another terrific tuesday

I read one of the best but hardest verses to follow in the Bible this morning. It was Hebrews 11:6 which says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." I have been earnestly seeking Him for the past few days and I pray that I will continue to seek Him and have faith like those heroes listed in Hebrews 11.

We went to our last Birth and Beginnings class last night at the hospital. For the first hour we watched a video about C-sections and talked about post-partum care. Then we went on the tour of the Labor and Delivery Sections of the hospital. I really learned a lot of stuff in last night's class. Some of it I really didn't want to know even though it is good to know. We went over quite a bit about what to expect after you've delivered and it's just plain gross sounding. Besides we also talked about complications during pregnancy that result in emergency c-sections and that scared me a lot. I hope and pray that I have a normal delivery! Anyway, overall I'd say the class was beneficial. But that's just my personality I think. I can see why others wouldn't spend the time or money on it.

OK so if you want a laugh just imagine me literally running to the bathroom just now with pee running down my leg. Oh the joys of pregnancy and weak muscles! Someone might need to buy me some depends... or maybe I can just add it to my registry. :) In other news, I am now officially 28 pounds up. Ugh. I feel like such a blimp that if I delivered Julianna right now I would have all of the motivation I need to lose the weight in a few short months! My hands have been really really swollen lately. I don't want to have to take off my wedding rings! Julianna has supposedly grown to over 4 pounds and over 17 inches this week. I am anxious to have another ultrasound so I will have to ask about that at my next appointment. I want to know if the baby has already turned. I would guess that she has, but I can't say that I'm sure of it.

Curves tonight. Packing for the beach and lesson plans tomorrow night. Curves again Thursday night. Lots to do and very little time!

weekend and month re-cap

I cannot believe that it is already the end of January! Time goes by quickly! Unfortunately, March still seems like a long way away. I have a busy week as usual. I have to work at Curves tonight, Tuesday, and Thursday. I also have the last class at the hospital tonight which makes for a long day. I got here early this morning to put up my bulletin board. It took forever! And I am very jealous that Jonathan has the day off, but I know that it is more than fair since I am off each summer. His eye surgery went very well and I think he is going to be able to see great within a few short days. Right now he can see fine it's just a little hazy/cloudy (and he drove fine yesterday - I actually rode with him). :)

Well, I went to the shower at Glenola yesterday and we literally took a van FULL home with gifts. We got so much stuff that we needed for Julianna. We got the stroller, car seats, swing, and boucy seat along with a long list of other stuff! It is all so very exciting! Now I just have to get those thank you notes done! We spent some time last night sort of organizing the nursery. It is exhausting and I don't know what the best way to organize a lot of it is. Jonathan got the stroller put together and we just need to see how the base to the car seat fits in the car. I guess I need to call the car dealership place to see if they can check the installation, but I think you have to make an appointment. I still haven't even washed the first item of clothing or the bedding. I am probably way behind, but I also have lesson plans to do. They have arranged for a long term sub for my classes and I told her that we could meet on Thursday and that I would try to have all of the plans done by then. Whew! That's a lot to do! We'll see if I can get it done. My goal is to get up early every morning this week and try to accomplish at least a little something after I read my Bible study. So far it has worked one day...

Overall, I had a terrific weekend. Jonathan and I got the bills paid and organized. I got all of the laundry done and made some great beef stew in my new crock pot. NC State beat Clemson and I got tons of fun baby gifts (check out the pictures page). What more could you ask for? :) This coming up weekend we are going to the beach and Jonathan and I are going to try to get all of our tax stuff together too so that it will all be ready to take to an accountant when we get back. Busy times, but I am optimistic that that just means that life is good.

successful eye surgery among other things

I used to have Psalm 1 memorized. I have recently decided to recommitt it to memory. It is a good psalm. You should memorize it too.

Psalm 1: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."

Well, I just got to school a little while ago after taking Jonathan to his eye surgery. He did very well and was asleep when I left. Memamma came to sit with him in case he needs anything, but I think he will sleep most of the day away. I wish I could be there, but it's not necessary especially when he was doing fine and I'd have to take the day off without pay. Sigh. Plus it's nice to have someone available.

