a night out with friends

Wednesday night a group of Schuyler grads got together to reconnect and catch up over dinner. We ate at Buddy's (which was packed) but had a great time in spite of the crowd! Before we realized it 3 1/2 hours had passed. I'm so thankful for everyone that took the time to be there & hope that even more of us can get together over Christmas!
Here's a few pictures of our night out:









Patrick & Tania, comparing tummies









Kendra and her man, Adam.









Jeff & Patrick









Dannon, Brooke, Kea









Justin & Tahnee









Steph & I









Erika & Steph

I Dare You...

I dare you to watch this and not let it change your life...
I dare you to continue to pretend you don't care...
I dare you to try and not be grateful for the Sacrifice.

We were not worth it, but He did it anyways.
Could you, would you, sacrifice your own?...

Thank You, Father, for Your sacrifice.

http://www.viddler.com/explore/MaximumReferral/videos/1/

on a lighter note...

...we are very ready to meet our baby! mike just realized that we actually will be bringing this baby home after our stay at the hospital and that it will be ours forever, so he's still processing that...but he also thinks its high time he got to hold his child in his own arms.
the bags are packed, the house can use a little tidying up (hopefully i'll get to that soon), the car is fueled and vacuumed and my body is getting there...
hopefully soon...

what to say?

I don't know where to start...

Thanksgiving was..busy. I had a nervous emotional breakdown yesterday morning that my poor husband had to deal with--I'm blaming it on pregnancy hormones b/c I really wanted to stop crying but I just couldn't. That led to dinner at my grandparents...crazy, but actually saner that usual. After that, Mike brought me home and I took a nap (much needed). Then I went out to Andrea's so we could plan our shopping strategy... & off to Mike's grandma's to visit. What a busy day!

I got to bed about midnight--slept a whole hour total maybe and was up at 2:30 to shop. CRAZY! After the mall and Wal-Mart, mom and I were getting discouraged with other people's attitudes and the insane crowds, but then we went to Menards and had a GREAT time! We laughed with other people, the workers were plentiful and helpful and we really had fun. That relaxed things a bit. Wal-Mart was just absolutely insane and almost a little dangerous--I heard about the worker who died in New-York just a little while ago and the sad thing is I can totally see how that would happen.

Anyhow, I walked all day & was sure I'd induce my own labor, but no such luck yet! I've still got my fingers crossed--I'm tired of being pregnant, being uncomfortable, and having swollen ankles. I'm trying not to be whiny but I'm just feeling really ready. I'm tired of answering, "when are you due?," what are you having?," questions. I know people mean well, but its just getting exhausting. Today, at our 2nd Wal-Mart stop, I felt my ankle literally explode--they are so swollen that I'm literally blowing blood vessels. They burn so bad--I know its because I was on them all day but ekk... Okay, enough of that talk...I did get a lot of Christmas shopping done & wrapped and for that I am grateful. The baby was pretty cooperative when we shopped and I only had minor contractual pains as I walked & so for that I'm also thankful. Lastly, I'm thankful for the mom and great sisters I got to spend the day with...I forgot how much fun we have every year! Here's hoping your Turkey Day & Black Friday were as lovely as mine...God bless you!

presents under the tree--all wrapped up! yay! 'tis the season!

(just realized this blog was a little dry [and kinda graphic with the ankles, but i had to show you]...sorry-i'm very tired!).

laughing out loud

I'm laughing at Corin's comment on my last post, about how otherwise modest ladies are completely comfortable talking about their lady parts when they are pregnant. I've been thinking about the perks of pregnancy lately and have come up with another few things that make the package a little sweeter:

• Only when you are pregnant can you walk around Target with a drippy waffle mint chocolate chip ice cream cone...I dare you to take it away from me...come on and try it!
• Fridays (or today) are comfort days at our school...we pay $1 to wear jeans. Most people wear jeans and a sweater...I'm in sweatpants and a long sleeved (Scotland) t-shirt. Once again, I dare you to say something...bring it on! The principal 'popped in' to take pictures of my class and she just smiled...smart lady!
  
• Only when you are pregnant is it appropriate to talk about the progress of your cervix with your father--and then only barely. He called last night and asked me how the dr. appt. went and I didn't know how much detail to give him... :) Hey, he's the one who had 3 girls!

