8lbs 15oz

Today is Caitlin's one month birthday and I can't believe she's almost 9 pounds!!!...and she now measures 20 1/2 inches long! Today I was able to put her in a 0-3 month outfit that she wasn't swimming in. Tomorrow we may take a little drive down to my work so I can introduce her to everyone. Also, my parents are coming into town tomorrow and we're all really excited about it. More photo opps!

Oh, I swear Dennis has become a mind reader ever since she was born. He seems to know the nights I'm completely exhausted and comes into the living room to send me back to bed while he takes care of her. Plus tonight he grabbed pizza for dinner (my request) and I completely forgot to tell him I wanted him to grab some ranch and root beer.....Well when he came home he had both! He's such an awesome husband and daddy! Caitlin and I are so lucky!

4 Weeks Today!

I can't believe our little girl is 4 weeks old already! The time has just flown by! She's getting so big...as you can tell by her squishy cheeks.

Enough with the photos already!

Apparently, daddy's little girl is getting a bit sick of all the photos we're taking of her! This little snapshot was taken when Caitlin was trying to nap on daddy's chest.....and that was her response to the previous dozen pictures that were taken before. I just can't imagine what's gonna happen when she's able to talk.

Black Friday

I believe this is the first Black Friday Dennis and I have not gone out shopping. It's kinda weird but a little nice on the other hand because we didn't have to deal with the crazy people or the incredibly long lines! Instead, Dennis and I are going to get out the Christmas decorations. He's gonna start on the outside lights and I think I'm gonna put up the tree. We usually watch a holiday themed movie while we do this, but I'm not sure which one to watch. There are so many great ones out there......especially The Family Stone and Love Actually.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Dennis and I are especially thankful this year. We have incredible family and friends and an adorable and beautiful baby girl. Unfortunately, J, K, and B-man were unable to make it out so it was just the three of us this year. Plus, it was the first time I made Thanksgiving dinner in this house. It was also the first time in several years that we haven't had T-dinner with J, K, and B-man which was a little weird. But since we have Caitlin, it was kinda nice having just the three of us for her first Thanksgiving.

Oh and yesterday I was able to finish everything except the yams. The cinnamon rolls turned out really good and I'm trying not to think about having one as a bedtime snack......a 3am snack possibly....that I can rationalize.

I hope everyone had a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving!

The Plan

If all goes well and my little cupcake sleeps most of the day (or is awake and content) I will have made a pumpkin cheesecake, prepped the sweet potatoes, and made the dough for the Portuguese sweet rolls and formed the cinnamon rolls as well. However, because our little angel has been sleeping quite a lot today, it looks like I'm in for a long night and a sleepy tomorrow.

Ooooo, my sister got a TWO pound guinea pig today!!! She brought it home for Hunter and when I called, he was holding it for the first time.....he totally loves her and his dog Speedy is rather jealous I guess. Oh, and her name is Bubbles....such a perfect name for a guinea pig!

No Good TV

Between the hours of 1am and 5am there really isn't any good TV. Although, I have been able to catch up on all the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" episodes that I never watched....and if the timing is right, I get to sneak in about 2 episodes of "Roseanne" before I get to go back to bed. So the other day I recorded "Alvin and the Chipmunks" to watch in the wee hours of the morning. It wasn't that bad actually....but I think if I would have watched it during a normal movie viewing time, I wouldn't have liked it so much. I haven't seen any other new movies to DVR so "Finding Nemo" is on the viewing menu tonight. However, Dennis and I have been trying to keep Caitlin awake for most of the evening so she won't be up for so long during the night....that is proving to be more difficult than expected. We'll see if that prevents her from staying up so long in the wee hours. Either way I see positives in both situations. If she sleeps better....I sleep better. If she stays up....I get to watch a movie I've been wanting to watch again, but wouldn't necessarily choose in the daylight hours.

Lost Button

This morning Caitlin lost her belly button! I went to change her diaper and discovered her button was no longer there!....then I looked every where for it and couldn't locate it anywhere. It wasn't until I was feeding her that I could feel it on her back through her PJ's.....and FYI, we didn't save it. It's really kinda gross and I don't think it brings as many oooo's and ahhh's that a lock of hair does.

Fever update:
Yesterday my fever came back both morning and night (pretty much when the advil would ware off) but was not accompanied by any other symptoms...thank goodness! So far today, I have been fever free and I'm hoping to stay that way.

Fever

Today I woke up feeling "funny." It was like I needed to stretch a lot and my body was a bit fuzzy. That got me thinking....the last time I felt like that I got sick. Trying not to freak out, I took my temperature thinking for sure it would be just fine....well, I was wrong. It came up at 100.1 and I kinda started to freak out as I was downing some Advil to ward off a higher temp......then I called my sister. She confirmed that a "bug" has been circulating and to keep hydrated and keep breastfeeding so Caitlin can get the antibodies to what ever I have. I really hope she doesn't get sick...that'll be just so awful!

Here's hoping I get better soon!!!

Cousins

This weekend J, K +1, and B-man came over for a visit. It was great to see them and B-man is getting to be such a big boy now. He seemed somewhat interested in Caitlin and was definitely trying to be a helpful older cousin....that'll come in handy when his little sister arrives late next month! They only stayed for one day :( but they are going to come out again for Thanksgiving which will be a lot of fun. Well, I gotta go feed little Caitlin for now. TTFN.

Don't you just love his hat!

Baby yawns are the cutest!

Awe, sweet baby girl.

Target and Mervyns

Today was Caitlin's first shopping day. I was a bit nervous but she just slept through the whole thing like it was no big deal. It's one thing when you drive yourself around, but when you have precious cargo in the car, you think and drive a bit differently. I was planning on using a Snugly pack but didn't because it was so bulky on me and I couldn't fasten one of the buckles in the back. So then I had to figure out how I was going to carry her about AND shop. Target was an easy solution...I could just put her carseat in a shopping cart. But Mervyns was a bit more challenging. I could carry her, but I didn't want anyone bumping into me or anything....and then there was the whole trying to deal with my purse and payment with one hand. So I decided to use the BOB stroller at Mervyns.....and boy oh boy was that nice. That stroller can manuver around super easy...plus you can hang hangers from the handle! Soon we'll be getting a couple of baby slings from our sister-in-law, so that will increase our transportation options.

Happy Thursday!

Firsts

Caitlin went to her first doctor appointment today. It was quite chaotic. We had never been to that office before and when we walked in we were immediately overwhelmed by a blasting TV and a waiting room filled will screaming children....not to mention it was about 100 degrees in the waiting room! Anyway, Caitlin weighed 6lbs 10oz....only 1 ounce shy of her birth weight! We go back in three weeks, so it will be interesting to see how much she weighs then.

