Two weeks!

It's official: the baby will arrive the morning Thursday, December 3rd, via C-section. I went yesterday to the doctor for another ultrasound, and the little man is still very breech, so we got his arrival scheduled. They need to do the C-section ahead of time to prevent me from actually going into labor, which would complicate things...from what I've been told. As much as I would have liked trying to do this naturally, I'm ok with it being scheduled! Additionally, he's measuring 8.5 lbs right now. If I were to go to my due date, he'd be 10 lbs or more...not exactly something I want to try to squish out my hoo-ha!

We had some GOOD news today! Paul's sister, MariaElena, is cancer-free!! This comes after a scare about 10 days ago where we thought the cancer was back. Turns out, it's not. You can read more about this on her website. It's quite confusing but answers are slowly trickling in. The main thing is that she's free of this dreaded disease!

We're slowly getting things together for the baby. Kate and I painted the nursery today (or finished what Paul started), and we made great progress! There's still stuff to get done in there, but it's exciting to be this far! My goal is to have the nursery done and Christmas decorations up by Thanksgiving. I'm mostly done with both, so that leaves cleaning the house and shopping for Thanksgiving. Insanity rules in this house!

A shout-out to the soon-to-be Dr. Linda Ryan: CONGRATULATIONS!! She's 99% done with her doctorate!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The clock is ticking...

Saw the doctor yesterday--I now go weekly--and everything is normal. I'm not one bit dilated, which is a wee disappointing to me. The last week or so, I've felt more uncomfortable than ever. The baby is still breech and sitting on organs that are now moved into places they have no business being. It's quite painful at times, especially at night--no position is comfortable anymore. I sleep on either side and my hips hurt. I sleep on my back and everything hurts. I can't win at this point. The only good thing is that there are only 3 weeks left! Presumably, I'll be having a C-section, unless he flips (and at this point, I'm really hoping he doesn't). I've accepted having this major operation and will be quite glad to have it scheduled. I'll find out for sure after my ultrasound next Wed (the 18th). If it's scheduled, we're likely looking at Wed, December 2nd. PRETTY EXCITING! Less than 3 weeks away!

I've been trying to get things done around the house, specifically putting the nursery together and getting Christmas decorations up. Late next week, I need to CLEAN THIS HOUSE!! It needs to be sparkly clean for Thanksgiving. Paul has talked about hiring someone to come in and clean, but I wouldn't feel right about that. At least not now--maybe after the baby and before Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, his sister and brother-in-law have graciously "allowed" us to host Christmas day at our house! They claimed the holiday several years ago and we've spent the day at their house with them. However, having a newborn, they're willing to share the holiday this year. I'm soooooooo grateful, especially since I'll still be recovering from the C-section. MariaElena is an AMAZING cook and is planning to do all the cooking here. Neither Paul nor I are really that excited about hauling a newborn around for the holidays. This will make our life so much easier!

Please send as many prayers out to MariaElena, who was just re-diagnosed with cancer. She just last week finished treatment for Hodgkin's and breast cancer, after 20+ months, but found another lump on her side. After having an aspirate done, it revealed cancer cells. She's having a PET scan done today and will probably have results in the next day or two. This is all so distressing for them. Her caringbridge site is here, if you'd like to leave her a message in the guestbook. She'd love to know people are thinking of her!

Pregnancy superlatives

The most interesting thing about being pregnant:
The kicking and rolling around going on in there! I sometimes sit and watch my stomach area move around. Just fascinating!

The worst thing about being pregnant:
The uncomfortableness of it all, especially in this last month. I feel sometimes like my insides are smashed against one another and nothing is where it's supposed to be.

The most surprising thing about being pregnant:
I'm a hot box! I can't believe it's November and I'm still sleeping in a tank top with just a sheet over me. Usually by now, my toes and fingers turn blue at night, and I'm wrapped in blankets all the time. There are times when I'm cold, but more often than not, I'm quite warm.