I am planning on having a great weekend spent with family. I have nothing scheduled really and I am not going to try to cram it full with unimportant things. I am going to relax and do what I want. I have a baby shower on Sunday and besides that I am free. It is all very exciting. Maybe I'll try out some of the new crock pot recipes.

My email is not working for the second day in a row. It really kills me. I am very dependent on my email. I wonder if that will change once Julianna is born. They have sent out a message to the staff saying that they are working on getting it fixed, but I still hate to be without communication with my family.

I had another first yesterday. I knew that people would start coming up to me and saying, "You're having a girl, aren't you?" or "You're having a boy, right?" Well, it finally happened. A lady last night said, "You're having a girl, aren't you? I can tell by the way you're carrying it." I think it's funny that people think they can tell these things. She may have been right but I still think humans are silly for thinking they know things that only God knows. Oh well. My counter says I only have 55 days left. The best part is that there are only 30 days of school until spring break.

Also last night at Curves we started talking about American Idol and everyone was telling who they liked, etc. Someone mentioned how they were rooting for the girl who'd been in 42 foster homes and the girl who's mom died when she was 3 and her father had been in prison her whole life. That lead to people telling sad stories and more sad stories about people they know. It made me feel very fortunate of course. Then I started telling about these friends of my family that lost both of their children in a car accident on Easter. They went through a really rough time and so did the boy who was driving the car at the time. (He also lost his brother in the same accident.) Anyway, it turns out that the lady that I work with at Curves's daughter was one of the younger boy's best friends. She has battled depression ever since their accident. It is a small world with many sad stories. I am thankful to be alive.

One last thing, tonight I think I'll challenge my dad to a game of dance dance revolution. I need some exercise.

random thoughts

I had another first yesterday. I'm pretty sure I felt Julianna's heel or elbow poking out. It was this very sharp object protruding out of my belly. It didn't stay that way long - only about a minute - but it was very clearly one of her body parts lodged up against me in the wrong direction.

So at the doctor's office yesterday I had a weird visit. They took my blood pressure right after I walked in and it was 148 over 86 which is really high for me. I have been able to tell that my heart has been beating harder and faster lately, but the numbers did kinda worry them so they made me lay down for several minutes and then they took it again. The next time it was 117 over 69 which was much better and more normal for me. I had already told the doctor that I'd had some trouble sleeping and been under stress lately and he thought that might have to do with the high blood pressure (duh) so they recommended that I check it at least once or twice between my two week visits just to keep an eye on it. Everything else at the visit was fine. I'm still measuring normal and my weight was fine. We heard the heart beat again and it was good. I actually saw Dr. Masciello who delivered my friend's baby in August and I'd never met him before. He was really nice. I still haven't had "the mean doctor" which is fine by me (according to what I've heard).

I also got my speeding ticket taken to the lawyer's office yesterday. That was good. It's one less thing to worry about and although I really didn't need to waste that money on stupid stuff at least it will hopefully be forgotten soon.

Here are some random musings: My team got killed last night by Seton Hall. It was horrendous! Also, it would be nice to get some snow next week. Are we ever going to have some winter? I hate cold weather, but I wouldn't mind missing a couple of days of school next week. I work at Curves tonight and Jonathan has his eye surgery tomorrow. Pray that nothing goes wrong! It would be awful if he never got to see his little girl! More tomorrow...

not much going on

I start my two week doctor's appointments today. I went two weeks ago and now I go every two weeks for the next few weeks. I think this appointment is with the weight-nazi doctor, but I'm not sure. I am dreading it though.

The culinary arts teacher randomly brought me some crock-pot recipes yesterday and I can't wait to try them out. I'm going to have to go to the grocery store first though. I don't know why she randomly did that but I am very thankful because I got a new crock-pot for Christmas that I haven't used yet. My old one just didn't work right and then I didn't know what to try in the new one. Anyway, there is this yummy recipe for beef stew and another one for crock-pot lasagna, but the one that sounds the best is for some italian chicken thingy over rice. I think I'll try that one first. She said she was thinking that I might be wanting some easy dinner recipes lately and I thought that was really sweet. The small things in life are good. :)

This week is spirit week at school because of the big basketball tournament this weekend. Today is favorite college day so I am wearing jeans and the largest college sweatshirt I could find. I'm probably not supposed to be wearing jeans, but I just don't care these days. They are comfortable. Also, tomorrow is look-a-like day and I'm afraid that the entire middle school will come with padding under their shirts to look like me. Oh well. What can I do?