As I said on my last post, we gave Caitlin her first bath on Sunday. She was so good through the whole thing and I'm hoping she'll end up liking her baths. And as promised, here are some pictures:

Going Well

We are so enjoying our new bundle of joy! She hardly cries and when she does, it is adorably sweet. We gave her her first sponge bath yesterday and she didn't mind it too much. I'll post pics as soon as I can get around to uploading them. Dennis and I are adjusting pretty well to our new sleep schedule and are establishing a good routine so far. She is definitely daddy's little girl and I LOVE watching them bond. We are just so blessed to have such a beautiful baby girl.

Caitlin Marie

Here she is! After being induced Monday night, she was born Tuesday, November 4th at 7:20pm. She weighed 6lbs 11oz and is 19.25 inches long. It was an absolutely wonderful labor and delivery. There were a few complications right as I delivered, but she is happy and healthy now. We were discharged from the hospital yesterday morning and have been relaxing at home in our own bed!!! I will post more pictures soon!

Accidental Nap

Today I had a 3 hour accidental nap. I just meant to lay down for a bit, but because of all the pillows I have to use to support my body I was SUPER comfortable and fell right to sleep. Thankfully for Dennis I woke up around 6:15 (because the heater came on and I was getting really hot).....and thankfully the dinner planned for tonight was leftovers. So sleepy eyed and barely coherent, I was able to fix Dennis a pretty good looking dinner of tri-tip, mashed sweet potatoes, and salad. For dessert (and after I woke up a bit) I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies....which he is enjoying now and hopefully won't eat too many and make himself sick. Although, I'm pretty sure he will because I haven't made him cookies in I don't know how long! Poor guy!

I hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!!

So we didn't get a Halloween baby today. I had a couple hours of false labor last night which was interesting and our ultrasound and NST was pretty uneventful.

We're off to watch a movie. We've only had 1 trick-or-treater so we're calling it a night.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

No Dice

Okay, so watermelon didn't work and it looks like we won't have a little girl on Halloween.....it's still early, but I'm pretty sure she'll be a November baby. I'm also thinking that I'll go into labor either on election day or that weekend because my mom has to work election day and that weekend my dad and stepmom are going to be out of town. However, my sister is all packed and ready to go making sure she has a full tank of gas.

Tomorrow I go for another ultrasound and NST so we'll see what they have to say about my preeclampsia symptoms. If my blood pressure is high or anything is off, they will most likely induce.....it's all just a matter of time now.....and the clock is ticking quickly away!!!!

As Promised

Here they are! These are some of my favorites. The one of Dennis's hands and my hands is my favorite! Thank you so much Nancy for these memories!!!

All Set

Today I had my long term sub come in and shadow me again. Actually, she did my schedule while I observed and worked on finalizing some last minute things before I go on maternity leave. It appears that next Wednesday will be my last day at work as long as I don't go into labor before then. I know my sub will do an absolutely wonderful job, but I'm a bit nervous about leaving because I'm so use to being in control and now I have to give it up to someone else. However, I'm sure that as soon as our daughter arrives, I won't even think about it anymore! I'm getting so excited! She's gonna be here so soon!

Super Fab

We had a NST and OB appointment today and all went well. My blood pressure and protein levels were good even though I still have my kegs. The doctor also let me know that they will induce me before I pass my due date, so that means our daughter will be born sometime in the next two weeks!!! The doctor also said that I'm dilated just a bit which is a change from Friday....woo hoo!!! So if I don't go into labor beforehand, I go back on Friday for another ultrasound and NST. I can't believe in no more than two weeks Dennis and I will have a daughter!!!! I'm giddy with joy!

1st Trimester Fatigue

It feels like I'm back in my first trimester! The last two days I can barely stay awake! I didn't wake up till 11am today and then took another hour or so nap this afternoon.....and I'm just hoping I can stay awake until bedtime. However, I did make two batches of banana bread and a batch of sweet and sour sauce for our sweet and sour chicken tonight. Dennis on the other hand was vacuuming, doing dishes, laundry, and tinkering outside (all in between football plays of course).

Tomorrow we have another busy schedule with a NST and an OB appointment...all without any surprises we hope.

Belly Pics!

Wonderful Nancy came over this morning and took some photos of my belly. There are some pretty cute ones and some pretty goofy ones.....specifically the ones of me in the middle of a laugh or sentence. It was really, really fun and I will post some soon.....as long as we don't have the baby that is.

Which brings me to another story....

Yesterday during our routine NST at the hospital, they discovered protein in my pee. Well, combine that will kegs and highish blood pressure they sent off for a round of blood tests which should I was beginning to develop signs of preeclampsia. So after almost 6 hours in the hospital, they sent me home to collect my pee for 24 hours (which is all so hilarious and strange at the same time). They had me do this to check my protein levels and if they were too high, then they were going to induce me today. As you can tell (because I'm blogging today) my levels were okay and they didn't have to induce.....but all day we were thinking that this could be our last day as a couple and soon we'd be a family! My doctor has now ordered me to do 2 NST's a week and I'm cutting down the number of days I work per week from 4 to 2. They advised me to stop working all together but if she doesn't come for another 3 weeks, that's a lot of time off before hand which will reduce my time off after she's born. Truthfully, I don't see me actually making it to my due date......we're kinda hoping for a Halloween delivery.....wouldn't that be so super awesome! I just heard watermelon can cause you to go into labor.....hmmmm.....

Happy Birthday Jonathan!

Woo hoo!!!!....31!!!!!!! We hope you have a wonderful birthday JT$!!! Beaumont Livingston also wishes you a happy birthday as he is trying to help type this. Happy, happy birthday and we hope you enjoyed Indiana Jones!

Kegs

No, it not the kind filled with beer....it's what happens when there is no distinction between your ankles and your thighs! I am afflicted with this horrible ailment. The bottom half of me looks like it belongs on someone else's body! It's sooooo weird and definitely not the most comfortable thing in the world. I would post a picture of them, but I'm afraid I'd give several of you horrible nightmares. I've retained so much water in the past week or so that I HAD to get bigger shoes...slip ons at that! I went from a 6 1/2 to a 8 1/2!!!! I was so desperate I didn't even look for a cheap pair.....I just got the ones that were the most comfortable. Thankfully, they are on the cute side.....Dennis ended up picking them out for me because I was....well...pregnant and that for some reason has short circuited my thinking and decision making skills.

Alright, it's time to put my kegs up!

