*winkswildworld*

I am 26 weeks now and saw the doctor for my check-up and some final blood tests. I had the Glucose test (I had to drink 5 oz. of this glucose crap and exactly an hour later they take a my blood to test it for gestational diabetes). Anyway, that all went fine. I always hated giving blood. In fact, years ago I decided that I was going to overcome the fear of giving blood and I started going to give blood at the Red Cross every few months. But one bad experience of doing that and I never went back. They still call me for my blood! So, lately I have been really trying to internally connect with my hardcore maternal Swedish genes. I come from a long line of strong, stoic Swedish women. My Great-Grandmother Mor Mor (Swedish for Grandmother) lived in a house with her two sisters and brother in Chicago and raised my grandmother Gloria, her brother Jim and sister Carol on her own. Mor Mor's husband was in the Navy and from what I hear was popular with the ladies. Mor Mor died when I was a little girl of Cervical Cancer. Knowing what we know now about Cervical cancer, I'm sure my philanderer Great-Grandfather was the reason she got that type of cancer. Mor Mor was a very tough woman, and that gene was passed on to my Grandmother Gloria, and definitely on to my mom. My Grandma and my mom are the strongest women I know, never complaining when they are sick (and I mean SICK), never wimping out or too tired, they just deal and move on. So now a grown woman, 26 weeks pregnant and seeing what I have ahead of me, giving a little blood isn't a big deal anymore. I have some major kick ass genes on my side that are going to help with the labor, birth and all that fun postpartum stuff! I'm now looking at it as a challenge or some sort of competition and Lord knows how competitive I am!!! Oh, and if you're wondering, the picture above is my mom when she was about 21 years old. Love it!