Mrs. Fix-it

I'm so proud. Our internet connection is quite finicky. Jer usually (er-always) fixes the computer (that he built himself). He's the techno wiz. So when our internet acts up, he fixes it.

Until today.

I came home from school and he said he hadn't been able to do anything on-line because the internet was not working. He was quite flustered and had given up.

I sat down by the computer and asked him the first question I'm always asked,

"Did you re-start it?"

I think posting this shows how brilliant I truly am.

37 Weeks and our little good-luck charm

We are in the clear, people! Baby is considered full-term. I may not look it, but I'm feeling it. Baby is running out of room. I am doing better, however. I think I can make it through 2 more weeks of school (previously I didn't know how I'd make it to the end of April). Of course, it helps that I have everything planned and ready for the next month.

Also:

This baby has the luck of his/her uncles! Both Joel and Andrew (Jer's brother) are those type of people where everything seems to fall into their laps. They win everything. Well, this little turkey is a good luck charm! Now, I know I am overly blessed and God always takes care of me and Jer, but we never win stuff. Like raffles or drawings. But we did today! I went to a Gerber baby shower (apparently one of the two plants in the US is here in Fort Smith) and I won one of the big door prizes! Woo hoo! I got a pack-n-play and lots of other stuff pilled in it (all Gerber brand, of course!) When we got home and unloaded everything, we laughed at all the duplicates.


Count them- 14 spoons (and 3 forks)
9 sippy cups
8 'lil dippers (go ahead, google it- I didn't know what they were until I got them!)10 caps for those little gerber juices they sell.

and...13 binkies (or whatever you call them) we laughed the most at these, because we weren't planning on using pacifiers (we'd only bought 2 just in case)So, all-in-all, we were spoiled.

By the way, Gerber baby food is yummy. I think I might start buying a jar of their strawberry/banana instead of yogurt!

36 Weeks--A visit from a bug

11weeks

36 weeks
How did I ever think I needed to lose weight?!?

This week was a HUGE milestone for me. I finished the NTL Program! Two years of hell! Over! And now I get a certificate that I can't use.

So much for that plan!

Well, Thursday we had a little scare. A scare for me, anyway (Jer was totally calm and relaxed about everything) because I didn't realize how not-ready I was. I'd felt very weird all day Thursday. When I came home I felt worse and started getting achy, and very nauseous. Around 7:30 I started having contractions, about 30 seconds each, 5 minutes apart. It turned out to be the flu (times thrown up in lifetime: IV). It was a 24 hr bug.

I don't really understand the purpose of those in God's creation. What purpose does a 24 hr flu bug do? I guess it brings some family close together....and makes pregnant women realize how they need to kick it into gear at work to prepare for leave. But really, 24 hrs? It's crazy how in such a short time you can go from wanting to die to being normal again.
Crazy!!

These past few weeks have actually gotten easier. Don't get me wrong, I'm ready to be done, but I'm sleeping really well, only getting up once or twice, and have a steady stream of energy. The baby seems to have days and nights figured out- I'll wake up and have a bundled up baby just under my left rib. You can feel everything- bum, shoulders, head. You can almost practice hold him/her! When I get up the lump sloooowly falls and then the baby wakes up. Very cute! I think I'm going to miss waking up to those kinds of things.

Other than that, everything is ready! Clothes, diapers, boppy and place to sleep! One more week and we're good for a home-birth. Woot!

"Plans"

So, our life has been a whirlwind of anxiety the past few months. Here is an updated list of plans (or goals, maybe):

Have the baby before we move
Find an apartment for $550 a month (or less???)
Babysit, waitress and tutor to replace teaching
Become certified to teach NFP


We shall see!

Spoiled Rotten

I had 2 showers last week. The apartment...is full. Maybe it's good we're moving. This is the spot where the crib and other baby stuff was going to go:









Everything is washed and ready to go! But, unfortunately it all must stay in plastic bags. Why? Because of this little squirt:
I've concluded it must be her goal in life to curl up on anything that isn't already coated in her hair.

Anywho, here are the adorable doll-like twins that came to my shower (and their older sister)


Here's some of the loot:
The "must have" puppy blanket (lying on our pack-n-play)

Hand made quilt and burp cloths:
Diapers!!! (Bum Genius 3.0)


And I guess the consensus is that we are having a girl:



ok, I'd explain the pink stuff, but I'm WAY over my 5 minute sitting comfortably allowance.