I just read a quote that made me smile. It says, “A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.” I'm so excited about seeing Julianna! They gave me a new staff shirt at Curves yesterday that has "my future workout partner" printed on the chest with an arrow pointing down to the belly (AND it's an XL! Whoo-hooo!). Only God knows what the future holds, but I pray that it will be full of blessings!

Hope mom got the cat out of the drain!

i feel BLAH

Today we are celebrating the 100th day of school. That means that the year is more than half over. It doesn't mean a whole lot to me since I only have 33 days of school left anyway, but we are supposed to do fun stuff today. At least they are serving KK doughnuts and hot chocolate. mmmmmmm...

I have to call about my speeding ticket today. Ugh. It's just another thing to deal with. I keep forgetting to call.

Last night we had class at the hospital again. It wasn't our usual teacher and the lady was AWFUL! She rambled and rambled. The class was supposed to be from 7-9 pm but we didn't leave the hospital until 9:35. All she wanted to do was keep recommending how to save a buck or two. While we appreciated her tips, it got excessive after a while and then it was like, "come on already and let us make that decision for ourselves." She also started the night out by telling us how she has two kids but she wasn't going to share all of her personal experiences with us because she knows that we're there to learn about what to do for our child not hers. Then she proceeded to spend the entire night telling story after story of her own two kids. She kept saying things like, "In my opinion, I would use this formula but it's up to you. My kids liked this one but if you want to spend the equivilant of a college education on formula then by all means go ahead." I did learn a few things, but the entire class was spent listening to her tell about caring for a newborn and just hearing it was exhausting.

I need to update the website pictures. I will try to do that tomorrow.

trust

I had a pretty good weekend. It was supposed to be a kinda slow one but as usual, it was pretty full. We went bowling with the Sunday School class on Saturday night and I bowled a 127 even with my big belly and lack of balance. Jonathan on the other hand was the strike king. I also spent a good bit of time getting everything done for Amanda's shower, but at least that is over and done with now and I think it went OK.

Tonight we have childbirth class again. There are only two more weeks of it and next week we get the highly anticipated tour. :) I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday and Jonathan has his eye surgery on Friday. Luckily I only have to work at Curves two days this week. I am getting very tired of working there.

I was up 26 pounds this morning. I had to start eating bananas again since my leg cramps starting coming back. My friends indigestion and heartburn have also gotten worse. Some days eight weeks (or 59 days) seems manageable and other days that seems way too long! Time in general just goes by slowly sometimes and quickly during others. In some ways that is a good thing, but in other ways it really stinks that we can't control the speed of time!

Yesterday in church we did our usual split into groups thing and of course my group gets the story of Abraham and Isaac to discuss. The point of the lesson was how important it is to have faith in God, but one of the questions was, "could you sacrifice your only child after you'd waited 20some years for it just because God told you to?" We all immediately said, "No!" but it did make me think about being obedient even when it seems impossible. That is something that I am having a hard time with right now. I have been thinking a lot about the fairness of life and being obedient to God when it is so extremely difficult.

The following is part of an article that I just read about depending on God. I thought it was certainly worth sharing and since it made me realize how little I have depended on God over the last year or so I wanted to post it here in hopes that I would revisit it many times in the future.

T Thank God for the things He has done in your past. Go back as far as you need to. Begin to chart His track record in your life. Ask Him to remind you of times past when He was there for you. Then find something in your life today to be grateful for. Living thankfully is God’s will for your life.

R Repent…say you are sorry to God for intentionally allowing things in your heart and your life that you know would disappoint Him. Having a rebellious heart toward God’s ways in one area of your life can cause your prayers to hit the ceiling in other areas. Take an inward look and ask for God’s help in changing attitudes, thoughts, motives and actions that need a correction.

U Unify broken relationships. Whether you have offended someone or have been offended, God leaves the ball in your park to seek restoration. If restoration isn’t possible give God the broken pieces and ask Him to root resentment out of your heart. Bringing peace to fractured relationships brings blessing.