Headache

Long Day + Dreadful Cankles + Bill Paying = Headache

Current Obsession

This is my current obsession. I have never really liked lime before, but now I crave it. I would love to drink gallons and gallons of limeade, but since that wouldn't really mesh well with my sugars I have chosen these as an alternative. Oh, and Thursday evening the docs switched me to insulin and I now give my self two shots a day.....thankfully without passing out! :)

Thursday I left school early because I wasn't feeling well and after we made a trip to L&D, we saw that I was having a few minor and irregular contractions. They said from here on out it is normal to have 4-6 contractions an hour until the day she's born. I hope that doesn't happen, but at least I know it'll be normal and we don't have to rush into L&D. Nancy said she had contractions for a solid month before her daughter was born! Yikes! On Friday we had another ultrasound and our little one is doing just fine. She's weighing in at around 5lbs 11oz.......the same weight I was when I was born!

My mother came over to visit this weekend and I packed the days full of events. We were non-stop the minute she arrived. I think the only down time we had was while I was sleeping this morning! We went to the farmer's market, baby shopping at Target and the mall, and the annual Halloween crafts fair. Then today at 1pm, my mentor teacher (Barb) threw me a wonderful baby shower!!!! Everyone from work was there plus New York Dyani. As soon as NYD emails me the pics, I will post some. We received so many ADORABLE outfits that it will be really difficult decided what she'll wear everyday! I just want to thank everyone who came and Dennis and I really appreciate all your generosity and support! And a special thank you to Barb for throwing such a beautiful shower in your beautiful home....thank you!

No More Room

There is absolutely no more room for our daughter to get any bigger! I just don't see how it's possible when I can practically feel it when she moves her pinky finger! Now don't get me wrong, I live for every movement she makes, but she's really packed in there now and there's no more room for her to go. According to my books, she should "drop" soon leaving me with more breathing room and her with more kicking room....I'm looking forward to that day. I'm also looking forward to the day I can sneeze normally.....because as of now, I don't have enough room in my lungs for the amount of air it takes to sneeze like a normal person. It sounds pretty funny, but it's totally true!

I must get back to the couch now. You should see the size of my cankles!

Welcome Home

Everybody's back home today! Woo hoo! Dennis got into town a little before 9 am and my dad got home from his hunting trip sometime today. So in all, that makes 3 wives very, VERY happy to have their husbands home!!!! All of us, my sister-in-law, my step-mom, and myself couldn't sleep worth a lick while our better halves were away. Although, my step-mom had it much worse because my dad was gone for like 10 days!!! I couldn't even imagine what it would be like if Dennis was gone for that long.....especially since I'm a few weeks from my due date. I was totally freaked out that I would go into labor this weekend while he was at the game....thankfully, that didn't happen :) He and Jonathan had a good time at the game and their seats were pretty darn close to the field too. Unfortunately the 49ers didn't win, but when they were up in the 3rd quarter things were pretty exciting. So much so that he came back with a very hoarse voice.....he sounds so cute though!

That's enough for tonight....I'm gonna go bond with my husband now. :)

San Fran....again

So Dennis is headed off (again) to San Francisco to watch a 49er game with his brother. It is a birthday present for his brother....pretty cool huh! Anyway, they're in the theater room bonding over video games......thus, I'm blogging. They leave about 5am and will return around 10 am on Monday. It's a short trip for them, but it feels like an eternity for me. So I'm gonna head to a birthday party tomorrow to help pass the time. Ooooo, maybe I'll be bad and have some cake....but do I really want to gain another 3 1/2lbs in 10 days?.....I don't think so :)

Profile

For the last 4 hours, I have been shuttling myself from one appointment to the next. Our ultrasound went very well and everything is still right where it should be. The non-stress test was again non-stressful and lasted the minimum 20 minutes! As soon as we got in there she started kicking around so all we had to do was wait another 13 minutes to finish the required 20 minutes on the machine. Then I headed up to meet with the nutritionist about my sugar levels and she was completely baffled by the inconsistencies in my levels.....so we are trying one more thing for this weekend and if that doesn't work then I guess I'm being switched completely over to insulin. At this point I really don't care what they put me on as long as things become consistent! But like I've said before, the day they get things figured out will be the day I go into labor! LOL!

Doesn't it look like she's blowing bubbles!!!! It still looks like she'll have my nose and Dennis's lips!

Your kidding me!

We had an OB appointment today which was pretty routine. Baby is doing just fine. She's just the right size and her heartbeat is nice and strong. The shocking part of the appointment came right at the beginning when I was weighed. Ten days ago (during my last appointment) I had gained 6oz from the previous week. Today I thought I may have gained a bit more because I have been eating more simple carbohydrates because my blood sugar levels have gotten really low several times during the last week and a half. Well I was not prepared for what the scale was about to show me.......I had gained 3 1/2lbs in 10 days!!!!!! I was shocked!....utterly shocked!!! Dennis said my face turned red and my mouth just dropped open. The nurse (whom I adore) found our reaction amusing and laughed along with us. She told us not to worry at all and that she's seen the same thing happen lots of times before. Still in complete disbelief and suffering from nervous laughter, I said that my blood pressure was probably going to be high too.....and sure enough it was! So when the doctor came in and commented on my higher than usual blood pressure, Dennis and I just could help but laugh.....so then we had to explain ourselves and to which the doctor replied "well, you were due to gain some weight anyway"....that made me feel a teeny tiny bit better. Let's just say I'll be holding off on those lime pops and apple pie!

Oye!

No blog yesterday, because I was just plain cranky!

1. I completely broke out this weekend (thank you hormones) and picture day is tomorrow.

2. My hair is driving my crazy, but I have fought the urge to get a haircut because I end up getting it cut just a few days before picture day and not liking it for the past few years.

3. My blood sugar was runny WAY too high all day and I couldn't really snack like normal.

4. I WAS HUNGRY!!!!

5. We had a really long staff meeting (it was supposed to be short) which caused me to take my meds 45 minutes later than usual.

6. My lip was still recovering from getting stuck to a lime popsicle and ripping off a layer or two of skin because I couldn't get it unstuck!

7. I'm totally craving anything lime, but can't chug the limeade because it's filled with sugar. I seriously need to buy some limes in the next day or so.

On the upside, today was pretty successful. I accomplished quite a bit and my sugars were running within normal limits. It's crazy what a little number can do to your mood! And the big question of the night is......sliced apple or lime pop?

