The Big Day is October 13th!!!

That's right I got scheduled right on my 39 weeks which is October 13th!  Dr. Dorton said he wouldn't go any past that date which I knew already.  This is of course the PLAN but if I have a bad ultrasound in the next few weeks or if I would happen to go into labor early on my own then of course we will deliver earlier!  I am just so excited that we scheduled right on 39 weeks!  I was for sure that I would be scheduled earlier, closer to 38 weeks but nope!  It is almost too good to be true... Almost!  It is so exciting that we have made it this far and I am just so thankful to God and to everyone for all of their continued prayers.  We aren't done yet but we are so close that we can both feel it! I have updated a new countdown to Lacee's Arrival!  Hard to believe in only 24 days we will get to meet our little cupcake!!!

Goal 3 reached and Goal 4 close at hand!

So I posted a while back that my 3rd goal for this pregnancy was to get to 32 weeks!  Well needless to say we passed that with flying colors and now my 4th and final goal for this pregnancy is to get to 37 weeks!  That is only 11 days from now and I will have successfully made it to full term!

Lacee's Room Progress and a little of Nisee's Room too

We got a lot done this weekend in Lacee's room as well as got a few things done in Nisee's room too.  We still have a long list of things to get done around the house but here are a few highlights of what all we got done this weekend.

1. Laundry (It's never ending but we got a lot done)
2. Fixed front porch railing (got broke during a storm)
3. Fixed front glass door (also got broke during a storm)
4. Finished painting the trim in the alcove in Lacee's room 
5. We hung the letter for Lacee's name in her room
6. I painted and hung a cross for Lacee (similar to the one Nisee has in her room)
7. I hung the sign on her door that says Cupcake that I made
8. Chad installed the blinds and curtain rods and I put up the curtains for Lacee's room
9. We hung 6 shelves we have had for months in Nisee's Room
10. Selected items for Lacee to be washed prior to going to the hospital
11. Chad hung the cupcake wall hangers in Lacee's Room
12. We cleaned the kitchen
13. Chad organized part of the basement

I am sure we did more than that but well you get the point ... we did a lot!  I didn't feel well today.  I had a burst of energy this morning but then I started feeling really bad this afternoon and then late this evening I felt a little better.  We had to get a lot done this weekend because Chad has to work all weekend next weekend!  Here are some shots of what all we accomplished.

cupcake coat hangers

Her name above the crib

Close up of name

Cross I painted ... its hanging straight but my picture is crooked!  LOL

Alcove all painted and curtains up ... even see the cupcake night light !

Other window and curtains

Just love the pillow! LOL

Door Sign

Our upstairs bathroom is themed Ducks and I made these hair bow holders and today I finally hung them up in the bathroom!  

This is the Cross that hangs in Nisee's room

This is Nisee's Door sign for comparison!

We hung the corner shelves, and the two small shelves and the picture frame above the tv ... when I say We I mean Chad! LOL

The other shelves above her bookcase that Chad hung

 Well those are what we did today for the most part.  I don't think you need pictures of the front porch and a clean kitchen! LOL Tomorrow is my doctors visit when I will schedule my c-section!  I am super excited and another post will be coming soon with all that great information!

OB visit Friday Sept. 16th

So I had an OB visit yesterday morning and I saw Dr. Bryson again because Dr. Dorton was out.  Actually Dr. Dorton was on vacation and all 3 other doctors were out delivering babies so only Dr. Bryson was there but my appointment was with him so I didn't have to wait too long but it was a little longer than normal.  We did the normal OB stuff and then we discussed how they do this scheduling a c-section thing.  He said that if I was going to deliver at Thomasville that they needed to get me scheduled and I said since I have reached 37 weeks and Lacee physically looks fine just small that I am going to deliver at Thomasville which was my 1st choice all along unless I had to deliver early.  He said that since Dr. Dorton is the one who I wanted to deliver me that I would schedule with him.  He said he could schedule me but that it is best for the doctor doing it to schedule it.  He said I would most likely be scheduled between 38 and 39 weeks but that I had to discuss exactly how close to either end with Dr. Dorton.  For those who like dates that is October 6th (38 weeks) through October 13th (39 weeks).   Dr. Bryson also asked if they had done any NST's (Non Stress Test) on Lacee and I said no they just do the ultrasound BPP, AFI, and Dopplers.  This is probably because they aren't delivering and because I am a repeat c-section but Dr. Bryson wanted to do an NST just to make sure.  The results of the NST can help determine if you need to deliver sooner than later.  IUGR babies often do not do well during labor and most IUGR babies end up being delivered via c-section.  However Lacee did really well during the NST and her results were a "reactive NST" which is what they want.  If she did not do well they might want to deliver early to avoid there risk of me going into labor on my own and causing her distress but since she did well we might actually get to October 13th.  Dr. Bryson wanted me to meet with Dr. Dorton 1st thing next week so I have an appointment on September 19th early in the morning to schedule my c-section.  So another post will be coming about Lacee's arrival date next week!

