7 months and counting!

We have been so busy lately that I have not updated lately! I am now 26 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Next Wednesday, August 3, I will be 7 months. I went this week for my check up and glucose tolerance test. Thank goodness I passed the test with flying colors! Everything looked great-Laci's heartbeat, my blood pressure and weight. I will now start going every other week to the doctor! I did find out that my doctor is pregnant and due a month before me. However she is coming back a day or so before my due date. I really want my doctor to deliver Laci since we have gotten to know her, but the most important thing is to do what is right for Laci and I. Laci is moving around A LOT, especially at night. I love feeling her move! She is already 2 pounds and growing about 6 oz a week! Amazing!
The past couple of weeks we have been working on the nursery! Lance's dad helped paint her room a light lime green to go with her bedding. Here are some pictures!


We still have several pieces to add to the room-shelves, glider, and decorations for the walls. It is all coming together and FINALLY starting to feel real! We talk about Laci throughout the day, everyday, and cannot wait to meet her!

I have not heard anything about a job so it looks like I will be taking a year off. I of course want a job to be paid, however, I am so excited to be able to spend a year with my baby!

22 week check up

I went today for my 22 week check up with Dr. Duke. It was a pretty boring appointment-nothing special about it. I had gained 3 pounds this month which she said was right on track and just fine (thank goodness!). Laci's heartbeat sounded strong and healthy and Dr. Duke was really pleased with it. I will go back when I am 26 weeks (July 28) for my 1 hour glucose test. That will also be my last monthly appointment and I will start going every two weeks. This pregnancy is going by so fast-it still doesn't feel real!!
One thing that is new with Laci is that I am feeling her move now! The past few weeks the movements have felt like cramps but actually today they started to feel like real kicks (and much more pleasant!). She pushed on my belly button a couple times a day which is very uncomfortable. I usually push back and she moves away from it :). I have had heartburn really bad lately so I am guessing she will come out with hair longer than mine! haha Other than heartburn the only symptom I really have is being uncomfortable/restless (especially at night). I feel very blessed and lucky to have such a wonderful and smooth pregnancy so far. Lance and I are so excited and ready to meet Laci. I don't want to wish time away but we are ready for her to come now!!!

IT'S A GIRL! Laci Kate Self

On Wednesday, June 2, Lance and I went for our anatomy scan and 18 week appointment. The ultrasound was WONDERFUL! I never could tell much from other people's ultrasound pictures but I guess when it is your own, you can see everything! I, of course, cried the whole time. The tech showed us her heart, stomach, head, etc...everything looked great! She was so active during the ultrasound (thanks to the diet coke I had right before we went in). Towards the end of the scan she started to look for signs of the gender. She said "I see an equal sign (I knew what that meant :) ). Yup, it's a girl-I am 99.9999 % sure." I started crying so hard that she stopped the scan for a about a minute. The tech kept saying "She's healthy and perfect." I was so happy to hear that! We got some great pictures. She kept her hands above her head mostly which was so cute. In one picture it looks like she is sucking her thumb and in another she's pulling her ear. She is also very flexible because she had her feet over her head several times. We are already so in love with our DAUGHTER!

After the scan we had about 30 minutes until my appointment with the doctor so we made a few phone calls and texts to let everyone know we were having a girl. Most people said "I KNEW IT!" Everyone was so excited!! My doctor's appointment was routine-nothing special. She was happy that I finally gained some weight which shocked me...but I'll take it!
Then we went to lunch and shopping for baby stuff! We ended up getting a crib and dresser/changing table combo at buy buy Baby. On the way home we stopped at a little boutique where I had seen several diaper bags I wanted. Since we knew it was a girl I really wanted to buy SOMETHING just for a girl-so I did :). Afterwards we stopped by Lance's mom's house to show her the pictures. She had already gone out and bought Laci two cute outfits for next summer! When we got home our friend Mike came over and helped Lance put the furniture away. (We just couldn't wait!!) My mom also stopped by to bring Laci a Feltmen Brothers dress for her to come home from the hospital in. I was so excited!!
Now that we know we have a daughter on the way we will be busy buying lots and lots of pink things! This weekend Lindsay and I are going to register, but I am sure we will end up buying more than I register for! haha

My first baby shower!

Yesterday I was surprised with a baby shower at school!! I cannot believe my team, my class, (and whole school) was able to keep such a big secret! They had ice cream sundaes and since I do not know yet what I am having, all of the gifts were gift cards! Lance, the baby and I were so blessed with everyone's generosity at our shower and we will be able to get a lot of things we need (and just want) for our baby. I can't wait to go shopping at buy buy Baby, Target, Walmart, and Babies R Us!! I am so sad to leave my friends at South Shades Crest but will treasure the memories and friendships I have made.

14 weeks!

Yesterday I went for my 14 week appointment! Everything was great! We got to hear the heartbeat which was in the 150's. It was such a beautiful sound!! I will go back in 4 weeks (June 2) at 10:00 to have my anatomy ultrasound and next doctor's appointment. I am so excited to find out if the baby is a boy or girl that I just cannot stand it! I have actually already bought several things that are gender neutral (and were on sale!). Last week I did the very scientific Drano test TWICE. It came out girl both times so we will see! We will be totally happy and thrilled either way, we just want to know!! We have already picked out names for a boy or girl. If it is a girl she will be Laci Kate and for a boy will be Landon Reid. We figured we would stay with the "La" theme! Hopefully we will only have one boy and one girl because we only have one "La" name for each!!