S Share the journey. When times are tough and trust wears thin, find a friend to pray with you and for you. Tell someone your struggle and ask her to walk with you awhile on the road of life. Getting help in our weakness leads to healing and to power in praying.

T Take time to spend with God. If your heart is dry set aside some time to listen to praise music and use the words of the songs as prayers from your heart. Till up the ground that has become hard from the worries of life. Learn to spend time in the presence of the Lord and find refreshing beyond what you can imagine.

Depend on God in new ways today. Trust Him… even in the silence and in the dark. The wisdom of depending on God will bring results in your life that will surprise you. “My God, in whom I trust”… with expectation!

faith

So I called in sick to Curves yesterday which I guess was a good thing. I feel better this morning but I think it's just because I slept better. I still woke up a lot, but at least I was able to go back to sleep. I also took a one hour nap when I got home from school. I know that a lot of it is stress and worry, but I also know that it can't be this way forever. There is a quote on a bulletin board that we pass each Sunday that we are at church that says, "The God of the mountain is still the God of the valley."

Psalm 31:9-16 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress. My eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning. My strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. I am the utter contempt of my neighbors. I am a dread to my friends-- those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead. I hear the slander of many. There is terror on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life. But I trust in you, O LORD. I say, "You are my God.“ My times are in your hands. Deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant. Save me in your unfailing love.

I read soemwhere last night that God often doesn't answer our prayers because our lack of faith hinders Him from doing so. When I am dead and gone I want to be remembered as one who had great faith. Sometimes when something good happens I think, "I can't believe my luck!" when really I want to start thinking differently. I want to think, "I knew that with God all things were possible." I don't want to doubt that good things will happen because "they never do" but I want to expect that they will happen because I am depending on God. I hope that Jonathan and I teach our children how to have great faith and always be dependent on God.

Yesterday when I took a nap, Simon curled up on the body pillow right up against my belly and slept in a ball. He started purring so loudly. I wondered if Julianna could hear his purrs. She was certainly kicking at him up against her. :)

I put the shower gifts away last night from the shower here at school on Monday. When I was putting that stuff away I again realized how much stuff I have to do before she is born. I have lots of clothes to wash and bedding and stuff. Oh well. I'll get it done sometime.

I feel awful. I think I am going to call the docto...

I feel awful. I think I am going to call the doctor today and see if I can take any cold medicine. I have lots of drainage and a very runny nose. I also ache all over but I don't know if that's from the pregnancy or from a cold. I'm sure some good sleep would help too but it's hard to sleep when you feel all that stuff running in your head.

Well, my principal just came by to say that they've now put her on the task of locating a long term sub for my maternity leave. I guess that's a good thing. She came by to ask how my lesson plans were coming and to find out "how much of a 'computer person' they needed to be." What a question! Oh well, at least her observation notes of me from yesterday were very positive.

There are only 36 work days left between now and spring break and that is seeming manageable. My principal also asked what my intentions were about coming back at the end of the school year. I politely told her that I'd see her in August. :) At this point I'm tired of worrying about whether or not they can make me part time next school year or not. I know that there's no sense in thinking about it because they won't start planning until this year is over.

Mom and Dad bought some children's books the other day and I was looking through some of them this morning as I put them up. I can't wait to be able to read them to Julianna. Maybe she will be a reader when she grows up...

quick prayer

I have a song in my head this morning. I don't know why I woke up humming it so I looked up the words. It's by Robert Robinson, written in 1758. Here are a couple of verses...

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,

Mount of Thy redeeming love.

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,

Seal it for Thy courts above.

My prayer today is that God's grace and mercy would never cease and that it would overflow on my family. That we would be bound to Him and not tempted to wander as we so often are.

trying for a 30 pound gain (only)

It's been a very rough week/weekend, but I slept pretty good last night and I am very glad. I am thankful for little things like that. We got our new couch and it looks wonderful! It is so big and comfy and I love it! We are fortunate to be able to get new things.