There are so many more but these are the few on the front on my mind. Happy Wednesday everyone! I'm off to do paperwork!!

pregnancy update

NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO READ ABOUT MY LADY PARTS CLICK THE RED 'X' IN THE CORNER OF YOUR SCREEN NOW!

I went to the doctor today. Told him every move I make makes me want to throw up and that I'm surely getting closer. He raises his eyebrows and kindly informs me that the reason I feel the need to hurl is because my baby is a 'bigger baby' and is likely playing cruel games with my digestive system. Thank you, doctor.

However, he made it back to my A-list when he checked me and told me that I am 1-2 cm dilated and my cervix is 1/2 thinned out!! The thinning excites me more than the dilating, b/c let's be honest--you can walk around dilated forever and if your body doesn't do anything else then its worthless. So--good job body, do things all on your own!! He asked me if I'd been having contractions & I said, "I don't know, I've never had contractions before." At least I can make him laugh! I have been having 'walking contractions' that stop when I sit down and start when I'm on my feet for long periods of time...so, if all else fails I should be able to get on a treadmill and walk this baby right out of me, right?

I guess the time has come for me to really pack my bag--I'm starting on it tonight and Andrea's coming over tomorrow...I'll feel much better after someone 'checks' it and tells me what else I need or what I've packed that I don't need (I know, how old am I?).

I'm nervous, I'm excited,...I'm hoping I make it to Friday at least & would really like a December baby but only b/c the November birthstone is a little ugly in my opinion (no offense anyone!).

We shall see...

oh puke!

Did anyone else get nauseous before they delivered? I feel like I'm back in the first trimester---I remember now how much I hated the first trimester. I feel like I'm gonna hurl...
So, tell me..is this tell-tale signs of labor?...
or do I have the flu?

is this nesting?

My stomach is rolling but my mind is insanely driven to make meaningless places sparkle before this baby comes. For instance...I just got done scrubbing the master bathroom on my hands and knees. I don't do that when I'm not pregnant! I moved shelves, found every dust bunny & decrudded every crevice. I'm so excited to take a shower in my sparkly tub tonight. Next on the list--our loft bedroom. Phil & Mike are running me a new outlet on Wednesday, so I'm going to start tonight & finish it Wednesday after they are done. Mike did his little bathroom downstairs & then I'm on to the kitchen floor & finishing touches on the living room. (then it'll be time to start upstairs again!)
Anyhow, I can't decide if this is insaneness or nesting but whatever it is I'm going to enjoy my clean house and the drive I have to keep it that way!

might I just say...

...how very proud I am of my baby sister.

She's such a genuinely good and thoughtful girl...works hard not to cave to peer pressure...is a good daughter, a good sister, a good friend and a good aunty. Recently she's been scoring off-the-charts (for our family--no offense Andrea) on her ACT's and is on her way to a pretty good ride to college. She just scored a 30 the last time she took the test and has a very sweet deal on the table from one of the schools she wants to go to. I just found out that they offered her that deal before they got her recent ACT score (her last one was a 29), so the offer is likely to go up when they get her new score. I'm so happy for her & so proud of her...it took awhile for her and I to truly appreciate each other, just as it did Andrea and I, but I'm proud to call her friend & sister. I love you, Laurnie!

a pooey start to a great week!

Pleck! I had a yucky start to my week that involved waking up at 3 a.m. and having a relationship with my trash can...no more need be said. I stayed home from church b/c I couldn't decide if I had a bug or not...I think it was just a tummy ache...I don't have a temp & am feeling better. My bestest boyfriend is in the kitchen making me some french toast so I'm super excited about that. There's a church Thanksgiving fellowship tonight that I'm hoping I'll make it to...Mike and I skipped so many of those while we lived out of town b/c it was so hard to drive to church, drive home, drive back t0 church, and go home again...
I know he wants to go badly so I'm going to work on getting myself together.

Even though the day started crummy I know the week will be looking up. It's Thanksgiving & I have so much to be thankful for! For starters--a 3 day work week!!! Who wouldn't be excited about that? Sure I have lots to do in those 3 days but I love Thanksgiving and spending time with family so I'm looking forward to Thursday. (and Friday shopping of course--I'm banking on that putting me into labor!).
This year we are going to my grandma & grandpa's for Thanksgiving and then to Mike's grandma's for supper leftovers. We skipped my grandma's last year b/c it was 'Mike's year' so its off to the crazy Tallman's for lunch on Thursday. Nah, they're not all crazy--I'm mean I'll be there and I'm relatively sane... :) but it is loud, chaotic, and fun in its own way.

