always remember this last Christmas season as a season of birth for our                                          family once again.