All's Good in the Neighborhood

Today we had our first weekly ultrasound and non-stress test.....and it's all good. I had them double check to make sure she's a girl (and she is no doubt about it) and we got a picture of her cute foot! She weighs approximately 5lbs 1oz now and looks like a little person! She's changed so much since our last ultrasound! As for the non-stress test, it was pretty non-stressful. She's doing just fine in there and should arrive sometime in mid-November....right on schedule. Even though I thought everything was going to be okay, it was really nice to hear it from several medical sources. So after I got home I did a second load of her laundry and this evening we packed her bag. I've sort of starting packing mine, but I'm not in too much of a hurry to finish (shockingly enough!).

Have a great weekend! Tomorrow we're headed to the apple festival....rain or shine!

Tired, Tired, Tired

Yup, that is what I am. Our little darling decided 3am would be a good time to get up and play. I guess she's just preparing me for what's ahead.

Oh, it was an interesting day as school.....our power went out just before 9am! And you ask, what did we do? Well, stayed of course and hung flashlights in the bathrooms so the kids wouldn't pee on the floor! It was pretty crazy but thankfully the rain had stopped about that time so all the kids were able to have ALL their recesses outside. Otherwise, they would have to be cooped up in the classrooms since the gym didn't have any lights. Needless to say, I think all the teachers were happy when the day was over. Oh, and what if the power is still out tomorrow you ask? Well silly, it's business as normal! All students are to report to school. Let's just hope it's a bright sunshiny day!

BONK!

Sometimes when either Dennis and I come home, the cats go a little nutty.....especially if it is a nice day outside and even more so when we come home from a weekend away. So today Beaumont was being his usual crazy and extremely vocal self. Normally, I would have put both cats outside but since it is supposed to rain sometime this evening, I didn't want to deal with bringing them in from the rain. So I fed Jack Rabbit Slims as usual and shut the sliding glass door behind me. Then B.L. jumped on the table (slipping a bit as he did so) and I yelled at him to get off. Well, I don't know if he had too much momentum or he thought the door was open, but he ran right into the sliding glass door!....with a huge BONK!!!!! He then took off running down the hallway....zigging and zagging as he went into the baby's room and hid under the bed! What a complete dork! I tried to call him out, but I couldn't stop laughing so I just left him there. He came out a few minutes later, but he was all jumpy.....like he had one to many cups off coffee! Sometimes I don't think he has a brain.....poor, poor gato. Now, he's snug as a bug in a rug on the couch......let's just hope he stays that way!

33 1/2 Weeks

Yup, here I am at 33 1/2 weeks. Dennis and I just had our 4th (or rather 3rd since we missed last week) childbirth class. We only have 2 more classes to go. Tonight was pretty good for me since the class was mostly about relaxation and massage. I was pretty sleepy when we left. I should have gone to bed but....well, that just didn't happen did it.

We saw the baby doctor today and everything is going well. I'm on a weekly basis now due to my blood sugar and next week we'll reevaluate my meds. Oh, but on Friday we'll get another peek at our daughter!!! I hope we can get another picture printed too!

Ooooo boxing!

I don't know who's fighting, but I'm excited! Plus, next week there is an Elite XC fight with Kimbo Slice.....should be pretty interesting. The last fight he was in he busted open the guys ear....super gross and awesome at the same time!

Today (sniff) I had to take off my wedding ring and put it on my necklace. I thought it was a bit challenging to take off, but since it's sized small I didn't think too much of it. Well, I was struggling a bit more to put it back on and Dennis thought it might be a good idea to keep it off rather than have it cut off if it got to that point.....so I kept it off and put it around my neck. I didn't realize how much I play with it during the day! My hand feels so naked!

Well, the fight starts in about 30 minutes so I must finish all my online stuff beforehand. Have a great Saturday evening!

Um...

I know I should have something to blog about after not blogging for several days, but I'm drawing a blank. I think pregnancy brain is taking a hold of me. Oh, but we did have a dinner party tonight for the presidential debate and my new dose of diabetes meds are working rather well.....in fact, I had pasta, potato, and pie and my sugar was within normal limits an hour later!!!!! Woo hoo! I would hope that this trend continues, but as I have seen in the past, it usually only does that for one day and then gets really high again.....It's all so confusing and I just don't get it sometimes! But like the doctor reassuringly said, only a couple weeks to go!

SEX AND THE CITY on DVD!!!!!

IT'S OUT! IT'S OUT! IT'S OUT! Finally this day has come! Dennis went out this morning around 8am and picked it up for me....that way I would be certain to get a copy of the extended version! I wonder how many times I will watch it? I know I've watched the entire SATC series about a gazillion times and that never gets old! It's so exciting I can hardly stand it!!!!!

By the way, I'm still a bit sick but at least I feel a bit more peppy.....maybe the SATC movie has something to do with it??? :)

Darn Cold!

I still have it! Although, my nasal passages are clearer today but I am left with a headache on my right side and the great thing is.....when ever I cough, it feels like my head is going to EXPLODE!!! So, when I can, I try to compress my head when I cough just in case that happens. I feel really bad for my students when I'm like this.....I'm just blah rather than BLAM! Oh and no child birth class tonight....I just need to lie on the couch and do absolutely nothing....except look at the inside of my eyelids.

When I was little...

I actually remember this photo being taken. I think we were sledding at my Nana's house. We ALWAYS use to go sledding there when all us cousins were little. It would be an all day event with hot chocolate, cookies, and usually a family dinner. We had so much fun and I always thought it was so weird how hot my pee was when I came in from the cold! Okay maybe that's a little TOO much info for some of you, but I really thought it was odd. Now that the cousins have gotten older and moved on, I can't remember the last time it snowed enough to go sledding in Nana's back yard.....or maybe it has and, as an adult, I'm too busy to notice. Anyway, I hope when our daughter is older, Dennis and I will be able to share similar moments with her.

Birthday dinner update:
We didn't end up getting to the brewery until 7:30. Dennis kinda didn't want to go because he wasn't feeling well either, but I had been wanting to go so bad that I wasn't gonna let a cold stop us. Well, apparently it was Civil War Days and the place was completely PACKED! I new it was going to be a bit crowded, but it was crazy crowded. So after several people cut in front of us, I was able to ask the waitress how long the wait was. Turns out it was going to be at leas an HOUR before we could get a table!!! I (and Dennis) was very upset at hearing this news and practically stormed out of there fighting the tears as I went. Because we were in a different town, we didn't know of any other restaurants and were not in the mood to go searching for one....so we did the next best thing (or rather closest option).....we went to Denny's which was about 2 blocks away. So there we were having my 29th birthday dinner in Denny's. On the one had it was pretty sad, but then again, I was also really happy to be getting food within 30 minutes. It was actually pretty good. Dennis had a make your own Grand Slam and I had a chicken ranch sandwich thingy. It hit the spot and the food put us in better moods. Then one the way home (around 9pm) Dennis suggested we do our grocery shopping right then so we (or rather I) wouldn't have to do it tomorrow. I agreed apprehensively because we had neither a shopping list or a dinner list planned. We did the best we could so hopefully I won't have to pick up any last minute items this week. Really, it was kinda nice shopping so late because it was super quite and there was hardly anyone there! And when we got home, I had a message from my dad from Buck Camp (Sterling Mountain) wishing me a happy birthday......it was a nice way to end a crazy evening.