On a completely different note--we got Andrea & Vance all moved in yesterday. Okay, maybe not all moved in but everyone had a clean bed to sleep in so that counts for something. Obviously I wasn't much help except for with things like loading the bookshelves & putting away kids' toys...I didn't haul any boxes or anything, but she and I are so alike that I was able to put things away & know that it was relatively in her 'system.' She had sooo much moved already that the house was in some sort of order before we even started yesterday so that was a blessing. I'm so excited for her that she's finally in her dream house...sure a few things still need to be done, but there is nothing so wonderful as moving someone 'home'.

Okay, french toast is all done...off to eat!

A Thousand Word Thursday

Stolen from Andrea & Bree, who stole it from someone else!














Whew, it was hard to pick one picture but this one is pretty priceless & one that I haven't shown anyone before. Forgive me, she's not my child, but dang, is she cute!?

Christmas Survey

I got this in an e-mail & thought, why not?...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
definitely wrapping paper

2. Real tree or Artificial?
I grew up on 'real,' but last summer I bought a tree for $1 that I thought I was going to use for my classroom and it turned out to be a 7 1/2 foot BEAUTY. So my new tradition is my $1 tree! (and I'll admit, it really is easier!)

3. When do you put up the tree?
it's up...usually we don't do it 'till the Saturday after Thanksgiving but encouragement from a friend and a baby on the way convinced me!

4. When do you take the tree down?
by New Year's.

5. Do you like eggnog?
uh...ewwwww!

6. Favorite gift as a child?
my quintuplets & their quint house! sigh...









the little house folds up & locks!


7. Easiest person to buy for?
Mikey is usually not too bad...neither are my sisters.

8. question 8 seems to have disappeared!

9. Do you have a Nativity scene?
Yes, 2...I leave one up all year long!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
Mail...I already have my labels ready to go this year & have over 100 to send! It's part of the special holiday...seeing how families have grown. I keep mine (esp. ones with pictures) all year long!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
One year all I wanted was a bookshelf (yeah, I was THAT kid). Anyways, when my folks (or Santa) went to the Wal-Mart to pick it up & got home and tried to assemble it they found out it was broken. Wal-Mart had no more so they kept the broken one in the box so I knew what I'd gotten. It wasn't a bad gift--it was exactly what I wanted--but it stinks when you can't put it together and use it on Christmas. My folks were sadder than I was b/c they've always been good about having our things put together!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
The old family tradition from home is to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, but my actual favorite movie is probably Frosty (although this year I am watching the new Nativity Story, so I might have a new favorite).

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I have already started...I'm usually 90-95% done after Black Friday (which is why this baby has to absolutely wait to come out!).

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Not until I married my husband...sometimes that's the theme of their family Christmas gift exchanges at his Grandma's.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Homemade noodles and mashed potatoes and turkey (same answer as Andrea in case anyone cares!...can you tell what we grew up on?)

16. Lights on the tree?
Color & lots of them!...although I wouldn't be opposed to going all clear some year.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
Oh, I just love Christmas music...my favorite hymn is probably What Child Is This?.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
Stay at home and go to mom & dad's...I love being with family at Christmas. We do Mike's folks one day & my family usually on Christmas day.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's?
Of course...I won a bet with one of my regular coffee drinkers when I worked at the MOD!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Angel on the big tree; star on the little tree.

21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning?
Well, both of course! & sometimes days before!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
People who don't or can't (or refuse to) get in the Spirit (the real Spirit!). Its not as annoying as it is sad!

23. Favorite Ornament theme or color?
Our big tree is our ornaments from when we were growing up. I am, however, obsessed with snowman decorations and have a snowman tree this year!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
turkey, homemade noodles, mashed potatoes (didn't I answer this already?)

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
Does it sound like a boxed answer for me to say, "A happy, healthy, peaceful baby?"...

26. Santa packages wrapped or unwrapped?????
Oh, unwrapped if assembly is required, of course, because assembly required means Santa assembling at midnight! Otherwise they are to be wrapped in a DIFFERENT paper than mom and dad have so that the packages don't match anything that's been under the tree for weeks (my mom was actually very conscientious about this!).

Feel free to copy & blog your own answers if you want to. Have a holly jolly Thursday!