The biggest craving I've had:
Besides meat, I could eat Taco Bell Black Jack Tacos everyday, if given the opportunity. Oh wait...I have the opportunity. ☺ I don't indulge everyday, but at least once a week. I mash them up in a bowl and make a taco salad.

The hardest thing to get used to:
Wearing low-rider pants. I have ALWAYS worn pants (and underwear, for that matter) at my waist. I have a pair of maternity jeans that have a panel that pull up over the baby bump, which is about as close as I get to having something at my waist, otherwise everything sits below the bump.

5 things I miss the most:
1) Milk in the first trimester. I LOVE LOVE LOVE drinking milk all the time, but for those first 3 months, it did horrid things to my digestive track. Thankfully, that cleared up and all is well in the world.
2) Riding my scooter. YES, I know I did that for a lot longer than most people felt comfortable (despite the fact it was ok'd by my doctor!), however on a weekend like the one we're having right now (70's today and tomorrow!!), it would have been reeeeally nice to jump on it and go for a ride.
3) BEER. I've never been a heavy drinker of beer, but for some reason, I have craved it!! Especially at bowling, where one always bowls a little better with beer in ones system. I've been told by some that it's ok to drink beer while pregnant, however it took me a LONG time to get knocked up, so it's just not worth it to me. I have been known to practically sniff the flavor out of beer whenever I get the chance.
4) Sleep. I realize this is something I'm not going to have for quite a while, I just didn't expect to lose the ability as quickly as I did. I don't think I've had a decent nights sleep since WAY early on in the pregnancy.
5) Of course, along with this, I could say I miss the occasional Melatonin, Tylenol PM, and other helpful sleep aids. Drugs in general have been missed by me, especially a few weeks back when I had a cold. When I was having horrible back pain over the summer, there wasn't much I could do about it--I have a TENS unit (electrical stimulation) that I couldn't even use.

When it rains...

My living room looks like an explosion from Babies R Us!! We had 2 beautiful showers in 2 weekends, and the generosity of everyone was overwhelming. I don't think there's a thing that needs to be returned. We got gift cards galore, enough to stock up on plenty of diapers for the little man. I still have thank you notes to write, which is always the hardest part for me--I like them to be personalized, not generic, and each one has to be different. Not always easy.

I've entered the world of the non-working!! Well, I'm tutoring still, but that's only 1.5 hours once a week. I ended my job at the vet clinic last week. It was a little sad to me, but Paul is convinced I'll end up working there again one day. I doubt it, but if they wanted me back, I would try. Frankly, I didn't make enough to justify dropping the baby off at a daycare or babysitter's, though if they wanted me on weekends, I could do that. But they don't. Anyway, I'm getting easily used to not having to go to work!

I had some sad news today. The father of my friend Michelle passed away last night. He was diagnosed late last year with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). I worked for Joe's hot dog business for many years and he was, by far, the BEST boss I ever had! I was in awe of his devotion to his family, and everything he did for Michelle--driving her to all her doctor appointments, going with her to New York for treatment, standing by her and helping her in her fight against cancer (more than 7 years now). He was married to Barb for more than 45 years (not exactly sure how many). He'll be sorely missed.

I had a doctor's appointment today. I'm now on weekly visits to the doctor. Nothing's really new or different, except for the occasional contractions I've been having. They're few and far between, but pretty distinct, however nothing to be concerned about...yet. As far as the doctor could tell, the little man is still breech. He moves around a lot, but had yet to flip. I have a feeling we'll be scheduling a c-section in early December!

Only 3 weeks until Thanksgiving! Happy November!

On the mend

Slowly but surely, we're both recovering here at the Iaco house. Paul caught whatever I had, so it's been a rough week or so. I was put on Tamiflu while he was put on an inhaler for bronchitis. We should both be in tip-top shape for Sunday's shower!

Speaking of showers, we had one this past weekend at his sister's (attended by his side of the family and friends). It was such a nice time!! We received so many nice gifts, and now it's time for me to sit down and write thank you notes. That's the hardest part for me--getting the motivation to do that task.

