Seven Quick Takes

I

Friday was the only day this week that we didn't have at least one medical appointment, and I still wound up making three trips to town. I'm sure glad it's finally the weekend! Monday I was supposed to have fasting bloodwork done, but my midwife hadn't informed me she'd ordered the three-hour glucose tolerance test instead of the normal one-hour screening; the three-hour test is supposed to be for those who fail the first one (or are at a high risk of gestational diabetes, which I did not believe was true of me). I had Little Bear with me, and said "no thank you" and left. Okay, I probably didn't say the "thank you" part.

Tuesday I had to pick Matt up and bring him to the clinic midmorning for an EKG to check into an irregular heartbeat. The doctor thought everything was probably fine, but to be sure he had us come back Wednesday to get him fitted with a heart monitor for 24 hours, and then again Thursday to have it removed. We should hear back on that Monday afternoon. Also on Thursday, I went in and did the one-hour glucose test, and in the afternoon went to the chiropractor.

II

We really should have waited until summer to replace the windshield. Thursday we got a second chip, in just the one week since getting the new windshield! Little Bear and I took it in Friday to get the chips repaired; they weren't able to get us in until 11, which worked out perfectly because then we were in town for noon Mass. 

III 

This pregnancy is killing me by inches, y'all. Sciatica. Round ligaments. Hips, pelvic bones and vertebrae constantly coming out of place. Thursday we added a new one: Diastasis recti. If I actually "listened to my body," I'd be spending at least half of every day laying down. But on the very positive other hand, I found out Friday morning that I passed my glucose screening test with flying colors: my blood sugar was only 103 mg/dL one hour after drinking the glucola. The "you have to take the longer test" cutoff is 140 mg/dL (130 mg/dL in some practices). No gestational diabetes.

The maternity support belt I'd been waiting for finally arrived Wednesday... and it didn't work. So Thursday afternoon, I went to the local mom & baby boutique to look for one. They had one that fits perfectly now, and still has some room to expand; it would have been better if they'd had a size larger, but it's already helping and I'm hopeful that it'll keep fitting most of the rest of the way through this pregnancy.

IV

The inclination to relativism starts young...

Me: You can choose not to believe me, but I'm right.

Little Bear: Oh, you're right?

Me: Yep.

Little Bear: Hmm... okay. I'm right, too.

V

Did you get a chance to watch any of the talks from the Catholic Conferencs 4 Moms last weekend? I didn't have time for more than one each day, but I particularly appreciated Stephanie Wood Weinart's talk, The Culprits that Steal a Mom's Joy and How to Avoid Them. Comparison, she reminded us, robs us of the confidence that God chose us as the right parents for the children He gave us. How easy is it to feel judged and become defensive, or be judgemental ourselves, when we see another mom making different decisions than we are? It's such a temptation, especially when we feel that our identity and in some way our value as a person is tied up in our parenting. 

And how could I resist a title like Jeff Young's How You and your Family Can Eat Your Way to Salvation: A Foodie's Guide? I've been meaning to check out his blog, The Catholic Foodie, ever since but haven't yet had time. He also came out with a cookbook recently about Middle Eastern cuisine.

VI

Thinking about baby and the end of this pregnancy coming eventually, I loved Simcha Fisher's post yesterday about 12 gifts that new moms want the most. There are maybe a couple of actual "baby things" that we're going to need for when Kit arrives, though I can really only think of one; we saved all of Little Bear's baby clothes/blankets/books/toys/etc, and we honestly don't have space for much more. I remember meals and gift cards being incredibly helpful after Little Bear was born, though, and they'll be even more so this time because Little Bear needs supper now too; Matt and I can't just decide that we're okay with cold cereal and carrot sticks for the night. :-) And if I'm in this condition for the next three months, there will definitely not be any meals prepped and in the freezer ahead of time.

VII

I'm looking for a good crescent roll recipe. There are several recipes that either we've tried and like or else want to try that call for the tubes of refrigerated crescent roll dough, and I just can't make myself buy it... but I really want to make these snacks. So if you have a reliable recipe for crescent roll dough, please share! All-white-flour recipes are fine.

Have a good weekend! Wherever you are, it'll probably be warmer than ours; we're likely to see -20 F tomorrow again. Enough already, March; we're ready to see the last of the negative temps! For more Quick Takes, head over to This Ain't the Lyceum.