Look at What I Got to Do Tonight!

Wow! What a night. I had a doctor's appointment...pretty uneventful except he told me to make sure my bags are packed and that my baby "isn't a small one, huh?" (okay, so maybe not so uneventful...more about that later).
After that, we went a shopping. I had a mission tonight--I had $150 cold hard cash to spend on kids' hats, gloves, and coats. Our church is doing a drive and our men's group gave us $100...then I got to thinking about my Lollipop Lion's weekly offering and decided that buying these things & showing them to the kids would be a great way to teach them about giving & show them what their offering could do in Jesus' name. I did not realize how much those little darlins' have been bringing in, but when I got to counting it they had $50 easy! Good for them!
So....I had $150 to spend on coats, hats, and gloves. Altogether, we ended up with 4 coats, 2 car seat covers (thought maybe that would be handier than a coat for an infant), 31 sets of gloves/hats, and 8 infant stocking hats! It was so much fun...for one, spending money that wasn't mine was pretty exciting but also, for every little hat/glove set I picked out I pictured a youngster with red little ears and ice cold fingers going into the clothes nook and coming out toasty warm! God's blessings...I'm so happy to be a little part of them! Just as an FYI...if anyone has any gently used coats that they'd be willing to give away to a cold youngster, feel free to drop them by: our house, the church, or the clothes nook. We'd be happy to find a recipient for your donation!

new to me...the jesse tree

Have ya'll read Rocks in My Dryer's blog today? I pulled it up off Andrea's Blogroll and there is something very cool over there. It's called a Jesse Tree...perhaps you've already heard of them but I hadn't and I'm enthralled (read the blog, you won't regret it!). I think Mikey and I are going to try it--what a great time to start a new family tradition when we have a new baby coming. We might just do the stories this year so I can be on the hunt for ornaments to go along with it for next year. I've printed out paper ornaments that I can back on cardstock if I decide I want the symbols to go along with the stories this year...
Anybody else wanna do one? I'll print you the paper version of ornaments and we can hunt for real ones together?? or perhaps you're feeling more ambitious about things & think you can get all the ornaments together before November 30th when it starts??
Think about it...new traditions are always fun...your kids are never too old and neither are you & think about the future when they carry on those traditions with their kids...
AHH, sigh of contentment...

Happy Tuesday!

A Bittersweet Good-Bye...

Well, I suppose its no longer a surprise to many of my faithful readers (who are also faithful friends) that some very dear friends of ours are leaving us for greener pastures. Okay, maybe not greener, but definitely windier (are you sure you want to go?...it is awfully windy there).
Chad and Laurie Ulrich, who have served as youth and children's ministers for our home church for the past 6 1/2 years have been given an opportunity by God to move back to their 'home town' in Kansas and serve a new church. I understand...totally...they'll be closer to their families, the job is a great opportunity, and God has commissioned them to go. I mean, who am I to argue with the Big Guy? These things don't make it easier to say good-bye. It's not their jobs that I'll miss them at...not that they didn't do them well and faithfully, but its their dear friendships that I'll miss the most.
I know, I know...good-bye isn't forever. I mean, we'll see each other, talk to each other, e-mail each other...but it will be an adjustment. However, that said, please know that I totally support you, Ulrich family, in your choice. I couldn't dream about raising babies away from our families, or not being able to run to my mommy when I need help. God bless you both for your service and dedication...we'll be praying as God's new plan for you unfolds.

does anyone...

...have any Graco SnugRide car seat bases that we can have/borrow/buy from you? We can order them from Wal-Mart for $35 a piece but thought we'd give this a shot. Has to be SnugRide compatible b/c that's what our car seat is.

baby shower, take 2

Well, I hate sharing photos that I haven't gotten to crop and edit yet, but Mikey redid my computer and it has zilcho on it (not even sound yet) & I'm afraid if I wait I'll forever forget. Here are pictures from the 2nd shower we had...Laurie & Beth did a great job and it was a very sweet, tame event. They did a book theme and we actually got a lot of fun books that I didn't have already (& if you know me, that's a hard feat!).
We were blessed with lots of necessities--lotions, baby wash, etc, as well as items that will mean a lot to us for many years. I got 2 Willow Tree angels--the expectant mother angel & the new mommy angel...2 handmade blankets, one crocheted & one knitted in prayer, and lots of other sweet things. Thank you to everyone again, who came to either or both showers. We appreciate the love and support you've given to our growing family!