This weekend's shower will be a HUGE crowd! It'll be my family and friends gathering for a brunch at Kate's house. I'll be excited to see Robert acting as waiter for the day. ☺ It hit me at last week's shower that we're really having a baby! I think I got teary-eyed opening the first gift. It really was incredible to realize that!

I have a regular OB appt in one week, then another ultrasound 2 weeks after that (to see what position the little man has put himself in). He's moving a LOT these days, and I'm definitely getting more and more uncomfortable. This is my last week of work at the vet clinic, and while a part of me is sad to be leaving there, it'll be nice to spend some time relaxing and catching up on the sleep I've been lacking lately.

Photos from last week are on my photo site, and I'll get this weekend's up there afterwards. Enjoy!

Uh oh.

Looks like someone may have caught something in da house. Ok, it's me and yes, it appears to be a flu. Or a cold, but yesterday at the doctor's office, they treated me like I had the plague. It started Tuesday with a scratchy throat that got progressively worse all afternoon (I was at work). By that night, I knew it was ugly. Nothing I tried was helping--cough drops, hot tea, gargling with salt water (most of which turned into gagging on salt water)...nothing.

I called my regular doctor's office yesterday to ask about the flu vaccine (to see if I could get it if I wasn't feeling well). Paul and I had planned to go get the H1N1 vaccine on Monday at the local high school, where it's being given. It's damned near impossible to find it anywhere else, but there are places that are offering it in Kane county. So I'm talking to a nurse and it's revealed that I don't feel well and I'm 7.5 months pregnant. She tells me to get into their office NOW. I wasn't sure why--frankly, it's just my throat that hurts, so I didn't think it was a big deal. I'd had no fever, almost no cough, very little runny nose, and didn't see what the big deal was. But I went in and after a quick check, I was sent on my way with a Tamiflu prescription.

I stopped at the pharmacy and filled it, then went home and started on my 5 day course. I hardly slept last night (after purposefully NOT napping yesterday, in the hopes of getting a beautiful night's sleep) and woke up this morning with more of a runny nose and my still-sore throat. I still have no cough, which I think is the main culprit in the H1N1 virus, so I'm banking on this just being a cold. It's not the worst cold I've ever had and frankly, I don't feel the most horrible I've ever felt, but I know with the little man baking inside, I need to be more cautious.

Looks like I'll be skipping out on work today, and I feel bad because I think there was a little baby-related something planned during our scheduled staff meeting this afternoon. I feel bad for missing it, but I don't want to risk infecting everyone else there. It's just not worth it.

So here I sit on this rainy, crappy day. Maybe I'll get something productive done here at home?? We'll see!

Head up

Just got back from another ultrasound, and I'm not quite sure what to think. See, the baby's breech right now, his head high up and bum down (he's even face down, so we got no good pictures of him!). The doctor said there's a chance he may turn before his due date (and we'll have another ultrasound in 4 weeks to check), but if he doesn't, we'll be scheduling a c-section.

I'm torn--on one hand, I'd love to have him naturally so that my mom could see one of her grandchildren enter the world as nature intended. However, there's a certain appeal to being able to schedule the exact day he'll be born, which would likely be about a week before he's due (ideally, Dec 2 or 3 for his arrival would suit me just fine).

So...we wait. Whatever happens, I'll be happy with. I'm seriously 50/50 split on which way I'd like this to happen. I should take into consideration that, at 33 weeks, he's measuring 37 cm and the kid weighs a whopping 6 lbs 7 oz (from their calculations, which could always be a little off). That means, if he gains 1/2 lb each week until he's born, he'll be just over 10 lbs at birth. Do I really want to push 10 lbs of solid mass out my hoo-ha? Probably not.

Now, because we're hosting Thanksgiving, we're hoping the little man doesn't make an appearance 2 weeks earlier than expected. That would put him right around Thanksgiving, and if I'm going to be carved like a turkey myself, I probably wouldn't make it home to the 25 people expected at my house that day.

There you have it, folks. He's still moving like crazy and definitely developing a pattern to the movements (at certain times, etc). Good thing I get no sleep between 2:30am-6am, because I'll be doing some heavy entertaining during those hours, given his current swim schedule. That seems to be when he's at his busiest.