For those who do not know yet, I found out last week that I will not have my job at South Shades Crest next year. Due to budget cuts SSC is loosing a first grade unit. Since they are all tenured and I am not, they are making room for a first grade teacher to come to kindergarten. So I have been on the job hunt. I am hoping and praying that I will find something quick so that I can enjoy my pregnancy and summer to the fullest. This is my last summer without a child and I have a lot to do to prepare! I am looking for something closer to home since a 45 minute drive is not the best thing, especially with a baby. I will be sending out applications to schools in Hayden and northern Jefferson County this week. Please pray for us that I can find something soon!

10 week appointment

Today we went for my 10 week appointment. It was very short-weight, blood pressure, asked about my symptoms. She tried to hear the heartbeat but couldn't hear it because it is still kinda early, so she did a quick ultrasound to see the heartbeat! I was so excited. She said that if it were her, she would want to hear/see it to feel better. I totally agree! So we saw the heartbeat and our little jelly bean!! The heart was beating 171 beats per minute!! So much faster than last time (which was 126). Dr. Duke said that 171 was in normal range for 10 weeks. My next appointment will be May 5. I am hoping at that appointment I can schedule my ultrasound to find out the sex! I will only be 18 weeks at that appointment but I think she will try to see. I am so anxious to start buying baby stuff. I have actually bought a couple things that are gender neutral. We really do not care if it is a boy or girl, just want a healthy baby, we just want to know!!!!
It is amazing how fast our baby is growing! This week he/she is the size of a small apple and is growing fingernails! AMAZING! I am starting to get over the nausea which I am so thankful for! I am also thankful that I am starting to not feel so hungry all the time! I have started getting hot all the time which I am totally not used to. I am always the one with a sweater on so cranking up the A/C is new for me!

1st doctor's appointment

On March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) we had our first doctor's appointment with ultrasound! We had the ultrasound first where we saw the little heartbeat and the baby! The heartbeat was 126 bpm and healthy. Everything on the ultrasound looked great!
Next we met with my doctor (Dr. Duke at Brookwood). Both the nurse and my doctor went over LOTS of information about the pregnancy, what to expect, what do to and not to do. Finally I had some blood work done. I will go back in 3 weeks. (Dr. Duke sees patients in Fultondale every other Wednesday so to get on her Fultondale schedule it was either come back in 3 weeks or 5 weeks and they said 3 weeks would be better.) After that I will be going every 4 weeks to the Fultondale location.
We had such a good doctor's visit and were talking about everything she went over with us while walking to the car. Then Lance got a business call as we were walking onto the elevator in the parking deck. I pushed the button to go to the 6th floor. The elevator closed the doors and went up to the 6th floor, the bell dinged, but the doors never opened. It then went back down to the 5th floor, the bell dinged, and the doors STILL didn't open. Lance was still no the phone and not really paying any attention, while I on the other hand was paying total attention! The elevator kept going up and down without stopping (and fast might I add!). After about 8 times of up and down and pressing every button in the elevator, I pulled the STOP button which also sounds the alarm. We waited a couple of minutes but no one ever came. I called the hospital (thank goodness I have Internet on my phone otherwise we would have been stuck for a long time!) and they transferred me to security. They didn't even realize that there was an emergency call (it had already been 20 mins!!!) When they finally got there we had to turn off the alarm (which also made the elevator start moving again (yuck!) so that we could hear them. The maintenance people were not much help but thank goodness they got us off of the elevator safely. I asked for free parking for the rest of the year but they just laughed!! The nerve! So needless to say I am SO thankful for the Fultondale location with NO elevators!

I'M PREGNANT!!

On February 22 I had a feeling that I may be pregnant...just a hunch! So when I got home I took a pregnancy test, just to see. It came up negative so I just ignored it but left it on the counter. Later that night when I was getting ready to go to bed, I was washing my face and looked at the test (to throw it away) and noticed there was a dark line AND a faint line. I went into the bedroom and told Lance "I think I am pregnant." He said "No you aren't." Well I was just going to show him so I took another test and it came out the same way. We were both starting to get a little excited but still didn't think it could be possible. Well I knew one of my neighbors had a digital test so I called her and asked if I could come over really quick and take that test. She said yes of course! I went over in my pj's (Lance stayed at home because he figured it would be negative.) So I went to their house and took the test there (Still not thinking it would be positive.) We waited and waited and then the words "PREGNANT" showed up!! My mouth dropped and I was in total shock! I then went home, ran into our bedroom and shouted to Lance "I AM PREGNANT!!!". He STILL didn't believe me so I showed him the test. We were both so excited and shocked. We hugged, we cried, and then at the same time said, "What do we do now!?!?!" What we did next was call our families because we knew we couldn't hold it in! We were on the phone from about 8:30-10:00 calling family and sharing the good news. It was a wonderful day for us!!