Laurie made a diaper cake (that I hated to take apart because I know how much time it took!) & we had a great brunch.

The prayer blanket...very soft & cuddly!

Laurnie Beth went through our books from when we were little and found our children's versions of the Little House on the Prairie books and gave them to the baby. Made my eyes water from the thoughtfulness.

My baby sister bought something especially for ME! Jammies to trot around in while I'm at the hospital and when we come home (okay, I'm already wearing them!).

Andrea got all of the Noah's Ark stuff that goes with our crib set...Colby picked out the elephant security blankie!

Our dear friends, Robert & Maureen, found this AWESOME Noah's Ark board book...it is just too cool for description!

I did play around with this photo on picnic...got it cropped at least...this is the hand crocheted blanket that Beth made for us. It is soooo soft!

My mom...she's always thinking...she bought us a humidifier, baby nose drops, & a vapor plug-in.
I broke the humidifier out of the box this week and its helped clear up my cold...yay!

ATTENTION CLASSMATES...

Attention Class of '04 Graduates...
Anybody who is around and wants to is invited to an impromptu supper on Wednesday the 26th at 7:00 at Buddy's in Lancaster. This isn't 'exclusive' to the '04 class...bring friends, spouses, family, whomever. We're just out to reconnect & have a good time. Hope you can make it...holler with questions.
PS I've put this on facebook and e-mailed it to those that I have addresses for...YOU are responsible for inviting others....

abstract lights...

Mike was fiddling around with the camera while taking pictures for me and did a funny thing with the zoom and settings. He got some interesting abstracts of the lights from the tree that are fun to look at...

Christmastime has arrived at the Beelers!

It was a busy day but a productive one. Mike got the office cleaned while I had a nervous breakdown about something else. The dishes are clean, the washer and dryer are churning, and the house is pretty well decorated. We didn't do any outside stuff yet, because we didn't want to overwhelm the neighborhood (& well, the scarecrow is still out there).

We got our overly LARGE tree put up in Mike's office so you can see it from the front window. Yep, its still as big as last year but at least we aren't living in a house with 7 foot ceilings and the angel fits on top this year! The nativity's up & the stockings are hung (gotta get one for the bambino...excited to pick it out!). Then, when Mike went down to get my standing Santa he accidentally brought up the tree that I had in my classroom last year. So, I got out a set of snowman ornaments that I've had for a couple of years and made a little snowman tree in the living room. The house is now very cheery & very bright, but I'm excited to have this much done before the baby comes. I don't want to resent Christmas and not decorate because I'm learning how to be a mommy, so this will be one less thing on my list. Plus, how cheery will it be to bring a baby home to a Christmasy house!!

The nativity...the fiber optic angel in the background is one we bought for our Christmas tree the first year we were married & then we realized it wasn't made to go on trees. Ever since she's kept watch over the baby Jesus!

It's hard to capture the lights so you can see them glow but Mike did a pretty good job.

The little snowman tree & Santa. The topper star for the little tree is at school in my classroom so I'll have to bring it home Monday.

The big tree...7 1/2 feet tall & 5 feet in diameter at the bottom!
Needless to say, Mike doesn't have much office left!

it's beginning to look a lot like...

...CHRISTMAS! the house is warm, the oven's a baking, the rooms are getting cleaner and its almost time to get the tree out! the snow is flurrying, the hubby's working on winterizing our bedroom to make it cozier and i'm going to find my Christmas music. i may even wrap a few presents later...
have a holly jolly Saturday, everyone!

sometimes i wonder...

...did i just not pray hard enough?

anybody else?

finally pictures! baby shower, take 1.

Our first shower was on October 11th. We had oodles of family and friends there and were blessed with lots of necessities and wants! We're so lucky to have such great loved ones. I have 81 pictures that Andrea took on my camera that are in need of serious repair because the camera was on the wrong mode (not Andrea's fault), but Penny gave me hers so at least I have a few to share.

Our hat line...the theme was hats because Mike & I were baldish when we were little.
We got tons of great adorable hats for a boy or a girl.

Me and my hostesses...Laurnie, Kea, Me, Andrea...in front of all our awesome gifts!

Emma bought us spill proof bowls because she's very concerned about my baby making a mess. She's such a smart, thoughtful girl!