Only 2 more weeks of work (at the vet clinic), and about 4-5 more weeks of tutoring. It'll be strange not to work again, but I'm sure I'll resume tutoring and teaching at some point....provided I have someone to babysit. ☺ I have a feeling my mom and sister will be first in line for that job!

Hot tamale

Not much to report from the Iaco house. Baby's been active, moving around like crazy at different times, sometimes not the most ideal times (3am is a popular time!). He doesn't wake me, but if I get up during the night to pee, he's all over the place while I'm trying to get back to sleep. I'm not complaining--it's really quite cool! Fascinates the hell outta me! The belly's getting bigger, too, but thankfully no sign of stretch marks. ☺

One issue I've had to deal with more and more is acid reflux. Now, I don't really know the difference between this and heartburn so it could be either, but since there's a lot of burping and some residuals, I'm calling it reflux. I've had to deal with this before--I was on Prevacid for a short time and was taking it when needed. I'm not taking anything now but just learning to deal with it and avoid doing things that exacerbate it.

Yesterday, we attended an all-day childbirth class at the hospital where we'll have the baby (Delnor). It was somewhat interesting--I don't know that I learned a lot of anything new, but there were a few things that were informative. Paul definitely got more out of it than I did. I'm still undecided about the flu vaccines (both of them). I hear so many different things about each one that I don't know what to believe anymore. The swine flu vaccine still isn't available for pregnant women, but it sounds like it's close to being ready.

We have a bunch of busy weekends coming up. Next weekend is Homecoming at IC and a birthday party for Paul's niece, Claire. The following weekend is a baby shower for my cousin, Sarah, then one for me the next day (hosted by Paul's sister--it'll be mostly people from "his side"). The weekend after that is Halloween, then another baby shower for us hosted by my sister. November will bring us birthdays galore, then Thanksgiving, which we're hosting. YES, you read that right--we're hosting Thanksgiving. I'll be just about 9 months pregnant and probably not doing much that day, but we'll have 25 or so people here, both sides of the family, ready to pitch in. We promised last year that, if we moved, we'd host it. Well, that's what we're doing. I'm actually looking forward to it though!

I'm still working, both at the vet clinic and tutoring. Not sure how long I'll do these, but I'm hoping to stretch it out as long as possible. The thought of not working is just so weird to me! I know the baby will be equivalent to a couple full-time jobs, but he won't be making me any money. ☺ A lot of changes will be happening after he arrives!

Enjoy the fall weather!

One busy little man

I just got back from seeing the OB and I'm happy to report that everything looks great! Baby is measuring the same as last time, which she said could just be because of his position. Right now, he's assumed to be head down. There has been TONS of movement lately, and in just the past few days, I've felt more body parts--fists, feet, that sort of thing. He pushes out, I push back in. It's fascinating as all hell to me! I know women go through this all the time, but I don't.

I realize I may be giving away the sex of the baby to those who may not have wanted to know (sorry, Cathy!). It's getting harder to avoid referring to him as a HIM. ☺ So there you have it--he's a boy!

His heartrate was great, my blood pressure is great, and the doctor said I look really good for being 7 months along. Admittedly, I'm feeling uncomfortable at times, but not all the time. My biggest issue is finding a pair of pants that fit comfortably--I mostly wear granny-type elastic waist pants.

My work schedule is nice in that I can spend my days off laying around, not letting things swell up like most women have to. Hee hee! I still bowl on occasion (in a league). Being pregnant hasn't helped or hurt my average, which has pretty much always sucked, but I still have a good time.

My next appt is Oct 19 for an ultrasound (to check growth). We are also scheduled to go to an all-day childbirth class on the 10th. Neither one of us is all that excited--we've heard they cater mostly to those who are young and inexperienced with babies, of which we're neither.