With Nisee by the time I got to 37 weeks I was so ready for her to be here that I would have given anything to go into labor with her but here I am with Lacee just hoping she gets to stay in there until 39 weeks.  I guess its just the difference in the pregnancies.  Nisee's was so normal except for the sciatica but that was me.  Lacee's has been an experience in prayer and patience.  It is so hard to believe that just 3 months ago we were just hoping she was going to make it to viability and the doctors weren't even sure that was going to happen. Each week the news got better and better and she was excelling in her BPP scores and she just kept growing.  I know doctors have to prepare you for the worst and personally I am glad they did because it just makes her continued success even better!  So I guess because throughout this pregnancy it has been a constant wait and see game as to how long she is going to be in my tummy, to have her in there to 39 weeks would just be the most awesome thing ever!!! It would still be pretty awesome to have her in there to 38 weeks too though.  Either way she has over come a lot and she is our little miracle! 

35 Week Growth Scan

Yesterday I had my 35 week growth scan and Lacee once again had as Dr. Mertz put it "good interval growth."  She is estimated as weighing 4 pounds and 1 ounce.  She gained 12 ounces since last scan which is almost as much as a normal sized baby!  She is still measuring over all at 2 weeks behind, to be exact 32 weeks 6 day.  She did dip right down under the 10th percentile this time but because Lacee had good growth, the fluid looks good, and she passed her BPP with flying colors I will get to have another growth scan at 37 weeks and they will NOT deliver exactly at 37 weeks.  Now of course if I go in for my 36 weeks scan and something had dramatically changed then they will re-evaluate and could change that but because she has been doing so well they aren't anticipating that.  Dr. Mertz said that there are a lot of good things that are pointing towards continuing the pregnancy!  Really the only thing going on is her size and Dr. Mertz said that she might just be a small person and even though we know that there is a very small chance it could be something else that all signs are pointing towards her just being small.  I don't know if I have ever mentioned this but Chad's Grandma Hicks and her sisters are all very small.  His Grandma is probably barely pushing 5 ft and her sister is even smaller. So maybe Lacee is just taking after them!  I felt much better after this scan than I did last week.  Nothing to do with the doctors I just think I was ready for a little breakdown.  This time I went in positive and left the same way!  I got a little irritated that it took so long to get my scan just because it was a big scan and I was ready but I am well aware that sometimes you aren't given good news after scans and you might need a while with the doctors in the rooms at this place and I reminded myself that I was one of those people a few times.  I got a few pictures today too and I scanned the pictures from last week so I will post those as well.  We are now up to 77 ultrasound pictures of our baby girl! 

I got to my OB at Thomasville this morning and I will update what they say later today.  I think they might schedule my c-section today which would be cool but I am not sure since Dr. Dorton is out today and I am seeing Dr. Bryson.  But Dr. Bryson specifically said that I should come in Friday after my growth scan so I am going in.  I was just there Wednesday morning for my back.  Yes my back was killing me and Dr. Palmer said that I am not in labor but that I probably strained my back muscles and with the extra weight from the pregnancy and probably some braxton hicks contractions it is making it worse.     I was in major pain and I am still in pain most of the time but it has been feeling a little better.  I think the rest Wednesday really helped it!  Lacee also likes to beat me up!  She has been super active and doing a lot of what I call stretching because it will feel like she is laying sideways and then stretches as far as she can across my belly which doesn't make for a great feeling!  I love to feel her moving and wiggling but this hurts!

34 week Lacee's foot

34 week Lacee Profile

35 week growth chart

35 weeks HAIR! Must be where all this heartburn is coming from! LOL

35 week face shot ... she was laying in a funny position so it was hard to get any good looks at her face

Happy Grandparents Day!