My photographer, note taker, all around go to gal!

A side view...get a load of that baby bump!

don't you people know that when i'm overwhelmed and cranky i rely on your daily posts to keep me going? somebody say something inspirational, quick, i'm going nuts here!

i was gonna...

...call in sick today but i had a meeting for a student we just evaluated so i knew i needed to be here. my stomach is rolling, my head is pounding & i'm trying really hard to keep an upbeat tune.

the mom called and canceled the meeting. dang it!

hark!

Hark!  What's this?  Dare I be blogging from home!?  I think I am...YAY!  Finally after 2 1/2 months AT&T pulled their heads out of the sand and got us hooked up!  I had big dreams of posting pictures tonight that I've been saving forever but something's wrong with my internet connection on my computer where all the pictures are saved so I'm using Mikey's.  He's at men's group and I thought it might be a little petty to call him to fix my computer while he's study the gospel with the fellas.

I don't really have anything fun to blog about...just soooo excited to have internet at home!  This means I have access to my hotmail account again so feel free to e-mail me there, however if you need me during work hours continue to use my work account if you want a fast(er) response (until I go on maternity leave!).

The doctor did not do an internal exam yesterday (aww shucks) but the doppler showed that the heartbeat was 158.  That's 10 up from yesterday and over 28 up from when we first heard it...how funny.  This little one's just trying to keep me guessing on whether its a boy or a girl.  Mom says its just the 2nd baby finally showing itself...the first one is the slow beat (my boy) and the one we've heard lately is the fast beat (my girl).  Isn't she funny?  Even funnier is that last night I dreamed I went into labor, had a baby, and then realized that I was going again--that there were twins.  In my dream I remember looking up and saying to God, "Real funny man!"  In all seriousness, there's no way it can be twins...I don't think anyways!

Whoever's in there tonight he/she/they are thankful for a home cooked meal.  Mommy hasn't been home to cook the last several nights.  Sunday was board meeting, Monday was a meeting at the school until 6, Tuesday was dr. in Ottumwa.  I always eat something but not the best that I could do.  Tonight Erin made me chicken and noodles for supper and brought it to Sonlight--still warm--I just got done eating and it was delicious!!  Thank you Erin, the whole family is grateful and hopefully the homecooking will help this congestion pass along.  Yummy!

All for now...nothing on TV so I just as well head to bed.  If Mikey fixes my 'puter then I'll get some new pictures up soon.  I have baby showers to show you & all kinds of other fun stuff!

A Veteran’s Day Prayer

Dear Lord,
Today we honor our veterans,
worthy men and women
who gave their best
when they were called upon
to serve and protect their country.
We pray that you will bless them, Lord,
for their unselfish service
in the continual struggle
to preserve our freedoms, our safety,
and our country’s heritage, for all of us.
Bless them abundantly
for the hardships they faced,
for the sacrifices they made
for their many different contributions
to America’s victories
over tyranny and oppression.
We respect them, we thank them,
we honor them, we are proud of them,
and we pray that you will watch over
these special people
and bless them with peace and happiness.
In Jesus’ name we pray; Amen. By Joanna Fuchs

To those who served, who are serving, and to their families...God bless you all.

mish-mosh, pish-posh

in random news...

ONLY 25 DAYS LEFT TO GO! okay, i know...i'll probably go over but at least i have a goal in mind...something to look forward to. i'd actually rather go over by 1 week so i can finish up the reading unit with my students & not have to do big sub plans for before Christmas. that way i can do their end of quarter assessments, grades, etc. then the kids can just start fresh with the sub in the new year & i'll have more time after Christmas to stay home. we'll see...when i'm up and walking for long periods of time i feel regular 'twinges' but the minute i sit down they are gone so i'm sure its just practice! we'll see what the day after thanksgiving shopping does to me!

i'm very excited for Christmas...i love Thanksgiving, but in my head its the precursor of Christmas and all it means. what a better way to get yourself ready for the TRUE meaning of Christmas than to take a day to be thankful? see? this is a beautiful time of the year & i'm very excited for the holidays to come!

it has occurred to me recently that i should think about packing for the hospital. i have the diaper bag packed (& probably overpacked because that's just my style) with all the things i want the baby to have while we're there, but i haven't started packing myself yet. anybody have that "couldn't live without it item" that they want to share with me? i'll take all the helpful hints i can get! (maybe it'll motivate me).