It's Official

I am sick. Today (my birthday) is the first official full day of my cold. Yesterday started off a little more sniffily and sneezy with a sore throat chaser....and today I am feeling the full effects of it all. However, Dennis made me eggs and toast this morning for breakfast! It was really good and pretty too! Then we headed to the North Coast Country Fair. This is a pretty cool fair with tons of local vendors. I didn't get anything for myself, but I did find a birthday present for my mom, a Christmas present for our niece and nephew, and Dennis got some really good BBQ sauce and hot pepper jam. Now I think we're gonna head to the mall and get some baby stuff but later tonight we're going to the Eel River Brewery for some yummy steak!!!! My new diabetes meds are working pretty well so I'll be able to eat more like a regular person tonight! Woo-hoo!!!!! Alright, time to make a grocery list and gather my coupons. :)

Have a great day!

The Carseat Has Arrived!

And it's gorgeous!!!! I spent the evening reading the manual and then took off the padding to wash it....but that wasn't before I took a picture of the backside so I would know what it should look like when I put it back together! Yes, the manual does include pictures, but come on....they aren't the greatest in the world! I plan on washing the padding along with a full basket of clothing tomorrow....it'll be the first load of baby laundry!!!!!

Tomorrow my friend is taking me out for a night on the town! Well, okay, she's taking me to dinner and a movie to celebrate my birthday....it's not like we're going bar hopping or anything! :) Unfortunately, my "sniff, sniff" and scratchy throat has returned....I seriously hope it goes into hibernation within the next 12 hours.

Alright, it's off to the couch to "veg"! Until we meet again!

one day (event) at a time

Friday, September 12th
We headed over to Redding to stay with J, K, and B-man and arrived around 6pm to a kitchen counter piled high with baby gifts and birthday presents. J, K, and B-man showed up about a half an hour later with In N Out burgers and fries which I devoured within seconds!.....I only had about 5 fries, but I seriously wanted the whole bag of them! Brady is getting so tall and can do and say so many more things! Dennis had a blast chasing him around the house and through his dinosaur tunnel.

Uncle Dennis reading a story before bedtime.

What a silly boy!

Saturday, September 13th
Today was the day of my shower. My sister and mom threw it for me and around 20 family members were able to come. It was so awesome and my sister made me cupcakes (my favorite) and a diaper cake! Everything was so awesome and I received the cutest little girl clothes ever! Our girl will be dressed so cute!.....at least for the next 6-9 months! I even got boots that look like mini Uggs! Plus, my dad and step-mom gave us the stroller we'd been drooling over for the last several months.....a BOB stroller in chocolate and light blue!!!! It's absolutely fabulous!

So how many squares did it take to go around my belly?.....10! And most everyone went WAY over!....except Kelly and 2 others!

It's like wine tasting, but with baby food! I won this game by the way!

My super cute (and yummy) baby shower cupcakes!

Isn't it so beautiful!!!!!!

My diaper cake! It took only 84 diapers to make it!

My mom, sister, Hunter and me....in front of my brother's newly planted lawn!

Monday, September 15th
When I arrived at school, it felt like I had been gone for a month! Apparently, there were several meetings held Thursday afternoon or Friday about STAR testing, our GROW program, and my schedule. I felt completely clueless as to what was happening and I didn't like it one bit. It made me realize what it's going to feel like when I come back from maternity leave....completely out of the loop! Then I found out early that morning that at our afternoon staff meeting they were going to have a "surprise" baby shower for me and the music teacher....with cake and goodies to boot! It was a surprise for the music teacher but because the principal didn't have a chance to grab the agenda out of my box, I was aware that the first item on the agenda was the joint baby shower! It was still a wonderful surprise though! The staff gave Dennis and I a gift card to Target, Diane (the other K teacher) gave us super cute cupcake onesies, the cook made an adorable quilt, and Kris.....well Kris went a bit overboard with onesies, a blanket, pants, and picture frames. It was all so nice of them!

Tuesday, September 16th
So remember the GATE application I was working on last school year and how much a pain it was? Well, today the principal tracked me down in Kindergarten to let me know that we got a THREE year approval!!!!! It's the most we've ever gotten! Normally, we get 1-2 years so this was HUGE!!!! I'm so happy!!!! I guess all that work paid off!

Today
As if a surprise baby shower wasn't enough, the staff threw me and the librarian a surprise birthday lunch!....with cake too! People brought really good food too! Barb brought an awesome (and spicy) black bean soup, Diane brought egg salad and crackers, Deb brought homemade applesauce, Teresa (I think) brought watermelon, and Will brought pasta salad. I helped myself to EVERYTHING (carbs or no carbs!) and I had 1 1/2 pieces of cake too!!!! Take that blood sugar! Surprisingly, an hour later, my sugars were within a normal range which completely blew my mind! Wouldn't it be awesome if that could happen everyday! Now that's some wishful thinking!

I'm really happy there was cake today because I'm definitely not having one on my actual birthday (Saturday) because it'll just sit in the fridge and taunt me.....cake is mean like that you know. Anyway, the party was also really awesome because in the 4 years I've been at the school, this is the first time it was remembered and celebrated by more than just a few! It was just really awesome and I want to thank everyone involved!!!

....but I like the smell of tuna fish better

That is what a student said to me today after he thought my room smelled like peach perfume! And coming from this child (a second grader who is VERY quiet and barely speaks) completely cracked me up and I seriously had to control myself!

As I am super tired, I will post about the following at a later date:

1. Family Baby Shower
2. Childbirth Class - Week 2
3. "Surprise" Work Baby Shower

Coffee Happiness

Today I splurged and had a decaf coffee! It only had (at most) 2 grams of carbs and tasted fabulous! I used half and half and a bit of sugar-free English Toffee syrup.....yum-O! I actually felt like a normal person! And since I caught up on all my sleep, I was almost on the giddy side this morning!

While I was teaching one of my morning classes, the baby was (again) having quite a time kicking and rolling around. So I moved my overhead projected and told my 3rd graders to look at my belly.....and sure enough, she bobbed around for all to see! The kids were so excited when they saw her move and loads of questions ensued. Some questions I've been asked from the kids have been....well...on the odd side. Today a child asked me if I had had my baby already and then last week I had a student who didn't realize I was pregnant and asked if I had eaten to much! Kids are so darn funny!