Yesterday was the baby shower at school which was a lot of fun of course. I got a few things off of our registry and a very nice gift card to Babies R Us to put toward our glider. Now I think we'll only owe about $320 on it. I didn't take any pictures at the shower - sorry to disappoint. I did get some cute outfits for Julianna and lots of practical things like burp cloths, pacifiers, and diapers. Probably the gifts that I was most excited about were the ones that we really needed like the safety gate, the baby monitor, and baby medicine. Gosh babies are expensive!

Last night we had class at the hospital again. It was OK. I was just too tired to comprehend a lot of the stuff, but it was mostly about epidurals and meeting the pediatricians in the area. They talked for a while and then we had a question and answer session. We also watched a video on epidurals. I'm still not sure whether I will have one or not. I'll have to wait and see what I think then, but she did say that out of the 6500 or so births at Forsyth Hospial last year about 80% of people had the epidural. That number sure is high! The lady in the video that had a natural child birth said that she had always thought that she would have the epidural and then during the contractions she was doing so well and her husband was helping her manage the pain so well that she started thinking, "maybe I can do this without the pain medicine" and she asked not to have the epidural. Then afterwards she said how intense the pain was that she didn't think she could describe it. That it was nothing like anything she'd ever experienced. That made me a little scared. Anyway, a couple of things that I learned from the doctors that were there include random things like how to prevent SIDS and it was also obvious that they all supported breast feeding, but in almost all cases/questions they kept saying things like "it's a personal decision for you and your family" which was to be expected. I think the main thing I learned is that parenting is going to be a big job, but there are lots of people to help.

I am still only up around 25 - 25.5 pounds total which makes me happy. I have nine weeks left and I keep hearing how you gain most of the weight at the end. I am hoping to just keep it under 30 and maybe I can.

finally friday again

Could this week get any longer?! It has just felt like it would never end! I think it's because last week was a short week and next week is technically a short week, but anyway at least it's finally Friday. My morning has been so hectic. I haven't gotten off to a good start so far. I don't have a lot of time to write this morning because I have a lot to do today. It is the end of the grading period and our grades are due first thing Monday morning so I need to get my school stuff caught up. At least I don't have a lot to do this weekend. Maybe I'll get some maternity leave lesson plans done... hmmmmmm...... Well, I'm off!

still so sleepy

I slept a little better last night. I got two solid hours from about 4 am until 6 am. I got a late start getting ready this morning, but it was worth it. I even slept right through Jonathan taking a shower which I don't normally do, but that was good to at least sleep solid for a little while. My body must be finally adjusting to not getting the 8.5 hours of good sleep I am used to because I haven't gotten sick yet (knock on wood).

I had my doctor's appointment yesterday. I must be really scatterbrained though because I had written down that the appointment was at 3:45 and it turns out it was really at 3:15 so I was late and they rushed through it, but at least I got there. I have read on the message boards and pregnancy websites to not worry if you seem more forgetful now that you are pregnant, etc. I think it is because you are out of your normal routine and everything takes some adjusting to, but it's not like me to be late for any kind of appointment. It does seem like since I've been pregnant I have been a much later person in general no matter how much time I allot myself to get ready and get somewhere. Oh well. It's just another way that God prepares you for children, I think.

So the appointment went well. I asked and I don't have a UTI the baby was just probably pressed up against my bladder in an unusual position and I did not have high glucose levels after the screening test (only 129). I will have to have the strep B test at 36 weeks (that's the last test!) and I have to go back for my next appointment in two weeks. He commented that my weight had "seen a little jump" since my last appointment but that it was normal and common right after the holidays. That didn't make me feel too bad, but I do still want to slow the weight gain down.

Whitney told me a sad story yesterday about a young teacher at her school who had a premature baby in December and it needed an operation when it got to 5 lbs. Well, the baby never got to 5 lbs and then was in critical condition and they called the mom and dad over to the hospital to hold it and love on it until they took it off life support yesterday morning and then he passed away yesterday afternoon. How sad! It was their first baby and it makes me regret wishing that Julianna would be born early! I just want her to be healthy! So today my counter says only 70 days to go! I wonder how many times I will pee between now and then? Any guessers? :)

this is probably too much information...