I'm also trying to decide about the flu vaccines (both the regular and H1N1). The last one I had was a regular one 10 years ago, and 3 weeks later, I was violently ill. That pretty much turned me off to getting more, but it's been said that getting one can also protect the baby later. That's the only thing that attracts me to it, but in general, I'm TOTALLY freaked out about getting them. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone about this--thoughts, research you've done, etc.

It's getting COLD out there, but most times, I'm still a hotbox. Enjoy!

Week 29

Well, here we are at week 29. Things are progressing smoothly, though baby is measuring BIG at this point. I should measure 29 cm, however I'm at 32 cm (as of a week ago). It's alarming to me, but I guess nothing to be worried about. Heartbeat was good, and everything else has been normal. I've been a bit more sore than normal--a lot of pressure in the nether-regions, but a nurse just said that's normal. I guess I have 2.5 more months of this.

Last Saturday, we went to the wedding of a former Japanese student of mine whose family I got to know in Japan. Emi and Chris married 2.5 years ago, but at a JOP in CA, so this time was in a church in the suburbs. Emi's family came in from Japan--her parents, 2 sisters, and little niece--and I hadn't seen them in about 9 years. It was so awesome! Paul said the thing that stuck with him the most is how each of their faces lit up when they came down the aisle and saw me sitting in the pews. It was like being a celebrity all over again. Emi told me later that they were all looking so forward to seeing me. That was so nice! Her mom gave me a bag full of gifts (including a HUGE package of dried squid skin! MY FAVE!!). Emi had requested they find me a shirt with the most bizarre English on it possible. They did a fantastic job with that, as you can see! ☺

Now that the house swap with my mom is over, I'm starting to get things really cleaned up in the house--basically, rooms put together, including the basement, my office, and the baby's room. I have ideas for a mural (an EASY one!) for the baby's room, but it's getting motivated that's sometimes the hard part. I tire out pretty easily nowadays, mainly because I'm not sleeping all that well at night. But I'll slowly get there! It's different now that I'm not teaching--I don't have that added stress.

Speaking of work, I'm still working at the vet clinic, but not sure for how much longer. Part of me would leave there now if I didn't still need to make some money. They hired my replacement several months ago and have her doing all my duties, so I've been put to work on "projects." I feel very unneeded there these days. I am also tutoring ESL to a young girl from Germany. It's just one day a week for 1.5 hours, but it's a lot of fun! The money is pretty good, but definitely not enough to pay my Discover bill every month.

For those who have been concerned, I've officially retired the Vespa for 2009. I'm sad, but I know it's getting serious now. A few days ago, I was driving in the car and the baby was kicking like crazy. I kind of wondered if it was because my car bounces a lot, which got me thinking about the scooter being bouncy (not much more than my car though), and I decided that, combined with the fact I'm now in the third trimester, was enough to make me put it away for the winter. *sniff*

I have to see my OB every 2 weeks now, plus we have another ultrasound in mid-October. October is so far shaping up to be a busy month with baby showers (one for me, one for my cousin who's due a month after me), IC's Homecoming, birthday parties, etc. I'll have another shower the first of November as well. It's going to be crazy around here!

We're in for a week of rain but warm temps, so I'm happy. Enjoy!

Big babies

When we were trying to get pregnant, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. Apparently, I was grossly mistaken. In my family, everyone has big babies. BIG. Over 9 lbs is the norm, though a few have managed to avoid that by having babies early (and getting them in the 8 lb range).

I won't be so lucky. Nope. Nosireeeee. This baby's gonna be BIG.

I had an appt on Wednesday. It was one of those 10 minute boring ones where I asked a bunch of silly questions and got a bunch of equally silly answers. YES, I can still ride the scooter. NO, those blemishes are nothing to worry about. YES, you are going to give birth to a kindergartener.

The doctor measured my uterus, and what should be measuring at 26 cm (the same number of weeks I am along), is measuring at 29 cm. Does this mean I can be 29 weeks along? Silly question....

The bump is getting bigger every single day, and more and more uncomfortable. I know this is what I signed up for, but HOOCHIE MAMA. I feel huge. Really huge. No-longer-seeing-my-coochie huge. And there's still 3 more months to go.