By the way, I must wish a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Kris!!!!! She's turning 32 today!!!!! I'd post a pic of her, but I actually don't have any.....I could post her school pic, but that would be cruel....no one ever looks good in them.....at least I don't anyway. :)

Necessary Nap

This morning I woke up exhausted like I didn't get any sleep at all. But on the contrary, I slept rather well. So as I was in the shower (willing myself to wake up) I thought about calling in sick to work. Since this thought crosses my mind once or twice a month, I decided I could tough it out and snap out of my exhaustion (like usual) by the end of my first group of students.....well, that really didn't happen. I was the same, if not more tired than I was when I first arrived at school. So I made the executive decision to go home. When I called Dennis to let him know, he was about to do the same thing! He was extremely tired, but unlike me, he was going to tough it out for the rest of the day. I ended up crawling into bed around 10am and didn't wake up until almost 2pm! And boy, oh boy was it a great nap! Then I got up, had some lunch, and when straight back to bed. I didn't go back to sleep though, I just laid there watching Seinfeld until Dennis got home. Now I feel much better and should be good to go tomorrow morning!

Childbirth Class - Week 1

Well, both Dennis and I didn't learn anything new that we haven't already read in our books. I bit disappointing for me, but I'm really hoping it's better next week. I think the worse thing was how LONG the class was. Okay, it was only 2 hours but having a class in the evening for a 3rd trimester pregnant lady is torture! I was trying so hard not to fall asleep....especially when they showed the video and turned off all the lights! Most of the women there were due in October and there was one due in December. By far, Dennis was the most engaged out of all the men.....many of them had their heads down twiddling their thumbs or had extremely bored looks on their faces.

Ooooooo, this morning the baby was pushed to my right side so my tummy was completely misshaped and freaky looking! She eventually moved back into a position that made my tummy more rounded. Now that I've been seeing kids for the past week, she's decided to do somersaults while I'm trying to teach a class. I have to use all my energy to concentrate on what I'm teaching and not what she's doing.....it's challenging at times and like the childbirth teacher last night said, it's like they have 8 limbs!.......But I do love every minute of it!

All By My Lonesome

Dennis left this morning around 4:45am and arrived in San Fran around 9am. I just got off the phone with him (actually we got disconnected due to bad reception) and he said the game was kinda boring and they were surrounded by unusually large and drunk people. After phoning the wives, they were going to head to dinner. They'll be home sometime tomorrow morning and I can't wait! The house is so quiet with him gone.....not that he's loud or anything. I ended up spending a long time in Target and then went to the mall to pass the time. I've also made a lot of phone calls to busy my self. I plan on watching TV in the bedroom until I can't keep my eyelids open anymore....to help me sleep. I have quite a few items DVR'd, so this shouldn't be too difficult.

Tomorrow evening Dennis and I will attend our FIRST child birth class! I'm really excited and a wee bit nervous about it. The class is from 6:30-8:30.....kinda late for pregnant ladies I think....but whatever. I hope Dennis won't be too bored or uncomfortable......me too now that I think about it. You never know with these classes!

Until tomorrow!

Argh!

The "sniff, sniff" has mostly gone away replaced by a freaking scratchy throat!!! I seriously hope I don't get much worse. Dennis is leaving for San Fran tomorrow morning to go to a 49er game, so I will be all by my lonesome tomorrow night. Then we go to our first child birth class on Monday so I have to feel okay so I can absorb all the information!

Today around 3pm I met my friend at a bridal shop so she could try on wedding dresses. It was so much fun and we made her try on some of the poofiest and hideous ones we could find! She ended up finding 2 she liked and they are COMPLETELY different from each other in style and price. Thankfully, she's not getting married until next August so she has time to weigh her choices.

It's off to finish up the Firefly series!.....and put my feet up to get rid of my hideously ugly puffy ankles.....they're not THAT bad I guess, but to me they are completely gross looking!

Sniff

Every day last week there was a student in the office on the verge of or getting sick in the nearest trashcan. The 3rd grade teacher got sick on the 2nd day of school, the 1st grade teacher got sick the 4th day of school, and the other 1st grade teacher went home sick this Monday. This morning I woke up with a "sniff, sniff" to my normal routine.....followed by a sneeze an hour later. It went away for a bit, but returned about a half hour ago....YIKES!!!! I seriously hope I'm not catching a cold or what ever the other teachers had! I just have so much to do at school, plus I need to save all of my sick time for my maternity leave.

On a much better note, I made homemade pasta sauce with tomatoes from Nancy's dad's place. Mmmmm it is SOOOOO good! I just love it! Dennis likes it to be more saucy (turning his noodles red) so I add a bit of tomato sauce for him.....that is after I put the original recipe on my noodles first. :) Uh oh, I feel another sneeze coming on!!!!......okay, it went away....whew! Anyway, my pasta was oh so yummy tonight and I have plenty of leftovers for next week!

Right On Track

I had an OB appointment today and I'm doing pretty well. My ankles were a bit puffy and I'm having to increase my blood sugar meds, but all in all, I'm doing very well! I was very happy to hear that. Now that I'm 30 weeks, I start going to the doctor every 2 weeks! I can't believe how quickly time is going by! I really need to start making preparations for my leave from school. I've got months to plan ahead for! Thankfully, I have a wonderful and awesome long term sub! She'll be subbing for me tomorrow afternoon while I attend a "wonderful" CELDT training (don't ask, just nod your head). Then we have Back to School night at 6:30......it's gonna be one LONG day!

Beaumont Livingston vs. Jerky

Let's just say the jerky didn't have a chance!

Surprise!

Yesterday (after my sister left) Dennis told me I needed to get out of the house. Not really understanding why he needed me "out," I questioned him. He said he was going to work on a project for the baby. Immediately I thought he was going to paint the baby's room or do something with paint that I wasn't aware of....so I asked him "Does it have to do with paint?" His scary response: "I can neither confirm, nor deny it has to do with paint." Needless to say, I was convinced he was going to paint something. So off to the store I went at a super slow pace (not that I needed to try too much to go slow.....pregnancy tends to do that anyway in the 3rd trimester). When I arrived home, I heard him hammering in the garage and was instructed to STAY OUT! Confused and exhausted, I took a nap. About an hour later he said the surprise was ready to view....and this is what it was:

We'd been eying this dresser at Target for quite some time and I was just itching to get it so I could begin putting things away. We were waiting for it to go on sale, but I didn't know when that would ever happen and thus, didn't think we'd end up getting it. Well apparently Dennis speeded off to Target on Sunday morning to pick it up (on sale too!) while my sister and I went out to breakfast....what a sneaky little guy! I'm so excited we finally have a dresser! I can't wait to start doing laundry and putting her things away.....plus it's super cute and goes with her other furniture! Isn't my husband the greatest!