Oh what a night! I think I could have a UTI. I actually got up five times throughout the night to go to the bathroom and hardly even needed to go. It was just that sensation of having to go all the time. Maybe it is just the baby pressing on my bladder, because it doesn't hurt, but nevertheless I will ask them today at the doctor because 5 times in one night really is excessive. I really didn't drink that much before I went to bed last night. Anyway, what an inconvenience! I hardly got any sleep and after three nights in a row of not sleeping well I can say that I am fully exhausted now. At least I've had no more nosebleeds or leg cramps.

Well, we did get our carpet installed last night. It looks really good I think. I just can't wait to get the couch in. This afternoon I have a faculty meeting and my doctor's appointment and I have to go by the post office to mail the invitations to Amanda's bridal shower. Then I have to feed mom and dad's cats and help Jonathan with some work. My 2nd quarter grades have to be in by Friday since it is the last day of the grading period, but that is slow going. I have been trying to at least do a little schoolwork at night lately. Lots to do so I'd better get to work this morning. Have a wonderful hump day everyone!

work and stuff

Another day, another dollar earned. I really like having a regular job that I have to report to, but you know? Some days are just harder than others to get there. This morning it was really hard to get up. I often find that Tuesdays are that way, but maybe by tomorrow I will be OK. Today is another busy day. I have work and then go feed mom and dad's cats while they are at the beach. Then I have to get gas and get to my haircut appointment by 4pm. After that I have to have my oil changed and be home in time for the carpet guy to come install our new carpet around 6pm. I am excited about the haircut and carpet. It has been way too long since I have had a haircut and it is so long and heavy on top that it is really getting on my nerves. I am going to make sure that I get my bangs cut short enough this time and if they look ugly then they'll just have to grow out. I'm tired of fooling with it! I am also excited about the new carpet. I hope it looks OK. It's a shame that we can't get the wallpaper taken down and the walls painted while the living room is cleaned out, but I know you can have everything perfect and there's just not time.

Last night was hectic. I was almost late for the class at the hospital because work at Curves was crazy. I did make it fine though and Jonathan and I laughed through most of the class which was a good thing because it was kinda depressing. It was all about pain management during labor and just made me dread it all. I know I will get through it, but I hadn't really been worried about labor at all until they talked about it last night - mostly because I hadn't thought a lot about it. But now I know I will start to get nervous as the time grows closer.

Tomorrow I have another doctor's appointment and then my appointments start every two weeks instead of every four. I don't know when I will find the time for all of this! Thank goodness my appointment is with Dr. Reuhland. I only have three doctors left that I haven't seen yet and I heard about this one doctor this weekend and how mean he is telling you that you're getting too fat and gaining too much weight. I have gained a lot since before Christmas and I'm glad I don't have to see him this week. I have gained 25.5 pounds and was told to aim for 20. I need to make sure that I start getting some exercise in!

Luckily, I haven't had any more leg cramps recently. I have been eating lots of bananas. I think that if I cut back on the milk, juices, and teas that I have been drinking and drink more water then that should help with the weight gain. I know that adds a lot of calories and I have never been a big drinker before but since I've been pregnant it's been extra hard to drink water. Anyway, those can be my goals for the next few weeks: to exercise and drink water instead of other stuff. Encourage me if you see me!

One more thing - I found out this morning that the lady that we thought was going to be my long-term sub for when I'm gone decided that she didn't want to do it. She would have been great because she is a computer software consultant for her "real" job but she only works about 4 days a month. Anyway, now we're back to square one and I am afraid that they are going to start grasping for straws so-to-speak and just get anyone. Then my kids won't be prepared and will goof off for the rest of the year. That of course, will make it harder on me next year. Joy, joy! I just want to have things finalized as soon as possible! Ugh! Well, I'm off to get something done this morning! More tomorrow!

random musings

It's just another manic Monday. Ooooooo oooooohhhhh. I have a long day today so I am trying to stay sane. I have school and then work at Curves and then birth and beginnings class. Tomorrow our carpet is being installed and our couch should be here within a week. How fun! I had a great weekend. It flew by and of course was jam-packed, but it was good. I also have a busy week ahead this week. I didn't work on any lesson plans this past weekend like I should have. I didn't make the time. I also haven't done anything else with the nursery since last week.