35 weeks and the hic-um-ups

2 more weeks and we are good to go! (For a home birth, that is)

AHHHHH!!!!

It's kinda daunting to think we could have a baby in 2 or 8 weeks.

2-8

That's either 1/2 month or 2 months.

*silence*

I like to plan, remember??

If I stop and think about where the baby will be arriving from, it start to freak out a little and think maybe staying in there for, say forever, would be just fine.

Then I try and put my shoes, pants or socks on (or just try and sit for longer than 5 minutes) and change my mind.

Everything else is pretty much the same. 4 of my fingers on the right hand are numb now. Very weird feeling to type on numb fingers. And write, and text, and do everything. Oh well- it goes away, right?!?!

The "new" thing this week is the constant onslaught of hiccups. The baby has them for hours at a time at night. Considering I don't like repetitive touchy things, the hiccups are quite annoying. It is nice to know where the head is, though. I feel every hic on my bladder. No breech baby here!

Next up- Shower pictures!!

Crazy Eights

8 Things I am Looking Forward to:
1. Meeting my baby
2. Moving to Lincoln
3. Being done with NTL
4. Paying off our debt
5. Easter
6. Getting a COUCH (instead of our loveseat. It's hard for two of us to relax together on it!)
7. Chopping off my hair when it's long enough to donate
8. Buying our first house

8 Things I did Yesterday:
1. Went to our Bible Study for the last time :(
2. Made two math tests
3. Bought 7 Bum Genius diapers for $14 each!
4. Made a tomato sauce for pepperoni lasagna
5. Survived another day at work
6.
7.
8.
How sad is it that I cannot think of 8 things I did yesterday?
8 Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. Knit. Or have the money to knit like I'd like.
2. Stay at home. Now.
3. Know where we'll be living June 1st!
4. Cook like Jer does (without recipes)
5. Adopt a child.
6. Speak/Read/Write Chinese
7. Take Jeremy around Europe
8. Visit Oaxaca again.

8 Shows I Watch:
1. Friends
2. House
3. Biggest Loser (but only the last 15 minutes)
4. Dog Whisperer
5. Super Nanny
6. Family Guy
7. Lie to Me
8. The Mentalist

34 weeks!

33 weeks vs 34 weeks
I don't know if you can tell (either by the look on my face or the arch in my back) but this week we had a major growth spurt. My feet have been hurting again, handS (note the plural now!) are numb and I've had several random urges to get on all fours and go into child's pose to relieve pressure under my ribs. I was thisclose to doing it at church last night during the meatless meal.

My right thumb is giving me problems too. I'll let some pictures speak for themselves.











Left vs. right. If I try and force the right one, it pops back and forth back into this position. Blah.

In other news...
I have two baby-showers this weekend! And some gifts have already arrived (and opened themselves, I swear!)
I got 6 bum genius diapers from my mom and Grandma and this from my sisters. Lucy, the five year old, said she thinks all babies must have a "puppy blanket." I just hope this one doesn't end up like hers! I wish I had a picture. She offered to let my baby use one of hers (she still uses hers for the occasional "puppy time"). I had to explain that stuffing, strings and fabric that can be pulled off a blanket are not safe for a baby.

After this morning, I fear that our child will be a light sleeper. Around 4 am Jer got up (to use the restroom I guess; I'd forgotten that other people do that too) and when he got back I asked "You ok?" immediately the baby jerked and started partying. I thought it was cute. For the first 5 minutes.

Oh, and in non-baby related news:
Many of you know I've been in a teaching program for the past 2 years. It's a costly, tedious, and many times belittling program that allows those with BA's to teach and get a full teaching certificate. It entails 3 weeks in the summer (8 hrs a day) and one weekend a month during the school year, a HUGE portfolio, a research paper, 3 very expensive Praxis tests and lots and lots and lots of paperwork.
While in Nebraska I decided to see what it would take to transfer my lisence so I'd be certified in Nebraska.
Let me say, the NTL program (the one I previously described) is recognized and accepted in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, and many other states.

Would you like to guess where it is NOT recognized?

So, if I decide to teach in NE I'd have to go BACK to school and do the whole thing over again.

Oh, and my lisence here in Arkansas is for Spanish and Math. I've been teaching Math for 2 years. I've taught Alg I, Alg II, Pre-Calc, Geometry and Alg Connections. The NE program would only let me teach Spanish. Because that's what my BA is in.

In other words, the past two-years of my career, according to Nebraska, don't exist.