Work has been ok. I'm still at the vet clinic, but it's getting harder and harder to do things. Holding animals is tough because the table is right where my uterus is, so I run into it when wrestling an animal. I spend the majority of my time at the front desk, checking people in and out. Not very exciting, but I do enjoy it! I don't know how much longer they'll let me keep doing this--hopefully 'til I pop.

I did manage to get 2 more tutoring jobs! One guy only has 18 hours left on his contract, but the other is an 8 year old girl who has 177 approved hours. I told the woman I spoke with yesterday that I'd need time off for the baby, and they're cool with that. Both jobs are ESL-related, which I really enjoy! Hopefully they work out ok.

Enjoy the beautiful weather this week! I hope it doesn't get too ugly. I'll be out on the scooter today, when I'm not cleaning the house. Paul and I will be swapping houses with my mom next week. She has her 5 college friends coming in and since she's not living in the palatial mansion she'd hoped to by now, they're staying at our house while we stay in the condo. Paul and I are actually looking forward to the condo--cozy, just like old times!

I'm still here!

It's been almost 3 weeks since my last update, but not much has really happened. Thankfully, life is quiet and settling down. School ended for me, and this is the first fall semester in 14 years that I haven't started teaching again (save for the year 2000, when I'd just started in the admissions office at UIC at the end of August, so it was practically like starting a new semester). It's weird to not be teaching, yet at the same time, I feel much less stressed and a whole lot "lighter." Like being on vacation!

Baby's doing fine. We both know the sex now, but I won't divulge as I know I have friends who read this and don't want to know. We're in the process of collecting a TON of stuff that people are handing down to us. It's quite amazing, really! This kid will be well-dressed for the entire first year of his/her life. We're still in need of a changing table--we have a crib (white) and a dresser (wood-colored), so I guess the mismatched theme is IT.

Last week, we had new kitchen appliances delivered. VERY EXCITING! We now have a stainless stove and we'll soon have a stainless-colored fridge. It's not actually stainless, which is nice because it'll be magnetic and will repel fingerprints, however we need to have a copper water line installed because Sears won't install the fridge if there's a plastic line (bastards!). Right now, the new fridge is sitting in the middle of the garage, taunting me with its beauty and majesty. Sickening, really.

That's about it! We have our 3 year anniversary coming up Sept 2nd. Nothing big planned, just a nice dinner out. September is shaping up to be a busy month for us, as is October, November, and well, we all know what's happening in December.

More later!

Baby pictures

Here are the latest pictures of the little nubbin! We had an ultrasound yesterday, which proved to be quite eventful. Apparently, the little bugger was curled up the whole time, preventing the tech from getting photos of certain angles of body parts that she needed. This led to me having to get off the table and jump up and down several times. It was the strangest damn doctor's appointment I've ever had! It did seem to help a little though. She was able to see the baby's sex and, because we don't want to know, I asked her to write it on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope, which she did--she even doubled the envelope to make sure I couldn't see through it. The 'lope is adhered to the fridge right now, where it'll stay until I can't stand it anymore (which was, like, last night...but I'm waiting to open it). It's not easy for someone who's not known for her patience.

So far, the baby looks good! They did mention that s/he's measuring large, but the OB said this is nothing to be concerned about...yet. I'll go in in 3 weeks for a glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes, which can sometimes cause the baby to be bigger than normal. I have a feeling I'm just going to have a damn big baby. Wouldn't be the first time in the family! Baby weighs 1.5 lbs so far, and my baby bump measures quite normally (23 centimeters).

You'll notice in picture #1, baby is either yawning or giving us a big, hearty laugh! In #2, there's a leg extended above the baby. S/he had its hands on its head as well. It was cute! We did get a 3D shot, but it was a wee distorted looking. It's interesting how they get those--she would focus in on an area, I'd have to hold my breath, and after about 5 seconds the 3D image would appear. She did several views but only printed the first picture, which I thought was the worst. I'm not even bothering to put that on here, but if you want it (I know my dad will), shoot me an email to request it.