Julianna had a very active Friday and Saturday. She was moving around so much. I don't know if it was something I ate or what, but she has gotten so much stronger and larger that I feel her all the time. She has also started kicking my organs and I can feel a sharp movement and quick pain when she does it. I can also tell every once in a while when I have a small contraction. My muscles squeeze together really fast and sporadic like. Then when you feel my belly it feels really, really tight for a bit and then relaxes. They are not painful but are very obvious. At first I thought they were just the baby deciding to be a spaz but then I realized that she couldn't possibly be kicking that fast and that much all over my belly. She is supposedly 3 pounds and 15.5 inches this week. I have my doctor's appointment on Wednesday. I don't know when they'll do another ultrasound and I'm thinking that maybe they won't unless there are problems, which makes me kinda sad, but we'll just have to wait and see. This baby thing is definitely testing my patience.

Anyway, my weekends are getting more and more full between now and March. Yesterday I found out that the Sunday School class wants to do a shower for us and then the Glenola shower has been planned for January 29th. I have to get a list ready for that. That means that I have a shower every other weekend between now and the end of February. :) How fun!

happy friday!

Well, the nursery is getting there. I put some more pictures up on the pictures page, but not the most recent ones yet. Jonathan put the letters on the walls last night and then put the curtains up. We're going to have to make some adjustments to the curtain rod, but we'll wait and let mom advise on that. The letters look weird too which is a little disappointing. I think I will make some adjustments to the bows at the top and then see what that looks like. If it still looks bad, we might have to adjust the nail positions so it doesn't look so weird. I'll try to get some pictures up this weekend.

I'm so glad it's Friday. I have a busy weekend ahead and an even busier week next week, but it looks like that's just how this month is going to go. I have to work at Curves tonight and I don't usually work on Friday nights but the lady that I work with is having leg surgery. I also have to work there tomorrow morning. Saturday night is a Marsh Furniture people dinner; Sunday night is stamp club; Monday night is Curves and childbirth class; Tuesday night is a hair cut appointment; Wednesday night is a doctor's appointment and long staff meeting; Thursday night is Curves; and Friday night is Curves. Agh! At least I enjoyed a nice nap yesterday evening and got a good night's sleep last night. Our couch might actually be ready to move in next Saturday and then Sunday is a friend's baby shower. It will be fun to go to one that's not mine.

Jonathan and I had an interesting discussion last night about a random topic. It actually started out as a gripe session from me about an issue at work, but ended up being a very nice discussion about our opinions on internet safety and monitoring your child's use of it, etc. I am just so very thankful that we seem to agree on little issues like that because even though at the time, we were not discussing our family personally, the conversation left many implications for how we will raise Julianna and I am very glad that we are "on the same page" about stuff like that. God gave me a good hubby. :)

I am also dealing with a lot of guilt right now about what a pitiful wife I've been lately. I never cook dinner any more. I hardly have time to go to the grocery store much less plan and cook a coordinated meal. I never exercise and as I've repeatedly said before, I'm just so tired when I get home at night that all I want to do is sit for the hour or so before bedtime. I know that it is only going to get worse when the baby arrives, but for right now I find myself crying a lot because I feel so bad that I don't get everything done that I should. I especially feel for Jonathan having to deal with such an unclean house with no decent food to eat and such an irritable, emotional wife. He's put up with a lot during this pregnancy too!

That's all I have time for now. I have to go get something done! Hope you all have a terrific Friday!

accomplishing much

It seems like this week will never end and it's supposed to fly by because it's a short week! Agh! At least I don't have to work at curves tonight and I got some stuff done last night despite feeling awful. I am just so tired and so sore. I didn't sleep well yet again last night. Julianna presses on my bladder all the time it seems.

I hope that tonight Jonathan can get the letters hung on the wall and the curtain rod up so we can see what it will look like. Maybe it will have to wait until this weekend, but hopefully it will be soon. Just a few more accessories for the wall and then when the glider comes in the nursery will be completely set up. Of course, we also need to get some diapers, bottles, etc., but the room furnishing will actually all be in place.

I have now finished 7th, 8th, and 9th grade lesson plans for when I'll be gone. I think that's quite an accomplishment and I'm proud that I have gotten that far. I am trying not to stress over all the stuff I have left to do like the 5th and 6th grade plans and getting the orginals of all of the worksheets that will need to be duplicated put in the sub notebook. Then of course, I'll have to tie up some loose ends like putting in bells schedules and class rosters, etc. But that will have to wait until the end because I can only do one at a time. Anyway, I think that if I work just an hour or two each weekend then I should be able to get it all done in time. We'll see...