Today was not only the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 but also Grandparents Day.  This is the 1st Grandparents day that I have spent without my Mamaw Evalene and my Papaw Lester.  It is hard to believe that this time last year I had 3 grandparents to wish Happy Grandparents day to and today I only have 1.  We spent a lot of the afternoon with Nanny Peg which we always do on Sunday but today was especially important to me and to her.  I really miss Mamaw and Papaw but I am so Thankful that I still have Nanny!
Happy Grandparents day!

Me and Nisee with Nanny Peg and Papaw Lester Easter 2011

The Last picture I have of me and Mamaw Evalene

I was cooking dinner for Nisee to spend time with her Grandparents today but my Dad had to work and my mom was out of town so only Chad's Mom got to come over but we still had a great dinner.  I made Hamburger Steaks, Scalloped Potatoes, Fried Pickles (yes I am addicted), and for dessert Pink Champagne Cake. Again I substituted the champagne with sparkling grape juice.  I decorated it really pretty so I had to take a picture!

Pink Champagne Cake I made for Grandparents Day

9/11 - 10 years later

So today is the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks on 9/11/2001 and I still  I remember exactly where I was when I heard about it.  Brittany and I were at Mitchell Community College in the Student Center upstairs in between classes.  They have couches and small study rooms that are in the open but they also have a few rooms that had tv's in them that  you could rest in too.  We were sitting on the couches when we heard a person come out and get on their cellphone to call someone and say that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center.  We got up and went into the room to watch the news on tv and we saw the second plane fly into the second tower.  My mom called me and Britt's mom called her.  We had to go to classes still but we didn't have class.  The teachers turned on the TV and we watched as the towers fell and we heard about the other plane hitting the pentagon and the plane that crashed in PA.  I met back up with Britt after class and her Mom said they were evacuating downtown Charlotte because it had the tallest buildings between Washington DC and Atlanta.  I remember that I went to my Mamaw Evalene's next to eat lunch (I did this all the time because it was close to her house) and we continued to watch the news and talk about what happened.  I remember them closing down I-40 near the fuel reserve tanks because they are a huge threat. I remember being scared, shocked, and saddened by everything that was happening.  My heart just ached for those who lost loved ones that day.

It has been 10 years and I still get emotional when I see images or hear stories from that day.   Today at church we sang America the Beautiful and Pastor Lynn talked about how hard it was to write a sermon for today however she delivered a pretty good sermon for someone who had trouble writing one.  Her sermon focused on Matthew 18: 21-35 and talked about forgiveness and about how Jesus tells us to forgive.  We prayed and I continue to pray for those who lost loved ones that they may find some peace!  I think I will close my blog post about this with America the Beautiful as it is a pretty fitting tribute.

America the Beautiful

1. O beautiful for spacious skies,
for amber waves of grain;
for purple mountain majesties
above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
and crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea.

2. O beautiful for heroes proved
in liberating strife,
who more than self their country loved,
and mercy more than life!
America! America! May God thy gold refine,
till all success be nobleness,
and every gain divine.

3. O beautiful for patriot dream
that sees beyond the years
thine alabaster cities gleam,
undimmed by human tears!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
confirm thy soul in self-control,
thy liberty in law.

Great finds for Lacee's Room

We needed to go to Winston to get a few things and randomly we decided to go into HomeGoods and we found some great things on clearance for Lacee's Room!

Purple Cupcake pillow for her chair

Purple and Pink CupCake coat hangers!

The only thing not on sale was the cupcake night light but I had to have it! :)

 This was obviously something that we did not buy!  However Nisee has a sign that hangs on her door that we got her at a craft store that says Princess and since Lacee is our Little Cupcake I decided I wanted to make her a sign that says cupcake.  I got everything to make it at Wal-mart.   I thought my paint colors I had at home were more subdued but they ended up being neon almost.  It will work for now but but I might get some pastel paints and do another one.  The picture is a little dark so you can't see how neon the green is.  I hot glued the ribbon around the edges and that is my favorite part!

 

We also got her fan put up and blinds for one of her windows up and as soon as we get this stuff put up as well I will post a few more pictures of her room! 

Letting it out and Updates

So I have been doing a pretty good job of dealing with all the things that are going on with this pregnancy.  I had my moments in June when things were at their worst and since then things have continued to go well so it has been easier to cope and place focus on Lacee's successful growth than to drift back to the what if's.  However now that her arrival is getting closer and closer those what if's are starting to creep back up and after this mornings ultrasound I lost it. 