I did learn that I have an anterior placenta (I think this is correct), which is why I haven't been feeling the baby like most people. The placenta is located at the top of the uterus, in front, so that adds an extra layer to the whole thing. We did feel something Saturday night that I'm sure wasn't gas! It was really cool!

Next appointment won't be for another month, at 26 weeks or so. We're closing in fast! I can't believe I'm more than 1/2 way through!

In other news, I got stung by something yesterday while out on a short scooter ride. I was making a left hand turn onto a busy street when something flew into the strap of my helmet, between the strap and my face. It fluttered for a second and I reached up to get it out, and the damn thing stung me! I have no idea what it was, but it was big and my finger swelled up like crazy (Paul said it looked like a bowling pin). Can't say I've ever had this happen before! Of course, this won't prevent me from riding the scooter. ☺ Still have the OB's ok to ride, so I'm going with that.

We're headed to Waynee World this weekend with Paul's sister, her husband, and their kids. Should be a fun time!

Enjoy!

The Bump

Here, by request, is a photo taken moments ago of the baby bump. I'm 20 weeks and 3 days along, but it's not very impressive. In fact, I just look fat. Not pregnant, just fat. And my butt's big, but that's a whole other problem. ☺ I still have remnants of a waistband where my pants sit (most of the time), so maybe when that "rounds out," I'll actually look more pregnant.

It's getting uncomfortable for me to bed over these days. I can't imagine what it'll be like week after week until the end! Thankfully, things are going smoothly, as I've mentioned before. For that, I'm grateful.

Only 5 more classes left (Aug 7 is the last day). I'll be soooooo happy when this is over! This schedule is killing me. I HATE HATE Tuesdays and Thurdays right now. I'll stay at the vet clinic for a while longer. They've hired a new girl who started a couple weeks ago and will essentially replace me after I go. I don't know if I'll go back--depends on if they'll let me work on Saturdays only. Getting childcare during the week would be too tricky with Kate living WAY south of me and my job being WAY north of where we live. Doesn't really work out too well. I'd like to continue teaching, but not sure where. We'll see! I may just want to stay home and take care of babies!

More later!!

Almost half there!

I've been trying for sometime to update this blog, as I know there are a few people who like to read it (amazing to me, really!). I feel like there's been a lot of nothing happening lately. A lot of work, not as much play as I'd like this time of year, just a lot of nothingness, it seems. Work has been kicking my butt--this Tues/Thurs business is for the birds. I generally leave before 7am, giving me 1 hour or so to prepare for class, teach from 8:30 to 11:15, go home and change clothes, throw food in my lunchbox, and head out the door to the clinic, where I spend the next 6-8 hours working. I get home anywhere between 7pm and 8pm (depending on the day).

Frankly, I've had it with this schedule. It's truly for the birds. I only have 3 more weeks of it, but it's made the summer fly by, making it hard for me to really love and appreciate my last summer of "freedom" (for lack of a better word).

Tomorrow, I'll be officially 20 weeks along and I feel really good! I can't believe the halfway point is here. WOW. I'm sure many will think I'm jinxing myself by saying this, but it's been such an easy pregnancy so far! With the exception of 2 weeks of queasiness and some milk issues in the first trimester, things have been smooth sailing this whole time. I still get tired every afternoon (don't always have time to nap though), and I have to pee A LOT (I used to be a twice-a-day pee'er). And...I'm fat. I'm just plain fat. I don't look pregnant yet, just really fat. I've been VERY lucky to have had a couple people loan/give me maternity clothes, so I likely won't have to buy much!

This coming week is going to be exciting. First, our bedroom furniture is finally being delivered on Monday! YIPPEE! We also bought a microwave to go above our stove, but we need help getting that in. We're hoping to go shopping for a new fridge and stove very soon as well. There are still tons of boxes to be unpacked, and things to be put together (including the crib we inhereted!), but we're slowly but surely getting there.

Keep your fingers crossed for warmer weather!! I'm still riding the scooter when I can, mostly just to school. It's the quietest and least populated ride...and it still feels so good. ☺