So I've now gained 24.5 pounds and I really, really, really don't want to gain a lot more. I keep meaning to at least walk on the treadmill one night but I am just so tired when I get home that it never actually happens. I have had more fruit and vegetables in the past couple of days though so that is good. As of today, I am counting down 77 days (11 weeks)...

78, 77, 76, 75...

Whew! What a day it has been so far! I just couldn't get out of the house on time. Then I remember about 80,000 things that I forgot to do for this morning. Then all of my classes have been just plain crazy. Our devotion this morning was about not taking life too seriously and I think that it was highly appropriate for today. "A merry heart does good, like medicine," says Proverbs 17:22. So I am staying happy and already counting down the days 'til March - only 78 left now.

I forgot to mention yesterday that we got our couch and carpet ordered. How fun! We should have the room done by the end of the month. Jonathan is also scheduled to have lasik eye surgery on January 27th. I've joked with him that he's just having it so that he'll be able to get up and feed the baby in the middle of the night without having to worry about finding his glasses.

My family is planning a baby shower for us on February 12th and there's still the school one coming up in a couple of weeks. I feel like we've made some progress, but then again I don't. We don't have a stroller, carrier, car seat, baby monitor, breast pump, etc. Maybe these showers will help. I have to keep telling myself to wait because I want to go ahead and buy it all now myself just to make sure that we have it all whenever the time comes.

My poor body was so sore last night. I think it was a combination of being so active yesterday, the stretches from the night before, and walking someone through the workout at Curves last night. I know that since it is January the Curves workouts are not likely to let up. Maybe once I get back in the routine of standing all day it will be easier.

is it already January?

What a wonderful break I had! It is sad that it is over, but it was definately very nice. Let's see.... what has happened since I posted last? I worked on lesson plans over the break. I got all of 7th and 8th grade finished and part of 9th grade complete. That leaves 5th and 6th. It was kinda discouraging how long it took just to get part accomplished, but anyway, at least I've started early.

Julianna has gotten so much stronger and larger. I can feel her kicking all of the time now and she certainly has a routine down pat. She is almost always very active around 11 am and 9 pm. Then it's every 2 or 3 hours in between then, but I know I can always count on her to be moving around those times. Sleeping has been a challenge, especially on those nights over the holidays where I overate. My leg cramps have gotten worse and I feel like an overstuffed marshmallow or something. At least I haven't heard anything back from the diabetes test and she said no news was good news...

Anyway, Jonathan and I went to our first child birth class at the hospital last night. It was an adventure to say the least. Some things were silly, but it was also very informative and I'm glad we went despite what everyone says about how you won't learn anything in the classes that will necessarily help you during labor. I just think it's good to learn all you can. But it did make everything seem a lot more real now and like I knew it would, it made me a little more anxious and scared about the delivery. Of the seven couples in the class, four are having girls and three are having boys. It is everyone's first baby. Jonathan and I talked on the way home about all of the random stuff that we didn't know before we went to the class. We also should be very familiar with the hospital by the time Julianna comes which is good because I could easily get lost in that place. Next week we are supposed to take pillows which for some reason is funny to me and then the week after that we have a "meet and greet" with the doctors. The class is only 5 weeks and of course they put the tour on the last night of class. But we did get a free Huggies diaper!

I also got our registry fixed at Babies R Us over break (the old one deleted). For Christmas I got a Baby Einstein CD that I have been listening to. It is really quite relaxing when I am out in traffic. Then Whit gave us our diaper bag and we ordered our glider with the gift cards. When I ordered it they told me it'd be in in approximately 10 to 15 weeks which is cutting it close. That is also disappointing because Julianna should be here in about 11 weeks! We made a little progress on the nursery though. Mom started the curtains and I'm going to get the stuff hung on the wall this week. I added a really cute lamp and some bedding for the twin bed and we're almost done! Dalford even made us an adorable child's rocking chair. Now all we need is the baby. :) I'll add some more pictures tonight.