The ultrasound was fine.  Her BPP and doppler's were good. Dr. Grandis and I talked about if I should schedule a 37 week ultrasound for growth and he said that we could go ahead and schedule one but that really the growth scan at 35 weeks would determine if they decided to deliver at 37 weeks or not.  He again alluded to the fact that he feels Lacee's growth restriction is a result of what her chromosomes say. This could mean her DNA just says she is a small baby or it could mean that she has a chromosomal abnormality.  He was clear that there is still no definite answer and that both options are still on the table and that was comforting, sort of. 

So I scheduled my 9/29/2011 37 week scan but as I walked to my car the more I started to think about "what if there is a problem?" and I lost it.  I cried for a good hour or more on my drive to Durham. I have spent most of my energy trying to focus on the positive and not dwell in the negative or focus on what we don't know but there are just times when it all comes crashing down on you and this morning was one of those times.  I talked to my mama and then Chad, of course, and they were great at helping me calm down and help me refocus.  Chad is so laid back and just knows exactly how to deal with me when I get like this and that's one of the reasons I love him so much!  I am also a little jealous sometimes and I wish I could be more laid back about things like him but it's just not in my nature.  Mama really understands what's going on and the significance of it so she knows how to really empathize with me and help me understand that it's ok to be upset and to worry and mostly to be scared to death!  Because that is what I am ... SCARED TO DEATH!  Don't get me wrong I am thankful that Lacee has made it all this way and she will be a blessing no matter what but I can't deny that I am not scared about what might be. 

After all this crying I had to go to work and I am glad that I had to be in Durham today because it gave me the chance to get calmed down during the drive before having to deal with work.  I had a great meeting today where I got some great feedback about how I do my job and that helped me end my day on a better note.  I worked hard to earn the feedback I got so that makes it all the more important.  On my ride home from Durham I was again back to focusing on the positive and praying for the best outcomes.  I also again resigned myself that there are always "what if's" and if we live our life worrying about them then we will never actually live.  I think I needed this mornings crying session to get out all the frustration I was feeling about so many unknowns with Lacee and we all need to get things out before we explode!  I actually feel much better! 

I also had a doctors visit at my OB's office on Tuesday and they actually will be seeing me every week starting well this week.  My next visit with them is Friday the 16th, they wanted to see me the day after my next growth scan.  I think they maybe wanting to schedule my c-section soon but they will take the advice of the doctors at maternal fetal so if after that scan they want to allow me to get to 37 weeks for another growth check then I am not sure what they will do. A lot hangs on this next growth scan!  I got a few pictures today but I haven't scanned them yet.

My Baked Spaghetti

I am no great chef by any means but there are some things that Chad says I am good at making. I don't make it all by scratch but I do add my own flair to things.  I wish I had the time to make things from scratch but you can use some pre-made ingredients and by adding things to it you can make it almost your own. My baked spaghetti is just a way that we have found that we really like it and I thought I would share.  It's a really easy recipe if you want to call it that.

Ingredients:
1/2 box Angel Hair Pasta
1 lb. Hamburger
1 Jar Traditional meat free spaghetti sauce
garlic powder
onion powder
chili powder
oregano
italian seasoning
pepper
salt
parmesean cheese
mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Boil 1/2 a box of angel hair pasta (Add 2 tablespoons butter in the water to keep noodles apart)

Fry 1 pound of hamburger no more than 90/10 lean and while frying add about 1 tsp of onion powder, salt and pepper to taste (we like a lot of pepper so I tend to add a lot of pepper).

In a sauce pan mix the traditional sauce (fill jar about 1/4 way with water and place lid back on and shake up, add that too the sauce in the pan... the excess water bakes out when you put it in the oven).  Add about 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp chili powder, pinch of oregano, pinch Italian season, salt and pepper to taste (again we had quite a bit of pepper).  I really don't measure them exactly I just add them to taste but these are about the amounts I use.  Heat using a cover to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Drain the hamburger and add it to the sauce mix and keep simmering covered for another 10 minutes.  Drain the noodles really well and add them back to the pot they were boiled in.  Then pour in the sauce mixture. Use a spoon and mix the noodles and sauce together well.  Pour into a glass dish and place in the oven for 15 minutes.  While spaghetti is in the oven then in a small bowl mix together one package of mozzarella cheese and a 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese. Remove the spaghetti from the oven and sprinkle the cheese mixture over the top of the spaghetti and put it back in the oven until the cheese is melted.  Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

And that is my baked spaghetti!  It makes my husband happy and I think its yummy so it works for my little family!  If you try it I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!