Wind and Waves

This morning (after a huge breakfast!) we headed to the beach. It was a beautiful sunshiny day.....but windy...oh so windy! And if that wasn't bad enough, the wind was freezing cold! Nonetheless, Dennis and Hunter played in the ocean waves while the rest of us stood on the cold sandy beach freezing! It really was a lot of fun watching Hunter run toward the waves and then run as fast as he could to keep from getting wet!

Hunter trying to run from the waves.

Goofy Baylee! She's a complete riot!

Sweet Kayla - a.k.a. the Textomatic!

Gotta love those dimples!

Baby Book

Here is our baby book! My mom got it for us and it is soooooooo cute!!!! I can't wait to start writing in it!

My sister and family arrived around 9pm last night and it has been non-stop excitement since they arrived. I don't think we went to bed until after midnight! Currently Dennis is playing catch (in the house!) with Hunter...what a nice uncle. Anyway, this morning we went to the farmer's market and bought some really good green beans, blackberries, raspberries, tomatoes, peaches, and a purple pepper for Baylee. Then we came back home to refuel on grilled cheese and off to the mall we went! The girls got really lucky and were able to find some cute jeans and tops and Hunter found an awesome paleontology kit at the toy store. And then off to Target for some last minute things. We had hamburgers from STARS (which are the best!) and now we're just relaxing while the girls are watching the Simpson's movie in the theater room. Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I know it'll be a blast!!!!

My sister!

MY SISTER IS COMING OVER TOMORROW!!!!! We're so excited!!! She hasn't been over here in quite some time so she hasn't seen our new house. She's bringing the girls and her son too which Dennis is looking forward to taking to the Bounce O Rama in the mall. Hunter will be 6 in November and he is a bundle of energy!....Plus he has the cutest dimples that just melt your heart! Now that we have a bigger house (twice as big as our other house) there will be plenty of room for everyone. I'm so excited I don't know if I'll be able to go to sleep!.....I think the baby is excited too because she's kicking the heck out of me while I type this! Tomorrow can't come soon enough!

A cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal please!

All I wanted this morning was a cup of coffee and a bowl of honey nut cheerios! I was so tired from a horrible night sleep I just wanted a coffee to pick me up....but oh no, too many carbs because I like to add milk to my coffee (I'm not the crazy type who likes my coffee black). Then I'm totally craving cereal and going through cereal withdrawals at the same time and for a preggo lady that is not a good combination AT ALL! Plus, to add insult to injury, there was a huge miscommunication at work that got me all upset. So to say the least I was a bit teary-eyed this morning and just wanted to crawl under a rock. I seriously hope I sleep well tonight. I may not be able to have my cereal, but a good nights sleep will curb my coffee craving.

Sweet dreams!

Sweet Old Lady

I was in Walgreens today picking up a prescription and walking in front of me was a VERY old couple. They were so cute! The husband (and with the assistance of a cane) was helping his wife walk at an extremely slow pace. Amused as I was, I halted my pace in order to observe them a little longer. As the husband waited at the counter, the wife took a seat in the little waiting area (it's more like a waiting wall, but I digress). We weren't there for more than a few minutes when the sweet old lady asked if I would like to sit down.....in her chair! I couldn't believe how sweet it was of her to ask that, when clearly she needed the chair WAY more than I did! I said thank you, but I was just fine standing....and I couldn't stop smiling for the next 30 minutes or so. That lady just made my day. Just so sweet and adorable! I'm not much up for strangers touching my belly, but anytime a sweet old lady like that wants to.....it would be my pleasure! She never did, but you could see the joy on her face when looked at my 29 week pregnant belly!

Can I go to bed now?

After being on summer vacay for so long and just lounging around the house, I'm exhausted after only a half day of work! It really was a full day as I didn't leave until 3:45 but the kids got out at 1pm. Oh and of all days, it had to rain this morning! Luckily, it didn't seem to have much of an affect on the students because from what I heard, all the classes were really well behaved......eerily so in some cases I guess.

Even though I was completely exhausted when I got home, someone needed to make dinner. Today is Monday which means Dennis goes bowling with some of his co-workers (male bonding is important ya know). Anyway, I was moving so slowly it took me at least 30 minutes to prep dinner! I decided to try a new recipe from one of the diabetic cookbooks I checked out last week and it turned out pretty darn well! The original recipe was "Ginger Stir-fry Beef" but I opted to make it with chicken, cut down on the ginger, add garlic, and more broccoli......and my oh my was it delish! Dennis will have some mighty fine leftovers for lunch this week!

That's enough for tonight...I can barely keep my eyelids from closing. :)

Ahhh!!! I've got school tomorrow!!!

I can't believe another school year is upon us. My summer was definitely not boring like they have been in the past....it probably might have to do with my little bun in the oven. But as I planned out my wardrobe for the week (just like I do every Sunday during the school year) my pregnant emotions took control. First I couldn't find my red maternity shirt that I needed to hand wash and THEN I realized I only have six tops that fit me AND that I can wear to work for the next 3 months! Frustrated and envious of the clothes that I used to be able to wear, my wonderful husband is taking me to the mall in a little bit. Happy, but still emotional, I'm fighting those pregnant tears.

School and cup after cup of coffee go hand and hand, but for this school year, I will have to stay off of coffee island.....I know my students will truly be dissapointed! There's nothing like a caffeinated teacher first thing in the morning to get you going! Although, seeing all those exciting and eager faces those first few days of school, may just give me the boost that coffee island offers.

Oh, and for all of those you haven't heard, I have gotten the one pregnant malady that sucks beyond belief.....gestational diabetes. So for the past few days (and nights) all I can think about is carbs, carbs, carbs. And there's just something strange about seeing a pregnant woman checking out a South Beach Diet or Adkins book.

Well, here's to a new school year minus coffee island, carb central, and a closet full of clothes to wear! Wish me luck! :)

You've gotta watch this!!!