i'm feeling better this morning, but last night was rough! i was up for 2 hours just blowing my nose & choking on drainage (i know, sexy...hey, mikey, is that a bad word?). i still can't tell if its really a cold or not...once i'm up for the day i feel okay--not great but okay. whatever it is i hope its gone soon.

and lastly, in today's news...i finally broke out the purple barney sweater of Andrea's. for those of you who knew Andrea when she was pregnant with Emma, you'll likely remember the sweater that looked oh, so comfortable but was indeed Barney purple. i've had it out for several weeks but hadn't broken down and worn it yet, but today is the day. i needed the comfort and boy is it ever comfy & warm. you won't lose me in a crowd, that i promise ya!

another doctor's appointment today...checking to see if i'm doing anything yet so i'll be so excited to update you on the progress of my lady parts tomorrow!
have a great tuesday!!

i don't...

...feel good. my throat is raw & my head is full of junk. i can't tell if its a cold or if this baby is just cramping my respiratory style. either way, i feel crummy today and have to stay until 5 or after because we have a staff meeting that doesn't start until 4:00. yuck! the rest of my week is a rushed blur...i can't take a sick day because i screwed up a testing deadline and have to get a student tested so erin can write the report and we can have the meeting by thursday! if only i could keep my head off my desk...

happy monday to you all...hope your's is looking more positive than mine.

on a positive note, i had a really nice baby shower saturday...more about that on a day when i'm not feeling so whiny.

inquiring minds...

okay you inquiring minds...here it is...

In 1956 Dwight Eisenhower ran for re-election against Adlai Stevenson, coincidentally the man he'd also run against (and won over) in 1952. In 1952, Missouri voted for Eisenhower & he won, but in the 1956 election, Missouri voted for Stevenson (who did not win--Eisenhower was re-elected). This 2008 election will be only the second time that MO has not voted with the winning candidate...

So there you have it folks...history lesson for the day!

did you know...

...that this is only the 2nd time in history for over 100 years that the candidate who won the presidency did not win the electoral votes in the state of Missouri? the state of missouri is historically known for giving their votes to the person who ends up elected. i learned that from charles gibson last night.

Dear Baby...

Last night while you were sound asleep history was made in the United States. The first African-American was elected President of the United States. Mommy and Daddy did not vote for this man, but it wasn't because he is not white...it is because they don't agree with many of the things he agrees with. We couldn't vote for him because he doesn't hold human life at the utmost, and how could we agree with that when you are growing and thriving in Mommy's tummy? We voted the Bible--for the man who held God and His values higher than many other things.

That said, dear little one, Mommy is happy that you will hopefully never have to live in a world where race is a deciding factor in anything. God created all people equal, regardless of their skin color, and so, in order to find the positive in this election, Mommy is thankful (although nervous for our country) that this history was made.

We love you, sweet baby, and pray for the country that you will grow up in.

and she shall be called...

...Natalee?

(spelled that way b/c then it has my middle name in it). and we will call her Elle for short? still not 100% set...
but do love the fact that Natalee means "gift at Christmas". how appropriate will that be? (unless i deliver before Thanksgiving but the doctor assures me that won't happen--in fact, yesterday he insinuated that my due date will likely come and go...).

Natalee Cynthia...I just threw it out there as I was going through a book and Mike really kind of likes it and its ringing sweet to me too...oh, how I wish I was a decisive person.
I have decided that I don't like 1 syllable 1st names...don't know why but I have this thing. There are lots of 1st names people have given me that I like a lot (Grace, Clare) but I don't like the 1 syllable thing. Just doesn't flow to me. Or perhaps what does flow is a 1 syllable 1st name & a 3 syllable middle name.

I never thought I'd be a nickname person either but I think I'm such a control freak that I know people will give my kid a nickname so I just want to control what it is...that's why I've been so obsessed with choosing a name & then a nickname that I like.

All along I've thought that this baby was a boy, but now that we have a girls name that we are pretty settled on it is very real to me that it could be a girl! Plus, everytime we go to the doctor the heartbeat is a little faster...hmmm...I truly think Mikey needs a girl first who can wrap him around her finger & then a boy to straighten him back out... :)

Anyhow, enough rambling (& boy, that was truly rambling!).

So, Natalee (Elle) or Xzavier (Zabe) ... whoever you are...we love you already & can't wait to meet you!