GD Diet - Need Help!

OK, I finally have something I want to blog about... It may be the topic I'm on for a WHILE too. Gestational Diabetes! Fun, Fun!

I am totally OK with being careful with what I eat. I am OK with the amount of food I can have - I am certainly not going to starve. I am NOT OK with coming up with foods to eat that meet the guidelines. It is like all of the creativity with food has fallen right out of my head, and I can't imagine how to satisfy the program's requirements.

I am calling on ALL those with experience with Gestational Diabetes to help me here... I really, really need you guys to help me plan so I can stay on track!

Specifically I need help with SNACKS!!!!! I have to have 3 snacks a day... Yeah, I know, you pitty me. However, each snack has to have a specific number of carbs vs. protein. Yeah, I can get the carb part, no prob, but I'm not getting enough protein and I can't imagine combos that would do the trick. Here's an example:

For my snack that is after Lunch, I need 2 carb exchanges (30 g carbs) and 1 or more protein exchanges. So far, I've come up with the following:
1/2 PB&J - heavy on the peanut butter
2 graham crackers with peanut butter and cream cheese
grilled cheese sandwich
1/2 tuna salad sandwich (only 1/2 because I make it with pickles)

Please, please, anyone that has snack ideas - help out a poor GD woman! LOL

Some personal limitations make this harder - I don't eat cheese raw - so no string cheese or "apple and piece of cheese" snacks will work. I like peanut butter and nuts OK, but I would prefer they not be involved in every single snack, as it will get real old by the end of 12 weeks. So, you get double points for ideas that don't use PB or nuts as the protein. :)

Other than that, I am fine with most protein choices, eggs, chicken, tuna, beef, etc in most of their available forms. One note, for those that haven't done a GD diet before - milk and yogurt count as carbs not as protein, but cheeses count as protein (except for cream cheese).

BTW - everytime I abbreviate Gestational Diabetes I get a bit of a giggle... I'm tempted to make some very bad puns in the future if I can't lick this diet issue.

Still here! Still pregnant!

Hey guys! I'm still here, and as of a couple of moments ago the baby is still kicking away. :)

Just thought I would check in and say hey to everyone...

I never did do the 2nd post about Thanksgiving, sorry about that. Maybe I'll get to it, who knows. I've just been really not into blogging over the last couple of weeks.

Well, that is I haven't really been in the best of blogging moods unless you want to hear me whine... Let's see... the job issue (being laid off), not getting a job I interviewed for with my company, being a bit stir crazy staying at home, being diagnosed as having Gestational Diabetes, and missing all my work friends. Isn't it amazing how much you grow to enjoy being with the people you work with? You kind-of take them for granted, like family, almost. Of course, also like family, you don't love ALL of the people you work with. LOL

Oh, did you like how I threw that GD diagnosis in there, like you wouldn't notice? Yeah, that part really sucked. I found out I didn't get the job I really, really wanted AND that I had GD on the same day. Those two things set off a "life sucks" kind of attitude for me for a few days. I'm better now, but damn did that day suck.

In the Positive Moves column I have done OK... I've finished hand making my Christmas gifts (not telling what, just in case my family is reading along). I've finished all my shopping, too. The wrapping is mostly, almost totally, done. The house is as decorated as it is getting. The two holiday parties I was to attend are over (yes, I went to both, had a fabulous time, and damn I was cute too!) As far as Christmas goes, things are going OK.

Most of all I've been pretty bumbed at missing out on all the work-related things I took for granted, like guaranteed income. I mean it when I say I now CONSIDER whether I NEED a sandwich while running errands or if I can make it until I get home. I am really counting every dime at this point. I'm making hubby take stock too, which hasn't been too easy for him. He's not used to being reminded that $5.00 items add up... We typically spend what we want and never give each other any money grief. Man, it's going to get tough around here when the severance runs out - every dime in the meantime is getting pinched.

I've been reading everyone's blogs lately... I don't find much to comment about, but I'm certainly there. I just don't feel so much like chiming in these days...

I did have some crazy baby-making moments to report over the past couple of weeks - fun, fun, fun...

1) I dreamed a very realistic dream that I was breastfeeding my baby. The baby was about 3 months old, and it was a girl. We don't know the sex of our actual baby... The sensation of breastfeeding was exceedingly real feeling. I could feel the tugging and nuzzling of the baby. I could feel the milk moving through my breasts. It was terribly real to me, even though I've never breastfed before. When I woke up I was SURE that I had a 3 month old baby girl in the house - so imagine my surprise when I noticed the baby kicking wildly in my tummy. So freaky...

2) Baby couldn't sleep, so I couldn't sleep. The other night, for 4 to 5 hours the baby kicked non-stop. That has never happened before, mind you, so it was quite disturbing and was causing quite a bit of discomfort. This, coupled with the fact that I was having MAJOR gas pains, made for a totally sleepless evening. I think I finally rolled into bed about 5:30 or 6 AM. Not my idea of fun... Of course, the baby seemed to wear itself out, so I didn't really feel much movement for most of the next day - just enough to know it was still alive.

I'm nearing 28 weeks and starting to realize that the home stretch is approaching very quickly! It is kinda scary how quickly, really. I mean, where did the time go? I was so sure December would never get here, and now it is 1/2 done! Oh my!

So, not too much news to share, but in the world of IF and pregnancy that is probably a real blessing. :)

Hope all is going well for everyone out there in blogland.