Okay, this is the funniest video clip ever!!! It's of Dennis's co-workers little boy. Dennis added a few sound effects to enhance the completely hilarious video. I warn you, do not eat or drink anything while you watch this.....I don't want anyone choking after all. ENJOY!

my oh my

What a day! Last night I didn't get to sleep until sometime around 2am and then I was wide awake at 5am! So rather than just lay in bed for the next hour and a half, I decided to get up and look through the cookbooks I checked out from the library yesterday. Thankfully I was pretty wide awake and full of energy all day until about 5pm when my eyelids began to feel heavy. I was mostly productive with getting my classroom ready. I put up my curtains and man are they bright! They are also much taller than my other ones so I think that is going to get some getting use to. By far I am not ready for school to start on Monday morning, but the majority of things I need to accomplish will need to happen when schools in session anyway. I tie up all my loose ends the first week of school so that when the second week begins it's practically hang-up free!

Well, the couch is calling my name and I must obey!

Library

Today I checked out some books from our county library.....something I haven't done since I was in elementary school! Sad, I know....but I really like to own books. I just love to look at them on my shelf to remind me of what a great read it was.....or how bad it was...but those are far and few between. Anyway, there are such odd people at the library....twitchy people, smelly people, fancy people, sleepy people......you name them, you could find them! I watched one guy who was falling asleep in a chair and every once in a while his head would fall back and he'd snap it forward again....his mouth was also slightly ajar too.....He made me laugh, luckily not too loud since I was in a library after all. I'm looking forward to the day when I can take our little girl to check out her very first book. I hope she loves them as much as I do!

Kim Sutton Rocks!

Today I went to a Kim Sutton workshop and it totally rocked! She's such an energetic person! I learned some great new things today and refreshed upon forgotten ideas. Fabulous!

Last Week

This is the last hurrah of summer vacation! I think I'll only be heading to school on Thursday...a required meeting day for all teachers. Last year it was a bit blah so I'm hoping they have something more exciting planned. Since we don't have a teacher store here, I've ordered all my stuff online and luckily the most important order (my lesson planner) should be arriving on Thursday. The school is still in a bit of chaos due to the construction in the main building. The teachers residing there will hopefully have access to their classrooms tomorrow....but the kitchen wont be ready for at least a week after school starts! So there will be a make-shift kitchen in the the staff lunch room which will displace all the teachers during lunch.......so looks like I'll be calling my room the party place until the staff room is void of the make-shift kitchen. I'm really hoping they will be able to move the laminator, die cut machine, and paper cutter from the computer lab and cafeteria back to their home in the basement of the main building.

Oh totally different subject and a FYI, if you ever find yourself setting off the detectors in the front of stores (such as Target) when you enter AND exit the building....check your jeans! I've been setting off the detectors at all sorts of stores around town not knowing what was setting them off for the past six months or so. Well, today Dennis and I tried figuring out what exactly was setting them off with absolutely no luck!.....until we folded laundry. When I grabbed my jeans to fold them I decided I would take a good look at them to see if there was something on them that would do it.......and sure enough, I found it! On the inside of my maternity jeans, down on the right side there was a tag that said "Remove before wearing and washing".....um I don't ever remember having to EVER remove a tag on the INSIDE of a pair of jeans. And inside that little tag was the little activator thingy to set off the detector and prevent you from stealing them! Crazy, crazy, craziness! So from now on, I suggest people watch out for this tag.....otherwise you'll have to endure the embarresment of setting off the detectors EVERY TIME YOU ENTER AND EXIT A STORE!!!! :)

Big Brother

The B-man is going to be a big brother to a little sister!!!!!! J and K found out this morning and when they called to tell us the news I was in tears before they even said what they were having! Then when they said it was a girl, the tears just came pouring out.....like big crocodile tears as Nancy would say. It would be exciting no matter what they were having, but since we're both having girls within weeks of each other, it's even more exciting!

Congratulations you guys! Dennis and I couldn't be happier for you!

Workshop Day 2

Same old, same old. It's unfortunate that the workshop was so blah. I was really hoping I would get a lot out of it. So today I headed down to school to put up a new bulletin board for the hallway. I wanted to make a swing with monkeys swinging on it, but it wasn't turning out the way I wanted so I made two trees and connected them with vines. Then I put the monkeys swinging from the vines with books in their hands. The caption down below then reads "Swing into Reading!" I should have a picture of it by the end of next week. In the meantime check out the pictures below:

Here is Dennis's quilt design! Isn't it super neat!

Okay, so here is my belly at 25 weeks. The picture turned out a little blurry and I'm extremely sleepy! I was actually ready for bed (contacts out, teeth brushed) when we realized we hadn't taken a picture yet. So I threw on my glasses so I could see where Dennis was standing and so I wouldn't look cross-eyed!....This is one of the very few pictures (if not the only picture) that anyone will see me wearing my glasses!

Workshop Day 1

A little disappointing I would have to say....although, there is one day left for me to change my mind. I've gotten some good ideas from today but time just dragged on and on. I really hope tomorrow will be a little more fast paced and energetic.

Tonight I made red beans and rice and it was really good! Maybe a little too spicy for me but pretty darn good over all. Dennis found a recipe online the other day and we thought we'd try it out. Next time I think we are going to add shredded chicken or something like that AND I will try not to make it as spicy. Odd thing is that sweetened ice tea worked better at cutting the spice than chocolate milk! You should try it sometime! :)

Fabulous Weekend

My dad and Chi-Sai came over this weekend to visit us and my baby belly. We had an awesome dinner at a local brewery and then went to the horse races the following day. Now I have never been to a horse race in my entire life and I had an absolute blast! It was sooooooo exciting and even though we didn't win any race, we still had a terrific time. I can't wait to go to another one!

Officially, there are only 2 weeks before school starts. I'm kinda not ready to go back but I have 3 workshops in the next two weeks and they ALWAYS seem to get me excited for school to start. I'm especially looking forward to the Kim Sutton workshop. Her workshops focus on Math and fun ways to get the kids into it and remember basic skills. It's going to be so much fun!!!! Tomorrows work shop is on differentiation and should be pretty good.

Today I worked on getting my chaotic room under control. I put all my desks back where they should be and located a missing bookshelf. I also ordered classroom materials and got some really good deals on the Scholastic website. I probably should head back down on Thursday to come up with a bulletin board of some sort. Wish me luck!

My Quilt

Isn't it bright! I just finished the top today and began working on the design that Dennis came up with. His will take much longer and require a longer thought process. Oh and I just finished making a peach pie! We're taking it over to a friend's house for dinner tonight. I can't wait!

Happy Birthday Nancy!!!!

I would like to wish my friend a very happy birthday today! As I began to write this post, I realized I don't have any pictures of her! So I searched her blog and found this picture that captures her oh so fun and happy personality! Because of the lack of photos and since she is the photography queen, it is my goal to get some crazy and wacky pictures of her before school starts! He he he. She is a blast to hang around with and I hope she has a wonderful birthday!